There's NO Getting it Right in Self Expression. (SKF)

Hello All,

Here's a short art lesson about how we can use the technological tools to change our perceptions.
The first premise is that we see with our minds. When I teach people the basics of drawing they often confuse what they know about an object with what they are actually seeing. For example in a still life a student will draw a symbolic apple, the one that they hold in their mind's eye. This apple is not the same as the one we are looking at, which is specific to the environment it is in. So I will ask the student to shut off what you know about apples and to look without input from elsewhere. We do this by asking very simple questions. What is the shape of the light area ? and the dark area? What are the exact colors of each area? Follow the edge where the apple meets the background, what is the nature of that line? And on and on.

I'm now requesting that we construct a more complex picture in order to expand our imaginations about the scene we may know well. I have drawn and painted the view many times. In it's familiarity I decided to play with a slight abstraction of the original photograph. I transferred the image into Publisher and began to collage portions into different magnifications. I then reassemble the work into many windows making a new wholeness based on the artful unifying of the fragments (see top picture). When I finally manipulated it to my aesthetic liking, I painted the resulting image. This changing of  view points is closer to the way we naturally see. I thought you would enjoy the effect.
 

Social Sculpture Day -kes

Collaborative drawing, printmaking, weaving, flower sculpture, spray-paint, clay fun will be happening on the N. Common, Mansfield Center, Mansfield, MA, 12 noon to 4 pm on Saturday September 19, 2015. [Rain date is Sunday September 20].

This event supports the Mansfield Community Mural dedication festival in the town center. Food, music, games for kids and adults, a caricature artist, and more will be happening.

Myself, my dear flawedmystic tribes-women [Sarah & Andrea], and other local artists will be building collaborative public art during the celebration. Interested visitors will help in making creations for a Morini Gallery public exhibit during October at the Mansfield Music & Arts Society [MMAS]. Exhibit sale proceeds will be used to support MMAS programs. Both children and adults are invited to participate in this playful hands-on project. Bring only your imagination, no experience is necessary. Stay for an hour or create during the whole celebration. A $5 materials fee per person applies. For more information call MMAS at 508-339-2822.

Don't Take The Seat By the Door (SKF)

Well, it's back to school time. I thought I might inspire everyone to think of their clothes as a canvas. We've all been entrained to buy what the commercial world is selling us especially when for years we all received new clothes at the start of school. This year I CHALLENGE you ( pointing my forefinger to anyone who cares) to recreate your old clothes into some really fun personal artwear. Here are a few examples of my creations. The dress was a worn old jersey dress and I turned it inside out, embroidered like a crazy woman, and then added some cool blue pockets.My blue suede shoes, I went really manic with the sharpies especially the metallics. Then I thought about trying to make an experimental purse with the fabric samples in my studio. I took a piece of felt and cut out a double bird for the front. How about a snowflake for a hat or a jacket?
 
 The rag necklace is from my fabric scrap pile. I twisted, rolled and sewed some interesting color combinations into a long rope. Like a magpie, I've collected bits and pieces of sale beads, old jewelry, and anything I find in the road.

 Your creative ideas are limitless so don't let an opportunity to express yourself slip by and this is where I explain the title. When I was younger, I would go to a restaurant and often the hostess would try to get rid of the worst seats by attempting to seat the uncomplaining folks next to either the kitchen door or in cold weather, the front door. I've taken the statement," Don't take the seat by the door!" as a kind of code for we're all sold something less than acceptable, which we unquestionably buy. For instance did you know there is actually a Color Trends Council who determines the colors for designers of clothes, furniture, drapery, and other consumer goods. Did I ask to be dressed from colors that are from "The Night of the Living Dead?! So do your own style and make it wild. Great cultral trends always come from the street up, not the other way around. Wear it proud. A special shout out to my nephew who looks awesome doing his own thing.

Don't take the world they'll give you
 ( cheap kewpi doll philosophies).

Make it the way you want it!

Full of what you love.



Now, let's get to work.

Dancing Doll - az

I was assigned to make a dancing doll as a gift. My dancing doll is a combination shadow puppet/paper doll.  It took a lot of thinking (a.k.a. procrastination) before I executed anything of value because I wasn't quite sure how to approach it. I cheated a bit by drawing one side and then reversing it to get the other side. The proportions are probably longer than what is normal but they had an alien quality which I liked. I made the feet wonky in memory of a favorite paper doll with turned in toes. 

I drew the face and then made paper templates for the body. You can see a paper arm in the picture on  the right towards the top. I used chipboard and the backs of old cards to create the body. As I progressed, I realized it needed something. The head dress was cool as a drawing but lost some of its pizazz in the cutting and the body was flat and boring. I did intend to just draw an outfit on but I changed my mind. 

I cut more chipboard pieces to create texture and to form more of the body.

I used craft paint and medium for most of this project. Craft paint has tooth to it and I thought I would draw on this more. But other than the face, I did very little drawing and much more painting. I used regular brads to attach the limbs but the limbs just hung loosely which annoyed me as I wanted the doll to be pose-able. To account for this I created feather/leaf pieces to act as shims so the joints could be posed.

The doll is about 15" long. It has a reused floral stick with the feather/leaf pieces which allows the doll to be hung up or dance around. And you cannot see it but there is glitter on the face and a lot of opalescent paint on the body to keep the alien charm going.