Mr. Rob's

9 x 13 watercolor paper
Golden acyrlics, Catherine Moore stamped images, other collage mishmash

It is a fact of life, we as humans view our reality in parts. We think in terms of left brain, right brain, we believe we are comprised of mind, body and spirit. We live different lives at work, play, in our relationships and in personal self growth.

We are the kings and queens of compartmentalisation. We are a giant multiple personality disorder. Now it is only logical that if we view ourselves in parts and we live our reality in parts that at some point, we will experience conflict.
Conflict because our parts don't always agree.

We want the sum of our parts to become whole. At least I do.

It's about living in the present, a present filled with individual moments. Moments which can be measured in time, seconds, minutes, hours, or days, by events etc.
and each moment can be explored with infinite possibilities to be who we really are.

It is in these individual moments that we are whole.

My intention is to pull my self together, find the sum of my parts and live in the moment, as much as possible.

I think Mr. Rob is Carlos Casteneda's alter ego. Carlos Casteneda, the Peruvian born, American author (1925- 1998) had some interesting thoughts about all of this in this in his early writings in "The Teachings of Don Juan".

Here's to living in the moment, may they be plentiful.

Thank-you for your visits and kind words, as always my best to you. My other blog locale: "The Way I See It"

Passion and Freedom

12 x 12 gallery wrapped canvas, heavy molding paste texture
Golden fluid acrylics

He sensed through passion he would find his freedom.

The only 'completely' free person, is the person who is free from their own self or their own weaknesses. Most of us suffer from our own inner tyrant, sub-personalities, moodiness, parts of ourselves that come up that are not our authentic self and behind these masks are our true free consciousness.
A willingness to be open.

To be free is to be the master of our own soul, our own life, our own destiny. We must exercise our free will. Those who are not free are those who willingly restrain their own thoughts. Sometimes we are so busy trying to change the world and each other that we lose our focus.

Find your own truth, live your own truth, dream and live a life of passion.

Socrates once said, "If you want to change the world, you have to change yourself first."

Live life passionately. Passion is not only about love, but about life.

Live your life in truth and real purpose.

My friends- I leave you with this quote:
"We must be the change, we wish to see in the world" -Mahatma Gandhi

Thank you for your kindness and sweet words. Now go out and make it a great day!

My other locale is here: "The Way I See It"

Measure of Dreams

9 x 13 watercolor paper, mask, collage fodder
Golden acrylic paints, paint pens

How do we measure our dreams in the night,
when by morning they seem to have vanished?

John Steinbeck one of the greatest writer's of our time
believed in nocturnal productivity. He has said,
"It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night
is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.”

The shorter version of this has become the cliché, "Sleep on it!"

Sigmund Freud believed that dreaming was the "safety valve" for unconcious desires.

Researchers used to think that dreams only occurred during the REM (rapid eye movement) state of sleep, but now most experts agree that we can dream at any time during the night. However, the dreams which occur during our REM state are the most memorable and realistic.

I rarely experience this deep state of sleep, so best I can do, is wake long enough to write down my idea, or some worrisome detail and then place it precariously on my nightstand, it is here where this tidbit of information will incubate-- outside of my mind, sort of in vitro.
This will usually help my overactive mind free up for some ordinary sleep.

"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." -Edgar Allan Poe

Thanks for your visits and kind words!
My other local : "The Way I See It"

EyE Candy

9 x 13 journal page, golden acrylics, spray paint, stencil,
masking tape, rub-ons, Caran d'Ache neocolor crayons

candy is in the EyE of the beholder,
something EyE wrapped up in tape,
a gift EyE gave to myself,
no strings attached, a lace,
and many small windows from which to see.

Thank you for your visits and kind words.

Best to all of you. My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

Self Portrait

colored pencil effect

pop art effect

Having fun with Mac's Photobooth software, for
2thingsphotochallenge "Self-Portrait"

My new header is actually my new business card created in PS, layers my painting and photo of my eye with assorted filters. Another self portrait of types. I left out my name and address but you get the gist.

Lovely weekend to all who visit here and thank you for your kind comments.

Cheers! My other blogspot:" The Way I See It"

Revival

12 x 12 canvas, Golden Fluid acrylics

I had painted this canvas once before and it was awful. Awful canvases don't get thrown away, they get revived, resuscitated, a new life gets bestowed upon them.

I am now actually very pleased with the outcome. My initial intent was to use this canvas, as a collage, mixed media background. I struggled with attacking the surface with yet another medium. I couldn't find an opening, I waited patiently for an in, and then it dawned on me this painting was complete, as is. I have since become enamored with the color and randomness of it all.

the struggle
the patience
the willingness to let go

Thought I'd revive some 'old blue eyes' for your listening pleasure.




and I leave you with this final thought:
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy."

