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HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Wishing everyone in art blog land an abundant harvest.
I will be gone until Dec. 6 so no posting before then.
This season I am grateful for all the support and comments I have received here at Cinnamon Studio. I appreciate your feedback, you warm my heart.

Secret From The Pulse

Seth Apter at The Altered Page http://thealteredpage.blogspot.com/ is hosting another artists resource project with The Pulse. Today he is posting some "secrets" from a huge collection of artists responses. My secret can be found posted there.
The altered photo above is another example of my "secret" which is printing art work of any kind on heavy art magazine paper such as Communication Arts. The above is an altered photo printed over a CA page which was mostly white except for the black markings and text.



Example 2: I love getting surprising results such as the woman's face printing right by the "Mrs. Eaves" text.

When the glossy pages come out of the printer the ink remains wet for awhile which allows for making transfers onto other paper.

Estate Sale Treasures

Friday is our estate "sale-ing" day. Some days are more bountiful than others but yesterday was great. I found this framed vintage "needle etching" for $2.00. I am so charmed by the brown and tan thread on silk landscape and feel so lucky to have found it.




Another great find was the 1934 edition of the children's book Little Pear written and illustrated by Eleanor Frances Lattimore. I am convinced that my passion for art began during the Saturday Story Hour at the town library. I began going with my sisters when I was just a toddler and I loved the stories and the pictures in the books. In Kindergarten I loved every illustration in the giant Dick and Jane book from which we learned to read.



The simple but elegant drawings of Little Pear are just a delight.



And so expressive!




I have always wanted to draw like this. (Sigh!)




Last week I found a packet of nude sketches by Ruth Grafton. The owner of the estate was a collector of her work. Judging by the hair-do's, I'm guessing that these are from the 2o's or 30's.
I love the spare but strong and confident marks.

Oh The Drama

I've finished another page for my altered book jackets book The Drama Of It All. The photo is a vintage postcard of the quintessential Drama Queen, Sarah Bernhardt. Another Sarah might be giving her a run for that title in the history books. I'm just saying!





It has been slow going in the studio this week. I've not been able to focus very much which always makes me anxious and cranky. I did scrub out the studio sink which is always a satisfying project after letting it go for weeks on end. ( I am not posting a before photo!!) I always keep a pitcher of soapy water going to clean brushes, etc., but the daily trashing of matte medium, glue, gesso, et al really takes a toll. I have had the plastic wash tub sinks in the past which have sunk to truly deplorable levels. I'm grateful that my porcelain sink cleans up well.
I hope everyone is having a more productive/creative week!

Backgrounds

I have been super busy the last couple of days. The Artist Trading Cards group meeting was yesterday at the Core Gallery in Denver. The theme this month was famous artists. I used my artists montage palette for one of my cards. It takes a couple of days for me to make the cards, (usually 70 or so), always a fun and engaging but hectic project. Channel 9 news will be doing a story on the group in December.



I have also continued the experimenting I've been doing with various abstraction techniques and mediums. The above is a large piece (30'' by 20" on heavy cardboard ) & looks like a big block of granite. I like the look and texture of it & even though it dosn't feel like a finished painting, I will probably keep it as a background for collage.



This is another piece that I finished. It's softer looking but still very textured and organic looking.



I did this one on a canvass "block" months ago and left it in the background stage until this week when I added the colored shapes & voila! an abstract painting!
I never know what I will be working on from one week to the next. I do have some ongoing projects, but for the most part I am always searching for what my heart longs to see. That's what it feels like when I'm riding the wave!

New Work

I have been busy in the studio, mostly experimenting, playing around, having a good ole time!
This is the second in my "assemblage" mandala series. It has loads of metal & texture. I am becoming increasingly frustrated at my lack of photographic expertise in presenting photos of my work. Perhaps a new camera is called for!




I am working on a new art journal made from book jackets. (I am after one of those handmade sculptural books that I so love.) I am finding the process very time consuming. The building up of layers is enjoyable but just a page can take hours & hours. I have titled my book "the drama of it all!" A friendly reminder to not take myself too seriously!




This is the first spread in the book that I have finished, apres Dante's Divine Comedy. In researching this piece I found the balance of the work given to the Inferno! Isn't that just typical? We always seem to focus on the pain and labor instead of the paradise of simply being. I guess that is the comedy.



After taking apart 6 old text books for their book jackets for my art book, I was left with the gutted leftovers . What to do, what to do! In a mad frenzy I finished ripping them apart & used the remnants for this college "built" on another jacket. It is very textured with book spines and layers of paper.



Detail of the piece.

Shadows Abstracting

I don't know about anyone else, but I am still not used to the recent turning back of the clocks. I find it strange how a mere hour forward or back can disrupt one's inner time piece. I do like the new shadows on everything though, their zig zag abstraction.



This is a self portrait with Cecilia who I miss to this very hour.



Early sunset through the shutters & it's barely 5:30. I wonder if there is a good old black & white movie on TV tonight. I am in the mood.




Was working away in the studio, around 4-ish when I looked up & saw myself framed in shadow!
Got my attention for sure!