I'm In!!

I know I've shown this before but, it was just accepted in the Dupage County Forest Preserve's Centennial celebration art exhibit and I am so pleased!  I haven't been in much of a mandala making mood recently.   At least not larger ones like this.  I have done a few small ones. But this is one of my all-time favorites and, as I've looked at it quite a few times today, I'm starting to feel the urge to get back to work on some larger ones.  All of my mandalas are generally made with thoughts of life and growth and nature.  This one is absolutely filled with nature symbolism.  From the center, where there is water, without which life can't exist, we move to the dark blue band with stars suggesting the night sky and the universe.  Then the small plants that sprout on the forest floor and on to the petals of flowers and symbolic rays of sunshine.  The white swirls suggest the winds and clouds and, finally, the wild flowers and unfurling leaves that I love so much!  They always make me think of the way that life unfurls and we continue to grow (hopefully!). So, now you know!  It's not just a pretty mandala!  At least, not to me!

Two Blue Bears

As some of you may already know, I was given Flora Bowley's 5 week painting e-course, "Bloom True" as a thank you gift from Flora herself and I am sooooooo grateful for this opportunity! The 5 weeks are done and I have several large canvases that are "in progress". This was the first one I started on. Flora teaches "Brave, Intuitive Painting" and this is a real change from the very precise mandalas I have spent so much time on in recent years. I was really looking forward to the chance to loosen up and play and just see what happened! This blue bear wandered into my painting, painted almost entirely with my fingers! I didn't plan for him but once he was there I fell in love with him and decided he needed to stay. A few days after painting him I suddenly realized where my inspiration may have unconsciously come from! I HAVE a blue bear that sits on my bed everyday (along with other furry friends!). He thinks I painted his portrait and he is gloating! Sshhhh! Don't tell the others!! I think he may have popped up to remind me of an inspiration I have had for awhile to write and illustrate a children's book. It's percolating in my brain for now. In the meantime, I am looking forward to much more Brave, Intuitive Painting! Flora's class is WONDERFUL! So packed with content and inspiration and tips for letting go of fears and expectations. I highly recommend it to anyone....experienced painter or beginner!

Art With Heart

This is my most recent mandala-making effort. I made it specifically to donate to an auction to benefit the camp scholarship fund at The Center in Palos Park, IL. This is the third year that I have made something for their annual fundraiser and it's really a privilege to have the chance to help out by doing what I love! All of the money raised on this one evening will be used for scholarships for kids who wouldn't be able to go to camp otherwise. The Center is a most wonderful and unique place offering many programs in a wide variety of areas....everything from art classes to spirituality classes to a children's farm and nature based pre-school! And it seems very fitting that the woman who purchased this artwork is a member of the Sanders family----the family of the man who began to realize his dream of building a place like this over 75 years ago. She is going to give it to her grand-daughter whom I have been told is a really great person, goes to graduate school out in Wyoming and is studying Environmental Science. This all a bit synchronistic for me as I happen to LOVE Wyoming and I was once a college student studying Environmental Science! It all makes me feel as though this mandala is going to end up exactly where it is meant to be!

Getting Back in the Groove

I realized recently that I haven't made a mandala in quite awhile. Way toooo long! I want to do a somewhat larger one to donate to the annual fundraising auction at The Center so I thought I had better get "warmed up" a bit before I start on that one! I had no plan for this one. I just wanted to get used to the feel of the colored pencils and the gel pens and try and remember what color looks good as shading on another color. One of these days perhaps I should take some notes! Or not. It's kind of fun to have to experiment. I love blue, have a blue bedroom and I think that's where this one needs to end up. It's not very large....maybe 8" across. But it sure felt good to be creating this!

Thankful to "Be"!

There's a lot of sickness going around. My husband got sick a week ago....just a terrible sinus-y cold. I tried reeeeeeally hard not to catch it but....Monday night it came on full blast, no warning. Lots of plans had to be changed. Lots of things had to be "let go". And you know what? It wasn't the end of the world! It may have even been a "good thing" as a certain Martha likes to say. My Artist's Way group is reading a book on slowing down....making some room for your imagination to flourish and to enjoy the sights and sounds and smells all around you. This turned out to be a week (or at least a few days) of most definitely slowing down. I have spent a lot of time sitting or laying on the couch and looking out the window. The weather has been wonderful.....bright sunshine-y days. And the leaves on the trees right now are outstandingly beautiful! I don't know when we have had a fall that could compete with this one for color! So I sat. And I looked. And I noticed. And I observed. And I saw. And I daydreamed. Life will go on next week when everything is back to normal. But I am thankful for the time that I had this week to just "be". I didn't realize how much I needed this!!

