SHEER INSPIRATION

"Take something. Do something to it. Do something else to it." - Jasper Johns

Back in November, I spent a wonderful weekend with a group of very talented women. We went with the purpose of seeing the Russian Icon Museum in Massachusetts. We worked in a studio together sharing thoughts and techniques. One of the artists in the group was Ellen Kochansky. She is a textile artist and works with objects that have been discarded and reworks them and "sandwiches" these items into beautiful transparent collages and wall hangings made of silk and a natural glue that she cooks up in her kitchen. She was kind enough to share this magical technique with all of us. These pieces are my interpretation of the technique. Of course, I had to throw in some bits and pieces of copper. Thank you Ellen, for your artwork and inspiration.

 

THE BIG 6-0 AND THE TRITE PALM TREE

I am about to reach a milestone.  The big one. Sixty. I feel pretty darn good about it. No, "sixty is the youth of old age" or "sixty is the new forty" for me. I am just going to be plain sixty.  No rose colored glasses.

I am going to celebrate the entire year.

Spending some time in Jamaica is a good way to start. Yes, it is.

Getting away from the cold, damp, snowy northeast, is a perfect way to celebrate. 

I laugh at the cold and say goodbye and good riddance. Nothing profound here.

Is there anything better than the blues of the Caribbean Sea?

The lush foliage and ............

....and of course, getting to put on my flip flops.

My and my buds on the most beautiful golf course I've ever played, the White Witch. Not bad being the only girl in a foursome. Yes, an artist and a golfer go together, strangely enough.

Quite a wonderful view from the first tee.

Back at the beach I gather souvenirs in the form of sketches.

I think one of the dilemmas of many artists is to avoid being trite. A palm tree is one if those things that I find amazingly beautiful. It brings me much peace and happiness sitting on the beach looking at the shape, seeing the texture on the trunk, the beautiful greens on the fronds, the sound of the breeze blowing through the branches. What could be better....except that as an artist, it is virtually impossible to create an image of this tree without it being trite.

I have decided that I will do sixty things this year that I have never done. Not just like jumping out of an airplane (which I have done).....it can be something simple, like try eating tripe (yuck) or learn a new yoga move. Perhaps conquering the creation of a not trite palm tree will be on the list.

Ever notice the roots? I think they are beautiful......dreadlock like, eh?

Yes, that is what sixty is about. Warming up the old bones....surrounded by beauty and the ones you love, practicing yoga, playing golf, learning new things every day, drinking a cold Red Stripe, eating some spicy jerk chicken and looking at......

....palm trees.

ART JOURNALING

Who said "don't judge a book by its cover" ?

-1944 in the American journal American Speech as "you can't judge a book by its binding".

In 1946 the phrase first appeared in the murder mystery novel Murder in the Glass Room (by Edwin Rolfe and Lester Fuller) as "you can never tell a book by its cover."

I am proud to say that I have an article in the new issue of Art Journaling Magazine entitled "The Creative Cover Up- Artistic Journal Covers" . It is one of the many amazing creative publications that are available from Stampington.  Their magazines can be found at most Barnes and Noble, Borders and art supply stores.  Thanks to Amber Demien and her staff for their support. These photos are details from the covers in the article.

HANDCRAFTED

“How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?    -Dr. Seuss

Happy New Year to everyone!!!

My plan every year during the holiday giving season, is to create something for everyone. It is an amazing feeling to give someone something that you made. With little time and feeling a bit dry in the inspiration department. I had a trip to New York and checked out the windows at Bergdorfs.  One of the windows had a display of these lovely little dolls made of vintage parts. The artists are called Primitive Twig. I decided that the concept was brilliant and that doing a bit of tweaking on my own....such as heading downtown to Pearl River for some new tea tins and hunting through my own selection of doll parts and found objects and of course getting out the copper to make clothing, I got started.

I decided to call my little "frankendolls" TEAmates (that was my daughter in laws suggestion) Thanks Jordana!! A handcrafted gift of a doll, tea and quotes about teas.

Here you can see one of the pieces in the window. I would imagine that they did quite well!!!! Imagine, having your work in the Bergdorf holiday windows!!!

This doll had no eyes, so I cut out eyes from my own self portrait sketch and added them myself.

I bought new tea tins and used sand paper and paint to age them.

Inspiration

This is my favorite. Most of the pieces I found in France at a flea market. I gave it to my daughter and she loved it. The head and base are from a damaged lamp.

THE ART OF OBSERVATION-THE OBSERVATION OF ART-ANSELM KIEFER IN NEW YORK

"There is a special border, the border between art and life that often shifts deceptively. Yet, without this border, there is no art. In the process of being produced, art borrows material from life, and the traces of life still shine through the completed work of art. But, at the same time, the distance from life is the essence, the substance of art. And, yet, life has still left its traces. The more scarred the work of art is by the battles waged on the borders between art and life, the more interesting it becomes."
--Anselm Kiefer

I dare to try and blend some pages that I have done in a book, with the brilliance of some of the work by Anselm Kiefer, that I saw a few days ago at the Gagosian Gallery in New York, titled, Next Year in Jerusalem. My critique is simple. I was in awe. It was inspiring in so many ways. Installation, sculpture, painting, photography. It was theatrical, interactive and drawing on every emotion.

While taking the time to observe as much detail as possible, I became immersed in watching how other people were observing each piece. They became as much a part of the work as what I was seeing inside the huge glass cases.

Around the corner from Gagosian you will find a building full of galleries. On one floor is the Sears Peyton Gallery. There you will find the work of painter Robert Schmid.  The top photo is a detail. he works in oils, combining images from a variety of photos and the result is magical.

I shared this wonderful day with some friends. Elizabeth (who happens to be the wife of Robert Schmid), Isabel and Seth.