Category Archives: art

Arting for 365 Day 262: Old Man and the Company of a Fairy (pg 5)

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1955 Field and Stream magazine, ink and acrylic

A continuation of the re-appropriation project: 1955 Field and Stream magazine, ink and acrylic

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

The old man sat in the garden, cloaked in thick blankets. The cool afternoon air was tempered by a beaming sun which heated his back and warmed his lungs. He liked coming to this garden. It was peaceful and secluded and gave him a chance to reflect.

There was another reason he enjoyed it here. She visited him. With her pixie hair and wings aflutter, she’d swoop down and then sit; attentively listening to his stories or to the silence. She certainly made for good company.

He’d once shared stories about his encounters with the fairy,  but soon became the wiser. Those he’d shared with had laughed and muttered something about dementia. No sense in ruining a good thing, he thought. Some secrets are best kept to oneself anyway.

Day 262 Old Man and Fairy Lower Detail Day 262 Old Man and Fairy Upper DetailPrevious pages 1955 Field and Stream Magazine. Write-ups for each can be found here, here and here.

Arting for 365 Day 261: Un-Nestled

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Day 261 18 x 34, Pierced paper

Day 261 18 x 34, Pierced paper

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

Composed of sticks and twigs and loose paper found blowing down a city street

The quiet nest sits empty

Not entirely purpose-less

Its intricate twines twist with confidence and beauty – an abandoned sculpture with potential beyond its delicate facade

Waiting for life to once again occupy its hearty, rounded floor

For the crane to care

About the potential of its winged kind

To fly another time

This piece is available for purchase

Day 261 Cell Details Day 2651 Nest Detail Day 261 Unnestled Egg Detail

Arting for 365 Day 260: Linked

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3 x 5" paper with pinholes

3 x 5″ paper with pinholes

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

There is a place lined with little streets and tiny houses

Where large trees grow

Whose roots feel their way through cool, damp dirt

Twisting and knotting

Fracturing cement slabs that were unaware of their presence

Linking the world below

Day 260 Linked Detail 2Day 260 Detail 1

Arting for 365 Day 259: Reinvigorated for No Good Reason

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3 x 5" ink on paper

3 x 5″ ink on paper

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

I would love to know what clicks in our brains to make us suddenly full of ideas. Why is it that one day, coming up with something interesting and stimulating is a tedious struggle that makes us want to pull your hair out; while other days we have more ideas than we know what to do with? With no drastic changes in our lives – or any changes, really- our minds function on an entirely different level.

Whatever the reason, I say get while the getting’s good and hope that it lasts a VERY long time.

Arting for 365 Day 258: Winter Time

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3 x 5″ paper with pinholes

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

As I tried to figure out what I could complete for my daily project, I came across a lovely picture a friend had taken of  pine trees covered in snow. Because I was still in pinhole mode, I decided creating a winter tree might be a good challenge. This small piece is what I came up with. While not my typical subject matter, it did let me work on my technique a bit more.  So far, I’m loving the process and am ready to finish up one of these on a larger scale.

Day 258 Winter Time Detail

Arting for 365 Day 257: Leaves via Pinholes

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5 x 8" paper with pinholes

5 x 8″ paper with pinholes

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

I began working on a larger scale piece yesterday in which I planned to incorporate thread. As I started stitching into the work though, the effect was not as I had hoped. I was going for more of an organic feel and wound up with – as should have been expected – very geometric lines. As I removed the thread from the paper I began to take notice of the small holes that remained. I thought they were wonderful and so added more to a few points around the paper.  Suddenly it dawned on me that I could create an entire design solely by poking holes.

I pulled out a smaller piece of paper and after a few hours, ended up with this piece. I love the subtlety of it. As a viewer you are forced to get in close to see what has been created. Beyond that, there is a really great texture that results from the needle piercing the paper. I also love that nothing has been removed or added to the paper to create this piece of art. I feel like larger scale versions are on the horizon.

