Friday, April 18, 2008

Magpie


Just decided to play with whatever was in reach at my desk. Started by painting the canvas black, then punched out circles from a few catalogs (DickBlick, Anthropologie, and Land of Nod). Drew some circles from a scrap of paper I had punched out the other day, which reminded me of beaded necklaces, which made me think of Magpies. The white is just layers of tissue paper put on with matte medium. Painted the magpie and glittered my beads. Oh, and the border is masking tape.
This is one of my favorite pieces so far. Not that I have any idea what I will do with it. May have no choice, my daughter requests everything I paint. I asked her why she wants everything I do, and her answer was simple "because I like it". I am glad that someone does :)

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Owning It

I have been thinking a lot lately about why I have two blogs - one for my everyday life and this one for my crafty life, and I think I have come up with an answer. I am ashamed of wanting to be artistic! How stupid is that? Okay, now the reason. My sperm-donor/father was (and as far as I know still is) an artist. I have such a loathing for this man that I have suppressed myself for YEARS! The reason I did not know what I wanted to do at college was because I did not want to say ART. My mother encouraged me in art. As hard pressed as she was to support us she let me do so much, including a watercolr class. She was proud of my artistic side ... but I was not. I still am not. I hide what I create. Even my scrapbooking stuff, hidden away. I have spent so many years pushing any tie to him away that I have buried myself. I am slowly trying to overcome that. I have posted a link to this blog on my other blog, whether or not anyone has ever followed it remains to be seen. And along the same lines I have put a link to my real-life blog here for anyone who happens by. In the huge batches of photos I send my Mom through KodakGallery I have slipped in a few paintings. I am trying to own the fact that I AM AN ARTIST ... because I want to be, and because I say so!! Still, not so deep down I am still ashamed that it is so.

Monday, April 07, 2008

Playing with Paint - Again:)

This is me trying to layer. I have this irrational fear of layering. I absolutely love how it looks when other people do it, but I am so afraid of covering up something halfway decent with something horrid. Anyways, best thing to do is jump right in, and do it on something cheap :) This is just one of those cheapy canvas panels from Walmart. Now if I could just figure out how to paint a nose ... among other things!




And this was actually done first. Katie wanted to paint, and who can say no to that? So, she climbed up on my knee as usual and away we went. My husband may grit his teeth about our crafty projects, but who cares? I love my little artist and want to encourage her as much as I can. Who wants a life of prose when poetry is so much prettier ;)