4 Generations

We in Ohio have been blessed with really good weather for a change.  We have not had much snow at all, other than a tiny dusting here and there - that is - until today.  Today I think we got nearly 10" and there is supposed to be a little more on the way.  It is January after all.  But somehow I had this irrational hope that it would hold off until, oh, say...about APRIL!  And then, be SPRING!  Ha-ha!

I've had a lot of little changes in my life this fall and have had to come to terms with some health issues, but overall, I'm a very lucky lady.  And I even found a little time to make some art before Christmas - most of which was gifted to others.  I did the little 8" x 8" painting here - done in acrylics and mixed media.  I gave it to my sister Carrie (who is a writer) and while it isn't an accurate snapshot of the women in our family, it is perhaps more "representational" of them.  I really love that primitive, flat-dimensioned look of the paintings done in the early 1800's so was going for that sort of look, but they were meant to depict, L-R, back row - my mom Patricia Louise Strachan Ryman, her mom, Mildred Elizabeth Irvin Strachan and HER mom, Carrie Minerva Mitchell Irvin.  The front row is, L-R - my sisters, Cynthia Lea Ryman Newsome and Carrie Ann Ryman and me, Diana Louise Ryman.  It was a lot of fun to work on and I think my sweet sis really liked it.

In 2012 I'm hoping to focus on more de-cluttering of my art stash, painting a room or two in the house and the more fun type of painting - on canvas.  I've always admired the looser, more "painterly" style some artists such as Mystele and Sharon Tomlinson, achieve.  So I plan to teach myself how to paint this way too.  I feel like my work is too up-tight and controlled.  One of my friends, Jean Field, recently suggested that I "use a larger brush" to help me achieve this look, so I'll start there.  Sounds so simple, doesn't it?  Ha! Wish me luck!

Enough is enough!

Have you ever had to have "the talk" with yourself?  No - not the S-E-X talk.  The S-T-U-F-F talk is what I mean.  That's when you have to tell yourself (sometimes repeatedly) that you have enough STUFF already and you don't need another pencil, pen, tube of paint, bit of ephemera, or whatever the stuff happens to be at the moment.  I've had this talk with myself over and over this year.  Expenses are higher, income is smaller (lost my PT income).  But the real breaking point for me is there is just no more space to put the stuff I keep bringing into this house!  And I live alone in a 3 BR house with a huge attic and full basement so there just is no excuse for this.  Also driving this new clarity for me is that I've been working all year, a little at a time, on cleaning out parts of my parents home in preparation for selling it.  I'm seeing the detritus of 50+ years in one home and while I'm tickled to find things my mom saved, like our letters to Santa, written 40 yrs or more ago, there are things that I'm wading through that just didn't have to be saved all these years.  Like every bill they ever paid.  Like every old DayTimer filler from 30 yrs. of business calendaring.  All this sorting through the bits of a lifetime is making me take a long hard look at my own home and the things I choose to save.  And, as  I discovered this afternoon, when I removed the cartoon-y band aid from the site of my flu shot, and I thought - "hmmm - I should use this in a journal layout - it would be cool to have this little bit of my DNA immortalized along with my thoughts for the day" - then I realized, ok kid, you definitely have gone OVER the edge if you are thinking about keeping a used band aid as fodder for artwork!  Yes, I know - EVERYTHING can be recycled or upcycled and everything is fair game for our artistic creations.  But enough is enough!  So tonight I am having "the talk" with myself, yet again.  Sigh.  I'd be interested in hearing how (or where) you draw the line on the "stuff" you choose to keep for your art.

Come join the fun! New Directory of Artists

Sadly, Artsee Bloggers, an innovative concept to gather art bloggers together in one place with links to all our various art blogs, is closing down tomorrow due to the need for the wonderful creator, Geri Centonze, to attend to family matters.  I know what that is like and how those things can pop up with little or no notice.  Seems like so many more of my friends are dealing with parent-related care needs every year.  It's the age we have reached, I suspect.  Which translates to a certain age of our parents. Anyway, a big thanks to Geri for coming up with this great idea and many good thoughts and prayers are sent her way!  The good news is that another artist, Marcia Beckett, has taken up the idea and begun another directory of the same nature.  It is called Artists in Blogland.  I haven't seen a "had matter" yet, but it's early days!  Tea party anyone?  Gosh I'm silly tonight!  If you'd like to list your art blog on the directory - or if you'd just like a cool place to scope out a bunch of amazing art blogs check it out!

Been Painting Again...

June 2011 - 8 x 8 canvas

I started this little canvas about 2 months ago and didn't get time to touch it again until this last weekend.  I really had a nice weekend and enjoyed the relaxation of no tv, no computer, just hours and hours of painting in a couple of sessions.  I was inspired by a painting I watched artist Sharon Tomlinson paint.  She does such a good job with faces and mine sure need some work.  I followed her method of applying text from a book as a base, then gluing down pics of flowers from gardening catalogs to surround the central area.  Then I sketched in the woman shown.  Everything, including the flowers are painted over with acrylic paints.  Not too sure my flowers look like they did originally, but having a picture to start with gives you a range of colors and some placement.  If you get time, go watch some of Sharon's YouTube videos on "Morning Art".  She has a gentle voice and does a great job of showing her process step by step.

