Inspiration travels the miles!

Having been an art teacher at one time, I love when I receive letters from young people who are inspired by what they see in my work.
Most artists hope that what they do sparks something in others. I have been fortunate enough to have this happen many times, and it always delights me.
Well, I recently received an email from the UK. This was from an art student working on a project, and her work was inspired by several artists, one of which was me and my Torn Paper Paintings!
I felt honored. It always seems soo surreal when you realise how small the world is. Along with this acknowledgement came a request for an "artist's statement", which I was happy to provide.
After several emails between us, I was sent some lovely pics to show what was being worked on.

The first is a pomegranate. It was painted with acrylic then collaged with tissue paper and newspaper. Stitching was added into it in the end.
Soo much lovely texture on this one!

(click the pic for larger image)

Next I received a pic of something that looked more than a bit familiar.
It was that of my "Balance" painting which had been published in the "Incite 3" book . Using that painting as the model it was re-created using the text in the background as I had and the cups and saucers on top were acrylic painted.
I think she did a wonderful job.

I've been told that there are several other pieces in the works. I hope to receive pics of those one day and maybe I can share them as well.
Thank you Ceri. 

Hope you find many forms of inspiration along your journey!

As winter comes...

I hate to see the beautiful flowers in my gardens meet their end as winter comes in.
Looking at them fade, I found that I simply had to do something to keep their beauty alive in some way.
Yes...why not create a Torn Paper Painting of them!! So I did.
I had created an earlier piece with daisies, so decided to create a smaller daisy painting with a bit of metallic gold additions. Love the effect.
The next one I did was an assortment of the remaining garden flowers.
I have a cobalt blue vase. It's round with little holes all around it to insert flowers into.
I now have a lasting memory of the last blooms of the season.

Fading summer

It takes sooo long to get here that we try to hang onto every minute.

Yes...it's Oct....but here in New England we're just not ready to let go. Every morning I stroll through the flower gardens and take note of which ones are fading away. When I happen upon a nice sunny patch....I stand there taking in the warmth it still has to offer much the way my kitty still looks for that sunny patch coming in through the windows.
I'm taking one last swing at trying to hit a home run with the weather by spending a long "girls weekend" with some friends at the river house.
The tiny main house has a propane fireplace that is good for a bit of off & on warming of the place. The outdoor bedroom cabins have no heat....or insulation for that matter. For a bunch of 60ish gals....I give us points for still doing this. We'll have to see how many more years we've got though before our weekends wait for warmer temps...lol
I do plan to bring some of my Torn Paper Paintings supplies.....and maybe...as the temps. drop.....accept that fact that the seasons have changed, and start working on some ornaments too!!
Maybe!

Sept....umm...almost Oct

Wow....is it really the last day of Sept already???
Where in the world did it go? Geesh....getting at least one post in here this month just under the wire.

While I may have been absent from my blog....I was certainly busy working on more Torn Paper Paintings. During the month I created Coffee Time & Tea Time as well as Daisies. Two more new ones are in the works as we speak.


With the feel of autumn in the air now I'm sure the work will take on the new season soon.

The latest happening for this month has been the opportunity to see a friend that lives far from me and I haven't see in years. My lovely friend Terri and her husband Jim were vacationing in this area. I was lucky enough to be able to go off and meet them for the afternoon. Such a joy.
We started out our visit by meeting at The Little Beach gallery in Hyannis!!
How lovely to be able to have my art and my friend in the same place that has been so great for my creative journey all this time.
A memorable day and a great way to wrap up the month.
Looking forward to what wonderful things the new month will bring.

A Tale of Two Lighthouses

Time to show you the results of an experiment that I conducted with another artist friend of mine, Grace Stevens, who works in watercolor.
Grace had taken a lovely photo of a lighthouse on one of her boating trips and since we both thought it to be a great subject...we decided to paint from the same reference photo, but in our different mediums.  Her with watercolor...and me with torn paper!!
While we were going a bit out of our comfort zone with some of these textures....we both felt our results would be terrific as separate paintings....but the fun part would be to see how differently each of us might interpreted the subject.
(side by side pic is at the bottom of the post - you can also click images to enlarge)

Grace's watercolor is yet another one of her beautiful delicate pieces. Smooth and calm. The lovely textures of the rocks and the foliage convey a peaceful environment.

