ART WEEKEND

recycled linoleum art

my new fun art phase

This recycled cabinet door started with a coat of varied greens and blues with white spatters.

I decided to create a girl and a bird standing in the garden.  I made the flowers out of painted recycled linoleum and fabric.  Even some oil cloth.  The stems are black zippers.  I used telephone wires for her hair

and then created a mosaic for the upper borders of the frame. 

I am sitting with it for a few days.  I am still battling my cold which now has turned into a sinus infection

so am running to the clinic the morning to get some antibiotics. This bug is cutting into my work schedule and my art time.  Can't have that, now can I?

PIF>

embrace your good health.

and stay creative.

ta

WORK IN PROGRESS

Bare bones so far on this piece.  Adding the elements and then I can work on detail.  I was trying to decide on the border color.. and because of all the bright colors decided white.  Thinking about adding black stripes or checks but not sure yet.  I want to do a lot of flowers and then arrange them .. for now they are simply setting on the board. 

I have caught a rotten cold and it really depletes my creative energy.  Yesterday I was too sick to do anything.  Today feeling better, but having to do some laundry,etc before I can totally do art.  Which is probably better anyway. 

I have been using the linoleum for the flowers but decided to add some fabric on the round flower.  I will also paint some colors and patterns on the lino flowers when I get them all done.  When everything is done, I want to seal it all with Golden's high gloss varnish. 

Planning on a series of this style for the upcoming show in March which is about recycled art.  I have really liked playing with the linoleum.  It's easy to cut and creates wonderful texture.  I am in the mood for springtime flowers and color.  January can be so dreary.. but not here in my studio!

But for now,

time to catch up on the necessary parts of life.

PIF

create a joyful space in your world

it makes everyone smile!

NEW ART

finally.

I have been over thinking this piece.

Which is an affliction that I get now and then.

Disconnect the thinking and tap into the muse.

So I did.

And I am already smiling at this piece.

Using a recycled cabinet door.. the back of it.

Sanded and painted. 

Have plans to cover the border.

Using all recycled on this piece.

Upcoming show

Untamed and Reclaimed.

fun fun.

smiling

PIF

life is precious

and meant for joy.

GETTING SERIOUS ABOUT ART OR NOT

I have an art show coming up in March.  That's 6 weeks from now.  And I have been brewing ideas for several weeks now with no true vision of what I want to do. 

Does that sound familiar?

So this morning I made a conscious decision to be unconscious...

 thanks to a fellow artist's comments about such.

This is my morning's work.  Prepping linoleum as my art medium.  Just going with my current

interest in recycle art.  Repurposing.  I will use these painted pieces of linoleum to create my series of

recycle themed art.  The small squares air drying on a clothes dryer rack, something I use often to dry painted dictionary pages.  Works quite well.  The multi colored painted piece above is larger as I was going for multi colors.  I might do another  less blended piece.. more jackson pollack kind.. splatters and splashes, to get another kind of color and texture.

As to unconscious.  Yes.  That is the exact message I needed to hear this morning.

Relying on my thinking brain rather than my muse.. would continue to create blocks for me.

Opening the door to the unknown and letting play and heart come into my art, that is where I want to go.

I know this.  I have know this for a long time.

But my persistent brain keeps bullying it's way into the studio.

So thanks for PIF

from the artist who commented on his FB page.

He has no idea what he did for me today.

I hope I am PIF for you today.

Let your art muse guide you.

ta for now.



NEW MORNING NEW DAY NEW POSSIBLITIES

Morning World.

I gasped at this sight.

I feel the JOY of LIFE

of NEW promises..

new POSSIBLITIES..

A birth of what if.

I am blessed with the gift of positive attitude.  I live my life in the light of YES.

And when I listen to a dear friend hurt with depression and hard times,

my heart breaks.  I want to reach out and comfort.

I try to help, but often it's not wanted.

So I have to pull back and allow them their place in their Valley.

And then I feel a great gush of gratitude that I am able to live up high on my hilltop.

Oh but don't think I never feel the blues.

There are days when I trip and roll into the ditch and even times when I will spend some length of

down time.

But, thank God, I am able to pull myself up, dust myself off and whistle a happy tune.

This is the gift I think my Dad gave me.  He often would say to us..

"don't cry over spilt milk"

thanks Dad.

It has served me well in my life.

I have always found great joy in small things. 

(another Dad gift)

A good cup of coffee on a cold morning.

A snuggle with my honey.

The smell of his neck after his shower.

The nudge of our sweet lover boy dog early in the morning to wake me up.

The sound of laughter from my grandchild, even on a video.

It's that little moment in the day that makes your heart swell up and smile.

It's what I try to bring into my art.