Some Time Ago....

Prompt - Shine

Prompt - Portals

Prompt - Fairies

Prompt - Haiku

Prompt - Hearts

....my Ohio art group "Art Gang Ohio" decided to do a project.  This was for 2010.  We decided we'd each create a piece of art based upon a word prompt for that month.  There were supposed to be 10 in all and I think I made it through about 5 of them before LIFE interfered.  We had also decided that we'd try to get our group project published, so toward that end, we agreed not to post any of our pieces until the project was complete since the magazines, etc. don't like for your work to have been seen online or anywhere else before they publish it themselves.  One of our awesome members, Lou McCulloch did indeed get us published  - a group picture of a number of our creations in an issue of Cloth, Paper, Scissors!  This was a fun project and I'm sorry I didn't finish all the months of it.  But it did remind me that I don't do my best work when I have to produce on a schedule or along someone else's themes.  I have enough structure in my life otherwise  and find I really love the freedom that I have in making art - in just starting out with perhaps a color or a piece of something or other that inspires me. And then letting the work take me where it will.    Anyway - I've wanted to get my completed projects posted here to my own blog. Hope you see something that maybe inspires you too!

CPS - Muse Flash - Art Gang Ohio Projects

March Journal Spread

Yea!  This is the last spread in this journal.  It only took me 3 years and 2 months to finish!  I do jump around a lot - trying a little of this and a little of that, so I get to experience different types and formats of art along the way, but it is hell when it comes to actually FINISHING things!  So other than doing the covers for this journal, which I like to leave for last - this book is done.

This is another "a la Teesha" spread.  Lots of fun to do and all the pen work is very relaxing.
I am not a very laid back artist - guess I'm wound too tightly for that - but I admire the fun and freedom that comes through in Teesha's work.  Check her out here.

February Journal Pages

It's been quite a while since I've posted.  Much going on with my father and he has just recently moved into an assisted living facility.  Lots of changes but he is doing very well with it all and accepting everything with a lot of grace. Thankfully.

I have squeezed in a little bit of art - much of it a few minutes at a time on my lunch hours - sitting in the car - listening to a book on tape.

I started this little journal in January 2008 and this set of pages is the next to last ones in the book.  As you can see, I'm enamored of the Teesha Moore style of journaling right now so just had to try my hand at some pages.  I love the bright, funky colors and the sort of humorous and edgy way of depicting things, but most of all I love the use of pens for writing, lettering, drawing and doodling.  

Art at KSU

 I just had to share this. KSU has a brand new performing arts theatre that will have it's grand opening later in October. In the lobby of the theatre is currently being installed, a commissioned work from Cleveland artist, Olga Ziemska.  I think I read that the funding came from an Ohio arts grant.  You just have to look at her blog - Olga Ziemska - and see the pictures - most from her studio - of this work in progress this summer.  Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page because there are some "other" posts in the middle. This artist worked with dance & theatre students here at Kent State to pose for the outlines of the figures. She is using some gorgeous pictures of Northern Lights as her inspiration for movement and color. Each figure is cut from a sheet of clear acrylic. She evidently raided our KSU photo archive for the pictures our photographers have taken over the years of students, plays, dance performances, events around the campus, and anything else she found that was colorful and depicted life and art at the university. Ziemska is using five sizes of clear acrylic cabochons and adhering pieces of the photographs to the flat sides of each cab. Then the acrylic figures are filled with waves of the colorful cabachons to complete each piece. The figures will be laid out along a wall in the lobby of the theatre. It's hard to tell from the photos, but I suspect she is going to use some sort of suspension system and maybe, I hope, back lighting. It will be interesting to see how this artist completes this installation.  I can't believe that those figures would just be screwed to the yellow wall, but that's just me.   I may go over to the theatre on my lunch hour Monday to see the progress of the installation. Our dept. photographers are taking pictures of the process too. For some reason, this work is just speaking to me and  I can't wait to see it finished. Of course, all those luscious blues and greens and purples are right up my alley! Enjoy!

A little Journaling

Wow - it's been quite a while since I posted anything.  Busy, busy.  Plus any art I've had time to do has pretty much been for an art group project we have going this year that is sort of secret for now.  More on that in a few months....

I did take some time recently to work on the last two pages in a little art journal - altered book that I'd started two years ago and never quite finished.  I really enjoy the style of journaling that Teesha Moore teaches so thought I'd give that a try on these pages. It really is a relaxing way of working - no planning ahead of time.  Just brushing on some acrylic paint for the background and when that's dry, adding some strips cut from various magazine pages to make the border.  Add a little shading with some of the newish Pan Pastels and a focal figure - made up of several different pictures from magazines.  I added a saying I'm fond of and a lot of doodling with my milky pens to add the finishing touches.  I really like the result and think I'll try another page or two or three...what do you think?