Skipping Girl Card

I like the feel of this card and I wonder if it is a piece I should be framing. Maybe it needs to be upgraded. Any thoughts???

Gratitude for an Art Patron

So many times an artist is approached to donate a work of art for a good cause. There are so many good causes. My inclination was to donate small pieces in the past. Lately I have been inclined to decline. However, last year and this year a dear friend and patron of the arts did the right thing. She called to say she would buy art from me and donate it to a charity for their annual auction. She came over today and selected her favorite piece. I loved that piece so much and am glad it is going for a good cause but not at my expense. Kudos to those who give and support the artist. I hope others will do the same. Thank you Kathy from the bottom of my heart.

 

This is just another card.

Still creating one of a kind note cards

One day my daughter and I created a list of occasions that warrant a special hand-made one of a kind cards not available at Hallmark. This is the list we came up with:
Birthday, Anniversary, Sympathy, Graduation, Promotion, Retirement, Encouragement, Engagement, Wedding, Birth of a Child, New Job, New Home, Adoption, Get Well, Congratulations for a job Well done, Award, Achievement of a Special Goal, Bon Voyage, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Baptism, Thank You, Confirmation, Bar Mitzvah, Father's Day, Mother's Day, Thinking of You, First Holy Communion, Hannukkah, Bat Mitzvah, Just Because......

Take me to the Seashore

Take me to the seashore,
Let me walk upon the sand.
Help me feel the bonding
That comes with God and Man.
Let me hear the roar of water
In the sea shells that I find.

I marvel at the sunrise
As I stand in the water's foam.
And I feel the spray upon me
While I'm standing here alone.
There is a peace within me
As I watch each wave roll in.
I know that God is with me..
He is my Protector and my Friend.

Our family in Florida

Vacationing in Florida

This summer I was without the benefit of a computer. Sometimes it is good to get away from technology. One experiences a certain freedom to do other things. My mornings began at 6 am. I awoke and dressed into a bathing suit, grabbed the camera and went for a morning walk on the beach. The sun rose every morning about 6:45. By that time I had observed any changes on the shore, ooed and ahhed at the rising sun and its majesty. Then I swam for an hour with my beach friend, Karla. We talked about many different topics: peace, tranquility, meditation, and the glory of nature. We swam with many little fish. The water was warm anc calm most mornings. Then I exercised, swam in the pool and by afternoon it was time to go indoors to avoid the highest temperatures. That was when I worked on my greeting cards. Collage or watercolor were my mediums. I even managed to sell quite a few to my Florida friends.

My cards

"I want to thank you for the BEAUTIFUL anniversary card
you sent us with such a lovely message. I'm in the
process of having just the right frame made for your
collage. Mary is coming with her two boys to spend a
few days with us, and I'm eager to show her your work."
This is the message I received today from my sister's mother-in-law, Mary Campbell. I always make an original card for my friends and family. It simply never ceases to amaze me when I get such a compliment. Why is it that I think my work is not so extraordinary? Is it because I love doing it and it comes relatively easily? I think my cousin Tamara relayed the same message last week when she told me that she can't believe people think her writing is extraordinary. She says it comes to her so easily. Well I have been producing some cards these last few weeks as I try to immerse myself in art-making again. Several cards sold before I even had a chance to scan them. I am blessed that some people appreciate my work.

My Creative Work Matters

An Affirmation

I am still being unproductive in my art. I can't pinpoint what the problem is. I have been focused on family. With my daughter who is back from college I feel I want to spend more time together before she goes off again. Then we have my son's birthday coming up. This weekend there was a surprise visit from my daughter's boyfriend and the list of reasons to stay away from artmaking goes on. And yet I feel there may be an underlying reason that is lurking. When I read Eric Maisel's e-mail last night about a seminar for creativity coaching, I think I found the answer. I have been feeling that my creative life does not matter. So Eric's advice to all the attendants was the following affirmation: I MATTER AND MY CREATIVE LIFE MATTERS. I' ll be repeating that one and see what happens.

