The Spirit of the Spiral

This morning I woke up and wanted to paint! and over at Milliande's Yahoo Group she has prompts and this is the "spirals" prompt, I wasn't sure if I should put it under the "mandala" prompt but I chose spiral.

I have seen this picture before but I don't know where and so it is drawn and painted from a memory, it is a repetitive version of many that I doodle.

This is my interpretation...

In the center of the picture the spirals represent the core of spirit made of fire, it is suspended in the sky shooting upwards which represents air, it is held up with the buoyancy of the water for support, and deeply rooted into the earth which surrounds and adds comfort to the spirit of the spirals.

How it was done...

I started with a 5 x 5 canvas. I traced a circle using a CD including the center, so that I would have sort of a guide.

Then painted the background, using tube watercolors, and continued on with the basic elements of the picture.

I used brush markers a little and didn't know at the time that they react to water just like the watercolors. This caused me to have to repeat the line drawing but gave me extra color that worked out just fine.

I used a liner brush for the rest of the painting part. Drawing with a brush is easy once you get the hang of it. You just need to remember a few things, first used a wet brush, and keep it loaded. Use a very light touch, the less stress and grip you have on the brush the better. This gives greater control and makes finer lines, you can always go back for thicker lines.

Next I added some bling, making the moon and stars, and a bit of hologram glitter glue here and there. I tried adding peacock feather for the tree but it really didn't do as I wanted it to so there are very few of them.

Decided to paint the outer edges black and add a bit more bling.

I made a huge mistake next, I decided to varnish this piece. Unfortunately I wasn't clearly thinking because it made everything run. It still looks ok but not as I wanted. I can go back and fix it, which I may do but it doesn't look that bad. In person the flaw is not as strong as the scan, and the bling shines much better in person. Right now I have to clean up my mess and then I need a nap -

My Little Graduate

Consider this a commercial interuption in the Moon's Art world. This is my little pre K grandson. Last night we went to his class ceremony it was very entertaining, they sang, told stories got rewards, all the usual stuff. Clayton got special recognition for his "story telling", seems he was telling stories of killin wild hogs, ridin horse's, catchin gators ect....well you get the picture. What a imagination! wonder where he gets that?

I asked Clayton what color hair to wear, lol he wanted me to go as a blonde so that was the best I can do. So he had his blonde grammy for his special night. He still seems to like me with no hair, hat ect but he is a boy and thinks I look cool. Bless his heart. I was totally exausted when we got home and he was still ready to tackle the world. Can you tell?

Viva La Freida!

Meet Freida Kahol, accomplished and astounding woman. She as most of you know was a great painter back in the 40's and 50's doing mostly surreal type self portraits. I have quite a few regular snapshots of her and picked one for the photo manipulation challenge over on the Yahoo Groups. I am a great fan of Freida's so I hope that it will not upset her spirit that I changed her photo a bit.


This is the part where the manipulation comes in. I used colored chalks, so ink and a bit of gold acrylic paint for her necklace and earrings. I used a linnen cardstock for paper that I got from Marcos at Stampfest/Orlando last year. I am not real happy with the way the face came out but it was ment to be changed so it is that. Freida didn't ever wear makeup so that would be out of her element. Freida loved bright and bold colors as well as flowers. Her house that she shared with Diego was painted bright blue so I imagined herself standing at the wall calling him pi zone, most of the time she was angry with him but he loved him as much as she hated him.

After the Rain

This is a new picture I started yesterday and finished this morning. I like how it turned out for some reason. I used an 8 x 10 canvas board that I found in my stash, sketched it out. I wasn't sure where exactally I was going with it when I started. If you look at the bubble (circles) you can see how the woman was made. I then used my watercolor pencils to do the circles, arcylic paint to do the woman, and the background and the swirls. I touched it up with chalks to deepen the colors a bit and to smooth out the texture of the canvas board. I added so perfect pearls as accents on the swirles in shell pink and gold. Unfortunately you can't see the accents of sparkle but they are there. The reason for the name "After the Rain" is because I imagined a raindrop falling and splashing upon a bubble and emerges a woman with renewed faith in humanity. I tried to convey the whole element idea with Earth, Water, Air and Fire using the colors and some details in the painting itself.