Day 237 Leafs via Pinholes Detail 1

Day 237 Leafs via Pinholes Detail 2

Arting for 365 Day 255: Not Your Ordinary Valentines Cards

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1/8/12Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

I’d decided awhile ago that it might be fun to make some Valentines cards. Typically I wait until the week of Valentines Day to start creating, because that is typically about the time I start thinking about it. But the boyfriend has kindly reminded me that it might be wise to start these sorts of things sooner. Apparently some people actually get a gift prior to the day before Valentines Day, and so I might want to be prepared. Yesterday, I decided it was time to follow through on his advice.

My aim was to create cards that were a bit off the beaten path and to also have fun with the things. I feel like I achieved both goals. The lettering isn’t perfect, but somehow that doesn’t bother me at all. It lets you know the cards were hand-crafted. I also like that the imagery and messaging runs from slightly sappy to funny.

If you’re in need of a Valentines card, I’m going to make prints of the designs and sell the cards in my studio and on Etsy. (If you’re near by and want to buy a few, contact me so we can avoid shipping costs).  Enjoy!

Day 255 Happy Heart

Day 255: To the CoreDay 255 Circles HeartDay 255 Heart DetailDay 255 Bacon HeartDay 255 Suckers

Arting for 365 Day 254: Goose Chaser (pg. 3)

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Ink and acrylic on May, 1955 Field and Stream magazine

Ink and acrylic on May, 1955 Field and Stream magazine. Bottom right corner and head, cut-out

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

I had started in on the third page of my magazine project yesterday, adding areas of paint and going over the layout in my head when I decided I needed to get out and get a whiff of fresh air. I jogged down one of the many bike paths that weave around Ft. Collins and as I turned a corner I saw a huge field filled with geese. There were easily over 100. Gaggles of geese are everywhere around this town and yet I still feel surprised when I come upon a group this size. The geese were feeding and resting and had very little they felt they needed to tell me, so I continued on my jog.

After a short bit I turned around to head back to the studio. As I passed the geese again, I saw a guy walking directly toward them. My imagination went wild. Was this guy a goose whisperer? Or did he plan to run and scream at them? Was he going to pull out a gun and begin shooting? Did he think he could catch one? I was beyond curious.

It turned out to be rather uneventful. The man continued his course directly into the gaggle’s path, but seemed to have no interest in the birds. He simply wanted a shortcut to his destination. The geese took flight, honking all the while – a sound that made me think of what it must be like to listen to hundreds of bagpipes each playing completely different songs. At that moment I remembered the image I had just been working on and knew I had to create the goose chaser.

Arting for 365 Day 253: Fast Car

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Ink and acrylic on May 1955 Field and Stream Magazine (pg 1)

Ink and acrylic on May 1955 Field and Stream Magazine (pg 1)

Goal: To create one piece of art each day for 365 consecutive days

A few days ago I decided to re-appropriate an old Field and Stream magazine. Creating in this manner was really interesting to me and so I quickly decided I would attempt to complete the entire magazine. Whether or not I do is yet to be seen, but for now, it sounds like a great exploration.

Yesterday I decided to get a jump on page one. I didn’t remember to take an original picture until shortly after I began (see below), but you’ll get the idea. If you look closely you can make out the bird driving the car and a few owls toward the bottom. Beyond that is text. 

Day 253 Fast Car Original

Nearly original design by Keith Wood

Keeping in mind that I wanted to keep portions of the original design to build on while aiming to create something that felt entirely new, I began drawing. The finished work incorporates the colors from the cover and repeated chunks of shapes, but it has an even greater focus on flowing lines – which I like to think helps emphasize the moving car. After completing the drawing I decided to cut a section of the bottom text out revealing the next page, which just happens to also be text.

 As for the cover that I originally began with, well it now looks like this:

Day 253 Step 1

Cover with page one peeking through at the top