Too many ideas

I can barely keep track of all the different projects I've started- or at least want to start.   Here's a look at the latest.

That's right, those are vintage Bingo markers, and a bag of them was delivered to my door this  morning.  When I saw them in an Etsy shop three days ago, a light bulb went off in my head.  I figured the blank wood markers would make great magnets.  I try to add a little something to all my Etsy orders, so I was thinking a few of these with every purchase might be nice. 



Seeing that I like to paint on wood, I've been wanting to do something with this guy. 

I found this wood whale in a Goodwill store at the Oregon coast. It has a beautiful contour, and I love how minimal it is.  The only markings are the carved words "Middleton, Canada" on the bottom of the piece.  I'm assuming this is where the whale was made. 



I haven't sketched out anything yet, but I'm thinking of painting waves along the bottom edge and different patterns on the tail.  I also want to create some kind of design at the top of the whale where the blowhole would be.



. . . now to just add a few more hours to my day.

A few days ago, I got back film that ran through this camera.  My daughter, who's running up the grassy knoll, took this picture of me.  I needed a photo of myself for the I AM artist exhibition, so I called upon the most talented 7 year-old photographer that I know (not that I know any others).



. . . and no, that house in the first picture isn't mine.  I only wish.

This Weekend: Little Winter Handmade Market

what :: beautiful art, handcrafted clothes and accessories, plus lovely paper goods

when :: thru sunday 5p

where :: the cleaners, downtown Portland

 darling wooden house ornaments from my house party

Mossiére, a new botanical-themed collection by Alyson Graves Brown

my favorite necklace by Sulu

a lovely yarn wrapped branch at Secret Pocket's table

the talented amanda blake- and i loved her outfit today

for the latest on little winter market, go here

Framed embroidery and drawing now available in my Etsy shop

PDX: Home Sweet Home



It feels great to have my first embroidery works finished and framed- a project that started several months ago.  The whole process was a new experience for me, so a lot time was spent problem-solving.   The most challenging part of the process was actually the framing.  I didn't really think through this part when working on the pieces.  I learned it would have been much easier if I had designed the fabric pieces to fit ready-made canvas frames versus designing custom frames to fit the works.  At least I found a great wood shop connection (just a few blocks away!), and the materials used for both of the outer frames was reclaimed wood.  The frame for PDX is reclaimed white oak, and the frame for Opus is reclaimed mahogany. 



Altogether I spent over 60 hours on the two embroidery works.  It seems like a lot of time for two small art pieces, but I'm quite pleased with how they turned out and look forward to starting the next one.  I'm thinking about going bigger this time, maybe a 10" x 15" piece.  (The two current works are around 9" x 9".) 

Another work that I had framed was this drawing called Sky + Forest.  I really like the minimal look of the frame; it doesn't take away from the art work.  I also like the fact that you can hang the art piece on a wall or have it sit on a shelf.



I attached wire to the new framed works, so they are all ready to hang.  The two pieces shown here are currently available in my Etsy shop.

I am in the I AM show

I'm thrilled to be one of the participating artists in the launch of the I AM show.  I AM, which is an online exhibition and a physical gallery in Austria, is the brainchild of artist Mareike Auer.  A couple of months ago, Mareike invited me to be part of the first exhibition, and I've been busy ever since working on some pieces for the show.  There are a total of seven works that I will be shipping off to Austria, including this embroidery piece, Opus, that I finally finished.

Here's a look at the other six works.

Daydream, arctic explorer, Eclipse

Inspired, Pods, Seasons



There are a total of 23 artists participating in the December show, including Ana Raimundo, Jessica Bell,  Cendrine Rovini, and fellow Portland artist, Lisa Golightly.  For a peek of some of the fabulous art in the I AM show, go here.  

Inspired by Kandinsky

If you're ever in Powell's Books in downtown Portland, you may find me perusing books in the bountiful art section.  Last year, I found this wonderful 1979 book on Russian-born artist Wassily Kandinsky (1866 - 1944).  Recognized as the father of abstract art, Kandinsky's works have inspired artists and admirers for the past 100 years.  Kandinsky has been a favorite artist of mine since I surveyed his works in an art history class 20 years ago.

I have always been a fan of this particular watercolor and ink painting, which art historians identify as being the first nonobjective art work.  Kandinsky painted this piece in 1910, yet it still maintains such a contemporary impression.  I truly love all the loose line strokes and the impulsive placement of vibrant, pure colors.  My work tends to be very structured, so I find this work to be so freeing.

I rarely "doodle" in my sketchbook, and I realized recently that I needed to allow myself to play around more with color and line. So, I started working on some pieces that were less representational and more spontaneous in design.

I like how this sketch turned out. It eventually became a study for a new piece called Daydream.

Daydream is a compilation of design elements that I've been using in my art the past year.  So, when looking at the work, it's like looking at memory bits.



Daydream is one of the pieces that will be part of next month's art show, which I will write more about tomorrow.

Coming up for air

October was quite the busy month regarding my photography and art.  And, on top of all that, I battled an ugly cold for a few weeks.  As of yesterday, things seem to be calming down a bit, and I finally feel more like myself again. 



For the past few weeks, I have been working on some original pieces for an art show that I am part of next month (more on this in a couple of days).  I was finally able to finish and frame my second embroidery piece which will be in the show.  Since I have several new works to reveal- some for the show and some for my Esty shop- I thought I'd spend the next few days talking about the individual pieces and my creative experience.



The latest addition to my Esty shop is called Autumn.  I tend to be hyper-detailed when working in pen and marker, so I wanted to create a piece that was more minimal in design.  As I began drawing the wave design of the river, asian art and patterns came to mind.  Some of my favorite asian works are traditional brush landscape paintings.  I love the use of empty space and repeating elements in these paintings, and you can see in some of my pieces how I draw on these key features for inspiration. 



Check back tomorrow to find out whose art work has inspired me for 20 years.