Blogging while paint dries

I'm working on icons and on signage for Camp Tosebo. (If you've never looked at their site, check it out! It makes me daydream about good times up there. Come on summer!!)

Both processes involve waiting for one layer to dry before moving on to the next. I'm about on the tenth layer of skin color on the icons. I just sanded the boards for the signage after Fred cut them and I'm putting the 3rd layer of base coat on. There's something contemplative about sign painting, very similar to icon painting. I'm also using the tracing process we use to transfer images when painting icons. First the drawing and then tracing paper. So much mundane preparation time is good for meditation. Almost ready for the fun part!

YELLOW TULIPS WITH ORANGE

It's an oldie, but it's springy!

lame video from the gallery

This is video taken by my digital camera of my space at Fire and Water Art. It's mercifully short!! I'm posting a couple more of the space and of our fearless leader on the Fire and Water blog. It's a baby step. When I see how people edit videos and add music online I realize I'm on the outside of that technology!

Christ is risen indeed! Halleluah!

Easter banner created for Park Church in Grand Rapids for Easter 2008. To see closeups and more about the process, click here.

Jesus the LORD

On this Holy Saturday I'm posting an icon of Christ I wrote a few months ago.

Good Friday

A quilted piece that reflects on the sacrifice of Christ.

my sister

Here's a better picture of Maria and a picture of my sister taking a picture of us. Silly fun!

Maria

This is Maria, the 9 year old who explained to me how to do this- another GREAT niece. Go to her blog here. She has videos on stacking and dog training.

Josie

Things I've learned from children!! This is Josie, my GREAT niece. She's 7- she and her sister have blogs and uploaded videos. I asked them about it and they told me how- it turns out my camera can take video! Who knew!

See Josie's blog here.

Obviously turning the camera sideways is not a technique useful in this circumstance for framing.

COLOR PLAY series

This series is a little further along and now the images need to 'marinate' a while. They may be done, but I have to live with them a bit to see if there are some finishing touches.
Maybe you could leave a comment aqnd let me know what you think.
These are 10"x10" gallery wrap canvases. I went and bought 10 more. I really was trying to do paintings with just one color family and have a limited palette, but all
these other colors started jumping
on. It must be the result of the
long winter!

COLOR PLAY series

COLOR PLAY series

You are chosen!

I found this on the Image and Spirit Blog this morning with an amazing image:

"To be born is to be chosen. No one is here by accident. Each one of us was sent here for a special destiny...

This selectivity intimates a sheltering providence that dreamed you, created you, and always minds you."

Words by John O'Donohue in "Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom."

more COLOR PLAY

Two more beginnings on 10" square canvas.
I'm going into the studio this morning so we'll see where they go.

LAKE SHORES

These are some 6"x6"under paintings awaiting completion.

COLOR PLAY- first layers

These are under paintings. I started a batch and will post more tomorrow. I think these two have good 'bones' to hang more layers of paint onto. I'm thinking non-objectively and just playing with color with no preconceived design. Along with brushes and poured paint, I'm using a squeegee which is something Virginia Cobb used in a video (there's a preview showing her using this technique at this link). I watched repeatedly while I was icing my foot (thanks to a loan from my friend, Kathleen Mooney). It's so nice to be doing something new and using paint again! It's not convenient to be in the studio on my scooter, but it's great to be there!

April first

I've seen some clever April first gags on line today. I'm just happy not to be teaching and dealing with the silliness in a school setting, and I'm not foolin'! So nothing clever, just thankful.

Stand by me

Playing For Change: Song Around the World "Stand By Me"

Here's a lovely rockin' little tune. It's got kind of a hippie dippy vibe. I like it!

BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH

This was one of the first pieces I ever completed using the mixed media techniques I learned in the Kathleen Conover workshop at the Franciscan Center. It's never been framed and now I actually think it could benefit from some reworking. It's on the list of things to do after I get back on my feet. Ten more days of this cart and then weeks of limping in the boot. But I'm almost there!!

MONTE CARLO TULIPS

It's almost time to see these outside! For now we're happy to see purple, yellow and lavender crocus.

How true

“Computers are like Old Testament gods; lots of rules and no mercy.” Joseph Campbell

I heard this on today's Writer's Almanac.

