northern lights

'Northern Lights' 6x6 Acrylic Collage with stitching

Still playing cut and paste and sew with the Gelli Plate papers that I made....You'll be seeing these for a while... I made LOTS of paper. :-)

Muse

"Muse" 6x6 Acrylic Collage with stitching

Still snipping, gluing, stitching... I could stay in the studio for a really long time doing these.

mini collage...with stitching

"No Plan At All" Acrylic collage with stitching 6x6

"Sky At Night" Acrylic Collage with stitching 6x6

I've been in the studio... almost exclusively. I occasionally emerge...blinking.

I've been making papers using the "Gelli Plate". It's a bouncy rubbery gelatin-like substance that allows you to make mono prints with-out a press. I'm addicted! Now I'm trying to use all these amazing  papers I've made. 

Fun with the Gelli Plate

Using "Gelli Plate" You don't need a printing press. Fun Fun Fun!

I'll be teaching a new class in Leland, MI this August 26th, 2014. Mono Prints using the Gelli Plate. So I've been playing and experimenting. These would make fabulous backgrounds for paintings. Some of them feel like close to finished works as they are. Can you hear me OOOOhing and AAAAhing?

pushing and abstracting

Turns out... I can go pretty far with abstraction... I could go a little bit further to a Rothko-esque place, but I won't. (These are all things I'll be teaching in a new class this summer.)

making your summer plans?

Jumping into the New Year with some fun class offerings for 2014.  I'll be teaching "Getting From Here to There ~ Abstracting your subject"  at the Oliver Art Center in Frankfort, MI. (July 15...full day).. As I look at this example though... I'm thinking I'll abstract it even more... going for a progression of more and more abstraction... How far can I go?!? Stay tuned. :-)

Thinking Small with Rock Piles

Rock Pile #1~ Balance~ 6x6 ~ mixed media (pardon the silly watermarks... sign of the times, sadly)

Rock Pile #4 ~ 6x6~ mixed media

I am happy to have these two paintings juried  into Lawrence Street Gallery's "Think Small" show. The opening is tomorrow night. (Dec. 6, 6-9 pm) It's always an interesting exhibit... all works must be less than one square foot in size...easy for holiday gift giving...  ho ho ho! :)

Light the Night

watercolor... to be used as "thank-yous"

My husband and I are participating in the "Light the Night" walk tonight to benefit the Leukemia Lymphoma Society. I'll print out this image to use as thank-yous for the donations we receive. My mom died from Acute Myelogenous Leukemia...a nasty disease. I'd love to see the cure within my lifetime.
 http://pages.lightthenight.org/mi/DetroitL13/LFinn

En-route to Northport

# 112 En-route to Northport  6.25 H x 18 W ~ Acrylic on paper

Got back home yesterday, after spending 2 weeks up in northern lower peninsula, Michigan. One of the weeks was spent with a group of very talented artists at Camp Edee... (Edee Joppich organizes us) The other week near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. So very inspiring.

character studies 1 and 2

110~ character study 1~ the blues

111~ character study 2 ~ small smile

"i am feeling blue...because my belt doesn't match my shoes...and i have a tooth that's loose..."

Just cracking myself up. Yes... VERY easily amused. Plugging away at my challenge... working on larger works at the same time. Sort of difficult for me to switch gears, but it is doable. :-)

pig daydreams....

#109 Pig Daydreams ~ 5x7 mixed media

I was doodling while watching tv... and this is what happened. The pig is standing in the sunshine, daydreaming, and oinking in his sleep. :-)

magnolias... three more times

#106 Magnolia 5 ~ 5x7 Acrylic

#108 Midnight Magnolia ~ 5x7 Acrylic

#107 Magnolia 4 ~ 5x7 Acrylic and Oil pastel

Well, this is the last of the Magnolias... at least in this size. I like doing this type of repetition... They are all very different, but have the same theme. Not production line... but fast and loose because there's always the next one to paint.

magnolias again and again

#105~  Magnolia 3~ 5 x 7 ~ Acrylic and oil pastel

#104~ Magnolia 2 ~ 5 x 7 ~ Acrylic

#103 ~ Magnolia 1 ~ 5x7 ~ Acrylic

There are quite a few Magnolia's in our new 'hood. Instant inspiration. 

pink rockets and a balloon

#95 Pink Rockets and a Balloon ~ 6x6 ~ acrylic on panel

I have no idea where this comes from... I make a mess... and then cover it up. :-)

Rock Pile

Rock Pile 1 through 6 delivered to Synchronicity Gallery in Glen Arbor, MI

Here are numbers 89 through 94 in my challenge (6 paintings a week for a year) I'm making it a lot easier for people to find Petoskey Stones.... I'm always trying to help. :-)

sailor's delight

#89  Sailor's Delight ~ 6x6 ~ acrylic, collage and texture medium

I've been painting rocks... You'll be seeing a flurry of these over the next few days. A rock pile! hehehe

I've always been a rock hound. Can't leave them lay...always feel the need to adopt them into my collection. I have rocks from Ireland, Africa, France, California... any time we visit a place, my souvenir is a rock. I'm a cheap date.

support

#86 "Support" 6x6 Acrylic on canvas panel

We all need it. :-)

mack-in-ations

#84  "Mack-in-ations" 6x6 ~ acrylic on canvas panel

A study in neutrals... and made up stuff. Remember the game Mouse Trap?  Can you tell I was thinking about it while I was painting?  hehehe

major

#81~ "Major" ~ ipad drawing using Art Rage

My husband got a new ipad for work... and I nabbed his old one. I drew this on it, while watching Michigan Sate win their basketball game. (yea!)  It's my first ipad drawing...and certainly not my last.
Major is obviously not a big NCAA tournament fan. Suited me, because he stayed still. :-)

engineered

#80 ~ "Engineered" 7x5 Mixed Media on Paper....

Still playing catch-up with my challenge... (6 artworks a week for a year)... I've put progress images on my Facebook page here if you are interested to see how I got to this result. Happy Monday peeps!