The Flower of Addiction

Latest work in progress...

So, here is my latest work in progress! 

It's part collage, part acrylic and goodness knows what else.  I mean, seriously now, I've been known to add little rodent bones and other random nasty bits to my art....

The issue of addiction is close to my heart.  As this work progresses perhaps I'll share more on that.  For the time being, I am contented to be squishing paint tubes and swirling brushes!

....as always, there will be more to come!

Celebrate Catastrophe!



Thorn Flowers~2010

What a catastrophe!  This canvas has so many things I love, and so many things that I hate.  Ultimately, I would label this as a catastrophe....at the very least, this falls within the realm of "bad art".

Why?

Well, everything to the left of the thorn flowers is an absolute travesty.   I wish that I could say that I love the entire canvas, but the fact of the matter is, I only care for the right side of the canvas.

Sad to say, but that's the truth!

I have resigned myself to creating some very, very bad art over the next few months.  That's ok with me.  How else shall I learn?

So, what you see here is merely a beginning.  The beginning of greatness!   ....or so I am inclined to believe! 

God willing, better things are to come!





What the Bleepetty-Bleep?

Thorny Flowers in process....

I am in a seriously sad kind of place with my art.  Nothing is working. Everything sucks.   And it really pisses me off.

I think the main problem is that I've decided to try to create "real" art.  Not the crappy crafty art that any random Greta or Betty could produce; no, I want to make gallery worthy art. 

That decision seems to have sucked the marrow out of my creative life.  I'm not a gallery worthy artist.  At least, not yet.  Maybe one day.  Right now, I think I just need to play and explore.  Leave all the pressure behind and allow myself to simply enjoy the creative process.

If I can let go of the negative self-judgement long enough to splatter paint with wild abandon, who knows?  I might just enjoy myself again.  Better yet, I might create something that contents me.

Yeah, that sounds good.  Really good.

Stay tuned!  Surely something wonderful is about to happen next!

Healing...

I have spent the past two days in and out of the hospital supporting a dear friend as her sister, (also a friend) has had 90% of her stomach removed due to cancer.  It's been an exhausting time both for myself and for my friend's family.

Cancer sucks.  I wish I could wave a magic wand and make it go away, but I can't.  God help me, but I might just be tempted to forsake all that I know is good to make cancer obsolete.  Sometimes I wonder if my own damnation might be worth freeing us all from the stronghold that cancer claims upon the lives of so many......

Anyhow, this morning as I fluffed and puffed my hair and painted my face to visit the hospital I was struck with the idea of creating a healing doll.  So, I immediately texted my friend sitting vigil at her sister's side, and asked her, "Hey, what do you think about creating a healing doll for Angie!"

My friend of course, being the creative soul that she is, texted, "Oh yes!!!!  I even have fabric, thread and batting to stuff the doll form.  I can make it while I sit with Angie!"

So, here I sit with this beautiful little stuffed doll form.  We made it out of white wool and it is begging to be adorned with beads.  Below you shall find a photo of the doll form that Annie created.  It's about 6 inches tall.  I'm just meditating on the face....what should I sculpt?    Anyhow, I don't know why the darn picture wouldn't  upload upright, but you get the idea right?



Crazy-assed horizontal healing doll photo!



Kroma Crackle~A Grand Experiment!



Example of Kroma Crackle, crackled!



Today, I purchased a new product called Kroma Crackle, to use in my acrylic painting.  As you can see from the sample above, the effect is quite lovely.  I could hardly wait to drive myself home to begin using this fascinating tube of goo.

The first thing I did upon arriving home is mix up a little Kroma Crackle with some deep Indian yellow paint and a dab of gold mica powder for that extra bit of sparkle.  Then I applied the tinted Kroma Crackle to the upper right and lower portion of the canvas.

As you can see from the pictures below, I also dotted the areas of the Kroma Crackle with some cranberry alcohol ink.  It takes 1-3 days for the Crackle to dry.  The photos below show us two hours into the process.

Thorny flower canvas with Kroma Crackle application.



Close-up of Crackle in the corner!

My only concerns are as follows: 

1)  I did not apply the Kroma Crackle thickly enough to achieve the crackle texture I desire.

2)  The yellow top coat is too freaking yellow!  (I am hoping this can be corrected with a future color wash!)

Overall, I think I am going to love this product and I can't wait to play some more!

Flowers with Thorns!

Here's a photo I snapped this evening of my latest acrylic painting. 

It's seriously rocking my soul in a groovy kind of way.

Check back!

I'll have more photos soon!