A week of almost no artmaking

It has been a week of almost no artmaking. Family duties, a personal committment to exercise more and summer chores in the garden have taken more time away from the act of making art. Looking at old art that seems stale and uninteresting is bringing out the judge who says: "maybe you're not good enough". Instead I am reading a book by Micheal Kimmelman: The Accidental Masterpiece. On the Art of Life and Vice Versa. I must be searching for meaning in my art or who knows what. Maybe I concerned that it is all so trivial. Whenever my husband hears that I have sold a work of art he immediately approaches with the business side: How many of those can you make? He means well but it trivializes the original work of art. I know that my art is not about trivial things. It is built on many layers.

Making Paper

Last Sunday, my friend and collage artist Laura invited me and Anne to make paper in her back yard under a tent. The three of us chatted and made paper almost all day long. The act of making paper is so meditative as you stir the slurry and then dip your mold into the vat. The result is a sheet of paper in pulp form which is then hung up to dry on a line. I made a stack of off white and red sheets. The time just flew. Laura prepared a delightful lunch for us and then we were at it again. We had a great time making paper which will be turned into collage works in the near future. Today I looked at my stash of paper and was inspired by the stack's various colors and textures. I guess I have always loved paper for its own sake. And the proof is that I have tons of paper in my studio just waiting to be cut, torn, glued and combined for a work of art whether small or large. And yet the handmade paper feels more precious, like bread baked from scratch.... such satisfaction.

Birthday Wishes

For the past 18 years I have not had to purchase any greeting cards because I believe I can make one as well as any commercial card. Yesterday I made this one for my husband's birthday. He has saved every card I ever made him and threatens to have them framed. It is always pleasant to hear such a compliment. My friend Mary Jane always kept my cards and when she moved from Naperville to New Jersey she had them all framed and has hung them in a delightful arrangement in her family room. Such appreciation of my creativity just nurtures and motivates the artist. My daughter has learned that a hand made gift is much more appreciated than the commercial one and often makes her own cards, especially for Valentine's day.

Time to Purge

This week I have been in a purging mode. As I surveyed all the art supplies, equipment, etc. I realized that I am overloaded with items that no longer are relavent to my art making. Today I even found some much older works of art that Irritated my aesthetic bone. I had to make decisions. I am in the process of purging some older works of art that I feel do not represent who I am now as an artist. The time has come to sell or destroy these. I feel that by releasing these works I will allow myself to be open for new work to come forth. I will photograph the works and then send them on their merry way to another place.

Sometimes I Just Leap

While creating miniature art my approach is often carefree and daring. The following poem describes the feeling rather accurately..
W. H. Auden: "Leap Before You Look"
The sense of danger must not disappear:
The way is certainly both short and steep,
However gradual it looks from here;
Look if you like, but you will have to leap.
I leaped into a composition. I liked it. I thought others might not appreciate it. I was wrong. Tricia loved it and bought it before I even had a chance to photograph it.

The Process of Artmaking

When life takes a detour and creating art takes a back seat , the creative momentum can be lost. How do I get it back again? I force myself to work on a miniature piece. A 4 X 6 size is ideal for playing, risk-taking or just spontaneously putting it together. And so this winter life took me on a detour of my regular creating time. The longing to get the hands dirty and composing a little piece was there but the opportunity did not present itself readily. Then last week I received a call from someone who had purchased my original notecards last year and was looking to purchase some more to give as gifts to her children's teachers and to some colleagues. Suddenly the need to have inventory motivated the artist in me to go ahead and paint. There is always a need for simple watercolor florals. Those are fun because of the sponteneity, the ease, the simplicity. I was able to sit down and produce a number of these gems. Then there were a few tinted papers, some sheet music and other miscellaneous papers littering my art table. Within minutes I was gluing these miscellaneous fragments together and making simple compositions. The fire of creativity is burning within me again. I will tackle some challenges that have come across my desk. White on White. Holiday themes. I can feel the oxygen circulating around me.

