Bad hair day under the sea...

Happy Independence Day!  Eat lots of water melon and cake! :)  I spent the day painting, the most fave thing in the whole wide world.  Came up with another mermaid, and here's the result:

 

This has many layers of paint and texture, and then I decide to paint it white and start over.

I did have the texture to contend with when I began on the face, but it added some interest to her features and to the roiling sea.  The sky is about as roiling, but what the hay, it's windy and sunny! :)

I forgot to post about when Horizon Magazine, the Magazine of Presbytarian Women offered me some good money to use one of my images:

 

Out of the blue they emailed me and asked if they could use one of my images.  Heck yeah!

 

The article is by Nancy Copeland-Payton, A Prayerful Sorting

 

My piece is a mixed media mosaic collage that I made a few years back, called Heart Path.  For a better view of the piece, you can check my Flickr stream.  There are lots of photos of my older stuff there if you're interested.  Anyway, the March/April issue was focused on Native Americans and the USA Mission Experience.  I was really impressed.  I've never heard of these people, or the magazine before.  I  knew about the Presbytarian church, but not what they had accomplished.  If you want to know more about the magazine, check it out at: http://www.pcusa.org/horizons.

Mermaid at Home, mixed media collage... how to...

A friend of mine, Marla, asked me to do a commission for her.  She makes beautiful dolls and other kinds of art, a truly creative soul.  She sent me a box of things I might put into it, but I only ended up using some of the background papers.  I knew she likes mermaids, so I thought I couldn't go wrong with that!  :)  So I made a how to post with this project.

This collage is smaller than the usual sizes I work with, about 9x8" so the design got a bit more challenging since the elements have to fit the format.  I tore pieces of decorative papers and glued them on good with medium. Make sure the edges are glued down. The shells are from wallpaper border remnants, the butterfly from wrapping paper, and the others are decorative papers from the craft store.  I have gazillion in every color you can imagine...

When it's really dry, I like to smear on acrylic paints with a paper towel.  I like soft blended edges.  If you want bolder lines, use an old credit card.  Torn paper edges lend themselves well to smeared paint. 

When the paint was dry, I added on elements and blended them into the background with more layers of paint.

I added on more elements and some stamped images with permanent ink, and I outlined the mermaid and painted her tail with paint pens, also permanent.

More detail, and I worked on her hair.  Wasn't all that thrilled, but I kept on going.

 

I ended up adding more details with some inspirational words and two women who are friends at the bottom, symbolizing our friendship that has lasted for many years.   I fiddled a lot with her hair and face, and painted some fish, plus added some fish pictures I found, which were tiny!  Then I let it all dry before I varnished it.  The acrylic varnish really deepens the colors and the details. 

I took the last picture outside, and also captured a picture of my "rioting" mum on the front step.

Art reception at the City Hall...

Had a great time at the art reception, and my art was very well received.  I even heard some people talking about it without knowing that I was the artist.  At least you know they meant it!  :)  As the weather is cooling I'm having more inspiration to work, and my cat is getting friskier.  He ran around like a "mad person" this morning.  My neighbor's cat came in and ate Bailey's food, and then left...  A cat's life. :) 
Here are some pictures from the reception, most of them of local friends, artists mostly. 

 Rhonda Hancock and I.  Rhonda is the director of the City Hall art gallery.   She's also a great watercolor artist.

 Brian Brjibag, photographer.  These pictures were from a mission to Equador.

Jana, Larry, and Diane, and a fantastic quilt.  There's is an ongoing quilt exhibit at the City Hall.

!

The spread!  OMG!  Supplied by the Brooksville Junior Service League and the drinks and service ware by Hernando Fine Arts Council.

Angles of the mezzanine.  I like angles.  :)  One of my pictures at the very end of the corridor.
 

"Balance." 
 

Mermaid.  Mixed media collage with polymer clay tiles on the tail.
 

Karen and Joey.  Karen is a fine watercolorist.
 

 "Moon Goddess."

 I'm wondering what Lynne was saying. :)  Pastel artist extraordinaire!

"Rainbow Rose." 
 

"Before the oil spill..."

A great time was had by all, and I'd do it again for sure.  Some of these are going up on etsy for sale.  

 Sitting down....

Hands of many colors!

I have this old window that I'm going to do some beachy/ocean/mermaidish/Florida thing with.  It's going in my shop WHEN I get it done.  It's only in the planning stages, but I got some fabric scraps "dyed" today, and as you can see, it was a rather messy job!  Instead of using dye, I used craft paint that I squirted over the fabric that I'd laid in the sink.  Then I folded, squeezed, and rubbed.  I got some nice blends of color.  It dried stiff in the warm sun. Some looks like the old-fashioned tie-dye fabrics that ran rampant in the 60s (and today as well.)  I'm going to use fabric and paper for my ocean inspired collage, and maybe I'll paint something as well.  I have a cardboard backing that I painted a light turquoise, and we'll go from there.  I will post the finished product, but here are the bits and pieces so far.  I intend to cut up the fabrics into smaller pieces, and I love the ocean colors I've already got going.