Monday In The Studio

I spent the whole day in my studio working on a new painting, and was feeling pretty guilty about not working on some of the other canvases waiting in the wings to be finished.

I couldn’t help myself. Inspiration hit and my muse came out of hiding, as I gleefully proceeded with my art project. I was dabbing and splashing color on the canvas as I completely immersed myself in the moment.

It felt so good to set aside my somewhat structured way of doing things, and let my creative child out to play.

Work In Progress Update

I really enjoyed the gorgeous sunshine this morning when Rupert and I took our walk. He sniffed every bush and flower along the way and had a great time barking at two very large dogs we happened to run into.

Afterwards I made a pot of Earl Grey tea, poured myself a cup, pulled my chair up to the easel and began working on the Kuan Yin painting.

Several hours later I noticed people walking their dogs and heard children’s laughter from next door. I suddenly realized it was time for me to stop and begin preparing dinner. Where did the time go?

Without a doubt, time flies when you are having fun!

Kuan Yin – 16 x 20 Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas

“Time is the most undefinable yet paradoxical of things; the past is gone, the future is not come, and the present becomes the past even while we attempt to define it, and, like the flash of lightning, at once exists and expires”. ~Charles Caleb Colton

Work In Progress

I spent the afternoon working on this painting, using acrylic glazing and layering techniques. The glazes were done by diluting the paint with acrylic glazing medium.

I love the way glazes create softness and subtle shadings, these are caused by the overlapping layers of color added to the painting.

Work In Progress

Acrylics & Mixed Media

Here are two photos of something I was working on today, I had a lot of fun with this project using a canvas I had prepared with gesso, tissue paper, and various rice papers.

My intent was to play with color and lifting techniques with no particular design element in mind, so when I took a break and stepped back to look at how the painting was developing, I saw some very interesting patterns and shapes beginning to emerge.

I used gel medium, fluid acrylics, flow enhancer, and colored pencils.

Finished Piece

Dream Thyme was signed and finished this morning, and I moved onto my next project.

Dream Thyme
Acrylic Mixed Media & Collage on canvas

16 x 20 inches

“May you have warm words on a cold evening,
a full moon on a dark night,
and a smooth road all the way to your door”.
– Celtic Blessing

The Buddha Within

I finished The Buddha Within, and here are a couple of close up photos.

Reflections Of The Inner Spirit Series

The Buddha Within
Rose Arizmendi (C) 2008

Acrylic & Mixed Media on Canvas

16 x 20 inches

New Water Mixable oils

My new Winsor & Newton water mixable oil color set came today! This is so exciting because no hazardous solvents are required in order to use them.

I gave up oil painting years ago because of allergies and these new water mixable oils just may be the answer to my prayers.

Today I worked on the Collage Painting “Dream Thyme”, I sanded some areas and collaged a key to the text about how dreams heal our body, mind, and spirit. The moon and the background still need a little more work and then it will be finished.

Dream Thyme

We crave a world of either/or, but the Dream says, Both/and. We build a wall between our social persona and our inner selves; the Dream bids us, Demolish it. We wish to believe we’re separate from one another, but the Dream insists, We are in this together. We are pleased to believe Time is a one-way river from past to present to future, yet the Dream reveals, All three times flow into one. We wish to seek pure virtue and avoid all stain, but the Dream avers, The dark and the light are braided and bound.
-Marc Barasch, Healing Dreams

Try, Try Again

This morning as I was preparing for another day in the studio, I remembered there were some old canvases stored behind the kitchen door so I took a look to see what was there.

I found an old painting that would be perfect for a collage piece and I’m eager to begin working on it.

It was one of my first explorations into the world of acrylic painting and I became so frustrated with the medium and how fast the paint dried, that afterwards I put it in ‘the garbage out’, pile.

I’m so glad I didn’t throw it out and I have the chance to salvage this piece.

Spring Unsprung

Reflections Of The Inner Spirit

Today I worked some more on “Reflections of the Inner Spirit” collage, I proceeded to paint, stamp, and sandpaper the surface until late afternoon, when I suddenly realized it was time to stop.

Tomorrow I will be embellishing the piece with whatever is needed to finish the work. Whew! I’m tired, and it’s time for me to kick back and relax for awhile!

Reflections of the Inner Spirit
(The Buddha Within)

“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” – Buddha (Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

Work In Progress

I have been working on a series of collage paintings for several weeks based on meditation, dream work, and self healing. My inner focus has been on finding balance in my own life between the everyday and the spiritual, taking time for meditation, reflection, and restful awareness.

It is very difficult to move beyond the constant bombardment of information and stimulation we receive on a daily basis, as our pace of life keeps accelerating, so it’s not surprising that anxiety, stress, and insomnia is on the rise.

How do we find an oasis of stillness in this crazy world? We take ourselves out of the “business as usual” equation if only for a few minutes at a time. Go for a walk, read an inspirational book, turn off the phone or watch the grass grow, anything that allows you to slow down enough to allow your breathing to slow, blood pressure decrease, and those stress hormones return to normal.

Reflections Of The Inner Spirit

This is a close up of one of the collage paintings I am currently working on. Today I added more collage elements to her body and will be layering in more background color tomorrow.