The four elements- New AB project.

This is the original book...fittingly it features one of the four elements!
The ribbons I purchased for the book...probably the most I have ever gotten new for a project but not all things can be reliably sourced 2nd hand! That said I certainly didn't mind pouring over piles of nice new ribbons in lots of yummy colours and textures!
My op-shop scored fabric! I felt divinely provided for when I found this perfect fabric off cut! I spent last night hand sewing a cover for the book...watch this space!

I am a bit ahead of myself here:) This new altered book is for a Round Robin due to start at the end of April. I am starting now because I have so many ideas in my head and I know if I don't let some of them out I will become quite restless. I find even the words...the four elements...inspiring! I really want this book to focus on the actual elements...its' a NZ only book so we can include real wood and mossy bits custom wouldn't allow...and I really want to explore the emotional connections to the four elements- Earth, Air, Fire and Water. This book is definitely in it's baby stages still and even when it has left me it will be most of the year before it returns home again. The Van Gogh tin sent out many months ago is due home any day now so right now it's a bit like waiting for Christmas!


My sign in page... yes it has been a long time since I used that brown lace! This is the last piece of it so I was saving it, apparently brown lace is hard to source! The little niches were hand cut with a craft knife and roughly painted (too look slightly weathered) then sealed with PVA. The idea is that each artist will add a little token (piece of clay...glass bead etc) to the niche that represents the element they worked in. I added a Kowhai seed pod to my niche but the close-up photo I took to show it came out blurry!I will take it again and post it later.

A mixed bag of collage (mostly!)

I thought I would share a few visual diary pages, the first one being the results of the marigold dye that I made with the kids. The first two samples shows the dye colour at 5 minutes and then 1.5hrs. Both were taken prior to boiling and there was no difference between the 2 shades. The middle sample shows the mix after it had been boiled for an hour (much stronger as you can see) and the last 2 is the dye 3 days after boiling. It lost it's intesity and developed an 'organic' smell so we watered it down and fertilised the celery plants with it! The brown paper is coffee dyed computer paper and only added to the page to compliment the yellow. If I were to do this again I would probably make sure I used the dye soon after boiling then cooling it as the dye was at it's richest then. I think it would be quite easy to over-power the much paler shade I got after several days. I will be interested to see what happens to the colour of my samples over time. I have saved some yellow paper for future collages!

Above: Marigold dye, coffee, gesso, recycled encylcopedia pages.

Above:Bird houses "zetti" style collaged onto a painted background in my VD.

Below: Painted page from my VD. Getting warmed up and practising an idea for painting backgrounds for my collages. Acrylic paint applied using a plastic credit-type card and bubble wrap. No brush:)

The Cherry collage below is for a recipe tip in swap. I wouldn't usually join a recipe swap but I need the motivation having a project where I am working with others can give me. This is a 12 month swap, a different food type each month and we each make 8 pages the same and recieve 7 different pages back. The recipe I chose is for a Chocolate-Cherry Fudge chosen because I wanted to collage cherries!

Recipe card 4"x4". Gold serivette, pink and cream card, cherries made from painted paper and magazine pages. The card is sitting on a VD page for the purpose of this photo!

Incase you want it to here's the recipe: 400g tin condensed milk, 400g chocolate, 100g chopped red galce cherries, approx 20 chopped pink marshmellow. Melt together milk and chocolate over a low heat, slowly mix in cherries and marshmellows when melted. Line a 26 x 16 cm tin with paper and pour in fudge mix. Allow to firm in fridge, cut into fingers and try not to eat all at once!

Altered Playing Cards and old Tuscany!!

Altered playing cards. Charms, recycled bird images, wool, recycled garlic bag netting, paint and a postage stamp.

Wow, this has been a looooong drought. Nearly 3 months to the day since I last posted actual collage and paint art. If your memory needs a little refreshing too you can see it here!

