The artist creed

This should be taped to our studio door:

The Artist's Creed

I believe I am worth the time it takes
to create whatever I feel called to create.

I believe my work is worthy of its own space
which is worthy of the name sacred.

I believe that when I enter this space, I have the right
to work in silence, uninterrupted, for as long as I choose.

I believe that the moment I open myself to the gifts of the Muse,
I open myself to the Source of All Creation, and become one
with the Mother of Life Itself.

I believe that my work is joyful, useful, and constantly changing,
flowing through me like a river with no beginning and no end.

I believe that what it is I am called to do
will make itself known when I have made myself ready.

I believe that the time I spend creating my art
is as precious as the time I spend giving to others.

I believe that what truly matters in the making of art
is not what the final pieces looks like or sounds like,
not what it is worth or not worth,
but what newness gets added to the universe in the
process of the piece itself becoming.

I believe that I am not alone in my attempts to create,
and that once I begin the work, settle into the strangeness,
the words will take shape, the form find life, and the spirit take flight.

I believe that as the Muse gives to me,
so does she deserve from me:
faith, mindfulness and enduring commitment.

Happy New Year postcard

I wish all of you who come to this blog that 2010 becomes the best year ever, whatever that means to you.
It`s a time to reflect about just that, what `the best`means to you.

With my wonderful friends on Yahoo group, we`ve been making a Dream Board for the coming year, putting down in pictures and words what we want to have happen in 2010.

Because, really...
it`s up to everyone of us to create our world the way we want it.

Happy creating.
Make it powerful.

Happy New Year!

Credit for the photo of the arm is ParkeHarrison. The others come from the internet.

The Journey - David Whyte

A New Year around the corner. It makes me contemplative. This poem is appropriate.

THE JOURNEY

Above the mountains
the geese turn into
the light again

Painting their
black silhouettes
on an open sky.

Sometimes everything
has to be
inscribed across
the heavens

so you can find
the one line
already written
inside you.

Sometimes it takes
a great sky
to find that

small, bright
and indescribable
wedge of freedom
in your own heart.

Sometimes with
the bones of the black
sticks left when the fire
has gone out

someone has written
something new
in the ashes of your life.

You are not leaving
you are arriving.

David Whyte

Photoshop to the rescue

Rick St Dennis, you`re my hero. I`d been complaining and asking about taking proper photos of my art.
This kind gentleman over at Altered_stART suggested that I retouch my photos to the original colors of my paintings in Photoshop!!!!1

Duh! Why didn`t I think of that, since I use Photoshop for everything else...

That will indeed do the trick. Keep posted for proper colors on my future images. Yeaaaah!

My latest paintings in acrylic

It seems I've been doing a lot of painting, but not a lot of posting. I think it's because I'm so disappointed with how the colors turn out in photo. ;-((

Here are the latest.
This one has been an exercise in progress. I just kept hating it, revisiting it. It's quite dark now, but it's finally acceptable to me.


This next one is my tantra inspired painting. For my 2010 dream board?

This one I did last night. Very dramatic. Buddha emerging from the ruins.

I worked on this following one again, because I didn't like some of the colors. They came out better, although you'd never know it from what they look like on here....


If anyone has any suggestions on how to get photos that do my work justice, I'm all ears.

Christmas in Paris

Have you ever dreamed of spending Christmas in Paris? It is indeed a magical town to celebrate the Season.
I invite you to join me on a virtual tour. Joyeux Noel

Just so you know, that green thing toward the end is NOT a tree, it's a dress!!!! Only in Paris. Or if you ARE Paris (Hilton)!!!!

Christmas wishes

Warmest wishes to all my virtual friends. You've made my art year so much more special.

As a heartfelt thank you, I've posted some images that you can download and use in your own art.

Merry warm wishes to everyone, and big love.

A little visitor

This little guy arrived from France this morning, and he's here to stay. His tail curls up so that he can hang off the tree.

Mr Paul is very happy, he likes cats. There were (over) 30 in the house where I found him. Cats are the only occasion he barks. He just so wants to play.

This little red guy came inside a sardine tin, very appropriate, don't you think. My sister found the pattern at an art show this Fall, and here we are.

Gotta find a name for him... Suggestions welcome.

A beautiful quote

Here is a beautiful mandala, created by swills1960 with the software myoats. Great work.

