goodbye 2011.

a lot has happened over the past year and i hope you have taken the time to reflect on the memories whether they were good or bad because they are all a part of you. i always hate to see a year go but always look forward to the unlimited possibilities a new one brings. i celebrate many milestones with 2011. starting this new blog gives me the chance to explore art without limitations. for finding my creative mojo and allowing myself to believe once again in my artistic abilities. being inspired by everyday things to give me a burst of energy for artwork. to all of you for your willingness to share in my daily adventures - thank you! so as you raise your glass to the new year, i hope you will think fondly on the past and excitedly towards the future - happy new year one and all!

red inspiration.

it all started with a crate & barrel holiday catalog. colorful layouts filled with fonts unimaginable and gorgeous photos of holiday wonderment. so, what does this have to do with anything? well, it lead me to several canvases of inspiration. one of red, one of brown and several neutrals just waiting for creativity to strike. this one has found a home in ohio with a dear friend and the others, well, they are filling my studio this festive season. be safe, kind and have a great holiday with family and friends - merry christmas!

comfort zone.

i am trying to work out of my comfort zone a little each week just to stretch my abilities in creativity. after finding a magazine page of white, grey and pink, i knew this would be a stellar challenge. not only did it feel very girly and feminine but the thought of pink well, makes me think of princesses and barbie dolls. so while trying to rough it up just a bit i found the black circus fabric and the great twisted paper stems. crumpling everything and making it look just a bit messy made me feel better about the color scheme and added a bit of me to the piece. so i hope you'll be willing to step out of the box every now and then, you never know where the possibilities will take you.

favorite quote.

here's another view with the quote as the focal point. it has to be one of my favorite quotes of all time. thank you tim holtz for putting it into a rubber stamp for all of us artists to use! i have been creative my entire life, just ask my mom. from coloring day and night, to copying comics every sunday, to art classes throughout my school time and finally to studying art in college. each life possibility has given me the courage to imagine art as my life and as a career. how great is that! i'm just so grateful and i hope you are doing what you are meant to do in your life. after all, we only have one to live so you better do it to the fullest, each day, every day. have the courage, find the possibilities and imagine what it will feel like to be in that life you have always dreamed about :D

a tilted view.

same piece of artwork as yesterday but a new off kilter view showing just a bit more of its entirety. you will now see that the birdcage is actually made into a skirt on a dress form. the ribbon tied at the waist as a sash and well, the bird, just added for sparkle. when working with dimension i have a hard time building up the layers i just love to discover so adding buttons and the clip holding the quote are two ways to do it subtly yet effectively. i'm continually learning and trying to make each layer important and meaningful but sometimes i just want them there without a lot of hoopla, just as a dimensional element. i guess that's why it is called mixed media because it doesn't always have to make sense.

irony.

i love irony. its definition - the use of words to express the opposite of what one really means. i'm not using words here but a visual reference. a bird outside of the cage, irony. a pretty ribbon adhered with a rusty safety pin, irony. a patinaed cage and a gilded bird, irony. so fun yet so ironic, love that and it made me smile :D

today.

my thoughts today are on 2012, my goals, my artistic direction, my plan to succeed in this creative endeavor i call art. i've done a lot of stumbling this year and see a path that is inviting, intriguing and creates butterflies in my belly - it's been a while for that and i love the inspirational energy it is giving me. i can't wait for the new year to bring me a fresh start, unexplored discoveries and an artistic journey that holds no boundaries. so, what were you thinking today?

button details.

i fell in love with creating sewing pattern flowers of all sizes and shapes on this piece. i also added a plethora of vintage buttons throughout the artwork. a smear of modeling paste secured the row at the top left making sure there was not one out of place. tack nails held the flowers center in place adding a rustic element to such a feminine piece. i outlined the flower with a charcoal pencil giving it nice rough lines of black and also a crudeness of a childs piece of art - love those additions!

what a dress.

