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!

:)



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!                                 

In the Shop Now . . .

 "Remnants 6" 

Mixed media

7 1/2"  x  9 1/2"

"Remnants 6" was one of six mixed media collages that I made for a show in June of 2010.  Two of the pieces have sold; another one is currently in the shop and "Remnants 5", also above, will be there soon. 

And by the way, don't you just love bookhou?  Such signature style in everything they do.  A simply wonderful, graphic aesthetic.   And such a great, conversational blog: bookhau at home.   Oh, and here's their Etsy shop.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

:)

In progress . . .Mixed Media Collage

  

In progress - mixed media

8" x 10"

Well the sun is surely sinking down

But the moon is slowly rising

So this old world must still be spinning 'round

And I still love you

Lyrics by James Taylor - "Close your Eyes"

Among other activities this weekend, I'm attending a couple of events that are part of a rather momentous symposium in Portland.  A story, told last night by a presenting scientist, brought the above lyrics of James Taylor to mind.  Tomorrow, I will share the story and a few other "take aways" from the events.  So much to think about....

Best...

Autumnal Mixed Media

Mixed media on canvas

9" x 11"

sold

Autumn is unquestionably my favorite season.  Still, I am not quite ready for summer's wane.  The above mixed media piece suggests "deep fall" to me (if there is such a thing.)  It's in my shop now. 

Such busy days here with very little time for art.  Hope you're not in the same predicament. . .  

Have a wonderful day!  And thank you very much for visiting!

New Work....Mixed Media

Mixed Media - 7" x 9"

Detail

Finally. . . . a few more pieces have been added to my shop. :)

The week is winding down.  Hooray!

Leaf Prints On My Table

Recent monoprints have found their way to my work table

beckoning this, that, and the other thing to be added to them. 

Of course I haven't made any commitments yet......


Thanks so much for visiting.  :)

Deconstruction

 Quince

 

 Mixed media "snippets"

I've had a wonderfully quiet weekend that is coming to a close all too quickly.  Catherine was visiting and she painted up a storm while I "deconstructed" prints, prints, and more prints. (None of which are shown above.) I am planning to turn them into small collages and add them to my Etsy shop at some point.....hopefully, sooner rather than later. :)

Daphne (my favorite winter fragrance)

While she and I were working on our respective projects inside, my husband was busy in the garden.  He offered some grasses that had outgrown their beds to a neighbor down the street, and she brought this Deodara cedar cone for us to see.  So amazing to see the intelligence of nature! Turns out the cone makes a perfect starting pot for seed germination.  

Of course, I thought the cone had been on the ground and had come apart and collected seeds that then germinated.  But no, it's a genuine, high-density seed nursery where multiple layers of cedar seeds germinate in pop-up seed "cups"  that eventually "deconstruct" and swirl off the center spindle.  How cool is that?!

Deodara cedar cone 

Hope you've had a wonderful weekend, too! 

(Oh, and by the way....am I the only one that didn't know about the magic of these cones??)

:)

Giving Life to a "Dead" Piece and....Graphic Ovoids: Second State

Mixed media in process

6 1/2" x 9"

Well, here it is -- mid-afternoon on a Sunday.  The weekend window of opportunity is narrowing.  Yesterday was filled with errands, a long overdue and much welcomed visit with dear friends, and a little baking.  Interspersed, were trips back and forth from one studio "annex" (read: dining room table) to another annex  (read: sunroom table) and then back to the "main studio" (read: converted bedroom).  Mind you, this was strictly a "get re-acquainted with the 'this-and-thats' (sketches, surface designs, etc.), that might one day be useful in a work of some sort or another" kind of activity.  Nothing productive by any stretch of the imagination.  Late in the evening, I became sort of "desperate," if you will.  So I grabbed a very "dullish," "reject " monoprint.  "Dull" as in drab mauve and even drabber olive, and black.  Then, I grabbed my Prismacolor pencils, set up camp in front of the dying fire, and begin to color.  That's right -- color -- just like a schoolgirl.   And now, my destined-for-for-the-trash monoprint has become this colorful "doodle-print-sketch-ditty!''

Which leads me to a wonderful bit of advice that I gleaned from the extremely talented artist behind Non-Indigenous Woman.  NEVER GIVE UP ON A DRAWING.  This little gem came forth when she generously took the time to respond to a question I had asked about a watercolor process she had touched on in one of her posts.  (I've mentioned Non-Indigenous Woman on this blog before.  If you haven't visited there yet, I highly recommend it.  She  instructs at the university level and the focus of her own work is currently printmaking. She is a fabulous illustrator and her mixed media sketches are just amazing.

