"Caliente" . . . New Collage

Mixed media

5 1/2" x 7"
available

Such a lovely weekend in progress!  Lots of leftover food to indulge in, compliments of others, primarily, so not much going on in the kitchen.  Plenty of time by the fireside and even some time to do a little art with Catherine and take a walk.   I'm still working on piecing my prints and embellished papers together -- hoping that an idea for a  painting is brewing somewhere in my subconscious.  Well, actually, I suppose there are several ideas brewing, so it's more a matter of settling on one and beginning.  I have derived inspiration lately from Nicholas Wilton's beautiful book of paintings completed in 2011.  (This was my birthday present to myself -- purchased early so as to get my hands on it sooner -- of course!)  I first saw Wilton's paintings several years ago at a gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona.  I loved them then and I recognized his work instantly when I came across it again on Robyn Gordon's wonderful blog, Art Propelled, many months ago.

(A scanned image of my copy of the book.)
 You can link to a view of  Wilton's entire book online: 

Here

I've also enjoyed Wilton's blog immensely.  He doesn't post often (how could one when one is so prolific?), but his posts are always thoughtful, with generous use of images, and generous sharing of information regarding technique and his personal artistic process.   Really, you should take a look.  :)



Thanks for visiting . . .

Cheers!

Thanksgiving

Mixed media

3" x 3"

Giving thanks today for all that is good.

Have a wonderful day, wherever in this world you may be.  May it be filled with love, joy and harmony.



Piecing It Together. . .New Mixed-Media Collages

here



here

Last weekend, I laid out twenty or so potential collages to be made from assorted prints, remnants of prints, embellished papers and ephemera.  This weekend, I've managed to finalize these three and a couple more.  (These are spare, on creamy art paper -- not greyish at all -- and some of the fine graphite and ink has not been fully captured in the scans.)

Yesterday, I gave up a potential afternoon in the studio to go watch our neighbor's son play his final game as the hometown quarterback at Portland State University.  There was a chill in the air, and my husband and I were "on the fence" as to whether to go or not....all things considered  (which translates into "Gee, it would be great to go and support him, but there are just too many things to do in too little time.")   We were glad we chose to go.  It was great to drop down into the city, just ten minutes away, and take the brisk walk to the outdoor stadium.  Before the game, the seniors and their families were honored on the center of the field; a bittersweet moment, to be sure.  We've watched this young man and his equally talented older brother practice ball in their backyard and play assorted sports since they were in middle school.

It is gorgeous today.  Time to stop and head out to assist my husband with a major leaf clean-up.  (Just in time for the next couple of storms that are scheduled to blow in at the beginning of the week.)

Hope you've had an enjoyable weekend with a little time for creativity!

Thank you for stopping by!

:)



Taking It In

   

Well, the November rains have arrived, and with them, the fragrance of foliage and the earth, and a wondrous fabric of leaves that is developing on the ground plane.  I managed to get out for two short walks in my neighborhood this weekend and it became all too apparent to me that "house / car / city office / car / house / car / city office" is a sure recipe for nature deprivation.  Interestingly, it was my olfactory sense that drove home the point that here, in my neighborhood, I was surrounded by vegetation and soil that was actually alive and dynamic, and that I was a part of this web of life. Nothing too profound here, mind you; it's just that it occurred to me while walking and taking in the fragrance, that during the dry summer, this fragrance of the earth, so characteristic of the Pacific Northwest, is virtually non-existent, unless one is in the woods, or better yet, deep in the forest.  And of course, it's non-existent year around in the immediate vicinity of my office downtown.  And therefore, similarly to "out of sight/out of mind," if one cannot smell the earth, one can lose track of just how long it has been since one has been out in a meadow, or a forest, or even in one's own neighborhood, taking it all in.

Hope you're not in a state of nature deprivation.  :)

Oh, and along this line, if you haven't already done so, pay a visit to Jennifer Judd-McGee's Swallowfield and take in Sophie Windsor Clive's short, beautiful video of the natural phenomenon of starling "murmurations."   And then scroll down to see Jennifer's holiday card and recent collages, before heading over to Novembergrass to see Sue's beautiful "murmuration" of stitches on her most recent work.

Have a great week!

Splendor in the Garden

  

Such a riot of color on this tree that is leaning over our fence. It was really something yesterday, against the brilliant blue sky. Anyone know what it is? And regrettably, these two small works are not new, and in fact, they've probably already appeared here. But they seemed to match the mood of the tree.  :)

Hope the week ahead brings good things your way!                                 

Good Cheer from Kristen Donegan

Such a delightful start to a recent grey and cozy Saturday in Portland . . . a lovely handprinted and stitched note, atop the cheerful package, above, from Massachussets artist, Kristen Donegan.   

Image courtesy of Kristen Donegan



And inside the package? A few of her wonderful cards. :) 

Among assorted art works, Kristen is currently featuring a series of bird-themed cards in her Etsy shop, as well as a very nicely curated selection of vintage items.  You can catch up with what she's been up to on her blog, A Sunny Spot, where she shares snippets of her artistic process and creative daily life.

And in our garden ...hydrangea leaves recently in their glory.
(But now suffering the effects of a deluge.)

Hope you are having a wonderful week!
(Hope folks back East are recovering from the storm.)

Thanks for visiting!

(I feel an artistic weekend coming on. . .)