Thursday, February 28, 2013

Photo Heart Connection: Exploration of Self

I've always been intrigued by artists who express their inner selves through their artwork but it wasn't until I saw the series of self portraits in Seth Apter's book 'The Pulse of Mixed Media' that I felt a growing urge to dig deep and explore this idea through my own art.    
 
 
The piece below is something I've been working on for a while.  It's a torso made of plaster adhered to a wood panel.  When I first came to paint it I tried a lighter color palette (brown, beige and cream) but it didn't feel right.
 
 
After walking away and revisiting it I decided I had to repaint it black so that I could start over again (I always work from a black background as a white background creates a mental brick wall . . . I have to wonder if that will ever change).
 
 
While I loved the texture that the plaster created it felt a little bare so I decided to add some additional markings.  I inscribed the word 'self' to mark my journey while 'believe' was my chosen word for the year.

 
 
Fear was an important choice for all to often I find that fear is what holds me back and stops me from making choices and being able to move forward.
 
Linking up with Kat for this month's Photo Heart Connection
 
Other markings include a scar across the heart which depicts grieve and a ladder on the main section of the torso which indicates growth and possibilities.
 
 
After the neutral color experiment I went back to my dark autumnal palette but somehow that doesn't seem to be working for me either.
 
 
It looks like this weekend I'll be repainting it once again so that I can experiment with grey, silver and black tones.  I've learnt that if something doesn't feel right to keep repainting and working with it until it does because until you get 'that feeling' it's just not finished.
 
 

Monday, February 18, 2013

Brain Fog

textured with 'mary'

The fog formed suddenly, creating a vacuum that sucked the air from beneath her.  Always one for proper etiquette he'd made sure to bring a gift . . . a clouding of consciousness that was bestowed upon her in a quixotic gesture. 

Voluminous shadows marred her vision.  Disorientated she stumbled and struggled to regain her composure.  It was hard to concentrate and she found herself scrambling to make sense of it all.  Rubbing her head with both hands she tried to remember if this was a memory or simply the everyday as though images from some forgotten dream.

As the fog languished she wondered whether this soupy sludge would ever dissipate, but deep down she knew . . . . . the brain . . . . .that was his favorite resting place.

Linking up with Texture Tuesday.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Recent Visitors

I've loved watching the birds at our feeders this past month.  The nose and paw prints on the windows would suggest that the cats and dogs have too!  I hope you enjoy the run down of some of my feathered friends.
 
Female Cardinal
 
Red Bellied Woodpecker
 
Starling
 
Tufted Titmouse
 
  
Female Cardinal
 
Female Cardinal
 
Mockingbird
 
Downy & Red Bellied Woodpecker
 
Downy Woodpecker 
 
Mockingbird
 
Downy Woodpecker

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Searching For Silence



searching for silence
her thoughts too
lost amongst the noise
 
reaching high, bending low
tearing the place apart
her frustration intensified
 
shaking her head
she had to laugh
at her own absurdity

silence was never lost
she just had to stop screaming
long enough to hear it

Friday, February 1, 2013

Photo Heart Connection: January


Wind and rain forgo politeness for knocking softly goes unheard.  Hammering loudly they scream for attention, tired of being ignored.  Wind whips temperature into submission like a beaten dog while rain lashes out with the ferocity of a hundred striking snakes.  There's an angriness to their actions, something that comes from a dark place.  As they vent their frustrations they begin to tire and calm momentarily returns.   Temperature, no longer cowering, rises off his wet sodden knees and slowly rises again.
 
Linking up with Photo Heart Connection.