Las Vegas Art Retreat

I'm not really on an art retreat. But I did have a lot of very quiet, uninterrupted time to myself while in Vegas taking care of a few necessites. I'm so glad I brought some art supplies with! I decided that I wanted to make a mandala for Ethan and so I went with colors that would fit in well in several areas of his place. I worked on it over the course of two days and am really pleased with the way it turned out. I'd been feeling a little bit "stuck" or bored with mandals recently. The last couple just felt like nothing "new" was happening. I started to think maybe I'd run the course with these. But then I started on this one. And while in many ways it's similar to many of my others, there were new ideas and inspiration popped up in the making. Nothing major but small details that felt like new and inspired ideas. I didn't bring any of the tempermental white gel pens with me so the outlines and details are all gold metallic. I love the way the photo that I took on an angle kind of shows the gleam of the gold. Need to remember this when taking photos in the future! So, just thought I would share as I want to make more of an effort to document what I make. Thanks for looking!

Its Been a LOOOOOOOONG Time!!!

Sorry for my extended absence! It was not intentional! I took a break and then....when I wanted to get back to blogging, I found I couldn't upload photos. And for me, without photos....what's the point??? I am all about the visuals! I think I have found a way around the problem! Mind you I said, "Think"! So anyway, I have been making mandalas. They seem to continue to evolve and grow and I find I am uncomfortable and embarrassed when I see the ones that I gave to people back near the beginning of my journey into mandala making! I need to get over that and just appreciate the fact that I am learning and growing and it's all part of the process! The above photo is the third mandala I have made that is intended for a 20" x 20" frame....the largest I have used so far. The first one was a wedding gift and the second one was donated for an auction to benefit a non-profit organization...The Center in Palos Park, IL. As the printer I use cannot copy things this large, they are gone forever....no prints available. Just photos to remember them by. The one I have just finished I THINK is going to be mine....forever! But I am going to look into getting giclee prints made. Much more expensive that way but, I have had so much positive feedback and encouragement, I'm slowly being convinced that it might be worth it! I also need to set up a web-site where people can see all the work in one place with prices and any other info that might be helpful. Always so much to do! And all I want to do it make art! Haha! Thank you for stopping by after my long absence! Hopefully this will work and you'll be hearing more from me!

Seasonal Love

Let me tell you about my lover. His name is Autumn, and we have just been reunited! I delight in gazing into his cloudless, blue-sky eyes as they entice me to come closer! And his sparkling mane of golden sun-rays makes my heart lurch! He arrived in a coat of many colors, shimmering in the light and constantly changing. With anticipation in every move, he slowly sheds his lovely garb. Day by day becoming more and more exposed to my wanting eyes. And then...just as he has not one stitch left...he is GONE! On a gusting WHOOSH of icy, cold air! Leaving me in the wickedly frigid arms of winter. A lover of an entirely different sort, indeed!!!

A Great New Book to Read!!!

A very good friend of mine has just written and published his very first book!  This is truly a dream come true for him.  I was honored to watch the process as he let his imagination roam freely,  and to watch the incredible personal growth he went through in becoming who he is meant to be.......a writer!!  Below is the link to his website.  Give yourself a wonderful gift and help out a fellow creative being!  Order a book!  You won't be disappointed!

http://www.cabin108book.com/

Love, Lust or Just Plain Lost?

Unloved, Gordon’s hungry heart yearns for life’s magic once more. Beautiful Laraine then enters his world and touches him like none before. Fireworks fly, emotions rollercoaster, and his spirit soars to new heights. Gordon has found his soul mate.

Or has he?