Have a wonderful week! My best to all of you.

My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

Life, it's Ephemeral

11 x 14 gallery wrap canvas, Golden acrylics, spray paint,
stencils, game piece, collage fodder, paint pens

fleeting moments,
give way to new experiences,
enriching our lives beyond measure. -ThE ArTfuL EyE

For curious minds, wondering how I come up with this stuff, read on.
When working with collage or mixed media, I generally do not have a pre-concieved idea as I begin a piece of work. I have an extremely overactive mind which works overtime, thinking, thinking, reflecting, daydreaming and the cycle repeats over and over. No rest for the weary here, but I would not have it any other way.

I usually begin by painting or placing random images down on paper. I pay attention to the color, and try to mix up my palette. Lately, I'm really trying to force myself out comfort colors and more into experimenting in color palettes that are more foreign. I find this helps me to be a better painter and expand my knowledge for color mixing.

Sometimes ideas will begin to develop along the way and my overactive mind will attach a thought to something I have placed on the canvas, or the lyrics to a song will come to mind, leading down a path of reminiscing, and reflection. Most times it isn't until the very end, when I look at the piece and hope it speaks to me.

As I was nearing the end of this piece, I was reminded of an old song by R.E.M.
"The Man on the Moon" and it all came together. I realized that this song was about embracing faith, even when you think you should know better. It's about the game of life, pop culture, fact or fiction, which made me think that life in itself is ephemeral.

Hence the name, "Life, it's Ephemeral"

Ephemeral- translated from Greek εφήμερος - ephemeros, literally means"lasting only one day, transitory, existing only briefly

In the game of life, we make up our own rules and then there are some rules already in place. Our lives are ephemeral in bits and pieces- each transitory moment, experience, each day touches us briefly, fleeting and make up our todays, give us our yesterday's, provide us our memories. Like most ephemera some things we won't ever experience again and some things will stand the test of time. Each of these moments is a part of our whole life experience, some moments richer than others, while some won't be worth remembering, yet all will be meaningful.

For your listening and viewing pleasure,

R.E.M. - "The Man on the Moon"


I'll leave you with this quote, "Ephemera is the window into our past."

Thank-you for enriching my life, by your visits and kind words.
Don't forget to mosey on over to my other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

IF-Homage PEACE SYMBOL

For this week's challenge at Illustration Friday

I pay homage to The Peace Symbol

9 x 13 Journal Page, Book of Eve
Golden Acrylics
Ink Pen
Oil Pastels for Resist
hand carved-Peace stamp


What this piece might look like if it were a poster, under a black light.
Remember owning one of these?

photoshop redux

The PEACE symbol turns 50 years old, this April on the 4th day, 2008. "This symbol was created by a British pacifist textile designer, Gerard Holtom and made its debut in London's Trafalgar Square where many gathered to support "ban the bomb" movement and to march to Aldermaston where atomic weapons research was being done."

It was originally designed for the DAC (Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War) and was adopted as its badge for the CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) in Britain. It was later generalised to be an international icon for the 1960's anti-war movement and adopted by the counterculture of the time.

These were the times, I was present, young and impressionable.

Music to think PEACE by:

John Lennon - Give Peace a Chance


Cat Stevens - Peace Train





Salaam, Shalom, Pace, Paix, Vrede, Frieden, 和平, Paz, Ειρήνη,
Peace Out

To all my friends may you find some peace on the road of life.

"The Way I See It"

Native/Exotic

I just couldn't let this 2thingsphotochallenge get away.

I've been mulling over this one all week and then it finally came to me. The Eucalyptus tree is the exotic. It is not a native tree to our country. It reigns from Australia, where there are more that 700 species, mostly native to this continent. Most of the Eucalyptus trees found in other regions of the world have been planted.

The picture of the Eucalyptus below was taken in my backyard. It stands approximately 100 feet tall. Just below this Eucalyptus are many live oaks, some blue and some scrub oak, which are native to this area.


Here are some pics of the scrub oak, but look, underneath the oak is another exotic it's an Agave, otherwise known as a "Century Plant".

There are some 125 species of this plant in Mexico while there are only 15 in the U.S. This species is an Agave atroviriens, it can weigh over two tons. This plant here is actually 10 ft. tall.



