Loving my soft pastels! Loving this lady. Look at how all her features, her mouth, her eyes, her check bones are all so soft looking! One of my favorite Beautiful Ladies!
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Other People's Words That Move Me
Excerpt from A Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin
(a well loved, well read, often read novel of mine that sits comfortably on my bedside table).
"What if, once upon a time there were no stars in the sky at all?
What if the stars are not what we think?
What if the light from afar doesn't come from the rays of the distant suns, but from our wings as we turn into Angels?"
Oh my gosh - read it again - slower this time! It is BEAUTIFUL!
Monday, August 1, 2016
Pastel Painting - Beautiful Ladies
Twiggy (from the 60's) look alike - maybe.
I love learning new techniques with my soft pastels and my pastel pencils.
Zentangles
Believe it (or not) doing/creating Zentangles will most definately help to get your creative juices flowing!
Book Making
Below are three pictures of binding used in book binding. The procedures for each technique can be found on the internet or better yet, take a class with Delaney Smith. She teaches at the art leagues in and around Houston!
This one is called pamphlet stitch. Sorry its so hard to see
This stitch is the Japanese stab binding. Your book will not open flat.
This one is also Japenese stab binding but with more holes to make the pages hold together better.
I'm Wild About Labyrinth's!
Labyrith's - my so favorite fun thing to do! Well it's about more than fun - it's a spiritual thing!
I am walking this labyrinth at The Univerity of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. It is beautiful!
Did you know that there are about 22 ish labyrinth's in and around the Houston area?
So there are two schools of thought concerning the Labyrinth. One is from the Greek Mythology, and one is from a Christian perspective. I prefer the Christian one. The labyrinth was built in catherdals for the pilgrims that could not travel (make a pilgrimage) to the Holy Lands to prayer. They would instead walk the labyrinth focused on prayer and their Lord God.
So here's the Greek version: The Minotaur (half man, half animal) monster had to be fed 12 young maidens and young boys each Spring in order to keep him happy. King Mino's was not happy about this since he had a young daughter named Ariadne. Theseus was on his way to Athens in time for the yearly tribute to sailing ships. And so enters Bachelor #1: When Theseus passed through Crete, Ariadne saw him and fell madly in love! (Of course).
Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of string so he could fasten one end of it to the labyrinth's door and unwind it as he went through looking for the Minotaur. Ariadne promised to help Theseus escape if he promised to take her to Athens and marry her. He promised, she helped and he did flee the labyrinth! They jumped on his ship and set said for Athens . . . . do you hear wedding bells . . . not so quick!
On the way to Athens, Theseus stopped his ship on the Island of Naxos where he abondoned Ariadne to go hang out with his good friend the God of Wine Dionysus. With a little wine, Thesueus soon forgot his promise to Ariadne!
The story does not end well. So Theseus is sailing along. He told his father that a white sail meant he would sail smoothly into Athens, a black sail meant yeah wasn't gonna happen! Theseus forgot there was a black sail flying - forgot his promise to his Dad. Well, when his Dad saw the black sail up he was filled with grief over his son's death, he jumped off a cliff into the sea.
Remember to keep your promises!
Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of string so he could fasten one end of it to the labyrinth's door and unwind it as he went through looking for the Minotaur. Ariadne promised to help Theseus escape if he promised to take her to Athens and marry her. He promised, she helped and he did flee the labyrinth! They jumped on his ship and set said for Athens . . . . do you hear wedding bells . . . not so quick!
On the way to Athens, Theseus stopped his ship on the Island of Naxos where he abondoned Ariadne to go hang out with his good friend the God of Wine Dionysus. With a little wine, Thesueus soon forgot his promise to Ariadne!
The story does not end well. So Theseus is sailing along. He told his father that a white sail meant he would sail smoothly into Athens, a black sail meant yeah wasn't gonna happen! Theseus forgot there was a black sail flying - forgot his promise to his Dad. Well, when his Dad saw the black sail up he was filled with grief over his son's death, he jumped off a cliff into the sea.
Remember to keep your promises!
Its All About Being An Artist!
What more can I say? I know this must be true for you too because it is very true for me!
Here, here Pretty Kitty
Just had to share my pretty kitty with y'all today!
Oh such a sweet good kitty!
Meet Mozart
The Art of Natural Dying Paper and Fabric + Book Making
Book Binding . . .
I enrolled in a class at the local art league for a Book Binding class where we dyed our own paper with natural ingredients.
The course focused on two simple processes: natural dye on paper and simple book making techniques. The technique used for binding the book together was Japanese Stab Binding.
Here are some photos of the dyed paper:
Indigo
Tumeric
Cochineal (flower from a cactus plant) and the right side of the page is indigo again
The following are swatches from fabric:
This is indigo. I folded the fabric like a fan and then placed three rubber bands of different sizes around the fanned fabric and immersed in the indigo.
We have also used dyes such as avacado skins, rosemary, blueberry, and red and white onion skins.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Pastel Painting
My way to cool Kitty Kat Mozart!