On Display at Carol Stream Library in Illinois

Yesterday, with the assistance of my daughter, Victoria, I hung 11 collages at the Carol Stream Library. There is a certain good feeling when viewing your work in a grouping in a public place. I hope anyone who sees it will offer comments. But the sale of a work would equally place a smile on my face. The triptych was one of my landscape collages created from an abstract acrylic painting.

What Medium Am I Working In?

I have studied watercolor, acrylic, print-making and clay. Yet when I created my first collage I sensed that I had found my medium. What was it that gave me that sense of satisfaction? It was the piecing together, the gluing the cutting but most of all it was knowing I could re-use and recycle. I was trained as a child to waste not by my mother. So the lesson stayed on until my adulthood. There is an incredible satisfaction in knowing that some discarded object can be put to use in a new and unique way. And so I began to look at old watercolors, acrylics that did not pass the test of completed and satisfactory pieces. At first these works became little 4 X 6 note cards. Then larger pieces emerged from scraps. Learning how to integrate successfully has been the greatest challenge. Learning from the masters like Rauschenberg, Schwitters and others is a great help. Today I incorporate many media to try to communicate my message. I like using anything that suggests language, music, and imagery of the spiritual whether it be objects of faith or God's creation.

Why Did I Become An Artist?

As an elementary school child I was led to believe that my art was not very good. I could not copy or draw as the more proficient children could and so I felt dismissed as an artist. I loved doing crafts which I learned through girl scouts or from my father. I liked working with my hands. The belief that I was not a good artist stayed with me for over thirty years. In the meantime my passion was learning about the great artists through art history and visiting art museums around the world. The passion never went away. As a substitute for painting or drawing I took up photography and competed in camera clubs and learned as much as I could about lighting and composition. And then, I reached a certain age in life when I could confidently say "I don't care what others think, I want to express myself through art." My soul-mate and girlfriend, Dena, and I decided one day over coffee that we would enroll in a watercolor class. We had an understanding, and supportive teacher, Angelique. We thrived and we became artists. There was no looking back. I would never be just an observer. Whenever life gets in the way and I cannot create art in some fashion, I become an unbearable person to be with. ART IS MY OXYGEN.

End of Year for teaching art to kids at risk

It is the end of the school year and art has ended for the students at risk where I taught art. It was a difficult year of challenging the art teacher as well as other authorities. However, one project stands out as successful because the students were engaged in the process and were pleased with their results. It make a great bulletin board for the school hallway.

My work is published

I have just received a few copies of the recent publication of the Prairie Light Review (A publication of the College of DuPage in Illinois). My work, Elements of Nature, was published and it looks great because the colors are vivid and clean. It is always fun to see your work in print. The same collage is currently on display at a wonderful gallery in south suburban Chicago, the Tall Grass Gallery. The exhibit of 99 pieces of collages and altered purses is wonderful. I am very proud to be the current President of the Midwest Collage Society. The group is very energetic and innovative in their creative work.

Completion is satisfying

I really feel good about completing some pieces no matter how small. This 4 X 6 speaks of antiquities. When I was in college I considered majoring in anthropology or archeology. It did not happen but I still gravitate to imagery of antiquities.

Winter Calm

At the suggestion of a friend I am working through some variations on a theme of trees. For me, a TREE is my link with nature. I cannot imagine living without trees, seeing them everyday, admiring their shapes, colors, grandeur. I like trees in all seasons. In the winter I love looking at the shape of their bare branches and how the snow clings to the limbs. In spring, from a distance one can see the trees that bloom like the crabapple, the rosebud, or the dogwood. In the forest I love the trees as they overlap their branches and support all the birds, squirrels and cicadas. Fall brings the rich yellows and oranges and reds--a terrific feast for the eyes.

