The Chipmunk Soul

2011-07-02T16:48:00.001-05:00

BIRD NEST

This is one of my paintings done this summer with Melanie Atkinson. It is oil on a 6 X 8 canvas board with a palette knife.

2011-07-02T16:43:00.003-05:00

PLAYING CARD COLLABORATIONS
Here are three more playing card collage collaborations done with collage buddies. The end ones are done by Liz Cohn and myself, and the middle one is a collaboration between Liz, Al McDermid and myself. Full view to fully appreciate them.

2011-03-22T17:43:00.001-05:00

DAUGHTERS OF A DOG SHOW IN EUGENE OREGON
This is the poster for the upcoming show that will feature the works of my collage group of ladies from around the world.

2011-03-13T16:21:00.001-05:00

PORTRAIT HEAD SCULPTURE
Small portrait head that I made from clay. It is about six inches tall.

2011-03-04T14:09:00.002-06:00

BOZETTI
These are clay sketches that I did in sculpture class. They were each done in 5 minute intervals. Two are of a model named Vicki, and one is of a model named Alex. These are my favorite things that I did in the sculpture class. They were the most fun to do, and turned out the nicest in my opinion, due to the expressive results.

2011-02-20T16:58:00.007-06:00

PHOTOS FROM HISTORIC GREENWOOD CEMETERY

I went to Downtown Jackson, MS a few weeks ago and finally took some photos there. It was very cold, but I managed to get some shots in places where I really should not have been. I teamed up with a partner in crime who is a good friend of years, and we put on some blues music by friends and local blues artists Y'all's Blues Band, and just rolled with the flow, and right on through the ghetto!

One place I'd always wanted to go, and finally did, was Greenwood Cemetery, a historic cemetery down there that I have long wanted to shoot some photos in. Many of Mississippi's notable folk are interned there. It's quite lovely, especially in the spring. I am going to go back, or try to and take some more shots when the flowers are blooming. Here are a couple of the best shots I took there.

There were more great shots from sketchy places. I'll save some of those for later posts.

2011-01-23T17:53:00.004-06:00

PEACEMAKER
Well, he's the King of the Blues. Birds that are blue, that is; or the funky, benevolent ruler. You decide. I just do the art.

This is a mixed media collage on black mat board. It measures 8 X 10. It has paper clippings, fancy papers, rubber stamps and ink, lots of gesso and gel medium, mica water colors, vellum, tape transfers, and a bit of postal ephemera. It was nice to be able to get some collage in before the semester gets too hectic.

2011-01-17T13:17:00.011-06:00

SPARKLE TWINKLE: ALTERED BOOK FOR DAUGHTERS OF A DOG COLLABORATIVE PROJECT
This is my altered book for the Daughters of a Dog collaborative project on Deviant Art (deviantart.com). I used a paper catalog that was nicely done with heavy bond paper samples all attached together with a chain and contained within a sleeve. I had to spray mount some of the pages together to get a good thickness for my work. It is turning out good. I am ready to put it in the mail to the other daughters tomorrow.

There was a lot of tissue paper and gesso used, along with tape transfers, vintage photos, paper clippings, rubber stamps/ink, frottage, packing tape, gold and silver leafing, doo-dads of metal and paper, etc., and glitter; lots of glitter!

Front Cover

Back Cover

Sign-in Spread

Peek-a-Boo Page (two views)

Chain Dangle

Sleeve Front

Sleeve Back

2010-12-28T20:59:00.004-06:00

PLAYING CARD COLLABORATIONS
These are playing card collaborations done with my friends from the Daughters of a Dog Group. This is another activity shared by our group. These small collages are made onto playing cards and mailed from daughter to daughter. Each daughter makes an artistic contribution to the card, then sends it to the next person. Whoever starts the card gets to keep it.

There will be a show of our journals in Portland, OR in March, 2011, as well as a show of our playing card collaborations.

2010-12-23T10:22:00.006-06:00

ALTERED BOOK PROJECTS - DAUGHTERS OF A DOG
I'm a daughter of a dog. That's right. I said it. I'm a member of a group that does altered books, and it's called Daughters of a Dog. It's a very exclusive group with strict guidelines for membership. People are dying to get into this group. Believe me. The first rule of membership is that you must be a woman over 40 years old. The second is that you must be a collagista extraordinaire. It is an international group formed on deviantart.com and I am honored to be a part of this wonderful, fun group of ladies. I just wish we all lived in the same town. Needless to say, we put some bucks out on postage sending our projects to each other all over the globe. Here are a few spreads I've done so far. I try to do them when I'm not busy with art school projects. They are a joy to do and the friendships made with these talented ladies from all over the world are priceless. Check out the daughters at http://daughters-of-a-dog.deviantart.com/ or you can click the link in my links list on this page.

HERO

SISTERS ONE & ALL

CRAFTY, BUSY DAUGHTERS

2010-12-13T15:24:00.004-06:00

STILL LIFE WITH TURKEY FEATHER
This is my final piece for pastel class. I am not totally satisfied with it, but I had to go with it as time ran out. About midway into it, I realized that I really wanted that pomegranate and bird to switch places, but that was not possible, so I just had to keep on trucking. I'm still not that great at setting up a still life on my own. The more you do it, the more you learn though. Anyway, I think this could have been better, but it's not a total loss. I was apprehensive about doing such a large piece (it is 18 X 20) but it went fine. I especially like how the round vase turned out, because I really captured the gradations of the glaze on it pretty well. I will just be glad when I get to the point where my work does not look so much like student work anymore. I suppose that happens when you are not a student anymore? Ha!

2010-11-20T19:46:00.007-06:00

LITTLE MADONNA
This is Nupastels and Rembrandts on Strathmore paper. I'm unhappy with it except for the rocks, which I went to great length on to get right, and I think I did a good job on that. The background is fallen and dead leaves and dirt, and I think I got it too dark for the rest of the picture. In working on that, I kept getting dust on the white robe of the statue, and dulling the whiteness, so I had to keep freshening it. I think that messed it up some. Anyway, I got tired of working on it, but I will be going back to freshen it up and lighten the background some.