Packing away his low self-esteem and a learned distrust of others, Gordon steps into a world of cow pastures and kindness. His gentle ways, quirky humor, and mastery in the kitchen endear those in his new and safe surroundings, allowing him to hone his talents, self-worth, and aspirations. Exploring both love and lust, these relationships challenge his values as he struggles to rediscover, redefine, and reinvent himself. The path, crooked as llama teeth, leads to no straight answers as he searches to nourish his spirit with truth and tranquility. In the end, a new, stronger, more aware Gordon emerges as the adventure changes him, his morals, and his boundaries. 


Click here to order now.  http://www.cabin108book.com/order.html

Testimonials

Scrumptious words!
Lynn R., Janesville, Wisconsin

My stomach jumped and my heart sank as I read. Yes, I have a vested interested in the characters!
Anne L., Peru, Indiana

I started out totally shocked and outraged, thought it was unbelievable, but I ended up understanding something deeper.
Uta M., Panorama, South Australia

Glenn’s imagination knows no bounds.
Jan B., Clatskanie, Oregon
Love the sweet and tender and hot, hot, hot all combined! No wonder I love it … it’s like my dream come true!
Robin N., Orland Park, Illinois

There is a piece of all of us in this book, one you must read. Find yourself wanting to travel through life with these characters chapter by chapter. You won’t put it down.
Bob R., Adelaide, South Australia

I hate romantic books and yet Glenn has captured my interest with this story.
Elena C., Coal City, Illinois

Glenn’s words … I have to stop, let them sink in, and think before I can move on. That’s the sort of reading I love.
Glenda I., North Adelaide, South Australia

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Just a Little Different

This mandala is different from most of my others in that it has so many geometric shapes in it.  At one point I had the sun-shape in the center, two circles around it and lines shooting out in all different directions and of all different lengths.  And not perfectly symmetrical......HORRORS!  Lol!  I wasn't at all sure how I was going to make it work.  But somehow, it came together and I really like it!  And I had to finish off with more organic shapes  around the outside (of course!).  I just wish the colors would show up more "true".  They lack the intensity of the real thing.

This was done as an exercise.....one of the tasks at the back of Chapter 7 in "The Artist's Way".  It's always been one of my favorite ways to "play"......put on some music and doodle until it's done.  This was maybe 35 minutes or so.  I'm not sure what it's all about but, for some reason it makes me think I have been watching too much of the show "Vikings" on the History channel!

iHanna's Postcard Swap

For the second year in a row I decided to participate in iHanna's spring postcard swap.  I didn't originally intend to make mandalas for all my postcards but, was feeling pressed for time and figured I should do what I know best.

I like some a lot more than others.  They are all about 6" square.

The above is one of my favorites.  Sorry the photos are a bit "wonky".  I took the pictures in a bit of a hurry as I was anxious to get these in the mail today.

This one is my absolute favorite!  I kinda hated to give it away!  When I have received all my postcards from other people I will post them on here.  As well as last years since I didn't have a working camera at that time!

What I've been up to.....

My 6 week Mandala class recently ended and I feel like the students really enjoyed it.  But I'm not sure it's  suited to be an ongoing class.  It seems to me that, once they learn the basics, they just need to get out there and experiment and play and find their own style. 

The 3rd photo is a work in progress.  A large one I'm working on that, when finished, if I am happy with it, I plan to hang over my bed.  I have all these mandalas sitting around and hardly anything hanging on my walls!  Mostly because my "favorites" keep changing and I hate to commit.  I think the answer is going to be to get some of those "picture rails" or whatever you call them, that you can just rest art on on and not have to hang anything permanently.  I can change them out according to what appeals to me at the moment or according to the season!  Perfect for a commitment-phobe like myself!

The last one, with the Easter eggs was almost, but not quite finished when I photographed it.  Hence the guidelines are still on it.

I have so many ideas in my head for more......I wonder when.....or if.......I will ever tire of making these!  In the past I've had a habit of buying art supplies and then not using them.  Several years ago my husband bought me a set of 120 Prismacolor colored pencils.  I amazes me that some of them (my favorite colors of course!) are getting worn down to stubs!  It's a GREAT feeling.....knowing that I am putting them to good use!

Went A Bit Crazy....

