Time After Time

I have the privilege of being one of the ten artists participating in the Great Grafix Challenge, hosted by Interweave and Cloth Paper Scissors. I was provided with a series of products from Grafix, a company that manufactures some truly unique products such as Frisket Film, Drafting Film, Shrink Film, and Rub-onz Transfer Film, the product that I chose to use.

I like to take commercial products and apply a twist to make them my own. So when I saw the Rub-onz Transfer Film, I knew that this was the item I would build my artwork around. Rather than altering a commercial rub-on, I could create my own.

The basis for this piece was a photograph I took of a vintage clock face...

that I turned into a rub-on using the product. I also creating a rub-on for the text on the piece, which is also the title: Time After Time. I thought this was the perfect name as the piece is not only made up of the clock, but also of stacks of rusty, found metal objects -- themselves naturally impacted by time.

You can see all the creations from all the participants in the May/June issue of Cloth Paper Scissors, which will be available for purchase soon. If you cannot wait for your print copy, you can download the digital version right now here.

A Kiss Before You Go

A Kiss Before You Go: An Illustrated Memoir of Love and Loss by Danny Gregory is a very special book. It tells the story, in hand written words and hand drawn illustrations, of the death -- and life -- of his wife Patti. I asked Danny to share a few words with my readers, and this is what he had to say:

"Patti and I shared so much over the twenty-four years we were together: her paraplegia, raising our son, lots of adventure, laughs and love. When she died in a horrible accident, I had to face a completely new life and approach it day by day. "A Kiss Before You Go" is an illustrated record of our years together and my first year alone. It covers sad events but ultimately it's a book about loving and living, about beauty in its many shades. I hope reading it brings as much to you as writing it did to me."

The emotions that he conveys on these pages are painfully familiar to me and I read this book, cover to cover, in one sitting...not able to put it down. So many passages resonated deeply with me but one in particular struck home:

"A year ago they told me it would take a year to get over it. Now I know - there is no getting over it. Ever. That I will always be cracked and reglued and that no matter what new chapters I write, there will always be tearstained pages, their ink running."

This book ought to be "required reading" for every person who has lost somebody close. Danny has a gift in being able to capture and present the raw truth fearlessly and without pretense. This book is deeply personal and intimate and the details that Danny shares clearly belong only to him. And yet the words he chooses and the illustrations he creates are achingly familiar and belong to us all. That accomplishment, as a writer and an artist, is no easy feat. And this book, is not to be missed.

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Sending out congratulations to Barbara Israel, winner of my recent giveaway and a signed copy of An Altered Existence by Melody Nunez!

Creating Art...

I am extra-excited to see that Pam Carriker's new book is now available for pre-order. 

Creating Art at the Speed of Life: 30 Days of Mixed-Media Exploration is due to be released in September and I for one cannot wait. And while I am thrilled to be a contributing artist to this book (thanks Pam!), that is honestly not the reason I am so excited. It is because I know Pam and the quality of all her creative work. Her first book Art at the Speed of Life: Motivation + Inspiration for Making Mixed-Media Art Every Day is truly one of my most favorite art books. It checks all the boxes that are important to me in this type of publication. And I just know that her second book will do the same.

I asked Pam to share a bit about her experience in putting together "Creating Art at the Speed of Life" and here is what she had to say:

"Even before I'd met the deadline for my first book. Art at the Speed of Life, I began to jot down notes for a second book. It seemed the more immersed in being creative I became, the more inspiration bubbled out! I truly believe that creativity begets creativity. There was so much more I wanted to share about the process of actually making art. I'm a does; it's not enough just to have a great idea, I have to actually roll up my sleeves, dirty my hands and get to work. So I proceeded with plotting out my next book and slowly but surely it has come into being. The process is long, and it seems an eon ago that I first whispered the words about what I'd like to do next to a few close friends. The giant white board in my studio is never blank for before I'm finished with the project on it there are yellow sticky notes with ideas of what will follow. I hope this never ends, it's the part about being a creative person that I love the most."

