Curious Art

Curious Art on A Word A Day!

2011-11-28T15:29:00.001-05:00

I'm thrilled to be featured all this week on the wonderful vocabulary/etymology site A Word A Day! I'll be illustrating each word with a "curiotype" (figurative letter) initial on a background of dictionary text.

This is for today's word, "redolent."
Acrylic on text on canvas, 6"x6"

Prints & original will be available in my brand-spankin'-new Etsy shop!!!

Hegemony @ Hansley

2011-11-22T14:17:00.001-05:00

If you'd like to see this fat cat & his overworked minions in person, you can do so at Lee Hansley Gallery's 100 under 1000 show, through 31 December 2011. 225 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh NC 27603. Gallery hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Acrylic on text on canvas, 6"x6"

Regional Artist Showcase Exhibition

2011-08-26T11:15:00.009-04:00

Two of my mixed media pieces, Shellbound & Victor's Victim, will be part of the Regional Artist Showcase Exhibition, 26 August - 18 October 2011 in the Betty Ray McCain Gallery at The Performing Arts Center, 2 East South Street, Raleigh, NC 27601. I'll also have my very first animation attempts on view for the artists' reception Tuesday, 18 October, 5:30 – 7 p.m. (I plan to be there as well.)

I hope you can come! For more information, call 839-1498 ext. 301 or visit www.unitedarts.org

Return of the Shadows

2011-06-08T09:54:00.006-04:00

This is a fairly ancient piece & some of you may have seen it before, but I couldn't resist pulling it out again for this week's IF prompt, "Shadows." I think any illustrator will recognize the subject!

Acrylic on paper, 6"x9" Please click for a closer view... there's a lot going on in the border!

Voyage to Another Bloglet?

2011-06-07T13:03:00.000-04:00

For reasons best left to psychiatric specialists, I've decided to start yet another blog! This one is called"Oddments & Curiosities." It will post on odd days, & feature odd creatures such as those you see here. Or completely different-- I really have no idea. You'll have to follow to find out! ;-)

Audience of Two

2011-01-20T18:11:00.000-05:00

This is another illustration-in-progress from the book I'm working on. The old man has found his flute at last & plays it, hoping to bring the missing wildlife back after a lonely year. (See my previous post here, Only Waiting.)

At first he heard nothing. Then suddenly two small brown birds flew out of the forest & circled his head. The old man was delighted. Perhaps more will come, he thought.

Acrylic on text & maps on canvas, ~7x10"detail of the full painting, which is 9x12".

From The Old Man and the Cat, by Anthony Holcroft, to be published in 2011 by Penguin NZ.

It occurred to me as I was painting this that every artistic creation is a similar cry in the wilderness... hours of solitary work, never really knowing whether the result will touch others...

Recently I've felt this way even more than usual since I've been spending so much of my time on this book. Almost done now, but it has been a very long stretch devoted to a project that won't reach its audience for some time yet.

So I was particularly grateful this morning to find this lovely message from Linda Hensley:
Hi! I think you're pretty stylish and I have an award for you! Please visit me, where you may find it and share with other blogging friends!

That's why I'm posting this image here, instead of on my process blog where I'd normally show it. (I'm really not satisfied with it yet & I'll be making several changes, but it does seem appropriate for the occasion.) It's awfully nice to know someone is out there! Thank you, Linda!

So, on to the award. I'm supposed to tell seven things about myself.
1. I'm a mother of twins, & when the boys were little, they had their own language. They also spoke English, luckily, but often veered off into realms of unknown vocabulary. It was fascinating but also rather frustrating, since they refused to translate. Once they started school, the Bipper language (as we called it, after the most frequently used word) slowly faded away.
2. I'm obsessed with hoop dance. I re-learned to hula hoop in 2009, & it's become my favorite way to work out the kinks after being curled up like an overcooked shrimp all day at the drawing table. If you don't know what hoop dance is, check out the links below.
3. I've always loved animation, & this year I've been awarded a grant to learn Flash! I'm very excited about it. The idea of making my creatures move tickles me no end. I won't be starting the class until the book is done, but when I start animating I'll be posting my efforts on yet another blog, Curious Illumation. Yes, I know, I'm not so great at keeping up with the blogs I already have. But I thought there should be a separate place for these motion experiments. Have you guessed that I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive?
4. Speaking of which, I love boxes. And tins. And baskets with lids. And cabinets with cubbyholes or tiny drawers. And old type cases. Being a collage artist, a collector of oddments & curiosities, & a dabbler in many crafts, I have a lot of small objects & supplies that need organizing. And I love containers that are pleasing objects in themselves. I even miss old library card catalogues, though I admit the computer does a much better job of indexing.
5. Despite my love of order, I can be very, very, very messy (especially in mid-project). Oh, really very messy. You can't imagine the chaos. Somehow I'm completely unaware of the havoc that surrounds me until the project is completed & then it always comes as a shock to look around & see the devastation. It's a little like Dr. Jeckyll waking up after a night as Mr. Hyde.
6. I can also be very, very, very silly. It's a family tradition. I have a large extended family, & you should see us at family gatherings, unless you hate seeing people getting silly. Bad puns & nonsense are in our genes, & anyone who marries in eventually becomes silly as well, probably out of sheer self-defense.
7. On a related note, my brother & I have both had letters published in MAD magazine. As adults, mind you. We're ridiculously proud of this dubious distinction! Said brother is a very successful electrical engineer & he actually lists his MAD letter on his resume under publications! As I said, silliness is a family tradition. This is what got me into MAD, by the way.

