February 1, 2009

A beautiful, thought provoking animation by Carmen Bromfield Mason.

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.” -Charles W. Eliot

Medicine for the soul.  -Inscription over the door of the Library at Thebes

SaturdayWith Georgia O’Keeffe

The Art of Georgia O’Keeffe

Footage of the 92 year old Georgia O’Keeffe taken in and around her home in New Mexico

“When I think of death, I only regret that I will not be able to see this beautiful country anymore… unless the Indians are right and my spirit will walk here after I’m gone”. – Georgia O’Keeffe

“The bones seem to cut sharply to the center of something that is keenly alive on the desert even tho’ it is vast and empty and untouchable… and knows no kindness with all its beauty.”  -Georgia O’Keeffe

“I don’t see why we ever think of what others think of what we do – no matter who they are. Isn’t it enough just to express yourself?”  -Georgia O’Keeffe

Friday

The Art and Life of Allan Houser

“To be an artist is to believe in life.”
Henry Moore

More Spirit Pouches

Back in my studio . . . Making more Spirit Pouches  . . . Very busy but having fun!!

Spirit Pouch # 1 – Work in progress

Spirit Pouch # 2 – Work in progress

“If you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life.” -Confucius

Spirit Pouch

I spent the afternoon playing around in the studio making a couple of spirit pouches. I make these with watercolor paper, acrylic paint and ink.

When I have finished painting I place feathers, white sage, natural fibers, crystals, etc… into the pouch area. I then add turquoise beads and other natural gemstones to finish the piece.

Below is my personal Spirit Pouch which hangs in my studio.

Spirit Pouch – Mixed Media – 5 x 8 inches.

Hang the Spirit Pouch on your wall  somewhere in your house where you can see it as a reminder of your connection to spirit.

Monday

Over the weekend I purchased two 30 x 40 inch canvases and after I got them home I realized that they were quite large and felt a little intimidated.

All sorts of thoughts went through my mind like ” do I have enough gesso, tissue paper and acrylic paint?” What will I paint on it?

Then I watched this video and and it helped to put everything into perspective.

For those who feel intimidated by large canvases here is a video that shows an artist painting on a really large canvas. Wow!

Time Lapse Large Oil Painting

Artist Quote for the Day

” A lot of it’s experimental, spontaneous. It’s about knocking about in the studio and bumping into things.” – Richard Prince

Friday

Today I went on my regular Friday thrift hunt and managed to find two items on my wish list. Thrifting is fun but getting a 50% off discount on the items I purchased was even better. It really made my day!

Check out this detailed tutorial on painting a eucalyptus leaf using watercolor paints. Beautiful!

Have a great weekend!

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”  -Pablo Picasso

Rainy Day in the Studio

Today I woke up to another gray, rainy day and I really didn’t feel much like doing anything so I grabbed a cup of good strong Irish tea and began my day.

Later  in the afternoon, I was able to work in the studio and started laying in the background colors on this painting. I also did some touch ups and added more details to the hair section.

I did not get as much done as I had planned on because daylight was fading fast and it was already time to start dinner. I turned off the studio lights and said goodnight to the Tree Guardian.

Tree Guardian – Acrylic/Watercolor Mixed Medium – 16 x 20 on watercolor paper

“A rainy day is the perfect time for a walk in the woods.”  – Rachel Carson

Work in Progress

I have been working on this painting again and have added a few new elements to it.

I am making progress on the piece despite the occasional interruptions. Oh, such is life. But I am having fun!

It felt really good to have two full days in the studio so I could get some work done. My current goal is to spend more time in the studio and less time with my nose in the computer. We will see how that works out . . .

Lady of the Forest #2 – Acrylic/Watercolor/ Mixed Medium – 16 x 20 inches on Canvas

Metaphor

When you start on a long journey, trees are trees, water is water, and mountains are mountains. After you have gone some distance, trees are no longer trees, water no longer water, mountains no longer mountains. But after you have travelled a great distance, trees are once again trees, water is once again water, mountains are once again mountains. – Zen teaching

Pressed Paper Pulp Canvas

This video shows how to make a canvas of pressed paper pulp which is a great way to recycle junk mail and old shredded paper.

Carla van den Berg –  How to Make a Very Special Canvas