One River, many views

I spent many a morning and afternoon exploring the city of Monroe while walking to and from my new job at the library.  The Riverfront really captured my attention and became the subject of many photographs and ultimately acrylic and fabric collages.

Fabric in progress...

And more progress...

Finished pieces in Landscape Show at Two Twelve Art Center

Photo Friday: Winter

Break's Over!

Wow.  Has it really been 4 months?  I may not have been blogging, but I have not been eating bon bons either.  In fact, I've been creating, creating, creating.  I've also been learning how to build a website for my gem and mineral group, MMLS.

I'll post some of my recent projects in some later posts.  Today I am excited to share my jumping into working larger.  I haven't painted much since college.  When I have, it's always been 8x10, 9x12, or gasp 14x18 ooooh! (insert sarcasm)

I have really been inspired by some talented local artists.  In fact, the opening for Ryan Stiner at Two Twelve Art Center  caused me to crave acrylics+BIG canvas+Expressionism= happiness.

That's exactly where I am right now.  However, I don't have the resources to purchase big canvases or the inclination to cause rabbits to suffer so that I can build my own!  So off to the hardware store I went.  I got a 4'x8' sheet of Masonite that the wonderful guys cut into quarters for me.  2'x4' might not be considered giant for some, but it's a lot more size than I've ever worked with.

I've decided to fully enjoy each step of this process.  From priming to varnishing.  I spent one overcast day outside priming all 4 boards, when the rain suddenly came.  Although I rushed to get the still wet gesso-covered boards inside, one or two might have some interesting rain texture embedded in the gesso ground.

Today- a whole day to myself - is a day to start sketching and laying down the first layers of paint.  originally, I wanted to be outside and work from the actual landscape, but alas my friend Rain has returned with his cousins, Wind and Cold.  At least my studio is 3 walls of glass so it's almost like being outside.  I'm working from some photos I shot of our gorgeous landscape views here at home.

Day 2: Sketching and laying on the first layer (under-painting)

Day 3: Another layer

These are not consecutive days.  I work, wait a couple of days and go back to it.  I'll post again after the next layer.  It's good to be back!

Prayer Flags

Good Grief!  Has it really been almost 6 weeks since I've posted?!  It seems life gets in the way sometimes.  I have a couple of ongoing projects that I'm working on right now.  I'll share one of them today.

Prayer Flags!  These are loosely based on Tibetan Prayer flags that I've seen in a number of places.  As I met with a group of fabric loving gals, I was granted permission to commence on my heart's desire of creating my own "take" on these lovely and for many, spiritual art.

Photo Friday: Still Life

Landscape, Lace, and Long Ago

When I'm not working, I'm generally found in my studio...working!  Lately I've been obsessed with fiber.  My fiber guild decided to show some of our work at Saline library next week, so I've been up to my ears in fiber, fabric, and thread!  Here's a couple of examples of what I've been working on step by step......

Landscape

Did you notice the onion bag I incorporated?

Lace

Long Ago

This piece you might remember, was for the Paris Challenge.  I called it "Paris 1940's"

Photo Friday: Texture

Tent Rocks, New Mexico

Photo Friday: Glorious

Glorious sunset, Assateague Island, VA

Photo Friday: Reflection

Cormorants, Chincoteague Island, Virginia

Photo Friday: Flowering

How can I choose only one?

 

 

 

Beeswax!

I confess I forgot to include you in my beeswax making method.  I forgot to blog it, photograph it, and share it. If you'd like to check out the link to the YouTube video I used, go here.  The guy in this video uses a solar oven.  I just used my regular oven on the lowest temperature and it worked great.

Here are the awesome results!  As mentioned, I washed the wax in water twice to remove as much honey and other impurities as possible.  Then using an old window screen that would fit in my oven, I layered an old 9x12 cake pan with an inch or so of water on the rack in the oven.  The window screen was placed on top of the pan and a paper towel was placed to fit exactly over the cake pan but on top of the window screen.  The paper towel was my fine sieve, used to remove all the tiniest bits of impurities.  Then I heaped the wax "shavings" onto the paper towel, turned the oven on low and watched and waited until all the wax melted through the paper towel into the waiting cake pan.

The most crucial part was to turn off the oven and leave everything alone until the morning.  This way the pure wax hardened and floated on the water in the pan and there was no accidental mixing of impurities back into the cooling wax.

I have this photo of some of the wax collected after straining the honey out.  This is before all the wax was collected and washed twice.

My sheet of wax is quite thin because I didn't have a whole lot of wax.  But this will melt nicely into my molds for easy use.

Photo Friday: Alive!

Showering Bluebird