I finally finished this piece that has been lurking in my mind for some time. It is a mixed media piece using paint, paper, fabric, found metal objects and stamps.

Mother to be

I saw a contest somewhere that had something to do with looking at a photo of yourself and using that as a jumping off point for a piece of art.  I didn't enter the contest, but I did the challenge and this is the result. That little girl pushing the doll is me at about age 4. The kids on the right hand side are all mine. Kind of a mixture of long ago and now.

Art apps on my iphone

I have a few different art applications on my iphone, but until recently I have had trouble using them, finding it very difficult to work on such a small surface using my finger. This week I purchased a stylus, hoping that it would make sketching on my phone a bit easier. Above is the result of my playing around with my new stylus. I think I still need more practice. But the stylus definitely does help.

Swirl Girl

My kids told me when I started my blog that I would have to post every day. I am just not that verbose. So, it's been at least a week since my last post, maybe even as much as two weeks.  I've been working on various things, but haven't completely finished any of them until last night. So, here is my newest painting. I call it Swirl Girl.

Artist Trading Cards-Inseperable

One word, two interpretations, that was my challenge for these two ATCs. These are fun to make because they are small and you can play around without worrying too much about the outcome. It would be fun to have a party where everyone makes some artist trading cards. Maybe I'll plan one.

Getting organized

We seem to have papers covering most of the horizontal surfaces in our home. So much so, that to use the island in the kitchen I have to shift papers to a different location. Our dining room table is also always covered in mail, magazines, and other miscellaneous papers that are all waiting to be sorted and taken care of. So, my solution was to make a type of file pocket in which to place all of these papers and thereby freeing up counter and table space as well as keeping everything organized a bit better.

This first one is made from the fabric I used for my window treatments in our family room and kitchen. This version has two grommets at the top that allow me to hang it on the wall in our kitchen. The only reason it is not stuffed full of papers is because I spent an hour going through everything before I took this picture.

This second one is made out of canvas that I hand painted using a variety of techniques. I then added some 3 dimensional embellishments to make it more interesting. I decided to make a rod pocket at the top and insert a hanger so it can hang from a door hook in my studio. I am using this one to keep the magazines I am currently reading.

I USED to like this piece

I appreciate constructive criticism, really I do. But I've learned something: if I am HAPPY with a piece and then someone offers a piece of constructive criticism, I don't need to take the suggestions and immediately "fix" it. The original version of this painting was one with which I was really happy. The lady's face had a great feel to it. But then, someone offered some constructive criticism. The eyes weren't really lined up correctly and so on. So, I tried to fix it. The more I tried to fix it, the worse it got. She totally lost the feel she had and now I really dislike the piece. And she still isn't really right from a classical art perspective, but now I'm so frustrated that I ruined a piece that originally made me happy that I don't want to work on it any more. The point is, I liked it the way it was originally, even if it wasn't classically correct. I should have left it alone. That's not to say that I don't want constructive criticism and helpful suggestions. It just means that I need to decide how to sift through them and when to use them.

How much is one serving?

I was playing around one day with various papers and images and somehow these things seemed to fit together. I remember seeing a funny, albeit sort of sick, bumper sticker that said I love kids, but I can't eat a whole one.  That bumper sticker came to mind, and I made this piece as a response to it. So, maybe my sense of humor is slightly twisted.

Thankful

So, I am very blessed to have my children. There was a time when I didn't think I would be able to have children at all. It was a very dark and very depressing time for me. When I finally got pregnant with my first child, I was so overwhelmed with joy and at the same time I felt more vulnerable than I had ever felt before. At one point during the pregnancy, the doctors were almost certain that I had cancer and that they would have to remove my only remaining ovary and the possibility that I would loose the pregnancy was very high. I refused to have surgery. As it turned out, I did not have cancer, and I ended up giving birth to a beautiful baby girl. I now have five children, all of whom I carried within my body. For that, I am eternally thankful. I have many friends and acquaintances, however,  who were not blessed with carrying children and giving birth. Some of them have children that they have adopted. Some of them remain childless. Those friends who have adopted children love those children every bit as much as I love mine. Their hearts are bound to those little lives just as my heart is bound to the lives of my children. Those who remain childless have found other avenues in which to pour out the love their hearts ache to give.

This is something I painted while trying out some techniques from the book Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts. I used gel medium to adhere background papers to a page in a sketchbook, then added paint, and then added alcohol ink with a roller. The girl is painted using acrylic paints, and the flower is a transfer made with omni gel. I added text from an old book.

I believe in Angels

I've made a few of these angels. The face on this one is my grandmother, but I've done some with clipart faces also. I gave my mother and some other family members these angels as gifts, and the faces that I put in theirs are the faces of loved ones they have lost. I'm still fooling around with them, and no two are exactly alike.

100% Natural

100% Natural
Originally uploaded by sew/artdiva

I created this as sort of a reaction to plastic surgery. I know so many women who have had some sort of plastic surgery and while I wish that I could do so as well, it also strikes me as sad that people (especially women I think) feel like that is the only way to be beautiful.

Day One

Today is the first day of my new blog. I am having trouble getting the text in my banner not to look blurry. I made the banner in photoshop and saved it for web devices, but no matter what I do, I can't seem to make it look crisp. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.