To begin with I didn't actually care that the urge to create had unexpectedly deserted me. I trusted it would come back again...although its taken a little longer to do so than I would have thought and I don't even know why! I enjoyed mucking about with these playing cards today....I hope it is the start of a new and wonderful journey, even if it is a journey of re-discovery.

I haven't touched the old Tuscany painting, (which became "quilt of the land" when it was re-incarnated) in even longer. To start off with my lack of motivation came from the cold. The paint didn't blend well and I stopped attempting to make it. Poor excuse I know but I kinda ran outta creative gas! This is where I left it (and I have only just photographed it!) It's basically finished. An afternoon or 2 spent touching it up and straightening the odd line and its all done. The words 'speak to your mountains' is about facing our challenges/addictions/psychological hang ups head on. For those of you who witnessed my struggle with the first Tuscany and subsequent roller coaster road you will know how apt these words are for me personally. I don't think I would sell this one even if I had an offer for it, I have quite a lot invested in this piece and its very much part of me!

Nature is the best artist

Maketu Beach, 6km from Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty.

Nature is the best artist. Claude Monet once said that he 'perhaps owed becoming a painter to the flowers.'
Personally, I think that being an artist has made me appreciate nature even more. The beauty, the light, the forever changing landscape. For me, my art would not exist without nature, my inspiration and my bliss.
The other day I did a random thing. I was at the paint shop getting supplies so I can finish my "Quilt of the land" and I had 2 vouchers for a buy 2 get 1 free deal. I was having trouble choosing my 2nd free colour so I decided to do something I have wanted to do for ages...choose a paint purely because I liked it's name! I was looking for a name that would catch my imagination and then realised what I was actually doing was trying to predict what colour that name would belong too. I didn't want giggles because it might have been yellow, I didn't want goosebumb because it might have been pink...then it occured to me to look for 'nest' or 'bird' and I didn't find either. My random process wasn't so random after all! I ended up choosing "Flotsam" because I thought "Flotsam" was debris washed up on the beach! Now I think it's that white foamy stuff...I am going to look it up but after 5 mins of not so random selecting I ended up with.....WHITE!!!! lol.
Ohhh...maybe next time I will ''randomly" look for feather or birds eye view or kiwi...or fantail!

More of these photo's can be found on my photography blog. Please feel free to come by and enjoy a bit of the NZ coastline with me....

Quilt of the land

Well, I've been on a bit of a emotional roller coaster lately with my painting.

At times I love painting...the actual act of painting when it's going right is addictive and empowering. Other times I just can't seem to get it right and I think I'm not really cut out for it after all. Yesterday I had the sudden desire to go out to the garage and paint something really, really well. I wanted to paint something that would, quite honestly, take my own breath away. I didn't go out as it was close to midnight and very cold in the garage- not conducive to good health or good painting! I woke up knowing I would paint today and couldn't wait to get out there and start and when I went out to add to the former Tuscany painting (Now Quilt of the Land) I looked at

my previous effort (directly above this line of text) I suddenly realised that my last effort wasn't as good as I had remembered! I had been quite happy to glide along almost aimlessly with this painting. I'd been very happy to just see how the paint flowed. I was happy with my colours blending into each other without much structure and no real discipline. I looked at the art of a pastelist yesterday and she was really, really good. She had complete control of her medium and she produced beautiful pictures. When I looked at my painting today I realised that in order to paint something well I had to take ownership of it and be the master of my paint. On reflection it does seem a little airy-fairy to have been willing to let lead me.
Instead of covering new ground I spent a lot of time correcting old lines, making colour changes and in general painting this 'quilt of the land' better than what I had done previously. I'm amazed at how much a little streak of paint the wrong colour in the wrong place can affect a painting and the same is true for well placed paint.

Today I went to an Art Exhibition and I was asked if I wanted to join the Tauranga Society of Artists. Now before you go and get all chuffed on my behalf I need to point out that this was purely on the basis of the fact that I am an artist and no one there has actually seen my work. I also need to point out that I politely said 'no thankyou.'