Harmony

In one of my Yahoo groups we are making sand paintings based on Mary Todd Beam's book "Celebrate Your Creative Self". In this lesson you take sand and mix it with gesso, mix it with glue, paint it ect. I had some colored sand but the sand was not the color I wanted so I added ink to some, and arcylic paint to get almost the colors I wanted. I am sure no mixologist in that department. I sketched out my basic pattern on to sticky shelf paper, sketched it again and cut out the parts I needed cut out. This project took a few days to complete, so I could let the layers dry in between.

Did you know that originally the Navajo shamans were the only ones to do sand painting? They didn't use glue, as these were temporary painting created for use in healing ceremonies, and were destroyed after the ritual. I prefer to see the wind blowing the painting away at the end of such ceremony.
Sand painting are made in other parts of the world also, places like Tibet but the Navajo are the most well known. If you are not a Navajo, you really can't and should not create Navajo sand paintings as it is a sort of breech on their religion.
But we create similarly unique works of art for enjoyment and some do it for specific ritual purposes.

Here is my finished piece. I think I will call it "Harmony" that is the word that comes to my mind. My photo does not do it justice, I sux at photography.

I tried scratching the designs into the sand but alas I waited to long. So what to do? Paint of course, I took my tiny brush and started just painting the elements. This canvas is a 5 x5 to give you an idea of size. I decided to add a little glitz by putting on some sticky foil glue, again waiting for it to set up and applied some of Amy's Magic Foil. Then had to put a gem on it of course! I love glitz in the right places. I am please with this piece. I may just do another sand painting because as usual I tend to stray away for the lesson!

*Note- you can make your own "sand" if you don't have any handy. You can use salt and simply dye it. You can dye it with food coloring. You just have to remember not to make it too wet, mix thoroughly and let it dry (the hardest part). You can also use inks, my favorite for dying stuff is Posh Impressions Ink. If you are the more industrious type you can crush small pebbles or shell to make your sand. But to me just going out in the yard is an option. I suppose if I wanted to create a specific "ritual" I would go to the trouble of crushing stones, pebbles and shells.

Not a darn thing to do with art but did ya know?

This was taken from a group email, I did not write it but though how much I relate to it and found it quite amusing. I don't know the person that wrote it, and the name of the person was not showing so if your out here let me know.

"I've been using aluminum foil for more years than I care to
remember. Great stuff, but sometimes it can be a pain. You know, like when
you are in the middle of doing something and you try to pull some foil out and
the roll comes out of the box. Then you have to put the roll back
in the box and start over. The darn roll always comes out at the wrong time.
Well, I would like to share this with you. Yesterday I went to
throw out an empty Reynolds foil box and for some reason I turned it and
looked at the end of the box. And written on the end it said, Press here to
lock end. Right there on the end of the box is a tab to lock the roll in
place. How long has this little locking tab been there? I then looked
at a generic brand of aluminum foil and it had one, too. I then looked
at a box of Saran wrap and it had one too! I cant count the number
of times the (expelitive) Saran warp roll has jumped out when I was trying to cover something up. Who ever looks at the end of your aluminum foil or plastic wrap box? What a fantastic idea. Now, if someone would just make plastic wrap that didn't stick to itself"?

I'm sharing this with my friends that did not know this and if ya did no fair laughing at me! I had to go check on this and it is quite true! Imagine me yanking all the rolls of crap out to check the ends, hillarious! Come on ya didn't really know this right?

Who Would of Thought?

I drew this pic last March (07)while I was at a boring job where all I had to do was answer the telephone. That is when I started a sort of drawing journal, so I unearthed it today and thought I would update it a bit. Now I think it is sort of funny given my current circumstances that I drew this alien, (since that is how I feel right now) almost to the point of saying I had a little forsight. This was from a few self portraits and that was my alien self at the time.





Anyway here is the updated version, I like her better this way. I left the daisy up in the right hand corner to represent reality. It really doesn't fit or make sense to anyone but me and I may change it but it is here to stay at least for now....and I knew an angel had been sent to watch over me.

Cheers!

