Thursday, April 11, 2024
Trashy Vibes...
Saturday, March 16, 2024
Less is More- Keeping it Simple...
Monday, February 12, 2024
Hearts Can Be Art...
Vintage photos- always a fan! When a friend posted some family photos recently, I was quite taken with them. This is her grandmother, married at 15 and then following her life's work as a mother and a baker in an Italian bakery. I thought the pose was so graceful and serene, and the photo very expressive. So I printed out a copy and made this Valentine gift to send her. A little lace, some pearls and other embellishments and this mixed media project came together nicely. Size-wise it can be hung on a door knob or drawer pull as a decorative accent.
Another friend in a local sewing group shared her family photos, too. This portrait of her grandmother was so strikingly artistic. Quite often the people in old photos are staring fixedly at the camera with stoic looks on their faces. But this one looks as if it could have come from a modern-day photo shoot for someone's Instagram page! I thought it was uncommonly pretty, so again made a copy and put together this tag. Those rosy pearls are also a family treasure so I included part of the strand with all the lace and trims. These photo projects are such fun to make and a way to pay tribute to people from the past.
And in a more current trend, this post card is one of several I made in Alisa Burke's online class titled Graffiti Love. We learned to play with paint layers and messy, expressive lettering and symbols in our art projects. There are ten affordable lessons in the class, and it's another source of mixed media learning and fun! I've just scratched the surface with this one.
Thursday, February 1, 2024
Green Acres is the Place To Be....
Another resident of Oak View Farm is Abby. Abby came home with Jack from her mis-adventures as a drop off near the Interstate. Very thin, young, and needing some TLC, she's been here for nearly 10 years now. From time to time we discuss whether we need to down-size from our 10 acre farm as we grow older. But this crew is a big part of our consideration, and they love it here! So we all agree- we'll stay for now.
Thursday, January 11, 2024
A Trip to The Appleton Museum for Art Deco...
Our local museum in Ocala, The Appleton Museum of Art, put on a very well-done exhibit titled "Skylines to Hemlines: Art Deco." It began with a poster describing Art Deco as a movement in arts and architecture that was internationally popular during the 1920s and 1930s. It might be thought of as "between the two World Wars". The style originated in France, but its popularity quickly spread worldwide. And the characteristics include streamlined shapes and clean, simple lines. Symmetry like that seen in the graphic image above is also a characteristic.
The exhibit also began with a timeline showing the span of popularity for Art Deco, and it highlighted important historical events. In our case locally, even the filming of the Tarzan movies at Silver Springs (home of the famous glass bottom boats) throughout the 1930s and beyond was featured on the timeline. The wool tapestry fragment above depicted scenes of warfare, including the powerful searchlights used to spot enemy aircraft during nighttime raids.
This textile fragment from the late 1920s shows a military transport Zeppelin along with US and Japanese flags.
This colorful portrait poster was the work of French artist jean Chassaing and featured celebrated performer Josephine Baker, an American-born singer who spent her career primarily in France. According to the information with the poster, even her hairstyle, known as an Eaton cap, features the clean, simple lines of the Art Deco era.
Of course fashion reflected the Art Deco era as in this silk chiffon and velvet dress.
Woolen swimsuits, mostly one-piece style, were on display.
The appliqued designs in the woolen suits (also waterproof) fit the style.
Here's another example of symmetry, line and shape that mark Art Deco architecture. It's very pleasing.
This was one of my favorite images in the exhibit. The architecture and fashion were certainly expected features in this event- they were both in the title, after all. The surprise to me was the number of everyday household objects that were included to reflect the Art Deco style. There were radios, beds, dressers, mirrors, hairbrushes, brushed chrome and brass coffee pots, cigarette cases, jewelry- so many common yet familiar items. With music of the era playing in the background, the exhibit was a pleasure to view. It's on until the 14th of January, so there are a few days left if you can fit a trip to the Appleton into your schedule. But if not, do enjoy these photos!
Friday, December 29, 2023
Sparkle Plenty...
Finally, I had some sparkly green scraps left from the flower which were just right for making Snappy Pickle! He was the brainchild of artist Kecia Deveney. She taught an online workshop in designing the whimsical stuffed pickles as part of the Holiday ARTfest 2023. There were lots of chuckles over the pickles that came from her workshop and were posted on Facebook. Snappy has ample sparkle, a mega-watt smile, and a great big personality. Plenty of sparkle and shine for the holidays here. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2024!
Thursday, December 14, 2023
Angels We Have Heard On High...
And on the backs of each ornament, we wrote a message in white acrylic marker. I chose The Priestly Blessing from Scripture. The replays of the lessons are available continuously, so I can practice and repeat the painting skills as often as needed. I'm never a fan of my writing, so did appreciate the lettering instruction, especially. These make lovely hand-crafted Christmas greetings and I'm sure I'll be making more. Christmas blessings to you!