And now for some links, from all over the virtual map:
Escape from Illustration Island If any of you have yet to discover this blog & its equally amazing podcast, hurry right on over there for loads of great information & a warm illustration-related community led by Thomas James, who must never sleep at all.
Muddy Colors A fairly new group blog featuring lengthy posts by masterful artists, about the art & technique of painting & illustration, mostly fantasy-related, but with many ideas applicable to other styles.
Erratic Phenomena A blog focusing on new contemporary art, with interesting artist interviews
A Journey Round My Skull Visiting this blog is like having the best vintage/antique bookstore ever in your very own home. Crazy variety, endlessly inspiring.
Bioephemera Good artsy-science-y fun
Cartoon Brew A wonderfully eclectic collection of animation & articles on the subject, from experimental student shorts to full length studio feature reviews.
Ghettomation A blog & podcast devoted to DIY, at-home animation using whatever tools the artist has at hand (Some subject matter may be a bit NSFW, so be warned.)
Lineboil Another animation collection blog
Isopop A hoop dance blog by Rich Porter with links to other hooping sites.
The Happy Hoop Another hooping blog.
Revolva Hoop Dance Yet another.
Okay, enough hooping, I know! Now here are some great artist/illustrator blogs:
Dani Torrent
Laprisamata
Jen Lobo
Light Night Rains

Voracious does some Word Processing

2011-01-12T14:05:00.012-05:00

Here's an image you may have seen before: Voracious, a painting I did in 2008 for Cameron Village Library in Raleigh. The library kindly lent it back to appear in a group show opening 18 January 2011 at the Cabarrus Arts Council. (I have 9 pieces in the show.) If you are in the Concord/Charlotte area, please drop by! The show will be up until 10 March 2011.

Cabarrus Arts Council facebook page

The Cabarrus Arts Council welcomes you to our first exhibition of 2011, Word Processing. Artists use text, letters and words as texture and design to deliver their points of view. Ceramics, paintings and installations are featured in this exhibition. Free and open to the public, as always.

The Galleries, 65 Union Street South, Concord NC

10 am - 4 pm, Monday through Friday

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T20:55:00.001-05:00

Wishing you all the perfect mixture of madness, music & merriment!

Acrylic on text & maps on canvas, 4x4" detail of the full painting, which is 9x12".

Detail from The Old Man and the Cat, by Anthony Holcroft, to be published in 2011 by Penguin NZ.

Things To Come Opening Reception

2010-09-02T19:57:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited to be a part of this show!

Goodly Creature

2010-09-02T19:25:00.002-04:00

Usually putting down roots implies immovability, but if you look closely at this fellow's roots, you'll see that doesn't always apply!

I've just completed Goodly Creature for the Things To Come show, opening 9 September 2010 at Bold Hype Gallery in NYC. (I'll post the show details shortly.)

Acrylic on texts & diagrams (from various antique sources) on canvas, 18x24" total assembled dimensions (6 6x6" canvases).

Please click on the image for more details, & if you'd like to see still more, I've been blogging about the creation of this piece in my new process blog, Curious Art Lab. Please have a look over there if you're curious about the concepts & techniques behind my work!

SOLD!

Curious Art Lab

2010-08-19T17:17:00.006-04:00

I'd like to invite you all over to my new process blog, Curious Art Lab, where much will be revealed anon.

Only Waiting

2010-03-24T17:21:00.010-04:00

Another illustration in progress from The Old Man and the Cat by Anthony Holcroft (see earlier posts). Here all the wildlife has vanished, & the old man is left to carry on alone with his dreary tasks.

Acrylic on collaged maps & texts from antique sources, on canvas, 9x12" Please click on the image for details & to find the hidden cat.

New Year's Wish

2010-01-10T12:26:00.009-05:00

Wishing all of you a year of wildness, wonder & peace.

Illo from The Old Man and the Cat, by Anthony Holcroft, to be published by Penguin NZ.

Acrylic on text & maps (from antique sources) on canvas, 9"x12".

LOST Eyelander

2009-12-16T20:07:00.011-05:00

This piece has been in the works for a long time, but could only be unveiled now that the show has opened. It was a very hush-hush affair! Gallery 1988 contacted me a while back with an irresistibly secretive invitation to participate in a show-- no details except that it involved custom toys & had something to do with an ABC tv show. I said yes mainly because my curiosity was piqued, but when I actually got the show information, I could hardly believe my luck.

You see, I don't watch tv much at all (in fact I don't have one that works) but I'd heard so much about LOST that I'd checked it out on Hulu & I was seriously hooked! How's that for an amazing coincidence? I thought it was downright LOSTworthy!