Here's a closer look. I should have placed my husband next to it's prickly leaves to give you some perspective. These stalks are well over 6 ft. long and approximately 15 ft. across. This particular genus will die once it flowers which is about 20 years, it's starting to flower.

click on photos to enlarge:


Now for the fun trivia:
The Agaves have been used as food source as far back as 1000 A.D.
Today, just across the border in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, in the town of Tequila, they are extracting Mescal to distill for Tequila from this Agave. By law it's the only Mescal that can be called Tequila.

Perhaps I should consider tapping into this sucker for my Margarita's this summer.

You do not want to be pricked by this cactus nor try to dismantle it without proper protection as it will cause numbing to your limbs, temporarily of course. Now you could suck the Mescal from the plant and your numbing problems will subside.

Have a lovely week! Thanks as always for your comments and visits!

My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

YoU aRe NoT HeRe...

11 x 14 canvas board, gel image transfers, Golden acrylic paints
rub-ons, paint pens, rubber stamp

My contribution to Illustration Friday's challenge "Pet Peeves"

I've got a few pet peeves, but this one particular 'peeve' is on top of my list and it's about refusing to ask for directions.

Have you ever gotten in the car with someone who will drive around in circles, travel for miles and insist they know where they are going? and it's clear that they are lost and you are not getting any closer to your destination? Then you ask that miserable question, "Why don't you ask for directions?" and the person retorts with a smug remark, Why? I'm not lost I know exactly where I'm going, then your face begins to scrunch up and you're ready to go to battle. If you're lucky you somehow arrive at your destination with the driver acting like they knew all along how to get there or they finally concede they are lost and beg for mercy.

-or wait there's a better one...
they ask for directions and then do something completely different because they don't believe the information they've been given to be true and you remain lost.

Other pet peeves:
cellphone use in restaurants, while driving
dogs left unattended barking continuously
shopping carts left randomly askew in parking lots
ignorance

I'll leave you with the following quote:
"If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn't need motivation to speed him up.
What he needs is education to turn him around." - Jim Rohn

Thank-you for your visits and kind words.

My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

jUsT anOtHeR dAy in PaRaDise

The girls... me, Julie, Kim (our visiting blog friend from Wisconsin a.k.a. the North Pole) started the weekend off Saturday morning, at o'dark thirty...6:45 a.m. first stop Starbuck's, then off to the local swap meet.

Now mind you, our day wasn't complete until we had traveled to a myriad of thrift stores, a stamp supply store, a fabric store (which we quickly left because we were overcome by color and texture) followed by lunch, Border's for more art books, Dick Blick's, Artist's and Craftman Supply, Dick Blick's again... because A&C didn't have a colors we were after and then off to the beach to meet Heather, kick the sand, pick up shells and watch the sun go down, which was topped off at "The Harbor Beach Cafe" with a cold refreshment, some delicious fish tacos and wonderful company.


Flowers at the swap meet



Carlsbad State Beach- Carlsbad, CA

the boy

the sand

the surf

the end to a perfect weekend

Now it wouldn't be a perfect weekend without a splash of creativity and more camaraderie.

The same group of girls along with a few other friends, got together early Sunday a.m. to take class from our favorite Chris Cozen who is a "working artist" for Golden Paints.

Chris is a remarkable teacher and has just released a new book called "Altered Surfaces" which is chock full of instructions for creating all types of interesting surfaces utilizing the wide range of Golden products.

With Chris our classes generally begin with some type of color study on different papers or substrates. Today we began by choosing our favorite color palettes and painting background papers, using watercolor paper, canvas paper and some type of acrylic/linen paper.

Once our papers were complete we put together small collages and embellishments for our glass paperweight and then decided which portion of our paper we would use for the background.

Here is a sampling of my background papers:






Below are my finished glass paperweights.
These were a bit tricky to photograph due to the glass and reflection but you get the idea.





Thanks for your visits and kind words.

Have a wonderful week! My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

Thank God It's Friday!

This canvas board was painted with my favorite Golden acrylic paints, and the image transfers were made using Golden Acrylic Ground for Pastels and Golden Glass Bead Gel.

The image transfer of the sun was done with the bead gel. I found the bead gel difficult to work with in that the paper does not want to release easily from the beads once the transfer is made, I think I need more practice or... I need to ditch the medium. I'll give it a few more trys. I usually don't give up that easily.

I then took the image into Photoshop and added a posterize and film grain filter. I liked the results.

This has been one crazy week and I found that slaying dragons and doing good deeds can be hard work, so TGIF. I've been able to make my rounds and found most of you busily creating all week long and have thoroughly enjoyed my trip. Keep up the great work!

