Parts of Art

  It's that one tree again.  Same tree, but different prints. Which is the beauty of linocut printing. You first carve the plate, then print the plate, then paint, embellish, layer, texture, flock it, paper it, add or subtract to it. So each one is a one of a kind original piece of art.   It's that one tree, where I used to go when I was a child and we lived next to the woods. It was actually just a vacant lot, but to my 8 year old mind it was the vast woods. And in the back of that woods there was that one tree, where I would go to play, pretend, think and pray. I still remember the absolute invincible wonder and peace I felt when I was there.     So now as an adult, when I paint, or carve, or draw, I'm going back to that one tree.  That One Tree is available in my shop here So what do you think about That One Tree? Do you have a memory of the one tree in your mind? I would love to hear about your one tree.

           By popular demand, My painting entitled "The Clearing" is now available as a print!      I made the decision to print based on the interest in this piece. At one show this past summer, I had The Clearing leaning up against my sales counter. A young boy, probably 3 or 4 years old, walked up to it, as if he was entering it. That was a great compliment to me. After all, that's my intent with my art- to offer a place of solace that you can just walk into. The original piece is acrylic on canvas and is 30 x 36. The border is a painted frame. In addition, it is framed with my signature wood frame.  The original painting is available in my shop for $1225, and includes free shipping. Interested?  Check it out here                 The print is now available in the shop! Prints are a limited edition,  20 x 24, and printed on archival paper.  Prints will arrive in a mailing cylinder. They are not matted or framed.  Would you be interested in a print of The Clearing?  If s

      I've had a blank canvas staring at me for awhile, so I decided to throw some color on it. Then one thing led to another, and now it's a full fledged work in progress.        Sometimes when I show my art, people think it's batik. The process is indeed similar to batik, where melted wax is used to block dye colors. Instead of wax and dye, however,  I paint with watercolor and fluid mask. Watercolor is simply colored water, and the key to fresh, sparkling watercolor is to retain the light.        Here's the process: Sketch out the design. Paint fluid mask on the parts that need to remain white. Once the mask is dry, go ahead and paint right over it. Once the paint is dry, remove the mask and you will discover that the light areas have been saved. It's satisfying and therapeutic to peek off the mask. It balls up like rubber cement.  With this process, you can build up layer over layer of color and the light areas will remain light. Keep every layer transparent an

       So it's the end of October, the air is chill and there's a fire in my woodstove. These are three good reasons why I find myself spending more time in the studio. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty to do other than be in the studio. It's just that, when I have to take the time to get a fire going in the Jotul, it makes me feel more committed to being out there. I mean, why waste the wood heat?  So now I'm returning to where I left off, as far as my art, and my "Of the Woods" series.        When I was doing my summer shows, I was showing the series "Of the Woods". I was so surprised at the unexpected interest in some of the pieces. One of them, entitled "The Winter Woods" is a collage inspired by what I see when I look out my studio window in the winter.      I wondered at first what the appeal is with this piece. After all, in the winter, the woods is muted and quiet while the earth sleeps. It's not demanding and doesn'

      Greetings and welcome to my blog, which is all about "harmonious blends and other artistic musings." If you've found me, most likely it's because we've already met at an art fair or gallery recently and you signed my guest book, indicating you are interested in my art. If that is indeed you, then thank you! Some of you have already purchased an art piece from me. If that's you, then thank you, thank you!!        Now that the show season is basically over for the year and the weather is cooling down, I have returned to the studio and have lit the fire in the wood stove.  This is an inspiring time for me, a time to be warmed by the fire, reflect on the past year of art shows, and think about what's next.  So far, here's what I've got planned: By popular demand, My painting entitled "The Clearing" is now available as a print! I made the decision to print based on the interest in this piece. At one show this past summer, I had The Clear

      So here we are at the end of summer and I'm ramping up for the upcoming fall shows. This year I'm grateful to have spent the better part of winter and spring in the studio. I had the privilege of having my first gallery show ever, followed by a succession of juried art fairs all over the Midwest. This put me in production mode like I've never seen before!       And now? Now that its late summer? And all the mowing, gardening and home maintenance has been the bigger priority? Not to mention the "pole shed project" and the "garden cottage project" (More on both those later). The studio and my art have been, sadly, neglected.         It's still there, and it calls to me. Every time I pass it on my way to water the garden or climb on the lawnmower, it calls to me. And yes, sometimes I listen, and turn in to put in some studio time. I mean, a girl can only go so long.        Besides, it is my work. And no, I haven't retired yet. Far from it.  

