Hemlocks - Three Versions

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.

American Style Magazine

This ad featuring several members of Artists Who Teach will appear in the February issue of American Style Magazine. (My piece is in the upper right corner.) This is really a nice, high quality arts magazine with great images and articles, and I'm happy to be included in the ad. Hopefully it will provide some exposure if nothing else, which can't hurt. Also, I can't say enough about the diverse originality you'll find in the work of the members of Artists Who Teach; check out the site for some inspiration. I feel honored to be a part of this organization.

Reflections

I thought this photo (top) looked a bit like stained glass. It reminded me of Kathleen's beautiful glass work. The second version is my attempt to make it appear more glass-like. The upshot of all this is that I'm using Photoshop as a diversion from my other work because I'm blocked- absolutely no idea what to do. Sometimes I find it's best not to try to force it, but instead to step back and do something else for a while. I'll let you know how that goes. But I am having lots of fun with the photos, for now.

More Abstracts

Abstracts

I've had a lot of fun lately (and frustration, too, I must admit), trying to expand my Photoshop abilities beyond just re-sizing things. I'm kind of in a 'stuck' place with my art, so I began to play around with some of my photos. I guess there's less pressure with them, because I've never really considered myself a serious photographer, or exhibited my photos as "ART" (whatever that means). Anyway to get to the point, I was thinking of photos as abstracts. I know many people use the terms "abstract" and "nonrepresentational" interchangeably, but when I was in school, I was taught that abstraction was making images that had a basis in reality. For example, Picasso's figures may have two eyes on one side of their faces, but you know they're based on people. In contrast, the work of Mark Rothko or Jackson Pollack would be considered nonrepresentational because they don't reference anything in the real world. Of course, all of this is arguable and pretty vague; they may have based their work on something real at times.
But now I'm rambling. What I've tried to do, essentially, is take real things as recorded by the camera and see how far I could push them into abstraction by altering them with Photoshop. None of these photos are cropped, by the way. Let me know what you think. Can you tell what they are?

To logo, or not to logo...

That is the question. It seems that I should have a business card and letterhead, so I'm trying to design something. Here are two I've come up with so far. What do you think?

more multiples (the edge of november)

Cloud Sunflower

It's a cold, gloomy,
gray, drizzly day
on the edge
of November
and even worse
it's Sunday
So I have to go
to work
tomorrow.


Metal Sunflower

Summer's heat and
soft, buttery,
yellow light
are gone
and the sky is hard,
the color of
lead.


Ink Sunflower

Last summer is far
away and long ago,
a faint
remembrance
like the taste of salt
on my tongue
or glittering on
my skin.


Glowing Sunflower

But I can wait
and remember
and think
of yellow things
like
sunflowers.

Tagged!

Apparently, I've been tagged. I didn't know what this was until Amy Guidry, who I know from the Art Scuttlebutt site, tagged me today. Amy is an artist whose beautiful surrealist paintings I very much admire; you should check her out at http://www.artistcommentary.com/. Anyway, it seems like a good idea to me. Here's how it works:
1. Put a link in your blog post about the artist who tagged you.
2. Write 5 - 7 unusual things about yourself. (This part could be scary.)
3. Tag 5 - 7 other bloggers and let them know.

Okay, unusual things about me. Well, that shouldn't be too hard.
1. I was a professional bellydancer for about 7 years. (see publicity photo above)
2. I once participated in a Voudou ritual with priestess Louisa Teish, in which I had to spit rum and gunpowder all over an altar. (don't ask)
3. I build log houses. (using the original pioneer logs, not kits)
4. I have 3 college degrees and graduated summa cum laude all 3 times.
5. I am a direct descendant of Pocahontas on at least 3 different lines of my family.

Are those unusual enough, do you think?

Here are the artists I'm tagging:
http://aviewbeyondwords.blogspot.com/
http://www.lonecrowart.blogspot.com/
http://www.kathleenkrucoff.blogspot.com/
http://kartikadamon.blogspot.com/

Oh rats, that's only 4. Well, either I can't count or I'm a big fat rule- breaker...

Okay, now I feel like a cheater so here's one more. Also, I forgot I meant to include Carol because she's very cool:
carolenglesart.blogspot.com

You never know, I may add more, because I'm a big fat mind-changer, too.

Four Buddhas

I'm not sure what to call this; I mean, I've never done anything with multiple images before. I'm not an Andy Warhol fan, so I don't think that's where this is coming from. Maybe it's from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of deities having multiple aspects- such as the Medicine Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, etc. I once took the initiation of the twenty-one Taras, which was quite lovely, but no one has ever explained to me why there are so many of everything. Tibetans seem to have an obsession with numbers, but I find it a bit confusing, myself. But I digress, I guess. For whatever reason, I just like these images together; I hope you do, too. Namaste!

Good News

Well, I've been busy and I wanted to update everyone on what I've been up to. I have some good news to share.

Exciting news! My work has been selected to be featured in the book "Art Buzz: The 2009 Collection." An annual, full color, hardback, 'coffee table' type book, this publication showcases the work of professional artists from around the world. I'm honored to be included in the 2009 Collection, which will be available for purchase directly from the publisher later this winter.