The LOST Underground Art Project at Gallery 1988 in LA. 15 through 24 December 2009. Acrylic, text, maps & gold leaf on resin statue. (A news report on the show.) SOLD

Please click to see details, & forgive the focus issues... it's hard to get a good scan of a 3d object!

www.nineteeneightyeight.com

Magical Music

2009-11-20T09:15:00.008-05:00

This is my first illustration for an upcoming picture book, The Old Man and the Cat, by Anthony Holcroft, to be published in 2011 by Penguin NZ. I've decided to post some of the illustrations here rather than creating a separate blog for them. They will not be in order, but rather haphazard as is my nature!

In this image the old man has just discovered that the flute he carved has the power to summon birds and other creatures.

Acrylic on text (including diagrams, illustrations, and musical notation) and maps on canvas, 9"x12"

"Old" & News

2009-11-04T15:27:00.007-05:00

This is a very old illo, one I did over 10 years ago for Cricket magazine. But in addition to fitting the "skinny" prompt, it's related to some wonderful news!

The story this illustrated was "The Old Man and the Cat," by Anthony Holcroft. I've always loved this gentle, yet dramatic tale, so I was thrilled when Anthony asked me if I would be interested in doing illos for a picture book version of the story! It is to be published by Penguin New Zealand (Anthony is a New Zealand author).

I'm thinking about setting up a blog for the book & posting some of the illos, which will be done in the collage & acrylics of my more recent work, but with characters based on the original Cricket illos.

Watercolor and colored pencil on paper, about 3.5"x6"

Shellbound

2009-05-28T19:25:00.008-04:00

I've been working on this piece on & off for nearly a month in between deadlines... just like this poor creature I'm desperately eager to get moving, but my progress is oh so s l o w...
if only we were both better adapted for speed.

Acrylic on text (from Steele's Fourteen Weeks in Physics, 1878) & star map (from 1906 Chambers's Encyclopaedia) on canvas, 12"x12" Please click for details.

Shellbound will be in my upcoming show at the Block Gallery (Hargett Street, Raleigh NC) 4 June-28 July. It's called Picturing the Fantastic & includes 22 pieces of mine as well as the wonderfully weird work of Tisha Edwards Weddington. Her paintings are HUGE while mine will be accompanied by magnifying glasses (really!)-- I think the contrast adds a delightfully vertiginous Wonderland effect. Thanks to Sarah Blackmon for putting this together!

Running Slowly

2009-04-13T17:15:00.003-04:00

The dodo: a fleeting presence on this planet, but apparently not very fleet of foot.

According to my trusty 1878 Chambers's Encyclopedia of Universal Knowledge, "The birds were easily killed, being wholly unable to fly, and running slowly. Their speedy extinction after the islands began to be visited and settled, is thus easily accounted for."

Maybe it was the shoes?

Acrylic on text & map of Mauritius, 4x5"

Victor's Victim

2009-04-03T12:46:00.004-04:00

Acrylic on text (definitions of victim & victor from an old dictionary) on Victor brand rat trap.

We actually bought the trap late last Summer when hordes of enormous rats invaded our neighborhood (after the closing of the local pizza place & consequent dearth of dumpster delights).

I just couldn't bring myself to use it for its intended purpose. I thought about live traps, but then what??? So I quit composting food scraps instead... it seemed to discourage them, at least temporarily... but they're seasonal, right? (Squirm...)

Anyway, one day as I was contemplating the trap & wondering if I was a hopeless softy, I realized what I really wanted to do with it.

The Barking of Trees

2009-03-01T13:06:00.010-05:00

In the winter I always find myself looking at bark... none of the usual colorful distractions! I love its strange (& intricate) contours & crevices.

I'm not quite so fond of barking dogs, but one appeared in my sketchbook one day growing out of a dogwood stump, & I just felt like painting it.

Browsing an 1878 encyclopedia for text to use in the background, I was thrilled to discover instructions for the barking of trees! The phrase actually refers to the harvesting of bark, but the article gave me both background & title for this painting.

Acrylic on text on canvas, 9x12"-- please click for details.

Oh! I almost forgot. This piece will be at the Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh. I'm one of the featured artists in the Exchange gallery for March. I'll be at the opening on Friday the 6th (First Friday).

Escape Artist

2009-01-25T16:30:00.007-05:00

This is one of my very first "curiollages" from a couple of years back. I turned to this crafty art form after a long stretch of working digitally, out of frustration with the coldness of the computer. I remain entranced by the amazing possibilities of Photoshop, but after doing nothing else for a while, I was desperate for the tactile pleasures of stuff. So this is a sort of self portrait (yes, my torso is actually a used up paint tube! You didn't know?) showing my climb back onto the paintbox & away from the computer monster. (He's made from an old disk & a circuit board, plus paint & polymer clay, with a bit more electronica thrown in there...) Please click for a closer view.

Polymer clay, acrylic, collage & found objects on stretched canvas, 5"x10"

Beginning & End

2009-01-05T10:25:00.005-05:00

You may think the new year has just begun, but according to Visions Art Gallery, it's already the end.