This is the little Madonna statue that stands in front of the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Raymond, Mississippi. It is a favorite place of mine.

2010-11-15T21:22:00.001-06:00

PAINTERLY PEARS
Another giant fruit trio in pastel on Canson paper. Yum-yum!!!!!!!

2010-11-12T16:43:00.009-06:00

TETHYS - WORK IN PROGRESS
I'm almost finished! This is the first sculpture from my beginning class that I really like! It is the first figure we have done. Up to now it's been body parts, skulls and generic heads. This is a reclining figure! Wooooooo! It is terra cotta and is about five inches tall and about 12 inches long.

The theme is Tethys, Greek goddess of seas and mother of rivers, grandmother of Poseidon. She is resting peacefully on a gentle wave. Just a few minor touches and she's ready to be fired.

2010-11-07T11:04:00.009-06:00

FEELING FRUITY
Here are some 12 X 16 pastel paintings I did in pastel class. The goofy names are what my teacher called them, so I will call them that too, since I am also goofy. Though I am somewhat frustrated in the class, I do believe that I'm learning something from it, and I like the medium more than I did before.

Monumental Pomegranates

Lovely Lemons

2010-10-31T19:04:00.003-05:00

NEIGHBORHOOD DOGGIE
This piece is 9 X 12. It is Nupastels, Rembrandt pastels and some charcoal on Strathmore paper. I was assigned a landscape for homework in my pastel painting class. We were supposed to use a photo we had taken or that we had a personal connection to. I did not really have much to choose from in the way of landscapes that particularly excited me. So I picked this photo of a neighborhood doggie that used to join my daughter and me on walks. My daughter, Skye, had snapped a photo of her one day. It's close enough to a landscape to suit me. I mean look at that, there's a big sky and a leafy, grassy area. Viola! Landscape! There just happens to be a giant pug face in the foreground. Darnit, I find most landscapes to be so boring. I had already attempted two others and was stuck until I decided to do this, and finally was able to finish something. I'm telling you, I was on the verge of tears because I thought I was never going to get my blankety-blank homework done. I was feeling like I absolutely had been drained of every drop of talent I ever had. I've been in a rut all weekend. Thank goodness I finally finished something!

2010-09-28T07:01:00.002-05:00

NOM NOM NOM
It is what it is. It is yum on Granny Golden's vintage china plate, with a glass of pomegranate-blueberry juice. I think a cupcake could be next. With a glass of milk, which is what I actually wanted to do when I set out this time, but they did not have any cupcakes at the store that were good looking enough. Soon kiddies, soon...

2010-09-27T17:46:00.005-05:00

CONCEPTUAL SCULPTURE - NIKE
This is a sculpture I did for a project I'm working on in Art History I. I have to do a paper, and an oral presentation with props that include two studio art pieces. This is one of my studio art pieces. My topic is Classical and Hellenistic Greek art. So I have done a conceptual sculpture of Nike, the winged goddess of victory. Most of the statues I have encountered in my research are missing a head, limbs, or both, so my Nike is missing these appendages. Bless her heart, she has retained her wings. I have given her a Hellenistic sweeping garment a a slight contrapposto pose to keep with the style of the periods. I hope she dries out in time!

2010-09-23T22:07:00.004-05:00

BLUE BOTTLE & PEARS
This is a still life on a 9 X 12 piece of Strathmore pastel paper. This is a smooth paper that I decided to try. It has a grainy texture and is gray with some darker slate colored fibers in the paper. It's pretty to look at. I like how it shows through in the drawing. This is not a complicated still life, but I like the colors. The teacher is really good, and has excellent knowledge of the medium, which has really helped a lot. I am really starting to enjoy the class.

2010-09-19T21:14:00.002-05:00

SQUEAKY TRIO
My daughter told me that I needed to do something different from the things I've done in the past. So here is what I did for my last assignment in my pastel painting class. Pastels are a new medium for me. So far I like them fairly well. I used NuPastels and Rembrandt soft pastels on 9 X 6 Strathmore paper for this craziness.

2010-08-20T10:42:00.005-05:00

LAST PAINTING OF THE SUMMER
This is my last painting with Ms. Atkinson for the summer. It's a little 8 X 10 piece on a canvas board. My time with her has flown by now. I'm off to new ventures with new instructors at my new school. I will miss painting with her. I've learned much and made a dear friend.

A new era awaits. Let the adventure begin.

2010-08-15T20:10:00.006-05:00

Vegas Dress Shop
This is a digital photo I took on a trip to Las Vegas a couple of years ago. It is inside of a dress shop in the Mandalay Bay Casino complex. I always thought it was nice picture. I decided to play with it in PhotoShop to make it look really artsy. I like the effects I got with the filters I applied to it. I think it could be ready for an art show!

2010-08-06T07:05:00.003-05:00

JUST BE
This is a collage on a black mat board with white gesso. It measures 8 X 10. I used ink and a stamp for the background, with a piece fancy fiber paper. The flowers are clipped from an ad. I had saved the nude image from an old calendar. The butterflies are a tape transfer I made, and two acetate images I altered. Obviously the letters are clipped from a magazine. Here and there in the background, I added a bit of torn tape transfer that I made from a piece of scrapbook paper with a music theme. That is where the "2" on her hip came from as well.

This is a fairly uncomplicated piece. I think that's what makes it nice though. The nude image is pretty enough without a lot of fanfare.

2010-07-31T07:20:00.010-05:00

THE PAINTER'S GUARDIAN & YAY! I GET TO CONTINUE SCHOOL!

Over the summmer, I've been a bit bummed. I have run short of money to put toward any more school, and I really wanted to continue my education toward an MFA. This desire has been fueled at the urging of my instructors, who believe I would make a good art teacher. One in particular has been very influential and helpful in pushing me in that direction. Getting money for more school has been the big question.

