5.27.2007

A Hundred Kindnesses

Yesterday turned out to be a wonderfully creative day! I love that and with time to myself coming spontaneously made it all the better. I went to the art show but there weren't many, if any paintings. Not a single mixed media anything! There was jewelry and birdhouses. Clothes and one booth of stained glass. Pressed flowers. Not a lot of stuff. I was disappointed. And shew, was it hot! And I could smell food and see a fresh squeezed lemonade cart and that can be dangerous to a detoxer.
When I got home I discovered that I was able to disappear into the homeschool room where my art table is and no one missed me. I ditched the idea of dyeing tags. I was more in the mood to work on something bigger. Like one of the blank 16 x 20 canvases hanging in our hallway. I hung one piece there not too long ago and have been waiting for inspiration for the others.
So the family is doing their own thing. I have on my comfies, I get out my paints and am absolutely on cloud nine. I stayed like this until 11 and it was so nice to be alone and be creative.
I started out with this pic from a magazine. A wedding mag, looks like. I have had it for a while. I used her as my guide for the face and arms. As you can see I had a bit of a gesso accident on her dress. OK. Please, if you are a painter and you see these images, take it easy on me. I am fairly new to this painting thing, especially people. I was happy with the way I sketched her face (I made the face a little more round because the last face I did was soo long. I have a round face and wanted here to be more like me) and was afraid it I painted over it I would ruin it so I left it and just added touches of paint here and there, and also a bit of charcoal and micron marker to the lines.









I do love her dress and the collaged birdies. I love the slimness of her body-a state I hope to acheive again someday soon!

The very very best part for me is the last thing I do to a piece and that is the search for words. I have several shelves of old books reserved for cutting phrases. For this process I work by intuition, sometimes even uttering a prayer and closing my eyes as I reach for a book. Once the book is chosen, I quickly go through the book ripping out about 4 pages usually. I scan the pages waiting for words to jump out at me. Sometimes the words are just so right for the piece that it is a bit uncanny. With the two pieces I did last night it was this way. This fall-into-place, meant-to-be kind of thing. This piece says: the sun shining upon her golden hair until it made a halo around her, A pretty sight it was to see, the magic spell and infatuation, the young mother, looks into her heart, silent, listening, happy with truth, in tranquility.


One more canvas to go! I am debating frames...what do you think?


The next piece I made for a women I have not met. She is a friend of my friend Angela, one of my homeschool mommy friends. I listen as Angela speaks of her and her brave fight against cancer. I knew from the first moment that I wanted to make her something. All I knew is that I wanted it to convey a message of hope and of healing. I worked this time with a piece of wood. I will go back today and add those little metal feet to the bottom. And I am not convinced this piece is absolutely complete; I may go back today and play a bit more with it.



The first phrase clipping I did was "a message." I was so amazed, ecstatic when my eyes fell upon these two simple words. Perfect, I remembering thinking and sending up a prayer of thanks.

"Meanwhile a message of a hundred kindnesses came to the chamber of the Queen. It was received with great grace and thoughtfulness gratitude and love."

May your day be filled with the same---great grace, thoughtfulness, gratitude and love...


xoxo,


18 comments:

Anonymous said...

these pices are wonderful. i wouldn't frame them. i think just the canvas as itself would be great. i think frames take away/a distraction from the art.
teresa
www.weatheredgoods.typepad.com

Anonymous said...

My Goodness! What youa re working on is amazing! Lovely in fact!! I used to not care about frames..Then I framed something, and now I can't live without frames....xxo

Ursula Shaw said...

Your art look terrific in your hallway. Your work is so beautiful and inspirational.

paige said...

beautiful work tricia!

Elaine Kerr said...

beautiful...

nope, scrap the frame idea

A bird in the hand said...

16x20 is pretty big; I know because that's the size I paint on when I paint (acrylics, not collage), so you've done a tremendous job. They are wonderful. I don't frame my canvasses; I think frames take away from the work. Usually I paint the sides, and that's enough.

Again, beautiful work!

Judy said...

Gosh, I am in love with the piece for Angela. The words, the whole message, the bird with the envelope, the heart, OMG its so perfect. Looks complete to me.

Kari said...

What a fantastic day and look at what came out of it! Wow, these pieces are absolutely fantastic. Love going through your creative process. This post was so much fun!! Thanks for the tips on finding words. I'll have to try your technique. They look wonderful as is, I think. No need to frame. Thank you so much for this wonderful glimse inside your mind and your work. LOVE it!!!!
Cheers
Kari

Jamie said...

These pieces are stunning! No frames needed my dear. Your art is so soulful and moving. It floors me every time. Love, Jamie

Jamie said...

These pieces are stunning! No frames needed my dear. Your art is so soulful and moving. It floors me every time. Love, Jamie

beth said...

Are you kidding me ????
You are a painter, (repeat after me....I am a painter!!!) and a fabulous one at that !!!!

These are WONDERFUL !!!!!

and for an opinion...no frames !!!

winnsangels said...

I adore this piece. Thanks for sharing with us about how you find the words. Amazing. I must find more old books & give it a try.
Thanks also for sharing the wonderful quotations you find - Thoreau, Lopez.

Jo Wholohan said...

My goodness Tricia!!!!! These are fantastic!!!

Susan Tuttle said...

Tricia!
These are stunning!!!! Wow--your muse was front and center!! I think they look great without frames--if you decide to frame them, I'd say keep it simple.

I also do the "book thing." Isn't it so cool how it works out?!

Susan
xox

Anonymous said...

Tricia...these pieces are absolutely breathtaking. And the art looks so beautiful hanging on the wall.

Hélène Deroubaix said...

yay! a new painter is born ;)

dear Tricia, I understand it is not easy to trust our potential as artists sometimes because painters are often seen as Wonderful artist, but I have a book of art history and I can see lots of painter that still feature in it and their face are weird, childish, badly drawn etc
It's I guess a question of style and taste :)

I often thought I could not draw ;)
But now I am so happy to prove myself I was wrong and I think it's our big faults to keep repeating ourselves we can't do things because we have been seen as this or that, because we have wrong beliefs about ourselves

I am happy to be a painter to be, to learn in each new artwork:)

your face is nicely drawn and I love her arms and hands, and it's beautiful that she 's holding this little case of eggs :)

I received your wonderful trade finally!
mean mail service indeed!
^_^ better late than never ;)
and thank you So Much for the kind goodies oh my! you definetly made my day ^_^ love that tea and the music sheets are Fabulous and especially that's what I was searching for right now at ebay ;)

so sweet big faery hugs to you!

Anonymous said...

So beautiful... I wish I was brave enough to go with such a large canvas... hence "Little Pieces of Art" I wouldn't frame them either, they might loose some of their pressence on the wall...
Wonderful idea to have the blank canvas hanging on your wall... just waiting for inspiration!

Great post Tricia!

Corey said...

Tricia, there is a style of custom frame that is very simple and not distracting- it allows the canvas to "float" inside without covering the edges, yet creates really nice depth and presence. I think these would look really nice framed that way- more dramatic and "important" than with no frames. I used to be a custom framer, that's how I know about them!