Photo play

I've been playing with some photos of reflections taken awhile back. I'm being artistic digitally rather than in my studio. I'm still a couple weeks from healing enough to be back in there.

Susan Cornelis

I'm spending more time in my convelescence looking at things online than creating my own work, but that is appropriate. A good time of lying fallow and preparing for a time of growth . Here's a youtube demo by an artist I just added to my links. Her huisband is also an artist and I've added his blog too. They seem like friends I haven't met yet.

Soul Sketching - Nature Collage with Image Transfer

Demonstration of a contemplative art piece using natural materials of tea, feathers and wood shavings along with acrylic paint and image gel transfer.

Elizabeth Gilbert author of eat, pray, love

Elizabeth Gilbert has an amazing 20 minute talk about creativity. Well worth the time to listen. I had never heard of TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) but found this link on someone else's blog and I'm looking forward to listening to some of the others.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA

Whew!

Watch this guy paint!! I can't wait to paint BIG again! Great to be able to watch someone else do it! His name is Svein Koningen and he's from Norway and painting in Austria.

SHENANDOAH WILDFLOWERS

I'm still not able to get into the studio and work. I've done some sketches and have a series in mind. But in the mean time, I'm blowing the dust off another one from 2004. It's a particualr favorite of mine. This painting lives with my niece in Minnesota.

Episcopal Church Visual Arts online show

I'm honored to have a piece included in the ECVA online show. It's a wonderful show to look through. My piece is here.

A LANDSCAPE FOR RUTH

A painting for Ruth, DONE IN 2004. This is a huge oil and hangs in my friend Ruth's living room.

Problemsolving

My brain hurts from trying to figure out how to accomplish on the computer what my mind KNOWS is possible. It took me a while and working in three different programs and remembering bits and pieces of other struggles but here it is. Doesn't look hard, does it?

We are having an Art Auction at our church to raise funds to build a school building in Sierra Leone. This logo will go at the top of each label and I'll use it in other signage for the show. I wanted the labels to be eyecatching and distinctive and the reason for the show evident. Whew! I think I did it. Time to go eat some Wheaties!

DREAM VISION

Another oldie- pre 2004. It's a collage that I think may be getting a few new layers soon. First I'll play with it on Photoshop.

BLUE TWILIGHT

Another oldie (1998)- my husband loves this one and it hangs over our computer.

I'm a week into recovery from my last, and I do mean last, foot surgery. Right foot, now left foot and I should be ready to put on two shoes and walk normally by the end of April, Lord willing. My great toe joints are fused and I should be able to exercise without the pain I've lived with for years.

Almost ready to be able to paint again and there's blue in my future. I just bought a BIG tube of UltramarineBlue and a medium tube of Cobalt (expensive)!!

ONEKAMA AUGUST

This painting hangs in the Trunk House at Camp Tosebo.

PURPLE SUNSET

This is another cloudscape inspired during travel. This is a golden oldie- maybe is a purpley oldie!

SPRING SKY

This painting now lives in Colorado. It was inspired by a spring drive from Grand Rapids to Lansing to see our daughter.

Mrs. Tolsma

Mrs Tolsma was my 6th grade teacher. She just celebrated her 104th birthday. Bess and her husband Richard spent many years in service at Timothy Christian School in Chicago. She taught 6th grade and he was the principal. She was also my sister Sue's 6th grade teacher. Here we are visiting her last year (in a photo I took holding my digital camera at arm's length).

She's still as sharp as ever and uses the computer!
If you see this Mrs. Tolsma, I LOVE YOU!
She remembers when I sat right next to her desk and one day passed her a note that said "I HATE YOU". (Who knows why) Without missing a beat she wrote "but I love you" and passed it back to me. That's the kind of teacher she was. She still remembers stories about many of her students. What fun to visit with her. My friend Carol and I visited her this week, but I forgot my camera.

Blessings on you, Mrs. Tolsma. Thanks for all you did for me.

Proverbs 3:5-6

These are words of assurance for me, especially considering how convoluted the paths of life can get. I'm off to the gallery for the last time for a while. Wednesday is the day for my second foot surgery- on my left foot this time. I'm just glad I'm not a spider!! If all goes well, I should be back in shoes by the time the tulips are blooming!

I'm working on painting some little seascapes at the gallery and will post some as soon as they are finished.