I finally decided on a path to take and applied to the school I really felt was the right place to go. I was accepted, but had to be accepted by the art department as well. Fortunately, my portfolio was looked upon with favor, and I also was accepted to the art program. With that tackled, the art professor appointed as my adviser told me that he understood my money dilemma and offered me an application for their art department scholarship. He also directed me to the school's financial aid office for help. I made an appointment.

I went to my financial aid appointment with much skepticism, muttering to myself as I trudged up the hill to their offices in the sweltering Mississippi humidity "This is going to be a total waste of time." Fortunately, I'm never right when I have such negativity going into things. The counselor there was helpful and told me that since I have a high GPA, I am eligible for some scholarship money. Enough that I should not turn it down, and hopefully I will be able to swing supplementing the rest; that being due to a certain guardian angel represented by the collage below.

I'm thankful, and excited I'll get to continue my art education, majoring in Fine Art (painting) and minoring in Communications. It's going to be tough, but I really want this badly. I've managed to scratch up the cash for the fall semester, and part of spring. Let's try dis ting.

The Painter's Guardian

2010-07-24T13:56:00.005-05:00

COLLAGES USING PHOTO TEST STRIPS & BOTCHED FILM
When I was taking photography in the spring, I saved test strips and pieces of film that did not turn out, just so I could use them for collage. Seemed a waste to toss them in the trash! Photo supplies are spendiferous! So, I decided to put some of them to use this week, and I put together these collage pieces. The top piece measures 6 X 8 and is done on a recycled gallery canvas. The bottom piece measures 8 X 10 and is done on mat board. Both of these pieces feature the same child in the photo test strip, Miss Hannaboo.

I used gesso, acrylic paints, fancy paper, silver leaf, stamps/ink, clippings, tape transfers, frottage, and paper whatnots as well.

2010-07-20T16:36:00.006-05:00

ADORE
It's collage time! I got out a piece of 8 X 10 black mat board and went to town on it with some white gesso and acrylic paint. I used a Neenah papers label on there and did some frottage, then scratched it all up. I added an old contour drawing of a fairy doll that I did for drawing class a couple of years ago. I put gesso on a tin leaf and used some tape transfers and ink/stamps as extra accents here and there, then finished it off with some of those little tin corners (originally colored pink) that I painted up with some gold and black gesso. Viola!

2010-07-13T23:25:00.004-05:00

MIXED MEDIA PIECES ON RECYCLED CANVAS
Recently I cleaned out my studio and a lot of stuff went onto the burn pile. I spent a good day recycling canvasses with gesso in various colors. Many of them were left with interesting textures. I decided that they would make good surfaces for mixed media pieces and used some varying colors of gesso on them. I found some colors I thought looked good together and added some more textures to a couple of the canvasses. Here are the resulting pieces.

I used lots of gesso, ink, stamps, frottage, tape tranfer, clippings, fancy fiber paper, acrylic paints, and vintage hardware I found in NOLA.

2010-07-13T10:11:00.007-05:00

SMALL, QUICK STILL LIFE PAINTINGS
These are some still life paintings done in the past few weeks. They are all 8 X 10 done on masonite boards. Everyone has been busy, so studio time at the school has been cut short and we've limited our work to smaller pieces, thus the 8 X 10 size here. I have a couple of larger ones I can post later but these are easy for now.

Some of these items are things I picked up on a recent weekend in New Orleans. The Boviril jar and the shooter marbles were finds in antique stores there. I also found some really cool old hardware that I used in a mixed media piece that I'll post later. The retro cream pitcher is a find that Melanie Atkinson came upon during her recent trip to North Carolina to visit family. It is way cute.

Vintage Bovril Jar & Lantern Flowers

Retro Cream Pitcher With Fruit

Peter's Pottery Bunny With Lilies & Vintage Shooters

2010-05-28T19:51:00.001-05:00

SECOND PAINTING OF THE SUMMER
Another Wolfe bird, this time with the lantern flowers that I also love to paint. This one is on a 9 X 12 gallery canvas. I like the colors in this one a lot.

2010-05-27T13:51:00.005-05:00

POTTERY
These items are some of my creations from the beginning ceramics class that I took with Jimmy Tillotson at Hinds CC this Spring. The pot on the left is a coil pot and is a candle holder/incense burner. The center piece is a simple, slab constructed vase. The little pot on the right with the marbles inside is a pinch pot with three little feet added.

I have a few more pieces that I did as well, however, I have not photographed them yet, and a couple of them are still at the ceramics studio awaiting a glaze fire. I really enjoyed the class. Jimmy is a truly unique character, and I am privileged to have had the chance to take a class from him.

2010-05-20T12:11:00.004-05:00

FIRST PAINTING OF THE SUMMER
The ladies are back together painting for the summer. The first ones to turn out have been Kathy, Ms. Melanie and myself. Hopefully more will join us shortly. So sorry Ms. Eugenia could not be with us due to car troubles. We are already thinking of where we might have a show of our summer work.

This is my first painting of the summer. It's oil on canvas and measures 8 X 16. I actually managed to produce two paintings this week, an amazing feat for me. I don't know what is going on with that. This one happened to be dry enough to transport and I wanted to show my mom, as one of the birds belongs to her. I'd been wanting to paint some groupings of Wolfe Studio birds. I got my wish this week. These are a couple of birds from Ms. Melanie's collection, and the bird I gave my mom this past Christmas (the little fat blue one). I adore these little birds. I must go to Wolfe Studio this month and use my coupon they sent me for a discount on one in May/June. More to come! Tweet-tweet!

2010-05-13T09:38:00.004-05:00

LATEST PAINTINGS
These are my latest oil paintings; the last from school. The little Wolfe bird painting is my personal favorite, however, I think "Juicy" is the best one overall. I'll be painting with the ladies in Raymond again this summer and am very much looking forward to that. Hopefully I'll be attending Mississippi College in the fall to continue my art studies and work toward a Masters in Fine Art.