Walking the Labyrinth

After a busy workshop of the Midwest Collage Society where all the members (20) participated in a mixed media frenzy I was in need of a calming activity. I decided to do a meditative walk through an outdoor labyrinth in my neighborhood behind the church of St. Thomas the Apostle. It is circular and it took 22 minutes to complete the walk if you keep a slow and steady pace. There are many turns and sometimes one retraces ones steps. It is very much a journey as is life. We sometimes retrace our steps and repeat certain behaviors. I have had a fascination with labyrinths for several years.

My Entry Sold

"Homage to Nature's Rituals" a mixed media and collage piece measuring 8 X 8" was sold at the Inspiring Change Exhibit and Sale in Chicago, with partial proceeds going to the Sierra Club. Thank you, Steve. I hope you enjoy it for a very long time.
I have had feelings of low self worth this winter. This sale is helping me overcome this feeling of funk which I understand is common among artists and creators. Even though one creates for oneself, the appreciation of others is something that encourages me to continue. Whether a sale or an award, the acknowledgement feeds my soul and creative spirit.

The Sunrise in Ft Lauderdale by the Sea

This is the first time to use my new camera in Florida. I am using my 35mm Nikon that my husband gave me for Christmas. It is a bit clunkier but I love it. It offers me more options. Some of which I have no clue about.

Gifts from the Sea

During the last four days two girlfriends and I escaped to Florida for a much needed self made retreat. Of course each morning without an alarm clock I awoke at 6:30 am and within minutes I was on the beach to greet the rising sun. Then the morning walk of about a mile began. Scanning the shoreline one always find something of interest. For a visual artist there are limitless possibilites as the ocean gifts us with many treasures. On the first day there were dozens of jelly fish and portugese man of war along the shore. They were a warning that ocean swimming would not be advisable during those days. On the third and fourth day the ocean was quiet and serene and there were no more jelly fish and portugese man of war. As usual, I did run into my dear friend whom I only see on the beach, Karla. She meditates every morning on the beach and she draws hearts in the sand. We chat a bit. She exudes LOVE for all of the earth's creation. A retreat energizes ones creative spirit.

Laura and her "kurka" series

My friend Laura Inspires Me

I believe in supporting my artist friends. Laura had a fabulous display at the Morton Arboretum today. Her display inspired me to continue creating my personal art. This was a great way to celebrate Earth Day and the weather was perfect too.

Inspiring Change

In celebration of Earth Day I am part of an art exhibit that is benefitting the Sierra Club. If sold my collage of a tree will help support the work of the Sierra Club.The exhibition begins today and runs until next weekend at the Space 900 gallery on 1040 W. Huron Ave. in Chicago.

Why Create Art?

Sometimes this is the question I ask myself when I am dissappointed that sales of my work are very low. Sometimes I ask this of myself when my art is not coming along as I would wish. But the answer is best written by Julia Cameron: "when we express our creativity, we are a conduit for the great creator to explore, express, and expand it's divine nature and our own. We are like songbirds. When one of us gives voice to our true nature, it is contagious and others soon give tonge as well."

Creatively Discouraged

After several entries into shows that resulted in disappointment I fell into a creative funk. So I stayed away from my studio and created meals instead of art. After visiting some art galleries and exhibits in Chicago I am starting to feel optimistic again. I shall begin by lingering in my studio and looking for possibilities for completing some almost done works. I hope to have some examples in the near future. Today I dropped off work for a Sierra Club exhibit called Inspiring Change. In the meantime, I am working on lifting my creative energy by journalling and making decorative papers.

Wild Woman Dancing

In celebrating Women's History Month and International Day of the Woman I created this tiny little 4 X 6 piece from an old painting on Yupo paper. Li like the energy of this woman as it speaks of the energy of women all over the world. At the sme time I am re-reading the book of Ann Morrow Lindberg, A Gift From the Sea. My personal way of celebrating women.