"Graphic Ovoids"  - first state

"Graphic Ovoids" - second state

Acrylic on canvas 36" x 36"

Speaking of schoolgirls (and boys), did you ever look at "Highlights" magazine in the waiting room of the doctor or dentist as a child?  Remember the "Can You Find the Hidden Objects?" feature?  Well, that's what these two photographs of "Graphic Ovoids" are like:  Can you identify the differences between the first and second states?  No? --I didn't think so -- :) -- because they are so darn subtle. So I shall assist:  The changes include "Xs" in the orange rectangle, changes to the hue of some of the "white" quadrants on the eggs, darkening of the grey/brown quadrants of the eggs, additional definition on the perimeter of the eggs, and a warming up of the lower field.  All that over the course of a few hours to achieve subtle differences!  So that's what I've been looking at for the last week.  And now, the time has come to garner my courage and jump back into the painting...   

Stay tuned, and have a wonderful week!

:)

                                             

Confections for the Heart

 Mixed Media works by Catherine Freshley

6" x 6" x 2"

  6" x 6" x 2"



 3 1/2" x 4" x 2"

Looking for something other than red to give for Valentine's Day this year? Maybe something a little more than a card....with some "staying" power?  Turns out my daughter thought folks might be, so she made a host of table-top or wall hearts for the holiday, (or any special day) and put them into her Etsy shop.  These are very textural pieces, with many layers of paint, collage, and high-gloss medium.  Oh, and if you do happen to be looking for pink or red hearts.....she's got those in her shop, too.  :) 

 Cheers!

Multiples in Adobe Illustrator

  Prismacolor and graphite sketch

repeated in Adobe Illustrator

Mixed media

Digitally altered in HP Image Zone

 and repeated in Adobe Illustrator

Looking forward to a very productive "catch-up" day, (domestically speaking).  Found the above while in the process of the never-ending artworks "shuffle-and-sort" task.   Thought you might enjoy the digital alterations of the second piece.  The original piece (in its autumn palette) is featured here, along with a link to a previous post about Diane Ellison Stroud's beautiful gameboards.

Have a wonderful day and thanks so much for stopping by.

:)

Etsy Shop.....Now "Stocked"

 "Ambitions"

Mixed media on canvas

10" x 10"

You might have noticed......last weekend I finally "stocked" my Etsy shop with a couple of mixed media collages from my June Remnants show.  (Mind you, it's only taken me FIFTEEN months to actually upload an item to my shop! )  So I'm in a bit of a celebratory mood because, you know what they say -- "Beginning is half done."  Not that I have a zillion more things ready to upload to the shop.  But I do have some possibilities, and I'm beginning to see that there could be a sort of rhythm to this process.  "Ambitions" will be in the shop sometime this weekend.

A heartfelt WELCOME to new and continuing followers!

Have a wonderful day and weekend!  And if you have small children in your life, be sure to check out Joel Henriques' blog.  I discovered this Portland designer months ago while perusing blogs.  Made by Joel is devoted to creative, artistic, play (and learning) activities for smallfries and I think it's awesome.  Sure wish it had been around when my children were small.  (Of course, Joel was around then, but only a youngster himself!!)

Bumblings and Sketchbook Patterns

 Prismacolor and graphite

8"x 8"

I seem to be bumbling about in my studio and mainly moving things around. In the "big" sense of the word --the happy result of a daughter having come home for a couple of weeks and having reclaimed her room which had morphed into additional studio space.  And in the "little" sense -- that of moving small pieces of paper and fabric around on larger pieces of paper and fabric; and similarly, moving ideas around in my head. I do have ideas percolating for a series of paintings (I've never really done a series before.) and also for some hand- and machine-sewn cloth items. Meanwhile, while I continue to bumble and percolate, I thought I'd "toss" a few more sketches out into cyberspace .

Prismacolor, graphite and acrylic

7" x 9"

Acrylic, Sharpie and gold gouache

7" x 7"

Thanks very much for visiting!

Have a wonderful day.

:)

New Work...Postcards for Sophie Munns' "Homage to the Seed"

Mixed media on vintage postcard

3 1/2" x 5 1/2"

One or more of these little mixed media collages are about to be shipped off to Australia to join those of other bloggers from around the world who have responded to Sophie Munns' invitation to pay homage to seeds. Sophie's in the middle of a year-long residency at the Brisbane Botanical Garden where she is using art to bring awareness to the general public of the critical need to preserve plant biodiversity.  (If you're interested in participating, head over to her blog immediately because the "show" is about to go up.)