Juicy

Daffodils Are Turning Up

Wolfe Bird With Eggs

2010-04-25T19:37:00.008-05:00

PROJECT 4 - CREATIVE PORTRAITS
We're down to our final projects in Photography class. I was afraid we would not get to do creative portraits because the teacher says it's an advanced project. Some of the students wanted to do night shots, but majority wanted portraits. So we ended up with portraits, or we got to pick from that or night shots. I thought I'd do some of both, but I'm having trouble procuring a cable release cord for night shots, so it's looking like I may just be doing portraits. I'd like to try night shots though, for the experience.

Here's a couple of portrait prints from my first two rolls of film I shot. I've got some excellent negatives for this project. I've followed Randy's instructions for doing portraits, and tried to keep them all in my mind when shooting. So far so good. He's really a great photography teacher. I've got some great models too.

Tommy dans un tube

les meilleurs amis

2010-04-24T17:40:00.003-05:00

A COUPLE OF PAINTINGS
Here are a couple of paintings I've done lately. I still don't know where I'm headed with painting. Most of the pieces I've done lately I've not been happy with. These I was ok enough with to share.

Peter's Pottery Bunny Still Life
Oil on masonite board. Measures 8 X 20.

Twiggy
Oil on masonite board. Measures 12 X 16.

2010-04-02T10:28:00.014-05:00

LOCAL ART ASSOCIATION SPRING SHOW WINNERS
I like to participate in the two shows per year that a local art association I'm a member of puts on in the spring and fall. It keeps me active in our art community, and they have really nice receptions with delicious homemade treats furnished by our members ;-) These are two pieces that did well in the show this time. This spring show was judged by local artist Bebe Wolfe, owner of Wolfe Studio and daughter of artists Karl and Mildred Wolfe.

It means a lot when others give attention to work that you actually like yourself. Most of my work, I don't really like at all, and I think most artists tend to be that way. These two pieces, however, I do like and am happy that they were recognized.

Vermillion 14c is a mixed media piece that took first place in the mixed media category. I'm really pleased with my first place ribbon, as it's the first time I've actually placed in a show there with anything other than honorable mention. It's a large accomplishment to get first place in any category as there are so many wonderful artist members in this group, and the competition is very tough! Moreover, I'm pleased because I personally like this piece a lot. It represents a style of mixed media that I believe I will stick with for a long time.

Vermillion 14c

Introspectif was entered into a non-judged special category themed "Angels." The special category was voted on by the people attending the show, and awarded a People's Choice ribbon. This is a photo manipulation that I constructed from many different free stock bits and pieces into PhotoShop, then used various PhotoShop techniques to create different effects to make one picture. I am tickled that this piece took the People's Choice ribbon. The piece is special to me, as it is representative of my childhood.

Introspectif

2010-03-13T14:22:00.003-06:00

THE WELL LOVED ONES
I found these old dolls at a flea market. I thought they'd make good photo models. I also used these girls in Project 2 for photography class.

2010-03-13T14:13:00.005-06:00

Portraits
Portraits for Project 2 in my photography class.

2010-03-07T10:02:00.004-06:00

THE TORN SKY
Here's a photo for Project 2 in my Photography class. Project 2 requirements are for blurred action shots, stop action shots, shallow and greater depth of field shots. This is one of my blurred action shots. It is the most technical of the requirements.

Yay me! Because I overcame some obstacles for this photo. I actually got some light and shadow in this photo, and I shot it outdoors, which I'd resigned myself to having to likely shoot indoors, which we are not supposed to per class requirements. My teacher had told me I'd probably have to though, and gave me permission to do so. BUT I took advantage of a cloudy day, and put a luminous object in there to catch some light.

I like this photo a lot due to the technical aspects involved; the most technical actually being figuring out the darned tripod required in order to use the optimal low shutter speed needed to shoot the blurred action...heeheehee ;-)

2010-03-06T09:03:00.006-06:00

THE WAY OF WU WEI IS A WINNER
This four page magazine spread that I did for my Porfolio class was chosen by the Art department faculty at my college for entry into the State Community College Competitive Art Exhibition this year. I am so pleased that it took first place in the Graphic Art category at the competition! I am even more pleased with this win because the competition was judged this year by a graphic arts person, which lets me know that my graphics work is really strong. Pieces of my fine art work have been sent to this competition for three semesters, and it's hard to win something. There is a lot of talent in our state community and junior colleges. None of my art has ever taken even a ribbon. Finally I took a major prize, which has a small monetary award, but the prestige is really a huge deal. Yippee!!

2010-02-28T15:57:00.004-06:00

SECOND PROJECT = SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELD
I'm working on my second project in Photography class. Here are the teacher's picks for my shallow depth of field shots. I took an entire roll. I also have to do stop action, blurred action and greater depth of field shots for this project. I plan to do a roll of each, so I have a better chance of getting some actual good photos to turn in, and to keep.

These are all 5 X 7 prints. The one at the top really needs to be made into an 8 X 10 to show a cascading sequence of objects occurring in the photo, but it can't be seen in this cropped version. I'll update when I can get an opportunity to print an 8 X 10.

2010-02-22T21:11:00.003-06:00

REFLECTED BOTTLES
Here's some bottles on a bottle tree made by my brother for my mother. It made a pretty good subject for a light and shadow photo including some experimentation with shallow depth of field. I like the reflections and the tones the different colored bottles create.

2010-02-20T12:32:00.000-06:00

DEAD FLOWERS
This is another photo I took for my light and shadow project for school. This is a place in my backyard where the unfortunate plants end up. Woe to the plant that is given to me that needs a fair amount of attention. Plants that can be pretty much ignored will likely do fine with me.

2010-02-20T12:21:00.003-06:00

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH
This is a full shot of the Immaculate Conception Church. It was taken the same day as the photo of the church window posted below. I realize that this type of photo has been done, but this is a special place to me and I want to share. I think this is a very pretty church, and will take the long way home just to drive past it. I have some more photos I'll post later that are more interesting shots of this place.

