More Pieces

I got inspired by the art of Charley Harper I was finding on websites. I love all his stuff, but his birds struck a particular chord in me. It seemed to me that his cardinals, especially, were crying out to be captured on a bookmark using paper piecing.

Bear in mind that I haven't "grounded" them yet, so they feel a bit incomplete as they float in space. One person suggested perhaps a watercolor branch on which they might perch. That's a good idea. (It would be better if I felt any confidence in my ability to actually paint a watercolor branch under them!)

In Harper's art, the cardinals are often placed within the greenery of a conifer or on a snow covered patch of ground (onto which seeds from a bird feeder have fallen). As I walk by these guys several times each day, I'm leaning more and more toward that last one. I think I could draw some sunflower seeds and use markers to color them in. Little random specs of yellow could be crushed bits of corn.

We'll see, maybe I'll try 3 different things!

Not sure where I'll leave them. I heard that someone in the upper management of our local bookstore (from corporate offices out of state) wasn't too pleased to find the bookmark I left there. [Not sure if that makes me want to leave more....or just give up that idea. HA!]

I'm thinking perhaps one should go to the library and find its way to the section on birds. Perhaps another should perch on the shelf by the art books (especially if there's a book on Charley Harper, no?!?)

I haven't received any emails from any of the first pieces of art put out there. While I'm REALLY curious, and would LOVE to hear back....that's not the reason I'm doing it. As long as someone smiles or has a happy moment....that's all that truly matters.

Stay tuned, I'll have an update on CANADIAN BUTTERFLIES next week!!

Have a great weekend!

Pieced Together

Happy Monday everyone! What did you do over the weekend? It's been SO hot in my neck of the woods that we are trying to get all our errands and outdoor activities done before 10 am or so. We did hit a couple garage sales on Saturday.

What you see here is a little collage tag I made using one of my Saturday purchases. I found a puzzle for only a quarter, so I grabbed it knowing that puzzle pieces make nice parts for mixed media collages. (Here it is painted 1950s aqua to reflect the theme.)
I will be abandoning this one near some cookbooks I think....either at a library or perhaps a book store. Hmmmmm, we'll have to see!

Last week when I went spelunking at Goodwill I found a box of old poker chips for $1. Here's what I'm making with them:

Little fridge magnets with doodles and paint! I think they're cute and they will be fun to set free somewhere!

Let me know what creative things you've been doing!

All About Art

The theme of this past weekend for me was "art". It started with the usual Saturday morning garage sale routine. At the first stop I found some teaching posters featuring paintings on one side and information about the artist, the painting, and the social milieu into which the piece was born. Already laminated, I think there will be countless ways to use these with students to encourage creative thinking/writing.

Later in the day I made a really fun discovery: Art Abandonment. If you'd like to read a full description you will find that HERE. In a nutshell, creative people all around the country and world are making art and abandoning their works to the wild for some random person to discover and enjoy.

(It's a bit like yarn bombing which I've participated in! But limitless in technique, size, etc.)

I thought this was such an intriguing idea...leaving works of art....be they paintings, jewelry, sculpture, mixed-media, fiber creations...anything goes!....for a random passerby to find. I love it!!

So I decided to join the Facebook group dedicated to Art Abandonment and jumped in with both feet!

I made this little 3.5"x5.5" watercolor & chalk using the stamp I hand-carved of the Cana Island Lighthouse in Door County, WI. I had a lot of fun making this simple little piece of art.

This morning my son had to have all four wisdom teeth taken out. When I was alone in the oral surgeon's waiting room, I put it into an empty slot in the rack of informational pamphlets they had displayed on an end table.

I hope someone enjoys it!

Boundless Talent

This post is entirely me bragging about my DS who is nearly 18 and a senior in high school. I won't be offended if you decide to visit another of your favorited bookmarks and skip this post altogether.

We've known for many years that he's a super bright kid. His GPA puts him in the top 1% of his class. The first digit of his ACT score was a 3. He will graduate with over a semester's worth of college credit. Math and science are, to my way of thinking, shockingly easy/natural for him. He has already written code for several computer games and programmed his calculator to do shortcuts for him. And he also has a great sense of wit and the driest sense of humor you're likely to find.

And although he does "doodle" while he's watching tv sometimes, I was still caught off guard when his art teacher sent us an email to let us know that she is amazed by his artistic talents too. She is taking some of his work to an art show this spring, so photographed his self-portrait done in charcoal.

I agree with her, it's simply wonderful!!

Love ya' Bud! Couldn't be more proud of you!

A Tribute

To fall...

To Andy Warhol...

I went out to shoot photos for the magazine, including a stop at the local orchard. Now I'm just having a little creative fun!

Everyday Art

One of the things I really enjoyed about vacation in Door County, Wisconsin was the enclave of artists working in the various communities. Many of them had not only galleries, but studio galleries.

I really enjoyed visiting TR Pottery in Fish Creek. I watched Tony throwing some bowls and it was really fascinating to me how easily the clay forms took shape in his skilled hands.

Another thing I appreciated about TR Pottery is that all of their pieces are designed to be used. They are, in a sense, every day art. I just love that! I bought myself a tea cup there. Something about the fact it has no handle and the way the glaze fired in a sort of yin/yang pattern really spoke to me. I picked it up when I first saw it. I walked around the gallery looking at all the pieces available, but I couldn't put down "my" cup. Don't you think it's lovely?



I have my morning cup of tea or mate in it each day and I savor every sip. Thanks TR Pottery for adding a touch of beauty to my day!

Editor's Pick

A few of my recent gallery additions over at BetterPhoto.com have been awarded the Editor's Pick. This image, titled "Tattered" is among the award winners.



I like this one because, although it looks at first glance as though it's been processed to be color on black & white, it hasn't. (Notice the green growing on the deck railing on which the flower is perched.) This is just out of the camera.

Also, I like it because it seemed the perfect metaphor for so much of life.

I found the bloom fallen, beneath the green leaves and stems of the day lily...laying on the rocks below. I noticed right away how scarred the flower had become from its fall and it's time spent on the jagged, rough rocks. Yet, it still seemed to me a thing of beauty. Rather than tossing it aside, I decided to photograph it.

As it turns out, it has a delicate strength which gives it a depth of beauty not as easily visible on more "perfect" blooms.

I really like it. I hope you do too!