 Mixed media on vintage postcard

With the exception of the white and dark brown portions of the flower, above, virtually all of the glued elements on these cards are the end result of assorted rubbings that I did of a discarded piece of linoleum  my sister gave me last week. I found it more than a little challenging to work at this scale, but I seemed to have better  luck when I simplified the designs. 

 

Linoleum rubbing - Prismacolor on paper

 

Mixed media on vintage postcard

No doubt there will be some fabulous submissions and I am looking forward to seeing those that Sophie posts on her blog.  By the way, when you visit Sophie's blog, be sure to link to her Studio Archives,  since that's where all her own wonderful art is featured.  :)  

The Art of Patti Roberts-Pizzuto....Graphic Subtleties

 

"The Tall House" by Patti Roberts-Pizzuto

Mixed media on vellum

I guess you would have to figure that I would love this work by Patti Roberts-Pizzuto.  It's graphic, but subtle; rich but spare; and always very thoughtful.  The works shown here incorporate drawing, painting, embroidery, collage, beading and beeswax; and although I chose pieces of similar muted palettes for this post, Patti has numerous colorful pieces available in her Etsy shop now.

"Winter" by Patti Roberts-Pizzuto

Mixed media on vellum

Patti has been honing the skills she acquired while completing her BFA for years now, but it's only recently that she opened her shop and started her blogs. She has two of them: Missouri Bend Studio and Missouri Bend Paper Works, the latter of which chronicles her project of creating poems from words cut from the texts of old books.

"Season Cycles / Spring" by Patti Roberts-Pizzuto

5" x 5" on handmade paper

Patti's studio blog combines lovely narrative about the artistic process with observations about life and the beauty of the natural world.  Her current post speaks to the intimacy of her small works of art as it relates to the richness of life.  Patti and her husband, who makes much of her paper and is an artist himself, live in South Dakota on the Missouri River, captured stunningly here... in my favorite "golden hour" light. :)

Have a wonderful week!

Simple Materials....Simple Beauty

Acrylic on recycled coffee sleeves

Mixed media and lovely pomegranate

Much to do today in preparation for my daughter's homecoming, but I wanted to encourage you to stop back by soon as I will be featuring the work of a couple of wonderful artists in separate posts.

Simply gorgeous here in Portland.  Hope all is well where you are.  Thanks for visiting!!

"Remnants" - Mixed Media Show

 

"Remnants 1 & 2"

Mixed media

(....with flash spots, dark shadows, and all!)

It's Saturday morning and it's glorious in Portlandia, quite unlike this past Thursday evening when Joan McGuire's and my shows at Gallery 114 opened.  The sky looked promising on that morning, but it began to rain an hour before the start of the monthly First Thursday art walk in Portland's Pearl District.  Nevertheless, folks turned out and the gallery had great attendance.  Joan's paintings looked fabulous on the walls of the main gallery (photos of that coming soon) and the Pozzi Room was  perfect for my series of six mixed media works. It was a wonderful evening and I thoroughly enjoyed interacting with friends and the general public.  Many thanks to those who sloshed through the streets to come to the opening!!  (For anyone still thinking of going to the show, it will be up through June 26 and the gallery's open Th -Sun from 12 - 6.)

(Click to read a little about this work.)

"Remnants 3 & 4"

"Remnants 5 & 6"

Now it's time to focus on the domestic front, and also to get caught up with what all of you are doing. Definitely looking forward to reading Robyn Gordon, Sophie Munns, and  Carolyn Saxby's blogs; all of which are visual feasts and treasure troves of informa-tion; and the latter of which has the most soothing New Age music (some with ocean waves, no less!)

Hope the sun is shining where you are!  Enjoy!

"Remnants" and "Painted Drawings"

So we did it!  Joan McGuire and I hung our respective shows at Gallery 114  -- mine, six small and restrained works on paper, and hers, a large body of wonderfully loose and colorful abstract paintings.  Then we smiled and gave each other a "high five."  And now, we're looking forward to the First Thursday opening.   If you're in the Portland area, stop by the gallery.  We'd love to see you!

New work by Catherine Freshley

Mixed media on canvas

6" x 8"

Image courtesy of Catherine Freshley

I mentioned several weeks ago that I might post examples of my daughter's recent experiments with a mixed media process that includes collage, oil pastels, acrylics, gel medium and/or resin.  Shown here are a couple of her new works. The piece above, in which an interesting magazine image is peeking out from the lower left corner,  is currently at Gallery 713, in the French Quarter of New Orleans; and the piece below is currently in her etsy shop.

Mixed media on wood block

5 1/2" x 5 1'2"

Image courtesy of Catherine Freshley

Hope there's lots of creative activity going on in your neck of the woods!!