Wow, my last entry was in 2010 when Blogging was in full swing. So much has happened since then. My art continues to evolve, yet in some ways is still recognizable. I still enjoy using digital tools to create paintings and collages and creating art from recycled materials continues to motivate me as I become increasingly aware of the fragility of our planet exacerbated by consumer pollution. Abstract Digital Collage.
SLOTIN FOLK ART AUCTION
The Slotin Folk Art Auction will take place May 1 & 2, 2010 in Buford, Georgia. 1000 lots of Self-Taught Art, Outsider Art, Folk Art, Southern Folk Pottery, Naive, Primitive, Anonymous & International Art will be auctioned. You can see the art at www.slotinfolkart.com. Even if you aren't interested in bidding it is worth taking a peek at this wonderful collection of unique & wonderful artwork.
My husband and the critters stand together in front of our big picture glass window watching the snow flurries gently kissing the ground. When I was a child I thought the south was a faraway land where winter never chilled your bones. Alas, like Santa slipping in through the chimney, a winter free south is also a myth. Like the bears, I hibernate in the warm cave of my computer room and dream of pink dogwoods and velvet red roses in bloom. If I can't make this wet chilly cold disappear I can paint warm sunny landscapes.
GOOD FRIDAY
Good Friday is observed on the Friday before Easter Sunday & commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus & his death at Golgatha. As a child, Good Friday was a day of quiet reflection in our household. We were not allowed to listen to the radio or view the television or in general be our usual rambunctious selves. It was a time of reflection on Jesus & the suffering he endured on the cross. That day always seemed dark and sad, full of incomprehensible wonderings at the cruelty of humans. A child's mind could not grasp fully the meaning of the decisions that were made centuries ago. But of course Good Friday turned into Easter Sunday and we all partook on that day of the special traditional foods Mom would prepare such as panocha & sopa. Panocha was only ever fixed for that particular event. Our traditional Easter egg hunt ensued & in my child's mind all was well again.
COLLABORATION
Just want to thank Bernhard Mueller for his generosity in working with me on a collaboration of his painting "Shadows on Golgatha." It takes a bit of courage to work with another artist on a collabortive piece, surrendering something of yourself & trusting that whatever the outcome, it will be a growth experience for both of you. Thank you so much Bernhard! Please visit Bernhard's gallery on AW to view his original painting of Shadows on Golgatha & his other very unique artworks. This is the image of our collaborative efforts.
NEVER TOO LATE
It's never too late to learn new things in life. I have never been great at figuring out the intricacies of technology, however, to my childlike glee I have somewhere along the way become somewhat skilled at Photoshop & now have added the Painter software and tablet as creative tools. I have a long way to go towards even beginning to master these tools but nonetheless I am so thrilled at the possibilities! Here is one of my digital paintings.
GLAD TO BE BACK
Have been gone for the past month helping my husband through his liver transplant. We cannot know from one day to the next how our lives can be catapulted from our daily routines into life and death concerns, grasping to hope from moment to moment. We are so grateful for this second chance at life. The enormity of this gift has yet to settle into our consciousness. I think we are still a bit in shock. What an extraordinary journey to go from those threads of fear and anxiety to one of hope again. We can never view the world in the same way again. I have missed my art & my ArtWanted friends but I am back anxious to be involved again. Thank you to those who missed me. It means a lot to me.
PARANOIA
The older I get the more "caution" seems to find it's way into my psyche. The world seems a place filled with those who would do us wrong in so many real and imagined ways---just listen to the tele-news for your daily dose of angst & uncertainty. Our very existence seems threatened by the events of the world as it continues to shrink incrementally until it is literally in our backyard. Their was a time growing up when it didn't "feel" so dangerous, when I didn't "feel" I needed legal advice every time I opened a credit card offer or any number of "offers" that left me looking for all the hidden motives. Their was a time when we trusted our government to work for the people---now most of us question & wonder everytime we discover that once more they have lied to us. We are daily sucked into this vortex of untruths mixed in with a wee bit of truth---just enough to keep us treading lightly on the edge of paranoia. I wish the world seemed shinier, more innocent, but maybe that is the gift of youth, to be able to see things less tarnished and unthreatening.
Guess it's time to create some art---the doomsday dust bunnies seem to be wreaking havoc this morning!
THINKING ABOUT MY THOUGHTS
Lately I have been giving great thought to my thinking process. It seems that our thoughts precede our emotions, a concept I had not given any thought to until fairly recently. So in an effort to find more effective and peaceful interactions with others I am paying more attention to my thought responses to what people do or say in my presence. It is an interesting exercise and I don't exactly know what will come of this, but I "think" it will be positive.
FREEZING IN THE SOUTH?
It's not supposed to get this cold in the South, is it? This is the land of the lovely Scarlett O'Hara & the handsome devilish Rhett Butler where King Cotton grows abundant in the sweltering heat & humidity makes your skin glisten like a catfish out of water! Well, if any of you are fixin to come down our way you better grab your fur parkas & wool lined winter boots. Ya'll are going to need them!
