Don't Worry Baby

"Don't Worry Baby" is my contribution for the 2017 "Art on 45." I was intrigued by the wave design of the paper label and decided to make it the theme of my piece. I layered portions of the edges of yellowed book pages to create the water movement and added clippings from various storybooks for sea life and the potential victim. Shading and bubbles are in ink.

I wanted to do something that reflects how I feel regarding the current political situation: There is good reason for all kinds of fear but people would still tell me that it's going to be okay.  And sometimes they would add a more or less heartfelt "Believe me!"

"Don't Worry Baby"
Mixed media on 45rpm vinyl record

Art on 45

 "Art on 45" is the fundraiser that I came up with last year, and now I am in the middle of organizing it for the second time. It all started when I saw a box of old 45rpm records sitting in the corner of a thrift store. Most of them were severely scratched, the songs or singers I never heard of, there were hand-written notes on the records, some were in sleeves, some of those sleeves half-eaten by mice or by time.

Of course, I took the records home. Because this box held everything: It was a gathering of memories and dreams, of thoughts and feelings.

I remember the first record I bought. It was a long-play, the Red Album by the Beatles. I was 12 and had a crush on a boy in my older sister's class. He was a serious Beatles fan. I hadn't been into that kind of music before, I liked music but I didn't think about it. I turned the radio on and listened to whatever came on. Some songs I liked, others I didn't. The Red Album changed everything for me. I listened to And I love Her and Norwegian Wood over and over for months as these songs had cathartic meaning to me. They brought about sadness when I wanted to feel sadness, and other feelings that I wasn't able to define. I have loved music ever since.

As a young woman I moved into an apartment building that was right next to a record store. It was the beginning of the CD era. Little by little all the beautiful vinyl got replaced by those shiny compact discs in their shiny jewel cases. Soon there were only a few boxes with low-priced records sitting in the back of the store and finally were gone completely.

Now the vinyl is coming back. Record stores are coming back. And the record players. And the sweetness that comes with all that vinyl.

All this was on my mind last year when I asked local artists to paint a 45rpm record. I wanted to create a meeting of songs and singers and of their interpretations by the various painters. As the result, I received 28 very unique pieces of art. My husband photographed the pieces and made a beautiful book about the collection. The 45s were then exhibited and sold at a silent auction to benefit the local Montessori School. It was thrilling how successful "Art on 45" was last year and very encouraging to do it again.

Short Stories

I have submitted a few little pieces for an upcoming juried exhibit in a local coffeeshop, that is especially for small works ("50 for $50"). It was interesting to come back to the tiny format after I had realized that the larger canvas actually works so much better for telling my stories.

Anyways, here they are, all 5x5, mixed media on canvas panel.

"About Time"

"Alone Time"

"I don't see you, you don't see me"

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"