My torn paper painting of the same subject....well...I must say the word "colorful" comes to mind...lol

The approach to texture with the use of paper creates a whole other feel in the very same location.

With the watercolor you create a more fluid movement.
With the paper...the textures and patterns almost decide for themselves which direction they will take.

I really enjoyed this experiment.
It's interesting to see how different artists "see" the very same image and how they interpret that.
To see this done with two very different mediums as well...now that's a real bonus. Such fun to see the outcome.
I know I plan to do this again....and I think Grace is already looking forward to the next one as well.

So go ahead....get inspired...and do something like this with an artist friend of yours too!

Wheels

Well...the earlier part of Aug. had me distracted with the fact that we found ourselves in need of new wheels. No....not a replacement for my Mini....but for the elderly Outback that my husband was driving.
This came as no shock to us since we already knew it was on its last leg....but it decided to retire even faster when it added brake issues to the many aliments it already suffered.
You can only keep them on life support for just so long.
Sooo....the hunt began. No....it's never a fun prospect, especially since we were looking for a good used one....not something right out of the showroom. No budget for that.
For the practical side....needed to have roof racks for carrying small boats, a trailer hitch for toting med. sized boats & trailer for yard waste, and of course drive well in the bad New England winters.
For the not-so-practical side....it would of course have to "look" good. Hey...why not!!

During this process I was, as you'd expect, left housebound since my wheels were the only one's available.
Luckily it didn't take all that long.
And here she is, the "new to us" wheels. Yes...another outback...but this is a smaller "sport" model.
Great price, low mileage, and yes...super cute!!
It's a win-win....cause I've got my Mini back :)

Triton

Wow....always so hard to believe that time can pass so quickly.
Haven't been here in a while...and yet it seems like yesterday. Sorry to have been MIA.
Mid July....where in the world does the summer go? If you're anything like me...you wait on the edge of your seat for the weather to warm up and gardens to start growing, then, before you know it, half of that warm weather has passed.
Well....let's keep enjoying what we've got while it's here. Tonight...party at the beach club....woohoo!!!
I haven't spent all my time laying in the sun....really...lol
I've been working on upping my game....going bigger. The most recent...Triton.
A new whale tail that is 2 feet x 4 feet....a size challenge in many ways...including the physical space to work. It makes walking around in the art room a bit of a obstacle course.
He is done however....and has traveled off to the local art show. Won't see him hanging till tomorrow....so I'll take a pic then.
Also since we last spoke, I have had to upgrade my tech devices. First off my camera died....so extremely sad. Loved that chocolate colored camera! Well....had to research and replace that. Also...my beloved computer has been firing warning shots at me for quite some time now. After tons of research and waiting for the right deal....I have finally found my new one. The past two weeks have been a real learning curve on not only the new machines...but on Windows 10. Just getting into the comfort levels now.
Soo....I'm up and running and still putting out new Torn Paper Paintings. I just may be MIA a little more though since I have no intention of missing fun in the sun while the warm weather is still upon us.
Hope you all take time to enjoy the remains of the summer!!!

A new twist

Happy Summer.
Seems it has finally arrived. Warm temps and flowers in bloom everywhere.
Luckily we had a mild winter...so the beautiful plants I placed in the new gardens last year had a great chance to thrive and make it back to spring easily. I'll not have to worry about them come this winter now.
As all things here have settled down and the creative little muse finally found her way back to me (it had been a long journey) I found myself in a bit of a playful mood with my current piece.
Yes...again, a "sea" theme....but with a twist. A whole new "dimension" you might say!
A fish...yes....but it's swimming "off " the canvas.
This was such fun to work on and such a playful way to come back after some very dark time here.
Made me smile the whole time I worked on it.

