The Other Eye of Ra

Last November, when Win and John were visiting, she and I set to making tandem pieces of art. Just the other day, I finally completed mine ... 

THE EYE OF RA   mixed media   24" x 9"

In 1996, when Bill and I were resting in Bali, after trekking in Nepal, I found some fabulous fabrics. I bought them regardless of the fact that it had been years since I'd sewn any garment - and that hasn't changed! Rummaging through the box, where they have sat all these many years, Win and I were inspired by this fabric ...

Looks Egyptian, but seriously I purchased it in Bali!

We selected tall, narrow canvases and a vertical format, then painted the top of the canvas to match that luscious, burgundy background.

Win applying texture, with molding paste, around "the eye"

I'm removing the tape after painting the textured area

After coating the back of the fabric, with medium, (to prevent fraying) we cut around the heads of the characters on one of the border-like, horizontal panels making an elaborate frieze of them. This was adhered to the canvas with medium.

The EYE and the frieze 

Laying down another section of the fabric 

We created ankhs using Sculpey, a type of polymer clay that can be baked in conventional ovens.

Win painting her ankh

This is as much as we gone done, together, in November

My ankh, painted and in place

We painted the very bottom of our canvases black and into that we carved hieroglyphics.  Mine are barely discernible. I considered colouring them in, but decided against that in favour of having a quiet place for your eye to rest. If you could read mine they translate to love.  

To see Win's finished Eye of Ra please click here for her post on the project.

Mail From Gran

The motive for creating this mixed media piece was to enter it in a monochromatic challenge, which is a component the upcoming Claresholm Artists and Artisans Club's 5th Annual Exhibition held at our public library during the month of May.  

MAIL FROM GRAN   mixed media   14" x 11" on cradled wooden panel 

For a while now, when we are away for an extended period and in contrast to our Internet communications, I've been mailing cards (by regular post) to Avery. I wondered if (at 16 months old) Amira was a bit too young for this but since she recently moved so far away, I decided to send her my hand-made cards anyway. I am thrilled by her Mother's reports that the little one truly loves receiving her own mail!   

By the expression on her face, I'd say she enjoys opening and "reading" her mail!

A little on the process ...

I used contact paper to preserve the portrait area while I developed the background

Photo, textured paper and world globe adhered to the panel with acrylic gloss medium

More antiquing by applying stamp pad ink with a sponge, stenciling and stamping

The photo of Amira taken just before she turned one, which was used for the painting ...

Amira at Gran's and Gramps' house, Claresholm, late November 2012

In Photoshop, I desaturated the photo of Amira, coloured it sepia and printed it on semi-transparent vellum paper. So that it would be the "right way around", when I adhered the photo face down, I "flipped" the image before printing. This was in an effort to avoid having the printer ink disturbed by the wet acrylic medium used to stick it down.  It didn't work anyway, as is evidenced by the "leeching" of the ink, seen most prominently as a blotch on the left side of her face. I couldn't live with that mess and so, using oils, I painted over the photo entirely. And then, just for good measure, I stamped on one more dragonfly!

Please see the finished painting at the top of this post.

An Unused Blog

When I created my second blog Art by Saltiel it was because I wanted to replace my website of the same name. It worked out very well, I think. However, as it's been almost a year since I have posted here, I've been trying to merge the two blogs. It doesn't seem to be working.  

Is there anyone out there who can shed some light on this?  

Perhaps if I publish a current post it will work?  Not wanting to put up a post without a photo, I give you this olden, golden goody, a painting featured in my first commercial gallery, solo show ...

GO ASK ALICE
(cottontail bunny, considerably larger than life)
1988 oil 16" x 20"

Living Life Outloud

As you may have guessed, by my absence here, we've been away. On our drive home from California I came across this amazing photo and quote, which I think sums me and my life up rather nicely ...

In our six week escape from winter I made no art but had a blissful time soaking up the heat, sunshine, palm trees and flowers of California. We played tennis, enjoyed the pool in the fabulous courtyard of Phase Three, Palm Canyons Villas, and the delightful company of other snowbirds.

Amira's first morning in PSCA

It was terrific that both our daughters were able to visit us in Palm Springs this year.

Laura and Amira early on in our stay ...

 ... then Denise, Avery and Larry toward the end

With water wings, Avery became very independent in the pool ... and fearless!

On April 9th, we arrived home; me with an inordinate collection of new art and mixed media supplies, which compelled me to rearrange storage of all my gear and toys. This snowballed into an epic rearrange-just-about-everything-in-the-basement project. You see, because The Anne Frank Room is so small, I require overflow areas. Last night, I finally got everything put back together. 

Now, armed with an idea, I'm ready to go down there and get to work. Nothing like a carrot to fuel me. The Claresholm Artists and Artisans Club's 5th annual exhibition, at the library, with be installed on April 30th and I wouldn't want to submit only old art. That's in keeping with living out loud, right?