Art Candy

Changes, Improvisations and Improvements

Painting can be the most fun and the most frustrating experience for an artist. I have been toiling away on a piece for a few weeks. In fact it was in a previous post about my circus act images. I liked the piece but didn't love it and I couldn't figure out why. So I decided to give it another facelift which completely changed the look of the painting. I was feeling a bit yellow so I decided to overpaint the whole piece in yellows. I didn't think about screwing the painting up,I just went with it and put a little tape over my inner critics mouth. The yellow mixed with previous colors for the green and orang tints. I am pretty happy with the outcome!

Circus Act

Lately my artwork has had this ongoing circus theme. I think it has something to do with this juggling act that I call my life. My kids are all getting older which means more activities for the taxi service to cart them around to. I have also been trying to walk the line between abstraction and representation with this autobiographical circus story line. I'm starting to wonder if in another life I was a contortionist in a Cirque du Soleil show. You never know....

This last picture is still in progress. I'm not sure if it will end up with a the circus theme.

 

Circus Act

I am no different then most mothers trying to balance work and home. I had a nice break over the holidays and got a vacation from driving my brood to their many after school activities but now that the holidays are over the taxi service is back in business and going full throttle ahead. All the craziness made made me think of how it all is really a balancing act and at any moment it could all come tumbling down. This piece was inspired by the circus like atmosphere that can sometimes be my life. I was also inspired by art journals and wanted to incorporate the title into the piece somehow. This is how the image stands thus far. I may make a few more adjustments, but I think it captures what I was going for.

Upcycled and Fabulous!

Last year I added fiber to the list of things that I do aside from painting. I have been wanting to create bags for a long time but couldn't quite figure out the direction that I wanted to go until I discovered how to upcycle felt. I have been repurposing wool sweaters, leather jackets and remnant scraps of leather into handbags. I love playing with color and texture and going on a treasure hunt for materials. I decided to open an etsy shop called Urban Gypsy Design to sell them to the public. I have even started to make hand painted totes as an extension to my canvas work.

And the Band Played On...

I took a trip to New Orleans a couple of years ago and became enamored with the city. I happened to be there during the French Quarter music festival where all of the streets were closed off and were set up with stages for various bands. Ever since then I have wanted to go back, but until I do, I have been creating a music series of drawings to keep the memory alive.

Haunted Studio

We had our first ever halloween show at the studio last night and it was a huge success!We invited other artists and friends to make creepy halloween art for the show and encouraged everyone to come dressed for the party. Next up... Valentines Day!

Finger Plays for Psychopaths

This month my trusty studio mate Chris decided that he wanted to start a new tradition,the halloween show. He is totally into all things spooky, gross, slimy etc. We invited all who wanted to make a crazy halloween piece for this one day event to come up with a spooktastic work of art for the show. My youngest son Ryan even got into the act. I,on the other hand, have been racking my brain for an idea. I finally came up with one on the fly this morning as I sucked down my second cup of coffee. The inspiration actually came from a cat toy shaped like the head of a decapitated mouse- guts and all. I thought, I could make that, but in the shape of fingers. The pre school finger play Where is Thumbkin ran through my mind and I thought how would a psycho play that finger game. So this is what I came up with...

I made one severed finger for each part of the song and packed it in a tiny black box with the proper finger label, thumbkin, pinky, pointer, etc.

Song Beneath the Song

I am always a sucker for a romantic image involving a musician. There is always a story in the lyrics, so I imagined that maybe this guy wrote a song for her. Every girl likes to feel special, what could be more special then that?

French Quarter

As a mother of four it seems that I don't get out much unless it is for work. So to keep my inner gypsy happy I entertain myself with a little escapism. A few years ago I had the opportunity to visit New Orleans for the first time. I was struck by the colorful houses in the French Quarter with shutters that opened up into courtyards... like hidden jewels. It was so different from the midwest! This piece is a combination of images that I collected and turned into a composition that reminded me of that visit. 

Tiny Dancers

I guess I must have dancers on my mind. I wish I could cut a rug with out looking like a complete dork, but alas my skills seem to be not with my feet but in my hands. Anyway a girl can fantasize about being a great dancer right? I just finished this piece that I decided to title Curtain Call. The inspiration came from a couple of pictures of ballerinas that I fused together. I liked that they looked like they were getting ready for something.