Hearts and Truth . . .

mixed media journal page, 12/2012

Spending 2 weeks on the couch sick pummeled me into a breakdown of sorts.  When you have had cancer a simple cold or headache is no longer simple.  It begs you to question the reasons behind any and all aches and pains no matter how simple they may seem.  You begin to wonder if your body is hiding something behind the scenes.  You don't realize that just like anyone else you can get the common cold or flu for that matter.  

So the first day I was sick my headache pain threw me into a crying fit which caused tons of emotional stuff to fly from my lips.  Lou had just walked in the door to find me on the couch crying in pain.  I am sure he did not expect my rant.  Through my tears I rambled on about how I try so hard to stay well, taking a billion daily supplements, drinking green juice, trying to avoid sugar, trying to meditate, all in an attempt to prevent canser from ever coming back.  (yes I know I spelled it wrong, I do that on purpose to take away some of the power in the word)  I realized I am physically and emotionally exhausted from trying so hard.  I can't do it anymore.  I am worn out which is probably how I got sick in the first place.  Too much mental stress.  All of this brings me back to the belief in something bigger. As yet another member of my family was diagnosed with canser the survivors guilt (always waiting in the wings) creeps back in with a vengence.  And along with it comes its close friend, fear.  There has to be a big book somewhere with all the answers, most we are not meant to know.  Like how long our time here will be.  

My word for 2012 was "fearless"and I have failed miserably living up to it this year.  So as we are on the verge of beginning a new year I am not going to choose a word this time.  Instead I think I will try my hardest to focus on living in the moment, not in the past, or even looking too far into the future.  I want to laugh more, love more, find more peace, and spend my days creating with color.  

Thanks for your friendship, your sharing, and your support.  I look forward to more of these lovely connections in the new year!!

I wish for all of us an amazing year full of precious moments!!

xoxo

Procession . . . New Black and White Art

"procession"

acrylic on 8x10 wood panel

Well as you can see  my blog has been abandoned for a couple of weeks.  I have been down for the count and I did not even see it coming.  What started out as a cold evolved into what I can only believe was the flu.  I am finally feeling better but not quite over it yet.  It is s sneaky little bug.  I would feel better and then bad very quickly.  Thought I was good christmas eve only to spend christmas day on the couch.  Quite the bummer but certainly not the worst thing compared to the sadness that has been happening around us lately.  

I did however get one day where I felt well enough to paint.  And lately I have been enjoying creating abstracts using a scraper and my hands.  I love the texture it creates and really like the process of scraping the paint around.  

I wanted to try just black and white.  So for this piece which I did on cradled wood panel I applied alot of titanium white first.  I am finding that I like the hard surface to paint on.  Then I used the black mixing it into the white randomly.  I kept going till I felt it was done.  I see some figures on the left side.  What do you see?? 

Sharing with Paint Party Friday.  

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday.  I feel so out of the loop when I am not online.  Hope to visit you all very soon!

xo

Channeling The Horror . . .

9x12 mixed media on watercolor paper

I planned on painting Friday.  I had a failed image transfer on a piece of hot press watercolor paper from the day before waiting for me.   I would use a limited palette of payne's gray and titanium white.  And I wanted to use my scraper again since I enjoyed it so much creating the painting in my last post.  

I already heard the horrible news out of Newtown CT, a mere 20 miles away, before I began this piece.  I wanted to paint to try to shake off how disturbed and upset I was about what had happened.  What I did not expect when I stepped back were the figures that showed up along the bottom.  

I paint pieces like these intuitively.  I used my scraper very randomly smearing and scraping the paint around the paper.  I keep at it working very quickly (because if I stop and think my inner perfectionist comes out)  not paying much attention to what is happening.  The only specific work I did on purpose was the face of the woman. 

The tears were added to her face before I even noticed the figures below her.  Now I know why the tears were necessary.  

I continue to send prayers and peace to those lost and those left behind

xo

Tell Me . . . What Do You See??

