Gilded Lilies

These are multi-media collages that I created as birthday gifts for two very special people.  I used old photos of the intended recipients, created magic around the images and finished them off with ornate thrift store frames.  Much love went into these projects.

Pretty Wine Bags

This summer I embellished plain brown wine bags for a "Wine Grab" at a fundraiser.  Using my gelli plate, I created multi-layers of color and design.  At the fundraiser, people were choosing their "grab" based on the bag designs they liked the most. The scraps from this project have been wonderful to use in various collages.

Faces

One the the things that I have been enjoying is my daily art journal.  Each day I have a word to ponder and explore and create.  These two pieces are watercolor on newspaper.  For "Tears," I used a newspaper article on Condolences.  And my sincerest apologies to Mr. Dali as I did not do his nose justice.  I really do enjoy his eyebrows though!

"Tears"

"Awaken"

Mermaid Lino Block print

A dear friend asked me to create a mermaid for her daughter's newly redesigned bathroom.  Since her theme is mermaids, how could I say no?  This last winter I was able to fulfill one of my lifetime dreams of visiting Weeki Wachee in Florida. Real. Live. Mermaids.  Performing an underwater show.  It was pure magic. This visit was proof positive that I am a mermaid.  I should have been performing as a mermaid at Weeki Wachee in the 70s.  A missed destiny that I am making up for now with as much mermaiding as possible!

The linoleum block that I carved for the project.

K's Mermaid

Another iteration using the lino-cut.  Multi-media collage.

Back in the saddle again.

After what might appear to be a hiatus of sorts (almost four years), I am back. It's not that I haven't had my creative moments; I am just technologically challenged and have had trouble figuring out how to post new pics. 

Since it's been a while since I've posted anything, things might seem just a bit random and totally out of order.  I'm okay with that.  So I will just begin here and add things as I think of them.  Since retiring, I have been spending a lot more time in my art room.  The luxury of an unemployed life.  Mostly I have been art journaling. What a liberating exercise in creativity.  I am working small scale (about 6"x8") and use this as a almost-daily opportunity to try new things. And mixed in are a few special projects that don't live in my art journal.

 

Meanwhile, back at the drawing table...

After a few month hiatus (translated to mean that I just didn't create anything for a while), I hit the drawing and painting table with a frenzy this holiday season.  I started out by doing a strongly inspired-by-another artist (we won't call it copying) for the highly anticipated arrival of my first granddaughter in February.  Then I wanted to do another and well, one thing led to another and I was on a string of watercolor and pen and ink pieces.  One for each grandchild. It was a totally different style for me and I enjoyed seeing the progression from the first to the most recent, completed just 2 days before it was gifted to my oldest grandson.

More guitars...

Well, I think I am finished painting Dad's guitar. Maybe.  I found that by the 4th painting, it was getting pretty easy.  Perhaps better put... the creativity flowed with ease.  I painted these two guitars for my two older sisters, Karen and Sandy, to give to them for their birthdays this year.  Now all 4 daughters of Hugh Hendrix have their own paintings of his guitar to hang on their walls.  Of course, I still have the original guitar. : )