I hope it never ends too Pam!

Kaleidoscope

As a child I remember being mesmerized by kaleidoscopes. Turning and turning the tube led to an endless array of ever changing, never repeating bursts of color. This was my inspiration for today's artwork: Kaleidoscope 1

I started by gathering some card stock: black, red and kraft-colored, which die cut using the following Spellbinder's dies...

Exquisite Circles

Imperial Gold Circles One

Standard Circles Small and Large

I then broke into my stash of hardware. With all the bits and pieces I so frequently but, I am thinking the guys at the hardware store must think I am quite the DIYer. The circle with the swirls was a perfectly timed gift that I received from Sharon Walworth just a few days ago.

I got to stacking, keeping in mind the idea of capturing both the circular movement and the depth of image that are such big parts of a kaleidoscope.

I decided to mount this stack on a 4 x 4 inch cradled wood panel...

...which I painted with black gesso and accents of red and iridescent gold

Kaleidoscope 1

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Supply List

Spellbinders Paper Art Supplies:

GC-001 Spellbinders^TM Grand Calibur® Machine
GC-015 Spellbinders^TM Grand Calibur® Junior Magnetic Placement Mat

S4-114 Spellbinders^TM Nestabilities® Standard Circles Large

S4-116 Spellbinders^TM Nestabilities® Standard Circles Small

S4-384 Spellbinders^TM  Nestabilities® Exquisite Circles
S4-390 Spellbinders^TM  Nestabilities® Imperial Gold® Circles One

Other: cradled wood panel, acrylic paint, gesso, paint brush, card stock, hardware, adhesive 

A Wish List of Books

So many books and so little time...

I am always finding books to pre-order on Amazon but at this moment in time, there seems to be even more than usual that are calling my name. Some titles on my wish list right now include:

Incite, Dreams Realized: The Best of Mixed Media
Various Contributors

Playing with Image Transfers: Exploring Creative Imagery for Use in Art, Mixed Media, and Design
Courtney Cerruti

101 Mixed Media Techniques: Master the Fundamental Concepts of Mixed Media Art
Walter Foster Creative Team

Mixed Media Techniques for Art Journaling: A Workbook of Collage, Transfers and More (Art Journal Workbook)
Kristy Conlin

Wabi-Sabi Art Workshop: Mixed Media Techniques for Embracing Imperfection and Celebrating Happy Accidents
Serena Barton

Stencil Girl: Mixed-Media Techniques for Making and Using Stencils

Mary Beth Shaw

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...and I guess this list would not be complete for me if I didn't include my own book :-)

The Mixed-Media Artist: Art Tips, Tricks, Secrets and Dreams from Over 40 Amazing Artists

An Altered Existence: Giveaway

Like so many of us, I collect old photographs, vintage tintypes and cabinet cards. I have often wondered about the stories behind the people pictured and have at times let my mind wander, creating imagined lives for them. Artist Melody M. Nunez has done this too...and more.

An Altered Existence: Fictitious Stories About Faces from the Past is a newly released book from Melody that consists of 14 short stories, each inspired by a cabinet card altered by Melody and included in the book. Melody provided me with a copy to read and review and I am so please that she did. Each short story is an imaginative gem, touching on personal issues that I believe resonate with us all: family, birth, death, love, loss, and the like. The stories quickly captured my attention, so much so that at times I forgot that I was reading fiction. I fully enjoyed the sense of mystery that was part of many of the stories, a feeling that seemed so fitting given their inspiration. The stories range from about 8 to 18 pages each, and are the perfect length to read several in a single sitting. 

Melody also happily offered me a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader of my blog. To be eligible, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post. Please make sure that I have your email address to notify you if you have won. Comments will be closed on Thursday evening 4/4 and the winner will be announced on Friday 4/5 on my Facebook page. Good luck!