Sacred Spirals
Lady of the Sacred Spirals - 4 x 5 inches – Mixed Media
I created this digital painting from an acrylic mixed medium painting of mine. First I made the mask and then attached it to a canvas.
After it had dried I applied a thick coat of acrylic medium and then sculpted the feathers and the drape over the head, next I applied wool for the hair and various kinds of art paper to give the image more texture. It took almost two weeks for the piece to dry. lol
It was painted using golden acrylics, watercolor and inks. When it was finished I took a bunch of photos and selected one to scan into photo shop. I used Painter 7 to create the final painting you see now. The original canvas was 22 x 28 inches and has already found a home.
I really let my child out to play on this one and the whole process was way too much fun! I may have to do this again once the sun comes out again.
Raining Blue
Here is another digital morning warm up exercise.
This time I used digital liquid ink on hot press paper. I did several 4 x 5 inch paintings, and each one turned out a little different.
I sometimes use these as a point of reference for traditional paintings. This way I can experiment with new ideas without the expense of purchasing new canvases, and if I don’t like what I ‘ve created I can hit the delete button.
This also allows me to play around with several different compositions before choosing one, and helps me to figure out what medium would work best for each new painting.
As an example, lets say I wanted to turn this one into a traditional painting. I would probably use acrylics, collage elements, gesso, crackle paste, and light modeling paste on canvas.
Raining Blue – Digital Painting – 4 x 5 inches – Digital Liquid ink on hot press paper.
thought for the day;
“if you want to get better at painting or making art, then do it everyday (passionately/religiously) as if there is no tomorrow. Let go of the judge within, and be surrounded by positive, supportive people. Be gentle on yourself and others. Give. Never hold back. ” – Nancy Davis Bilbro
Lughnasa
I started out my morning with my usual daily warm up exercises. Instead of working with traditional mediums today, I did my morning warm ups using Corel Painter IX. 5.
My inspiration for the day came from the word “Lughnasa,” which is one of the four main festivals of the Medieval Irish Calendar, celebrating the beginning of the Harvest season.
It’s that time of the year when blackberry bushes are heavy with ripened fruit, and there are subtle changes in the light, a golden haze that seems to wrap itself around everything.
I love this time of the year even though there is a lingering sadness as summer comes to an end.
Lughnasa – Digital Painting – Oils – 4 x 5 – on heavy hand made paper
quote for the day;
“Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,
Ripening fields lush- bright with promise;
Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing
Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn.”
- Michelle L. Thieme, August’s Crown
Star Of The Sea
Star Of The Sea – Mixed Media – 5 x 7 inches – Work in progress
This morning I started working on an idea I had for a painting inspired by seashells I found in a box while rummaging through our garage.
There were tiny starfish no bigger than the tip of my little finger and seashells of every shape and color imaginable. I also found sea glass, tiny round stones, dried sea grass and a cornucopia of treasures I had gathered on one of our seaside visits.
I felt like a little girl who had found a magical treasure box!
Over the years I have found beautiful pieces of driftwood, and an odd assortment of sea shells, and sea onions for art projects, and as reference material for sketches.
I love the way sea onions look when dried and they are great for making rattles and little wizened magical creatures.
thoughts for the day;
“Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war.” -Loren Eiseley
“Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think.” – Robert Henri
The Butterfly
The Blue Butterfly – Mixed Media – 10 x 13 inches
This painting/collage was inspired by an encounter with a white butterfly yesterday.
While I was weeding in the garden I saw a white butterfly come into the garden and land on a nearby plant. I took a minute to admire it and then continued on with my weeding.
Suddenly I noticed a fluttering next to my cheek. It was the butterfly! I remained perfectly still, completely surprised that it had landed on my hair. Several minutes passed before it flew away.
Butterflies are powerful symbols for transformation and change.
It is believed that when we encounter butterflies in our daily life they are a reminder to embrace change, joy and love, within the dance of life.
The dance of the butterfly teaches us not to take things too seriously. If we look closely at what the butterfly is trying to teach, we will discover it is that all change is good. It may not seem like it at the time but change is the never ending cycle of self transformation and is necessary for growth and accomplishment.
