Things Have Been Busy In a Good Way!

Things have been very busy lately so I apologize for not getting on here lately!

I have work now showing at the Brainerd City Hall and the Brainerd Public Library for the next few months so I have been working on getting these two exhibitions ready for this fall.

We had our show with the Brainerd Area Art Guild at Rumbly Hall downtown Brainerd MN with a great turnout in our new location! Here I am showing one of my 3 demos at the show...

I also have been teaching classes at Canvas Expressions at the Westgate Mall in Brainerd and have my next class on November 27th. Plus I will have a spot the two weekends also at Canvas Expressions the weekends of December 8th and 9th and 15th and 16th selling my creations.

I hope you can join me. If you have any questions please let me know and I will answer asap!

Happy Holidays!

New Online Workshop!

I am teaching an online workshop in 2019! This course runs all of 2019 and you don't want to miss it. The theme is Totems and Talismans. Below is the project we will be working on. For more details click on the link below!


https://www.mysticspringstudios.com/awa-2019-shop/yctt-2019-pal

Make sure to sign up for the early bird pricing!

July 2018 Show

Wow, a very busy past few days with my Nisswa MN show. We had a great turnout of people come to see 8 artists including myself. I met some very wonderful and enthused people this weekend along with a couple of local art councils who are interested in representing some of my work!

Here are a few images of my work on display...

We were set up at the Journey Church in the Nisswa square. I had a huge response from my fiber art, my Urban Dogs and my Giraffe.

Stay tuned for more updates as I have a new project that I will announce in the near future!

Making of a Philosopher King

I love relics and artifacts and I see this coming up in some of my recent works of art. I created "Making of a Philosopher King" that started with some hand textured papers and a piece of found rusted metal that was found on a walk.

I will say that some pieces just come together while some have their challenges. This piece I found the latter to be the case, but in the end I like where it ended up.

My textured paper was started on a 90 lb watercolor paper that was initially textured with gesso. I then applied color with Paper Artsy Fresco Finish in Steel Grey, Mud Splat and Venice Blue, Golden's Payne's Grey and Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold. I then distressed areas with StazOn in Stone Grey and Ranger Archival Ink in Potting Soil.

Laying some pieces out to get a composition I was happy with.

I knew I wanted to use this awesome piece of rusted metal that my daughter found while out walking her dog, which I attached to a piece of vintage paper which was treated with Seth Apter's and Emerald Creek's embossing powder in Vintage Beeswax, and some Amate paper behind the metal piece to bring out the metal. This was then attached to an old vintage cloth book cover in a mustard-like color.

Next came more laying out with another vintage book cover that accidentally ripped. I kind of liked this "one of many happy little accidents" that happened with this piece so I just went with it.

I started "orchestrating" other key pieces such as one of the relic's from Sandra Evertson's  "Persona" amazing collection and two mixed media sticks along the two sides, which were sewn onto the book cover and watercolor paper.

I felt something was needed in the rust piece even more ( I am never satisfied that easily):))) so added a rusted star and a turquoise bead. 

Adding in some depth...

and along the top to add another element I added a spine from an old book that I sewed 3 X's on it.

This piece is finalized adhered to a cradled wood panel.

Like I said I had a lot of challenges along the way but those challenges were worth every moment!

Now is the Time

I have been going through some recent changes tin my life hat have been showing in my creative process. I am finding more and more that I am striving for significance in my work. Now is the Time really sums it up for me in recent life changing events.

I started with a 6" x 6" deep cradled wood panel. My first step was to gesso in a deep gray. Then I used crackle paste with the Ornamental Compass Screen stencil by Gwen Laufleur Stencil Girl Products.


I then used Paper Artsy Fresco Finish Chalk paints from Seth Apter's collections of a combination Turquoise, Caribbean Sea, Granny Smith, Green Patina, Midnight and of course Mud Splat.

I needed somewhat of a border since I love borders so did so with Seth Apter and Emerald Creeks embossing powders of Ancient Amber, Chunky Rust, Patina Oxide and my go-to Rocky Road.

The sides I used texture medium and again used the embossing powders. Still doing the "what ifs" I decided to add the same Paper Artsy paints on the sides to add more color.