9x12 mixed media on watercolor paper

Who knew it could be so much fun to paint with a squeegee!  Lou gave a an extra one he had from home depot (which btw is a great place to look for painting tools!)  and I wasn't sure if I would ever use it.  I quickly gave it a try on watercolor paper using a limited palette of payne's gray, quin nickel azo gold, and some titanium white.  These are colors I don't normally use together but I was inspired by a lesson in Misty Mawn's online class "Open Studio"  and thought I would give it a whirl.  

I only used my hands to lay down the initial layer of colors and then started scraping with the plastic scraper thingy.  I was nervous at first wondering how much of it I would mess up as I just randomly scraped away, blending and removing color all at the same time.  It also came in handy to scratch some lines which I often love to do.  

I was just about to add another layer over it because I did not like it at all when my husband came in and said he liked it.  He told me to leave it overnight and look at it with fresh eyes in the morning.  Pretty good advice.  He told me he saw a white house, and I realized I saw a bird in the center.  I also see a waterfall in the right lower corner.  When I posted this on facebook a friend told me he saw a nativity scene!

This is what I love most about painting abstract . . . each person who looks at it sees something different.  I love the discoveries!!  I love the images that just show up!

So now its  your turn.  What do you see??

Sharing at Paint Party Friday

xo

Wordless Wednesday . . .

sunset at the walk trail 

12/11/12

Self Portrait Play

Honestly I don't know what I did without that silly iPhone.  I find that I use it more often than my computer for altering photos.  I have so many images on it and with all the cool apps to use I get lost in the creativity.  Its just so darn convenient and easy to use.  

I don't really partake in self portrait photography.  Most likely because I am not so comfortable with images of myself.  But creatively I am a changing.  So I wanted to share a selfie that I took yesterday and altered with the Art Studio app and snapseed on my iphone.  

Hope to do more of these.  Next time I will try to have makeup on!  lol

xo

Landscape Painting . . . I've Missed You

I have always loved landscapes, in photography, and in paintings.  Despite the fact that I have had a difficult time being loose when I paint them I still love it.  When I discovered art just under 3 years ago I started out with landscapes.  But often I found that I tried too hard to be perfect.  All that did was kink my neck up much like portrait painting does.  

I had the idea for this piece a few days ago and decided to give it a try.  I have been getting looser and more abstract with my art as of late so I wondered how that would affect my landscape attempt.  Well, I happily discovered that it enhanced it.  I don't like to use paintbrushes anymore so I was able to paint this with just my hands.  Not easy but fun!  I picked some non typical colors but some of my favorites.  I used payne's gray, alizarin crimson, raw umber, and titanium white.  

Linking up with Paint Party Friday.  Click HERE to join us!

Looking forward to seeing what you all have been up to!

xo

Sketching Faces . . . Its Been Awhile

I don't quite know why or how I got so far away from sketching . . . anything . . .

The other day I was watching reading through Misty Mawn's book Unfurling (amazing book, a must read!! )and felt inspired to sketch a face.  It was so long since I had sketched that I feared I couldn't do it.  I used charcoal and white pastel which is new for me.  Typically my sketches were only graphite.  I used the eraser to pull out the light areas.  I found this way a bit trickier, adding the light with the pastel.  Despite the fact it blended like a dream with the charcoal I found myself annoyed with the dust.  And then there were too many layers to erase.  Don't worry, there is a happy ending to this rant!  

The moment I began writing the word love all over her I finally fell in love with the sketch . . . 

Sharing with Sunday Sketches

Back To Black And White . . .

It has been so long since I painted in black and white.  I was using it alot when I was creating pieces using my photography a while back.  So yesterday I got out a new 12x12 canvas and my black and white acrylics.  

I really do not like using brushes.  So I gloved up and started smearing paint.  This time an image did not show up right away but I knew I wanted to create some type of face.  I did have the large open circle and worked my way around it.  I scratched into the paint layers with my palette knife and scribbled with a white-out pen

I have to say I was a bit creeped out when I stood back and looked at the finished piece.  But I had such fun during the process.  And to tell you the truth I do like it.  I feel something when I see it and I hope others do as well.  

