Rug hooked doll

As i type this, my internet could turn off at any minute. I have been having trouble with my phones lines for many days now. I can check in to the internet but only sporatically. ugh! Qwest is supposed to come and fix my lines by the end of the week. (I hope).
I finished my new rug hooked doll. She is quite large, 16" x 8" by 6" wide.

Ophelia

Meet Ophelia. She loves the snow, but lately it has been getting to her. She has to walk up a step hill to access her car because the snow is still so thick on her street. She is happy however, that she got to go to the Macy's sale today. She was getting a little bit of cabin fever!

Baby Baluga

Meet Baby Baluga. She measures about 16 inches tall and 8 inches wide. She is machine stitched. Stuffed with poly-fil and made of recycled flannel and wool. She just loves her new hat that I made for her! She says it reminds her of Mickey mouse ears!

Then and Now

This is what my home looked like in the summer....

This is what it looks like now.... oh my,,,, so much snow.... I have never been involved with so much snow,,, and this is Seattle, what the heck! I am planning on working on my rug hooking projects the next couple of days. Rug hooking just seems so comforting in the winter. Stay warm....

A sketch and a painting

When I paint I usually just sit down at my studio table, think of an idea and paint. This time I had my idea pre-formed from a sketch I did beforehand. I wanted to sketch it out before I forgot what it was!

"I Must Be Dreaming" 9 x 12, canvas, acrylic, graphite, pitt pens

Journal page

It is snowing here in the Seattle area, almost all the schools are closed. I hope the ice melts so we can get around, but it is forecast to stay in low temperatures for quite some time!

Rule of thumb

This idea has been going around in my head for a while. Rule of thumb,,,,,, what's that mean,,, I have a thumb and I have a ruler!!!

Icy day and some new journal pages...

We are experiencing an artic blast here in Seattle. It's below 20 degrees I believe. We are headed for some more snow soon, but for now,,,,, I am journaling.

xo...

Journal page

I got to meet with my wonderful artist friends at Third Place books today. Quality time, and time to create in my journal. It was a great day. And, I got a massage too!

Fabric art pins

I started making some pins today. They are first painted on heavy artist canvas. Then they are stuffed with a little fiber fill for substance. I sew fun fabric around the edges and add pin back on the back. They measure about 4 - 5 inches round. Fun to wear, or add to your artist journal pouch, or purse.

Moleskine goodness

Big painting

I worked on her some more today. I'm not sure about her yet.... maybe some more to do.... I'll just "process" for a while and take a fresh look later.

Similar, Illustration Friday

I made these for my Christmas cards this year. I painted the image on watercolor paper then photocopied them. I liked the one on the left so I chose that one. They could double as Valentine's cards too, don't you think?

Re-doing my painting from Jesse's class

I am in the process of re-doing the painting I did in Jesse Reno's class in Portland.

I was never satisfied that it was finished so I have taken a whole new approach to it.

It's not finished yet, I am just getting started... I so love this big format... 24" x 48 inches ,,,,, that's really big for me. I am not sure I like her big red lips,,, where did those come from! Still working on the finishing touches... more later,, please visit again...

xo...

New book out

The fabulous Susan Tuttle has a new book out. I can't wait to see it. The buzz is that it has lots of great new ideas.
Congratulations, Susan!

She is having a contest on her blog too.

Gustavo Aimar

I love the work of Gustavo Aimar. He is a wonderful illustrator. Here is a short clip of one of his artist books.

Planning my Christmas cards

My friend Kim gave me a great idea for my Christmas cards this year. I'm still working out the details,,,, but I finally came up with my idea. These are the original paintings.

Balloon... Illustration Friday

This is a piece I created several months ago, but I still love it!

O brave new world

I am creating another submission to "Pocketful" magazine. I use my Moleskin to create ideas for a draft before I send in the final illustration.

"O brave new world is not only about exploring new lands, but also exploring new parts of ourselves. It takes strength and courage to cross over familiar boundaries, but it takes the bravest of us to follow through. There are no boundaries and rules are meant to be broken."