My painting "Last Ride" is part of their show "This is the End: Tales of the Apocalypse." Nice timing to show this piece again, as we bid farewell to Cowboy George!

Oops. Sorry I'm a bit late posting this... the opening was yesterday. It will be showing through 6 February. Visions Art Gallery, Medway, Massachusetts, 508-533-1369.

Poppycock

2008-12-10T01:05:00.006-05:00

My second custom Dunny is similar to my first, yet they are far from identical. Clearly this fellow has a great deal of rooster blood. His tail, however, suggests papaverous genetic material. Wonder how that happened?

Acrylic on 3" Kidrobot Dunny, with a real poppy pod, & text from an old dictionary (defining poppycock: "bosh; nonsense").

Voracious

2008-12-05T18:20:00.006-05:00

My scanner's decided to give me one more chance. Thanks, old buddy! All is forgiven!

It was probably not the nicest welcome back to hit the poor thing with such a tough job right away, scanning the new bookworm painting I did for Cameron Village Library. It took 7 scans to piece it all together... & the composite still isn't quite right, but close enough.

For an exhibit of my work at Cameron Village Library, Raleigh NC. An experiment in a semi normal format (huge for me, a mAniaturist at heart). It was sort of fun but I still prefer teensiness!

Acrylic on text (from an 1878 encyclopedia) on canvas, 12 x 24"

Show & Tell

2008-12-03T10:14:00.005-05:00

Show:
Hey folks, if you happen to be near Raleigh, please stop by Cameron Village Library, where my work is on display this month. I adore this library: it has provided me with acres of free reading material, not to mention the recorded books that keep my brain alive while I work on tedious bits. Without the library, I would surely be both broke & insane. Or maybe I should say broker & insaner.

I brought in lots of stuff for the show including several paintings you've seen here, some curiollages, plus a new (12x24"--big for me!) painting created for the show, a bookworm called "Voracious." The bad news is that my scanner has decided to stop working, so I can't include an image yet. The good news: Patti, the library art curator, promises that if I get it going again (please, please, please?) I can borrow the piece back & scan it so you can see it here.

Tell:
I was tagged twice last week, but due to show-prep-frenzy, Thanksgiving family stuff, & a wicked chest cold, I've been slow to get into the game. Apologies to Cynthia DiBlasi & Isabelle Gauthier for being such a sluggish player. No wonder nobody wanted me on their team in elementary school.

Here are the rules (from Isabelle):1. Link to your tagger and post the rules2. Post 7 random facts about yourself3. Tag 7 friends at the end of your post and link to them4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

The rules (from Cindy):
1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention these rules.
3. Tell six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six other bloggers by linking to them.
5. Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged.

Seven random habits of highly ineffective Leah:

1. I wear lots of hats. I mean that literally. My favorites are vintage cloches from the 20's & 30's, but I wear new ones too. In fact I hardly ever leave the house without a hat. I started wearing them because I have fair skin that doesn't appreciate sun, but I came to like the vintage look, & also the way I can hide behind them if I have a sudden attack of shyness.

2. I write nearly everything with a dip pen (Hunt's 108) . Letters, checks, invoices, my journal, even grocery lists. So far I don't carry it everywhere in my purse, but I fear I may cross that dangerous, inky line at any time.

3. I love dreaming that I can fly. Also I occasionally have lucid dreams. Either one can make me ridiculously happy for days afterwards. Now that I think of it, I should sleep a lot more.

4. I am hopelessly addicted to cryptic crosswords. I can stay away from them for a time, but I always fall off the wagon eventually.

5. I hate driving & bananas.

6. I love walking & all other fruits.

7. I'm a member of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America, because I'm fixated on Alice. I was imprinted at the age of six when my folks bought an unabridged recording to amuse me when I was sick & had to spend hours a day on my back with my eyes covered. I was drifting in & out of fevers as I listened to it over & over. I have no doubt that the experience permanently warped my mind, & for that I'll always be grateful.

Since I was tagged twice, surely I should get to post extra links! Even so I've left out many favorites... someday I'll do another chapter.

1. Allison Sommers, an erstwhile history major in Virginia, whose painted (& recently, sculpted) alternate universe is peopled by curious, often disturbing longneck creatures, dressed in quaint fashion, rendered in gouache with amazing precision & rich with historical, anthropological & anatomical wonders

2. Ellis Nadler of London, a madly prolific artist, master of many styles & media, whose work is unpredictable, imaginative, erudite, often delightfully nonsensical, sometimes profoundly moving

3. Steve of go flying turtle, by day a mild-mannered art teacher in Virginia, whose superpowers enable him to fill countless moleskines with closely-observed nature studies, imaginary characters, & experiments with various styles & media, not to mention creating paintings, comics, & countless other projects in his spare time

4. Koldo Barroso, a Madrid native now living in Bellingham,Washington, whose imaginative & mysterious tales & illustrations always suggest hidden depths

5.Neil Ornstein of Snorkblog, a Canadian whose richly layered, atmospheric art (sparked by seemingly random phrases plucked from google) is always interesting & often moving

