artislife

Relationships

2008-05-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'm attracted to both narrative and abstract work, and sometimes I combine them, as I did in this painting on masonite. The important thing is the posture of the two figures, which implies a story (determined by the viewer). I kept the figures monochromatic because I wanted to focus on the form. I didn't want the background to distract from the figures, so I kept it very simple and dark, except for the red sripe, which brings a little color but not too much contrast. I'd appreciate any feedback on responses to the painting. I haven't been able to get a very good photograph, so I'm also showing details of the figures. Thanks for looking.

Nature Deconstructed

2008-03-10T18:51:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting lately with some mixed media paintings on masonite that suggest nature but are pretty non-specific. I start them with a dress pattern base that gives me straight lines, arrows and sometimes numbers. Then I paint them in soft layered colors that contrast with the rigid structure of the lines. The mood of the painting is determined by the colors. I'm really liking the mix of the man-made lines and the organic nature of the painting. So far, they are fairly small - from 12 x 12 to 17 x 24. I'd welcome any comments on these. Thanks for looking.

Exciting New Technique

2007-10-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate to once again attend the Art and Soul Retreat in Portland, Oregon in early October. I wish everyone had the opportunity to be immersed in something they love for a week, inspired by amazing instructors, and surrounded by happy, generous fellow artists. I am so excited about the techniques and tips I learned from two wonderful instructors (I still can't believe my luck at having the opportunity) - Lesley Riley and Anne Bagby. I am currently working on a technique from Anne that I am loving. Anne makes what she calls "complicated papers" with glazes, hand-carved stamps and stencils that she uses in her collages. They are so beautiful - a feast for the eyes. I am still new at the technique but I'm having such fun with it. I have almost completed the two pieces you see here and plan to do many more.

Exploring Chiaroscuro

2007-09-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

My usual style of working is subtle - sometimes almost monochromatic. Entering a show with the theme of chiaroscuro (the contrast between dark and light) was a way to stretch my imagination. My inspiration was Carravagio but with a modern sensibility. As always, I was drawn to mystery, the theatre, and implied stories for the subjects in the paintings. Figurative is always my first choice so that was easy. I enjoyed creating these "tales" and would love to hear responses to them - particularly your ideas on what is happening, has just happened, or is about to happen in these paintings. I love hearing people describe what they see in my work.
Thanks for looking.

Woman Holding Bird

2007-08-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

This is a box cover that isn't working out so far as a functional piece because it sticks when I close the box. I'll have to figure that out. I like the image - it's a painting that I did and scanned so I can try to use it in different ways. I sewed the ridges on the sleeve. It was the first time I sewed on paper, so that was interesting to me. I think this image has a few possibilities so I'll be exploring that.

3d Cigar Boxes

2007-08-21T18:55:00.000-07:00

I finally was able to take some decent photos of two cigar boxes I did in Claudine Hellmuth's class at Art and Soul in Portland last October. They are fun to do and the main image comes forward so it's a nice effect. They both have plexiglass covers and one has a transferred image on it. Claudine has wonderful ideas and techniques and it was inspiring to make these under her guidance.

White on White

2007-08-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy summer but my friend Nancy and I are still posing art challenges for each other. This one was white on white. My piece is on a 10 x 12 board. It's a painting with fabric and paper. I call it the muse of music because I found a bit of sheet music that I used on the neck of the lady I painted. The white violins reinforce the imagery and I have written musique in pencil on the side. I stamped the bird and the dragonfly at the end - the bird can represent music but the dragonfly just happened. I suppose it has some musical qualities - it's poetic and lyrical. I like the softness of this piece. The photo doesn't capture its whiteness completely but the pale palette is soothing.

Culinary Theme

2007-06-18T12:16:00.000-07:00

Apparently, cuisine is on my mind. I have recently done two paintings with chefs. The first is my take on a nursery rhyme - I'm sure you remember four and twenty blackbirds. I made some stencils for this one, which was fun. I have a feeling I'll do another one with the blackbirds. The other is a chef with an eye on a goose or maybe she'll settle for the egg - who knows? The background for this one includes pages from an old book - I actually painted the face on the book page. It worked better than I expected - no warping or bubbles.

My friend Nancy and I have decided to set challenges for each other to get us motivated by designating a theme. Our first one was cutlery. I have seen some antique folk dolls with wooden slats for skirts (or maybe they were the support for a skirt - I don't know). Anyway, I went to the thrift store and bought some cheap knives that I used to allude to the wooden slats. The face I scanned from a wonderful wooden figure I bought in London and the torso and arms are paper. I used a piece of organza which I attached with a button to add the illusion of a skirt. The piece is on a thin piece of wood so I did some drilling to attach the button and the knives. It was a fun project and I really like the result.

I intend to pursue more of these lighthearted subjects. I'm finding they make other people smile, too.

Figures

2007-06-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a series of isolated figures with just a few elements that I hope add to the composition and the mystery of the pieces. I have left out all facial features. They are deliberately ambiguous - whatever emotion is conveyed is through the bodies. The first two are called "Monochrome Ochre 2" and "Monochrome Ochre 5." The third painting is part of the same concept but the figure is stronger and may elicit more ideas about what is going on. I am calling it "Diver" for now but that may change. I hope people will respond to the colors and the image in their own way. I'd be grateful for any comments.

