FLY FREE!

FLY FREE is the name of this collage, and I like that idea very much. :) It's a 12x12" piece on canvas, layered paper and paint.

Great art!

Check out this link when you get a chance: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vaselli/sets/72157621349826838/

The artist's name is Giorgio Vaselli.

Got another collage made...it was fun!

Here's a new collage I just made. I don't know how I felt about the finished portrait of the woman, but then it struck me: "Look Deeper" is the title because when we look behind the trends, the fashions, the looks, the attitudes, the demands of society, we encounter the mystery of our souls. That's where the true I/we live, and our connection to nature is a link that takes us into the wonder of life.
I started on a 12x12 gallery wrapped canvas with wide edges. I do love those; you can paint them in a color that enhances the artwork. Then I glued random paper snippets all over the canvas, careful to make sure the edges were glued down completely.
When dry, I went over parts of it with a wash of paint in different shades.
When that was dry I squirted some glue that gives interesting ridges and patterns when you paint over it when dry. (see picture)
I used acrylic paints to paint the woman, and I glued the glove on and a butterfly and dragonfly from some gift paper I had. A nice glossy varnish finishes off the piece. Varnish adds depth to the artwork.

Been in a funk lately...

Got a few more pictures of my art journal, but I haven't put any effort into canvases or other media lately. I've been in a funk, but on the good side I have to say I'm working on a book (I used to be a writer until I took a looong hiatus,) and that feels good. It's not as rewarding as seeing paint on paper, but you always wonder where the words come from that paint those pictures on the blank computer screen. The words come from the same place as the inspiration to my art pieces, just different media and more like "hard work."

Check out my picture of a Southern Magnolia blossom. Isn't that just the queen of flowers? They are gone now with the heat. The flowers last about a day on the tree. Then there's a picture of my neighbor Becki standing next to a nine foot thistle--the king of thistles. When the flowers came, it got so top heavy we thought it was going to fall over, but it didn't. Downy seeds flew everywhere.... Then the plant said sayonara; it was done with its mission here. :) We marveled at it for weeks, and it was right by their back door. A nice prickly guardian. Keep creating!
xo
Maria

Art Journaling...

Art journaling is a great way to spend time creating. Sometimes I don't want to face a blank canvas. My art journal doesn't demand much. There are no expectations of greatness, just a cluster of painted pages, some paint pens, some pretty pictures, some doodling, and voila, you have something out of nothing. New ideas pop up, things I might want to use in my more "serious" art, so in a way, art journaling is an idea factory. And you can be sure that the art is YOURS, not some lofty expectation of what art should be that I try to implement. I'm getting more and more hooked on art journaling!

Copper wire rocks!

I made a simple bracelet with copper wire and red coral beads. I just love the color combo they create. Check out the rock upon which I placed the bracelet for the photo. The rock is from Cayuga Lake in the Fingerlakes region of New York. I used to live by that lake and seemed to have a knack for finding rocks with holes in them. Ages and ages ago, there were creatures that got trapped in the forming rock and the softer part they presented got soaked away by water and time. That's the "scientific" explanation, but some believe the holes are magical. I've never had a magical experience with them, but they sure are beautiful! That's enough for me. I have a few I brought with me to Florida, where there are no REAL rocks, only soft sandstone.

Bailey was sitting on my table in my studio trying to get to this crazed bird that was pecking on my window every 20 minutes for the entire day. It's a Summer Tanager, native to Florida. I got a picture, but the quality is not good. It's been coming back now and again, pecking, pecking. I especially don't like the early morning pecking!

Another day in paradise...

...as Tom Selleck used to say in Magnum P.I. Sometimes I watch the reruns and enjoy some the shenanigans they got into. I especially liked Higgins and the Lads. :)

I've been working on some collages, but not being very productive right now. Here's one, another inspirational "Living from the Heart." 'Tis the only way to live, isn't it? I sold the two previous collages here locally to a woman who saw one of them on Facebook. You never know where you might find potential customers. I always post photos on these online venues.

Mixed media is lots of fun, and selling them is GREAT!

xo

Maria