Aqueducts Rising opens 11.19.16

Words every artist loves to say....."my first solo show!" This aqueduct series has been incubating for 10 years right under my nose. My inspiration is a poem by Antonio Machado called Last Night as I was Sleeping. You can read it here.

A friend shared the poem with me in 2006 and I was captivated by the imagery: secret aqueducts, golden bees and sweet honey, fiery suns...all set in a dream like state. 

In 2014, I turned out my first aqueduct inspired by Machado's words. This became a triptych that shows the aqueduct disintegrating, as if in a disappearing dream. 

This year, the aqueducts have appeared in my waking life, tumbling out of their own secret spring in my heart. More than 20 at last count. 

You can see this inspired series at Rabbitfoot Record Store Cafe on November 19 during the Sanford Art Walk from 6 -9pm. The show will be up through December 11, 2016. 

So, how's that book coming?

u n s t o p p a b l e !

I like the sound of that. I am surprising myself at the progress on my altered book, Word Songs. It's very satisfying to see the completed pages mounting up. I set my timer to 15 minutes and see what happens. And those 15 minutes added to another 15 minutes and another....you get the picture. I have created over 200 pages! 

This book has some magic paper, in spite of its age. Publish date is 1900. I have treated this 116 year old book with care and am amazed at the quality of paper. It takes wet media very well and I do have to write gingerly when using certain kinds of pens. Only 2 epic fails so far, but I've made them part of the dance. 

A show and tell will be in order once it is all finished. Stay tuned. 

When Art Speaks to Your Heart

On June 12, I was visiting a friend in Washington DC when I learned of the Pulse nightclub shooting. News of the heartbreaking tragedy hung heavy in the air. At the Renwick Gallery, an installation by Gabriel Dawe gave my heart a much needed lift. His floating visage of embroidery thread (60 miles of it!) was a beautiful rainbow in the middle of the room. Check out this article for a description. 

The photo was taken by my friend, looking at me through the rainbow. The adoption of the rainbow by the gay community is fitting in so many ways. It's a symbol of beauty, a hope-filled promise, and a message that diversity enriches us all. 

If only the haters in our world could be outfitted with rainbow-colored glasses. 

Where is this coming from?!

Some kind of wonderful new art-titude has been unleashed! Getting my mojo going in the studio after April's workshop in the woods has been joyful and energetic and downright liberating! 

To borrow a line from my favorite poem, "...along which secret aqueduct, oh water, are you coming to me, water of a new life that I have never drunk?"

It feels like the tumblers of a stubborn lock have all just clicked into place. I'm going with it - I'm riding the beautiful wave of new water, new life, and new art! Can't wait to see what happens next. 

Wanna make art? Ya gotta feed yourself!

Check out that feast....for the eyes, the tastebuds, and the spirit. This was the place setting for my dinner among artist friends at Camp Wannamakeart in the piney woods of Wekiva State Park, Florida. I was swooning! Still am. 

April 22 - 24 was a weekend of marvelous camaraderie, exceptional meals, and the deft and delightful guidance of our instructor, Jennifer Mercede. 

Hosted by Debbie Helton of The Craft Shack Studio this was an ideal getaway experience to re-charge my creative batteries and fill the well of inspiration. 

I am grateful to belong to an art tribe that knows the importance of retreating from the world every now and then. Even when it's right in our own back yard. 

How do you replenish your creative spirit? 

Knock, knock. Who's there?

You never know where inspiration will show itself....knock, knock. Who's there? Your muse, that's who. 

This spiky leaf stencil was inspired by the oddest of muses: a box of Kleenex. What others might have discarded to the re-cycle pile, I was happy to capture and cart off to my art room for closer inspection. I delighted in morphing the organic shape on the tissue box into a streamlined version of the curvy leaf that appeared.

So, keep your eyes peeled for inspiration anywhere....in the pantry, on the roadside, at your library, in your car. You never know.....it only takes a little muse-infused vision to make it happen. Invite your eyes to the party. 

Auditions and UFOs

Oh, Gelli plate, how I love you! For me, the mono-printing process is a joyful exercise in happy accidents and spontaneous discoveries. I prefer that approach over precise and measured planning, although I do have to call on those skills from time to time. 

These dots on dots are all made from Gelli printed scraps. I'm auditioning the square background shapes to see which color I like for a possible quilt of sorts. I don't sew, but I've long been attracted to the world of quilting arts. My quilt will be a paper one, most likely adhered to a wood panel. 

For now, these auditions haven't produced a clear winner.....more tryouts are necessary. I'm adding this one to my "UFO" pile....Un Finished Objects. 

If you have a UFO pile, what's in it? 

The Speed of Life

The artwork shown is a gift for a friend. She is stuck on the couch, recovering from a pedestrian encounter with a pick-up truck. The truck won. She is making the best of her healing time by doing handwork since her ankle is broken. 

She confessed that she rushes a lot - head down, full steam - at break neck speed. This imposed status of "couch potato" is an involuntary mandate to SLOW DOWN and SEE. Gratefully, her artist's eyes are keen and she can appreciate the small gifts that immobility is giving her, like watching the sunlight move across the window pane. 

When we race through life, we miss things. I hope you don't have to get hit by a truck to get the message.....s l o w   d o w n   and  s e e. You will benefit.

Don't Drink and Paint

OK, I admit it.....I have accidentally taken a sip out of my dirty paint water. Eeegads!! And I'm still alive to tell you about it. In the groove of some serious painting mojo, my hand instinctively reached for the glass and took it to my lips. In that instant of recognition, I spit it back out, no harm done. 

I had to take measures to ensure this would not be repeated. My dirty paint water glass is now appropriately labeled with the big red circle with a slash through it, labeled "Drink Not". It will always sit on my right. The mug or glass that I should rightfully drink from are always positioned on my left. 

Sometimes, mistakes make us better.