Darkroom photography is definitely an art. It takes time and experimentation to get the perfect tones before making a print. I've found that I can spend loads of time in the darkroom, testing strips for that perfect exposure. Taking the photos is just one part of the art. Developing and printing them is an amazing part of making the photos you've carefully composed true works of art. This photo was actually pretty easy to process.

2010-02-15T22:02:00.006-06:00

WEST INTO EAST
This is a local church here in Raymond. It is the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on Main Street, and it's been here since the 1800's. It is one of the prettiest churches I've ever seen. I took this shot on an afternoon when the sun had decided to stay in most of the day, then peek out about an hour before sundown. This is part of my light and shadow project for photography class. You must full view this to really appreciate it, and get a good look at the reflections captured in the glass.

2010-02-12T09:36:00.009-06:00

My first project for photography class is light and shadow. These are the photos that my teacher hand picked from my first contact sheets. The first one, Von Seutter's Gate, is the gate to a plot at the cemetery in Raymond, Mississippi where a man and his wife are buried together. In the 1800's she had died, and he was overcome with grief, killing himself soon after. He was a jeweler, photographer and clock merchant. I do not know if he made the clocks himself, but I happen to own a beautiful Art Noveau clock that came from his shop. The second one is just a photo of common tools in our shed out back.

The rules of this class are:

Only 35mm cameras
Cameras must be set on manual
Only 100 speed black and white film allowed
It is an ART class (NO SNAPSHOTS)
Only outdoor photos
No flash
Students will develop their own film and make prints using traditional darkroom methods
Have fun

Von Seutter's Gate

In The Shed

2010-02-12T09:26:00.001-06:00

DEAD STILL FOR TWO MINUTES
This is another pinhole camera photo. We had to do a group project, so we decided to try a group shot. We stood still as possible for two minutes in front of the box. Then one of us ran out of the shot to put the tape back over the hole. It looks to me like we are waiting to be executed. We stuck an empty Gatorade bottle off to the right in the foreground to add interest. I'm the least visible one in the photo, kind of in the middle toward the back, with a little hat on.

2010-02-03T22:00:00.003-06:00

PINHOLE PHOTOGRAPHY
I am taking a photography class this semester, and this is a photo taken with a pinhole camera. It was the first project for class. I have another negative from the pinhole project but will have to make another print to scan for posting. The first prints disappeared from the darkroom.

I really love the look of the pinhole photos. They are so artsy looking. This one has an antique doll with some handmade glass beads spread around on a curb.

I developed my first roll of film today and it turned out pretty good. I hope there will be some nice prints from it for my first 35mm camera project. We are using only back and white film and manual mode on 35mm cameras, and doing all the film processing ourselves. So far it's been challenging but fun.

2010-01-24T14:01:00.003-06:00

MADONNA CONFIDENTIAL
I got back to some traditional art this weekend. Being back in school on the fine art side of the campus has brought me back to that soulful place. I have especially enjoyed my clay class, the feel of the cool clay in my hands and the way that I feel when I'm putting a design into it when it's dried a bit, is just something so down to earth that it's hard to put into words how it feels. But I can tell you this much, it feels wonderful.

I decided to do something with a 1996 calendar I had been saving with these wonderful old Madonna paintings for each month. So I did this collage on a piece of black mat board. It's an odd size; 17 3/4 by 11 3/4. I used newspaper and gesso for the background, then made transparencies and tape transfers for added interest. The vines are stamped with gold ink and the mountain bluebird was cut from a magazine. I used a piece of plastic grid to make the gold texture by covering it with gold gesso and pressing it onto the surface.

2010-01-10T13:03:00.001-06:00

THE KEWPIE KING & WHAT'S NEW
Another digital collage. Just messing around. Lots of layers on this one. Used photos from sxc.hu again, along with some of my own.

With encouragement from some of my teachers, I decided that since I've not gotten a job since I got out of school, that I'm going to take my art studies further, with an eye toward a masters degree.

My classes this semester will be all art studies to transfer to a local private university. I am looking forward to lots of studio classes, including a photography class and a clay class, which will be completely new to me.

2010-01-06T16:43:00.004-06:00

BABY BLUE
This is another digital ATC piece. It is inspired by a documentary I saw recently about a refugee family that moved to the USA from Sudan to try and start a better life. Instead, they lost their youngest child to a mysterious illness not long after moving into their new apartment.

After much research into the death of the child, it was determined that she died from lead poisoning. Specifically, she had been eating paint chips off the porch of the apartment where she often played. The building was old and the death could have been prevented had the landlord simply informed the tenants that the danger existed, which, by law, he was required to do. But instead of putting the money into repainting the porches, he instead was forging signatures onto forms which should have been signed by the tenants, informing them of the hazard. He was convicted of fraud and held responsible for the death of the little girl. Her name was Sunday. She was only two years old.

2009-12-30T15:00:00.004-06:00

GOOD
This is a digital ATC (artist trading card) done with images from sxc.hu. The size is 2.5 X 3.5. The finished card for trading will be mounted on mat board and trimmed with gold leafing around the edges. This card is inspired by a contest held on deviantart.com on the ATC Fanatics page. The theme is guardian angels. I took the title from a tune I really dig by Better Than Ezra, called "Good."

2009-12-19T10:33:00.001-06:00

SHORT SLEEVES
Digital collage using photos from sxc.hu. Appropriate for the season.

2009-12-14T19:58:00.002-06:00

ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR RENDERING PROJECT

This was a challenging project given as our final in my Rendering class. What had to be done was:

1. Find a high resolution photo of a vegetable
2. Use Adobe PhotoShop to posterize the photo
3. Render a realistic illustration in Adobe Illustrator of the vegetable photo
4. Create a seed packet for Ferry Mose seeds in Adobe InDesign using the rendering
5. It must be a fresh design

I had to break my photo apart, and use a gradient mesh on each element on separate layers to achieve the realistic, yet, painted look I got for this illustration. I knew what I wanted when I set out to do it, but getting there was a real challenge. Once I got the color laid in, everything else sort of just fell together. Figuring out that I would have to break the photo apart to get my meshes to work right was the hardest part. The cracquelure effect was applied to each layer to get the texture. I got an A! Yay!

