Ancient Symbols

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I hope you are celebrating and having a fun day.  Don’t forget to wear green so that you won’t get pinched!

May the luck of the Irish be with you!

Ancient Symbols – Acrylic Art/Mixed Media Collage – 7.50 x 11 inches on paper

I painted this piece spontaneously from my imagination. Unfortunately not every painting I do in this way works out. Although it’s really wonderful when they do…

“Spontaneity is the quality of being able to do something just because you feel like it at the moment, of trusting your instincts, of taking yourself by surprise and snatching from the clutches of your well-organized routine a bit of unscheduled pleasure.” -Richard Iannelli

Happy Accidents

Today was another gorgeous, wonderful day here in northern California!

Today, I prepped a couple of sheets of watercolor paper for tomorrow and did this painting in the afternoon. It was one of those happy accidents.

I accidentally spilled some watercolor paint on the paper and as I was trying to clean it off, this winged figure started to appear. I then  began developing the painting with acrylics, colored pencils, inks, and pastel pencils.

This was way to much fun!

Threshold – Acrylic Art – Mixed Media Collage – 5 x 7 inches on paper

“Where the water whispers mid the shadowy rowan trees I have heard the Hidden People like the hum of swarming bees: And when the moon has risen and the brown burn glisters grey I have seen the Green Host marching in laughing disarray. – Fiona MacLeod

Continuing With Treescapes

Here is a new painting that I finished today. It was inspired by all the rain storms we have been having over the past couple of weeks.

The view from my studio window has been very dramatic with sheets of rain pouring down and thunder rumbling overhead. It was all rather exciting to watch Mother Nature at work. I love it!

March certainly roared in like the proverbial lion!

March Storm – Acrylic Art – Mixed Media Collage – 9 x 12 inches on paper.

“March bustles in on windy feet
And sweeps my doorstep and my street.
She washes and cleans with pounding rains,
Scrubbing the earth of winter stains.
She shakes the grime from carpet green
Till naught but fresh new blades are seen.
Then, house in order, all neat as a pin,
She ushers gentle springtime in.”
-   Susan Reiner, Spring Cleaning

When Trees Walked The Earth

Last night I had the strangest dream!

I dreamed that I was watching trees walk out of the ocean onto land. They walked in small groups, communicating with each other by waving their branches back and forth. The sky was orange with red and gold light playing across he landscape. The dream was very magical and I felt so happy and free. It was at that moment I realized I was a tree too.

After writing my dream down I got up and grabbed a cup of coffee. Then I decided to make a painting of my dream.

Even as a child I have always had unusual dreams, which include a great deal of detail, and I always dream in full technicolor, with all five senses engaged.

For more info on dreams and dream cards go here.

When Trees Walked the Earth – Acrylic Art – Mixed Media Collage – 9 x 12 inches on paper.

Monday

I finished this abstract painting over the weekend and now it is packaged and ready to be mailed out. It is an acrylic art -mixed media collage on watercolor paper with deckled edges.

Deep In The Woods – Acrylic Art-Mixed Media Collage – 5 x 7 inches on paper.

Detail of  “Deep in the Woods”.

Here it rained all weekend and is still raining. According to the Celtic calendar, March is the second month of Spring, and for us it seems it has started out as a wet blustery month.

The wind was blowing strong last night and this morning we found that there were dead branches and leaves strewn all over our yard. It was as if  Mother Nature decided to sweep and clean out the old to make way for the new.

I love Spring with all the daffodils bursting from the soil,  with their vibrant yellow heads stretching towards the sun and the cherry tree blossoms floating through the air. For me, this time of the year is like a living breathing poem.

” An optimist is the human personification of spring.” – Susan Bissonette

When Angels Dream

I wanted to be productive today and paint something so I created the abstract painting below. I am still working on this one.

I need to work some more on the angels and the background. I am thinking of  adding some touches of ink and metallic paint to spice it up a bit.

This afternoon, I prepped several sheets of watercolor paper with gesso and tissue paper for a project I want to do and they are drying as I type this.

Tomorrow I plan on letting my spirit out to play!

When Angels Dream – Acrylic/Watercolor – 8 x 10 inches on Watercolor Paper

“In order for my work to continue to evolve, I become involved in playfulness and take the opportunity to look at the ‘what – ifs.’ Whatever the result, it expands my vision by letting go of who I think I am and discovering the spirit within.” – Jean Deemer

Work In Progress

I am still working on the Lady of the Forest painting. Below is a photo of my progress so far. It’s been a slow go, but only because there has been so many other things needing my attention. “C’est la vie”

I am looking forward to this weekend because we don’t have anything important planned and we can spend some quality time together, and maybe do a bit of sketching around town or stay home and play with paint.

Lady of the Forest #3 Acrylic/ Watercolor/Mixed Medium – 16 x 20 inches -on  Canvas

”The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.” -Picasso.

Acrylic Warm Up Exercises

I started out this beautiful sunny morning with some warm up exercises using acrylic alcohol resist techniques and metallic watercolor paint.

The beauty of these is that they can be used as a start for a painting or you can tear them up into interesting shapes and use them as collage material for other paintings. You can also leave them as is and frame them.

Sorry, the photo is a little crooked (not the painting).

Acrylic/Watercolor – 11 x14 inches on Watercolor Paper

“A painting is never finished – it simply stops in interesting places.” – Paul Gardner

More Spirit Pouches

Back in my studio . . . Making more Spirit Pouches  . . . Very busy but having fun!!

Spirit Pouch # 1 – Work in progress

Spirit Pouch # 2 – Work in progress

“If you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life.” -Confucius

Spirit Pouch

I spent the afternoon playing around in the studio making a couple of spirit pouches. I make these with watercolor paper, acrylic paint and ink.

When I have finished painting I place feathers, white sage, natural fibers, crystals, etc… into the pouch area. I then add turquoise beads and other natural gemstones to finish the piece.

Below is my personal Spirit Pouch which hangs in my studio.

Spirit Pouch – Mixed Media – 5 x 8 inches.

Hang the Spirit Pouch on your wall  somewhere in your house where you can see it as a reminder of your connection to spirit.

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