Inspired by...

What's inspiring me these days? Texture, type, abstract, free, loose, scrappy, grungy, torn, well worn, easy, did I say texture? distressed, used, vintage looking images. 

I know this is easy to do digitally, but I've been working on getting the same look on canvas and paper the old school way. With a brayer, paint, oil pastels, stencils, stamps, and a large assortment of makeshift tools from my kitchen and the dollar store. It's a great way to relieve stress and most of the time the results are great too.

All images are from ZGallerie

Create Mixed Media

I received some wonderful news yesterday. Next month I'll have seven of my mixed media paintings featured on Create Mixed Media. I have been asked to do "the week in art" and I am both thrilled and honored. I was introduced to this site through this post on The Altered Page. If you haven't checked out the site yet you're in for a treat as it's chock full of inspiration and information. If it has anything at all to do with mixed media you will find it at Create Mixed Media.

I'm off to the studio now to dig out my supplies and get creative. This is the part that I enjoy the most. Just playing with the art supplies and letting them take over. It's a very intuitive process for me. I know I'll have to remind myself to stop and photograph my process to share with you in a future post.

Recyle, Re-use, Make Art

The cats are going crazy as they usually do when I bring home something exciting. I popped out this morning to meet an artist friend-my sister, for coffee. Eva's website and blog are under construction, but you can see a few examples of her work and a bio here. She's also part of Art Interiors roster of artists. It's great to get together with her weekly and chat about all things art. We bounce ideas off each other, motivate and inspire each other and yes sometimes just bitch about stuff. I stopped by her studio after and received a great big pile of papers. Beautiful natural Japanese papers, tissue, printed and plain, textured paper, and a delightful pile of ephemera that she no longer has use for. A collage artists dream and much needed here for the new series of paintings that I've been working on for this show. And I'm sure I'll be up a few nights working on hand made collaged cards that I'll be selling here. Thanks again Eva. I'm now full of ideas to get some new work started. So now I'm off to sort them by color. Actually, today was the perfect day to receive a beautiful pile of recycled paper that I'll be reusing in some art. Happy Earth Day!

p.s. I took my own Starbucks travel mug with me today and will be taking it with me from now on.

Happy Happy Art Supplies

Have I told you that I love back to school time? That means that there are always good sales happening for back to school supplies and art supplies. To me there's just something about opening a brand new box of pencil crayons or oil pastels. All the colors lined up just like rainbows. Shiny, unused freshly sharpened points all waiting to be the first ones chosen. Oooh, think of the possibilities!!!!

Today I made my way out to my local art supply store and stocked up some new items. Brand new watercolor pencils and oil pastels that I'll be incorporating into my new mixed media work. And plenty of small stretched canvases. These will become small landscapes in acrylic that will be going to Art Interiors for their annual "Festival of Smalls" in November. Now I'm off to start using some of the new goodies I purchased today.