Sharing with Paint Party Friday.  Click Here to join us!

I sketched a face the other day for the first time in many months.  I will be sharing that in my next post so be on the look out!  

;)

New Digital Art and An Etsy Sale!!

Its hard to believe how much a photo image can be transformed!  Last night I used a recent sunset/tree image and played with it in the Art Studio app on my iPhone to transform it into this piece of digital art, 'Be Still' .  I just love what you can do.  I wish the screen was bigger because it seriously burns my eyes staring at such a small screen especially when I am tired.  lol

Hope you all enjoyed the long holiday weekend.  I tried to stay away from shopping this weekend and
relaxed at home.  Hard to believe Thanksgiving is over already!  

Lastly I wanted to let you all know that today I am having a sale in my etsy shop.  Use the coupon code "CYBERSALE12"  for 50% off!!  

To check out what I have for sale these days 

Click HERE!!

xo

In Balance . . . A New Face Shows Up

Hope all of my US friends had a nice Thanksgiving yesterday.  It was a quiet one here with just Lou, me, and the pug.  Although I miss having lots of family around the quiet does me good especially lately as I am just a sponge for the crazy energy out there in the world.  I think it is that energy playing a role in shifting my art.

This piece is quickly becoming one of my favorite's.   I was inspired to use colors I typically don't put together, yellow with payne's gray.  I started this once again by smearing the colors around the page with my hands.  Then I stepped back to look for what showed up.  I saw the face over on the right and what looked like it could be a birdie on the lower left.  The heart was the only thing I purposely created when I was pushing the paint around.  I scribbled into the paint and later realized that it looks as though the bird has a string or something in its mouth connected to the heart.  With the eyes off kilter on the face I feel like the bird is trying to balance that person.  

I long to create pieces like this, pieces that tell a story, and hopefully make others "feel".  

I am sharing this over at Paint Party Friday.  

Click HERE to join us!

Also, my work is being featured today over at Julie Prichard's blog for another installment of her Art Gallery Tour!  Be sure to check it out HERE!  

Digital Collage Love

Created this on my iPhone with the fun art studio app.  I used one of my paintings and a recent photo of some trees along the walk trail I frequent.  

I am a fan of inverting colors.  Not sure why.  And recently I am drawn to yellow, a color I really did not like too much.

Hope you are all doing well.  Hard to believe that Thanksgiving is upon us already!   And I hope that in all the holiday craziness you find some time to remember . . .

"love is everywhere" 

xo

And Another Face Just Showed Up . . .

"the enlightenment of love" 

9x12 mixed media journal page

I have been working in a new Strathmore journal.  I went bigger this time graduating myself from a small 5x8 to a 9x12.  I wanted more room to be messy.  I smile to myself everytime I say that because a year ago I would have cringed at making a mess with paint.  

For this one I used just payne's gray and titanium white.  I only used my hand to smear it around and play with the paint.  The I stood back to see what showed up.  

I stood back and found a face.  Can you see it too??  I traced a circle around the face.  I saw 2 eyes and a splotch of white where a mouth would be.  And from there I pulled it out of the background till I was happy with it.  

As I was painting the face the words "the enlightenment of love" popped in my head so I wrote them in pen over in the right side of the finished piece.  

I have to say I am really enjoying this way of creating.  The other night I tried to draw a face and then paint it.  Oh my it was awful!!  And I mean it felt bad to create that way. At the moment I cannot plan out what a piece will look like.  I need to smear paint and see what shows up! 

Sharing today at Paint Party Friday.

xo

The Sky Lights Up From Love . . .

"And still after all this time, the Sun has never said to the Earth,

"You owe me."

Look what happens with a love like that.

It lights up the sky."

~Rumi

Letting Go Of Perfect . . .

"Letting Go Of Perfect" is the title of a technique article I wrote in the current issue of Somerset Studio Magazine (super exciting to be published again! )  And I felt it was also the right way to start off this post.  