6. Dani Torrent of Barcelona, whose paintings feature wonderful swirling composition, rich color, & great imagination & feeling

7. Emily, of art of the masses, a Swedish writer-illustrator, whose pen-&-ink world features amazing architectural & natural settings, occupied by bunnies, hedgehogs, birds & turtles, & nearly always accompanied by a delightful story

8. Lisa Evans, a British artist whose dreamlike illustrations possess a delicious lightness

9. Tanaudel , aka Kathleen of Errantry, an Australian writer/illustator, whose blog includes book reviews, travel sketches, & all manner of intriguing stuff in addition to her drawings, often in scratchboard or pen & ink

10. Rima, of the Hermitage, an enchanting cross between 21st & 12th centuries, living her fairytale life in Scotland, making lovely & imaginative clocks, drawings & oil paintings, traveling in a hand-crafted gypsy caravan & documenting it all online (including the rough spots) with great wit & tenderness

11. Q Cassetti of the Rongovian Academy of Fine Arts, who creates strong, yet intricate artwork, & generously shares her experience & inspiration as she learns from illustration masters

12. Charley Parker of lines and colors, who tirelessly seeks out, researches & writes insightful articles on artists and illustrators of all eras, styles & media-- an amazing resource for both artists & art-lovers

13. BibliOdyssey, that miracle of inspiration brought to the world by Peacay, providing enough antiquarian gorgeousness to set any rare-book-lover's head spinning with every post

A Venture Into Vinyl

2008-11-12T08:45:00.008-05:00

I've been looking at custom vinyl toys for a while now, thinking "That looks like so much fun!" This week I needed some paint therapy & decided it was time to try a toy.

So I'd like to introduce my very first custom Dunny, "Shroomy." This little guy is 2 3/4" tall, painted with acrylics, & holding a real poppy pod, also painted with acrylics. The text collaged on the back is from a dictionary.

This was just what I needed-- a new challenge, but pure play. It was tricky painting the tight curves, & even trickier collaging on a curve. This is the first time I've tried to do that, & I'm not completely happy with the results. I'll have to explore other techniques, next time. But there will definitely be a next time-- this was too much fun!

Okay, I'm just pretending that I did this for the IF prompt, but since it's a Dunny pretending to be a mushroom, it seems appropriate enough!

SOLD!

Interviewed by Steve Loya (aka Steev-o)!

2008-10-31T21:00:00.008-04:00

I'm deeply honored to have been interviewed by the illustrious Steve Loya in his October Artist Spotlight on go flying turtle. Thanks so much, Steve! (Yes, I was late returning my answers, & even later posting this, but at least it's still October, by the skin of a vampire's teeth!)

Clockworks

2008-10-28T16:36:00.005-04:00

This is a "curiollage" I did a few years ago for Cricket Magazine. It illustrated a very funny poem about a clock that wouldn't work. The blank yellowish parts are where the type went.

The piece was assembled from watch parts, jewelry findings, wire, a key, paper collage, polymer clay, beads, & acrylic on the back side of a stretched canvas. The whole thing was 9x12", but the part you see here (which was the printed version) is 8x10".

Sweet & Sour

2008-10-06T16:29:00.004-04:00

"Things sweet to taste prove in digestion sour." --Shakespeare.

A quick one for IF's "Sugary" theme. First time in ages I've done one specifically for IF... and possibly the first time ever that Pepto Bismol Pink has figured so prominently in my palette!

Acrylic on text (from Foods and Household Management, 1915) on canvas, 4x5"

Skulls & Monsters!

2008-10-03T10:23:00.002-04:00

Halloween must be near... in the past week my work has appeared on Skull-a-Day and Monster Brains! You've seen both the pieces here before ("Lungfish" & "Last Ride"), but I couldn't resist posting because I'm tickled to be in such beautifully creepy company!

Birdland

2008-09-27T21:03:00.010-04:00

At last I've had time to paint a bit. I'd been having withdrawal symptoms! Lots of work on the computer, which is just not the same as lovely, lovely Golden Open Acrylics (my new obsession). Please click for a closer view-- the landscape details are my favorite part.

Acrylic on text (1878 encyclopedia entry "Bird's Eye View") & map on canvas, 8x10"

News Flash! This piece will be in the Visual Art Exchange show "Bird's Eye View" 3-30 October, Raleigh NC. Opening reception 3 October, 6-9pm.

Wow... I just found out this piece won third prize! I'm feeling very lucky lately. Sometimes the magic works!

Separation Anxiety

2008-08-18T12:56:00.000-04:00

If it's hard for human parents & children to detach, imagine how tough it must be for marsupials.

Sorry about the gore... I tried to keep it subtle, but it had to be there.

Acrylic on text (from a 1901 Young People's Natural History) on canvas, 5x4". Click for a closer view.

This was my first painting using Golden's Open Acrylics. Wow, they are fun! Go get some! What's really cool is that they mix with their standard acrylics, so you don't need to start with a huge palette.

