Thinking Spring

Living on the coast of New England, we've just gone through our second nor'easter in a week.
Luckily, our little area got more in the way of buckets of rain rather than the many inches that other areas received.
Sump pumps everywhere working overtime and many locations have been without power for days now.
I consider us very lucky since our power never went out and we have a generator in the event that it did, so our sump pump would be able to keep going.
With all this, I'm still trying very hard to think "spring".
Some days it seems very far away, but with daylight savings time happening this weekend (spring ahead) I'm hopeful.
So, after watching numerous blue jays playing outside by the bird feeder, I decided I needed to do another Torn Paper Painting of one. This time I did one in flight.
Love the way it turned out.
Hope this painting helps others to keep "thinking spring".

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!

Oh My

Time certain has gotten by me. Yikes...can't believe how long it's been since my last post.
You know how this season can be....something going on all the time. Holidays are like that!
Trying to keep up with the everyday things...plus the art...and the holidays.....it's a wonder that the entire month didn't get past me. Oh yes...lets not forget having a root canal in the midst of this!!
Yes...I have certainly been busy.
The 3D ornaments I started last year were a big hit then...and again this year. Had to produce plenty of those.
Then I got into the spirit with some Christmas candy Torn Paper Paintings. They were such fun. Still actually working on a few.
This weekend has been the first where the weather has been chilly enough to remind us it's Dec in New England. Been it the upper 50's to 60 recently....and due to be that way next week. Predicted for Christmas Eve...60!!  We are going to be such babies by the time we get hit with snow....and we WILL!!
Odds are that I'll be distracted again for a while....so, until the holidays are over and I surface again...have a wonderful holiday season!!

A Very Small World

Yes....it always amazes me at how small the world really is...and even more so with the invention of the internet.

This realization became even more clear this past week. Can you imagine...waking up in the morning in New England, and having email from a lovely person in Tanzania! I know...this shouldn't be so surprising in this day and age....but it still tickles me!
The even better part...hearing from this nice person, Lynn, that she discovered my Torn Paper Paintings work online and it has become an inspiration to her. Wow...now that's hard to beat!



Lynn's collage

Lynn happened to see my "Golden Bucket" which was a project I had done for one of Cloth Paper Scissors Emags. Being inspired by this and using only magazine pages, she then created her own version which she sent me this pic of.  Beautiful job!
We have since been in touch each day and have exchanged information about ourselves and our art and I've been able to answer more of her questions with regard to the technique to help her on her journey in this process.

As other artists know, when we do our art we work mostly in isolation. It's just the nature of things. We go about our art journey hoping that there are others out there we can reach and who will enjoy what it is we do...but seldom do we get the chance to connect with them.
To have another artist reach out from across the planet to comment on what we are doing and to share their interest is a very special thing.
I have truly enjoyed this unexpected connection and as an artist...couldn't ask for more than to hear that I have inspired someone else in their creativity.

In her own words... "Please do feel free to use these pictures to show others what your wonderful and very kind words inspired! This was really a great way to start a new art - not reinventing the wheel, but using your experience to create something I can be quite pleased with for a first attempt. Thank you again."

Lynn...thank you for taking the time to say hello!!

Summer Sun

No...there's really no "sun" to speak of around here.
It's a winter wonderland in New England right now....one snow storm after another.
I believe there's been about four feet of snow throughout most areas in just the past several weeks!!
As I type....there's another foot due to hit in a little over 24hrs!!
Soo....what's a girl to do?? My remedy?? Color!! Time to hibernate in the Torn Paper Paintings artroom and create!!!
The latest splash of color...."Summer Sun".

Loved working on this one. Doing a triptych was something I had been wanting to do for a while. This subject matter seemed to be the perfect thing...not only for the 3 canvas panel format (three 4"x12")...but for that splash of summer!! Hey, a girl can dream!!
I'm sure summer will get here....someday.
The photo reference was one I took while over at the summer house last year. I discovered a big vase of sunflowers that had been left on the deck and thought they'd make an amazing painting someday....and they did.
I'm loving this one. Between the subject as well as the bits of glitz here and there, it reminds me of a cross between Van Gogh & Klimt. A perfect duo.
So....while I hunker down and wait for the next round of snow to fall....maybe I'll take a look through some more of my photos.
Who knows....the snow may lead to a series of flowers!!

Nemo

the blizzard...not the fish...lol
We got hit with a big one last weekend. At this time last week I was out getting everything I needed to be able to be snowbound for however long it took. The predictions were pretty serious.

Well....we did end up with approx. 20" of snow. Thank goodness, as my husband would say..."at least  we are hardy New England stock". The snow came in on Friday evening. We lost power until Sunday...but we have a generator so were able to run that for several hours at a time to keep the heat up and get a few things done with light. I think the hardest part was not being unable to get online...no internet until Monday night!!

My mother-in-law was also without power or heat...so she came to stay with us since we at least had heat off and on with the generator and the fireplace full time.
It was actually pretty fun. Board games, red wine, and hot soup....it's all good!!
Since I'm not a fan of driving in bad weather I do find myself at home and in the artroom a lot more during the winter....soo...due to this big one, I'm way ahead on getting some canvas prep done...lots of underpaintings ready and waiting for paper!!

This should certainly keep me busy for a while...and at the very least...they are all images with the promise of warm weather to come!!

Mabel

Finally. Poor Mabel was in the underpainting stage for quite a long time.

I'd had a request ages ago from a customer who already owned a couple of my pieces to please make a cow for her sometime.

I'd only done one cow previously for a certain show...and it sold right away. You'd have thought I'd make more, but I get most requests for coastal creations due to being in coastal New England. There is however an awful lot of farmland around here too as most good New Englanders know. Soo...a cow is not such an odd request.
I decided that I'd make this one during slow periods...but luckily, there were not too many slow times.

This past week however...after looking at that underpainting for sooo long, I decided it was time for Mabel to come to life.


Mabel - details

Sometimes you just have to wait until the spark happens...and fortunately it did.
Mabel is now promised to go off to her new home soon. She'll be in the company of a koi & a frog (Bill) that were earlier purchases.
I'm soo delighted my work is going to someone who really appreciates it.


Mabel - detail

Thank you Kate.


A Warmer Place

Here in New England, as the weather begins to get cooler, my thoughts seem to be going to a warmer place.

Yes...it's still at the beach....but a warmer one right now.

Instead of the usual dunes.....this one has gone in the direction of palm trees!!

Ahh...love palm trees :)