Another beginning...always!

With the beginning of this new vision that I have come to PLUS trying to start a group up here...and, well...REGULAR life I find myself always feeling like I am behind!  Since right now I am working for myself I have to laugh that I feel this way...but...well, I do!...sigh...smile...grin...It's ok...I'm about to take a nap...so perks come with this too...:)

I'm thinking cherry tomatoes (before I eat them up) for this one...I already have my visual laid out and my stream picked out (in case you haven't noticed in my new work there is a stream of paper threading its way throughout my pieces...I find it helps to pull the eye across what is largely very vertical shapes in my work)...and also is fun for those more organic type shapes...and, I just like it!  So, when I say I'm streaming...that is the term I came up with for this compositional piece of my work.

I've been thinking other types of texture for my new work...so you can see the first play with it...I'm a likin it!  It's just a little bit more...a little bit new...we always have to keep moving forward...never get complacent with what we find come out of us!

As I do...I'm sharing the latest awesome view I get to see while living up here...this one was the moon rise over the city of Denver... it is hard to catch the moon without a tiny bit of movement...a photographer I am not...still it is pretty...enjoy!!

Playing Around with Composition

 I have several supports for possible finished works...I LOVE that they are all different..

one 10x8" 1 1/2" gallery wrap canvas

one 6x 12" cradled panel

one 8x16" 1" gallery wrap canvas

and one 12x12" cradled wood panel

The past couple of days I've been in the lab making sunflower paper casts out of newspaper.  Two things have come up in the past day or so that have put me back in the lab.  First, the book that Arnold Grummer is writing...As they are getting to the preparation for sending it to the editor stage I have learned that since it will be called "Trash into Treasure" the focus is on GREEN!  It will be coming out on earth day 2011...great marketing strategy I suppose!!  SOOOO...I've been brainstorming with the Grummers on how we can use my methods and create the greenest work possible for those who would like to do these type projects (not to the same level as mine as they said...) with the greenest materials possible.  That means recycling, that means other materials...THUS the newspaper casts.  I like the way the sunflowers came out, so on to step two...how to present them in the best way possible...:)  RIGHT UP MY ALLEY!!  Second, a new show that will accept recycled work...again...THUS THE NEWSPAPER SUNFLOWERS!  SO, for me to take care of two issues with one project makes me HAPPY!! FUN STUFF!!

Today I am playing with composition for my wonderful little sunflower babies...I like different things about each...I have enough sunflowers and a blackbird or two for more than one piece... So far I've come up with three possibilities...probably more before the day is out...My limitation is that I must create work that has a finished edge to it as there is no time for ordering frames...Again, FUN STUFF!!

 #1:  8x16" 1" gallery wrap canvas...a fun idea with part of the one sunflower cut off ...hmmm...liking this one!!

 #2:  12x12" cradled wood panel...this could work as well!!

This could be a nice and simple companion to the other one...only I think I'd place the flower a little higher...add a stem...:)

I think I would have gotten further today except for the fact that some dear friends of ours...more like second parents were in a terrible accident.  Ben had 9 fractured ribs and a collapsed lung so we were off to the hospital to see him and make sure he was going to be OK.  Those darn snows...and they live in Evergreen...they just got plowed into! WHEW...glad he's going to make it, but his lung collapsed again while we were visiting so he isn't out of the woods YET.  His dear wife, Doneva is scheduled to have surgery on Wednesday for breast cancer...so these dear people need any prayers and well wishes that any of you out there are willing to give!!  Can you imagine...facing a scary surgery in one hospital with your husband in ICU at another hospital!!  Kinda makes one feel blessed with their daily small annoyances doesn't it!!  I'm sure anyone who reads this will be pulling for Ben and Doneva...the two second best parent like people I know!!  Hang in there you two!!

For the rest of you out there...HAPPY SUNDAY CREATING!!

Pine and Aspen Completed

"Pine and Aspen" is a 5x7" collage on canvas. I made just a few additions to this piece that, even though they may seem small were important to the composition and focal area. I added one aspen on the right and a pine, but worked to keep them in the background so as to bring more focus on the pine and aspen on the left. The strong horizontal with just a slight upturn were important to draw the eye to the right, and the very light suggestion of pine boughs on the right helped to unify the piece. This painting is available on my website.

I want to thank Autum Leaves for sending me several bird pics AND a link to others! Because she sent me pics and a link I am putting her name in the next give-away three times total. Any others who wish to send me pics I will add your name more than once into our next drawing.

In a post coming soon (as soon as my hubby gets them from the storage) I will be adding a few things to a give-away I will talk about soon that will come in December...right around the corner!!

Until then my blogger friends...HAPPY PAINTING and welcome to my newest followers!!