TGIF–Faces of a Femme Fatale

This week’s theme for TGIF challenge is Faces of a Femme Fatale.  I recently watched all the Teesha Moore (www.teeshascircus.blogspot.com/) videos on her journaling technique and just completed (?) my first try at her approach.

I’m not sure where “Grey Ladies” came from, but my associations are to all the wonderful women I have known, known of, or just met in passing who embrace who they are to the fullest.  I always connect the attitude with women who keep their grey hair.  Neither of my ladies here seem to have greys yet, but I’d like to think they will.  My grandmother, a teacher I never had and one I did, a neighbor….all kept their grey hair and wear it like a badge of honor.  I hope to be able to do so myself as I age.  So far, at 43, I have kept all that I have with pride.

The techniques of Teesha Moore’s were wonderful to play with.  I love a heavily layered and full surface, however I struggle with hesitating.  I tend to stop short.  Her approach has helped me to push past.  I still need to work at it and I am not 100% sure these ladies are completely done, but for now they are.  As I am, perhaps, they are evolving, always evolving…..Thanks for looking!

Visual Journal Pieces

I just did this piece in my sketchbook.  Well, just completed it.  I’ve been starting and adding things to several pages slowly over time.  It is odd how some pages I easily go back to and keep at and others just don’t call to me. This one went very quickly, but still spread out over about 10 days.

One of the “orphans,” a page I just can’t connect with right now is:

It’s weird because I was very excited when I first glued down the papers and tag and soon went back to add the paint.  And then, I just stopped.  Each day I would look at it and pass it by.  It is certainly “cooler” than the one above, but that doesn’t seem to be the whole answer.  Not that I need one; I’m just curious about the different things and times I am inspired.

Things I’ve been working on

So during my hiatus I have been doing some small bits of artwork here and there. I have an altered catalog I’ve had in the works for months and did some work on it…

Here is one page I’m quite satisfied with…I was playing with extending forms that were already on the page and suddenly this figure appeared.  She makes me think of a marionette, though while she looks like a puppet she also looks like she is puppeteering.  Who’s in control here? Always a good question, and rarely has a real answer.

Another piece I’m still trying to make something of is the shrine I started way back for my dog Mimsey.  Here are 2 recent shots:

Things obviously got darker on the second go-round.  I am so stuck on how to add in what is missing…nothing seems to fit right.  I feel like I want things, 3-d, but nothing seems to be right.  I know not to push too hard and am just letting it rest right now.  Of course, it’s always great to hear other’s views!

It’s Good to be Back

Things have slowed down and I am back on line!  The Small World of Inchies seemed to be such a manageable way to reenter challenges and art in general.  The theme is faces and I found it to be such a wonderfully simple and soothing start….

All were done with pastel pencils, gelly pens, and graphite pencil.  I loved how the expressions changed with subtle line and color variations.

I’ve been itching to get back to work…just wanting to play in paint, use color, glue stuff, tear, layer…these were a small way in and since I did these yesterday I’ve been working on backgrounds and adding layers, paint, collage papers to randomly started pieces.  Nothing is done but these little faces.  I have sheets and open books littered around drying and waiting for their next layers, but these inchie faces are complete!

In this busy time keeping me from art I did have time to think about the art and the blog.  I am torn.  I noticed I spent a lot of my time and blog space on the challenges.  I enjoy them and find they get me started when I’m not sure where to start.  But I wonder if I relied on them too much.  I was not moving past them and doing the work I’d intended to do when I began this on-line journey.  Admittedly, I must also recognize that with the challenges I received feedback on my work.  That did not happen as much with my non-challenge postings.  At this point, I am looking to find a balance: use the challenges to warm up and motivate me AND work on my self-generated pieces.  Balance, always the goal and forever illusive…..

Missing In Action–

I have been gone for well over the week I had intended.  Life has just gotten the better of me.  It is my busy season and while I had managed to hold on for a while, the start of birthday season in my family just threw me over the line.  I am now coming to terms with my limitations and unfortunately, this is the thing I must put on hold.  The other things can’t wait–it is frustrating to have to put on hold what I find joy in, but there are times when responsibilities must come first.  The more realistic goal is to return by mid-November.  I hope this allows me to breathe a bit.  I will miss it here, and I miss making art.  I know stopping for a brief period makes it easier to stop altogether; I can only work to keep my intention in front of me and endeavor to return.  Thank you all for your kind comments over the past few months.

Oh, And the Bat Mitzvah was a great success! My niece did a fabulous job not only on her torah reading and haf-torah, but on leading the entire congregation in the service.  She was beautiful as ever and I was so proud to wrap her in her tallis and witness the remarkable day!

Have a wonderful fall!

Tallis completed!

This has been a crazy week and it’s only Tuesday.  I will not be able to post again until next week, but wanted to post the final pictures of the finished tallis.

The beading along the bottom is hard to see, and the tzitzits (fringes at the bottom 4 corners) are lost as well.  The top photo shows the beading around the neck piece (it is the same on the bottom).  It has been seen and approved by the bat mitzvah girl, so we are all set! This weekend is the happy event, so I will sign off for this week and hopefully be back for art and challenges, etc. starting next Monday!

TGIF-White

This week at TGIF the theme is “white”.  I created this ATC using white gel pen on a pink background.  I like the soft feel of this Zen tangle.

Thanks for looking!

Theme Thursday-Wings

This week’s theme at Theme Thursday challenge is “wings”.  Still hooked on trying to capture Zetti from yesterday’s Three Muses…I created:

Three Muses Challenge

This week’s Three Muses’ challenge was “Zetti”…never having heard of this, it was a true challenge for me! Don’t know if I really got the gist of it, but I definitely had fun!

I used some magazine photo cut outs (the goose head, human arm, and watch face) and the rest is all paint markers and gel pens.  I don’t quite know how it ended up with the goose head, but suddenly there it was….So glad this challenge introduced something new.  I’m hoping I can take the time to play with the Zetti idea some more.

Sketchbook Project Vol 4.

Another page from my sketchbook themed “this is where we start.”

Still don’t feel settled on my direction…and I think it shows! But plugging ahead.  It’s due by December 1, so I am trusting that if I keep doing something will develop!