Holiday Arts Tour 2016 - Yes, yes, yes!

So, last weekend the Holiday Arts Tour happened which is the only relevant art event per year that I have participated in for six years. Every year it was fun and exciting and quite successful. I got my name out, met new people, sold some, and got a lot of feedback and inspiration for new projects. Now this year was very different - in the best way! For the first time I was showing my mixed media 2-D narratives and sold half of my 31 pieces! Yes, I did! Many people were taking their time looking at each piece and actually wanted to hear more about the stories that I was telling. One of the visitors told me later that she had to go outside for a minute to collect herself because my small "Openings" piece triggered certain emotions in her that she said she hadn't been aware of before. I am grateful for this experiece. This is exactly what I wanted to achieve: Creating stories that make people feel and can connect with.

Openings

It makes me happy that I actually didn't sell my large scale flower oil pastels at all but so many of my storytelling pieces. I guess I am on the right track! My plan for the near future: Making more! I have already been working on six new pieces, can't wait to get back to them as soon as the holidays are over.

These are the ones that are still available. Let me know if you are interested in a particular one.

Left Field

Bubbles

Dance

Decisions, Decisions

Doggy and Owly in the Washer

Love

I Said I'm Sorry

I told you so

It's a Bird!

Let Me In

Portals

Save Our Souls

Time Lapse

What to Believe

Holiday Arts Tour 2016

The Holiday Arts Tour. This is the one local art event that I participate in every year. Because it is wonderfuI, and I love it. It's when lots of downtown shops are hosting a local artist for two days, and people come and visit and shop. All the years before I have brought my ornaments, boxes, jewelry, puppets, little toys, notecards, and other small objects - all based on the theme of (German) traditions of playing and storytelling.

This year is going to be very different for me, as I will also have items that are a lot larger in size than what I used to make and they are 2-D. Inspired and fired up by the "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge that I did in all September (see blog posts), I have been working on my narratives in a new way. I found that mixed media collages work really well for me to get my thoughts and stories out. So that's what I did. Hopefully people will enjoy and want to own them!

Here, for example, is my "Infertility" mixed media painting. My husband was so wonderful to build beautiful floater frames for all my pieces.

I still will have my small playful objects, like these:

My 30 Paintings in 30 Days (Collage)

30 Paintings in 30 Days by Leslie Saeta has been a fantastic experience for me. Not only have I been extremely productive, I also found out what my stronger points are and about the new direction I will be going. I am thrilled! That's a lot more than I had anticipated and hoped for.

Thank you so much, Leslie Saeta, for this wonderful project and for providing the framework.  I loved seeing daily the amazing pieces that the many artists have created. And as a participant of this project I actually felt like I was part of a community. 

Love

Day Thirty of the Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days Challenge: "Love"

Here it is, my final piece! Yay, I did it!

Look, what Momma made for her precious children. "Food is love", she thought, and spent all morning cooking breakfast. But for some reason they just won't eat it.

I am so happy I got to use my Joy of Jell-o book again. I find every single dish in this book so irresistibly repellent that I am driven to incorporate a Jell-o dish whenever possible. The "Crown Jewel Dessert" (on the right) is described as "a spectacular dessert that fits busy schedules."

Mixed media: acrylics, ink, book pages and clippings, on canvas panel, 12" x 16"

I said I'm sorry

 
Day Twenty-nine of the 30 in 30 Challenge: "I said I'm sorry"


Inspired by the beautiful autumn day and the infinite tallness of our trees, I thought I'll do a pencil drawing for a change.   

(Only one more to go!)

Mixed media: colored pencils, book clippings, on Bristol paper, 17" x 11"

Y'all come in!

 

Day Twenty-eight of the 30 in 30 Challenge: "Y'all come in!"

This is sort of an updated version of Hansel and Gretel.

(Can you find Dog?)

Mixed media: acrylics, ink, storybook pages and clippings, pencils,
on canvas panel, 20" x 16"

Dog and Owly

Day Twenty-seven of the 30 in 30 Challenge: "Dog and Owly"

I was working all day on a larger piece but then realized that I won't be able to finish it today. I had to rethink and come up with something small instead.

