New Image

Wednesday 9/26:
Painting my next vase with flowers.  I am sure enjoying these.

This one will be five aspects of me in one curvy vase.  Not sure I will reveal the 5 aspects - might be more then anyone wants to know.  Although, these are positive aspects, not my big bad dark side.

I tweaked the photo above so you could see the vase on this one.  I like the lacy curvy top on the vase.

Thursday 9/27 - 11am:
The next two progressive photos.

I like the blue on the curvy vase and the blue line down the right side.

Thursday - 2pm:
I really like the big pink flower in the center and the silly little orange one on the left.  Not sure I am liking the blue of the vase.

Thursday - 6:30pm:
Not really liking the background.  Needs a little more something.  Will add more in the morning - off to my modern dance class.

Swirling...

Painting with my feet again.  Actually, I have to get up on my art table to get good shots of my pieces and I like leaving the feet in the photo.

The flowers in this piece kept changing as my moods changed and swirled around me last week.   Swirling can have a crazy, a bit out of control feeling.  It isn't necessarily a bad feeling - maybe not alway comfortable.  Defiantly wanted rocks in my pockets this past week.   

The vessel or vase interestingly never changed.  I was very sure of that.  My physical self was very grounded, but my head...  she was swirling.

I also think of the swirls as the different aspects of ourselves.  We all have many parts, the obvious, mother, friend, wife, sister, etc.  We also have the less tangible aspects like, light and dark, the judge, the martyr...  They aren't always pretty, but they make up who we are.  And as a balanced whole they can be beautiful.   Or maybe the beauty is in the acceptance of all these aspects of ourselves.

I like the words in this little scrap of paper, "friends, love, love".

Love the little blue polkadots

More pieces of her diary...

So Much Fun!

Last night was great!  I absolutely love my new work.  It was a full house most of the evening.  Lots of friends came.  Downtown Davis was hopping last night.  

There were lots of people interested in purchasing my new art, but I couldn't sell it.  That hasn't happened before.  Usually it is the other way around.  I do have some perspective homes for a few of the pieces once I am ready to let them fly.

I had some older art hanging in the reception area and the five new ones (above) in the main room.  My older work didn't look so good to me.  They looked washed out compared to the new pieces.  I used to think they looked vibrant and exciting.  Funny how things change.

My pal Linda and I in front of "her" picture "Songs of Friendship"

Still Framing...

This part of art is one of the hard parts of art.  Measuring... getting the cuts right... getting the cuts to look clean.  Oh and worst is getting all the dust speaks off the glass and image.

Getting closer.  Thank goodness my best pal came over and watch a movie on my computer while I framed.  I had some good company.

Done with framing.  It's now bedtime for kids.  Keenan took this picture for me.

The Mamma is stir crazy now.  Now to work on the labels and bio.

I'm not sure I can sell these new pieces yet.  I love them so much and haven't been able to be around them long enough to let them go.  Kinda like children - not that I would sell my children - but we do send them out into the world to make their own way.

Flowers in the Studio

Loving these new pieces.  I am having so much fun creating them, just seeing what appears on the pages.  Mostly working with colors that I am drawn to.  Also wanting big, soft, round shapes.

This one will be the last new one for this show coming up Friday.  I will be at First Street Real Estate on 1st Street downtown Davis for the 2nd Friday ArtAbout (9/14/12).  Reception 5:30 to 8:00.  Stop by and say "hi" if you are downtown Friday.

Will start framing these five tonight - nothing like cutting it close to the wire.  I will hang them Thursday.

I think these three are my favorite.  I am calling the series "Pages from Her Diary" Each of the paintings has some words from my heart, you can't always see what it says, but I know they are there and it adds to the piece for me.

Full and Round

Painting vases and flowers.  Feeling full and round.  I love the wonky vases and the fullness of the flowers.  The curvy lines feel very feminine and romantic.