My orange tabby kitty is just independent enough to have a certain arrogance about him that makes him way to cool! So it was only right that I paint him with jeweled pins in his hair and jeweled sunglasses.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Other People's Words That Move Me
Excerpt from A Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin
(a well loved, well read, often read novel of mine that sits comfortably on my bedside table).
When true love is lost, life can bleed all meaning. We are left blank.
But the possibility of destiny remains.
What we are meant for may yet be discovered, and once in a very long while that journey to find our destiny may defeat even time itself.
(a well loved, well read, often read novel of mine that sits comfortably on my bedside table).
When true love is lost, life can bleed all meaning. We are left blank.
But the possibility of destiny remains.
What we are meant for may yet be discovered, and once in a very long while that journey to find our destiny may defeat even time itself.
Pastel Painting - Beautiful Ladies
Getting back into my soft pastels and just absolutely loving the results. Trying to learn how to paint pretty - no, no, - beautiful ladies!
So this one is actually darker than painted because I sprayed it with permanent fixative hoping that the pastels would not fade out. Unfortunately the fixative makes the painting darker than originally painted. I later read in the Pastel Journal never, never, ever use fixatives . . . . I think that may have just been a personal opinion because later I read yeah, use them . . . . just saying.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Poetry . . . "The Dead Poet's Society"
Some friends and I have a small but intimate group and we call ourselves "The Dead Poets Society." Yeah you guessed it! After the Robin Williams movie.
Our goal is to learn more about poetry and from that learning grow to love it even more than we already do. (A side of me you didn't know eh?).
So we take turns chosing a DEAD POET'S poem (hence the name) study it, and then share it with the group. We do much of this over the internet. We keep our own notes or if you are like me - you actually buy a very special journal to keep all your notes in! (Type A personality here!).
BUT . . . straying slightly -- a BIG exception was made for Mary Oliver who is still very much alive! I just love her writings! She won the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Time discribes her as "far and away, this country's best-selling poet!" Not to shabby!
Mary was born September 10, 1935, in Maple Heights, Ohio. She studied at Ohio State University and Vassar College in the mid 50's but never received a degree at either college.
Here is one of Ms. Oliver's poems that I just love!
Our goal is to learn more about poetry and from that learning grow to love it even more than we already do. (A side of me you didn't know eh?).
So we take turns chosing a DEAD POET'S poem (hence the name) study it, and then share it with the group. We do much of this over the internet. We keep our own notes or if you are like me - you actually buy a very special journal to keep all your notes in! (Type A personality here!).
BUT . . . straying slightly -- a BIG exception was made for Mary Oliver who is still very much alive! I just love her writings! She won the National Book Award, the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Time discribes her as "far and away, this country's best-selling poet!" Not to shabby!
Mary was born September 10, 1935, in Maple Heights, Ohio. She studied at Ohio State University and Vassar College in the mid 50's but never received a degree at either college.
Here is one of Ms. Oliver's poems that I just love!
Mysteries, Yes
Truly, we live with mysteries to marvelous to be understood.
How grass can be nourishing in the mouths of lambs.
How rivers and stones are forever in allegiance with gravity while we ourselves dream of rising.
How two hands touch and the bonds will never be broken.
How people come from delight or the scars of damage, to the comfort of a poem.
Let me keep my distance, always from those who think they have the answers.
"Look!" and laugh in astonishment and bow their heads.
by Mary Oliver.
Water Color Fun! Just Hanging Out to Dry!
Water Color Fun - or is it . . . sometimes I wonder . . . I'm not really that good with watercolors but I really want to be, so I keep at it, keep trying. John Singer Sargent did a fantastic outdoor clothes line. I pulled my idea from his. But of - he was a art genius, I on the other hand am an art novice!
Oh My You Are A Creative Genius!
Just a follow up (from June 14th) for those Creative Genius Cards I am making. I posted how I was making them, but index cards will do just fine too.
So here is one that I will share.
Remember that Creative Genius Cards are made on those days you are feeling very creative, and then on the days you do not feel at all creative - you just pull them out and read them - inspiring yourself and reminding yourself that you are indeed "Oh My You Are A Creative Genius!"
So here is one that I will share.
Remember that Creative Genius Cards are made on those days you are feeling very creative, and then on the days you do not feel at all creative - you just pull them out and read them - inspiring yourself and reminding yourself that you are indeed "Oh My You Are A Creative Genius!"
Oh My You Are A Creative Genius!
Just a follow up (from June 14th) for those Creative Genius Cards I am making. I posted how I was making them, but index cards will do just fine too.
So here is one that I will share.
Remember that Creative Genius Cards are made on those days you are feeling very creative, and then on the days you do not feel at all creative - you just pull them out and read them - inspiring yourself and reminding yourself that you are indeed "Oh My You Are A Creative Genius!"
So here is one that I will share.
Remember that Creative Genius Cards are made on those days you are feeling very creative, and then on the days you do not feel at all creative - you just pull them out and read them - inspiring yourself and reminding yourself that you are indeed "Oh My You Are A Creative Genius!"
Friday, June 17, 2016
Let's Give Them Something To Talk About . . .
My Movie Critique
Academy Award winner and Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds star in this remarkable true story of one woman's battle for justice!
I give it FIVE STARS!
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