My kids suggested that I do something with their best friends in it. And that's what I did.

Drawing: ink, watercolor, black colored pencil, on watercolor paper, approximately 7" x 7"

Time Lapse

 

Day Twenty-six of the 30 in 30 Challenge: "Time Lapse"

Yesterday, I was randomly painting with watercolor on a small canvas, and when I looked at it later I had this immediate vision of a birth canal. So I made this piece about the origin of human life, and evolution, and the assumption that life began in water. 

Mixed media: watercolor, ink, dictionary and storybook clippings, on watercolor canvas panel, 7" x "5

Taboo

Day Twenty-five of the 30 in 30 Challenge: "Taboo"

Living in the States, and especially in the South, has taught me a lot of things about this society. For example, I learned about the very numerous taboos that I  didn't expect in a multicultural and "free" country like this one.

So this one is about taboos. About the fat taboo that just won't go away. And about the small one that, sooner or later, will grow into a big no-no.

Mixed media: watercolor, ink, dictionary and storybook clippings, on watercolor canvas panel. 12" x 12"

 

Dance

Day Twenty-four of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge: "Dance"

I found a quote by Hans Bos who is a social education researcher (at AIR): 
"While I dance I can not judge, I can not hate, I can not separate myself from life.  I can only be joyful and whole. This is why I dance."

Inspired by everything that has been going on in this country lately.

Mixed media: Acrylics, pages and clippings from storybooks, ink,
on canvas panel, 12" x 16"

Out of the Frying Pan

Day Twenty-three of the 30-in-30 Challenge: "Out of the Frying Pan"

... and into the fire.

Who would have thought that this charming girl has a pitfall in her chamber. - My apologies to all the kind-hearted Lindas in my life.

Mixed media: watercolor, ink, book clippings, on watercolor canvas panel, 8" x 10".

Now what

Day 22 of the  30in30 Challenge: "Now what"

I have to catch up, therefore I made just a very small piece.

Mixed media: watercolor, ink, crayon, pencils, dictionary clipping, on watercolor paper. 4.5" x 4.5"

 

Help Yourself

Day Twenty-One of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge: "Help Yourself"

This is the piece that I meant to post yesterday but it took me so very long to finish it. Anyways, here it is, and honestly, I am thrilled about it. I really like it. Even though, I have to admit, it is a little odd. When my son looked at it he was very concerned and asked if I would cook something like that in the near future.

The idea behind this piece comes from an expression that is very common here but that I found quite obscure when I heard it for the very first time - a long time ago. I was visiting my sister in the States who was an exchange student there. Her host family was having a bbq for us and they were so kind and wonderful and then they said "Please, help yourself!" It sounded so general, like a life motto. And I said "Thank you" because I was thanking for the good advice and direction.

What can I say. "Help yourself" says it all.

Watercolor, ink, yellowed pages and clippings from books and Rolling Stone on cheap canvas panel. 16" x 20"

The Long Count

 

Day Twenty: "The Long Count" (30 Paintings in 30 Days)

I can relate to the Mayan Calendar (the "Long Count") because for a few weeks I have been feeling like I am thrown into a different time dimension. Part of it is certainly the 30-in-30 project which is intense, and my mind is always there.

The other part is that I have started going to "CrossFit". I never thought I would. I never thought I actually would! So now I am finding myself constantly counting. How many dead lifts, push-ups, or American kettle bell swings will I do, how far will I row? How many ounces of water have I had today? How many years have I gained?

These are my work-out shoes. I really wanted red ones. Like Andersen's "The Red Shoes" that couldn't stop dancing.

Mixed media: watercolor, ink, book clippings, on water color canvas panel, 12" x 12"

What to believe

 


Day Eighteen of the 30 in 30 Challenge: "What to Believe" 

Something about trust, truth, and monsters under the bed.

Mixed media: watercolor, crayon, ink, and clippings from an old dictionary on watercolor paper, 5.5" x 7.5"

Sending My Love

 

Day Eighteen of the 30in30 Challenge: "Sending My Love"

A little tale about love and projections, desire and persistence.

