New Show Scheduled

Just scheduled my first show of 2017.  I will be doing a solo show at the Etowah Art Center from April thru July of 2017.  The show will feature my 'Village" series, so I think it will be awesome!!

This is my newest piece and though it looks large it is really only 9x12".  I think it is a fun piece and hopefully people will like it.

This is the time of year that things go crazy so I am having to clear activities out of the way so that I have enough studio time.  Get cranky if I do not have my studio time.  I think artists are better off as hermits so that they can devote time to their craft.   Having said that, I am going to get back to work....ta, ta----

Play Days...

Went on a mixed media frenzy!  These are 4"x6" on paper little drawings.  Wanted a few free days before I committed to a larger piece and small little studies always bring out the creative side of one's self. This was two days work and I actually have one more but that made me not have a pretty presentation so you only get to see nine.  Tomorrow is a movie day and then Tuesday a meeting day BUT Wednesday I paint again.

 See ya..... Di

Inner Cities...

This is a 24"x 36" painting in the smokestack series..(maybe by the end of it, I will be able to paint smoke better...argh)...the idea behind the piece is how the city affects the city youth and the mentoring needed, solutions to the crime, crowding, biases, etc..in the cities.  I think my soul has been wretched watching all the killings in Chicago and other big towns.  It is a reactive piece to what is going on in our own backyards.  Have to admit I am figuring out my own thoughts, as I go along with these paintings.  Thanks for sharing the journey with me....di

Working on loosening up....

The title of this piece is, "I See You", and I am working on painting intuitively and going crazy.  It is all in hopes of getting looser and out of my lines.  Several people have gasped when I told them I thought I needed to loosen up but I really do.  I love shapes and kind of want to stay in the lines. However, that is really not a good thing....so here is to letting things fly--

We are Spirit....

This is my newest piece and it is titled, "We Are Spirit".  The blue/turquoise orbs are my symbol for our spirit, life force, soul, or core, and are my constant reminder to revere our being and our temporary walks upon this planet.  The floating bars are portals and represent the path we take by making choices and decisions.  This is part of the series I have been working on called- "The Village".
 

You can see from the group picture that 'The Village' is a happy, mystical place.
Hopefully, these paintings make you smile and want to make you visit.

The imagination is a powerful place......

Doing some smalls....

Doing a couple of smalls (9x12, 8x10) before I start a large piece.  Smalls are fun because they are pure play...This particular one has the most beautiful colors in it.  Hard to tell from a photo but it is really rich looking....Scrumptious...

Back to work.....oh, this is titled, "Geisha in the Garden"

Hmmmmm....

Not sure why I have a fascination with smoke stacks at the moment. But apparently, I am in the the process of a smokestack series.   My concern is that they are not current or a reflection of our times. Perhaps, in  the unfolding of the series, it will begin to relate with today.  Every current thing I think of is filled with anger, crisis, and conflict.  That, in my opinion, is not a good thing.....

 My main objective is just to keep painting and hopefully, by they time I have painted a thousand, I will be a master....and left my voice.

On to my next canvas and trying to figure out what to paint that connects to our time.

No title yet....

New piece which  I am really liking!  Haven't signed yet because may still do a couple of tweaks.  Working very hard to loosen up and I am getting there....No title yet but will think of something...enjoy and follow your passion-smiley face...

So......

So....I am taking this online class and I have promised myself that I will do as instructed.  Which, I might add, is not always easy for me.  This last challenge was to 'deconstruct and construct' within your piece.  Basically that meant that I need (as a painter) to paint, over paint in sections, texturize, and let things happen.  These are my first two attempts.  I have to admit that I am learning some new techniques and approaches.  My work was beginning to be too illustrative and I really want to get away from that, as much as I loved the pure color, etc.  So this is a start down a new road and we shall see....as long as I am learning, growing, and stretching....I am ahead of the game....I think!!!! DO NOT TELL ME DIFFERENT!!!!! or I will be sad...di

This week's challenge.....

In the online class I am taking, the weekly challenge was (1)contrast and (2)doing something outside of your norm.  I am one who loves color so I decided to do a basically monochromatic painting with empty space.  'Empty space,' being somewhat of a foreign concept for me.  This piece is called "The Enlightened One".  And I have to admit that I do like it.

Calling the Inner Child...

This was suppose to be a weekly drawing for a class that I am taking.  But the theme and a bigger canvas decided differently.  The class's theme for the week was, ' letting out your inner child when you are being creative'  (and the rest of the time is good too as per my opinion)...and instantly I had an image of the herald calling out our inner children.

My 'blue orb' that I use so much is the spirit-the heart of us all.  My children are calling for their creative spirit to fly and be honored.

Have a few tweaks and it will be considered done. It was a fun one to do.

Online class started....

 So...signed up on the internet for a year long class!  That means that I will be painting and sketching pretty regular for 365 days.  Really enjoying the stimulation and interchange with the 59 other participants.  The focus on the class so far has been 'our marks' and connecting with our own creativity/voice.  I have no theme or set goal for this work so it is very freeing to just fly with what images that come to mind.   The sketchbook is the most fun part because the drawings are one day affairs.  Life is good...however, I think/know I have a big black skink in my studio!  Hoping it will starve..or escape.

Have been visiting Middle Earth lately....

So...a neighbor's son asked me if I would do a game board for  him and his friends.  Of course, I said yes.  Two days later he arrives at my doorstep with a 4'x4' piece of plywood!  Oh my.  He and his friends have been busy building a life size hobbit house this summer and have created a board game.  How cool is that????

I have been having a blast doing this project and it takes me 'out of my box', which is a very good thing.
This is not done yet, but I am working my way to the top.  The right hand corner will have a dragon curled around the perimeter of the board.

