Halloween Exhibit

Our museum presented an art show with the theme 'Day of the Dead' in celebration of Halloween.  All ages were invited to participate and the work contributed was fabulous.  I went to the opening this evening and share the following tour with you.

One of the three pieces I entered, a plaster casting with acrylic and scrap fabric dreadlocks.

My shrouds in the background with my accordion book foreground.

The high school art class created an entire wall of fabulous paper mache masks.

Acrylic paint was finished with spar varnish which gave the masks a marvelous glittery appearance.

It impossible to pick a favorite!

The mask wall, with paper plate skulls flying above.

Samantha's excellent tea pot.

Trent's zombie couple

drawings from the elementary school

skeleton mural, also from the school kids

Robert's masks and Kim's mirrored skull wall hanging

Joe's painting hanging behind Sue's fabric and flower covered skulls

Lizzie's well-dressed skeleton

Sculpie and cardboard hangings from Mr. Sullivan's class hang next to Miss Tice's skull

I hope you had a fantastic Halloween - or last day of October if you don't have the ghoulish holiday.  See you later in the week.

Ghosts!

'Shroud 1' - tea-dyed vintage table linen, acrylic emulsion, plaster cast

'Shroud 2' - tea-dyed vintage table linen, acrylic emulsion, plaster cast

'Shrouds'

Norma is our gracious hostess - ghostess? - for the drawing challenge this time.  I present to you three spirits from the afterlife, which are on display as part of the Clausen Museum's 'Day of the Dead' art show.  I helped hang the work yesterday and can't wait to share the opening with you on Halloween!  Make sure to pay a visit to Norma's haunted blog to commune with more spirits.

Versatile Drawing

It's been some time since I posted any of my drawings...

...mostly because the drawings have been...

...too much outpouring my guts...

...diary rather than journal or painting.

Today I snapped the ones that seem safe to share with all.

Do you use drawing as a way to process your worries and fears?  I find it very helpful, myself.  Versatile drawing!  Much to be grateful for!

Leaves Drawing Challenge

I quickly post my first response to dear Miss Herzfrisch's drawing challenge, Leaves - no time within the week to do more than gawp at and photograph some of the beautiful leaves around me on the afternoon walk up Twin Creek Road.  I may get time to edit this post with an actual drawing late this evening, but just in case that doesn't happen I offer you the following glimpses of autumn color splashes:

Do look in at the bonfire of leaves roaring away over at Miss Herzfrisch's fascinating blog.

Special Project

The past two weeks have been a detour into a special project for an up-coming group show at the Clausen Museum here in town. The curator is my friend, local painter Ashley Duross in partnership with our excellent museum director, Sue McCallum.
I show you here a little glimpse of one of the things I am doing for the exhibit.

Laying out the prototype accordion book using paper.

Using overlays of transparency film to figure out stitching lines.

The pages stacking up as layers are completed...

Inkjet transfer on haboti silk with machine stitching.

This work is very specific and personal to our little town.

I will be posting the finished piece along with my statement about this work in early November after the exhibit opens on Halloween Night.

Driftwood At the Dump Beach

The day was normal for October here: rain, heavy at times with gusty winds and mild temperature.  I needed driftwood photos for the latest DC brought to us by Mano.  The old dump beach was the handiest place to go - just 5 minutes by truck from my studio in town...

 ...and scattered with lots of great drift wood.

I had fun editing my photos...

...adjusting hue and saturation...

...and playing around with filters.

The driftwood here on our beaches is all huge...

...being old-growth evergreens for the most part...

...cast into the seawater by wind storms long ago.

Some roots have captured shrouds of fabric, lending an eerie mood to the place.

 Thanks to Mano for an excuse to go beach combing today.  Please check out the other driftwood offerings cast ashore on the blogs of some terrific artists over at her place.

Hiking Three Lakes Trail

We had been promising ourselves for weeks: we will walk around the Three Lakes trail. 

The fog burned off as we made our way past the first lake.

This little leaf and many of its fellows have turned a translucent yellow.

There was so much RED!

The leaves of this blueberry bush still had drops of dew from the earlier fog.

A Sailor and his Dog...

High bush cranberry bushes bright with autumn color.

Hill Lake

I realize I have not posted any drawings recently, and will rectify that at some point.  My evenings have been eaten up with this that and the other the past month, and most of my drawings have been too personal to post here - more like diary than journal or sketch book... the result of being over-tired by the time I get to draw.  Hope you enjoy this walk in the woods.