Moleskine cover

I have been working in my moleskin. I added my ceramic button (I made in cermics class) to the front. I always finish my covers last, or at least when my moleskine is almost filled up. I'm not sure why I do it that way. I guess I need to be happy with the inside before I make the outside. As I write this, that is the way life is too. You have to be happy on the inside so you can be happy on the outside. Probably poorly stated but you get what I mean!

Surely

Now that my ceramics class is over I have a little more time for my favorite love...painting. I have also had time to work in my moleskine.

I found out that usps has square boxes that I can use to ship my ceramic pieces in, so I will be offering a few for sale when I have the boxes to mail them in. Thank you to everyone who has asked me about my new ceramic pieces.

"Pretend" Illustration Friday

"Pretend"
"She pretended she was a princess with a room full of kittens"
8 x 10, canvas, acrylic

available

...and some more....

From the kiln...

Here are some of my latest pieces. I found that there are some brighter colors that will fire to a cone 10. I only had a few days of my class left so I was only able to buy "real orange" and use it on my last pieces. I so want to continue pottery. It's in my soul.

If only...

"We only have the present,,, if only we could remember our past".

Hope

Here is "Hope", created on 8 x 10 inch gallery wrapped canvas. Available in my shop. I created her right after Obama won the Presidential election!

Art Journal Button

Melissa of Pug Notes is making wonderful art journals. Isn't the fabric wonderful! I love how she incorporated my button on her Journal! Check out her blog for more art journal inspiration.

New pots

Here are a few more of my new pieces. They take so long to make, each piece has my original art painted on it with underglaze. If I were to just dunk them in glaze, I would be able to finish them quicker.
Thrown on a wheel, bisque fired first, then painted and glazed, then
high fire to cone 10, lead free, dishwasher safe. Each one is hand made and unique. Any imperfections only add to the charm of the piece.

Tara Ross Butttonsss

Tara Ross Butttonsss
Originally uploaded by danny mansmith

Danny bought some of my buttons. I love how he photographed them!
http://www.scrapdannymansmith.etsy.com/

Unloading the kiln

Lots of cool stuff came out today!!! More later!!

Collaborative

I made this sketch for me and my friend Syd. We are going to do a collaborative art project together. We are still waiting for supplies. Basically it will be a canvas inside a fabric envelope. We will both get to work in each others and send them back and forth.
(click on image to see it better)

Probable Friends 2

By combining my painting with ceramics, I have created this whimsical art. I painted my original panting on gallery wrapped canvas. I hand made the ceramic button she is holding and attached it to the canvas by sewing the button on with waxed polyester thread. Waxed polyester thread is very sturdy and will not break. I get it from Teesha Moore and just love it!

You can purchse this original piece in my shop
xo...

Probable Friends

First painting in my series called "Probable Friends". Will be in my shop soon.
The measurements are 9 x 12, gallery wrapped canvas, acrylic, molding paste, graphite, and lots of love!

Taa Daa!

xo...

Small ceramic bowl

Here is one of my small pots. I didn't have very many pieces in the high fire kiln yesterday, but next week, I should have quite a few pieces. I love ceramics. I go to bed at night thinking about how a can throw a bowl, or how it will be painted with my original drawings. I'm obsessed! There is so much to learn and so many steps, unlike painting. And at any step of the way, a piece can get ruined. I love the simplicity of making a pot. My work will never be perfect like so many potters strive to make a perfect piece without any blemishes, perfectly round etc. I think if a piece is too perfect, it looks like it is mass produced. My pieces will still have my whimsical touch, without taking it too seriously.

Here is what Ayumi Horie (one of my favorite potters) says about her pieces. "My cardinal rule is not to overwork a pot, but rather to throw it or assemble it with freshness and candor. If a tear develops, I patch it with a band-aid of clay; if a pot is accidentally dented, it becomes another thing that defines its character. There is great pleasure in understanding a pot’s history of making and seeing that it might have a certain awkwardness or vulnerability".

I just love that!


By Ayumi Horie