"Sea Sample 6" - 4x4 - Mixed Media Collage

Another in the Sea Sample series... this series is a personal favorite of mine for obvious reasons.

And I just had to share the following image with you. It's a heart shaped "lucky" stone I found on the beach this morning. It made my day!

Green Journal Cover

Not all the new sketchbooks I purchased are brown; some of them are green. The green ones are the ones whose pages are made from recycled paper, naturally. 

Sketchbook Page for 08.31.11

Still playing with maps. I think my recent re-obsession with maps may have to do with the earthquake we experienced last week... especially since I keep "tearing up the earth."

"Lost Civilizations" 12x12 Mixed Media Collage

I originally used this canvas to create a collage of Cleopatra for a two woman artist show entitled "Femme Fatale" a few years back. After the exhibit, I became less than enamored with the image and I covered it over and started to rework a new design, which I then abandoned. I happened to rediscover this canvas just last week and I've been playing around with it again.

If you look carefully, you can just make out the image of Cleopatra's profile and some Egyptian hieroglyphics peaking out from the more contemporary design of levers and gears; hence the name of the piece.

Side View

 

Other Side View

"Cosmic Butterfly" 4x4 Mixed Media Collage

Top View

 Another little 4x4 that can either be hung on a wall or set on a shelf.

Side View

Sketchbook 08.30.11

I love tearing up old atlases to use in my collages. It's almost like creating new worlds!

I had the rare opportunity to work in both my regular sketchbook and my Belgium textbook sketchbook today. The paper in the antique textbook is very fragile, but I was delighted to discover that it can handle a light watercolor wash. I'm looking forward to making more marks in this book.

Drawing in a textbook is akin to a forbidden thrill!

Taking It One Step Further

Back in my studio again today, I was working from my new studio sketchbook/notebook and found myself searching for a bookmark to mark my place. That gave me the idea to make a beaded bookmark that is tied to the spiral binding so in addition to keeping your place, you never lose your bookmark either.

So, I've decided that all the sketchbooks whose covers I'm going to decorate will also come with a beaded bookmark.