Cute as a Button!

Just finished this canvas mixed media piece!

 And I do think it is

Cute as a Button.

Don't you agree?

It makes me smile on the inside...

well maybe on the outside too.

It started out as a painting by a friend who was moving and decided to toss it.

I grabbed it and gave it a new life.  Some of the original texture 

and peekaboo bits of brown still shine through.

How cool is that?

It also morphed through many ungainly stages

as paintings tend to do.

I hated it until I was about 75% through;

Well that is not really true--

I just couldn't figure how to combine the spontaneous undercoatings

with the look it needed to be finished and look like one of my paintings.

It has layers of texture...

and paper I painted years ago...

and stamps and stencils and rubbings...

and stitchings...

and my mom's vintage buttons that make me smile.

It will live at artEAST in April until it is purchased,

and if not,

then I know the perfect place for it in my home.

Little Red Riding Hood iPad style

In my Fairy Tales class

we drew Little Red Riding Hood in two layers.

This was a hard concept for some

(who am I kidding - me included).

 They turned out fabulously! 

 First we drew the background on layer #1.

 Then layer #2 was Red and the wolf and some trees.

 I printed them out on good photo paper...

and we cut everything out and added pop up tabs,

then added some colored pencil and pen

and voila -instant cuteness!

Next I wil post our tunnel books with many more layers and cuteness.

Reverse Painting on Plexiglass

In "The Year of the Spark"

we reverse painted on plexiglass.

Here are some process photos--

quite fun and challenging...

thinking in reverse always is :)

I love this piece of my mom and our dog frolicking in heaven--

each doing what they loved,

and my indoor cat enjoying the out-of-doors.

 I bought Michael's linen stretched canvas

and mounted each to the frames.

I love the look of the slick over the rough canvas

and these two hang on my stairs and greet me every morning.

The Week in Instagram

a glimpse of my week

Oscar doodling

Doodled during the Oscars last night--

Meet Henri and Oscar who came to life 

by first glueing down random (the heavy lines) paper prompts

and then making a story out of them.

Henri has two prompts and Oscar has four.

Fun to be silly and just do it.

All inspired by The Year of the Spark.

Today I will Choose Joy

 In MATS Bootcamp our assignment was to make wall art

on a piece of roundish wood.

 So I first sealed the part of the wood that I planned to paint on,

then sketched the general idea.

 Painting commenced and I found it rather hard to get 

the acrylics to flow and blend.  

Fought it the entire time....

But I persevered and eventually these happy souls appeared-

A bear delivers flowers to a crow in need of encouragement,

and a young girl and corgi welcome the two to their cozy home

for tea and scones by the fire.

I wish I could join them.

 Words of affirmation were added

 to remind me that I have a choice everyday 

to love and experience joy,

or squelch it.

It really is that simple.

so today I will choose Joy!

This oval 11x14" rough edged piece of wood 

would love to adorn your wall 

and remind you to 

give flowers

 or words of affirmation

or whatever is needed

 to those around you each and every day. 

$150 - email me if interested or it will go to the gallery soon.

Have a Meowy Valentine's Day!

Sent this Valentine across the country to my granddaughter.

She loves seeing Matteo when we Skype

so I figured he could wear a tutu and crown while they danced together.

Hope she is old enough to smile.

Happy Valentine's day!