Flower Faces

Here are some faces I've been working on. I've just arranged their petals to see if I like the direction they are going before I glue it all down. They will be a gift for friend. The faces are about 2 1/4" across, sculpted with paperclay and painted with acrylics. Once they are all glued I'll stick them back on their stems and add some other flowers for a bouquet.

I need the Courage to Let GO!

This is a painting that’s currently in progress and on which I have reached an impasse. My idea was that it would be loose and flowing and have all sort of texture and layers and once I painted in the faces I balked at working over them, not that they are that spectacular faces – though I do think they are nice faces.

sharpie sketch on gesso

first washes of color

flesh color added

shading and some details added

more face details

There is something about once something has a face or eyes, it’s a done sort of thing for me, but I KNOW this is far from done and I think I’m going to have to bite the bullet and just continue on…regardless…even though it means painting over the faces…I can do it, because this isn’t what I envisioned!

The Path of Change is...(pick your word)

As a person who likes to make things, I’m always looking for new and interesting techniques to expand my creative horizons. At the same time, after learning these new and wonderful techniques, I find myself almost always reverting back to the same mediums and symbols that feel most like ‘me’. Occasionally part of a technique or a new medium will work its way into a project, but it’s a slow process. 
 

With the thought of trying to move past my reserve in implementing changes in my art I took a "Free-Frawl" painting class from my friend Susan Brasch.  She is a very talented visual artist, writer and mediator, who teaches at her home studio and through Art&Soul, here in Lincoln. 

Here is one of the pieces I completed in her class. I call it ‘Sleeping Heart’. It's worked on a piece of smooth paper, 24"x36", in acrylics and soft pastel.

She's a little crinkly from the color washes

I really like the colors.

While it has some spontaneity to it I think I still fell back into one of my art patterns, women and hearts, BUT it is looser and wilder in many ways, so that’ a start! I don’t think I will ever stop exploring the possibilities, but I know what I like to do, so isn’t that what I should do? I don’t think it’s a ‘fear’ thing exactly, but this quote is a good one for me to keep in mind then next time I start to explore a new idea:
 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” —Marianne Williamson

Pony girl has gone Anime'!

After several attempts to get her eyes the way I wanted, a more realistic size, I had a hissy fit and painted out the whole area white. The more I looked at those large white eyes the more I thought 'what if...'? So, throwing caution to the wind, I made her eyes HUGE. My mentor loves how they look, I'm still a little unsure - I mean I think she looks cute but...it's so hard to break out our routines and predilections, isn't it? I'm just going to continue on and learn to love her as she is. Next on the agenda...CLOTHES! With that face I can get really funky if I want, but I probably won't...dang change is hard!

Sorry for the lag time

Hello all!
I apologize for the lag time in posts. I've been trying to make them, at the least, weekly, but sadly I've had some health issues and surgery has put me behind. I hope to be back in form starting next week!
Thank you all for following me in my adventure!
Deanna

process

So here is a little blog about my process. The theme for March Monthly art on Willowing was 'bunnies'. Well, this just played into my hands, bunnies are one of my most favorite animals. (The Velveteen Rabbit is still one of my favorites stories). So, anyway, I doodled some bunnies while eating KFC - because I am such a healthy eater and the back of the paper place-mat was there and blank - I liked the faces but the bunny at the bottom of the page was the one I thought would work best, it's about 2" x 2.5" in size. I scanned it, cropped it and printed it on a 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper.

I then took the enlarged copy and used modge podge and glued it to a 7" x 9" mason board.

When it was dry I trimmed off the excess paper and put a layer of modge podge across the top and let it dry again. This gave a nice surface to work on and kept the paper from pilling when I painted it. You can see that the other doodles are still showing on the page. From there I took thinned acrylics and painted in the base colors.

And finally I just added more paint and then went in with colored pencils to add more depth and texture. This is the finished piece.

Opening hearts & Reminders of life

The Sophia Project is not your ordinary blog. Cyndi has a wonderful way of expressing in words the process of life, even on days that don't go as expected, her article 'Today...' is no exception. Maybe it's my age or maybe it's the truth of the article and the quote at the end, but for me and where I am now in the process, tears are always a good thing!

Fill in your  '... is to Live'