Monday, September 20, 2010

Nature Photograpy

Yesterday I brought my camera along on my walk through the woods. I rock hopped down the middle of Naaman's creek stopping here and there to take pictures of the water.
IMG_2059.jpg


I didn't bring a tripod so I steadied the camera against my face or knee as best as I could.
IMG_2092.jpg


I love how you can see bits of blue sky reflected in the water.

IMG_2070.JPG


IMG_1987.JPG


IMG_1994.jpg


IMG_2008.JPG


IMG_2011.jpg


IMG_2004.JPG


IMG_1981.JPG



IMG_2010.JPG


Since art imitates nature, this is what I worked on when I got home.

IMG_2121.JPG


This is painted fabric that I then spray painted with rocks as resists.


IMG_2129.jpg


The top half of this shot is a painting on plexiglass, I'm holding it up so the light from the window is coming through. This is something I'd love to work on scaling up for the gallery.

IMG_2128.jpg


Another piece of fabric I worked on. And now I have some really cool spray painted rocks.





Sunday, September 12, 2010

My Kids Are Artists Too

People often ask me if my kids aged 12 and 15 are artists too. My answer is “hell yeah!”. I’m really proud of their work but sometimes I wish they weren’t so busy all the time and would learn to clean up a little once in a while. They wrote, directed, acted, filmed and edited their own movie this summer. I love how my kids can make their own entertainment out of the dress up bin. I hope they never outgrow this. Will the finished piece be a masterpiece? I think probably not, but what a great experience. I bite my tongue when I see the incredible messes that are left in the wake of their creative flurry.


Here are a few pictures of what they’ve been up to this summer.
IMG_1609.JPG

Delaney's abstract paintings

IMG_1611.JPG

Delaney's art portfolio from summer camp

IMG_1623.JPG

Savannah's watercolors from summer camp

IMG_1643.JPG

This was actually Delaney's lunch one day, that's Larry Cat checking it out

IMG_1673.JPG

Delaney helped me make wrapping paper with some left over paint and newsprint

IMG_1679.JPG

Delaney has to wear collared shirts to school and she's not going to wear boring solids every day so she splatter painted her shirt

IMG_1897.jpg

Here's a shirt I made for her with fabric she chose

IMG_1683.JPG

Fabric she painted to make a pillow for her room

IMG_1689.JPG

I painted the wall purple in her bedroom to surprise her for her birthday and together with a friend we painted the spiral. Here she's gluing pompoms to her lamp shades.

Delaney also made cute animals out of plastic eggs, paper flowers from a tracing of her hand and cool jewelry out of buttons. Today they were off to their friend's house dressed as cats.

When I was a kid, the neighborhood kids were always at my house where my sister’s and I were allowed to make costumes out of old clothes and odds and ends and we wrote scripts and put on plays all the time. Our Christmas gifts were always craft kits like a pottery wheel or glass cutting kit. My mother sewed and my father had a wood shop in the basement. I was always making things, and still am. My craft room is a mess! I cleaned my studio this week though and can't wait to get in there and start making messes!