Buried Treasure

Seth Apter is looking for Buried Treasure.  That is, he's requested us to repost a favourite page from the past..  I've chosen this one from September 2011. 

I love doing miniatures, and one of my favourite themes is  the rainforest. These four sold before the opening night of the exhibition for which they were painted.


MINIATURE PAINTINGS    9/22/2011

I have always been interested in small works and have won a few prizes for miniatures over the years.

My latest are these mixed media/collage works on 4" x 4" canvas.

Rainforest Remnants I

Rainforest Remnants II

Rainforest Remnants III

Rainforest Remnants IV

Now that I see them in photos I feel I need to 'muck up' the edges of the collaged bits, and will do so forthwith.

The words are on inkjet transparency and, as a whole, read thus....

"We are losing Earth's greatest biological treasures just as we are beginning to appreciate their true value. Rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface; now they cover a mere 6% and experts estimate that the last remaining rainforests could be consumed in less than 40 years.

One and one-half acres of rainforest are lost every second with tragic consequences for both developing and industrial countries.

Rainforests are being destroyed because the value of rainforest land is perceived as only the value of its timber by shortsighted governments, multi-national logging companies, and landowners.

Nearly half of the world's species of plants, animals and microorganisms will be destroyed or severely threatened over the next quarter century due to rainforest deforestation."

From:

http://www.rain-tree.com/facts.htm

'Wild'n'Reckless' Icecream?

Kristin's Summer of Colour challenge this week is the ice-cream  'Wild and Reckless Sherbet', an insane mix of green, blue, and purple.  I'm sure I couldn't eat it because of the artificial colours, but it IS beautiful.

For my contribution I first looked at playing with Photoshop.

Horizon

This began as a simple photo of a horizon, then passed through several filters and cut'n'paste processes.

The colours are actually favourites so this painting is next, inspired by a photo I took at a local jazz concert.

Emma Sings The Blues - acrylics

....hmmmmm..... pastels come in these great colours too....

Forest Floor - pastels

.... and so do beads... yummo...

 ... but Photoshop is really the way to go for this one....

The Blues Singer

I'm a little fond of the blues, as you may have gathered, but that icecream is beyond belief.

O M G

.

Only one icecream to go... stay tuned

Recognise this wench?...

Yes it's my friend Kim Schoenberger !!!!  Kim, a potter/sculptor, who goes from this...

... to this..

... with equal expertise, also does these amazing mediaeval pots once a year.

Here, standing guard over them is Glen Jeavins, Sunshine Coast FMs gardening expert, and Kim's partner in crime.  Well, perhaps not crime exactly, but certainly her once-a- year commitment to the largest Mediaeval Festival in the southern hemisphere.

Let me share some photos, just to give you a little idea of this amazing annual event.  The whole area is set up with various encampments, open fires, people in mediaeval dress, all behaving as if we are back sometime before the15th century.

I loved the Gypsy encampment...

...with all its wonderful colours and characters...

... and the Vikings too...

There were birds of prey...

 ... and ladies with dogs...

... henna painters...

tool and fur merchants...

... even a mediaeval lathe... who'd believe it? (for you Barry)

There were assaults on castles...

 ..stilt walkers...

  ..kissing booths (I don't think so)...

...jugglers...

 ...mediaeval music (complete with modern technology, for which they are forgiven)...

... and the thing that everyone wanted to see....JOUSTING...

This was the most difficult to photograph... but I'll try harder next year.

Thanks for inspiring me to go see this fabulous event Kim, and for collecting some collage materials for me.

 

A great day, and a great mate...

 

Don't forget O loyal followers... you have two days to leave a comment on my recent '100 followers' post to be eligible for a give-away.

MIXED MEDIA

My latest follower, Elizabeth, of  The Glowing Wheel, is a mixed media explorer, as am I.  More and more I find myself moving from traditional brush painting to abstract mixed/media.  It seems that there is a growing trend this way. Perhaps it is the potential for re-using materials in an increasingly consumer-driven world.  I have some favourite 're-cyclers' that you might like to visit.

1. Robyn of Art Propelled

2.   Dale Copeland of Virtual Tart

3. Seth Apter of The Altered Page

4. Nancy Standlee ( great collages)

There are so many more 'favourites' that I could be here all day... but those links should keep you amused for a while.

100 Followers !!!!!

THANK YOU EVERYONE !!!  It's such a validation of what I do that 100 people want to keep an eye on it regularly.

Tradition decrees that I have a giveaway to celebrate.  I can do that.

Let's say you choose one of the following and, in your comments tell me why you like it.  In one week, the 11th, I'll have himself choose the most creative or amusing reason for each one.  Richard has quite a sense of humour so don't be backward.

1. A small piece, matted to fit a 5 x 7 inch standard frame.

Squall - acrylics

2.  An ATC.. . standard size 2.5 x 3 inches.

Under The Sea - Collage

3.  Collage... 5 x 7 inches on matboard and fomecore.

Moon/Earth #6

This will be fun.  I really look forward to your responses... assuming that anyone is even vaguely interested.

Stawberry & Lemon Ice-cream

Doesn't that sound yummo!  Good on Kristin of Twinkle Twinkle for making week four's Summer Of Colour challenge this flavour.  If only I knew where to buy it.

My contributions in these colours are:

Heliconia

This photo was taken in my garden. The heliconias run wild and I often have to remove most of them.  Then they're off again.

Am still doing ATC's, but slowing down on production.

Yellow Flowers



Then we have a digitally enhanced photo from our local show (or 'fair for those from the other side of the world)...

... and last, but not least, a mixed media painting on canvas.

Summer

If you want to see how more creative people have used this palette, head on over to the Summer Of Colour page...HERE.

Lots to see.




Bookmarks

I spend quite a lot of time in my studio 'playing' with paint. I paint on gessoed cartridge paper, layers and layers of paint rolled, sprayed, dripped, and textured.  These become part of mixed media work.  Of course I always have scraps everywhere.

It is helpful when people such as Chris at Parabolic Muse have a bookmark swap so that I can use a few 'bits'.



These are far more subtle than my usual colours, but a change is good.

I haven't yet received my return bookmarks, but will post them at a later date along with others from my ever-growing collection.