2009-11-08T15:14:00.007-06:00

MAGAZINE COVER PROJECT
Here's a project from my Photoshop class. I had to come up with a cover for Daydreamer magazine (my teacher daydreamed this up). The goal of the assignment: Find a photo of a grassy field, then use at least ten major techniques that we've learned in class to create a surrealistic scene from that photo for the magazine cover. Then use the altered photo as the cover page and finish it out in InDesign. I used 11 techniques for my cover.

2009-10-17T18:47:00.003-05:00

NOODLE
I went to the local zoo a couple of weeks ago with my rendering class for a sketch outing. I was ill and running fever, but trooped on in spite of it. The BIG giveaway that I was really, really sick, was that I could not finish my delicious Chick-fil-A meal that I had taken with me to enjoy by the lake.

The outing was for gathering sketches for inspiration in developing a cover for a children's book assignment for class. I could not do a lot of walking around since I felt terrible, but I managed to gather some good bird sketches, none of which, were used to develop my character!

In the end, I was inspired by photos my teacher shot of a playful ostrich. It had a game of peek-a-boo going with her while she was photographing it. She showed us the photos in class, and the ostrich really made me happy. So I decided to make my character an ostrich. "Noodle" is my character developed from thumbnails I sketched from various images I found on the internet, and inspired from my teacher's photos. My daughter came up with the name, and I think it fits perfectly.

2009-09-27T22:34:00.001-05:00

SAILOR IN TOYLAND
Here's another digital collage piece. I have not had a lot of time for tactile activities lately. Photoshop is something I'm doing at school, and this gives me a chance to use my new skills and practice them in a creative way. This is done with images and photos from sxc.hu. I love retro dolls and toys. I usually search randomly to come up with ideas for pieces. When I found this sailor doll, I knew I had to make a collage around him. Reminds me of Robot Chicken.

2009-09-20T17:29:00.001-05:00

FASHION DIVAS TIME WARP
Digital collage using vintage photo from my stash and stock from sxc.hu.

2009-09-19T21:21:00.008-05:00

LAYERS, LAYERS, LAYERS
More digital collage with Photoshop using stock images from Getty and Stock Exchange, and vintage stock from my personal stash.

Little Narcissus

The Covey

Tea Time

2009-09-15T08:20:00.004-05:00

DIGITAL COLLAGES USING PHOTOSHOP
This is something new for me. I've always wanted to learn how to do this, and now that I'm taking a class, I'm applying what I'm learning to something I love to do, which is collage! Though the tactile, touchy-feely part is missing, the results are pretty doggone wonderful.

No Walls

Superpower

2009-09-12T18:50:00.004-05:00

MOMIJI ILLUSTRATION & ARTICLE

This is an illustration done for an article for my rendering class at school. We had to find a photo to use for the illustration, then render it in our chosen medium. I used technical pens and colored pencil for my drawing. I used Photoshop to edit and digitize the art for use in Adobe InDesign for the article. I made the Japanese symbol for "East" from a stock photo using Adobe Illustrator. I found the perfect typeface to use with the headings, it's called Twelve Ton Sushi. The illustration and the article presented very well in class. Yay!

2009-08-26T20:18:00.006-05:00

CUT & PASTE 2009 - STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN
This is my entry for an international collage competition held by a gallery in Sweden. The theme is "Cut & Paste," and you had to do a post card size collage, conveying the theme in the art. Double click the photo to enlarge your view of the art, and to catch the full effect of the piece ;-)

2009-08-10T17:07:00.004-05:00

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY
Here is a fun painting I did this weekend of my Happy Happy Happy Momiji doll. I put it with my Chai tea pot and a nice black plum for an fun still life. I like how it turned out. I'd been wanting to paint the tea pot, and thought the doll would be a fun thing to put with it, and had the plum on hand, which goes nice with everything. This was a fun one! I may get some more dolls to do.

Love that tea pot. It was a Christmas gift from my friend Laura. It's so cool looking with the cherry blossoms and Oriental writing on it.

2009-08-03T11:43:00.001-05:00

A NEW UTOPIA
Here's another altered journal. Found some more of them at the dollar store. This one has tape transfers and tissue paper too. A little gold leaf trimming with some butterflies cut from scrapbook paper, and a glittery golden crown.

2009-08-02T19:31:00.002-05:00

WOLFE BIRD PAINTINGS
Here are companion paintings of Wolfe birds. These are my last paintings from my summer painting get-togethers with Melanie Atkinson and my other artist girlfriends in Raymond. We wrapped up for the summer last week, as school starts soon and everyone is getting prepared and going on last minute trips. I had the chance to paint my little bird that I purchased on my recent trip to Wolfe Studio. Mine is the little gold, green and brown one in the lower painting. It's a little beauty. I really enjoy painting these little birds that Melanie has introduced us to. She has been painting them for years. She has a collection of Wolfe items that even includes a little cat that Carl Wolfe personally gave her when she was a child. What a treasure!

These paintings are 10 X 10 oil on gallery canvas.

2009-08-01T23:37:00.002-05:00

PAINTED BIRDIE
Here is a little abstract painting I did this morning using leftover paint from my palette. It's an 8 X 8 board canvas. This is the first time I've tried something like this. Just had the paint left and did not want to waste it. I like how it turned out. Think I'll do some more similar projects to see if I come up with some good stuff.

2009-08-01T09:49:00.001-05:00

GARBO JOURNAL
Here's a journal that I purchased at a local Dollar Tree store for a buck. It's a very nice journal with a sturdy chipboard and canvas covering, with a little label holder included. It's one of those little treasures you run across from time to time in the dollar store and marvel at. I thought I could make a nice collage on the cover. So here it is.