For those of you who are long time followers of my blog you probably know about my perfectionist ways and longing to paint a perfect face.  Well, lately since the hurricane actually my art has shifted especially with the faces I am creating.  I was slowly becoming more messy with my backgrounds and recently have welcomed creating imperfect, messy faces like this latest journal page I am sharing today. I really love her.  I feel connected to her.  

I am never going to be an artist that can paint realism certainly not when it comes to portraits.  But what I did realize is that I want to create art that makes people feel.  I want to evoke emotion through my work.  And I don't think I need to paint a realistic face to do that.  This has opened up a whole new world for me and a new road to take with my painting. Not sure where it will take me but so far I am enjoying it.  

Sharing over at Paint Party Friday.  

Artist Seth Apter is hosting a charity auction over at his blog that will benefit those affected by Hurricane Sandy.  As a NY'er I am grateful that we made it through the storm unscathed unlike so many others who are homeless and suffering right now in this area.  You can find out more about the auction HERE.

xo 

Woman Over The Water And Another Storm . . .

Even my digital collaging seems to be morphing.  I did this new one on my iphone the other night and it felt weird to me.  Not typically what I create.  I used a beach image and the image of a woman that appeared in a recent painting.  

I have been posting art that is heading in a different direction, art possibly spun out of my hurricane angst.  I do like where it is going but I am in the stage where it still feels weird.  But then again since the devastation going on all around us up here in the Northeast thanks to Sandy I don't feel right at all.  Spiritually speaking I am a sponge.  All of the energy going on around me affects me deeply.  I need to block it sometimes.  I have been weepy and anxious.  I suppose that is evident in my latest pieces.  

We are expecting a Nor easter on Wednesday.  More wind, rain, and potential damage.  Another thing that is out of our control.  I only hope that those who are already suffering from Sandy will be ok as we get hit once again. . . 

A Face Emerges . . .

I am not quite sure how but since this storm my art seems to be changing.  I suppose due to the emotion of it all.  I am liking where it is going.  It is starting to feel more like "me".  Yesterday I posted my first painting where the change can be felt.  Just visit my last post for details on "eye of the storm"

This face emerged from a messy background.  I used watercolor crayons and gesso mixing them together with my hands.  Then I looked around and saw what looked like eye shapes from the background.  I decided to go for it.  I typically don't like to paint a face but this messy imperfect thing feels right to me.  I didn't care that the eyes were lopsided or the nose was too long.  I added the pink along the top for "hair".    The drips just felt right.  

I am sharing her over at Paint Party Friday.  Click HERE to stop by!

Speaking of parties, Julie Prichard from Land of Lost Luggage is hosting one of her own.  Actually it is an art gallery tour and I am excited to have some of my work  featured along with other great artists who have taken classes with her and Chris Cozen.  I have taken many a class with them and they are fab!  Be sure to stop by Julie's blog for the first leg of the tour!  

Click HERE!

Eye Of The Storm . . .

"the eye of the storm"

"mixed media on 9x12 watercolor paper"

I am happy to be back online tonite and have power at home.  More than that I am grateful that everyone I love is safe.  Hurricane Sandy devastated NY as well as most of the east coast.  Part of the city I love is under water.  A close friend of mine is homeless as the house she was renting across from the Hudson River was destroyed by the storm.  

Its times like these when you realize just how lucky you are and just how much we take for granted.  You realize what is most important.  And then you can't help but wonder . . . why was I spared?  Luckily we only lost power for 3 days and thankfully we have a generator.  I was able to keep in touch with people via my iPhone on facebook and texting.  

What I was surprised at was how much painting I did over the past few days.  Maybe it was the anxiety over the storm.  I suppose I was inspired by a hurricane.  The piece above appears to be kind of evidence of that to me.  

I used watercolor crayons, gesso, and my hands to create it.  Messy as it is oddly enough this piece is the type of art I long to create.   It just spilled out of me onto the paper and I loved every minute of creating it.   

My heart goes out to those suffering from this horrific storm.  I hope my dear blog friends that all of you are safe . . .

xo

Metallic Paints, A Heart, And A Woman . . .