Why?? That would be a good question. Ultimately I think it's because I'm not where I want to be an artist. I haven't quite found my voice yet. To say I painted something really well, or to have others say it is fantastic. I still get satisfaction from seeing my final Tuscany, I painted it well if I may say so myself!! Lol and I still get great feedback on it, these comments feed me, they really do and I need them and because it helps me to know that the painting has made a connection with the viewer and that it has become more than decorative...it's become a piece of art. Funny how a lot of people have tried to tell me that it wasn't just decorative (when I say it's only decorative) yet I've only just realised it...It makes the painting seem less shallow and materialistic to me. Yet, it's not enough what I really want is to be able to express things with paint the way I can with collage and to address subjects that really matter to me...when I've done that I will be where it is I want and need to be. I don't know if I will be a society kind of girl though...

I will finish this painting, it expresses my love for this earth and it's teaching me important lessons about myself. This love affair with pain,t as I am realising, truly is for better or for worse.

PS: My apologies for the cruddy photos, the light was poor and my camera's had it's day.

New painting/old painting

No you're not having an episode of dae-ja-vue, this is the Tuscany painting that I did and hated and refused to finish painting. Hate is a strong word, maybe a bit strong but I took a knock in confidence with this painting. I didn't paint for quite a while after this one, I even considered throwing in the towell, opps I mean- brushes! I came very close.

But as you have seen I couldn't quite do it. I'm not sure where I am going with this painting yet. I need to better define the hills but where I paint is cold, the paint dosn't like it much and neither do I. I am strangely good with that though. Not having a deadline means I don't have to paint if I don't want to. Not having any idea where I am going means I don't know if I have made a mistake. It's liberating and I love it. I'm thinking trees...maybe some leaves, maybe a flax bush. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. There's joy not fear in not knowing or caring what comes next or when 'next' is. I will be as suprised as anyone to see the end result of my mysterious painting...and very pleased to see the end of Tuscany!!

Van Gogh Tree

I pass this tree when I take the kids to school and it's always seemed familiar to me although I couldn't figure out why. One day when I went passed I suddenly realised it's "Van Gogh's Tree" or more correctly, a tree that reminds me of the way that Van Gogh paints trees. I feel no connection with Van Gogh's sunflowers or paintings of farm scenes but for some reason I love his trees. They're not pretty, in fact I think they are more haunting than nice but I am drawn to them. No suprises to hear then that I also like his kingfisher painting and there's another one I am not sure that title of that has a lone bird flying over a field of wheat or something similar. Art needs to connect with the viewer in some way and Van Gogh's trees do it for me. I'm good with that! I've painted several trees but none that have had the same draw for me as Van Gogh's. What the difference is I am not sure, aside from the fact that I am obviously not Vincent Van Gogh! I'm currently participating in an Altered Tin Round Robin where each player will add a card to my tin with there artwork on it...my theme's Van Gogh but once it's left my house this week it won't be back for about 7 months (omg... that's next year!!) so it will be a while before I will see the results. I'll try to remember to take a pic of my altered tin when I have done it (hopefully this week all going well!)

If your in the mood for a bit of browsing there's a great travelling exhibition (currently in NY...not sure where in NY though sorry John) that's also on line. It's called "your documents please" and has around 200 artworks in the form of 'passports.' The exhibition explores everything from the artists personal culture to the artists feelings about land wars, border security, immigaration etc. It's well worth a look even if you can't sit down and view all 200 works of art! http://yourdocumentsplease.com/

Oh, wow! I just went to Trijnie's blog to leave a link about the whales and look what I found... THANKS Trijnie!
For those of you who havn't visited her blog before Trijnie is a mulit talented multi media artist working with glass, taking award winning scenic photos and creating beautiful and inspiring paintings...a blog well worth adding to your fav's if you havn't already!

Updates- At last!