PIF
yes

I will try that everyday of my life.

xooxox

SO MUCH FUN WITH RECYCLED ART!

I made more pins after yesterday's great SALE for 10 of these recycled linoleum pins to one great

artist friend of mine

http://elizabethsthilairenelson.blogspot.com/

Her art is AMAZING and her creative, abundant energy is mind boggling.

She saw my pins on facebook, and wanted 10 of them!

To have someone of her art caliber love my art, and buy, well I was just one happy girl yesterday.

Things have been perking up around here.  I have unloaded some dead weight from my business... some by their choice, some by mine.  And lo and behold, the good jujus just started flowing my way. 

New Year, New Hope, New Possiblities.

It's a beautiful way to start your year.

And I am very grateful and and mindful of the shift in energy.

ART just makes my life complete.

smiling,

PIF

and I will!

ta for now

BTW

the new pins are listed on my etsy site

http://www.lindadrake.etsy.com/

fun for Valentines Day

birthdays

or even bliss yourself.

xoxoxo

MORE SUNSHINE

This morning I decided to sit on the couch, watch True Grit.. the original version with John Wayne, and stitch

up my insert for this art piece I did yesterday.  I used some old white fabric that is wonderfully quilted, probably from an old mattress cover.  I liked the soft homey look to the fabric.  I lightly penciled the words in,

changing House to Home because it just is more, well, HOMEY!  than house.  I also added more

linoleum art to put a sun over the words.  I really, really am pleased with the outcome.  It just is a happy

piece of art. 

And I was so happy to watch the old John Wayne True Grit.  We went to see the new version last night.

I wasn't impressed, I am sorry to say.  I have always liked Jeff Bridges but for me, he just didn't cut it

for this movie.  For one thing, I had a hard time understanding his drawl.. he mumbled and often I couldn't understand exactly what he was saying.  I liked Hailee Stanfield protrayal as Mattie about as equally well as I liked Kim Darby.  Matt Damon was better than Glen Campbell, that goes without saying.  But the new version overall, no.  Filmed in Texas, not Colorado like the original version, so I am probably biased.  Though anyone

would like the scenery in the original I would think! 

I am still a TRUE fan of John Wayne.  Always will be.

PIF

smile at someone today! 

LAUTHTER IS THE SUNSHINE IN A HOUSE

Another beautiful sunny day and I have spent my morning creating just for the JOY of art.

I had this wooden frame in my stockpile.. a find from the thrift shop.  I look for these flat wide wooden frames

that I can do art on.  I have been playing with the linoleum and did some cut out flowers, hearts and even a butterfly.  So I decided to create an assemblage of these shapes on this frame I had painted turquoise.

The words struck a cord in me.. a quote from William M. Thackeray. 

Though now that I google it, I am finding

"A good laugh is the sunshine in a house"

I printed the words on cardstock and temporarily mounted it

in the frame.

Because I am planning on stitching the words on cloth.

But for now, this will do till I get time to do the stitching.

Adddint the roof was an added last touch after I choose the words.

I think this will be a happy addition to our happy home.

so smile today.

and remember to

PAY IT FORWARD.

more on that later.

ta

RECYCLED LINOLEUM ART

I have been playing with linoleum..

It's flexible, you can cut it with scissors,

paint it...

SO FUN!!!!!

I made these pins for friends for Valentine's Day.

You could also make these into magnets

Oh. I am going to have lots of fun with this new medium!!!

Plus it's recycling.

I am planning to stop by flooring stores to see if they

have scraps they are tossing out.

FREE

always makes me smile!

AND MY NEW WORD FOR 2011

stay tuned.

more on that later...

ta

HEART WINGS

24 x 24 mixed media

titled

HEART WINGS

I used Starbuck cup sleeves to make her wings.

Her dress is painted paper collage.

I have used this method before but not as painterly as this attempt.

I think I am hooked. 

Really fun.

Birds were torn from painted dictionary pages.

I have about 6 dictionaries that I use for mixed media.

I find them at the thrift shop.

I especially like the kind of paper in dictionaries.

I used a pencil to outline some areas.

Kimberely brand #9xxB

works beautifully over paint.

These are painted linoleum squares.  Another fun experiement I tried. 

Linoleum cuts so easy to make any shape.

I have to find some more of this "medium"

I love it!

This piece will go into the upcoming show at the Glenwood Springs Art Center.  It was so great

to be back into doing art.  I have been so busy through December with orders.  It's really, really cold outside these past few days.  Single digit.  I am not a winter person, especially when it gets this terribly cold.

So doing art in the studio with my wood burning stove crackling softly in the back ground,

Marley laying peacefully at my feet, and mom reading while she's here visiting..  we have had a nice

time.  Life is Good.

New Year.

Thinking about what my new word for 2011 will be.

ta for now.