Growing up

It's funny that when we you use a bigger brush, start blocking in color, use less color more carefully, remember to look where your sunshine is coming from - they say "your work looks more mature". Those boring things we learn along the way like adding every little detail, using color indiscriminately, being afraid of adding the darks, never looking to where your light comes from makes us look like we are just learning to speak this expression of art. If we only go back to our childish ways, sometimes our paintings grow up. Maybe because it's so hard to stop yourself from trying to give the viewer more than we think he needs. It's funny that our paintings begin moving out of adolescents when we begin moving back to simplicity.

I'm glad I'm seeing a little growth in my paintings. I hope you see it too. But it can be a little scarey growing up. But I just have to keep letting go of what has always been in me and let my little girl child paint.... freely again, without the critic in my ear, without the chatter in my head.

I still have a thousand paintings in front of me. And me and my girl-child will grow old together down this path. You just wait and see.

Collage is taking me places.

Collage is teaching me so much. I'm learning more and more about color and design from adding and layering elements and being fearless and trusting myself with my tools and my imagination.

It's no small thing to collage. I'm learning that it is an amazing tool toward better art but it is an amazing art in itself.

I love the idea of doing smaller pieces and finding the things that really work in them and then transferring those ideas to larger pieces.

The building in the background was the Presentation Center outside of Los Gatos, California. And the tree is also a photograph and the shadow my own idea of the reflection.

I sketched this model on the back of a scrap piece of paper while on the plane and then layered her in to this collage. I added napkins for additional layers. Her arm says, "Everything you can imagine is real".

That's what collage can do ..make what you imagine ... real.... and touchable, and reachable.

Imagining in that Alice-In-Wonderland World can be the most freeing activity. It is something no one, no circumstance, not age, nothing can take from you- the right to let your mind wander to a better place - to your own beautiful garden of Eden- a place to create. And then to write it or draw it or share with the world and hopefully, create the ripple affect that continues on to another.

Art is no small thing.

She Dreams of Horses

I've always loved drawing and painting horses but have steered away from a realistic painting because, in my culture, if you don't paint them RIGHT, you shouldn't even try. So I decided to take from a master of his craft, Virgil Stephens, who sells art to real horse people in the western part of the US (and all over the world)- but to the toughest critics of all, in my opinion. I was pleased with my final drawing.



He won't let up on you until you get it right and I love that about him. Although this composition is a little boring, it did teach a lot about the anatomy of the horse and I look forward to applying these skills to a more delectable composition in the future.

He also showed a demonstration on rub-outs and really whet my appetite to begin earnestly painting with oils. Mr. Stephens studied under Lou Maetas who is a master painter in this technique.

Lots of new things floating around in my head as I feel pushed further and further along by this passionate discontent to match my skill to my taste in art. I can see it like a brilliantly lit city in the night as I ride closer and closer from out in the far horizon.

Thanks for being my saddle tramp. If you have an interest in a 3 day workshop be sure and contact Virgil or Emily Stephens. They are setting up future workshops now.

Angel Muse

I got a new journal and I don't know what possessed me to try out my new Shiva oil sticks on the first page, but I just thought it was time. This was a little picture on a pocket calender I received in the mail and I thought I would try a study of it. I soon realized I was way over my head with hands and face tones but it certainly was great practice. Now I know why the oil painters get the big bucks. IT'S HARD.

But you should shake yourself up every now and then. Don't you think?

I'm so happy to have a small moleskin again. Maybe this Angel Muse will help me along as I fill up the pages.

Use Your Heart Up

Have you ever loved something or someone and they let you down? And maybe you decided that you were going to guard your heart against being hurt again? And that maybe you would save a piece of your heart, afraid that you might use it all up before you die?

I have found that if you love a human or an animal that eventually they are going to let you down. They are either are going to leave you, die on you or disappoint you at some point.

I decided a long time ago that I wanted to die with a used up, beaten up, bruised up, banged up, worn-out heart. I want to love with my heart to the death. Because in the end- I'm going to get a new one to replace it.

Don't get me wrong. There are boundaries to be set with certain types of individuals. But how they LOVE is their responsibility and how you love them is yours.

Don't be afraid of getting hurt, just give it all away until it's used up. What are you saving it for anyway?

Signed: odd chick

Spring Palette

My spring palette has sprung! I'm still loving faces and the practice has been wonderful for me. This little spring chick (9X9 wood panel) sold in less than 24 hours after painting her. How fun is that??