Hi All. It feels like forever since I last posted so I hope you havn't all gone and given up on me!
I've been floating between projects lately, not really getting my teeth into any of them but enjoying all of them in short burst. This canvas isn't finished. I seem to have hit a wall with it even though I started out with a plan- which I usually don't! It's a recycled canvas. It was originally a painting I did inspired by a unit I did on Jackson Pollock for my course. I liked the painting but one day when I needed a canvas to paint on and didn't have the money to buy one I decided to paint over it- which was a flop! I painted over a free spirited painting with no agenda to attempt a coffee themed painting which was purely commercial. I never finished the painting. That was over a year ago and a week or 2 ago I decided to pull it out again and give it a 3rd life...obviously nest inspired. I covered the canvas in tissue paper to add more texture as by now it has a lot of texture given to it by the previous layers of paint! I didn't have a lot of choice but to go with it! lol. I love the effect of the tissue paper (also recycled) and it's lovely to paint onto. The mesh is formally a bright pink hessian type material gleaned from a bunch of professionaly arranged flowers that my daughter got in hospital. It was quickly transformed to the browny-gold stuff you see here making it much more me! I thought I was going to do a weaving with wool and other fibres straight into the canvas (sewn into) that would be more of a 'flat nest' than a nest but still inspired by my love of nests. I went through a whole 'flat nest' stage before I made my way to pilings and my weaved nests. I am not sure what I am going to do with the rest now but as there's no rush I am just going to wait and see where my muse takes me!

I have also been teaching myself to paint birds. These 4 are my first 'new' attempts and while not brilliant the are much better than my previous efforts! I tried to paint birds at the start of the year and I got so annoyed and frustrated with them I gave up and told myself I would come back to them when I was ready, I had no idea that would be 6 months later! I was in the 2nd hand shop recently doing my regular hunt for art supplies and books when I came across a fantastic book called "The country diary of an Edwardian lady" which was written in 1906 and is full of wonderful water colour paintings of the birds and plants that it's Author, Edith Holden saw in her own garden in Warwickshire and on her travels through England and Scotland. She includes lots of poetry and quotes by Shakespere. This book is ofcourse a reproduction and the cover note tells me that someone named Tom gave it to his " Beautiful Wife in memory of our trip to England in 1981" (followed by 4 kisses!) My amature attempts do little to showcase her wonderful work, these birds are almost childish and cute but I do feel encouraged by the progress from my last attempts!

The last photo is a quick painting I did for my course where I had to make the words the painting...I worked quickly and it was a good energy release. It wasn't until later that the white spatters looked like...somthing else a bird does! lol lol.

The first Tuscany is going under a 'renovation' of sorts..I have covered part of it and started again in the canvas. I will post pics soon.

Ok, fingers crossed this will all post for me now. I will attempt to visit y'all now too..can someone please leave me Sweet Irene's new blog address as I can't find it! Thankyou:)

Tuscany 2

Tuscany 'take' 2 I should say! (Unfinished)
I like this one too by the way! Really like it. I took if from the stage shown in the photo below (other projects) to this today. That yellow sky was so wrong and as soon as I added "raging bull" as Resene calls this particular shade of red I knew I was on the right track. I actually bought it by mistake but seeing as though I can't remember what colour it was I had intended to get I will conisder it a happy mistake!It is soooo good to be painting something I like again. The first Tuscany really threw me, both confidence wise and engery wise. That's a long story though and to cut it short I got it back after my last effort and I have spent 6 weeks or so procrastinating over it. I just couldn't finish it. I was flogging a dead horse!
So I finally told the person who comissioned it I'd give their money back or start again if I could paint in my way. I don't know why I ever took it on now. Obviously she was happy for me start again, although I am providing the canvas in good will. She actually said "do what ever you like" and I have taken inspiration for this off a coaster and placemat set she owns so atleast I know she likes them! I wouldn't actually mind keeping this one...lol

PS: This measures 24"x36" (Not metric John!) and the collages were all A4 size.

Other projects...