Edit: Rima's comment made me realize I didn't explain what was different about the Open Acrylics. The difference is that they are much slower to dry, so they can be worked much longer. Yet they are somewhat faster drying than oils, thin & clean with water, & can be mixed with regular acrylics or Open media to tweak drying time in either direction. Paint on the palette stays workable for an amazingly long time, so it's much easier to keep a mixed color consistent over several working days. I've tried water soluble oils & I like these better. In fact I like them so much that I'm thinking right now that I've found my dream paints. I'm working on a portrait of my Dad right now & they are bliss for portraits.

Passage

2008-08-14T15:41:00.002-04:00

Having accepted your coin, Grey-bearded Charon is ready to take you across the Styx to the Underworld... not in a sailboat, I admit.

Acrylic on dictionary definition of passage on a vintage book cover: Is This Life all there is? 4x6" Click for a closer look.

Unfortunately you can't see this in the scan, but the title flashes in & out of view depending on the angle of the light. (It was stamped in silver but painted over with thin washes of green, blue & black.)

Last Ride Rides Again!

2008-07-30T17:26:00.000-04:00

My attention surplus disorder has kicked in & I can't stop messing with this. It's not exactly finished but this will have to do for now. Since the image is so tall & skinny, it shows up extra small here, so please click to see the details-- that's really what it's all about. That & the flames... inspired by Chris Buzelli & medieval apocalyptic illuminations.

Acrylic on old dictionary text (definition of "surge") on canvas, 6x12".

Oh, I almost forgot to give my tenuous connection to the topic-- this cowboy's soon to be out of a job!

Lungfish

2008-07-17T17:41:00.000-04:00

Believe it or not, this piece was inspired by the IF topic "Foggy"-- but it sort of drifted away from me into an undersea anti-smoking thing. I don't keep very tight reins on my sketchbook, obviously! Once again it's not quite finished but since it's the 11th hour I'm posting it anyway.

Acrylic on text from an old patent medicine handbook (c.1907) on canvas, 6x6".

Pickleface

2008-07-08T21:47:00.001-04:00

This is painted over a page from a home-ec textbook published in 1915. Take heed, friends, & avoid pickles when acid is craved. Acrylic on text on canvas, 4x4".

Microcosmos: Flea Circus

2008-07-01T13:18:00.001-04:00

We have recently been invaded by a host of extremely bold, fierce & bloodthirsty fleas. They scoff at Frontline & seem to relish both cat & human flesh. I really, really wish they would go away.

This image was inspired by the proverb, "Big fleas have little fleas/ Upon their backs to bite 'em,/ And little fleas have lesser fleas,/ And so ad infinitum. "

I was imagining the dorsal inhabitants of one of our evil companions, & thought it would be funny if a strange little circus populated his back... & a leg or two...

So here you have it. Acrylic on map & text on canvas, 6x6" Click for a detail view-- I needed the magnifier for this one!

NEWS FLASH! This painting will be in the Raleigh, NC. Visual Art Exchange "What's In A Name/Microcosmos" show beginning this Friday. There's an opening event on the 11th, 6-9. If you're in the area, stop by!

FLASHIER NEWS FLASH! The folks at Visual Art Exchange called to tell me that my painting won a prize!

SUPER FLASH! I found out on opening night that it won first place! I guess I should be grateful to those fleas...

Freelancer at Exchange Gallery!

2008-06-04T18:31:00.000-04:00

The original art for "Freelancer" will be on display in the "Emulous" show at Exchange Gallery in Raleigh, NC, June 6-27. This show features art based on famous works.

Freelancer

2008-05-29T23:23:00.001-04:00

This painting is a takeoff on Bosch's Wayfarer, a protest against the Orphan Works bill, & a general free-lancer's lament. Yes, I'm feeling a bit whiny, but I hope there's enough humor to leaven the sob story.

Acrylic on map on canvas, 10x10".

Click for a close-up.

I'm happy to report that this image will appear in Spectrum 16!

Shadowed by Deadlines

2008-03-25T15:01:00.001-04:00

This topic was interesting. The more I thought about it, the more I realized my pet peeves were mostly things I brought on myself.

Deadlines for example. I have this need/hate thing about them. When I paint I'm very obsessive about details & could happily keep tweaking forever. So I'm usually resentful about having to stop & declare a piece done. But I also really hate being late.

This inner conflict results in a lot of long nights, stress, & eyestrain. Yet if it weren't for deadlines I'd probably still be working on this piece I started 8 years ago!

It was done as an entry to an RSVP competition with the theme of shadows. (I made the deadline & it made the show!) It's acrylic on primed paper, 6x9". Click for a closer view of obsessive detail in the border.

Apologies for another old one... I'm hoping to get an original drawing done for this week, but it's looking somewhat dicey. Deadline stress again!

Burden

2008-03-17T17:03:00.000-04:00

Curiously, I was working on this piece when the "Heavy" prompt came up on IF. It's acrylic on collaged text on an old book cover, about 6x9". I think Easter was on my mind, but how it came out quite this way I'm not sure I want to know. Click for a better view of the texts, from an old encyclopedia (Incubation) & and old dictionary (Incubus).