I had been wanting to try some metallic paints.  I was browsing in the craft store and picked up a tube of copper paint.  It was Golden's iridecent fine copper.  It was love at first sight.  I really love the rose tones in that shade of copper.  That color was the inspiration for this painting.  

Originally I was going to make this a multilayered painting.  But then I kept looking at it after the first layer and it just felt like it didn't need much more.  I added some silver in both paint and sharpie form for some scribbles.  And splattered some of the silver as well.  I posted the image on facebook and it already has a home!  

It felt good to paint again after a long hiatus so to speak.  

In case  you missed my last post I wanted to share another piece I created this week.  I used a piece of birch wood and payne's gray.  I smeared the paint around on the wood with my hand and a paper towel.  Immediately this image appeared!  I thought it was a bit creepy at first but then I really loved it.  I used a black watercolor crayon to bring out the image and shade a bit.  It looks like a woman.  And I can't help but wonder who she is . . . 

I am sharing today over at Paint Party Friday.  If you haven't yet joined us please come by and check it out!

Click HERE

xo

Do You See Her ??

Late last night I had the beginnings of a headache.  Disgruntled and tired I tried to meditate on my Chi Machine in an attempt to get rid of my headache.  I was sure it had to be from a tight neck.  And while the machine helped I found myself still not wanting to go to sleep.  

So I grabbed an 8x10 piece of birch wood I had laying around and some payne's gray paint.  I squirted some of the paint onto the wood and smeared it around with my hand and a paper towel.  I didn't put any gesso on the wood and forgot how the wood soaks up the paint.  I used to paint this way and loved it.  You never know what will show up.  I also love the look of the wood grain coming through.  

So very quickly I noticed a face presented itself!  It is a side profile of what looks to be a woman.  I took a black crayon and shaded around the image to bring it forward more.  

I was happy to be playing with paint again and I feel like my work on wood with these images that always seem to appear feels the most like "me".

Do you see her too??

Moody Tree . . .

prints available on etsy

I continue to be staying away from paint.  Not sure why although I did recently purchase a tube of pretty copper paint the other day.  I have an image in my head of a painting that I want to use it for so we will see how long it takes for me to get to it.  Hate when I step away from the canvas.  

Having said that, there is always photography to feed my soul.  I took some pictures at the golf course where Lou works.  He took me out on a cart to some of his favorite spots.  I saw this lovely weeping willow tree and knew I wanted to shoot an image through the branches.  There was a little pond there too. When I got home I started playing with it in snapseed and I fell in love with this grunged up moody image I created.  

I hope you do too!
xo

Finding Love On the Trail . . .

On my walk this weekend I found this cool graffiti heart.  It was on the wall of an old rusty bridge.  I love the colors and textures.  

You just never know where you will find love  ;)

xo

My Breast Cancer Story . . .

In honor of breast cancer awareness month my friend and fellow survivor Sherry over at "Finding the Fierce"  interviewed me about my experience going through breast cancer treatment as a young widow.  I am now an 11 year survivor and was so pleased to have the opportunity to share my story.  

Click HERE to stop by Sherry's blog and check it out!  There is also a book giveaway involved!  If you would like the chance to win a copy of my memoir "Breastless in the City" do check out the interview post over at Sherry's!  

xo

Late Night Digital Collaging . . .

Sometimes my creativity hits me late at night.  Most of the time I try to ignore it as I hate to miss sleep.  I have enough trouble in that area that I don't want to press my luck.  However, last night I was playing with photos on my iphone and created this digital collage.  I used 3 images, 2 paintings, and a nyc photo.  

The bad thing is that the iphone is very small and tired eyes do not do well with that!  I woke up this morning with a really bad headache that I have been trying to get rid of to no avail.  

I do love the collage though.  lol

xo

Putting Myself Out There . . .

A few months ago I found out about a local art exhibit.  They were hosting their annual show exhibiting the art of local artists.  I was nervous at first to put my work out there at this type of event but decided it would be a good thing.  I decided on 4 pieces, one painting, and 3 digital collages. 

