Time to Throw in the Towel....really.

or in this case, throw out the block of wood. I am at an impasse that has no forward movement with this one. I had set it aside for quite some time, and kept generating ideas to change what I had done (that wasn't gelling) as well as new elements to incorporate (which weren't gelling).
Something I recently did to it  was to scribble some wax onto various areas beneath the tree canopy, and go for a crayon resist look. My thought was ....rain...storm...darkness, etc....that would show up in the background once I had applied  blackish wash, and hopefully bring together some of the elements in the bottom section of the piece. I'm still really liking the tree canopy, so I didn't want to disturb that, but the mermaid was not coming along-regardless of whether I tried to pencil or paint her in. A last ditch effort was made to actually cover her up- and I got allot of smeary stuff going on instead. Lastly, the black tint wash was applied....which did nothing but make this piece look like  it was left out in the rain, and then dumped in a puddle.

Too bad. It' s a real nice block of wood, and a real nice idea. Yet with each new idea that I had, each new expression that I thought for sure would really change the piece for the better, it just muddied it up even more. Still,  I think each of the elements, in and of themselves, are like mini artworks. But in bringing it all together, for a cohesive whole ...well,  I just couldn't work it out. I think a massive scraping is in order, so that I can at least save the foundation and the' heart 'of this- for something better and even more beautiful and creative. It would be a shame for it to be firepit fodder.

I'm heeding the work's main message..... really.

The Four Corners of Strength

It is complete! and I am feeling happy. It is appropriate that this tribute to Love, Belief, Support and Friendship comes on the heels of what has been a very challenging year for me. I can't say that I'll be sorry to see 2010 go, but I will never forget it's lessons. And I will try to live my best life possible into 2011 and beyond, remembering the foundations that inner Strength is built upon. I feel incredibly blessed to have had people in my life, however permanent or transient they may be, to help me not only find my way, but also to shed light upon the questions, as well as the answers. In 2011, I  will pay more attention to my intuition. I will be kinder to myself and others. I will remember that it's important to smell the roses. I will work hard to be able to do what I really want to do, and earnestly attempt to stop doing that which does not serve me in my life. I will continue to take care of my body, and find better ways to strengthen my heart & soul. I will ask more questions, and listen longer. I will dance and play air guitar to all my awesome c.d.'s. I will make my house a colorful, comfortable and welcome home. I will start scrap-booking again. I will find a way to display my post card collection. I will research how to market my artwork, and how to publish my poetry. I will pray to stay connected to the creative source within me, and set aside time to cultivate that inner quietness so necessary for revelations and internal knowing. I will cast aside doubt & fear. I will not fall back into old habits. I will love wholeheartedly. I will trust in my power. I will make no compromises.

Now, I'll show each corner in detail, paying homage to each important anchor.

 

Love- "Your genuine affection is a catalyst, opening the door of possibility. Your light shines on all that is good & true- inside and outside of me. It rekindles courage in my heart, and helps me embrace life again. Thank you for sharing your love."

Belief- "Encouragement and humor are the gifts you so selflessly give. Your belief in me came like a thousand brilliant stars, illuminating the way, and allowed me to visualize beginning again."

Support- "You are my refuge and your constancy helps me rebuild my life. I feel secure in my decisions and can move forwrad, trusting myself once again. Your support reinforces all that I can do."

Friendship- "Validating my feelings and reminding me of hope, your winning attitude is mirrored in my soul. You help me find the truth through my emotions. In times of trouble and joy, you are always my ally. Your friendship is a blessing."

There's so many projects that I have in store for this coming year! I can't wait to share them here. I can't believe it has been a year since I launched coffee table blog. It has, if nothing else, been a wonderful tool to help me keep it real with myself, especially concerning all my creative endeavors. And for that alone, I can call it a success! 

Patience-Purpose-Energy....being open to Opportunity. This is my wish for 2011.

Merry Christmas Everyone, and a Joyful New year!

The Heart of it All

 

Despite the glare, you can get the idea. Still need to add Support and Friendship on the bottom and treasure chest illustration. Plus, words for each corner. Almost there. This week is supposed to be killer cold each night, and my new little space heater is not really  making a difference. So, gloves and hat it will be.

Some more

More on the 4X4 this past weekend. I'm getting happy people! Though the absolute freezing freaking COLD is deterring me from painting (because it's in the garage). I checked the weather site and it will continue to be this cold all week. Painting with gloves on is not the greatest, but I will have to do it I guess.

 So, I really like the way the wood grain is showing through now. It adds a texture to this piece that is unexpected, but I think because of it's size, it's ok- it kinda adds another dimension to it. What is annoying however, is hitting one of those ridges with the paint brush unexpectedly- and all of a sudden I've got a bump or a bulge that I wasn't ready for, and that needs correcting. The other REALLY annoying thing is how I cannot seem to position my photos on this blog the way that I want to!!!! Which is why you hafta scroll down to see the rest. I guess I get an "F" in the layout. But seriously, if you can help me out here, I'd really appreciate it!

These funky ladies are my favorites so far. They are definitely mermaid legends, rockin' in the under sea world, instinctively steering clear of  Captain Hook and his Jolly Rogers - but always on the lookout for Peter Pan.

The End is Near.....

of this year, which I can't believe. When I came back to post my progress on this painting, and saw that the last post was in OCTOBER! well time flies I guess, whether you're having fun or not. I want to get this painting done in the next few weeks. I'm hoping for a Christmas present to myself. The incorporation of words still haunts me - I still have concerns about the most effective technique -so, I have only just begun to get the theme words in the two upper  corners. In this first photo, I elected to get rid of the door, and instead created sky and a butterfly, and the first corner word "Love".

On the other side of Love lies Belief, and you can barely see the word painted in. Gotta get some highlights on the letters, but the actual color is perfect for the planet and outer-space scene. And oh yeah, the dolphins are a new addition too, though admittedly, it was not too fun painting them....maybe I just prefer painting mermaids.

I included this last one just to show the detail of shells in the sand. The trouble I'm encountering with a painting of this size is balancing my desire to get into the details of my objects, but also needing them to be big enough for the viewer to appreciate. Everything kinda melds together if there's too many small things on a big painting; especially if the small things are laden with detail, KWIM? But all of those elements ARE attractive to me- my goal is finding a way to incorporate them cohesively and aesthetically. I think this is why I'm dragging my feet on adding the words-But I will!

It's getting really cold too....so painting in the garage is becoming less and less attractive. And I certainly don't want this or any of my work out there when snow comes, so there's an incentive right there. The way it's been going the last few years, we'll probably get snow soon.

Big Love

This is the 4X4 wood panel. Lots of progress this weekend, but I'm not done yet.

The photo doesn't really show the metallic paint in the tree canopy, and a lot of the color nuances get shot out...gotta get better at the art photography...any tips?

Quickies

I did these three greenie quickies last weekend. I had started the ladybug awhile ago-just using markers. I decided to play with my metallic paint pens too, and added the silvery background to the bug.  So naturally, when it came to the mermaid, allot of metallic paint pen was called for. The girl was inspired from a magzine clipping. All three will be incorporated into a new mixed media piece...still in the brain stages.

Do you have an idea about how to use metallic paint or metallic paint pens? They leave shadows if you don't follow the stroke exactly the same in the portion of design you are working on...kinda frustrating as they dry pretty quickly too. I love metallics and the paint pens seemed like a great way to apply. Any suggestions?