River Garden Studio

On my way

I am on my way to the East for this in two days.  I take with me some art, a new pair of boots, what I think might be city clothes and an intense feeling of joy for the world of art which is inside and all around me.

And as I am on my way, these two books are finished and are also on there way...to be shown.

The first, "The Messenger" will be spending time at Illahe Gallery in Ashland Oregon for their Artist Books Exhibit.

The second, "Come to the Ground" is on it's way with this and this to Atelier 6000 Studio and Gallery for their Upcycled Art show in Bend, Oregon

Both shows open April 6th! If you are in either way please stop by!  Here are some peeks...

The Messenger

artist book

6inches by 6inches

 

"Come to the Ground"

artist book

5inches by 6inches

 

And special thank you's to this man and this woman and

this women who have made this trip come alive for me.

And always to my sweet family for their support and

encouragement.

The Pulse of Mixed Media

 

I first met Seth on-line after I had just began my blog

a little over three years ago.  

I never dreamed that we would become such good friends,

or how much I would learn from him.

Our worlds are so different, his world is the city,

mine a small country town,

but like so many of us we found a connection through our art.

 

 

I love the way Seth sees the world, he is so open to new experiences, and so creative in everything he does.

This is one of my favorite pieces of Seth's that I am proud to say is mine. It is part of my Earth Tones book, an altered book collaboration called Inner Works.

 

 

Seth and I worked on two other collaborations as well,

Evidence of Autumn and Winds of Change.

Especially in Evidence of Autumn,

you can see how much our work has grown.

And you can preview or purchase our self-published book here.

---

Dear Seth, I have watched you grow and evolve,

and all the while stay true to yourself and your art.  

I am so excited that your book,   

The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed

is for sale NOW

 and that I am a part of this celebration.

I am also so thankful to have you,

and so many other artists in this book and in blogland as friends.  

Seth, Artist and Author,

please answer these questions!

(if any one else wants to answer these questions as well, 

that would be great)

Now that you have accomplished so much,

what do you dream of for the future?

Seth says, "Right now I am very focused in the present. My experience with the book and actually all of 2012 has been going by so fast. I am doing my very best to stay in the moment and savor the entire process. But I love to travel and one of my dreams is to combine art and travel. I am hoping that the connections I am making this year will lead to opportunities for me to "take my passion on the road." I know that the adventures I am about to have on my book tour will only fuel this fire even more."

and...

Do you ever have hidden messages in your art,

and are they purpously placed

or do they just 'appear'?

Seth says, "Much of the art I make is built in layers. And one of the design elements I like to include in my art is text. There are definitely times when I add words that only I know are there. And in a manner of speaking these are hidden messages. Similarly there are many pieces I make that are created with the intention of expressing an emotion or a thought. In a sense, the message I am trying to convey is hidden within the colors, the layers, the composition, etc."

---

This is a part of my self portrait

that's in Seth's book.

 

 

In the top corner is a little book,

And the pages open to show different things,

colors and shapes,

that I love

---

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And here is a part of another piece featured in Seth's book

---

 

 

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The question that inspired this art was,

"Is there an emotion that shows up more frequently than others in your art work?"

---

I absoulutely loved creating these pieces.  Thank you Seth, for drawing them out of me, and helping me learn so much about myself.

---

 

---

I will be bringing these pieces and others

to share at

The Ink Pad

for Seth's Artist Panel on March 31st.

My copy of The Pulse of Mixed Media 

arrived a few days ago

and I have been pouring over it since then.

 

It is especially fascinating to read about how other artists feel about their life and the creative process.

 

And to see art works that have never been shown or published before.

Thank you again Seth, for your inspiration, your friendship and for what you have done for the artistic community.

 

walk soft, drift slow

I am walking softly these days,

drifting slow in my dreams 

I know that change is coming

with spring approaching,

traveling back east lies ahead

because of something very exciting that is

is happening here 

and I am noticing the nature around me more and more,

trying to relax into my days, embrace my dreams. 

Days at work are fast pace and anxious, 

so I find it more and more important 

to fall into my art.

With my latest two encaustic paintings, 

I tried to photograph my steps.

 

These two began a landscapes, 

then I masked out the rectangular shapes,

and added several layers of beeswax.

You can see the yellowish color,

and how you can partially see through it.

Then I wrote some words on tissue paper, 

and decided this wing was going to be my focal point.

It is affixed to a piece of muslin with matte medium.

I inserted the paper into the wax

and added more blue to the sky.

I used a straight edge to keep my lines smooth.

And I attached the fabric and wing

into the wax with wire.

Underneath the words barely showed, 

and

I love to add a book feeling to my paintings,

with something hiding,

So as you lift up the muslin

with the collaged wing,

I attatched the little frame

and inserted new words...

on pale wings...

 

 As I wait for spring

and the river lands where I live is still brown,

I imagine a butterfly wing

drifting across a field,

promising that color will return.

 

 

On Pale Wings

10" x 6 1/2"

encaustic painting and assemblage