The opening reception was Saturday afternoon. When we walked in there was my work right above the welcome table.  It was very cool to see!  There was a really great turnout despite the humid rainy weather which is not typical for a fall day in NY.   

I also want to thank everyone who left a comment on my last post.  It helps to know that I am not the only one who feels the energetic changes happening out in the universe this year. 

xo

The Circle Of Life . . . And Where I've Been

 Well, I am finally back after neglecting this blog for a week now!  This is the first painting I have done in quite a few weeks.  I don't typically have that long of a dry spell.  Not sure what is going on with me.  I have not felt like myself lately.  I feel lost on many levels.  

Never in my life have I been so painfully aware of the passage of time.  I feel stuck, I feel down, and I feel all mixed up.  I have always been spiritual and intuitive.  I feel like the energy all around me is chaotic, I mean out in the universe.  Wonder if anyone else feels that way these days.  When I my mind feels messed up my art shows it.  As  you can see here is messy journal page I did yesterday.  

Despite the mess though the message is a good one I think . . . 

Sharing over at Paint Party Friday today.  Hopefully I will be back soon with new art but if not I have lots of silly pug pics to share!

xo

Rocky Strikes A Pose

And the sentiment behind this goes something like this . . . 

"There is no way you are gonna get me off this couch .  Don't even think about it!
Its all mine now! "

~Rocky Bueti

Hearts On The Trail. . .

With the cool weather finally upon us I have been trying to get back to my daily walks.  Over the weekend I headed to the walk trail across the street from our house.  I already had my iphone in tow for music and was pleasantly surprised to find a heart along the way.  

I have to admit that I laughed at first as I wondered if it was bird poop! lol
 And then I thought about how it didn't matter what it was.  All that mattered was that I found a heart!  

Sometimes all you need is to look around and you can find love everywhere!

xo

Quick Journal Page of Love ♥

I miss painting.  I am all over the place these days.  But I know that when I veer off the path eventually I make my way back home.  

I am always inspired by hearts.  You may have noticed that they tend to show up in most of my art!  This time I wanted to see how it would work to just use a white background with red hearts.  I did this in my small journal and always wish for more space.  I used white gesso, stamps, alizarin crimson, oil pastel, and black marker.  I stenciled on the hearts and they messy'd them up a bit.  

Sharing today over at Paint Party Friday.  Hope you will stop by!  A new artist is featured each week.  It is always nice to meet new peeps!

xo

The Mustang . . .

Yesterday I headed up to the garage and took some quick photos of Lou's '65 Mustang.  It was his mom's car, a gift from her parents that she was given when she graduated high school.  To me it is a piece of history.  When Lou was 17 she passed it along to him.  It is such a beautiful car.  He is meticulous with how he takes care of it.  Unfortunately it spends most of its time in the garage.  Lou rarely takes it out for a spin.  

So I thought it would be cool to take some photos of it and tweak them a bit.  I used my iPhone but eventually I want to take some shots with my big girl camera.  

Just fun to get lost in a moment for a few minutes.  

 I altered them in snapseed to give a vintage look to the images. 

After all . . . the '65 Mustang is a classic!

BIG NEWS!!! New Somerset Article!!

Hard to believe it has been a year since I was published in Somerset Studio.  Back in May I submitted new work and was so excited to be invited to write another article about the new pieces.  This is one of them above.  

Despite the fact that I have written a memoir writing these articles about my art work is so much more fun!  Most likely because there was no angst involved like in writing my book.  

The article will be published in the upcoming November issue!  It is nice to have some good news to share!  The past year has been and continues to be challenging but moments like this are meant to be savored and that is what I am trying to do!

xo

Transforming A Painting Into Photo Art . . .

I created this yesterday on my iPhone.  I discovered a new app called "art studio"  and you can do really cool stuff with photos.  And since I have many images of my paintings including some in progress shots I thought it would be fun to try and see what I could create. 

The first layer is my painting and then I used my fingers to write the words and make some cool smudges on the painting with some white.  It felt like painting in a way.  