To go with this quote from Neal Donald Walsh:

"Today,dear Friend, God wants you to know.....
....that there is a light which cannot ever be extinguished.
It is inside of you. It is you.
Let your light so shine upon the world that the world will
know Who You Really Are -- and its people will know why they
really are as well, through the light of your example.
The darkness of our world awaits you -- not to engulf you,
but to be transformed by you. During this Season of the Light,
be its Source for all those who search for Joy.

A great message

This guy really gets it in his video.
I love his message, hence, I put his video here. Thanks Elena for having it on your site.

Calligraphy painting

I had it in my mind to combine paint and calligraphy. Here's my first attempt. I'm not sure I like it.

I thought I'd try a different background to give pride of place to the writing. It certainly does not really reflect something that 'speaks' to me, but this is the first one.

I did this one for my massage therapist who lived in Australia for a few years.

And finally this one, which is more my 'usual' style, and that I so enjoy painting. Of course, the colors don't quite come out on the computer. This one is quite large, 18 x 20.

My sketchbook for the Art House project

I have completed my sketchbook for the Art House Project, and it's now on its merry way down to Georgia, getting ready for the big exhibit around the country.

My theme was Past, Present, Future. I used a lot of collage, and images I had manipulated in Photoshop. The text is by hand.

If you want to be among the first to view it, you can have a preview here:

Another painting in acrylic

This one is made of several transfers. I learned the technique through a class I take on A.R.T yahoo group, and I just love them. I am fascinated with the woman's face. I'm not sure where I found her on the internet, so unfortunately I can't give credit. I'd love to know who she is, or where she comes from. She feels so mysterious.

The columns are a transfer as well. The writing is made up of a napkin glued down with gel medium. A lot of the texture comes from gel medium, applied roughly.

The columns are a tranfer too, and there are bits of paper that were burnt and glued down.



I am very pleased with the results. I love the colors. I"ve been struggling to get those colors, and here they are. This painting is 18 x 22, and it's done on a canvas board. I bought myself some streched canvases for Christmas, but they're under the tree!

Thought for life

How You Can Cultivate Creativity by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Try to be inspired by something every day.

Try to inspire at least one person every day.

Write down each day what surprised you and how you surprised others.

When something strikes a spark of interest, follow it.

Wake up in the morning with a specific goal to look forward to.

If you do anything well, it becomes enjoyable.

To keep enjoying something, you need to increase its complexity.

Take charge of your schedule.

Make time for reflection and relaxation.

Shape your space.

Find out what you like and what you hate about life.

Start doing more of what you love, less of what you hate.

Develop what you lack.

Shift often from openness to closure.

Find a way to express what moves you.

Look at problems from as many viewpoints as possible.

Figure out the implications of the problem.

Implement the solution.

Produce as many ideas as possible.

Try to produce unlikely ideas.

Another painting

I've made another painting this afternoon. What a pleasant process. I've been learning how to make transfers using gel medium and either transparencies, or plain printer paper.

This one incorporates several transfers. I've learned that if I'm going to tack down a page, I should tear off the edges so they don't show so stark in the final painting.

The colors out of my camera really don't do justice to the painting, which is mainly turquoise and green. I'll have to start taking pictures during the day.


Still, I'm incredibly pleased with the result. This one is the biggest to date: 16 x 21, on a foamboard. At least, it's lighter than the last one with the particle board!!!! I'm learning....

Art House sketchbook

I have completed my Art House sketchbook. My theme is "Past Present Future". There were no rules to fill up an 80 page moleskin book, size 5.5 x 8.5. I chose to do collage in mine.

It can be seen here:

My Art House Sketchbook

Here the cover, front and back:

and here's the last page.

It ended up being quite thick with all the glued stuff!!!!

More Photoshop

I've been reviewing my Photoshop montages of this year. There are more than 200 to date, starting in May...

And in the middle of all that review, I got creative and some montages were screaming to be made.

I call this first one, The Fool. It's made up of photos from an artist I love, B.Reynolds and my ubiquitous balls, and a few manipulations.

The next one is Cabin Fever, with photos from istock and xce to which I subscribe. The rose is from the Dali painting.

And those who follow my work will recognize that cat, he's everywhere.

