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.