The painting below is the image I altered to create the above piece.  

Pretty cool huh?  ;)

"love balloon"

available on etsy

In these moments when I don't find myself painting in a traditional way  it feels good to know there are other ways to "paint" that can be as simple as a photo on your iPhone.  

I am sharing today for Paint Party Friday.  Hope you will stop by and check out all the great art being shared!

Click HERE!

Its All About Love . . . New Digital Collage

When I am just not feeling like painting I do the next best thing . . . play with photos.  I recently found out about another cool iphone app called "art studio"  and that is where I did this collage.  I used a flower image and layered one of the images from my latest journal page that I shared in my last post.  The most fun though was writing love across the iphone screen.  

Live For Today . . .

The title of this post is something I have been struggling with as of late.  I am feeling more lost than I have in a long time.  I am distracted, bummed out, can't make decisions easily, and am struggling with who I am.  

I am constantly looking back instead of forward.  I am always counting anniversaries.  But not the positive ones . . . the anniversaries of loss.  I am not connecting with our new pug because I am constantly thinking of and missing the one we lost. 

Friday night was the first time I had been interested in paint for a couple of weeks.  Mostly because I have not been feeling well.  So I grabbed my 5x7 journal and some fluid acrylics.  I like to smear, drip, and add some stencils.  It was quick but fun.  It was a moment of joy.  

The image below is the finished page.  I wasn't sure how I wanted to complete it.  

I started scribbling with a my wite-out pen.  After I added the circle I glanced over at my stamps.  I have one that says "live for today".  Ironically it was the only one I was drawn to.  

Quite fitting don't you think?

xo

Missing My Boy . . .

One year ago today I said goodbye to Bosco

 I miss him everyday . . .

There is Always Photography . . .

I meant to put up a post on Friday as I always do for the Paint Party Friday link up however I haven't painted in a couple of weeks.  Haven't been painting much since I have been sick.  

The other day I was scrolling through some photos and found a cool one I shot a few years ago in NYC.  I put it in snap seed and spent some time altering it.  That sometimes can feel like painting to me.   I get lost in the moment of creating.  

I went for vintage and grunge on this one.  And it just works.

Hope you are all enjoying the long weekend.  I am soooo looking forward to fall and the crisp weather that hopefully is on its way soon!

xo

Finding My Way Off Of The Couch . . .

As you may have noticed I have not blogged since Friday.  That is because I have been sick since Saturday evening.  And today is the first day I am finally feeling better.  It started with a sore throat that I brushed off to allergies which progressed pretty quickly to a full blown bad cold with a fever that has kept me couch bound with my puff's plus tissues for the past four days.  

In other news Rocky had surgery his neutering surgery yesterday so we are both resting.  Although I seem to be wanting to rest more than him.  He is of course bouncing back much more quickly than me!

I have not painted in almost 2 weeks which always makes me nervous.  You know, like I will never want to do it again.  Silly girl.  But I did manage to play with some iphoneography which I have to share with you today.   

The above image started out as this . . . 

I put it into Snapseed, one of my fav iphone photo apps and love the result.  Cool makeover that I hope you enjoy!

Hope you are all well!!  I have missed visiting all of you!  I will make my way around soon!

xo

More Love And NYC . . . New Collaged Canvas

Haven't collaged a canvas in awhile so I thought that since I had some photocopies laying around of my NYC photos I would use them for collage.  I reused a canvas panel I had with an unfinished WIP.  It is a 16x20.  I am enjoying creating larger.  

I used matte medium and quickly glued the papers down not really paying attention to where I was putting them or which images they were.  I used payne's gray and raw umber to add color.  I tried to keep a few images exposed like the cab and some of the buildings.  I stenciled letters with some black paint.  Finishing touches were added with white out pen and black sharpie.  

Thought you might like to see the collage before I went crazy all over it! 

I liked this image so much I printed it out as a photo.  You can read all about that in this post HERE.

Sharing this piece today over at Paint Party Friday.  

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

xo

Flowers In The Sun . . .