Graphics and Myspace Layouts at pYzam.com

Getting there

Just want to say I AM WORKIN ON IT! LOL

Dream World

This is a little 5 x 5 canvas reconstituted from JoAnns Dollar Bin. (Thanks Sis I never would of thought of that) I drew it all out, masked the little girl with rubber cement then I painted the background, and went on to the little girl. Later I decided to add words because I have been wanting to journal this way.


You can't really see the detail much, the actual canvas is better than the photo but I can only do so much with what I got. I tried to do a close up of the little girl and this is it.

I used inks,acrylic paint,chalks,gesso,rub on stitches, and a black pigment pen for the wording.

Celebrate the Earth!

This is an art journal page I did today, lots of watercolor crayons, pencils, gesso, and gel pen. When I started this fairy I didn't have a plan for her but in the background noise I heard Oprah talking about Earth Day today and bingo!





This is the art journal page I did yesterday. This was inspired from my darling daughters who are having a feud with some other people over at my space. I am trying to make everyone play nice. Wish me luck with that one.

Stranger than Fiction Tag Game

Oh Boy! I’ve been tagged by Ms. Dragonfly aka Dinah ( http://dragonflyenchantment.blogspot.com ) for this 6 weird quirks/habits game. Thank you Ms. Dragonfly (Dinah) for tagging me :D Here are my strange facts!

1. I hate shoes! yes it is true, a female that truly hates shoes. I have even been known to bring my house slippers to parties so I can take off the dang shoes.

2. I have worn makeup everyday since I was 12 without fail. The only time I am without it in public is if I have to have surgery. The reason is because I have blonde eyelashes and eyebrows.

3. On my dinner plate nothing touches, no mixing and I eat one thing at a time.

4. I treat my pets like real children, consider their feelings on everything and give them frequent hugs and kisses. I also talk to them constantly, and my puppys place in my bed will be there always.

5. I talk to strangers all the time especially if they look grumpy. I don't know why I do this and only a few times have I regreted it. The strange thing is that in a room full of people I am quiet as a church mouse.

6. Sometimes I can carry on a whole conversation with someone and not know what we talked about. At the time I think I know but opps I forgot! No it isn't a disease I have always been this way since I can remember.

So now there are my strange things....hope you don't think I am way too weird! lol, I think I will tag.....

Mary at http://greenwomandesign.blogspot.com/
Aileen at http://aileensmusings.blogspot.com/
Marcia at http://www.xanga.com/livefreeinharmony
Melissa at http://alterediva.blogspot.com/
Dawn at http://goldbettyboop.blogspot.com/
Inka at http://inkastamps.blogspot.com/


And here are the rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.
6. Most of all have FUN!

Something different

I made this Butterfly Woman out of polyclay. The design is Donna Kato's basic design from her book "The Art of Polymere Clay". I don't usually dabble in clay, but I do like it. Not sure if it will be a pin, decoration on a book, pendant or what have you. I just wanted to play with clay.



This is a shoe I made from my leather and ostrich paper. Over at the Paper Transformed Workshop we are making these papers along with many others. This is my project from the papers. The shoe is from a pattern from Ellen Hutson.

Seascape

This is the end result. I am not real happy with it but I am tired of messing around with it. I think it lacks the proper perspective. I am not good at this sort of thing but I played just the same.




The is a close up of the seashore on my Creative Self Workshop exercise. I used sand, and salt, paints, chalks, of course some Gel Medium to stick it all together. I also incorporated some decorative paste? not sure what it is called.

Seascape

Over at the Creative Self group we are working on seascapes. Here is my preliminary pic. I used fine sand and gel medium for the the bottom, I have actually added more since this picture but that will come another day. I am adding texture with some texture paste, and yarn and teenie little sea shells from Daytona or Sanible or somewhere. I always collect this stuff but do not remember where I got it from. This is far from done but when it is I will show ya all. I do not have much faith in this one so we will see and I will show good or bad.

I am also working a bunch of other stuff but have not been on it due to not feeling too great lately but will get some more pics up asap. I did doodle a bunch of alphabets for Milliande's Creativity Club on Yahoo but the too will post another day. I was thinking of making another blog for that stuff in case someone wants to use them for journals and such. Any ideas out here?