You didn't really think I had gotten over my altered book buzz did you?
These 2 pages were made for displaying the Hearts Suit set of Altered playing cards. The images are random, chosen for their colour as much as anything else!






A page from my altered book that I am making as a way of displaying mail art and other swapped art. The pocket here is for 2 postcard's I recieved in a TLC swap (the Art school I am learning through) The face is of the man the book was origianlly about.


Another Tuscany, it's a loooooong story! I have the ground work done (so to speak) for the grape vines, the hills have had their first coat and the villa needs some trees. This is result of around 9 hours work already although it didn't feel like it!

Thankyou

Thank you to for the warm comments on my painting below. I am so glad that it was taken in the fun spirit intended.
Painting or drawing upside down can help to produce a more fluent picture because the mind is not so much in control. Ofcourse the artist is not actually upside down, rather the piece of paper and the drawing is done upside down starting at the 'feet' end or on my case the chest. Neda said in a comment that this technique can also be used when scouting for collage images. Thanks for the tip Neda!
I have heard of a famous artist (who's name I can't quite remember, but it was someone in Andy Warhol's era) who painted suspended in a sling so that the painting was directly underneath them. I don't have a sling or I may well try this!
I think with painting or drawing upside down you really need to be prepared to let go. Drawing is something that causes me to look at a blank piece of paper and freeze. I can't figure out where to start the drawing and then when I finally get going it almost always I dosn't look like anything I had in my head! I have been known to throw tantrums about this! Doing it upside down somehow helps me.
That said I found it as challenging to post it here! Even though you are all lovely and kind people I still had moments last night when I thought "Oh * why on earth did I put that on my blog?" What if it offends John? What if it is not good enough? What if your all too scared to give me an award (should I be deserving!) ever again??? I had to tell my mind to let go and accept the finished piece as being what it is- a fun portrait , a thankyou and not the next Mona Lisa.
Ok, I could go on but I like you guys and won't do that too you:) I am actually taking my eldest to the Jim Cooper exhibition today and the gallery has organised a mask making activity for the kids to do in JC style. What a great way to encourage kids into art! Maybe I can learn something too...

50 Artists, 50 works in 50 days

This painting is not part of the 50/50/50 challenge or exhibit! I painted this over a year ago when I had paintings for sale in a local furniture shop.

Apologies for not being a very good visitor to all of your blogs lately! I have been flat out lately keeping up with my Diploma work and kids! Now that they are back at school I should be able to catch up. They are probably famous last words though! I am also trying to get some collages prepared for the 10th annual international collage exchange which is being hosted in NZ. Now, I think I am busy but here's a link to 2 talented artists who are taking part in the 50 Artists, 50 works in 50 days exhibition.I don't know either of them personaly but I am blown away by the professional collages and super realistic water colours this husband and wife team are doing. Each of them are entering as artists in their own right and when you see their work you will see that is well earnt! It is a big challenge but I am sure it will push the participating artists to new levels. Keeping inspired and keeping the work of the same high level as the first works is going to be a big commitment but the rewards have to be great...as it is when you push yourself to these extents and come out the other side wiser and better skilled. My best to them and the other 48 artists who are participating!

As for me I had better dissapear back to my art space and get back to creating....will visit you all again soon:)

Ka Kite,

Lisa

Dare I say it again??
I'm finished...I think!
The owner is dropping by tonight to give it a final once over before I seal it.
I must admit that I had to really con myself into getting back into this painting! AB's have stolen my artistic heart.
I have tagged all the tuscany postings so they are nice and easy to find should anyone be interested in reading about the trials and triumphs I experienced with this painting!

The top painting with the blue sky is the first version, the bottom is the current (and I hope final!) version. I really like the person who I did this for and I hope she will be happy this time! I will probably never love this painting but I will give myself a pat on the back for having stuck at it! lol.
It does atleast feel good to have one less thing on my "to do" list and to have made someone else happy (I hope!)