 I like to think of myself as the vase in this painting.  Love the frilly top of the vase.  This painting is inspired from the first flower vase picture - "Looks that engender" image.

This next one was painted with my best friend in mind.  She listens to all that I am and loves me through all my shades, even my not so pretty ones.

I really like this vase to.  Like a curvy woman.

The finished piece.  The words in this one are a quote from Shakespeare on friendship.
"A friend is one who understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still gently allows you to grow."

Dreaming of Houses

Houses often appear in my dreams.  I have come to think of them as a metaphor for Me and how I am feeling.

Sometimes they are actual houses that I have lived in, but I will have discovered a hidden room I didn't know existed.  Those rooms have been both scary and joyous over the years.

For the most part I love my house dreams.  They are a barometer of how I am inside.  It seems like our feelings would be obvious, but sometimes it is a dream with a troubled house to provide insight into my deeper self.

I love painting and creating houses.  Here is my latest house.  It is a happy house, full of light and joy.

I really like the soil on this piece and the details in the sky.  I did add some more designs on the house that you can't see here.

I'd like to hang out on the upper balcony, that I am sure is over looking the sea, and watch the sun dip below the horizon.

Gifted With The Look That Engenders

A new piece.  Inspired by a passage I read in Italy about being seen.  How one of our greatest gifts as humans is to see one another.

I took Jean Houston's passage and shortened and added to it to "fit" to my image.

"To be looked at is to be gifted with the look that engenders.  You feel yourself primed at the depths of your soul by such seeing.  Something so tremendous and yet so subtle wakes up inside that you are released, opened, whole."

 I felt a lot of joy and gratitude in creating this piece.

This flower is me - the bursting peach :)

The finished piece.

Following Butterflies

 With heavy thoughts on my mind, I wandered through the Italian countryside, looking for some guidance.  I found it in the whimsical flitting of butterflies dancing among the roadside weeds.

I was pulled out of my head and back into my heart.  Watching the butterflies I felt reminded to infuse some levity into a seemingly dense situation.

As I continued on my walk I crossed a stone bridge.  Below was an inviting, but scary, dried stream bed.  I really wanted to go down into the stream bed.  The fears that popped up were - I'm alone on this road, and I could get hurt down there and no one would know where I was.  The whole female alone thing.  I certainly felt safer being in Italy then in the United States.

The way down was pretty steep and narrow, also I knew the area had vipers.  But I had such a yearning to go down there.  Then, I saw a "herd" of butterflies, all flitting and dancing, inviting me down.

I was giddy with adventure once I made the decision to drop down in.  It was like entering the Secret Garden.  No one else was there, I had it all to myself and I was delighted.  I found more butterflies, beautiful flowers, and the most amazing rocks.  I have a thing for rocks.  I like to carry them in my pockets.  Sounds silly, I know, but they feel grounding to me.

Later that day I brought the family down to check it out.  They loved it and seemed to have as much fun exploring the place as I did.  It really was a lovely spot.  And to top it off, they were all impressed that I had come down alone.  Even hubby said he wouldn't have done it.

Roadside Altars

Roadside altar outside of Santa Fiora

There are altars everywhere in Italy - on the outside of houses, inside houses and on the roadsides.  I fell in love with these little altars.  I love the idea of blessing your place - be it your house or community.  Most of the altars seem to honor The Madonna.  I wish I had taken more pictures of them.  I think I want to do an art series about the altars.

I have a lot more I want to say about these altars, but it is still within me and hasn't quite surfaced.

A wee chicken altar

On the side of a roadside altar

Maybe St. Francis - On our Santa Fiora House.

I love that The Madonna is so revered.  Don't get me wrong, you still see lots of Jesus statues around, but  The Madonna seems to have the hearts.  More to say - I am sure - as I start playing with these images.

Altar on the side of our Santa Fiora House.
Of The Madonna and Child.

Not your typical altar - but an altar none the less.
The kitchen Altar.