Dragging it out !!!!!

I started this piece back in feb. and I'm still staring at it.

Does that happen to anyone else for this long?

I can't decide if she/he isn't speaking or I'm not listening.

Well at least I have it painted and now for the? The what !

Jane DesRosiers "Klimpt challenge."

I haven't painted in months but was finally motivated by a challenge from Jane DesRosier to do your own rendition of a Klimpt painting. I love Klimpt and I love Janes work. What could be more inspiring!

Here is the begining of my own stab at it.

Check out Janes blog and have a go at it yourself.

Meditation for the day.

When I read this I knew I wanted to share it on my blog.

by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain! I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see beauty even when it’s not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children. It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
.

Man in the Moon clock Table.....

I've been slow in producing my art as of late. So I thought I would show you something I did years ago. My sister in law has graciously allowed me to own it again as she is redoing a new home.

If you remember I started out painting furniture which is my first love. Actually I am working on some little girl things for a customer now. I will post some picks when i get farther along. Right now I am just priming...Boring....

Still here God....

God is good....I praise him in all my trials and tribulations for what he has shown me.

My thoughts and paintings are more vibrant and alive, amazing how dispair can be turned into glory.

I'm still working on this painting but I shall call her "Grace" for it is what God has given me. One of my favorite lines in the song "You Said" by Sherri Bryant is " Everybody had a word to say when all I needed was a little grace. Came in like fresh water, gave me the strength to carry on" AMEN....

I'm Here..I'm Here God..

I've been gone for 2 months from this blog, feels like 2 years and I feel like I have aged that much too.

I have been dealing with a family crisis and have just been frozen in fear, grief and sadness.

I didn't paint for 2 months either. But I have started again. I was afraid nothing would come out joyously ever again and every painting would be dark and bleak but thanks to the grace of God I think I paint in more vivid color than ever. Funny how God sometimes must send us to our knees for us to see clearly. Thank you God and I mean that.

So here is the begining of my latest work....COLOR.

I'm Back....New painting.

I feel like I've been in a tunnel...I've been working on a new painting, totally ingrossed in it. I haven't even gone to Michaels to get the claymache to finish my doll. Think I've got a case of A,D,D. Oh well its how I operate, how about the rest of my artist friends out there. a little A.D.D. too?

WIP Mountain Folk

More progress even though its slow. I made paper mache and do not like the consistancy so I will need to cover it with paperclay to get a smoother coat. Hopefully it will work as a good under coating for the paperclay.

Mountain folk doll progress....

It has taken me weeks to wrap my head around this dolls persona. But finally I have it. Not going to tell you quite yet. I did get the head and feet painted. Looking forward to finishing as I am excited about the persona I chose......Need to get to the craft store today and get a few things to complete this.

I will post more picks soon.

Frida and my sons first work for sale.

I finished Frida and have listed her on Etsy here.

But here is what I really want to show...My sons first piece for sale . He is so good at free hand lettering and numbers. I am pround of him and his antique sign. You can find it here.

On my easel today...Frida

I adore Frida and could paint her over and over again. Here is a start of my latest Frida. This is collaged with an old map in the background and polka dot papers for her dress. I will work on her the next couple of days and she where she goes.

She was one amazing women . Her art was like no other and she endured much......

Now for sale....

Finished and for sale here....

New angel and a look at my messy studio....

I decided to take out a canvas and just see where it took me. Well it took me back to angels. I guess that is not surprising they are always in my heart along with my mountain folk.....You also get a peek at the mess I work around. For some reason its comforting to me. I organize it every blue moon. But I work better in the chaos....How about you?

New works and a new project.

Well I got a new toy, a black and decker soldering kit. Thanks to my neighbor who gave it to me. I was telling his wife I wanted one and just so happened he had a new one he was going to sell at his yard sale this week. How lucky can a girl get....I've been wanting to make jewery and now I can. I need to get some more supplies and learn some things and off I go. I love doing new things. Don't you.

I also have some new prints and art work in my etsy shop so check them out.

Thelma Prints in my Etsy shop....

You can now buy Thelma as a print here in my Etsy shop..

Doll Town coming soon......

Don't miss out on opening day.
Doll Town

A true psycho day.

feet for the new doll

folk art hog painting

Hillbilly Henretta and her hog

Worked on 3 projects at once today. Somehow I got more done that way. I'm begining to think this is the way for me to work. When I get stymied at one project, I now just go to another . No wasting my time and creative energy. I like this mode.