I never had long-distance relationships, so I don't know what it really feels like. I had a pen-friendship though, when I was growing up. For many years, I was frequently exchanging letters with a student in England. He told me what was going on in his country and in his life, and I told him what was going on in my country and in my life. I thought I knew so much about him. But when we actually met he was a stranger. Of course.

Mixed media: watercolor, ink, crayon, storybook clippings on watercolor paper, 7.5" x 5"



   

Infertility

 
 

Day 17 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge: "Infertility"

When I did the "Portals" (Day 13) I used yellowed book pages for the floors of the padded room, and I really liked the look and feel of it. For this piece I applied the same technique for the dress to give my "Infertility" a mummy-like yet festive appearance.

My idea was to make "infertility" into an allegory comparable with the allegories of the seasons, for example, or with Lady Justice. Therefore I wanted to give her a classy and confident appearance rather than a pitiful sad look. After all, it is, what it is. And it's okay.

Mixed media: watercolor, ink, yellowed pages and clippings from storybooks on watercolor canvas panel, 12" x 9".

Save Our Souls

 

Day 16 of the 30 in 30 Challenge.

Stranded on a lonely island. And all the mustard is gone! SOS! 

I think, I am going a little nuts now. Good news: I Finally got to use my "The Joy of Jell-o" book.

Mixed media: watercolor, ink, book clippings, on watercolor paper, 15" x 11".

Competition

Day 15 of the 30 in 30 challenge, which means, I am halfway through! I love this kind of pressure, it has been working for me.

"Competition" is actually inspired by my small watercolor/ink painting "Fertilization" that I did for Day 6. This one is much larger though, 14" x 18".

I think, I like it.

Watercolor and ink on watercolor canvas panel.

Nothing's Impossible

Day 14 of the 30 in 30 Challenge: "Nothing's Impossible"

I am happy to use my beloved toadstools again, this time in a very different context. It's a wonderland, and amazing things can happen there, please draw your own conclusions.

Mixed media: pencils, watercolor, ink, and storybook clippings on artboard, 14" x 11".

Portals

Day 13 of the 30 in 30 Challenge

I am so excited I have made it so far! It is the thirteenth, and some superstitious people may say that 13 is not a good number at all. Well, in order to even this out I have incorporated a toadstool - for Germans that is the lucky charm.

I have made a mixed media piece which is different from the other ones that I have made lately: I have used the cover of an old storybook for a canvas panel and its old yellowed paper for the background scenery. I really like the texture. Some of the portals are open and you can see the pattern of the book cover. There is one portal that hasn't opened completely; it looks like that there is a thin film or membrane still in place.

Anyway, I call this one "Portals".
I find the idea of portals quite intriguing, thus to be able to visit parallel worlds. Especially if those portals lead to a gigantic loony bin. Who wouldn't like to dive in there once in a while, just for a few minutes during lunch break maybe.

Watercolor, ink, paper and clippings from an old storybook, on book hard cover, 12" x 8.5"

The Good and The Bad

Day Twelve of the 30 in 30 Challenge: "The Good and the Bad"

I have based this piece on the Japanese "Notan" concept which considers opposites as parts of one unity. For example: there wouldn't be light without darkness, so darkness is part of light, and vice versa. I definitely prefer this concept over the Western idea of viewing "positive space" as the contraposition of "negative space."

Anyways, it is Fall season. Some people may want to go mushroom hunting.

Acrylics and origami paper on art board,  11" x 14"

I told you so

Day 11 of the 30 in 30 Challenge: "I told you so"

Something is going to happen here, probably something really bad. - But "Hooray!" to the girl for making her own decisions, no matter what. That's my credo.

Watercolor, ink, clippings from old storybooks (7.5" x 5.75")

Left Field

30 in 30 Challenge, Day 10: "Left Field"

Time to harvest! This is a little story about ripeness and maturity, expectations and surprises, and things that don't make any sense.

Mixed media (watercolor, ink, book clippings), 11" x 7.5"