We had sunshine!

After a few days of rain, we had sunshine today - an opportunity to get into the beautiful Creston Valley, shop for the last of the bedding plants, and finish the last two planter boxes.  Aren't we blessed?

I've been sneaking into the studio as well, playing away at some of the starts from the beginning of May, and ones started last week when Alice and I played demolition derby in the studio.

Incubating Summer  6 x 6 mixed media by Win Dinn

 I spent some time attacking photos done by John some years ago - I distressed the one above by spritzing water around the edges, sanding with three weights of sandpaper, and tearing to create a 'nest'.  I love how the underlying yellow comes through in the distressed areas, as the actual background on the photo is the dark brown shown immediately around the flower.

Creativity Map  6 x 9 mixed media by Win Dinn

 This map came about when Alice and I were testing a couple of different crackle stamps.  With the addition of outlines around faded areas, a palette transfer, some distressing, negative stamping and a key to the map (or should it have been an 'X marks the spot'?), I think it says a lot about my journey.

In process

The coppery piece above started out as a totally different colour, and that was so long ago I cannot even remember what that colour could have been!  Our experiments were so thick and fast that layer after layer of  'just testing' went on this one.  At one point I decided it needed some copper brads, and I didn't have any.  Being the patient soul that I am, I stuck copper nails through the mat board, cut off the tips, sealed them in place with extra heavy gel medium, and then placed the tips of the nails on the top.  This may not be done yet, but so far it's been a real adventure.

I hope your days have been as fun-filled as mine have been this week, and that you, too, are enjoying sunshine in your life.

Here and gone.

We've just had a whirlwind two and a half days here with Alice Saltiel-Marshall and husband Bill Marshall, who were visiting from Claresholm, Alberta on their way for a family campout at Invermere.

As they are long-time acquaintances from our previous lives in Canmore, it was pure delight to re-connect and spend time together on their first Creston stay.  We scored some stamps and ephemera at Gleaners, toured the town, and sipped a little Skimmerhorn wine.  While Bill and John fished in a nearby lake yesterday, Alice and I stormed the studio for most of the day (although we did step out for a delectable lunch at the Real Food Cafe).  By day's end, Alice and I were drooping with post-painting exhaustion, and a hugely tidied-up studio looked like this:

Collapsed and giddy

I am awed and amazed at the huge number of starts, well-on-their-way and finished pieces that Alice created in the shambles, including a third of an altered board book - she is a painting fiend!

I'd Like to be Under the Sea   mixed media  by Alice Saltiel   2012

The piece above started with a cheesecloth stencil, was overlaid with palette paper transfers, over-stamped and then embellished - isn't it a beauty?  Alice kindly gave this to me as a parting gift - makes me think she was very happy to get out of here!

This lovely romantic piece above by Alice incorporates stamps, stencils and embellishments - very ethereal.

We spent some time playing with spray mist as above, which was both fun and a challenge.  It is water-soluble, which was difficult to incorporate into mixed media work.  We finally determined it could be utilized if it was sprayed after it dried with a workable fixative.  Above, Alice was also testing her crackle stamp against mine, comparing the differences.

We each did several starts with both soft and extra-heavy gel medium on Tuesday night, playing with them again through yesterday.  With dark paints, washes and stamp pad brushings, they became richly saturated  with colour by day's end.

It was pure delight, and both John and I are looking forward to a return visit in the near future.  Fortified with paint, stamps, mediums and new play things, along with fish and sunshine, we could surely conquer the world.

Same chaos, different day.

You could ask what's happening in the studio, and I'd have to say - not much!  Getting ready for the 'garage sale to end all garage sales' means my studio tables are missing and it looks like this:

Tables missing, artwork spread on floors, walls, ceilings and easel

I did manage to get a second layer on one of my starts, although there is a story to that, of course.  I dropped one of my gold paint pens on the floor and it came apart.  I quickly threw a palette paper on it, dabbed like mad, and wound up with a transfer when dry.  I applied it to a background intended for something else and now I just need to let it tell me where to go from here.

Layer 2

I also made a lucky find in the garage sale items - a yellowed lace doily among things I'd packed up when my mom passed away.  I suspect this will make a lovely 'paint wash' transfer...

Lace find

The only intentional work I got done was a palette paper transfer onto canvas of one of the alcohol transfers created at the end of last week.  I think I can see a butterfly peeking from the ink.  Of course, I may be raving mad at this point and seeing butterflies where 'there be dragons'.

