"Hidden Gifts #2", acrylic on panel, 12" x 12".

Very Small Wall Pieces

I'm obsessed with Altoid tins.

 

This piece includes rusted washers, sanded &  painted, a tiny bird bead, my paint brush handle that became a stir stick & a piece of walnut that I carved & drew on.

I've been playing with the idea of making pieces that resemble artifacts, things that contain symbols & codes from other places & times, that are somehow simultaneously mysterious & familiar, like parts of remembered dreams.

"Are You Still Painting?''

[Yep. And making assemblages, drawing, etc.]

Here's a question that I hear often, from people that I haven't seen in awhile. Turns out, other artist friends are asked this frequently, too. I know that this comes from heartfelt to mild interest, both appreciated. But, when given some thought, it is surprising to think that stopping would be an option. Those of us that are driven, urged, impulsed and even obsessed, have never or hardly even considered this.

My first response is to answer, "As long as I'm still breathing".  But, looking deeper, where does the question come from ? What causes people to stop making art? What gives the rest of us the determination, tenacity and ability to follow our passions, whether it is for making art or anything else?

Here's to living in cultures where this question will no longer be asked, where everyone is following their dreams and expanding their gifts, without doubt or hardship. Why not entertain the thought and vision?

Transformational Art

Transformational art is any form of art that moves viewers into deeper states of consciousness, to receive insights & to know themselves more fully. Art that is transformational has staying power, enticing the viewer to come back & look, over & over again.

Transformational art can be of any style or genre, beautiful or even uncomfortable to observe. Its purpose is to serve as a visual tool, to engage the inner senses & sensing. It often is nature-based, as a reminder of the elements & the elementals & of the importance of the natural world.

Ivy Walker's work is a perfect example. Here are some of her 6" mixed media pieces.

Her website is ivywalker.com

All over the place #2: Assemblages in the making

A table in my studio, with found objects & assemblages in process.

All over the place #1: Mandala Drawings

I'm bouncing around, between working on assemblages, paintings & mandalas. These are a portion of a series of mandalas that I'm drawing to evoke intuition & to formalize intentions for viewers.

A Fairy Find [Assemblage]

A Fairy Find

This is a piece influenced by the fae, the fairy beings that are present in my garden, in the woods & in other wild, unmanicured places. I thought about what an assemblage would look like if they created one, out of these materials. And, so it is.

A tiny assemblage, life-sized.