New Folk Art Doll

I started a new paper clay doll and where this is going I'm not sure. I can't even tell if it will be boy or girl. I think It even looks a little worried about it.

This is only my second clay doll and I'm still learning how to work with the clay. It looks one way in person and when I see it on my monitor it looks another. But that is helping me figure it out.

You know the drill, stay tuned for updates.

How do you know when to stop?

You just might be tired of seeing her but I just could not stop doodling, it kept calling for more. But I think now she is done. I think!...

How do you other artist come to the point of "finished" ? Do you ever really know when that is. I usually know when I do a simple folk art portrait but when I do something like the mermaid with all this detail I get lost...I can go on and on and on. Them I'm afraid it will get muddy.

So other artist let me know if you have a secret you can share or do you feel the same as I.....

The Mermaid progresses.

I just love adding detail. Especially here where the paper peeking through the paint gives me a hint of where it wants to go. Feel like I've been doodling all day. I've been in a trance. I can't quite decide if I am finished or not cuz when you doodle its hard to stop.

I did an interview this morning with one of the moderators of a Facebook page called "Art Love and healing"It has not been posted yet but when it is I will let you know. There is a little quiz on there about me if you care to join in....

Where did this come from? WIP

The last few months I've been in the trenches with my Mountain Folk.The last two days I just let myself take this canvas in any direction it wanted to go. I'm still working on it and have much more to go.

I know I told you before I was a schizophrinic artist. This must prove it. The real problem is I love everything and anything artistic. I want to try everything. I love every color, style and concept.

My heart is in the mountains and I will be back to the Mountain folk but today just today I needed to paint this.

Another Appalachia Mountain People finished.

I love her eyes. My mama called these "bedroom eyes" As a teenager I thought she meant they were sexy...But alas its not. It meant they looked drowsy and sleepy.

Shes a purdy thang tho......

Pentacostal Blue Preacher...DONE!

I have finally finished the preacher. Of course he is an appalachian snake handler. They have always amazed and intriqued me. I know it took me months but that is because I worked on other things and put alot of thought into how I wanted him to look. Well, he is just as I imagined he would be......Filled with the spirit....He is a decendant of the "Blue people from troublesome Creek" as you can see I have painted him with a bluish cast. I haven't thought of a name yet...All input is welcome.

How I paint part 3...WIP

Now is the time I start adding details in my colors and shading. I often change colors completely. Notice the polka dots on her dress. They started out red. Now they are green and in the end they could change again. The layers of colors will also give it a look that only single colors can not.

I use burnt mber to shade under the chin around the eyes and anywhere I feel needs some depth. There is also more coral and unbleached titanium added to highlight the face. Notice the nostrils ear edges. and chin.

Just play with it. The good thing is its only paint...You can always change anything you are not happy with.

What I love so much about Folk Art.....Its the naiveness and simplicity....You need not be a fine artist to paint your own masterpieces.

How I paint part 2...WIP

See a previous post for the begining of this work.

This is layer 2. I have double loaded a brush and just criss crossed my brush strokes for the most part. For the skin tone I used Matisse structure in unbleached titanium with a small amount of melon by folk art.... The hair is just curvy brush strokes with a double loaded bush of a clay and mustard color, it will get detailed later so stay tuned for more.....

Blue people doll WIP....

I know I seem schizophrenic as an artist, I guess I am. I can not stay on one project entirely. I think it keeps my creative juices flowing. Bouncing back and forth I get different ideas and prospectives .

I spent 2 hours this morning getting the Pentecostal preacher his overalls sewn. For me that was not easy without a pattern, another winging it project. Thats the rebel in me. MY WAY.... Now to make a T shirt...I do not know how I am going to manage that one.

How I paint.....

Here is a peek at the begining of another Blue People...I like to start everything with a vibrant base color and build up from there. There will be many colors in between but just wanted to show you the very start of how I paint.

The art of Red Lipstick.....

Katelen over at "The Poetic Artist" had posted pictures of her 85 year old mother and a tube of red lipstick. I was hooked on the beauty of her putting on that red lipstick and asked her if I could paint her. Here is the painting that was inspired by that sweet blog. She is beautiful.....

Trailer Trash Thelma..Buy the Print now...

Trailer Trash Thelma is now for sale as a print in my Zazzle shop.