More Abstract Collages

Collage 13

Collage 14

Collage 15

Collage 16

Collage 17

Making it!

Surrender (Installation)
blanket, clothing, dirt, flowers

Surrender (Installation)

Paintings in progress

My new favorite piece of furniture-all hand made little drawers that are turquoise with red metal frame

Why I love tulips so much-as they die they dance a twirling ballet

Sunny's sculpture yesterday

The cool mouse house I found in my art supply's, the mouse harvested much of my husbands hair, lol!!!

First exciting news: I WON A GRANT!!!! That's in big letters because its a big deal-each of these victory's are hugely exciting for me! This is a small grant from NYFA (New York Foundation For The Arts) its called a SOS Grant, which is specific to fund opportunities that will benefit the growth and development of NY state artists. This money was awarded to me to help towards the costs of the Iceland residency. (I still need to raise quite a bit of money for this opportunity and have some fundraising ideas cooking-but if you have any cool thoughts please send me your ideas!)
Second exciting news: I set up my studio today and yesterday I put together an installation in the studio...so much fun! (Even though I jumped the gun and began painting last week before the studio was set up) Now its officially fabulous! I am in love-completely in love! I've decided to try to keep the studio really minimal-no table or shelves, just 3 pieces on wheels with small materials. The rest (the ugly stuff) is in the adjoining crack shack. This way I can have the studio itself be a canvas for ideas, installations, exhibits, disco dance parties, etc.
Whooooo-Hooooooo!!!!!!

Audacity of Hope

These are two small mixed medium paintings on paper. I actually made these last year, 2009. I have been thinking about working daily on paper, thinking how it was a beginning for me and is always a touch stone.

studio visit

Anger; A Help In A Time Of Need

The Antics Of Quentin And Archie

Lilacs and Plums; Grandma and Grandpa

Never Saw Toys As Anything Other Then Toys

For Linda; A Favored American Setting

Here are the remaining paintings in this series. Each is 16" x 20" Acrylic Paint, Photo Collage, and Dirt on Canvas. I thought there we're 12, but apparently there are 11. That's a weird number! Maybe I'll do another?

I hung two of these this weekend at the reinstitute. A fabulous new art venue for warm weather, (its a converted barn). I am thinking of proposing something for 2011 there, its really an inspiring space.

I mentioned the titles in my previous 'We're All Dirt' post, (if you look back at the previous posts they've been added) These titles are "combines". Combining the title of the original painting (when there was one), with text that accompanied the original photographs. Thus, creating new meaning with what pre-existed. I am enchanted with the riddle of unity, or a continuous connection throughout everything.

An invitation to let death be beautiful

I had an interesting response to my planted painting at the benefit Saturday night.
To quote a few;
"I really wanted to buy your piece, but how do you keep it alive?"
"I love your piece, and thought of buying it but its such high maintenance."
"I am a plant murderer, so I cannot have your piece because I would kill it."

These responses surprised me by our obvious natural inclination to want to keep everything alive, (as if we were that powerful). To perceive the living state as the only beautiful state. To want to attach ourselves to one perception of stagnant beauty, all of which is impossible if we accept that life is dynamic; in a constant state of change and transformation.

This response to the living paintings, has me thinking about working with the invitation to accept the transformation of life to include the beauty of death.

Ironically, Saturday I began documenting my tulips dying. I love tulips mostly when they begin to die. When they start to wilt they do this incredible dying ballet with their petals, they twirl with such fragile beauty, their colors deepen and they expose their tender inside.

Growing

Last week, I held the painting to the window and I could see roots growing

This week the bean has sprouted!!!!

This week the bean was so strong it opened the top of the painting, and is growing out two openings.

This is the little lentil sprout:) Growing straight out of the painting!

Amazingly, the paintings have begun to grow!!! I made three, and two of them have sprouted. They both are totally different. One has huge bean sprouts, and the other has a minuscule lentil. (Both were pantry foods!)

This has been such an amazing project, witnessing the incredible growth of these tiny seeds. It is refreshing in these dark and cold days, when all seems still; to know that something is growing...

.

