Parts of Art

 Suddenly it's Autumn! Here's what that means to me:  Filling up my illustrated journal with sketches and paintings from my gardens Getting new art supplies watching the leaves as they  dance and flutter to the ground and attempting to capture it in watercolor Starting a fire in the woodstove next to my watercolor table and setting my coffee on top and last but not least, offering workshops in my art studio for fall and winter. Click here for the calendar Mask up and come make art!

       Here’s a  couple pages from my current illustrated journal, entitled Autumn to Winter 2019.        Both pages pretty much tell the story of life in the studio.          I am full tilt in production mode in the studio. I have three shows- yes, three- in November; one in Indiana and two in Florida. Here’s my schedule . I am happy to have shows on my calendar because it keeps me in production mode. I’m also thrilled to be heading to Florida because I am going to meet my first grandchild!! And visit family and friends and do two art shows.   My workday in the studio starts with a page of the journal. I add color, then (if my cat doesn’t walk through it) come back the next day and add to it. Eventually the journal gets filled and it’s time to start another one. The collection of journals is growing, and each one is full of ideas for future paintings and mixed media pieces. It wi...

    To the ancients, sage was connected with immortality, or at least longevity, and it was believed to increase mental capacity. The genus name is derived from the Latin word for salvation. The plant was at one time used to counteract snakebites. It was also sought after for drinking tea, even by the Chinese, who eagerly traded their own fine green tea for it at a ratio of 4 to 1.   The oils in sage have been said to have antiseptic, astringent and irritant properties, and have been used to dry perspiration, treat sore throats and mouth sores, and even lower blood sugar in diabetes.  So what do I like about it? The color, of course! Here’s the young sage in my herb garden back in June: And here it is now, at the end of August:    Now for a description of sage green from the classic color book: Bustonobys Color Manual:  "Grayish green of a dull character, resembling the undried narrow, wrinkled leaves of the sage plant, used as ...

So it happened again at my last show.       I had started working on a new concept involving copper wire, tissue paper and resin. The idea stemmed from a book called Resin Alchemy by Susan Lenart Kazmer. Resin coated paper leaves, p.76 Resin Alchemy      From these materials I formed a cuff bracelet and earrings. I loved the look and feel of the copper and paper, and the balance of frailty and strength. Thing is, it wasn’t really working as a bracelet. I put it aside thinking I would get back to it. Got busy with other pieces and projects. Picked up the bracelet a few times, but nothing stirred.       Fast forward three months. I had decided to design a series of four statement necklaces, all utilizing the same materials and techniques. That’s when the epiphan y happened. That piece didn’t want to be a bracelet, it wanted to be a necklace! So, the altering, tweaking a...

Know what inspires me in this autumnal season? Copper!  Here’s a recipe from Bustanoby’s Color Manual, copyright 1939 (no, its not edible): Copper: Neutral tint of red-orange, typical of this ductile, metallic element. Copper is used in the arts, in electrical manufacture and in alloys.  Color matched from actual copper articles:  16 parts Zinc White 8 parts Yellow Ochre 1 part Venetian Red         So there you have it; the recipe for copper paint. And if you’re like me, and feel compelled to pull that dried copper paint off its palette, you might procure pieces such as these.         This might be just an ordinary old paint pan with layers of dried creamy caramel and burnt sienna paint to some.  To me it is a mouth watering concoction of harmonious blends that make me wanna exile to the studio, fire up the wood stove and make jewelry.  And yes, this is where it starts....     ...