Still hungry for more I sprayed Tim Holtz Distress Spray Stain in Rusty Hinge and Tattered Angels spray in Coffee Shop. Ahhh just what this needed!

Onto the emblems.

I used Seth Apter's Steering Wheel die cut offsetting half of the 16 layers which I had the perfect center piece, one of my vintage watch faces from my steampunk jewelry collection. It fit perfect!

I textured and finished the wheel along with the die cut rectangular frame below with the Prima Marketing Finnabair Rust Paste.

Ancient Artifact

I love the look of ancient artifacts that are an inspiration in art. I lalso ove finding rusty metal objects to incorporate into my art, and this one piece was begging for some extra attention due to the unique beauty of it.

This piece was found by my daughter while taking her Corgi for a walk. I think it may have been from a car around the tire maybe? So this was what I went with to create "something" with this piece, but before that....

I started with layering some ephemera on my wood panel. Then layering with paint and stains and stenciling with Pam Carriker's Beautiful Halo and some Seth Apter stencils. Adding more ephemera and more stains along with other textures such as mini stones and latex lace started to really build the piece.

Some of the mini stones on the bottom was a bit too much so I removed some and revealed a nice collage piece underneath. I further accented it and the top with Seth Apter and Emerald Creek embossing powders of Vintage Beeswax. I really liked how this was coming along so I added more embossing powder in Ancient Amber over the stained latex lace.

Still needing something more powerful I added one of Sandra Evertson's relic and artifacts pieces with the head piece. Staining, removing and staining more gave depth to this piece. I also at this point decided to do the same with the halo to give it cohesiveness. 

Next I stained cheesecloth to add another element to the rust piece and then applied both.

I really let the piece tell me which way to go with each step. The rust piece was a joy to work with.

2018 Brings New Changes

2018. The start of a new year and with it new goals. I still keep a hold with my current goals that I am still working on, but new positive directions are also a good thing. My eyes have been opened to uncharted roads that are somewhat new to me, but at this time in life, inviting.

Over the past couple of years I have added to my Urban Collage Dog line. I have found by looking back that those have even changed. For example my first dog Chihuahua Aiden. Notice the background, quite simple and "urbany" if that's a word.

Once useing a flowing abstract feel I am finding out I am incorporating a more linear and architectural feel to my work. Like the vertical and horizontal lines in the backgrounds of my dogs I am also using it in other more recent work. I think this still takes me back to many years ago my mom and I would go to downtown LA to browse and see what we did not normally see where we lived. Not to say I want to live in the cities as I love my rural lifestyle, but to visit once in a while would be nice.

I have noticed I have become more textural and a bit on the noisy side in the background. I noticed quite a change from my first to my most recent dog. I think the word I see is complex. I have recently been using more stamps and stencils and sometimes have a hard time saying "stop" I would usually say this is a problem, but in the case of these dogs, I think it suits them just fine.

Been prepping for this year's shows coming up. I have a lot of work to get together and I am still creating more art! Hey, I can't be all work and no play...not my style.

Here I have some urban abstract art on Yupo I created in 2017. This particular piece was done with acrylic and acrylic inks, pen and sgraffitto. Multiple layers are what I am all about and this type of work is no exception.

I love expressing through my art memories that are so precious to me. My Mom and I use to take the bus to L.A. a lot just to have a day together. We always had wonderful times going to many shops, checking out Chinatown and eating local cuisine. My urban art always brings me back to those times. I always thought so, but now I know, that is why I am so drawn to certain types of art. I long for those days now living in Minnesota seeing those places again with well weathered walls, and the immense architecture with a history behind them.

Getting ready for next years shows and gallery representation! Now over the winter months I will be mounting my dogs to wood panels as well as other abstract work done on paper.

I have to say this process takes quite some time but makes such a nice presentation and ease of hanging.

My dogs will be at Madden's Stable Gallery in spring of 2018 so if you are in the area at that time check them out!

There will a one day show in Dorset last weekend in June that I will be attending.

I will also be at the exhibit at the Nisswa show in July of 2018.

Stay tuned for upcoming events as I will post them in late spring 2018!