Golden Blessings

GOLDEN BLESSINGS

Daniel Seward

why are my keys covered in milk?why is my shampoo "for women of color"?where did my new hat go?what is that noise coming from the carrot?
(A small rubber toy carrot)

James Meadows

Son jumps on chest" I gotcha you ...i hug you baby sad...'
(a child safe lock)

Noavakay Knight

Come with me....
(A bouncy ball)

These are a few "Golden Blessings". It is a new project that is interactive and was inspired by a personal experience with heartbreak over black and blue parsnips. Yes, parsnips. I literally was in tears about the poor quality of parsnips offered at Hannaford Market. The disgusting quality of packaged parsnips spoke to me of the larger picture. How little love and care and nurture was given to these "tender n' sweet" (that's what the package said) parsnips. How can we live in a society that doesn't love and nurture what we consume and create. After a mini breakdown in the parking lot....I began to imagine how could I transform this, like alchemy...and I imagined that my tears were turning these parsnips in to little golden blessings. Like a fairy tale. I felt better, even though I had no idea what the blessing would be for?

A few days later I read an amazing passage in my book; 'Love Poems to God' by Rainer Maria Rilke

It said:

'No thing is too small for me to cherish and paint in gold, as if it were an icon that could bless us, though I'll not know who else among us will feel this blessing'

This reading was like reading my own mind, and it vocalized that I didn't need to know what the blessing was for.

So, I began my golden blessing project which is; I find these small discarded items when I walk...and then I match them to a person on Facebook, and sometimes I find the blessing first, and sometimes the person is in my head first that day..and what that person writes as their 'status' at that moment on Facebook becomes what the blessing is for or about. The person has no knowledge of these blessings, (until now).
I am thinking of these little golden blessings as little icons, or little magic things with alchemical properties of love and power to bless....

Along with this, I just made three little paintings that I planted seeds in. They are based on the same inspiration. that nothing is too small to cherish. Each day I will water these paintings, with love and we shall see....they are a bit of a meditation, reminding me of this principle that nothing is too small to cherish.

I am excited buy both of these projects as they both are interactive between me and nature, chance, and time.

The three little "planted" paintings with my eyedropper for watering

These 'planted' paintings are postcard size and the are made with encaustic, lentils, beans, gold leaf, paper towel, and transferred images of Haeckel's radiolarians.
(single cell marine life)

Autumns Rush

h

These are three mixed medium paintings done this week. Each one is 9" x 12". I couldn't help but sketch some of whats enveloping me! The colors and textures that surround me here in Columbia County NY, are beyond beautiful. I have not been able to drive a straight line this past week. My head is being pulled in every direction trying to absorb every particle of gorgeous life...I am happy to be here:)

Winter Hues

A photograph of snow and asphalt, while walking home the other day.....

In China's Tang Dynasty ( about 627 AD-) Someone wrote..."We see only what we look for; we look for only what we know" ( I just found this quote from a friend and fellow artist, Harris Browns, essay about "what is art" for 4th graders..and it is very apropos for me this week)

Below are four paintings I completed about a week ago. I was terribly dissatisfied at first and almost embarrassed by them, despite that I greatly enjoyed the process of creating them. I felt so uncomfortable with them, because I thought, "What are these? Their so trite and about nothing...why am I inspired to make marks about nothing?" I showed my husband and he encouraged me that they were nice as was..even without a known figure, symbol, intention or purpose.

So, I didn't touch them, ( or destroy them), and I went for a walk. While I was walking I noticed what I was looking at, I was looking at the marks in the snow, on the ground...the silhouettes, flat shapes, lines and textures... I SAW my paintings!!! I realized that I am painting what I see, feel and think, even when I don't consciously recognize it, and this helped me to know that I need to trust in the process. TRUST my painting process. That doesn't mean I have to love every outcome, but that I need to let go of the control even more, and just swim in the wonderful unknown waters of creativity, which is where my joy is....

Winter Hues I 11" x 11" Mixed Medium on Wood

Winter Hues II 11" x 11" Mixed Medium on Wood

Winter Hues III 11" x 11" Mixed Medium on Wood

Winter Hues IV 11" x 11" Mixed Medium on Wood

Days , 8, 9 & 10 & 11

Outside all the paintings (days 1-7) are buried, and the deer are walking on top!

Day 8 Front- This painting includes mixed paint mediums as well as fabric

Day 8- Back
Day 8- Outside


Day 9 Front

Day 9 Back ( I like the stuff on the table around this painting, so I left it for the photo)


Day 10


Day 11

The other "environmental" art piece of the day