I seem to be doing a lot of artwork lately that involves "have-to's" and self imposed deadlines......class samples and things like that.   So I was really feeling the need to sit down and do something just for fun.....no plan....no purpose......just do it and don't think about it too much.  This mandalas is the result.  I feel like I went a bit crazy!  I wasn't sure that it really worked at all.  In fact, I look at it and I sort of think to myself, "Who DID that?".  Because, honestly, sometimes I just don't know where they come from.  How they turn out is a BIG surprise to me.   I usually feel "in love" with the last one I did.......not so in this case.  But I DO seem to be falling in love with it a little more everyday!

A Mandala in Stages

I had taken these photos to help me go thru the making a mandala step by step for my class.  Thought I would post them here for anyone who is interested.  Sorry they ended up in reverse order!

Finding the Flow

I took about 4 or 5 weeks off from making any art.  Not really on purpose......just got busy with the holidays and I was enjoying my son's company while he was home from school.  BEFORE the holidays I seemed to have really gotten into a feeling of "flow" in regards to art making.  It almost seemed as if I could do no wrong while creating.  It was incredible to feel that way!!  Taking all that time off...........BIG mistake!  I have discovered how hard it is to get back into it after taking so much time off!!  I made several mandalas recently......none of them seemed to flow......they were like work, forced, awkward feeling.  It was very upsetting and frustrating!  Then I decided to try something a little bit different and make a larger mandala than I ever have before.  I had received an email from The Center where I take classes and where I am also doing a little teaching.  They are having a fundraiser later this month and were requesting artwork to be donated for a silent auction.  I thought that a nice BIG framed mandala would be a good thing to donate so I got to work.  I worked on the this for 7+ hours straight yesterday!!  I have never done that before!  I even forgot to eat!  And I believe I found my FLOW!!  I was afraid that it got a bit busy.......not being used to working this large I wish I had used more larger elements rather than so much small detailed stuff but......all in all, I am quite pleased!!  And ready to try another!!

The Centers fundraiser is called "A Night to Linger".  It is Thursday, February 21, 2013 at Hackney's in Palos Park, IL.  The are at 9550 W. 123rd St.  and it takes place from 7-10 pm.  Maybe I will see you there!  By the way, this fundraiser benefits the Farm and Ranch Camp scholarship fund.  It enables many kids to attend camp next summer that wouldn't otherwise be able to have this wonderful experience!

Featuring Magazine!

Latest backcover

The inchies on the backcover of Issue 3. click to enlarge

- Adrienne Knight – Carla  Persoon – Cindy Peterson – Hwee Ching – Isabella Bojda – Tanya Batrak – Lena Schreijenberg -  Lisa Morice – Madeleine de Kemp – Margaret Gammell – Nigel Roberts – Nigel Roberts – Tracey Fletcher King – Peg Englishman – Robin A. Neumann – robin cox walsh – Sigga Dís – Pam Parker – Angela Niman – Karen Isaacson – Terri Kinjo – Quinn McDonald – Quinn McDonald – Marit Barentsen -

Issue 3

About 6 months ago I received an email telling me that I had won an "inchie" on the back cover of "Featuring" magazine.  I forgot to submit a photo until the very last minute before the deadline so, I'm not sure I made the best choice.  I wish it showed up better.  But still........I'm just excited to be included!!  Mine is in the 4th row, 3rd from the left.  If you've never seen a copy, this is a really nice magazine with a lot of great artwork and inspiration!

It was a Holly Jolly Christmas!

Like father like son!

Family photo op.

A nice pile of presents but the best one is the one sitting on the couch!  Home from Las Vegas!!

Just a few holiday photos to share.  I'm hoping to get into more regular blogging soon!  Hope your holidays are VERY MERRY!!!!!

Just a couple more!

These are just a couple more mandalas that I created while teaching some of my neighbors how to do them.  I thought I may have gotten carried away with too many colors on the first one but, after it was all done......I kinda like it!  I have trouble taking pics of these.  I can never get the glittery effect show up properly!!

Misc.

Ethan ran into a couple guys from a band he's a fan of, Asking Alexandria.

                                                     A little gift for my sister-in-law.

A Card for a Friend

I don't normally do animals.  Or people.  But I wanted to make a card for a friend and thought I would give it a try.  This is her newest family member.  And while it doesn't look exactly like the real Windy, hopefully I captured at least a wee bit of her personality and spirit!!  Windy, you are one lucky dog!!  I am so glad you leaped into Jan's life!!