Not saying I'll do very many of these....but don't be surprised if you see a bit of "off the canvas" Torn Paper Painting every now and then :)

Shine on...

Sorry....I know I haven't posted for a month now.
You may remember the story of my SIL Amy who was (yes, "was") struggling with cancer.
I'm sorry to say that she lost that battle mid month.

What I would like to say is that she displayed strength and grace throughout the whole process. This strong woman worked as long as she could as the church pastor in Edgartown....staying there long enough to make sure that all ends were tied up and everyone on the right track.
Her final sermon (here) was something I know I'll never forget.

By the time she got on the ferry and returned here to her family, we didn't know it, but she only had about a week left.
During this time, even as she grew weaker, she made the time to see as many family & friends as she could, knowing that they had been waiting for her return.
I am happy to say that during this time she was always surround by her family and all the love we could give.
In her final days, we, as the closest family, would stay at my MIL's home where she was and sit with her throughout.

We've now moved on....or are still trying very hard...to continue with  where we were. Some days it's hard to remember exactly where that was. Every time a beloved family member leaves us it changes everything. Your mind seems to be in a million different places all at once...and then nowhere at all.
Many times a day, things that never would have triggered a special thought before, now have an all too emotional twist to them.

I am now trying....not very well it seems....to find my muse and continue on with my art. Seems it's more difficult than I thought. While I know that in time I will get there....I thought that maybe, if I just wrote a few words here, it would help to focus again.

Thank you for all your patience and understanding. Many of you out there have reached out in one way or another. Again..."thank you".
Hug someone you love!!
Shine on, Amy!!!

Creative Collaboration

A lovely collaboration between an artist in New England in the US...and a guitarist from Tasmania in Australia.
A perfect example of the beauty of the internet and how it brings people together from all over the world.
I had spoken at an earlier time of how I was contacted via email by a gentleman in Tasmania who happened to see the image of my "Calypso" seahorse Torn Paper Paintings.
He explained that he was writing music and it was titled "Seahorse Bells", and wanted permission to use this image for the digital cover. You can sample this music HERE!
I was delighted to take part in this and so very pleased that this solo acoustic guitarist, Alan Gogoll, was kind and honest enough to ask for my permission.
We've been in contact ever since.
Recently Alan asked if he could use this image further....to use the colors from the seahorse as the background colors in his logo, which would then go onto T-shirts.  Great idea.
Well...just the other day I received a box in the mail from Australia!!
Inside this box was a fabulous black T-shirt with the colorful logo...as well as a great collection of his CD's and assorted cards and goodies!!!  What a fun bit of mail to receive.
I totally enjoyed pulling out each and every item. Since then I've had soo much delightful music playing...sampling all the CD's.
Alan....thank you for your generous gift, of goodies & friendship. I wish you soo much luck in the future with your music.

April...really?

Yep....they say it's spring.......not so sure I'd agree right now.
Luckily this latest covering is starting to melt away...and I have managed to return the car to the garage after it not being able to get out of the driveway.

 
 
Yes...it's April and spring is indeed getting here. Just not quickly.

I'm taking the positive approach and getting my spring/summer Torn Paper Paintings ready to take to the Little Beach Gallery soon to freshen up their walls for the upcoming season!!

In that collection of brand new pieces is Otto!!
I just love this guy. For some reason, he makes me smile every time I look at him!! I hope he does the same for some lucky shopper this summer. Something tells me...there will be more of these adorable critters coming up!

Those who have been following along will also know that every month I've been making prayer flags...one for me and one to send to my SIL. Well...the March one is done. The theme...gratitude.
I'm happy for the time that I spend making each of these. They always make me stop and reflect as I move forward with each theme. As for "gratitude"....every day I feel I have plenty to be grateful for.

Once again....Reverse stamping - a Gelli trick

This little posting gets an amazing amount of traffic.
In over a year and a half...it still get more visits than any other posting I've done.
For that reason....I'm reposting it for those who have not found this one yet.
It's a great little Gelli trick and well worth sharing. Enjoy!!!