I used tissue paper and tape transfers (vintage photo tape transfer of Greta Garbo as Mata Hari), then added a copper medallion accent along with a sprinkling of fine green glitter.

I think I'll go see if they have any more of these journals.

2009-07-31T22:25:00.003-05:00

GODZILLA'S GOT TO GO - Artist Trading Card
This is an interactive ATC. Spin the spinner and help Godzilla determine where he's going to wreak havoc next! RaAAwWWWrrRRRR!!!!!

Created from an old Gary Larsen Far Side calendar page, magazine clippings, tape transfers, tissue paper, watercolors, and a game spinner.

2009-07-26T18:43:00.003-05:00

DEAD POETS - Artist Trading Cards
I really made these for myself. I don't want to trade them as they are poets that I admire.

Dorothy Parker

William Butler Yeats

Dark Butterfly - Sylvia Plath

2009-07-25T00:10:00.002-05:00

QUEEN NORMA JEAN - Artist Trading Card
Xylene transfer of Marilyn Monroe on grey mat board with flocked lace and magazine clippings. Accented with watercolors and silver and gold leafing.

2009-07-25T00:03:00.007-05:00

MORE BIRD COLLAGES

Here are a couple more bird collages I have done in the last week or so.

Vermillion 14c

No Tantrums and No Tiaras

Robin 1549 - Artist Trading Card

2009-07-24T23:56:00.002-05:00

WOLFE BIRD WITH SNUFF JAR & MARBLES
This is a small 8 X 10 oil painting on a masonite board. It's a little bird made at Wolfe Studio here in town, with a bowl of marbles and an old snuff jar. I love the little Wolfe birds. I finally went over and bought one for myself this week. Will be painting it next week.

2009-07-18T11:26:00.004-05:00

B-ONE-R-D ENGINEERED BY MOTHER NATURE
This is a quick collage I did from scraps that I had left on my work table when I was cleaning it up yesterday. I had those pieces and this just came to mind. One of those sort of "eureka" moments, where everything just is sort of in front of you and comes together, if you want to call it that. I used a piece of 8 X 10 (ish) black mat board and some random scraps of magazine text to make the surface and lightly coated it with white gesso. Then I put the other leftover pieces on. I remembered some old quip about birds and airplanes. Don't know if anyone gets that.

2009-07-18T11:20:00.003-05:00

JUICY SUMMER FRUITS
Here are two oil paintings that I've done with my painting group this summer. One is a small 5 X 7 gallery canvas. The other is done on an 11 X 14 board canvas. I thought we might not get started on the larger one because we decided to have some of the watermelon for breakfast. It was so tasty that we were quite delayed in getting set up to paint! Yummy!

2009-07-11T22:02:00.003-05:00

NEWEST ATCs

Mata Hari - Playful & Serious

Art & Soul

2009-07-11T18:20:00.007-05:00

SUMMER PAINTING FRIENDS
Here's some photos of summer painting activities with my friends out at Raymond! Special thanks to Melanie Atkinson for making this possible. It's been a wonderful summer of creative expression for us all.

Ms. Melanie, Eugenia, Ms. Sally & Ms. Kathy, making masterpieces!

Beautiful work by the girls!

A look at our still life model.

George, our always willing, and ageless model. He's been around forever!

2009-07-11T17:52:00.013-05:00

NEW ATCs

Doo Wah Diddy

Moonbaby

Sky Goddess

Generate Positive Karma

Japanese Art

Beethoven

Classical Art

Beauty

Vintage Swimsuit Ladies

Time for Change

Beauty

2009-07-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

ROARING SUNSET - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
A friend recently sent me this photo of a girl in a 1920s style swimsuit. I decided she'd look good on a collaged beach.

2009-07-05T22:31:00.000-05:00

SING - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
Inspired by my daughter who loves to sing in the school choir, in the shower, in her bedroom...

2009-07-04T14:58:00.000-05:00

GRUNGE GUITAR - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
Pretty much random. Stuff that was laying on the table before me. Not thought out.

2009-07-04T11:52:00.001-05:00

WON'T TOSS COOKIES - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
Completely random. Wish I had me one. Maybe someday we all will.

2009-07-04T11:49:00.001-05:00

UNDER THE BRIDGE - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
Inspired by the RHCP song and Mr. Tony Flow, of course :-)

2009-07-04T11:48:00.003-05:00

KISS ME - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
So sweet it'll rot your teeth.

2009-07-04T11:46:00.002-05:00

FALLEN LEAF - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
Found this leaf. Thought it was pretty.

2009-07-04T11:41:00.003-05:00

ANGRY BRITISH RUFFIANS - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card

2009-07-01T21:48:00.001-05:00

HIDE - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
Completely random. Sat down with a magazine and this is what happened.

2009-07-01T21:35:00.003-05:00

BURN HAZARD - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
A warning label from an appliance has been altered to make this very meaningful trading card. It's most appropriate for life as we know it, for we will all encounter this situation, however, we don't get any warning labels :-( NOOOOO! We must learn the hard way!

2009-07-01T21:30:00.003-05:00

REMEMBERED FOR MUSIC - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
Another little card with a music theme. In memory of musicians who have passed on.

Reserved for trade on DeviantArt.

2009-06-29T00:02:00.001-05:00

VON SEUTTER DIED - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
Another ATC. A bit of local color regarding a fellow buried in the cemetery at Raymond. I happen to own a clock that originated from his store back in the day, which is what prompted me to research him, and find that he killed himself, apparently mourning the earlier death of his missus.

2009-06-28T21:41:00.005-05:00

SEUSS SCHOOL - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. Mixed media on a rectangle of mat board with torn tissue and handmade paper, onion skin and roots, foil from a Reese's cup, and magazine clippings.

Traded on DeviantArt.