ROMANS 15:13

This is another verse that was suggested to become a rock. Abounding in hope is eomething that is very relevant right now!

Deuteronomy 31:8

It's amazing how many times in the Bible this message comes through with minor variations.

Especially in these challenging economic times, these are good words. I've been doing these FAITH ROCKS! for well over ten years. I originally did them on USPS postcards and sent them off through the mail weekly to people who had long term illnesses. Now I have them printed. I sell them for $10 for 12 cards at Fire and Water ART! in Lowell. If you type FAITH ROCKS in the search bar in the upper left, you'll find all my rock posts.

I'd like to say this was an original thought, but I got the idea from Millbrook Christian School. The teachers had written their favorite verse on 12"x18" neutral colored papers and had then posted on the wall by the office as a 'rock wall of promises'. It stopped me in my tracks. I added the watercolor and melted watercolor marker twist. GOD is our ROCK!

MY KITCHEN WHEN IT WAS BLUE

This is an oil painting I did probably 15 years ago when I took a class with Dick Stien. I liked it because I was able to paint some areas quickly and not overwork them and I pushed the color scheme past reality. My 3 year old grand niece came to visit and sat at the table to have a snack, looked at the painting and said "Oh, that's a picture of your kitchen when it was blue". Yep, out of the mouths of babes!

Art video

Art

Music video for Tanya Davis' song Art by Andrea Dorfman



I found this on my friend Robin's blog. It's sweet, clever and profound at the same time.

I Samuel 7:12

This is a new Faith Rock postcard. The verse was suggested by someone for a person in her church. It's drawn and painted but also Photo Shopped (on the computer). It got me working on a new group of cards to add to the ones I've marketed in my space at Fire and Water ART!

Giving up for Lent

STITCHED INTO LENT, V. Wieringa, Fabric, 2007

My minister published this on his Facebook page and I found it very moving.

Father,
I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord.


This prayer of abandonment by Charles de Foucauld echoes what my husband said when we were talking about the Lenten ritual of abstaining from something or denying yourself a particular thing. He said "For Lent I'm just giving up." I waited and then laughed when I realized that was the end of the sentence. Yes, there's an admirable Lenten discipline- I'm just giving up!

Mary Andersen

My friend Mary Andersen is with me and we're doing some computer exploration together. Check out her site: Mary Andersen Art or visit her blog and leave her a comment!

Mardi Gras

Yesterday, we had a fun but cold Mardi Gras experience in Douglas, Michigan. We were delighted to stay overnight at the Sherwood Forest B&B. We had the winning bid at an auction fundraiser for the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance and really enjoyed our stay. We walked by Lake Michigan and it wasn't too cold. Beautiful, if you can appreciate a monochromatic landscape, which we do!

YELLOW TULIPS WITH FRIUT

This painting is pre 2004, I don't think I blogged it before. I always liked the strong contrast and shadows on it. I haven't painted flowers for a while but the promise of spring is enough to make a person want to use bright colors of paint!

St Francis image from 1970 and link

This is a block print I did of St. Francis back in the 70's during my time at Calvin College. I found this during a recent dig into an old folder. I almost didn't remember it. I guess I was intrigued by his story even back then. My recent St Francis icon is featured in a post on the Image and Spirit blog.

It's great to have a webmaster!

My webmaster, Arend VanderPols, came over yesterday and we're working on tweaking my website. He also showed me how to put a live link on my blog (I think I have an older version and it doesn't happen automatically). So if you'd like to be on my art news list, click here to go to my website and subscribe! (If you were on the list before, you still are...you can also unsubscribe there.)

Arend also put on another hat and took my picture for a spot on the Biggby Coffee B-Happy Lounge where I'll be the featured artist in March.

Stream of Life

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

This is a very cool dance video, the song title is Praan and very googleable. These are the lyrics:


Stream of Life
by Rabindranath Tagore

The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day
runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures.

It is the same life that shoots in joy through the dust of the earth
in numberless blades of grass
and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers.

It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean-cradle of birth
and of death, in ebb and in flow.

I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life.
And my pride is from the life-throb of ages dancing in my blood this moment.

This really speaks to my heart and makes me want to DANCE (and travel).

ST FRANCIS OF ASISSI

I researched and created this icon from many sources and through much painting and repainting, I developed a design that (to me) seems to reflect the Franciscan spirit. 'Writing' it was a real blessing.

