Mad Hatter

Back from holiday! Had a wonderful road trip to Miami with a group of friends and my girls.  First day back was my birthday and I found out my Mad Hatter mixed media painting was featured in the new Somerrset Studio magazine, so that was a nice surprise.  It's a wonderful issue filled with eye candy and heart, I'm thrilled to be included!
So the shop is open again and I'm getting ready for what summer brings next, weddings, the beach and spending as much time with friends and family as I can on these slower days. Well, its supposed to move a little slower but it doesn't always seem that way! I've started a couple of new pieces that I hope to complete before school starts. I'll try and share a peak soon.

Pippi

Schools out, time for some adventures outside the art classroom!  I painted this Pippi Longstocking the last week of school, I think my inner Pippi was tired of scrubbing the deck (ie end of the year cleaning) and ready to set sail! 

I had an amazing year working with High Schoolers and the adventure that is AP art. I'm already planning for next year and we've been out 2 days! I have a few new projects of my own to tackle this summer, and plan to spend as much time enjoying family and friends as I can (road trip!)  I will be putting my shop on vacation for a couple of weeks, but will reopen soon! 

Happy Summer! 

Cat

Sunken Treasures Mermaid Paper Doll Mixed Media

 

"Sunken Treasures" 

 Original sold to collector, prints available here 

 "FAR out in the ocean, where the water is as blue as the prettiest cornflower, and as clear as crystal, it is very, very deep; so deep, indeed, that no cable could fathom it: many church steeples, piled one upon another, would not reach from the ground beneath to the surface of the water above. There dwell the Sea King and his subjects"  from Hans Christian Anderson's Little Mermaid 

A new mixed media paper doll, I do love making them. (Probably because needle and thread vex me so!)  The Little Mermaid is painted in watercolors. Her tale is a passage out of book of pantomimes about brave little sailors.

Mermaid stories, so filled with contradictions have always been intriguing to me. Some like the familiar Anderson's is filled with longing and sacrifice (see sur la Lune) in contrast we have Undine and Selkie stories. Mermaids are creatures portrayed in wide range of personalities from murdering temptresses to tragic innocents. They are everything feared and admired in females, the sinners and saints of the mythological world.

Running With Wolves

    Servant of the Moon

 He was the oldest, and wildest of them. Through moonlit bracken he padded, seeking to be closer or was it further?  From her

Servant of the Moon, he howls, his worship shattering the calm

He’s witnessed it all, since she first unfolded the night and scattered the stars

The remembrance darkens his heart, for as he gets older the days grow distant and only night is real

The only lightness comes carrying a basket of offerings

The fecklessness of her enchants him, draws him closer to her brightness, the sweet scent of wildflowers in her clutch intoxicate, the blood red of her cloak hypnotic

  Lesser beasts dare not stray close to his wandering Little Red

------------------------------------
so I do sometimes tell stories....

I created this mixed media piece awhile ago and finally was able to get good photo's (it was very hard to capture!)  The front piece is print of my Into the Woods painting, melted wax, petals and papers. The writing in gold is from the above.  The back of the canvas is a painting of the wolf , Its a deep canvas and can sit free like a shrine or hang.  This is the only piece I've made in this shrine style, This Little Red seemed to call for a  hidden wolf.

For more on the traditional Little Red stories visit  SurLa Lune a treasure trove for fairy tale lovers!

St. Frida the Divine

"St. Frida the Divine with Poppies"

Frida is such a powerful figure to me on so many levels, I've longed to paint her but hesitated. I've decided there is no doing her justice I'll just try to pay tribute. 

The original is mixed media, the poppies I made by hand and collaged on. I was inspired by the Veteran's Day blooms that my Grandmother wore when I was a little girl. Forevermore poppies represented loss and strength of a feminine nature to me.

I'll be back to teaching next week so I'm very happy to have this piece I've been working on ready to share with you.  Sometimes I feel like I'm swallowed up at the beginning of the school year!  This year I have a new art room which is large and shiny but I'm still in a state of overwhelm of arranging and organizing it. 

All in all though the fall is my favorite part of the school year. The anticipation and eager faces of all those young people starting that adventure of Junior High, nothing like it really! 

 If you have young people in your life (or adore picture books like I do!) please take a look at this book I just got for my classroom,  It is poignant, dreamy and powerful. A beautiful introduction to Frida for even the youngest child. 

"Frida" by Jonah Winter illustrated by Ana Juan

We're All Mad

A new member has joined my mixed media Alice family, Cheshire Cat sitting pretty in a tree!

I've been in a pink mood of late and it just spilled over to this "in the pink" Cheshire kitty. I always loved how Cheshire might mad, but always so calm and cool. A good role model I think!

Prints available here

"I'm Late"

I'm loving working with this paper doll method, I think I'm just thrilled to be able to some type of doll (oh woe are my sewing abilities!) I have one more Alice themed one after this then I'm off to a bride of Frankenstein one!

I hope everyone who celebrates had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Ours was small but nice, honestly its not my favorite holiday. Part of me is just sad Halloween is over and I don't like spending all day in the kitchen either. Lucky for me family brings dishes as well! Well the Winter Holidays are around the corner and they feel much more festive!

*passes cider* Cheers!

"Everything I Needed to Know"

"Everything I Needed Know I Learned from Mary Poppins"

Is she coming in for a soft landing or making a graceful exit?

This mixed media piece will be in an exhibit next week in St. Augustine. The theme for the show is spring but little girls in coats kept floating in my mind! Floating and flying, I was fascinated with the idea of flying as a little girl. I'm quite sure I took some leaps with an umbrella with high hopes and air underfoot! I'm relieved I was able to complete her in time for the show, I have two other shows the same day so I'm hard pressed for time. One is for my students, the big county public school show. The other, I have a booth at the Historic Hibernia Arts Festival which thankfully is very close to home!

Fit for a Queen

What a confection! My youngest daughter Savvy is the proud owner of this lush crown. My dear friend Michelle made it for her (Michelle is an artistic wonder without a web presence ... I need to do something about that!)

The crown is the type of glorious piece that every time you look at you see something new. I wish you could of seen her face when she received it!

btw.. any comments you leave I'll be sure to share with Michelle, maybe I can convince her she needs to start blogging! :)

Cat

Red Wings

"Red Wings" mixed media for Chlidren's Illustrators Club 

There was a children's book about a little white rabbit who wished for red wings. ( the title was the "Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings")

I remember reading this as a child and being delighted that the little rabbit's wish was granted. What could be better than sprouting bright red wings? As the plot played out however my heart broke for the little winged rabbit. You see no one would befriend him, or take care of him with the red wings. Not even his own mother! 

Now, I'm sure the idea was to happy with they way you are, but the story gave me chills and still does. In my little mind the story's moral was; if you were different, or changed, no one would love you. 

 The theme for Children Illustrator's Club this month was angels. I had almost forgotten this story when along comes my angel sprouting red wings. The collage elements are from a vintage book that was discarded from our library on pantomime and that worked perfectly for me. Because in real life we can't wish those red wings away. 

"Red Wings" available in my etsy shop