This and wonderful visitors have keep me rather busy for the last 3 weeks.  Hope to finish this in the next 5-6 days.  Then onward to other projects.....

"The Gossips" is done!!

It has been a while since I started this but at last I am done.  Life got in the way but now I am back!

This piece is called "The Gossips", and as you can see they are two faced.  They run about town with enhanced ears to catch whatever gems of info that are floating in the air.  They have hands that can attach to corners, buildings, or crevices so that they can remain hidden while on the job.  Of course, the job does not entail getting their information truthful and correct.

My village and its' characters, is basically a very happy and uplifting town but you can not escape the inevitable word mongers.  How would a town function without the gossips?  ....Run for your lives.....they live....

Design Wall...this week

Working on three projects currently, albeit at a non rushed pace.  For my personal quilt for the year, I am doing 100 6" blocks.  I am working with a project in which two blocks are revealed a week, so the quilt will literally take a year.  My interpretation of the blocks is not always literal...so I just do not post them on the FB site...do not want to upset the masses!

The second project is a 20" square to be entered in an exhibition.  That will be all I can say about that one at the moment.  Other than I can only use solid fabrics which is insane!

Third project is doing a variation of a block presented to me every week.  We shall see how this goes as there is a good probability that my blocks may not be what they are expecting.  Such is the life of an independent thinker.  Crazy is never understood.....

What have I been doing????

NOT MUCH....well, maybe a few things....

I am approaching my life with a new perspective.  Most of my life I have felt the need to achieve. I kept pretty focused and more than likely had a somewhat flexible, but never the less,  plan.  Shortly, I will turn 65 and I figure that is pretty grown up.  NO MORE PLANS!!  My new mantra is, "What do I feel like doing today? And that is exactly what I do.  I still have an innate need to finish what I start but I am giving my 'self' that- "Jimmy Buffet Latitude", and regressing into my flowerchild.

Having said all that (sounded good anyway),....this month, I did a set of prints for the Sketchbook Library Exchange in which I will donate one print to the library and trade the others with ten other artist from around the world.  How fun is that!  The other project I am working on is a 'sew along' with OVER 18,000 quilters around the world.  Every week we are presented with two 6" blocks to make and at the end of 12 months we will have 100 blocks created by different designers with which to make a quilt.  I am planning on making two 50+ block quilts and this is my social, traditional, project for the year.  The quilting event is called, "The Splendid Sampler" project and is open to anyone who wants to participate.

So, I have had a month with NO PLANS, but I am getting the urge to make a major type piece....hmmmm......what am I thinking????

Collaborating....

Been super busy this month and kind of taking a break from ANYTHING THAT HAS A DEADLINE!! Here is a peek at a project that a friend and I are collaborating on this spring. Fellow artist,  Geri Forkner, works primarily in felting fiber (among other things) and I work primarily with woven cloth.  We are trying to put the two processes together  into a vessel form, which we are finding is not always an easy task.  This is our first piece, which we both are very pleased with.  Now our second piece that we are currently working on is talking back!  We are trying different construction techniques, and pushing ourselves to see where we can go.  We are also learning what the limits are in each others manipulation techniques.
This is our first sculpture-

It is good that we are both mature because combining two visions is both the good and the bad of the process.  Geri continually surprises me with what she comes up with and that is what makes the journey fun.

ETSY store opened.....

Took me FOREVER...but I finally opened my ETSY store...Please check it out.  www.difergi.etsy.com

Having Fun!

Finished large painting 24"x36", not actually that large, but done anyway.  Am liking it at the moment (smile).  Have to glaze,  frame, and then it is set to go!   Where I do not know (sad face).  Now, a little break and  I am going to do some miniature paintings (see below), 2x3 and 4x6 inches.  I think it will be fun.  Also have a couple fabric projects I need to finish up.

Life is good.....may your days be blessed....di

finished!

So here are some of the 'girls' I have included in my recent paintings.  I am wanting to start a more stylized female face but have not come up with one I am entirely happy with, it just takes time and an 'eureka!' moment.  The moment will happen and is evolving.  When you start to change the human face it can get a bit scary and that is not what my work is about.  The framed piece on the right (via computer magic) is 16"x  20".  I was watching part of an old (1950ish) pirate movie today and  I can see I have been heavily influenced by my youth.  LOL..oh well

Over Achiever Syndrome....

So, this is how it begins! New piece and I am blocking in my shapes. Before I start with the paint, I draw out a very rough sketch in my sketch book for compositional purposes. Does the painting always reflect my primary sketch? The answer is, sometimes yes, sometimes no. Usually, I do not show a piece at this stage because it can change drastically and I suspect this one will be much different when finished. I always have a thought I am trying to express when I do a painting and that I stay true to but the images sometimes have a mind of their own! I also (almost always), have some technical goals in mind. I feel that my colors have been too bright and pure in the previous canvases and my goal this time is to keep the color softer and muted. I hesitate to share that with you as I may fail in epic proportions in this endeavor. NOW, you are wondering 'why', am I doing an epic narration. The answer to that question is that in my '101, Succeeding as an Artist', research, the experts suggest that I share my process.....I am such a good student ie 'over achiever' So I am sharing.....learned to share in kindergarten! Well, sorta....

Angst.....

What am I thinking????  I have no idea, just putting together images that interest me.  Where is the sophistication, the subtlety, the fineness of the art?  I give up.  But... on the other hand,  the images do have a personality of their own and a certain joy/wonder.  Going down a blind path and just wondering where it all leads.  The angst of creation, love/hate...and now you have a glimpse into my mind.  Maybe I should paint still lifes......NAH