From Dust

It seems like the only time I ever post on here is after the annual art auction at the museum. And this time, I'm posting 5 months after the actual event took place. But, at least I'm posting and sharing my "recent" work. I hope you enjoy this latest piece called "From Dust". This one sold too and I have no idea where it now resides! It's funny to think about that. I think you'll also be happy to hear that I am currently in the process of making a larger body of work that will be on display with my sister at a local library in a few months. I suppose I should get crackin' at that!

Follow Up

As I told you in my last post, my friend and I once again submitted art pieces to a local museum for a silent auction. Once again, we both sold our pieces! It was another fun night of music, mingling, and admiring the artwork. Looking forward to next year!

The Annual Art Auction

Last August, my friend and I submitted paintings to a local museum that provided free canvases to local artists. The paintings would then be up for silent auction. If you remember last year, my friend and I both made our "first sale". Once again, we've decided to submit art pieces in hopes of selling them once again! The auction is taking place on August 20th and I'll be sure to write and let you how it goes. Here's the piece I've been working on for the last few weeks.

Parachute Ball

My inspiration this weekend....dandelions. Oh, but not those bright, cheerful little yellow flowers that open up during the day. Rather, I was inspired by the fuzzy "parachute ball" of dandelion snow! After reading about dandelions on wikipedia, I discovered some very interesting facts. Take a quick read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandelion

I spent this past weekend in the beautiful mountains of Vermont and attempted to emerse myself in the beauty that surrounded me. I discovered that I like the cottony stage of the dandelion better than the yellow. The little hairlike pieces are so delicate and free. One strong blow and the hairs fly away in all directions. Even though the hairs are attached to the center part of the stalk, they must let go eventually to continue the cycle and trust the wind to take them to the place they must grow next. Just as the dandelion snow trusts the wind, we must trust God as He directs our next steps.

So, all that leads me to my Memorial Day weekend inspiration: The Parachute Ball!

This fuzzy little ball inspired a new painting and some journaling....

BLUE

ME: "Pick a color"

DAD: "Huh? How come?"

ME: "I'm going for a walk, so pick a color"

DAD: "Blue"

ME: "Blue it is"

Fragment Continued...

My attempt to use a lighter palette? Well, let's just say I've failed. I can't help but use darker colors and I think I'll just be ok with that! Here are some more pictures of the piece I've been working on for a few months now. It has drastically changed, which makes sense. I think a painting in it's beginning stages is kind of like having a brainstorming session with a bunch of other artists. The difference is that I'm brainstorming with the paint, the brushes, and my thoughts. Layering, peeling, getting frustrated, peeling more, scraping, yelling, trying a different color....it's all part of the brainstorming! In the end it ends up being better than the original image you had in your head. This painting is not at all complete, so keep checking back. I know I'm not very consistent with my posts. I'll try to be better!

Fragment

A new painting is in the works and I thought I'd give you a little sample of this piece in its beginning stages. This piece is slightly larger than the previous ones I've posted, which is exciting for me. I love working on a large canvas. It gives me more room to mess up, redo, paint over, and just layer upon layer. This piece is quite different from my others. For instance, the color palette is much lighter. I'm trying to stick with creams, yellows, and blues. More images will follow as this new piece progresses!