Last May Day

Hello everyone. Wow, is this year whizzing by or is it me?

It's been a wild week at home and at work. When zeroing in on art journaling, I realized I have always journaled, I've always drawn or whathaveyou in any communique with anyone, even letters. Doh! However, this new dimension I am experimenting with is fascinating to Yours Very Truly what with the multimedia. A couple of friends have told me "You'll love it." I know I will. I also can't wait to compare the work here on the blog to get some feedback.

T prefers the plain minimalism of the line drawings I do. Others enjoy the multimedia and/or paintings. We'll see.


Here is a nice couple, called "The Pinks", from the paper days. It was to be sold but I pulled it from the show at the last minute.



Let's not forget "Big Red". She's due for an update and you'll be the first to see her in a couple of weeks. She's acrylic on canvas... the frame is just a plain old, plain old for now. THAT is what will be updated. I was very proud of the "wooden floor" when I did this. I had studied an artist's similar work a couple years ago and tried and tested and finally managed to make it look more floor than oh, let's say, a rough comb-out of treebark. LOL.

And here, sitting in judgement over my every move, artwise or otherwise, is He On High. He was still fuming mad over spending the holiday weekend, boarded at the vet's.

But he got over it... have a good Junebug.

Later,
Candace

Checking In

Happy Day.


Trying something with the journaling I recently began -- my mom always called it "scribbling" not journaling. Funny how language changes. Now people "have a dialogue" instead of talks or discussions. I admit it, though. I found Teesha Moore's website (WOW) and am about to springboard into a new experience, just as an experiment, see where this new road takes me.

Slowly, surely, like squeezing blood from a turnip, I am trying new things alongside old things I have found to be tried and true for me. Like 140 lb. white paper -- large -- cut in half so I can sew them together and into an old shell of a book I found. Oh yes, I still have all those composition books too. Don't forget, line drawings, coloured papers, crayons. Or is it crayoning?

Oh and my lovely lovely mineral powders Kitten introduced me to. That was da bomb, as they used to say. I have both series now. Yummy.

I suppose I prefer lines as I still think of them for writing, of course. I could always draw anywhere. I was thrilled a few years ago when I discovered notebooks with lines on one side of the paper and cool blank serenity on the other just waiting for my handiwork... Yes, I even illustrated my docs and theses in college. Boy, did those docs and profs eat it up... LOL! Anyway, I will be showing the results next week, probably Memorial Day.


Will be taking off very early Friday for Edisto Island SC to go to the nephew's wedding Saturday. My dress -- can you believe that? I bought a dress for the first time in quite a long time so you know I mean business -- is so Audrey Hepburn, it's quite scary. I should get gloves to finish the ensemble. (snicker...)

A couple of people have asked to see the whole kit and kaboodle Animalympics Team I have here with me in Athens. So enjoy. And they're from top to bottom, the newest to the oldest.


Molly Brown, the ex-racing champ (who is doing a LOT better); Bess, our Go-To Personal Assistant; Kitty Boy, the creamsicle love of my life and Tsar, thrown from a BMW into my yard. Go figure that one out, if you can. I can't.

Later!
Candace

Did you ever have

one of those days? I've had a couple of years like that now. Well, okay, I am exaggerating but only a little. This old line drawing (lots of spirals, eh?) shows how I feel today. Is it a letdown from the weekend? Always possible, altho being with friends is infinitely preferable to being with a load of paperwork, lol.

The art and the writing go slowly. I always feel I have so much new to learn and hands on is usually done alone, this weekend being an exception. I don't compare myself or my art to that of others, although the temptation is a definite pull. That simply drives people nutty. We are all so different, yet this love of art and beauty and nature always the commonality.

Yesterday, Sunday, was a busy day. A lot to do in less than a week's time. The wedding looms (less than a week, Saturday Jon is married!), the dog is on medications, friends coming and going and goodbyeing and helloing... and I am just wanting to lie down and have a little nap.

Work at a standstill because someone is not prepared on the other end.

Later,

Candace

Another Funday

Isn't it funny how you just click with a person? I have to say that Kitten and I behave like we've known each other for years in many ways. I learned so much today and of course didn't take nearly enough photos... with her permission, however... here are some photos of her working her own brand of magic re: ATCs, jewelry (tiny wooden tiles she turns into very lovely pieces!), and other wonderful things.

Kitten's main mantra is basically "I love to play." She loves miniatures and she loves experimenting. She's a real deal finder as well and has hipped me to some great things that I either had long forgotten about or wasn't aware of. So while we didn't have as long as we'd hoped to get together and play around with our art, we had a grand time of it and I learned a lot and just had a great time in general.

I'm going to finish some ATCs that Kitten started ("your mission, should you decide to accept it") and next time we will be working with copper coil! Fantastic! Now that I have some cool mineral powders (two great tastes that taste great together, to coin a phrase, as these beauties are useful for art AND for makeup), I "went to town", so to speak, and experimented heavily on a piece, starting with a photocopy of a photograph of yours truly.

The one I did is the shot here in black and white. I gessoed the back of the photo and the front of the canvas and then pressed the copy down, working the air pockets and bubbles out as I pressed it down and gessoed it all over yet again.