Monotypes and Monoprints

During my printmaking days I loved making monotypes and monoprints. Next Monday I will be doing a demonstration of monotypes that require no press for the DuPage Art League. I will begin my presentation by giving a little background of montypes and monoprints. It turns out that many artists made monotypes and contemporary artists continue to use this medium. It is fun, freeing and often surprising. I usually don't go in with a preconceived idea of what will come out. I like the surprise element. Most often the result is merely a starting piece which requires enhancing in some way. Sometimes I use watersoluble crayons to add line work as in this piece. Other times it becomes my background for a collage. Monoprints have also been a source of several of my artworks. In this case you already have an image but in the inking it becomes one of a kind rather than a limited edition of a few inked and printed in the same way.

Demonstration of Pysanky

I will be doing a demonstration at a local church on the history, the symbols and the techniques of designing Ukrainian Easter eggs at the beginning of March. I have been doing this art for many years.

Landscape Triptych

Angel of Peace

I attended the screening of a documentary called Ground Truth presented by the Pax Christi organization and my soul needed to create a commemorative work to call for PEACE in our troubled world. This work is 9" X 12" in which I have recycled a fragment of my collagraph print, collaged it onto a piece of canvas which had been painted with acrylic. Once collaged the whole painting was covered with acrylic gloss medium. PEACE BE WITH YOU.

Celebrate Reconcilliation

A 4X 6 collage painting on canvas with magazine clippings incorprated and monoprint fragments. I was inspired by the beauty of the chalice.

Postcard for our precious Earth

I called this 4X 6 collage painting Love This Earth. It began as a larger acrylic painting which lost its appeal for me and so it got cut up into 4 X 6 individual postcards. Each one will somehow evolve into a finished collage. This one consists of some collaged papers, an image transfer and a real leaf all encased in several layers of of gloss medium. I guess my philosophy is never throw any art away because it may evolve into a completely different work. As an artist I am constantly evolving. Collage helps me use up my unfinished masters......

These babies just keep flying out of the studio

I feel like I am on a roll. This little 4 X 6" piece has gone through many transformations. It began as a watercolor, transformed itself into an experimental fragment to try out some metalic acrylic paints on , and kept me irritated with its incompletion. Sometimes those irritants can force the hand to keep at it. So I finished it with an image transfer and a clipping from a magazine. I call it "Swaying Under the Moonlight." As beautiful as it is, snowing outside my window, I can only dream of witnessing the swaying grasses under the moonlight.

A quote from Robert Rauschenberg

I have always been intrigued by the work of contemporary artist R. Rauschenberg. He has been a prolific producer of all kinds of art: humourous, large, small, lithographs, mixed media, combines and some controversial art. I found this quote by him and it is helping me to see things in a new light. "Restrictions aren't limitations, they're just what you happen to be working with."

Another one dedicated to our precious environment

This collage painting is 8" X8". It began as a large painting on some heavy watercolor paper. It was all red and I was stumped as to where to go. Then I decided to experiment. This often is when my most successful paintings evolve. Is it the freedom of letting go of all the cerebral stuff that allows the work to emerge? I rolled out some yellow and orange with a roller. Wow that was fun. By that time I was on a roll and I added some magazine textured paper, a transfer and some cutout leaves from tissue paper. Voila, I was done and pleased.

Volunteering and Sharing Art Knowledge

This week I was invited to the unveiling and dedication of a collage that I helped students make at the Glenbard East High School in Glen Ellyn. The students are members of a Club that is dedicated to making the world a better place and they wanted to create a collage to express their commitment to be instruments of change. They began by creating their individually designed hands, cut them out and then glued the hands onto an acrylic painted stretched canvas. They worked on the floor because of the large size of canvas. Their enthusiasm was so infectious and I was proud to be their coach. By the way none of the students are taking art due to heavy schedules of academic classes. What a pity they are missing out. They do have talent.