2009-06-28T16:44:00.002-05:00

THE ROSE - 2.5 X 3.5 Artist Trading Card
This is a first for me. I know these have been done before, but a lot of collage artists that I've been interacting with on Deviantart are doing these and I decided to join their group after being featured in a couple of times by some kind folks on there.

I hope no one finds this to be blasphemous, me calling Axl "The Rose." That sexy dancin' feller. Never liked his singing much, but dude could swing around quite to my liking ;-).

2009-06-23T12:45:00.003-05:00

FLEURS DE SOLIEL
Oil on a masonite board. Someday, depending on how long I have left to live, I will have learned how to paint, and actually have a style. For now I have this.

P.S. I hate painting flowers.

2009-06-16T13:17:00.003-05:00

MIXED MEDIA HEART BOX
I saw some boxes on line somewhere a while back that someone had fixed up really tacky. Though I did not like what they'd done with their boxes, it gave me an idea to try a box for a mixed media project. I had this valentine candy box I'd saved just for such an experiment. Here's the result. I dunno...

Top and Inside

Inside of Top

2009-06-16T13:01:00.003-05:00

SHE WALKS AMONG STARS (VIRGO CONSTELLATION)
Another star themed collage on a 9 X 12 canvas board. This one is torn papers and tissue with onion skin and roots. There are accents added of a small bird feather, as well as the shell of a bird's egg found outside. The main images are constellation maps. I finished Miss Virgo with an old earring, tinsel, and a star jewel. I painted here and there with mica watercolors to brighten the images and give the piece a really vibrant look.

2009-06-08T19:18:00.004-05:00

SAGITTARIUS ON GUARD
Ok, this was a real pain in the rear to do. It was my first time to do a gel transfer, so I did not know exactly what to expect or do. But NOW I do. Anyway, I finally finished this after working on it most of the day. I started making the transfer last night from a copy of the archer. I used a hair dryer to speed up the process, but I figured out that I only needed to use thin layers of gel medium (note to self).

I prepped my 8 X 10 board canvas, (which had once been a color wheel project for Design II class) with torn red tissue paper, which gave it a lot of texture. Then I put my constellation map on top of that. Next came layers of star tissue paper and handmade paper and waxed paper. Then I put the gel transfer on top. Then came more torn handmade paper, star tissue, and onion skin. I used acrylic paint to highlight areas on the archer that were not prominent enough to suit me and to make his face and hair more to my liking, because I wanted him to have long hair, which he did not, so I gave him some.

Finally, I added some vibrant mica watercolors and stamps, star jewels, an old earring, and some old gold tinsel to finish him off. I thought this was going to be a total disaster and fully expected to throw it in the trash. However, I stuck it out and I think I'm satisfied with Mr. Sag.

2009-06-07T21:09:00.005-05:00

STARSTREAM SURFIN'
9 X 12 mixed media collage on canvas board with foam core attachment. Constellation maps of Sagittarius, layers of tissue, onion skin, magazine clipping, mica water color, vintage postcard image, faux pearls, star jewels, and tinsel. The moon is a broken earring from the eighties, the star is from a string of Christmas decorations.

2009-06-07T11:38:00.004-05:00

SEEK YOUR FORTUNES

This time it's an 8 X 8 board canvas piece. I used two vintage photos, one of a child in a fairy costume, and one of a woman in a cape to get myself a gypsy woman with wings. I layered tissue paper over scrapbook paper, using magazine clippings and onion skin bits here and there. I also layered in crumpled waxed paper. I used mica water colors along the way. Sprinkled in some vintage postage stamps, a piece of sealing wax and a star. I cut the text from an old poster that is a replica of the poster that announced the opening of the Union Pacific Platte Valley Railroad Route. What? No glitter on this one? I don't know, I just don't think this one needs it.

2009-06-06T13:22:00.004-05:00

MARRIAGE OF DESIGN & ART
Here' a 9 X 12 collage on a canvas board. This one came together nicely. The name for it came right from the newsprint page I used for the background. It was perfect. Mica watercolors make the background over the newsprint, with tissue paper layered over. A vintage photo of this lavishly outfitted lady makes a wonderful centerpiece for the Mardi Gras inspired colors. These colors look great with the image, and old gold tinsel completes the look. I like this one!

2009-06-06T13:12:00.002-05:00

LIVE AGAIN
Here's another blend of digital and traditional art. The angel and cemetery scene are a manipulated photo I took in the Jewish cemetery in Vicksburg. The theme of the collage is inspired by my long-time friend, Melonie Todd, who has been talking a lot about dry bones of late. So I used the photo manip of the cemetery scene with a nature theme and vibrant colors, along with the words "I will make you live again" for the collage. It is placed on top of pages from the Holy Bible, and given washes of mica water color, and stamps of mica watercolor, with the liberal sprinkling of purple glitter, just because!

2009-06-04T22:27:00.000-05:00

MONMOUTH GARDEN ANGEL
Here's another collage with a photo manipulation. The angel figure is from a photo I took at Monmouth Plantation in Natchez, MS. I used Photoshop to alter the photo and then did my artwork with it. I used a copy of a page from the old Bible again, as well as the mica watercolors, stamps and magazine clippings. Purple glitter is being used liberally around here these days.

2009-06-02T19:38:00.004-05:00

ONE
You can't stop this artist! I'm making the best of the summer off this time. Not gonna sit around and do nothing all summer and be bored! So, here's another collage on an 8 X 10 canvas board.

I copied a couple of pages from Revelation out of a very old Bible. I digitally manipulated a photo I took at the old Jewish cemetery in Vicksburg to use in the collage. I used the Bible pages for the background. I washed the background with mica watercolor. I clipped the photo and used the part I wanted with the angel grave marker. I clipped up an old poster to get the "one" letters. The butterfly wings come from a magazine, as usual. I used little mirrors for a halo effect, and a little cross from my junk store stash. Stencils using mica watercolor. Oh, and there's purple glitter on there - cuz that's how I roll sistas, bruthas!