Juggling Projects

The Liminal Project

I think I have art ADHD, I have so many projects on the go at once - at least there is no time to get bored!

I have more talismans in the works and I started the larger 2' x 3' painting over the weekend and it is coming along great, but needs some more layers.  You can also see in the background of the above photo, there is a board (60 x 80cm, roughly 2'x3') being prepped with texture, ready for another boundaries painting.

As well as the talismans and the large boundaries piece, I sketched out my design for the embroidery piece for the Liminal Project (which is part of a larger work, Embroidered Digital Commons, a long-term collaborative project started in 2002), now I have the fun task of choosing colours.

I rather like the variety of all these projects - they are all different, yet tie in to each other in some way, so although my output may seem scattered, it is, in fact, quite focused.

Newest Talisman: The Dancer

While I get on with my larger "boundaries" piece, here is another talisman I finished recently.  I manipulated the figure before baking, so she has a dynamic twist and it looks like she is dancing with her hula hoop.

Hopefully, I will have something to show on the latest boundaries painting, I am still at the early texturising stage, currently.

Goddess of the Night Talisman

I am in the middle of a very busy week, so although some artwork is being done every day, not much is getting finished.

I have plans for a large abstract on the "boundaries" theme and am busily planning some larger stencils so they fill the space adequately and I have stapled a large canvas directly to the wall.   I am looking forward to getting messy on that project soon!

Here is a finished talisman, it feels like night in this one, so I have called her the "Goddess of the Night".

Another project, I am working on is an embroidery section for a collaborative piece based on definitions of the word "liminal".  The section I have chosen to do, sort of fits in with my "boundaries" theme and is:

"the site of the border of any stable system of signs,"

I am at the gathering materials stage and figuring out how to display the words.

Winged Talisman

This talisman has already sold and will be flying off to her new owner tomorrow.  I love the wings (as does my customer).

More talismans (sans wings) are nearing completion, will post them once the finishing touches are made.  I have worked hard on them this weekend and it has been such great fun!

New Talismans in Progress

I have some backgrounds prepared, ready to be assembled into more talismans.  They are very satisfying to make, the whole process employs so many different techniques: painting, stenciling, stamping, collage, scribing, sewing and that is before I get to the really fun part of adding the little figures and their jewels.

When I started on the background sheets last week, I took photos, intending to do a step-by-step of the process, but I got involved this week and totally forgot to take more photos.  I will do this at some time, promise!

Paintings Transformed into Kaleidoscopes

A friend of mine, Vicki, has an eye for colour, pattern and form.  She takes wonderful photographs of things around her house or out on her walks and turns them, via the use of specialist kaleidoscope software, into stunning designs. 

Sometimes, I am lucky enough to have some of my own paintings given the "Vicki Treatment" and here is a recent example of one.

So, from this painting:

She manipulated the image, these are some of the early stages:

 And finally, produced this:

They are very intricate and very pleasing on the eye.  I think they would make great scarves or a quilt.

Great News

A local gallery, Maisie and Mac, are now stocking my goddess talismans and will be on display from Monday.  While I am sad to see them go, that does clear some space to make some more - yippee!

I have made 8 in total, here is a collage of them all together.  I have many ideas for more designs.

Framed Paintings

Although difficult to photograph due to the reflections, here are two of my paintings, framed up and ready for the client.

One is for a gym (which I talked about in an earlier post) and the other is to be auctioned at a cancer charity function.

It is lovely seeing them framed!

Finally! A Talisman or Two

After weeks of work, planning, experimenting, testing and learning new things, I have finally finished some of the little 4"x4" talismans that I have been working on.

I have had to learn how to use polymer clay, I have designed my own goddesses and learn how to make moulds of them, I have had to learn how to solder the metal findings and how to attach the figures to the panels securely, without using glue at all.

So here are two, I have more in the making:

EDIT:  They are both now SOLD.