When we believe that change is too difficult, we invite stagnation and soul loss. We lose our courage to embrace life and transform into the beautiful, loving, powerful beings we are meant to become.
Drink deeply of the magic that the butterfly has to offer and taste the sweetness of life. – Rose Arizmendi
quote for the day;
“May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun, and find your shoulder to light on To bring you luck, happiness and riches today, tomorrow and beyond.” – Irish Blessing
The Hopi perform a sacred ceremonial butterfly dance in August and early September which they perform to petition for rain, good health, and a long life for all living things.
A New Painting
For the past week or so I have been busy working on this new painting.
Today I worked on the bodice area and next I will be adding another layer for some detail and dimension. Then I will start working on the rest of the dress.
I still have a long way to go, but I am happy with the way things are progressing.
Awen – Welsh word for “(divine) inspiration.” – Mixed Media – 12 x 16 inches
thought for the day;
“Wind comes from the spring star in the East,
Fire comes from the summer star in the South,
Water comes from the autumn star in the West,
Wisdom, silence, and death come from the winter
star in the North.” – Fiona MacLeod
The Sea
The Sea – Mixed Media – 8 X II inches
I’ve been working on quite a few projects lately, and this painting is one of them. At this point, it’s still a work in progress.
The preliminary sketch of the mermaid has been floating around in my studio for some time. Every time I came across it I meant to do something with it, but never did.
I finally started working on it yesterday and this is as far as I got. . . .
I still have a long way to go on this one and a lot of changes are likely going to happen.
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” – C. G. Jung
Raining Rabbits
It was hard to get started this morning. It was cold and dank and a slow drizzle of rain greeted me as I stepped out the back door. I quickly went back inside and slipped into some warm fuzzy socks and my boots before going out again. Brrr
I worked some more on Jack the rabbit but other than that I didn’t get much done except for cleaning out my closet a bit.
Work in progress – the rabbit for the “Jack Rabbit Moon”, painting. Mixed Media – 11 x 14 inches
Stormy Day
“And here the sunflower of the spring
Burns bright in morning’s beam.”
- Ebenezer Elliott (“The Corn Law Rhymer”)
Sunflower – Mixed Media – 8 x 10 inches
It rained all day and very hard at times. At one point the rain came down so hard our dog started barking.
I managed to get some painting done in the afternoon and made some significant progress on a painting I have been working on for awhile. I will try to post it later.
Afterwards I cleaned up and I had some free time to relax and enjoy a good strong cup of hot tea.
“The best kind of rain, of course, is a cozy rain. This is the kind the anonymous medieval poet makes me remember, the rain that falls on a day when you’d just as soon stay in bed a little longer, write letters or read a good book by the fire, take early tea with hot scones and jam and look out the streaked window with complacency.” – Susan Allen Toth, England For All Seasons
Swan Maiden
The Swan Maiden painting is almost finished, but I have a few more details I want to add to it. I have been working on this painting off and on since February of this year and promised myself it would be finished by January 2009.
This painting was loosely inspired by the Irish legend of the beautiful Swan Maiden “Caer Ibormeith”. She was the daughter Of Prince Ethal Anbuail of Sid Uamuin in Connacht.
Legend has it that every other Samhain she would change into a swan and would remain in this form for a year before becoming human again the following Samhain. Visit the post on June 17th for more info.
The Swan Maiden – Mixed Media – 16 x 20
Caer Ibormeith
I wandered down to the waters
And walked by the riverside,
I wandered down to the waters
Some solace there to find.
I sat with a heart of sorrow
Beside a silent pool
I sat with a heart of sorrow
And wept for the lonely world.
When over the silent waters
A creature to me came
When over the silent waters
A swan with a golden chain.
She sang out her song so sweetly
Her wavering melody
She sang out her song so sweetly
That it put my heart at peace.
Sing on, fair swan, I cried to her,
Sing on, to bring the day
Sing on, fair swan, I cried to her,
But she had swum away.
- Jamie Alexandre.
