Parts of Art

       People often ask the artist, when seeing a painting, “How long did that take?” The simple honest answer is something like two hours and forty some years. Two hours of painting, and forty some years of work, design, research, trial and error, determination, struggle, blood sweat and tears.         Looking back at 40 years or so of making art, and what I have learned:           When I was in Design 2 in the Art program of my University, our professor gave us an assignment. It was called “I Am-This Is.” The idea was to describe who we are and then give a visual representation of it. Since I had recently gotten involved with a Christian ministry and was learning how to live according to God’s Word, I wanted my story to reflect the Word in my life. My idea was to build a house- like a doll house, where each room displayed an aspect of my life, and then somehow have one room that was full of lig...

    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 ...

 After weeks of rain followed by days of intense heat and humidity, plus a lot of weeding, watering, and some random doses of Miracle Gro, we have finally arrived at the WHOLE POINT OF SUMMER. Drum roll please!! Here’s the latest harvest from my salsa garden       And here’s what to do with the goods:  Take some juicy ripe tomatoes and chop them up. Add chopped cilantro, garlic, onion, jalepeno pepper, juice from 1/2 a lemon, a bit of olive oil, a sprinkle of sugar, some salt. (Don’t expect me to tell you exact measurements. I’m not a food blog after all.) Now throw it all in a processor and give it a quick whirl.   Now, enjoy the WHOLE POINT OF SUMMER. Is your mouth watering yet in anticipation?

      As you probably have gathered, I am a lover of all things garden. Not only do I love to plant living things in the soil and watch them grow, but I love to then photograph, paint, draw and otherwise make art from my garden. My series “Of the Woods” is all about the exuberant plant life in which I am surrounded. It’s actually not only exuberant in the woods, but in the pastures, the yard, and the gardens.  So this life is literally overflowing on my canvases.       This week I planted an herb garden in what was formerly an overgrown and neglected planter that came with the place. I made these sweet little wooden markers with a Sharpie and some cast-offs from the wood pile, so as not to forget what’s what. I accidentally made an extra one for thyme, so for a minute  had extra thyme on my hands!                                   ...

I wrote this on the back of an envelope at my last show: I’m sitting in my new white tent, four hours from my peaceful country studio.  It’s raining. Again.  And this time I’m too far away from my studio to spend yet another rainy afternoon there.  Which brings me to the age old question: Why am I here?  And, more importantly, What does it take to keep getting here?  So here’s my four part answer to the question about what it takes, which I believe also answers why am I here.  Show up Maybe once or twice in my 30 plus years of doing art shows I have experienced the perfect show. Perfect weather both days. Perfect location, lots of customers who bought exactly what I made for  them without questioning whether I had it in orange  (I don’t) or if I am from here (I’m not) or if I teach classes (nope). Other than those two perfect shows (which I actually may have fabricated in my memory) all other events have been a ...

  This year, I plan to explore all aspects of visual harmony. Whether it is fashion, art jewelry design, mixed media, or just different aspects of harmonious living, I am going to blog on under the rather large umbrella of harmonious blends and other artistic musings.  And I need your help!   Please help me find examples from your life and your circle and your art that exemplify harmony. Tell me and show me what exemplifies harmonious blends, in visual art, or in real life. In short, help me BLOG ON!! Here’s to a prosperous and harmonious New Year!

       So what makes it a harmonious blend?      Harmony is a combination of units which are similar in one or more respects. Units are harmonious when one or more of their elements or qualities, such as shape, size, or color, are alike.      In this sketch, done by my husband in preparation for a painting commission of a Chilean vineyard, I am struck by the harmonious blend of the directional lines that lead the eye through the painting. Design in art is not random, it is planned by the use of the elements of design, such as line tone, color and form. In this drawing, the lines of the vineyard rows lead the eye of the viewer toward the distance and then back toward the front. Harmony is achieved by the variegated, yet similar, lines that form the rows of planted vines.       In 2019, I am going to explore all aspects of visual harmony. Whether it is fashion, art jewelry design, mixed media, or just different asp...

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...

       Many years ago when I did art shows in Del Ray Beach, Florida, one of my clients brought one of her favorite pair of earrings to show me.  The earrings from her collection were a fascinating combination of different shapes and colors of vintage glass, wood and lucite bits, suspended from a circular piece that covered the earlobe. I was so inspired by seeing these very unique and artfully designed earrings that I started making a similar style. I was also impressed by my gracious and stately client, Lorraine. She was quite fashion minded and carried herself with elegance. She was a lovely silver haired women who would always seek me out to find just the right piece for her collection.       The last time I was in a Del Ray Beach show, her husband came by to pick something out, and told me that Lorraine was now in a nursing home, and no longer able to get to the show. I love that even at the end of her life, she was so co...

       I had arrived at my art show for the day, unpacked my vehicle and found a parking space. My vehicle is a compact Chevy, which you would think easy to slide right into that parallel parking space on the curb in the heart of downtown. But no, I am apparently parallel parking challenged. I line up next to the car in the space ahead, then slowly back up while turning the wheel. Sure enough my little car goes in to the space at the correct angle. It’s just not close enough to the curb and much too far from the car ahead of me. No problem, redo. Up, back, adjust the angle, back, back, okay now forward, okay back, back, then forward, turn wheel a little bit, no too much, now back, angle is off, adjust, okay forward, then back,  now tweek, adjust, check the mirror. Oh dang I am right on the curb and way too close to the guy behind me. Re-do. (Jeesh, good thing no one is watching.) Finally after about ten minutes of up, back, angle, up and back...

     If you were to come to one of my shows, you may hear me refer to the jewelry pieces as collages of "all kinds of stuff from my studio.” And that is an accurate statement. After all, they are called Parts of Art, and they originated from the stuff in my studio.  Here is one of my favorite Parts parts, and the story behind it.       I occasionally make cards and frameable art pieces that involve hand stamped verbiage. The process is wonderful and fun, because the letter stamps have a uniqueness to them that adds to the one of a kind nature of my work. When I am stamping, I keep a piece of paper on hand to practice the stamp before applying it to the art. This paper becomes a story in itself, full of letters that spell nothing but look pleasing and random.     Because our art studio is out in the country, and because we had not yet plugged all the holes left from the years before we moved back here, sometimes unwanted visitors ...

      Greenery is the Pantone color of the year for 2017. Why is this exciting? According to Pantone spokeswoman Beatrice Eiseman,  “Greenery bursts forth in 2017 to provide us with the hope we collectively yearn for amid a complex social and political landscape. Satisfying our growing desire to rejuvenate, revitalize and unite, Greenery symbolizes the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose.” This Spring and Summer, Greenery will be showing up in fashion, jewelry and home decor. It is the must-have color for the season.        Here are some jewelry options for you: Forest Floor cuff bracelet Green earth dangles  Spring green dangles  All of these and more are available here Want to see more about Pantone?  Here’s a colorful trip down memory lane for those of you who have lived at least four decades PANTONE the Right Color: 40 Years of Color Pantone look...