HOLY FAMILY - take two.

The first (top photo) version of the Holy Family didn't feel very restful to me. There were lots of little details that were bugging me, so after hours of 'futzing' with all sorts of bits and pieces, this feels more complete and as good as I can do at this point (bottom photo). I thought it would be interesting to show something not totally successful and show how it was improved. My favorite part is the three hands together. It's what drew me to this piece.

SAINT JOSEPH and THE HOLY CHILD

This icon also uses a pattern originating with Daniel Nichols.

St JOSEPH THE WORKER

This piece was 'written' as a gift for the new Grand Rapids Catholic church of St Joseph the Worker. Daniel Nichols of Eighth day icons was kind enough to let me use the pattern he created. Icons traditionally begin with a traced image. Some iconographers create their own patterns. Even though it begins with the same pattern, each icon gets its own look.

Whatever the source, writing icons is a process of connecting to the mysteries of faith. Peter Pearson in his book A Brush with God wrote "whether we are aware of it or not, we dance with God." Contemplating the life of St. Joseph was a wonderful thing to do in the process of meditating during this process. What a complicated dance his life must have been!

I bought a ruling pen and have been experimenting with making straight, clean lines. This is the first time I've achieved success with that!

HIGGAION TWO in Celebration

This piece was accepted into the First United Methodist Celebration show.

In the Psalms, Higgaion is a word that means murmuring of the harp, or instrumental interlude, or meditation. That is what abstract and non-objective compositions are to me ~ a place to rest visually while sorting out the day.

CELESTIAL TIMING #4

This piece was accepted in the Lowell Regional Arts Competition for 2009.

My friend Mary E. Andersen got Third Place!

...if the creek don't rise!

I heard from a friend who is in the middle of a long medical journey. It made me once again think of how fragile we all are. I laughed when she wrote: "It's hard for us to make any long range plans because the schedule is uncertain". If any of us had any sense of how small we are, we'd all have that feeling about making plans! It seems a little dramatic to add 'Lord willing' to everything, but what could be truer? Today it's 50 degrees in GR and the snow is melting (Yay!) so the phrase today would be "if the Good Lord's willing and the creek don't rise!"

crutches

An update on my surgery, I now have crutches and can put some weight on my foot, but I still have to wear my storm trooper/cyborg boot for at least 3 more weeks. Once I can comfortably wear a tennis shoe, I can have the surgery on the other foot!

I'm continuing to do research for some icons of St. Joseph the worker (husband of Mary, earthly father of Jesus). The ones I like the best I found on a site called Eighth Day Icons by an Ohio iconographer, Daniel Nichols. http://www.eighthdayicons.com/index.htm His work is beyond my current level of skill, but very inspiring.

Calvin Worship Symposium

This is the fourth year I'm privileged to participate in the Calvin Worship Symposium. It's always a very rich weekend. Even though I'll be on my little cart, I think I can do this! The theme this year is Parables and it's a visually rich topic. The Calvin Center Art Gallery (http://www.calvin.edu/centerartgallery/) is featuring an amazing collection of works on the theme of the Prodigal Son collected by Larry Gerbens and his wife. It's got everything on the theme from Rembrandt to contemporary abstraction.

I'm going fully armed with pencils and a large sketchbook so that could lead to some interesting work.

going from one thing to another

My friend Nikki Coulombe wrote an interesting piece on her blog which included this:

Career Artists do not generate production like a factory or have the same business formulas and game plans as retailers; for us everything from conception to sale is self-prompted. Motivation to work every day on something often means doing something different every day. I give myself the guilt-free permission to do what I feel best at on any given day. However…


This is especially meaningful to me because suddenly, I'm not called to the collages anymore, but I find that I'm interested in getting back to some icon painting. Yesterday I did research and some printing and tracing. Josph the Worker and the Holy Family are what have caught my eye and I hope at some point to paint the iconic icon, the Holy Trinity after the one by Rublev.

Nikki is an amazing artist with incredibly diverse skills.

Click on the link to the right to her site or go to:
http://www.nikkiartwork.com/trees/logic-is-one-dimensional-creativity-is-not/
(For some reason I can't embed links in my blog and I don't know how to make that happen- I need my computer guru!)