Finally, I made this one, on the theme of Death. To me, Death is a joyous thing. It's only sad for those who stay behind. We selfishly want to hold on to the person, the pet, the relationship, for our own sake, disregarding the person, pet or event concerned. I've helped many people make the transition. In Joy, not sadness.

Second jacqueline sullivan painting

Maybe I shouldn't blame the painting on Jacqueline Sullivan. I do have a few collages on there which is certainly not part of the course.
I had this idea of India, so gathered my pieces to be glued at some point.
I had intended for this piece to be blue, then I fell in love with the golds and oranges, and here it is, not blue at all!!!

I tried to keep it reasonably light, but it sure does look intense.

The theme is India, with its mystery, and its secrets that can be (l)earned through meditation and practicing detachment. I may add a bit more to it after I sleep on it, but it's pretty much there.



This is my first work of this size. It's 14 x 12. It's made on a piece of melamine board that I had in the garage. It weighs a ton, so it probably will never hang anywhere!!! lol

Still in the learning process, and loving it immensely.

Photoshop portrait

I've been playing with a Photoshop tutorial and of course
I love type so this was perfect for me.
It was really not too hard, and took probably 3 hours.

I'm quite thrilled with the results and with myself. ;-))

Now what can I go play at?

An amazing video

OK, so I'm all into altered books. But this short video is beyond anything I could have dreamed. Only 2.11 minutes.

The Kiwis' got it. Enjoy!

Work space

Or is that a play room? I certainly love spending time here. I used to work only in the downstairs kitchen, over a tiny counter and standing up. My back decided pretty quickly that it was not going to do, and yesterday, I moved into the downstairs den.

It's a wonderful area, and I'm surrounded with my books. There is a woodstove, which is working overtime right now and a couch for the pooch.

I've covered the table with contact plastic to protect it so that I can still paint on it. Next, I might get myself a comfortable chair but it's OK at the moment, still I'm never leaning back anyway.

Lat night, I did a little christmas project that I had seen online this week and I think it came out ok:

That put me right in the christmas mood and I had decided that I'd start christmas early this year, so I put up the tree today. It looks mighty fine.

I had some serious help, with the black puppy visiting from across the street and giving advice.



Mr Paul was quite happy to have the company, since I was ignoring him with my christmas preparations. And yes, his chin is .... some color. He found one of the red plastic apple decoration and made short order of desintegrating it. Red paws, red mouth. Too bad it was not his nose. We could have found a job for him in a few weeks. (And his brother's name is already Rudi!!!!)

But, no, he's rolling around on his back right now, waiting for me to go play. Sooo, it's goodbye till nex time.

Calligraphy

I've been taking an online calligraphy class with the group Creative Workshops. I am a first believe that there is no better way to learn online than to watch videos.

I've owned a calligraphy set for years. Doesn't everyone? I never quite managed to get the letters right and let it sit on the shelf.

This time, I watched and was shown precisely how the letters are formed, and there is no way to make a mistake. All it takes is lots of practice. LOOOOOOOTS of practice. But the results are satisfying even at this early stage, and I'm having fun.

The satisfying part is when I can start using the letters for small poems or to compose my own. Let's be clear that the circle and the yellow pages are NOT my own, but exercises. The other two are mine, and the little poem came at the end of my pen as I was laying the letters down. I know that's an absolute NO NO, but it came easily.

Jacqueline Sullivan class

I just bought of DVD of painting techniques by Jacqueline Sullivan. I really believe that video step by step of the process is the best online learning tool. You can go back, take your time, watch it over, and it's usually more precise than just a pdf file. I'm completely sold on the process.

She teaches acrylic techniques with everything UNDER the kitchen sink incorporated in the painting. I'm reasonably satisfied with my results. I like the warmth of the colors and the amazing textures.

I have just fallen in love with Golden Quadrachrodone Nickel Azo Gold, which Jacqueline uses a lot as well. I've also used some copper, metal blue and metal green acrylic paints.

My father

On the consecrated field
where your ashes are laid
one lone rose petals red.




I should add that this photo is in fact where his ashes were spread.
It just took me 2 1/2 years to come up with the haiku...

Doodles

Ok, so I have a new addiction. Zentangles. When I can't think of any more art for the moment, I grab a pen, and doodle. I've even done a journal page with doodles.