They Are Done!

I'm happy to say that despite in the mayhem in my world over the last few weeks, I did  manage to complete one painting, my Mermaids. A few  waves painted here, and a little glitter added there, and viola! This is one of my mixed media pieces that is complete, right down to it's sparkly finishing touches.

 

Of course, it is those very sparkly finishing touches, plus my lack of finesse with my camera that hinder you from really seeing some if the details, but hey, I'm sure you get the general idea. I'm thinking of a way to 'seal' the whole piece with out dulling over the glitter, and I'm thinking that my old friend modge podge will do it, as long as I take care to paint around the glitter areas. I thought of spraying too, with a fixative, but not sure how that would work out. Any ideas as to what kind of sealants work best for mixed media pieces?

The 'day after' snow photos

OK, so these are about a week and a half late, but I wanted to share anyway. Here are two decent photos from the recent snow dumpings on my town.Everything looks so pretty and pristine when it's sunny and white....until the stuff starts melting - then it just gets heavier and heavier to shovel! But I prefer to remember it like this, then to view it all melty and mushy and re-frozen, and gray...the way it is now.

After the snow, and the snow, and the snow...

Fantasy: I was hoping to update this blog and finish/start /continue some artwork during the recent snow days. Reality: I have no widgets (at least, I don’t think I do….) still not sure what the difference is between ‘following’, getting email updates, or url-ing on my blog and remain confused about refining the layout stuff. How the heck do I get my banner smaller, and add some bullet points underneath it? (probably back to the HTML). And there were no updates to, continuation of, or new beginnings happening at my easel, or in my notebooks. I did manage to snap a photo of a fabulous after-snow sunset and some photos of a near white-out from the blizzard while it was happening. I’m coming off of almost two weeks of nonstop snow, school closings, snow bound kids, & stir crazy me. Yeah, I had this crazy idea that I was actually going to do some creative stuff on those snowed in days…puh-leez. I did allot of laundry, sweeping and mopping, and half way successful attempts at organization. And reading…lots of magazines to grab my attention – perfect when my attention span is frayed and frazzled to hell. But I’ve got some ideas about what my fantasy spring wardrobe will look like…( strappy sandals, blousy tops, breezy minis and indigo jeans and capris to die for) which made me start thinking about my jumpstarting my commitment to lose weight and get healthy. I may not be able to seek enough solace in my house to create, but I can crank up the stereo and use my mini-weights!

Something new from something old

Maybe it takes a snowed-in weekend to get around to creating something that's been 'on the table' for awhile. This collage is one such piece. I've had the parts of it -hand colored copies of photos, magazine cut outs and colored pencil drawings - for some time, but hadn't envisioned the collage as a whole.

 

It is a paper collage of me and my sister and our mom, from way back...much longer ago than I can remember. I guess snow days also allow quiet time to reminisce, to remember, to think about all that is, what could have been, and what is to come. Some people , they say, leave an indelible mark on our souls, even after they've left us. All of the memories I have of my mom are vague, at best - but, in my mind's eye, I imagine a loving steady relationship between the three of us...we three.

progress and a new direction

I had been thinking that the skull motifs would really work in the girl and goat painting after my last post. I decided to add a few to the bottom before I put the skull lanterns in the background. We'll see where it goes.

 

 And flaming snake lady is making progress.

"Little Girl! Get away from that goat!...

...They are vile and dirty beasts that cannot be trusted. They eat lots of garbage and frequently enjoy regurgitating it too, and you sweet thing, do NOT belong in this scene."

That's what I'm thinking now, every time at look at this unfinished painting. I started it weeks ago, with the idea of combining mythical images of the goat god Pan, and a witch named Baba Yaga, with ordinary figures -namely a goat and a girl -in an effort to create a sort of visual commentary, and give life to some really cool stuff I've been reading. The symbolism of Pan represents overt sexuality, lusty playfulness, but trouble. Baba Yaga is a folklore witch that assists children on their journey through the woods, but only if they satisfy her demands. If they don't, she eats them. The girl represents innocence and curiosity, all too willing to befriend the goat, who's alter ego is Pan. The perspective of the mountainous background, copied from a once favorite photo, was lost in this, and the Pan figure just didn't gel...so, the mountains wound up flat, and Pan got painted out. Baba never made it in, but her skull lanterns (that will guide our girlie on her journey) might. Currently, the story is much more interesting to me than the actual painting, and I'm hoping to find a way to overcome the fact that the whole spirit with which I began this  - is gone.

Have you ever stopped a work because you weren't 'feeling' it anymore? Did you abandon it, or did you find a way to still get your initial intentions across?

Can you say gesso?

the flaming snake lady

About a month before Christmas, I went to Home Depot, and bought myself an 8X8 sheet of plywood. I then had the guy cut it into three pieces; two 2X2's and one 4X4. I then excitedly went and got myself a huge jug of gesso and, once home, covered all those boards with it. Viola! instant BIG painting surfaces. Buying canvas this large is very cost prohibitive, and I have been dreaming about putting some if my big ideas onto big spaces.
This one is a fave that I've had the idea for since spring of 2008. I got the idea primarily from a lyric, which, as it turns out,  I didn't hear quite right. (more on that in another post) No matter, because I like my version better, and the image just came to me.

Of course, I am encountering a myriad of problems...one - never painted this large, so it's difficult maneuvering myself around the piece as I'm painting (would help if I had a real easel...), two - the wood is not the most forgiving of grounds; paint skips, grain shows through, etc...but I've learned that I'll need to use more gesso and sand more vigilantly next time, and three - acrylic dries fast! even when you put additives in it. That creates all kinds of issues with blending colors, etc...More as it progresses, but here are some additional shots of flaming snake lady....(and that is not going to be the title of this piece...).

The color goddesses were present on Wednesday night when I did the initial color overlays...unfortunately, the camera gremlins will not allow me to get a shot with out the damned flash showing up in my photo!

This is an example of the wood grain showing through, and when I photographed this last night, it was annoying me. Now that it has had time to dry, I'm beginning to think that the grain may actually enhance the painting in some areas, like in these flames. 

So, I'm re-learning allot about painting in general and am excited to be painting this big. I'll keep on posting as the pieces progress. Have you ever created a work this large? What other issues are related to work this big?