Transformation 32

This is the latest in the Transformation series. The formation of the universe, the slow bonding of one element to another, the making of stars and planets over billions of years- these things are endlessly mysterious and fascinating to me.

Transformation 31

I actually finished this piece a couple of weeks ago, but just didn't post it because I wasn't 100 percent totally sure it was finished. Making decisions is not one of my assets as a human being, but let's just not go there... I have a couple more of these in the works, but as I might have mentioned before, I feel like this series has almost run its course, or come to an inevitable conclusion, or is stale and boring (at least to me). I really want to move on to something different, but I'm not sure exactly what. Once again, the old indecision problem has reared its ugly head. If any one has ideas or experiences you can share about how to handle this transition, please let me know.

Pink Blacklight Buddha

Is it just me, or does this kind of remind you of a seventies blacklight poster? Of course, those memories are a bit fuzzy, so I could be wrong. Let me know what you think.

Seedling

I'm sure this piece comes from a place deep in my twisted subconscious; after I made it, I realized that it reminds me somehow of one of my favorite childhood pastimes. In fact, it has occurred to me that much of my imagery grows out of these experiences. (Hey, who needs psychotherapy when you've got art?) I used to love making dolls from natural materials I found in the yard or woods, though I had little interest in store-bought dolls. I'd find a twig for the body, attaching a tiny apple or grape as a head. Of course she needed something fashionable to wear, and upside-down petunias made gorgeous dresses; a strand of thick grass tied around it served the dual purpose of holding the flower in place and serving as arms. Snapdragons were perfect as hats. For the little people to live in, I constructed houses of sticks and mud (I invented adobe, who knew?), and fed them birch-seed pies baked in the sun.
This probably comes as no surprise to those who know me well, while some of you may be thinking, "Wow, no wonder her art is so strange..."

Size: 8.5x15
Medium: monotype collage
Price: NFS

Gateway

Another new piece- I hope you enjoy it.
Size: 12"x14"
Medium: monotype collage
Price: $295.00

Illuminated Portal

I thought I'd share some of my recent artwork. I haven't made any more of the smaller pieces lately, but hope to get back to it soon. Enjoy!

Size: 8.5" x 17"
Medium: monotype collage
Price: $289.00 (no mat or frame)

Galactic Mandala

This piece combines two of my foremost interests, science and spirituality. I feel that these cannot be separated from one another, whether you believe that God created this magnificent universe, or you believe that this universe IS God. Either way, they form an indivisible whole; nature in all its forms reveals the divine. We are each sacred parts of the whole, and are dependent upon ALL parts for our survival.

Size: 11" x 11"
Medium: Watercolor and acrylic ink with collage
Price: $175.00 without mat

Transformation 29

When I decided to do this daily painting blog, I knew I couldn't post something every single day. I figured it would be hard enough just to put something on here a few times per week. What I didn't realize was just how difficult it would be to do even that. Maybe some of the other painting-a-dayers don't have a day job. All we can do is to do the best we can, as I tell my students. Thanks for looking at my art; I hope you enjoy this one!

Pathways of Remembrance II

I don't want to get all sappy here, but I have realized lately how much the past is always with us. It comes back to get you when you least expect it- like when you hear an old song and it brings back the exact emotions you were feeling when it was popular. I was walking down the hall yesterday and suddenly a smell- which I couldn't identify in words- took me to a particular place and time. I still couldn't tell you what the smell was- some cologne I wore in high school? The past is there, inside. You can run, but you can't hide.

Pathways of Remembrance

I started thinking about how the past is never really gone; it lives in our memories. But more than that, everything we have experienced has affected us, changed us in some way, made us who we are. No matter how we may try to hide it, or bury it so deep inside that we don't think about it, it has become a part of us.

Transformation 28

Just wanted to post this quickly before going out of town for a few days. Happy Spring!

Strange Weather

This piece is not part of either the Seed Mandala Series or the Transformations Series. It was inspired by the strange weather we've had lately (go figure) across the whole country, both literally and figuratively.

Seed Mandala 31 (Moth-man Death-Star)

Sometimes I make up funny names for these, based on what they remind me of. For instance, there are a couple that look like uteruses (uteri?), and others that bring to mind native American designs, galaxies, butterflies, or whatever. There was no intention to make them that way; I let chance or spirit or flow have a part in making these. Like seeing shapes in the clouds, people see completely different things in them - often something to meditate on. well, you might not want to meditate on Moth-man death-star...

Seed Mandala 30 (Dancing Earth Goddess)

I haven't posted much on here lately because I wasn't feeling well. So, to sort of make up for the gap I'm posting two paintings today. This one has been through many transformations and permutations, and finally ended up a dancing Earth goddess. Believe it or not, most of these mandala pieces end up in the garbage. Abstract art is a lot harder than I ever thought it would be. Blessed be!

Transformation 24

All of the matter and energy in the entire universe was once contained in "a space so small that it would make a proton look enormous." (Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything) This, according to many scientists, was the situation before the Big Bang. Some experts think there may have been untold numbers of universes before this one, constantly expanding and then contracting back to that tiny point of matter. That we exist in this one is, they say, simply a matter of chance. "Although the creation of a universe might be very unlikely, Tryon (of Columbia University) emphasized that no one had counted the failed attempts." What were the other universes like, I wonder?

Transformation 27

I have no idea what else to say about these. What do people want to know? Does anyone really read these? I'm sure no one wants to know about my dull life; I have no stories to tell, unless I make some up. So instead, I'll quote Carl Sagan: "Not all of our ancestors made the same sharp distinction we do between Earth and sky. The grandparents of the Olympian gods were...Uranus, god of the sky, and Gaia, goddess of the Earth. ancient Mesopotamians had the same idea. The chief gods of the Konyak Nagas of India today are called Gawang, "Earth-Sky", and Zangban, "Sky-Earth". That's where we live. That's where we come from. The sky and the Earth are one."

Transformation 26

Last day of February! It's been a very hard month of darkness, both literally and otherwise. Finally, the days are getting noticeably longer. Here's a little winter-spirit to carry us into spring; as she transforms dark into light, we will change with her...

Transformation 23

It was a dark and stormy night... speaking of dark, is February over yet? Okay, seriously. The elements of transformation are, in fact, the elements: air, earth, fire, water, spirit. Science tells us that once the earth was covered in fire, at another time, in water. Intuitively, these are both associated with cleansing, rebirth, etc. It's fitting, then, that these elements play a part in many kinds of transformation.

Transformation 22

In this one, I tried to convey the feeling of morning mist as the sun begins to rise. I really struggled with getting the right colors and sense of light. A lot of people think that making a collage would be pretty simple; I did too, until I started making them. It's very difficult to get various unrelated pieces to look as if they belong together, and then making them fit is yet another whole level of frustration. I can only describe it as attempting to solve some wacky puzzle that doesn't really have a solution, because all the pieces came from different boxes and there's no picture on the lid to look at. I'm not sure if this is a very good analogy, but it's the best I can come up with right now. I hope you like it!

Transformation 25

I really don't like to tell people what my work "means" because I think it means something different to each person. Of course, butterflies have long been symbols of change, since their form itself metamorphoses so drastically. To early humans this must have seemed quite magical, as it still does to me. We all grow and change, both physically and mentally, though much more gradually. Entering a new phase of my life, I'm crossing from familiar terrain into unmapped territory, which is all the more beautiful because of its mystery... Hey, I think I just told you what it means. But don't take my word for it, make up your own story.
As Bob Dylan said, "He who's not busy bein' born is busy dyin'."