Bev does it still remind you of your Tuscan holiday?

Tip in Page for AB

The dream keepers house.
Tip in page for fantasy themed altered book.

Paper doilie, magazine images, book images, paint and recycled dream catcher pendant.

This is the front of my tip in and it's not quite finished, I have to do the reverse side before I can add some thread to this side. I think that will take away the hard edges that are bothering me at the moment! I will also add some sort of thread or beading to the dream catcher too. I found the dream catcher (broken) in the 50c basket at the 2nd hand shop.
Fantasy is not usually the realm I would choose to work in but this page isn't actually going to be mine. It will on it's way to Spain in the next few weeks along with a few others I am making as 'thank yous' to some lovely artists who have been working in my 'bohemian' themed AB. I have no idea why they are called 'tip in's!'
Tip in's are basically pages that are made from paper or card and created as per the creating artist's style. The page is then sent to another artist who has the altered book it has been made for. That artist then chooses how to add them to the book..binding them, using pockets, gluing them in etc. It's a great way of doing collaborative art and it's cheaper/safer to post a page and not a parcel so quite a good option if the trade is an international one. The only real down fall that I think they have is that you don't get to see the whole book. It's awesome sitting down with a cuppa and exploring someones AB when they arrive in the mail! There's always things to discover and inspire you and you feel more connected to the project. That said they are equally enjoyable to make and receive!

Thank you for all the comments on my AB pages below. This art form is seriously addictive! I have (shock horror! Surprise!) answered the questions that were asked! Have a great week ahead y'all!

Tuscany Update

You may have read a month or so ago about my dilemma with this commissioned Tuscany painting! You may have also read that I got it back to make alterations..as you can see I have now painted out the sky that was formerly above these villas. A quick scroll down the page will show you the first version of Tuscany :)
I didn't really like it to be honest because it's not ME. However I did learn a lot from it in terms if skill and about who I am. I did vow never to accept another commission that wasn't for my true style and I also reminded myself how personally draining I find making art for no reason other than money! I never did bond with this painting. All that being said I am determined to finish this painting! I will end up with a happy customer and I will take from this what ever I can in terms of personal growth. Actually, 'grounded' was the collage I did to work through some of my frustrations with this painting so all is far from lost!
The painting looks a little bizarre and in-coherent at the moment but I think I may even like it a bit (just a little) better now the blue is gone. It takes away some of the cottagey look that it had. I heard Bobbie in my head saying "just paint those hills...really paint them" so I did and I enjoyed painting them! Thanks Bobbie:)
On the hills I am putting a big villa and grape vines. The 'owners' of the villa also own the grapevines and a winery hence their status and financial prosperity. They are too overlook the town that was born from the industry relies on the jobs provided by the winery. Well that's the story given to me (and much more descriptive than my first brief!) and that's what I'll paint! I'll keep you posted!

Tuscany -Completed!

OK, here it is! I apologise for the delay! I have made a few changes since my last post, most noticeably the new flower field. They flowers are light purple with deep purple centres and deep purple with white centres. They are imagination flowers like the yellow ones. I better defined the yellow and deep red Tulips in the middle field as well as the other rows of flowers. The very top flower fields was repainted for a 3rd x (but I am happy now lol)
So my personal verdict...I wouldn't hang it on my own wall because it is not my personal flavour but I think that given the challenges it's not a bad result. The lady who it is for is due home in less than 2 hours, she has NO IDEA what is waiting for her, she hasn't seen it and her brief was "I want Tuscany with flowers and villas. Small Villas and lots of flowers." Then she added "God will show you what I want."
Gee, I sure hope I was listening!! Lol

I am really glad to have been able to share the Tuscan journey with you all!

Oh-No

This is one of those close your eyes and don't look moments! After many hours of work the painting is not so delicately hung by my well intentioned friend! I did tell him I would have to inflict all sorts of ancient forms torture on him if he dropped it! lol. As you can see from the photo below all is well:)