    This month I was invited to teach a workshop on Mixed Media Collage. It was an all-day event, held at the Gaslight Art Colony, which was the gallery in Marshall Illinois where I had my solo exhibition in February.       I brought one of the large mixed media pieces from my series, entitled Understory. The term understory refers to the ground level growth, the flora and fauna on the forest floor. It's the opposite of the overstory, which is the layer of foliage in a forest canopy. Overstory is also the name of a great book by Richard Powers, which I would highly recommend.  So even though the subject of this painting is a tree, it's really the growth on the forest floor that brings interest to the piece.      In the morning we got to work, making the "parts" for the collage. The parts were pieces of card stock that we painted, textured, and imprinted with all different tools and resources. Some of the resources and tools were bubble wrap, a nylon scrubbie, a kid

I  am happy to announce that I now have hand painted linocut printed art cards in the shop.   I start with beautiful handmade paper from Etsy seller White Dragon Paper. Using acrylic paint in thin washes, I paint the entire front of the card. Next I print with a hand cut linocut  stamp on white acrylic. The stamps are inspired from the pages of my illustrated art journals. Once the image is printed, I fill in the rest of the space with white.  Here's what the process looks like:  The cards are blank inside, ready for you to add your own heartfelt message. Some  of the cards have a smooth liner paper inside, tied together with harmonious yarn.The cards are one of a kind and made with heart in my studio.  To see more, visit my shop  here

        I recently had a delightful experience at the Gaslight Art Colony. I was invited to have a solo exhibition of my art, which is a collection of mixed media paintings called "Of the Woods". Jo, the gallery director, informed me there would be three rooms and a long hallway available to display my work. She arranged for an opening for a Thursday evening, even though the openings for artists are normally on Saturdays. This invitation motivated me to go into "full-tilt production mode" in the studio, during what is normally "downtime". When I arrived to set up the show, Jo and some of the art colony members were very helpful in deciding where and how to hang all the pieces. The opening was well attended and I received much positive feedback about the art. By the end of the three weeks the show was up, I had sold two paintings and am now scheduled to teach a workshop. I look forward to working together with the Gaslight Art Colony! Here I am stan

     Last September I sold a painting at the Penrod Art Fair. It was a large painting called Coneflowers in the Woods, similar to this one but larger than life.  My customer and I had a delightful conversation about the name Gypsy Rose, and the local history of Marshall Illinois. Turns out Rose was the queen of the band of gypsies that inhabited the area. At one point Rose blessed the area and decreed that no tornado would cause damage to the town. That blessing has held, as there has never been a tornado that has damaged the town .    Fast forward several weeks. I decided to go to a conference with my ministry, which would be held in Kansas City in February. I registered for the event and booked my reservation at the hotel, then looked at the map and realized that dang it's kind of far. I mean, no problem with a road trip, I am a seasoned solo traveler. But still, this was going to need to be bathed in prayer.       One day I got an idea. I thought wow, wouldn't it be great i

Hello, it's been a minute. Let me introduce myself.          I’ve always been a lover of paint. I vividly remember the excitement I felt opening that  rectangular tin filled with round cakes of watercolor paint in elementary school. From that point on, I have desired to explore and express within the inviting purity of paint.           I studied Art Education and painting in college, and since then have come to enjoy the versatility and freedom of expression found in mixed media. I started a line of mixed media wearable art, which I have sold at juried art fairs in the midwest and Florida for more than 30 years.       In 2015 I began to develop a body of work called "Of the Woods”. These pieces began as watercolor paintings and evolved into mixed media. With these pieces  I hoped to provide a place of visual solace, so that, like the tallest trees, one may reach up to the heavens.  I was originally inspired to do this series  when we relocated to a wooded property in rural