this multi dimensional art piece let my creative instincts run wild. taught by sue pelletier at create, we used paris craft to form the dress or any shape we wanted. being the overachiever that i am, i made a coordinated outfit of shirt and pants. while the class was a lot of fun, i did not like the mess. it is an artform that desperately needs an outdoor area with plenty of ventilation and easy clean up. while it was fun sculpting the various clothing pieces i really enjoyed the finishing part. adding texture and other embellishments made it stand out from others giving it a lot of individuality amongst a whole class. the paper butterflies are scattered on both pieces and give them such whimsical flight that it was perfect support for the title "playtime".

play, often.

this is part of a mixed media panel and it is important because of the message to play. as artists i suspect others suppose we play often. however deadlines and opportunities to make our rent usually cloud our judgment so playtime is always pushed aside to make room for the real jobs. i have recently been struggling with the freedom to just have a good time while making art and this little corner serves as a charming reminder to play.

listen.

although this art journal entry is small in size, the message is larger than life. when was the last time you laughed until your sides hurt? me, just about everyday and it is usually something little that makes me bust out laughing. when creating art, texture is so important to me that i find many ways to incorporate different ones. the raffia tie, the metal charm, the little staple, a found tag - they all add up to loveliness in my book. i love all the elements and the mood they create and well, the message just can't be beat. go out, listen and laugh out loud!

ruby red.

here's the whole rose showing all it's gloriously rich ruby red hues. the subtle greenery brightened by the orange monarch are such a contrast that the interest is already established for the viewer. the flower and leaf values are separated by a metallic bronze giving you a shiny outline as the light hits it just right. the hint of shadow surrounding the flower gives it just enough dimension to make you wonder if its real or painted. i love to use trompe l'oeil which means fool the eye when painting because it adds an element of surprise and who doesn't love that?

an altered angle.

the alphabet paper was the first thing chosen for this piece because of my love for letters and all the endless possibilities they represent. the rose, buds and leaves are painted on. the butterfly is part of the scrapbook paper i chose for this piece but the placement was all mine. i wanted it close to the flower to bring a lot of attention to it. did you happen to notice the subtle shading of the flower stems? love when that can happen. i added the love notes sticker for depth and dimension. all in all i'm pretty happy with the progression of this little framed piece and the way everything is coming together so nicely. isn't it great when a plan works so well?

promises.

this is part of a round piece of altered art that is done on scrapbook papers using a lot of scrapbook accessories as well. the medallion was cut out of one paper and glued on another. the promise piece puzzle assembly is a sticker that came all together making my job as a artist quite easy. i loved the fact that the key and word promise are together because after all, you hold the key to all of your desires, don't you? my wish for everyone to be creative in any way it will make your heart sing. find the joy and explore it every way possible!

courage to imagine.

this whole canvas is only 6x6 but is packed full of charming ideas and new products to try. i love tim holtz' stamp and that was the start of this whole artful piece. i knew it needed a place of honor so i gave it a circle stage to command the attention of any viewer. all the other elements are supporting cast members just there to frame the star. which is your favorite?

representation of me.

this ink bottle and the large circle behind it is made from art parts by wendy vecchi. i had to include it because i am so drawn to the bottle shape and remember my days in art school using ink and nibs to create many assignments. i added die cut grungeboard wings to remind me to reach, try new things and most of all have a little fun soaring to new heights. i am fascinated by numbers and wanted the stamped label to look as if it were coming off the bottle. this image represents the artist in me - willing to learn, loves to take chances, and a little off center :D

layers demystified.

discovering the possi-bilities of layering has added a whole new dimension to my artwork. not only am i intrigued as the artist, but i love it as a viewer as well. there is so much going on in this little corner of the larger canvas that i thought i would run you through the process. i die cut the flower sections first, the bottom out of grungeboard, the top out of the clear modeling film. i stamped and painted then glued them together adding a fabric gauze rose for the center. i stamped pen nibs and words onto neutral papers then ripped or cut them into the shapes i needed. i found the charming muse tag among my stash and knew it would be a perfect addition and an added texture for the canvas. i figured out what i wanted on top then started assembling. i love the way it turned out and can't wait to make another one. maybe a winter piece with a white rose, hummm...