I'm off this weekend to pillage flea markets and search for more stuff to stockpile for future creative use and... to enjoy the SUN.


Here Comes the Sun-

"Little darling, it's been a long cold, lonely winter.."





See you soon! My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

Dream State

8x10 colored pencil/pencil/collage material/distress inks

"Twirl me about, and twirl me around
Let me grow dizzy and fall to the ground
And when I look up at you looking down,
Say it was only a dream"
- Mary Chapin Carpenter

I really should be cleaning up my studio, so that I can get back into that room and work. I have two work tables in there that have somehow been overcome by events. Events as in projects.

My workspace has now expanded to our x-large kitchen table, leaving my husband 1/3 of the table to enjoy his breakfast and read his paper. He doesn't seem to mind. I do check with him on occasion when things begin to look like they are getting out of control.

Note to self: things are out of control.

I'm going to do something about this chaos and clean up my act.

Dreamer!

I'll leave you with this thought:
"Yesterday is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream"-Kahlil Gibran

Thanks for visiting! Don't forget to mosey on over to my other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

Old/New

My contribution to this week's 2thingsphotochallenge Old/New

Old/
Here's a photo of Yosemite Valley I took last time my dad came to visit from New York.

This is your first view of Yosemite, located on the lower western end of the valley as you enter the park. It's breathtaking. You can see the sheer granite face of El Capitan on the left, Cathedral Rocks on the right and just below Bridalveil Falls.
Click on image to get a closer look.

Most of the granite features of Yosemite Valley were created during the Cretaceous Period when intrusions of igneous rock comprised of solidified molten magna formed plutons beneath the earth's surface. The earliest of these granite intrusions appeared 114 million years ago.
Plutons, named after Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld.

New/

Here is a recent photo of the Roman Colosseum or Coliseum. One of the greatest works of Roman Architecture and the largest amphitheater ever built in the Roman Empire. It's relatively new in comparison to Yosemite Valley, as it was completed in 80 A.D. under the rule of the Roman Emperor Titus.

It was capable of seating 50,000 or so spectators for gladiator sports, animal hunts, mock sea battles and executions. Last recorded event was in the 6th century.

and another Old/ for old time sake.

my contribution Box/Car 2things challenge. I'm throwing in my image for Box/Car at the request of D.C. Confidential . I thought I was too late last Sunday, so I had deleted it. Might be worth a peek and now it's old.

This was actually a folded box car template that once assembled became a carrier for a child's hamburger.

Thanks for stopping by! My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

"Standing on the water's edge...

reverse painting on acetate with alcohol inks, college ephemera
stamp by 100 Proof Press


standing on the water's edge,

reflecting,

some things seem larger than life.

All you have here my friends is merely a re-exploration of a medium I had forgotten about, alcohol inks. Some time ago I had worked with these inks on heavy glossy paper and really liked the results. This time around, I thought I try them on acetate and enjoyed the result. I didn't want to throw my test away, so I made a collage around it.

I leave you with this thought:
"Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again."

I wish you all many experiences and that you will continue to grow and prosper through each one.

For you collage fanatics, blog to note here: Ezequiel Eduardo Ruiz

Thank-you for your kind words and visits, as always- Andrea
My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

OnLy WhEn I Am fOuNd, CaN I bE Me

9x12x1.5 mixed media on gallery wrapped canvas
Golden Fluid and Heavy Body Acrylic, molding paste, collage material

My contribution to Illustration Friday's pick o'tha week "Theory"

My theory is "only when I am found, can I be me". so where am I? am I hiding from myself? or am I hiding in plain sight? These are the thoughts I ponder.

What about you? Are you lost or found?

Here's a cool site to see what other's have found while they were out looking:
www.foundmagazine.com created by Davy Rothbart and some of the great "Found" books by the same author here .

"Found is an uncommon tribute to and commentary on everyday life-- a collage of disparate "found" items sent by readers across the nation, ranging from love letters to doodles to shopping lists"

"You grow up the day you have your first real laugh, at yourself"

Now quit lingering and go find yourself!
xoxox my other side "TheWay I See It"

on the road less travelled, I will choose ...

11x14 journal page

This week's contribution to Illustration Friday's challenge "Choose"

..the fork in the road.

I was on the road less travelled when I came upon a sign that read, "Fork in the Road ahead". The road meandered for some time past this sign, I'd say about 1/4 mile or so, when all of a sudden there was a fork in the road.

Now this was no ordinary fork in the road, like you read about...some diverging path. This was a real fork, the kind that would complete your table setting. What do you suppose this meant?