But you know what is really cool? I'm getting emails from my daughter of sketches that she is doing in her NEW journal with her new colored pencils I bought her and they're awesome. She has a very stressful job and I kept worrying about her when I would hear tension in her voice and in her life. I know that sketching and doodling can sooo relieve stress and if our artful journey taught her that then WOOOHOOO! so worth it!

It is so true that ART can be that healthy drug-of-choice and can bring healing to our lives. It takes so little to put pen or paint to paper, but it gives back so much more.

Sweet Farmer just bought me 8 more wood panels so I gotta get busy!

Art is frozen ZEN - R.H. Blyth

An Artful Journey

I and my lovely daughter, Joli, just returned from an Artful Journey. This is a new little mixed-media piece on watercolor paper on which I practiced some interesting techniques. You can certainly see Kelly Rae Roberts' influence on this piece. Kelly Rae Roberts and Mati Rose are two amazing artists that lead us through 3 days of collage on steroids! The room soon looked like a large pinata full of paint and paper had exploded within, and it was non-stop painting, inspiration, laughing, stamping, sticking, some good tears, more laughter and lots of hugs and "you go girls" everywhere.

I will forever be grateful that Joli and I took the initiative back in July of 2009 to sign up and take the journey together. We made amazing new friendships with women from England, Canada, and Australia, and all over the United States.

(Can't wait to introduce you to their blogs and art!)
I'm a little overwhelmed with the feelings, friendships and the creative spark this kind of retreat sparked in me. It will take me awhile to process. My mind needs unpacking and the new truths I've learned need to be over-turned like fresh compost in a new rose garden - slowly, with intention and gratefulness.

I'll be back soon to show you what is blooming in my head.

A Girl at Any Age

I've been practicing little folk art faces because I took an on-line class from Sharon Tomlinson whose art really speaks to me.

This represents the GIRL at every age. I turned 50, my daughter turned 30 and my mom turned 70 last year. I needed a little painting that would represent that special year for me.

This is a heirloom photo we had made by a local photographer to also commemorate the occasion.

We are a close trio - we talk with one another almost every other day and share our lives and our hearts and our hurts. With me and Mom, its always been about the little one (the beauty in the middle). Whatever we can do to make her journey better in this world you can bet one of us, if not both of us, will step up to the plate.

She is the new and improved model and she passes on the female goddess of our tribe, and the best of both of us.

I'm taking her to An Artful Journey in 3 days to San Jose, California as a special gift and time to share together. We should have lots of fun stuff to show you from that adventure with Kelly Rae Roberts and Mati Rose.

Did I mention that I am feeling like one very blessed girl?

Seeing RED

I'm so into RED right now! It has made crazy creative. I had to paint these roosters and their red beards and cones, and then give them heart effects from FLIKr.

It could be my new red heart I got to decorate my coffee table and to remind Sweet Farmer that he makes my heart beat faster when he walks into the room.

Or it could be this crazy new wine topper my daughter gave me for Christmas. It makes me think of her and her wild, wonky style

Or maybe it's this new red rooibos tea that I combine -cinnamon and orange and pomegranate -that warms my heart!

This is the only decent red flower I ever been able to paint. Getting real vibrant red is harder than you think!

But LOVIN' RED right now!

My hope is that one of these things will make you SEE RED. and get your heart geared up for Valentines.

Madonna Madness

If you live in New Mexico long enough and look at art books long enough, and you love art, and try your hand at art- it is my opinion that you will eventually be driven to paint a Madonna figure.

I had to try my hand. And I know this is only the beginning for me and finding my own elusive Madonna.

There is something hauntingly sacred and mysterious about the Madonna image- maybe because she's imprinted on our minds from thousands of years of art. Apart from the worship of her, I think she represents the image of all mothers, the all-nurturing, and mysterious sacredness and divine collaboration of creative beginnings of all things. Pretty powerful stuff.

Of course I had to mess with mine. I am seeking to close the gap between what I can create digitally (of my own paintings) and my skill in art (I'm taking your advice Steve) because I always like the images I manipulate better thank my basic painted image.

If you want to see some really inspiring art from a Texas artist , Rene Alvarado, who was from Mexico originally, check this out. He totally inspired me.

I would love it if you would leave me links or blogs of others who you think paint awesome Madonnas (including your own) because I love to look at them.