Following Leonardo's Horse

2007-03-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

This is a painting I have worked on for a long time because the figure kept changing. I think she's where I want her to be now. I got the original idea because the lines on the dress pattern I used in the background reminded me of a circus tent. I love the idea of the horse and the suggestion of following a dream. The circle of the wheel symbolizes many things but I was thinking here of the circle of life and where it takes us - the ups and the downs of following a dream. The colors are very subtle and don't translate that well onto the computer screen but you can get an idea. The painting is aboaut 12 x 18 on wood. I'm showing a detail of the figure for a little better view.

Cloth Paper Scissors Interview

2007-03-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited to finally get a look at the March/April issue of Cloth Paper Scissors. I'm fortunate to be the subject of Lesley Riley's interview "Artist to Artist," which features one of my paintings. As it happens, the cover highlights one of Jane La Fazio's journal pages (my art quilt teacher) and she has an article about her journals. Cloth Paper Scissors is a great publication and I'm proud to be part of it.

Art Quilts

2007-02-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

I'm happily learning to make art quilts from a very talented and inspiring artist - Jane LaFazio. She is full of energy and creativity and, like all the collage artists I have met, she is amazingly generous in sharing her techniques and supporting her students in their creative journey. I was fortunate enough to find her in Cloth Paper Scissors (January/February 2007) and more fortunate to be able to take one of her classes - the first of many, I hope. You can see her work at www.PlainJaneStudio.com and believe me, there is nothing plain about her! I have been exposed to enough techniques in the past six weeks to keep me busy for a long, long time.

Art Show

2007-02-23T11:16:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to learn that my mixed media piece "Voyage" has been accepted in a small format collage at the Ayer Lofts Gallery in Lowell, Massachusetts. The show will run from April 15-29. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend, but I'm happy my art gets to travel - guess the title is appropriate.

2007-02-23T11:08:00.001-08:00

artislife

2007-01-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

artislife
I just finished a new collage that was inspired by a photograph in a magazine of a carved wooden figure. I have a similar figure that I bought in London a few years ago and the simplicity of it has always spoken to me. This new piece called "Detour" has a few textured elements - some gold colored mesh, some gold thread, a couple of 3-d numbers, a metal ampersand and a skeleton leaf. The arrows lead to the letters "DE" which could be the beginning of Detour or the abbreviation for Deutschland - your imagination can take you any way you want to go. It feels like there's a story to it - it could be anyone's.

artislife

2006-12-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

artislife

December 2006

December 14, 2006
Out-of-town company and other things, including doing a lot of small work for a craft show, have taken me away from my blog for a while. I do have a new piece I'm very happy with, though. It's called Carousel Dream and combines shapes, colors, images and ideas that appeal to me. For me, it evokes a fanciful mood -I can dream of riding away on the horse to experience something far removed from everyday life. The background color is soft and inviting and the transferred circus ticket begs for adventure. I would welcome any comments.

artislife: artislife: November 2006

2006-11-13T16:42:00.000-08:00

artislife: artislife: November 2006

artislife: November 2006

2006-11-13T16:39:00.000-08:00

artislife: November 2006

November 13, 2006
The background I did last week has given birth to a new collage. My friend and I went to some estate sales this weekend looking for materials and I hit the jackpot. I found a very aged and curled luggage tag from a cruise ship on the Matson lines. It is damaged but that adds to the charm of it. Apparently the sellers are onto collage artists and because it is rare, they put it in the case with the jewelry. But it was worth the extra money because it has so much character. I paired it with a passport photo which I altered from a collage sheet I had. It started out as a man with a suit and tie but now it's a young woman - it's almost androgynous but it has a feminine quality about it. I'm really pleased with how it turned out. It's a great home for the tag.

artislife

2006-11-07T08:54:00.000-08:00

artislife

November 7, 2006
I just returned from spending a few days in the mountains hanging out with friends and getting recharged. I've started work on a new painting. The background is looking great - the main image is still a little nebulous but things are looking promising. I won't have a lot of time this week but a lot of my work is done in my head, anyway. I'll be interested to see what direction this piece takes.

2006-11-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

November 1, 2006

I am a first-time blogger and I’d like to start this new venture by thanking some remarkable artists who have been an inspiration to me: Claudine Hellmuth, Diane Downs, and Lesley Riley. I was fortunate enough to meet and learn from them at the Art and Soul Retreat in Portland, Oregon, earlier this month. These women are as generous in spirit as they are talented in creating wonderful works of art. They teach, inspire and encourage, and I am truly grateful for the techniques and insight I gained from being around them.

Since I returned from Art and Soul, I did a new piece called “Illusion” that is built around circus images and the contradiction between illusion and reality. Comments are welcome.

You can see more of my work at www.lizart.etsy.com and also in an online poetry magazine at http://www.desertmoonreview.com/cmj/Summer06/cover.htm

Thanks for taking the time to know more about my work.