Octopus's Garden

2008-03-13T16:37:00.001-04:00

I didn't have time for a painting this week but the prompt was just irresistible, so I did a drawing instead. It's Dr. Martin's bleedproof white (with a flexible crowquill) on black Canson paper, 7x7". Click for more detail... can't see much at this size.

I added the text from an old children's natural history book in Photoshop.

Our town is suffering its worst drought in recorded history, & I'm not allowed to water my garden, so I'm jealous of this fellow. Obviously there are no restrictions in his district!

Mr. Duality

2008-02-24T18:13:00.000-05:00

In the words of the immortal Bobs: "I don't want to have multiple personalities. Two is enough!"
This image was inspired by the song & by a Mexican mask that hangs on my dining room wall. It's acrylic on text from an old slide rule manual, collaged to canvas, about 5x5.5".

Fructus

2008-02-20T14:08:00.000-05:00

Fresh from the drawing board this time!

The cabbage patch theory has lost favor due to recent discoveries.

Acrylic on old botanical texts, collaged on canvas, 6x6". I'll probably tweak this a bit more in Photoshop, but here it is for now!

Fig, Newton

2008-02-17T12:41:00.000-05:00

This is another old one-- really old-- in fact this was one of my first finished pieces done entirely in Photoshop. It was done as a bookmark promo to show clients that Leah the ex-Luddite was venturing into new territory.

I promise I will post something new later! I just love science-related topics.

Specimen (Darwin) again...

2008-02-15T15:24:00.000-05:00

Yes, I've posted this before (in a slightly unfinished state), but it fit the topic so well I couldn't resist. Acrylic on collaged texts (from 19th c. sources) on canvas, with digital tweaking, 6x6"

I'm still hoping to do a new piece for this topic-- being a scientist's daughter I'm full of ideas for this one.

Thorny

2008-02-13T21:14:00.000-05:00

I'm having a lot of trouble making decisions lately so this topic was a little painful! Sometimes I just feel I'm in the midst of an impenetrable thicket. Hence the illo. (No, that isn't a self-portrait... for one thing I haven't broken through yet!)

My math obsession intrudes again... maybe because math is one of the few subjects where the answers are absolute. (At least as far in as calculus, after which my math abilities came to a screeching halt.) I always liked that about math. Most things in life are far more nebulous... I guess I'm hoping there is AN ANSWER out there somewhere.

So anyway, this is once again acrylic on collaged texts on canvas, 6x6". The texts were from various old math & science books I've collected...

Fallen

2008-02-05T20:11:00.000-05:00

Fallen way behind, for one thing! But thanks to some gentle prodding from friends I'm finally back to blogging, & IF.

Here we have a blanket of leaves. Or should I say leaf.

This image was originally inspired by "Rake" by Optiganally Yours. ("...I tend to weep when the color's all gone grey...")

It's 6x6", acrylic on canvas with collaged text from an old Russian algebra textbook. I'm not entirely sure why...

If for some reason you want a closer look at Russian equations, click on the image.

The Sign on My Studio Door

2007-05-22T20:19:00.001-04:00

Another way-too-busy-with-work week, which no freelancer dare regret, but maybe I do just a little, because I would have had a great time with this week's IF. I am fascinated by signs of all sorts & had a million ideas.

But, with apologies, instead of posting my own work this time, I'm posting an old magazine ad that I've had hanging on my studio door for years. It cracks me up, & I thought fellow illustrators might get a kick out of it too... Click for a detailed view.

edit-Yikes, I just realized I actually broke a rule by posting this on IF! I've e-mailed Penelope to apologize, & I hope you'll all forgive me-- I guess this week has fried my brain!

Fruit

2007-05-11T16:08:00.000-04:00

I very much doubt I'll have time this week to do an illo for Citrus, so I thought I'd post something old & fruity! It was done in acrylic & water-soluble oil on paper. 8x8"

By the way, if any of you are in NC, I have pieces in 2 shows right now. 2 curiollages in "Anything Goes" at the Visual Art Exchange Gallery in Raleigh, & 2 watercolor illustrations & a curiollage in "Open Book" at the Hemphill Library Gallery in Greensboro.

Ghost Town

2007-05-10T02:04:00.000-04:00

We once had some wonderful next-door neighbors who kept bees in their beautiful garden. It was fascinating to see the bee-keeping & honey-harvesting process at such close range. Alas, when they finished their degrees (in plant pathology & entomology) they moved away... I really miss them. (Hello out there, Elizabeth & Jennifer!)

Now there is a mysterious bee-keeping crisis-- honey-bees are disappearing at a frightening rate. Normally bees come back to the hive to die, but these are just vanishing, & no-one is quite sure why.

So this image is for the missing & for those left behind...

I was in a rush this time so did it all digitally. The text source is a children's book of 1886 called Natural History for Little Folks. Click for a larger image & a better look at the lonely bee...

Memory Bank

2007-05-03T18:32:00.000-04:00

This one goes out to all the students studying for finals-- may you never forget what you've crammed in there! The formulas & diagrams come from a great Scientific American handbook from 1908; the painting is acrylic. I might do another tweak or two but I'm running out of time for IF, so here it is. 6x6"

Polar Distress

2007-04-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

Here's my painting for IF this week... poor old Earth wearing her melting polar icecap.