In October, my work was juried into the Artist Guild of Northwest Georgia 1st Annual Open Online Art Competition. "Moonshadows" was awarded 1st place for mixed media. You can view the show at their website.

I was fortunate to be accepted into the organization "Artists Who Teach", a group of fine artists who are also teachers. Membership is juried, and there is some very nice work on this site. You can see my profile here, at the bottom of the page. Also, if you have a chance, look for my work in their ad in the December issue of American Style Magazine.

While I sometimes get frustrated with the lack of sales (which is understandable in this economy), I guess this just goes to show that if you just keep pluggin' away, eventually something will happen. I am definitely the tortoise rather than the hare. I'm developing kind of a zen attitude about all this- enjoy the process and don't worry about the outcome, or something like that. Maybe it should be "Ride with the tide, and go with the flow" as James Taylor and Carly Simon sang so long ago. Well anyway, I'm trying.

Tree Cathedral 3

Tree Cathedral 4

Where does the Divine reside? Do we keep our idea of God inside the confines of a box, a building, a church? Where does God begin, or end? Is spirit within us, around us, within every thing? Which is more holy, a tree, or a building? Which inspires you more, on a spiritual level? Have we constructed our God the same way we construct a building?
I can't answer these questions for you; each of us must answer them for ourselves. For myself, though, I choose to think outside the box.

Tree Cathedral 2

Medieval Christians built cathedrals that soared into the sky as if reaching to touch God. The peaks of the ribbed groin vaults gave Gothic architecture a feeling of endless vertical space pierced by shafts of light from a multitude of arched windows. They are truly an inspired sculptural representation of the spiritual. My cathedral in the woods with it's exquisite sweeping spires and endless vault of pure blue put even this beautiful masterwork to shame.

It was a dark and stormy night...

Well, it was! The crazy weather from Hurricane Ike reminded me of this photo I took of the sky from my back yard during a strange storm. Nature is beautiful, but she can sure pack a wallop. Just when we arrogant humans think we have everything under control, she puts us in our place.

Glowing Buddha

Yes, another in the Buddha series- I'm sort of obsessed with this piece and all its permutations. I hope you're not too tired of it, because I'm not finished yet, so stay tuned for further developments! By the way, all of these will be for sale as soon as I can figure out the cost.

1st Place Award

Some very nice things have happened in the past couple of days, one of them being that I found out I won a first place award for this mixed media piece, MOON SHADOWS, at the AGNWG 1st Annual Online Art Competition. There is some very nice work in this show, and you can still vote for the PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD until the end of the month. (Shameless plug: Vote for me! Vote for me!)

Another nice thing is that I was juried onto the Artists Who Teach site; you can find my profile here.

And, last but certainly not least, I finally got my electricity back after 6 days. Even though I'm in Kentucky, Hurricane Ike was able to reach out its long arms and knock down countless trees and power lines, leaving 90% of Duke Energy's customers in the dark. You have no idea how wonderful hot water can feel- and my computer still works, too!!

Neon Buddha

A little more Photoshop fun. I took this photo of a statue at my friend's house, and have been playing around with it to see what I could come up with. This is the 3rd of 5 or 6 versions. Which do you like best so far?

NKU Alumni Exhibition Invitation

I was honored to be accepted into the juried alumni exhibit at Northern Kentucky University, where I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1993. The reception was Thursday night, and it was sort of strange, but nice, to be in the gallery again. If you're in the neighborhood before September 25, stop by and check it out. I'm sorry this invitation didn't upload very well; I think it had to be shrunk so much that most of the text does not show up.

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.

Psychedelic Buddha

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

Path of the Eclipse

Size: 14.5" x 19.5"
Medium: monotype collage
Price: $295.00 (no mat or frame)

Savannah

Old Riverside Building

Griffin in Front of Old Cotton Exchange

Historical Savannah was a beautiful glimpse back into the history of our nation, but don't go in the middle of summer unless you enjoy heatstroke! It was still worth it, though.

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

Handmade Artist's Book

I thought I'd share a few pages of my handmade book, since few people have seen it. The book measures 8 x 12.5 inches and contains 20 pages. All pages are transparent acetate, so the pages beneath can be seen through them, creating a multi-layered effect. The cover is basically a folded "box", also made of acetate, and closed with a shell and gold braided cord. Thanks to Colin for doing a great job on the photos. (Really, I was just teasing about the praying mantis thing.) Also, I just learned something- the photos appear opposite the order in which they were downloaded, so the cover is at the bottom. Oh, well...

Mine's cooler!

This post is just a bit of a joking competition with my son Colin, who called last night and told me he had taken the "coolest" photo of a praying mantis. I said, "NUH-UH, it can't be cooler than mine." It actually did turn its head and look at me- and it appears to be smiling! So here it is- you be the judge. To see Colin's praying mantis, go to

his blog.

Peace

Okay, I couldn't resist putting some vacation pics on here. The ocean gives me a sense of profound peace; I hope looking at these can evoke a bit of that same feeling for you.