Glad this transfer worked.

There are some really interesting patterns created here, and I'm looking forward to working on this piece.  Actually, I'm looking forward to working on ANY piece, as long as it doesn't include the thought / word / deed GARAGE.

If you're looking for interesting, useful, or downright crazy things for your household, do stop by 2315 Erickson St., Creston tomorrow (Saturday) from 7 am to noon, and check out the sale - we'll be glad you did!

Experiment and Play

Play and experiment.  Like most kids, I love playing with new toys.  Recently, I picked up some alcohol inks to try out, and through YouTube, discovered that they are meant for non-porous items like glass and plastic, and that I should have picked up an applicator, felt pads, blending solution and non-stick craft sheet.  Necessity is a mother, tho', and I simply dropped some colour onto a pad of palette paper, spritzed some 99% alcohol on top, and used a plastic scraper to move the inks around.  Stage two will be to do a palette paper transfer onto a wood panel covered with gloss medium - I'll keep you posted on the results!

Alcohol inks play

 I've been finishing up a storm on the starts that I posted last week.  The studio's a mess, but I'm loving the chaos.

Forest Floor  6 x 6 mixed media by Win Dinn

 You can see how my subtle pink start got ramped up.  Between palette transfers, ribbons, bubble wrap and crystals it's definitely not a quiet love now.

It's Love  4 x 4 mixed media by Win Dinn

 My love of orange gets stronger over time, even when I think I'm getting past it.

Playing with Oranges II  8 x 8 mixed media by Win Dinn

I need to let you know that my students requested their own Facebook page (I think they're tired of seeing my work).  You can find some wonderful starts and finishes here.  Keep this bookmarked, because if there are this many posts in the four days since inception, there are bound to be more as we add members.

Speaking of Facebook, I encourage you to check out Trying God's Patience.  Sue, a fabulous writer, posts some of the most thought-provoking, beautiful and inspiring quotes/photos/artwork/considerations.  Plus she speaks to coffee on my level!

I've set myself a goal to finish twelve paintings this month, and as the month is nearly past, I can see I will undoubtedly fall short.  With a garage sale imminent this coming Saturday and six years of accumulation to deal with, it's unlikely I'll complete three paintings this week.  Now who was it that said necessity is a mother?  Hmmmmm - could I paint with one hand while I price with the other?  Maybe it's time to try garagesaleartdexterocity...

OK, I'll admit it.

I am not a gardener, although it is a definite 'should' where I live.  I weed when I can no longer bear the guilt of John doing all the yard work on our 1/3 acre in the exceptionally lush Creston Valley in the incredibly fertile province of British Columbia, Canada.  In my armed conflict with procrastination around weeding, I'll even do housework in lieu, and that is second on my top ten list of the battle with the 'P' word.  Luckily (at least in my mind), one of my substitutes for weeding is painting, and I've been spending a good deal of time in the studio since I got home.

I showed you some starts in my last post, and I've finished a couple of those along with one that I'd started before I left for Alberta.

Ancient River  7 x 5 mixed media by Win Dinn

John and I have a deal - I do the painting and he does the hardware aspect.  Normally, I put the name of the piece on the top back of the canvas, with my name and date at the bottom. On this piece, however, the canvas staples were so numerous that I needed to put my name on the side.  Accordingly, John framed it horizontally, rather than vertically.  We decided we liked it both ways, so he added an extra hanger so it could be hung to the purchaser's taste. Which do you like better?

Ancient River,  Horizontally set  5 x 7 mixed media by Win Dinn

 I love the contrast of this Japanese Maple leaf against the 'Sludge' background start.

Autumn Promise 4 x 4 mixed media by Win Dinn

 I'm button crazy recently, and I've enjoyed playing with them (rather like playing with the marbles I've somehow lost) in this piece.  Those painted matboard starts are showing up in some interesting ways. Now if I could just get my camera/eye lined up, (sure, like that's going to happen) I might be able to take a photo that is actually aligned.

One of these...  8 x 8 mixed media by Win Dinn

Now that you know #1 & #2 on my top 10, let me add numbers three to ten - accounting, cold calling, tidying my studio, doing laundry, meal planning, prep work for a garage sale, grocery shopping & clothing shopping.  How about you?