it's.... a lampshade.

I altered a canvas lampshade.  Isn't that what any normal, sane artist does?  No surface is safe from altering.

Layer after layer of papers, inks, stamps, rubons... and 3 girls.  A blond, a brunette and a redhead...

fly...

This post really doesn't have any art attached to it - so I'll probably throw in a photo of something I'm working on just so I can justify a wordy post about life. 

Here -  here's the obligatory art shot of a WIP...

ok, now on to the words.

This morning I was working with my sponsee in a back office prior to the regular meeting.  I sat in a chair that I normally don't sit in, facing a wall I don't normally face.  It was filled with AA slogans.  Most of which I'd heard.  But one in particular resonated with me...

"Alcohol gave me wings to fly, and then it took away the sky."

This came from our Big Book. 

I thought about how true this was, in my case for sure... I thought I had such big dreams when I was drinking - all the things I planned on doing with my life.  And the more I drank, the more solitary I became - and the more SEDENTARY I became.  It was like I stalled in mid-air.  The only dreams I had were of when I could get to my  next glass of wine. 

Now, in sobriety, my dreams have come into full focus.  I know where I want to go, and what I want to achieve, and I'm actually DOING it.  I am no longer cloaked in fear, and my 'sky' is back. 

I chose to take a 'road trip' (although I won't be driving anywhere, I'm still calling it a road trip) to Texas.  Texas holds a great many friends for me.  I stopped counting at 16 people that I'm trying to see while I'm there. 

On November 6th I will get into a plane and fly to Texas.  All by myself (well, except for all the other passengers on the plane).  I booked my own plane tickets, I booked my own train ticket, I booked my own hotel room.  I told my husband, and I told my boss.  There was no discussion about it - it was something I felt I needed to do, and wanted to do, so... I'm doing it.  I will spend 6 days in Texas, split between Austin and Mansfield.  I've got Dawgs, high school friends, Soul Restorations and Brave Girls that I plan on seeing.  I want to explore Austin, I've heard that it's artsy and bohemian and quirky. 

I want to spend some time by myself - doing a lot of meditation and soul searching.  It's something I need to do. 

And now with a clear head, I can recognize that I 'need' to do this for myself. 

Prior to AA, and Brave Girls Club, this would never have happened.  Perhaps I'm finally growing up to be... that girl I was supposed to be. 

Spanks for listening. 
xoxo
Sandi

kiss me...

I giggled my way through this entire drawing.  Even her lipstick is smudged... ;-)

outside the box

to me, one of the best ways to live is 'outside the box'.  live just a little 'left' of normal.  or right.  whichever your heart desires.

blanche likes to live outside the box. 

people will stare.

My latest project. This is a 12x12 stretched canvas. The background is tissue paper, and watercolors. A little crackle paint, some walnut ink... markers. The face is cut from dictionary paper. Her 'hair' is ribbon, wire, and just about every adornment I could pull out of my collection.

This girl speaks to my heart. I knew when I read this quote on pinterest yesterday that I had to do something with it.

Much of my personal growth over the past 18 months has been learning to accept who I am, and what makes ME happy. That what other people think of me is none of my business. And if they want to stare at me - let 'em.

Whip Tutorial

No, not that kind of WHIP.  Behave.

Sorry the music cuts out about 3 minutes in, and then reappears around 7 minutes, cuts out at again at 10.  One of these days I'll get it.  One of these days.

Materials used:

Face is drawn on vellum. I used clear gesso to seal it, cut it out and adhered it to a canvas panel using Pam Carriker's Mixed Media Adhesive (God's gift to collagers). Face was 'painted' using watercolor crayons - and spread with my finger using white gesso. I have a piece of material wrapped around my finger. I've used many different materials - the one in the video is a felt-like material. I've used micro-fibers and cottons with the same results. To me, the thicker the better so that my finger doesn't get completely gopped up too quickly. For the finer details I used watercolor pencils with water. The background is watercolor crayons and water. I keep my brush fairly dry when I work with crayons. The color is more vibrant.

The hair is cut from a package of 'document copies' that I picked up at a garage sale for a quarter. I cut different lengths and curves. I punched out dragonflies from scrapbook paper. Before doing the hair, hit the background and face with clear gesso or a matte medium. Adhered hair down with the MM Adhesive. Drew outlines on the hair and dragonfly wings with an artists pen. Painted the edges of the canvas with regular acrylic paint. Adhered a flower arrangement on her neck and in her hair with the MM Adhesive.

my big-arse canvas...

is finally done. 

I have to say that working on a canvas that size was daunting at first, but I LOVED it.  There is a lot of texture in this canvas that doesn't really show up well in photos, and the colors look different to me irl than here. 

I like the way the fabric of my doodle worked into the canvas - I'm pleased with it.  And I have to say, the Pam Carriker Mixed Media Adhesive worked like a CHARM on the fabric. 

blanche sez...

Blanche.

Her name is Blanche.  Congratulations to Mary Ellen and Bob, both posted that name, and it's perfect for her! 

Spanks everyone for playing. 

Meet Blanche.

she.

Doing a large scale canvas for the first time is challenging.  It mocked me for a couple of weeks - blank and white and staring at me.  I'd put it on my table and stare back at it.  And then I'd put it back behind the door where it couldn't look at me.

But yesterday I finally decided it was time.  I knew what I wanted to create - a she-art girl.  She-Art girls make me happy.  They make me smile.  They are whimsical and kind.  They have happy hearts.  I wanted a big-arse She-Art girl. 

Quite some time ago I had fabric made from my doodle canvas.  Spoonflower.com does an amazing job.  I ordered a fat quarter of the fabric and it's been kept  in a safe place for well over a year.  In fact, it was so safe I couldn't find it.  It was lost in the bowels of my storage dresser. 

Found it a few weeks ago and knew that it was time to actually take a scissor to it and MAKE something with it.  Voila.  She-Art dress. 

She is still morphing, and still needs to tell me her words.  But I like her.  This is a 16" x 20" stretched canvas.  WAY fun to work with.  No more mocking.  I will post the finished version as soon as it's done. 

the finished product...

here is the canvas that I was working on in the video in the post below this.  Love the way these turn out - photos do not do them justice.  hard to not get a glare even in natural light. 

this puppy is available in etsy... link to the right somewhere ------>

tin foil alcohol ink technique