Was this fork a metaphor for something in my life? There it stood firmly planted in the ground with four shiny metal tines, were the tines representing the parts of my life I needed to acknowledge?

What would I see next, a spoon, or a knife? Was this to remind me that I am part of a set? Am I looking to complete myself, would I be made whole? Would finding a spoon feed my soul? Would the knife cut my journey short?

...so many questions on the road less travelled. I am a non-conventional thinker. I will continue on my journey, welcoming change, mixing things up, looking for new interpretations of the old . I will relish the opportunity to take more chances, for the only regrets in life we have, are the chances we never took.

I leave you with Robert Frost's poem c.1920

ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference

Happy Trails!

Thank-you one and all :
for your visits,
for your kind words,
for making me laugh,
for making me smile,
for making me cry,
for making me think, for this I am grateful.

My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

the JoY of PlaY:invitation response

My contribution to Sue O'Kieffe's : Invitation to Play at Sacred Circle Mandalas

Sue O'Kieffe and John Mora Typos.Daylight.Fate have recently begun to collaborate on some of their creative efforts.

John's original image "stay" can be viewed here where he sampled a lovely photo from Babaloo here. Sue's mandala, is a collaborative work with John can be seen is here .

Thank-you to Great Grannie Bobbie for suggesting this round robin challenge.

"No images have been hurt in this creative exercise, only my ego as I struggle to learn the tools"

All rights to these images belong to the original artists who are extremely talented and whom I am grateful to have met through this venue. Thank you for your permission to *play*

Have a wonderful day! My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"

The Year of the Rat ...*fink*

pre-gesso'd black journal paper, Golden Fluid Acrylics- Interference green and gold, Cobalt Blue,Quinacridone Magenta, and my favorite Nickel Azo Gold acrylic paint on asian stamp for initial background texture.

The rats are cut out of paper towels I had used to clean my brushes and saved.
chinese coin stamp and asian lady stamped with Stazon black on acetate.

My contribution to Wednesday Stamper's theme for this week "Asia"

Happy Chinese New Year! "The Year of the Rat" note the years listed on the right on my collage are 'rat years', which occur every twelve years.

Are you a Rat?

Characteristics of Rat:
smart, magnetic, well-liked, problem solvers, self-sufficient, quick-witted, surreptitious, selfish, protective, calculating hmmm...

Right now I'm thinking my husband is a rat, but now he was born in '61.
Is it possible to be on the cusp of rat?

This city girl, (who now lives in the country) is pining for her husband who abandoned her early this week for another country, not another woman, but another country. Italy. 'Povero Bambino!" This is where the *fink* part comes in as in *rat fink*. and he took our good digital hence crappy photos.

I needed to drown my sorrows, so I decided to mosey on over to the Barrel Room a local vintage wine bar and bistro to meet some friends. Here I opted for the 'champagne and caviar dreams package' a.k.a. glass of "J" Cuvee from J Winery in Sonoma. We cracked some bread, peeled back some prosciutto, and nibbled on baby lamb chops. We laughed, we people watched, and we laughed some more and I still wasn't feeling like I was any where nearer to the Trevi Fountain. Another "J' please, and can I buy a vowel? Like a "U" for u rat fink.

I'm just joshing because I'm actually delighted my husband had a chance to get away to such a lovely place and have it paid for by the company.

So city girl heads back home to country, tired and lonely for her traveling man. Now mind you it has been raining alot up here this past weekend, it's been frigid cold in the a.m. 27 degrees with frost all around. Our yard backs up to the Cleveland National Forest, (no we don't live in Ohio) and the wildlife is restless. Our little birds are tapping on the bedroom windows, I'm feeling like Tippi Hendren in "The Birds". There are the frogs, what sounds like meeeelllions of frogs, croaking away, pining for bug bites, coyotes pining for the moon, and the barn owls that nest in our trees pining for the rats! So I cozy on up to the sounds of my wildlife friends and ring in the New Year.

P.S. Here's a real pic of Rat Fink (anyone remember this hot-rod character by Ed Roth) from Kustom Kulture. My husband used to have these trading cards.



Thank you for visiting and your kind words, as always-

"Enjoy yourself it's later than you think"
My other blogspot: The Way I See It"

Buddha in the Northern Light

My contribution to this weeks 2things challenge Night/Light.

"Enlightment must come little by little---- or it will overwhelm us."

Namaste.

("salutatory gesture," 1948, from Hindi, from Sanskrit namas "bowing" + te, dat. of tuam "you" (sing.). Used as a word of greeting from 1967. )

My other blogspot: "The Way I See It"