The effect was a bit garish at first when I painted it over with acrylics. ("WOW, that is really ORANGE!" -- Kitten) But I found that when I watered it down, it took a lot of that pancake makeup effect out.

It now looks like a retouched photograph that's been damaged or is so old that its colours are all separating. Now it simply looks ghoulish -- except for the butterfly ball I am working on around the figure. Well, that works for me, for now!

Did some fun work for an art journal I am starting called "WINGING IT..." using the metallic powders and the Liquid Glass. FUN! Sharing the opening bit of it here, as well. Sorry for that dark spot... there was a cat, you see...


Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Candace

Busy Weekend

The photos I am sharing are a friend's very gorgeous airbrush of Hera. You've possibly -- if not probably -- seen Lisa's work and don't know it. Go here. http://www.whitewolfgallery.net/id13.html

I met Lisa when I worked at Crest Art Binders in Atlanta. It was like meeting a faerie from a Brian Froud book. Definitely talented, shy and self-effacing.



Also my favourite earrings. I made jewelry for a while and having these makes me want to do it again... all the time. I find it soothing and settling to make things like this. No, I did not make these. I wish!



Thank the Immortals the work week is over and I can get on with my real life again. Kitten will be here tomorrow and who knows what is going to happen??? I do know I am trying out some techniques found in a Somerset recently. There is a Hobby Lobby within 5 minutes of the Batcave as is a Michael's, as is a Barnes & Noble. So I picked up some fun canvases, two fer types, and replenished the gesso, and some of my paints. The Kinko's is a tad farther down the road here being 7 minutes away.


Kitten's bringing her camera and, of course, some very fun stuff. Yes, we are both sorely tired of -- as she put it so well -- "artisting alone". That's one of the things I have noticed around these parts, as I mentioned in the Craftstravaganzaa post, artists do tend to work alone, it's simply the nature of the beast. But everyone here seems so scattered geographically.

Now for the down news. Tickets for the London Trip are SOOOO outrageous right now, I am waiting for a "closer to" date. For one thing, altho oil/gas may not go down, tourism probably will. As a matter of fact, it's already being noted by friends in the industry. For another thing, I'm traveling in November, an "off season" for most Americans and their ilk. I know, I know taking a chance on those "last minute" deals can be a little horsey but I am sooo willing to ride!

One week from today is the trip to Edisto, SC for the big wedding deal. On the beach... what to wear besides a Mojito and a towel? Gee, if this was all I ever had to worry about, I'd be ahead of the rat race by far.


Later. Enjoy your weekend.



Candace

And Now For Something Completely Different

Oh how I love this suncatcher I received from Joe and Pita. It's hanging up in my LR window and is a constant source of not only color but complete happiness. So unexpected and so perfect. I once worked in glass art; and I do love it still. But it's not what I am up to now.

This cardboard piece is called "The Least of My Brethren" and is one of the largest I had done when I started working again in a more primitive, "get out of the box" style when I know I had to go back to art -- or just lay down and curl up my toes. The quote is an admonition that no matter what one's belief system, it's one most people can relate to and understand. The cat was the original bad boy of the world ginger we had and boy, was he loved. And do I ever miss him, oddly enough as he not only was not mine, really, but he barely tolerated my being in the same county as himself, let alone the same room.

At that time all I worked with was a bucket of color markers, crayons and coloured pencils. And pens of course. Oh yeah and cardboard or just plain old paper! LOL. I still do a lot of my first drafts and sketches with the pens and/or coloured pencils. This piece one is completely flat, with none of the usual dimension, or texture. That's for later. Yes, this one is being revisited.

Speaking of revisiting, the black and white pictured here is being worked on now. You will definitely get to see it in all its glory in about a week or so. No name yet... and sorry, I cut the top of her carrot "halo" off a bit. She's sitting on a tree stump, of course, holding a rabbit. (Rabbits are a favourite subject matter as are foxes and the orange cats. And birds. Oh no, let's not forget those little darlings.) Her name: Our Lady of The Lagomorphs.

Later, Candace

The Door To CandyLand

This door goes to where??? When I moved here, it was just there. Seriously, so I made up this story that this is a door to a special place, an alternate universe where I can just go through undetected to wherever I need to be to have and get what I need and want and require. (That's a back view of Home.)

It's in my back yard, solidly just there. No explanation. Steve says it's always been here. I think it needs some decorations...

And Happy Mother's Day to those of you who are moms, grandmas, etc. It wasn't in the cards for me but as the Danish proverb goes: Life doesn't consist in holding a good hand of cards but in playing a poor hand well.

I was happy for the partial solo weekend. I had a good nap but then stayed up till 3 AM -- !!! -- working on a couple of projects for My and Kitten's art day coming up soon, sooner, soonest. There isn't a studio to speak of. How envious I am of those with "real" studios! Sigh...

The spoons (in one of my last year's "cloth paper scissors") will be finished Friday, as will the art journal and another project, a miniature shrine. I am making the shrine from scratch and am taking photos of the process for those who are interested or have any advice, etc.

Take care.

Candace