Have you ever wished that the image on one of your rubber stamps faced the "other" direction??
Or...maybe you wanted the images to face each other!!
Yeah...we all have from time to time.
Well....I've got another little "Gelli Plate" trick to do just that....reverse stamping.


roll paint then stamp

I do it using acrylic paint because that's what I like....and when I want the images to be used in my Torn Paper Paintings....acrylic works best with the gel medium.

First...if you're using the image in it's "intended" position....using a brayer, roll on a layer of paint and stamp the image normally.
Here, I'm stamping on one of my Gelli printed envelopes.

Click for larger pic

Then...for reversing the image....roll the acrylic paint on again...only this time, carefully stamp the image onto the Gelli Plate. I love using my 3"x5" for this. You see the image on the gelli as you would if you'd stamped it on paper....but, once you "flip" the Gelli to use as a stamp....the image is automatically reversed!

 

Voila......one stamp....two images!!!

Catching up

Click on pics for larger images

My goodness...every time I come here I realize just how long I've been absent.
Time to catch up on things.
The last visit I was showing you my new addiction to making gel skins. Yep...I've made them and added some to my Torn Paper Paintings. A very cool addition to the mermaids which you can see in this pic.
I've also been working on a new collection of prayer flags.
A small art group I'm part of is doing this as a monthly challenge...to ourselves. I needed a brand new set...so I'm in!!
I've decided that every month I would make two...one for me and the other to send to Martha's Vineyard to my SIL Amy who I spoke of in an earlier post. She's the person I feel would find these the most meaningful.
Here is a pic of my Jan & Feb flags. For the March flags I'm required to learn "French knots"...so I haven't gotten started on that yet.
Here in New England...even though they've mentions "snow" for this week...I doubt it'll be much and we can feel spring right around the corner. There have been many days in the 50's and all the swans & geese are back in the pond behind my house.
Because I can feel the weather changing....I've started on some warm weather images in my Torn Paper Paintings....ice-cream.
They are just mini's right now....larger pieces will come later....as the weather gets warmer. YUM!

Fun with gel

Gel mediums....sooo much fun to be had.
I've recently been experimenting with different types of gel mediums to add a new texture dimension to my Torn Paper Paintings.
Many of my subject have a beachy seaside feel since I live on the New England coast. Among these subjects are of course mermaids.
Well....some of these gel experiments are going to come in quite handy with the backgrounds. I'm talking about "gel skins". Lovely thin layers you can design with colors and movement...then when dry, can peel them up and use them in the paintings.
I'm in the middle of working with some of these little gems...and will give you a better explanation on doing them after the experiments are complete.
I've added just one pic here to inspire you and get the wheels turning.
Trust me....creating these can be as addicting as working on the Gelli Plates. They are nothing alike...but both have endless possibilities!!!

2016 - Changes

Sometimes things don't go quite as expected when welcoming in the New Year.
Original plans were to stoke the fireplace, make munchies, and open a bottle of champagne.
Instead...we were off to the hospital for my sister-in-law who ended up in Boston undergoing unexpected brain surgery!!!
My husband stayed the night at the hospital and we wished each other a "happy new year" at midnight over the phone.

Amy had done battle with two previous rounds of breast cancer and we were all under the impression that she'd won and had moved on. The cancer, however, ended up going to her brain...and what we would later find out...her liver as well.

My lovely sister-in-law is the new pastor at a church in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard. I posted about her earlier this year. All the lovely new parishioners at her church are rallying around her....bringing her meals and offers of transportation wherever need be....not to mention tending to her young dog. I send loads of (((Hugs))) and "thank you"s to them!!!

She is a strong woman with much faith and determination!! While we all know there is a long and rocky road ahead for her to maintain as normal a lifestyle as possible...she has strength coming from many directions.
She is out of the hospital and back on the island and doing her best already to be of service. I admire her determination and I believe we'll all learn a thing or two about faith as well as grace in these difficult times just by watching this lady.
Please feel free to send an extra blessing or prayer for Amy.
Any and all are most welcome.

Prayers will also be said for all of you as well...to have a smooth and healthy 2016!