The text & map are from 19th century books, digitally copied & mounted on canvas, then painted over with acrylics. Then a bit more tweaking in Photoshop... 6x6"

See the Future (but it's actually the past...)

2007-04-18T15:30:00.001-04:00

Ah well, as Fortune would have it, I've had no time to do a new illo for IF. So I'm posting an old one, which was originally part of a promotional piece I did a few years ago, to let clients know of my newly-acquired ability to work directly in Photoshop. There are so many things I would change if I were doing it now... I really was a newbie then. I'd been such a Luddite up to that point, I felt as if I were taking a wild leap from Medieval times into the future! And I suppose in a way I was-- I can't imagine doing my job without Photoshop now, even if I'm just using it to color-correct scanned art. But I still write almost everything--even grocery lists-- with a dip pen. Luddites die hard.

Terra Incognita

2007-04-11T10:04:00.000-04:00

Or is it Terror Incognita?
For IF topic "Green"--

I'm trying to learn web design so that I can modify my main website, & it's a big, scary new world for me. I feel like a baby taking its first wobbly steps... or a bud just unfurling in iffy weather...

I did this piece digitally to remind myself that I felt equally terrified when I first started learning to "paint" in Photoshop. Now it's just another tool... maybe there's hope.

Hybrid (Snapdragon)

2007-04-02T09:20:00.000-04:00

For this week's IF, an example of genetic engineering... I'm planting snapdragons in my garden this week so this was a natural.
Acrylic on a botanical text on canvas, with a bit of digital tweaking, about 4x6.5"

I'm stunned & honored to be Pick of the Week again. Thank you, Penelope, & thanks to all for your kind comments!

Curious Cat

2007-03-27T21:12:00.000-04:00

I Spy...

It looks as though I won't have time to do a new piece for IF this week, so I'm posting an oldie-- a digitally altered stamp. I scanned in the real thing from an old postcard, then drew the kitty & the "Curious Art" lettering in Photoshop.

Amphibia

2007-03-21T20:02:00.000-04:00

TOTAL immersion...
I decided to do a new piece for IF as well as the older one I posted.

I'm not much of a swimmer, but I admire & envy those who are so at home in the water, they seem amphibious.

Acrylic on collaged texts copied from old encyclopedias & natural history books.
6x6"

Anxiety: A Tax

2007-03-16T10:34:00.000-04:00

For Total, Illustration Friday's topic this week, math came to mind... & at this time of year, as a self-employed person who doesn't employ an accountant, I have a lot of very tedious calculation looming before me.

I did this piece just about this time last year, when of course I should have been preparing my taxes. It's one of my "curiollages" constructed with polymer clay, acrylic & found objects on canvas. The original piece is 9x12" as I recall. The calligraphy at the bottom was added digitally when I used the image as a greeting card promo for 15 April.

Enlightenment (In Progress)

2007-03-15T21:15:00.000-04:00

Here's the amended version-- thanks to Scott for his excellent suggestion to turn the bulb to emphasize the yin-yang shape on top. I like it much better this way.

This one isn't finished, but since it's Thursday & I had intended it for Illustration Friday (Wired), I'm posting it in progress, to share the idea at least. Other projects (see last post) & obligations got in the way. Oh well!

It's inspired by the recent ruling in Australia phasing out incandescent bulbs, & dedicated to my brother Ben who is also known as Johnny Fluorescentseed because he gives compact fluorescent bulbs to all his friends & family.

The background paper is from an electronics textbook c. 1912, this chapter appropriately titled Illumination Laws & Measurements. Collaged onto canvas, painted in acrylic, 5x7".

Specimen (Darwin)

2007-03-13T21:54:00.000-04:00

Yet another piece based on old scientific texts. This one came from an entry in an encyclopedia published in Darwin's lifetime. I scanned it & printed it so as not to destroy the original. The print was collaged to canvas, then painted over with acrylics. 6x6"

(By the way, while the entry acknowledged some controversy over his theories, it acclaimed him as an eminent naturalist who had revolutionized scientific thought.)

Illustration Friday Pick of the Week!?!

2007-03-09T10:56:00.000-05:00

I went to the IF site first thing this morning in pleasant anticipation of receiving a new topic to spark my imagination for a day of self-directed work. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that Secluded Habits was Pick of the Week!

I mean I literally didn't believe it. I figured I was still half-dreaming, & once the coffee was brewed & my eyes were fully awake I'd see the real page.

But I've had several cups now & it appears to be real!

As I wrote to Penelope, I came out of hiding with the topic Hide.

I still can't quite believe it.

Knothead

2007-03-08T22:33:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling particularly dense these days & this image is the result. Like Secluded Habits, it uses prints of old scientific texts collaged on canvas as a basis for acrylic painting.

I'm not really happy with it... but I may use the idea again when I'm feeling less knotheaded!

6x6"

Secluded Habits

2007-03-07T16:09:00.000-05:00

This piece was inspired by a trip to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

It's my first submission to Illustration Friday.

Acrylic over printed paper on canvas.
6"x6"