Trucking on a Journey

I've been wanting to add to my "wanderlust" series. And here it is: A truck AND a bike. An orange bike to be exact. Since it is my super fav color, I just had too. The words have been added in photoshop for a new card series I'm making. This is definitely a mixed media piece....a little map, a little paper, a little paint. It's on the small size too, 8x10" on gallery wrapped deep canvas. So, this weekend, take life a little slower and enjoy the journey.

So, wanderlust on your mind now? Did you know that is a real word? Vero over at Naked Art had wanted to use it in my solo show title and I was like "heck no!". I am a good little southern gal who does not talk about lust in public. Much less have it blaring in the title for my solo show. (I'm also a little sheltered I suppose since that word made me totally blush.) And then I looked it up, and there it was in Webster. It says, "strong or unconquerable longing for or impulse toward wandering." Yep. And since this little art journey of mine could be on the verge of wandering without an end in site, I am thinking that maybe wanderlust is the perfect word to sum it all up.

Share

Sharing. Sometimes it' really easy, sometimes it's not. But it always feels better after you do. I stamped the sentiment on my blog banner into this waxy painting. It reads, "It's the things we share that remind us we are not alone." So share something today with someone you cherish. Even a silly tid bit. And see just how good it feels.

I love the texture created with this medium...really. It's just yummy. I was about to clean up the skillet and hated to waste all the wax left. So I painted this last one. At first I didn't like it. Once I added the oil stick though, all this amazing texture crept into the foreground. And now it's my favorite.

My sponge and acrylic paper are taking their soaking bath, and the new wood is on the table. I found a bunch of amazing orange, yellow and red paints on sale at Michael's this week. So I have a feeling that my paintings are about to get really warm. I hope to have some new collages to show off tomorrow so check back!

A Little Bit of Little Paintings

Amidst my glitter dusted art desk you will find a series of small paintings ready to fly to the Naked Art Gallery Monday. Vero likes to have at Christmas an inventory of smaller, more affordable paintings. More specifically, they have to be under $50. I decided this year to paint on small wooden panels that have a lovely beveled edge. Of course, little collage birds made their way into the compositions. I love the way they look all together. Although I see that my birds always face the left....hum......

This is called, "On the Edge of Something New." Below is, "A Modern Day."
Well, back to the glitter I go. This was a very nice break, getting back to the brush. The other day at the gym a friend said, "Man Jenni you are actually sweating! (I don't sweat you see, weird I know.). But upon a closer look at my brow she laughed and exclaimed,"Jenni, you have a head full of glitter!" Oh what a sparkly Christmas booth I am going to have this weekend at Marist!! Just you wait and see.

New Work to Show Off!

I've been working for several days now on some new smaller pieces. I've been combining texture, acrylic and collage all on one piece. And although it is a process of cutting, pasting, drying, waiting, painting, drying again, filling lines, etc....It produces a look I am very pleased with! (Although not so easy to photograph!) This is called Morning Walk. I love the vertical layers on the very bottom. All 5 of the bottom layers are supposed to represent the layers of the earth.

And this one is Walking Towards My Heart. I really love the play on all the textures and colors. I've got one more on the table that needs finishing up. I will probably be cleaning the art desk up for the rest of the week at this point once it's done. I've got to get labels made, jewelry on cards, tiles in frames, etc. All building up to this weekend. I like to be super organized because there is no night before setting up. It's an early Saturday morning for Valerie and I! Have a great week!

I Painted Today!

I painted today! Yipee! And this called for none other than a PARTY painting! Mattie and Sweetie Pie are having a little party in the summer field.

It was great to be back. Summertime I find myself concentrating more on art camps and kiddos than my work, but the ideas are really congesting up my head and I had to get at least one on canvas. I've been reading these fabulous books which offer new techniques in collage and acrylics. Today I had out the credit card, bubble wrap, spray bottle, gesso and more! It was so liberating that tomorrow I'll have Billy wake me early again so I can get a leg up before the kiddos wake. They are 9am sleepers in the summer....yes I know. Lucky Mommy. And yes, I do sleep that late sometimes, but with these ideas swimming, there's no time for sleeping late! Have a great night!

A Few More Collages

Just wanted to show off a few more of my new collage series. I had so much fun making the first couple that I ended up with I think 15! This is definitely something I intend to experiment with more. "Red Bird Nurturing Her Young"
"Summer Fun"

"Little Songbird"

Last, the new Paper N Stitch table is up! I placed several of the new collage pieces there available as prints. Please visit and give me a heart!

Collage Therapy

I have decided that doing collage work is serious therapy for a painter in need of change. Man, I am having so much fun putting my new SEI paper and other vintage paper goodies into these compositions. I made these four birds to fit the lovely blue frames Phillip made. I just may not be able to release them for sale. You know, sometimes as an artist you just fall in love with a piece and can't part with it. I have walls of my own work to prove that. Maybe one day... I always say. I do have four more on the desk awaiting frames. They will all be priced under $100. All will be available (I think) this weekend in Senoia. Come on out and see me!! "Morning Whistle"
"Three Sisters", "Morning Whistle", "Renewed", "Lady Diane in the Mums"

Being Creative

"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun."

