Thursday, September 25, 2014

Remember this?


The 'Forest' painting sat in my library for a month after its last showing.  I was not happy with it at all. Every time I walked by, it whispered to me....."too much green".  Back to the studio it went.



Adding some colour was fun, and certainly an improvement, but I can still see problems with it.



I think I'll keep on working over it until the voice over my shoulder says STOP!

Am loving the many layers so far......

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Studio chaos - situation normal

It has been a bone of contention with me that the studio interiors that most people show you on the net are too neat.  Nobody could possible be making art in these orderly spaces. My blogging friend, and well-known New York artist,  Seth Apter agrees.  He's doing a link-up of working studios where real artists are getting stuck into it.  I could only join in this...I had no choice! His links will be posted on 18th (USA) or 19th (Aust.).

This is the view of my studio/workshop as you walk in the door. A = the tall bench. B = where I sit by the window and work.  The arrow pointing behind my easel leads the way to the sink area.



The tall bench has paint and paper storage below, which can occasionally be tidy...but not right now.

Here I am burning the edges of vintage maps to collage into my 'dossier'....one of Seth's projects from the Art Is You Retreat.




The 'sitting' bench is a comfortable well-lit (from the window) place for stamping, etc.  You can see my 'ant' book (another Seth project), and the back page of my dossier, in progress here.


Beside the low bench is a table full of stencils, and image transfers, for use in the current project, and a table with tools....heat gun, glue gun, and sealing wax gun.






Paintings in progress next to a trolley full of paints, mediums, rags etc.


The trolley is next to shelves with various inspirational books and collage materials.


My sink area is usually quite neat in comparison to the rest. Paintings, in various stages, on the floor at right, above are painted papers hanging from a wire.


I try to keep brushes washed and ready to go again. 



Here are some more pics of Seth's projects in progress..... my Ant book, dossier, and 52 card pick-up. ( I promise I'll finish them Seth )


Of course anyone who collages knows what the floor is for.....bits of paper and drying work.  More dossier pages, and two cards.



The absolute mess of collaging! ....but I LOVE it !!!!!!

Naturally my '52 card pickup  project' had to have 'Chaos' on its cover.

front cover

back cover

a selection of cards
the wrapped pack
Check out Seth's cards HERE



Friday, September 5, 2014

I promised you photos, but.....

...who had time?  We hit the ground running.

It was SO well organised by Sallianne and Lovely Linda that we were occupied the whole time.

Me and Sallianne

We met each day at 8.45am for a group discussion, then off to class at 10am.  Morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea were arranged, and included, and class finished at 5 pm.

There were also various things arranged for the evening, but I only went to the Stencil Girl 'play' night where we had the chance to try out various stencils.  Fun.

I chose to spend all four days with Seth Apter, who has been part of my blogging life for years.

Me and Seth

This meant that I was to make a complete reconstructed book, a dossier, and 52 altered playing cards in these four days.  Not bloody likely!  But, as these were technique based workshops, we had plenty of practice at new stuff.

Needless to say all projects made good progress, but at a cost of taking photos.  So, you will just have to wait until I have completed my work for these.