the Chakra Dragon

the Chakra Dragon - part of a collaborative piece. Certainly felt refreshing to paint again. I'm finally getting the hang of acrylics!

the joy of summer!

beautiful mushrooms of all colours grew on the forest floor where I camped this weekend. I had to capture this funny guy (fungi LOL). Sure enough, he got kicked over the next day.... mushrooms are transitory and alien and perfect :) I'm a fungi fan.

My Lady of the Spear

My inspirations as a little girl: Artemis and Pallas Athena. Today I'm going to get a tattoo of an Athenian coin high between my shoulder blades: just adding to the Greek theme of most of my tattoos. I don't have much to offer the gods except for my own skin, the only thing that is really and truly mine.

And yes, both are Virgin goddesses... such a shame, really, since they seem to want me to answer their sterile call and it feels like a kind of death. They are just gonna hafta understand that "virgin" just means "unmarried" and I can certainly do that for the rest of my life!!!!!!

I go through my days in a state of spiritual bankruptcy.... being raised in the midst of the Church did that, I think, plus a natural lack of the spiritual bone in my body. Give me intellect. Give me intuition. Emotions, yes. But Spirituality? Just missing, that's all....

so I pray to myself, and that's about the only Thing I believe in!

I hope the gods do come back... their stories are full of life and colour. Adventures and woes. Gods I can relate to. Gods that get hungry or angry or horny... that's my kind of religion!

this is the sketch for the tattoo:

this is the tattoo :)

Dulce et Decorum

Two weeks ago a friend asked me if I'd be willing to draw her friend. My answer is always YES. The more practise I get the better I'll get, and I have been derelict to my drawing from life duties lately. No matter how often I give up on art, it never seems to give up on me. So yesterday morning I packed a sketchbook and three pencils and went to Dee's place to draw what I could. Luckily Dee had all the other supplies I needed, since she used to work in an art store and has EVERYTHING you could possibly want! 

This sketch is my warm-up before I dove into the final piece in conte crayon. I like its raw appearance. It captures the sense of peace she emitted. It captures the hand gesture that she wanted. The fall of light and the curve of the shadows.

The creation of the final piece became a kind of party. My close friend Dee is a great hostess and treated me like an honoured guest. When I settled into the final piece and couldn't move from my spot she brought me my beer and other treats. A few beers, eventually! We took small breaks when the model/subject and I would stretch nibble the cookies that Dee baked. She and her man made some incredible nachos and reminded me to stop working for a bit and eat. As an artist herself she knows how we can get lost in the work and not feel time pass. When you do finally pull your head out of the work you are FAMISHED....

People have been doing this for centuries. They've been nurturing and participating in the artistic experience, facilitating it. I can imagine how lively the Salons of the 18th century were, of Gertrude Stein hosting dinners for Matisse and Picasso. I think of all the movements and styles and revolutions born within the walls of private homes where the like-minded have gathered to celebrate and be together. 

I feel like I'm a part of something important. I am doing more than making marks on a page. I am creating :)

The finished piece:

Ooo she's clever.....

One of Posiedon's many monstrous children, Medusa has always been one of my favourites. Hence the tattoo of her on the Aegis on my chest. 

Some of us are just born monsters; the best thing to do is just make the best of it. Eh, Medusa?

Hellenistic Tendancies

Met a new friend for coffee yesterday. He and I discussed the dreaded artist block, and he said something that blew my mind.... "Allow yourself to make crap." Hemingway said it... and I love Hemingway.

So I decided on a new approach to blocking my block. I dug this out.... I had drawn the contour and done an initial wash over a year ago. I kept it because I hoped to finish it. I rarely pick up a drawing or painting again - I seem to want to finish a piece in a day or never look at it again. This was good practise in coming back to something!

The image is from an Attic red-figure vase from the fourth century B.C. I added a little extry to make it pop. Hope you like :) I do!

Mullitude

I'M BLOCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!

It happens to every creator eventually. Nature is made up of ebbs and flows, so I guess it's time to balance out the last three years.

Sometimes a block is a blessed holiday from the pressure of making art. It's a double-edged sword. When I'm in a roll it feels euphoric and I feel proud and happy, but also I have harder time focusing on the little details of normal day-to-day life. And yes, I have to masquerade as normal sometimes... I am a mom, I have a job, I have roles and respsonsibilities to fill. Sometimes art gets in the way. When I'm blocked I take a holiday from myself. A break from the air-headed flighty art-star I kinda see myself as (frowny face). Right now, while I'm turning out either nothing or CRAP, I kinda just feel like Mom. Or just Sarah-Joy, chilling with friends after work. Not special. Just one of us all.

Besides, it always comes back.....