Mary Lou Cook

I've always considered myself creative. An artist, well that came quite a bit later in life. In fact, I still get a bit giddy when I say what I do for a living to those who ask, "what do you do outside the home?" I love the reactions. In some situations it's like deer in headlights, others it's disbelief that you can make a living making art, and others it's really? An artist? Hummm... I bring this up because yesterday during my quiet time at Barnes and Noble reading my favorite magazines and having coffee, I read about an artist that basically told my story in her article. I guess we are kindred spirits. It was great. It was inspiring. I really feel like right now I am on the verge of something.....you ever have that feeling? Like something really good is about to happen. My creativity is on overload right now. I can't get the paintings done quick enough before I want to make another. My studio time is just fun. Doors are opening and I am jumping in.

I found the quote above in one of my inspiration magazines, La Vie Claire. If you've never picked it up before, do. The photography alone will take you to new dreamy places. I just love finding quotes that say how I am feeling, and this one hit the nail on the head for the moment. I've certainly made mistakes, and taking risks in art is necessary. And as far as the fun goes, well I think you can tell in my paintings that this comes quite naturally for me.

At this moment I have 15 new paintings all started around me, the one on my art desk is another bike. This time it's going to be blue and it's on the beach. I'm going to add some collage in the composition too. I am really liking the paper and paint combination. Lily, the silly dog is in my lap and Ellie, the robust cat is sleeping on my sketchbook in front of me. It is going to be a great day. It just is.

Works in Progress

Just wanted to share some works in progress. It's Spring Break this week so I am off to here and there. Unfortunately the paint brushes will not be getting too wet this week. I have until April 25th for Celebrate Earth Day, The Art of Green Show in Senoia and then on April 30th I head to the annual Wesleyan Show. This is the show that started it all for me. I am SO excited to get back and see all my artsy friends I met last year and hopefully meet new buyers! I am going back to canvas for a bit. This time around I am really playing with the simple compositions of birds, branches and a bit of collage with the leaves and border.

This is a ginormous canvas I decided to tackle using the same technique. Also new, all the canvases are being framed out by Phillip. I am amazed at how much more finished off the canvases look with the salvage wood around the edges. Anyhoo.....off to get a few more tasks completed before art camp tomorrow and heading to my Father's in Alabama to meet up with the kiddos. I hope you all have a GREAT week. I'll be back next week to share some new ideas in the works. The Green Show in Senoia has my head whirling up some great Mattie sculptures. My Father doesn't know it, but I intend to use his amazing workshop when I get over tomorrow to stop the whirling and get to making!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

They say we look alike, Mailey and I. I don't mind so much because I think she's quite a pretty little thing. And lately she's getting more and more like me in more ways than just looks.....She's becoming quite the little artist! I've been working on a new collage series for the kiddo book. This afternoon Mailey asked if she could make something. And about 45 minutes later, with a floor full of cut paper scraps, she'd made this fabulous composition and had my Golden gel medium in hand ready to attach it to the wood. I quickly volunteered to help put it all together. She wants me to sell it in my next art show, but I don't think I can part with it! Maybe I'll make some framed tiles of it. I told her whatever money she made, 1/2 had to go into a savings account we've started for her and her little hobby- horseback riding and horse shows.

So here's one of the 4 I have started. It's been a very exciting process adding the paper with the paintings. This is #3 of course. So far I have 1 Mommy bird, 2 red cardinals, 3 silly blue birds, and 4 fancy feathered pink ladies. I've 6 left to go in the series....maybe I should hire Mailey to be my apprentice to help me finish!

On Saturday....

"On Saturday, Mattie wanted to be one of the Anthropologie Ladies." So I think I've found that- A. I see a trend in my art with shoes, I'll explain that come about in my next post and B. I see a new series of paintings for Mattie....and possibly a book idea about just being who you are, not anyone else! So I guess I'll start back with Sunday, the first day of the week and see what she'll be on that day!

These fabulous Anthropologie catalogues come to my door ever so often. I usually drool over the layouts, textures, clothes, and furnishings. Oh how I wish I had a body to be one of their models! Just to be on the set....that would be cool. Anyways, this month I was smitten with the shots of the models like the one above, cute tights, fabulous shoes and funky little outfits. I've been mulling over this idea of collage lately...and voila! The idea came to me. I was also doing my Sally Jean trick of finding words in a book to inspire my paintings. In my recent book selection, Pride and Prejudice, I've found a ton of great word selections, like "one of the ladies". Oh how it all came together after that! I did apply beeswax at the end and was a little upset that it changed the appearance of her tights, but there are no mistakes in art and I used it as a lesson to not use beeswax on magazine anymore!

New Mini Paintings

"Henry Turns 6"

3.5 " x 8"- mixed media on wood

"Steady Friends"

3.5" x 3.5"- mixed media on wood

I was doing my usual blog reading and found out that Sally Jean now has a blog. It reminded me of a workshop I had with her in Portland awhile back. One of her techniques to get you going on collages is to pick words from a jar and go from there. I did my own spin on this by reading a book and snipping little passages that were funny together or could inspire a new painting. She always uses vintage papers, charcoal pencil, and white paint to embellish. I of course had to use my little birds and flowers with a bit more color! These two little guys I made up last night. It was great fun, and a great mess! I think I'll add a layer of resin to give them the ultimate shine.