Some Stuff I Did

This is a card I made for a challenge over at Latest Trends. Thank you Inka for sponsoring! Inka Stamps provided the stamp, and 10 of us had to provide the imagination. This is a way cool monthly challenge that the girls over at Latest Trends cooked up. Oh did I say I won the challenge? humble as I am tee hee. Well I could not have won anything if it were not for the support of my fellow artsy friends. Thanks to you all.



This next photo is a mountainscape I made for an exercise over at the sister group of Latest Trends in the Creative Self workshop. This is using the techniques of Mary Todd Beam from her book Celebrate Your Creative Self.
It is many layers of arcylic, gel medium, watercolor, ink, crayon, tissue paper, kraft papers ect. The next one will be a seascape, still trying to decide on that one.



Finally this is a doodle that I got carried away with. I joined another group called Milliande Creativity which is pretty cool. Milliande makes youtube videos on journaling and such. She is asking for hand drawn letters in black and white for others to use in journals. So I started to make an "A" because I love drawing letters. Well she mentioned another project of making a journal with doodles, magazine pics ect and I was on the phone and this happened. Too bad it isn't in a journal but I can paste it in if I want to as there are no rules to journaling! How cool is that?

Relay For Life

Well the books are closed and my Doctor's booth raised $500.00 plus for the Relay For Life! Every little bit helps! It was a small relay because it rained all weekend. I did not get to attend because I got the flu the day before and could not manage to get out of the house. Yes the flu, I caught it from the emergency room visit a few days before. *Note to Self - Stay OUT of the EMERGENCY ROOMS even if it is and emergency! I sat there for 11 hours, one hour would of probably gotten me the same results, and I would not have gone but my surgeon sent me there.

Anyway.....

Thank You everyone for all your help and as soon as I can I will have a proper thank you in the mail! Nothing much but a little something just to say thanks for your support.

Now on to what this blog is all about ART! if you want to know the personal junk you will have to go to the other blog of mine - the link is on the left under things that matter to me.

My new baby

This is my new baby! His name is Cody. Poor baby has been in a cage for the first 3 months of his life. But like Echo, he is free now and loving it!
He is finally trusting me after a whole week! well he sort of trusted me by default but truly trusting is a different thing. He weights 4 lbs now, and next month he will get his big puppy shots. I tried the crate sleep arrangement but he cried so now he sleeep very comfy in the bed right next to my feet. He has alot of fur so I think he gets very warm. Besides for some reason he thinks my toes are yummie!
He told me he may want his very own blog, so he can talk about his life himself not through me. He already shows an interst in art, very abstract of course but interested just the same. His favorite pal next to me happens to be Engima, a black stuffed bear that is bigger than he is. This bear belonged to my oldest daughter Ama. Once Engima took an unexpected trip to NY with me and we left a note to Ama to be good, or the bear gets it! Engima has been around a long time.

Almost forgot!

Some of you may or may not know that I am currently at war with cancer. At the end of this month the American Cancer Society is hosting a Relay for Life at our local High School.

Would anyone out here be interested in donating art to be sold for chairity? If you would please sign my comments and leave me your email address. Or you can email me directly if you want. The items would have to be here no later than March 24th. My oncologist office signed me up and is allowing me to share their booth to sell art. I am going to try and make as much as I can between now and then and in between surgery, doctors visits ect.

I know this is short notice, and I appoligise for that but I just found out about it yesterday. I will be grateful for any and all help that comes this way.

Alone again so I waxed

Ha ha not what you thought eh? This is a wax resist watercolor painting. Never did one of these before, interesting effect. I used a regular ole white crayola for the moon, reflection of the moon and bird, and some yellow and orange crayolas for the grasses. I then watercolored at random really mixing on the paper with lots of water making a mess. When it dried I touched up here and there with a pigma pen. Not one of my greatest works but at least I did something!

My sis left yesterday. I am glad we had the time together but as always I never want it to end. I miss her all the time, silly that we live so far apart. I always feel stronger and more grounded with her around. I gave her my button fairies and the doll and some other stuff, maybe she will share with my neices if they want one. She is my strongest supporter. OXOX