Ode to the Gingko

With all the attention being given to global warming and its detrimental effects on weather and nature in general I began to refocus on my interest in this subject. I have always dedicated some of my art to nature. First when I became a photographer and then when I painted landscapes, flowers and trees. My favorite tree is the gingko and every fall I make it my tradition to gather a few leaves and press them. This little collage is merely 5" X 5" on a gallery wrapped canvas. The seed pods are just another seed I gather on the beach of Lauderdale by the Sea in Florida. I included it in the collage because no matter where I go I always seem to be attracted to what falls at my feet. Enjoy.

Babel 4

I have been really intrigued and inspired by foreign languages for a long time. The written word has been used in this collage. From ancient writings to contemporary Spanish, Arabic and Greek. This is an 8 X 10 painting using image transfers, sealed with gloss medium.

Babel Series Continues

This is another collage painting on the theme of Babel (meaning confusion).

A second in the series of Articles of Faith. Canvas painted in acrylics with magazine images and Greek fragments from a prayer book.

How Do I LOOK?

Two more for the International Collage Exchange

I have been working on my collage exchange pieces since the beginning of the year. The progress has been slower than I anticipated due to some studio reorganization. I accidentally fell into a series called the Babel Series. This relates to the tower of Babel in the Bible and I feel is current because of a recent film of that title. I believe conflicts can be avoided if we learn to understand each other. My fascination with languages began many years ago. As a child I used to make up my own languages. Having the ability to travel to foreign countries has also fueled my interest in languages and communication.
The first piece is called Babel I, It is on canvas with image transfers and measures 4 X 6. The second image is called How Do I Look? It is 4 X 6 and is on canvas, with acrylic and magazine clips glued onto the base. Enjoy!

Blue Nile Rhapsody

Completion of this collage is a good feeling since it has been on the table for about a year awaiting the right components. It was an original watercolor that was collaged with the Egyptian figure then photocopied with altered coloring. This summer while in Florida I collaged tissue paper and tinted it with blues that effect me from looking at the ocean. This seemed to be the right support for the rest. The completed piece has been covered with gloss medium. Final size 7 X 9 will be glued onto an 8 X 10 matboard and mailed with the rest of the Baker's Dozen to New Zealand.

Serenity

Another spiritual piece: 4 X 6 using magazine imagery and tinted papers.

Homage to Motherhood

Using postage stamps and an old painting on Yupo paper.

Here and Now

This is a 4 X 6 collage using some old paintings, magazine scraps etc. My interest in landscapes is evident in this piece. Also I have a fascination with time and clocks.

History's Labyrinth

I like making references to ancient times in my artwork. I had considered a career in anthropology at one time. My fascination continues with things ancient. This again is a small collage 5 X 7.

Enlightenment

A 5 X 7 collage using magazine image, my own tinted coffee filter paper and acrylic paint. Using images of the buddha is my way of connecting to the spiritual.

Urbanscape

Using artchitectural images from magazines, this 4 X 6 collage is glued onto an old monotype that was less than successful on its own. I like recycling my old failed paintings. It is just the way I was brought up.

Kinship

Another baker's dozen for the International Collage Exchange. This piece is 5" X 7" and has acyrlic paint, image transfers and some tinted papers. The two images make reference to the forbidden fruit of Eve.

This is one of my Baker's Dozen

Variations On A Theme: 6" X 7" Music pages collaged onto a bristol board. Glued with gloss medium and sealed with gloss medium. This is a piece that was inspired by my days of practising piano as a kid. I didn't like practicing the routine exercises. Yet I loved hearing piano pieces by Paganini. There was a piece called Variations on a theme by Paganini. Thus the title. I had considered titling it 5 easy pieces like the move of several years ago.

Intternational Collage Exchange Project

I am working hard on the project to produce 13 pieces to send to New Zealand. Seven have been completed.