Keeper of the Flame.....

A thought....a hazy vision....some clay, some tools, fabric, mosaic tiles.....a new piece appears. What is her story?

in her hand she holds a tiny half egg that I found in the forest.  I sealed it, preserved it, reinforced it, painted, and embellished it and attached a flame.  Perhaps she is saying that within us all lies the flame of creation, of transformation, of new beginnings....

busy day in the studio....

One of the things that I love so much about being here in Hawaii is that I'm in the studio all day long....everyday. Here are two new art dolls I've sculpted.  Firemountain Gems has asked me to create a piece for them to use in an ad so the larger head will be for them.....and the other darker head is going to be a Hawaiian Goddess of the sea...

 

I'm going to be putting my work in a new gallery at the Outrigger Hotel in Waikiki.  It's called the Kuloko Gallery. I am making lots of sea and mana pods with tempered glass for them. 

I'm also going to make the Hawaiian Goddess of the ocean.  Here she is ready for the next step.....that's going to be a wave behind her....

 I'm also working on a Hawaiian angel.....I can't wait for tomorrow so I can head back to creating!

3 new Reiki Blessing pieces......

Reiki Blessing symbol hidden under tempered glass mosaic, French journal pages, old screen pieces, with antique rusted key....

"Blessing Key"

Reiki Blessing symbol hidden under tempered glass mosaic, French journal pages, rusted iron leaves, nautilus shell, red lucky seed, pieces of antique metallic netting

"Within the Heart"

Reiki Blessing symbols hidden beneath tempered glass, antique French journal pages, metal icon holder, coconut shell, iron fence post top, found in Paris flea market, amethyst crystal points

"The Offering"

angels watching over me.....

Studio.....

new reiki piece.....face painted on canvas with hidden reiki symbols under tempered glass mosaic....with hawaiian blessings.  Rusted metal leaves, red good luck seeds, fan coral around her face.

just started a new angel painting.  I've decided to do an angel painting for each grand daughter.  This one is for Blaize.  So there will be 7 angel paintings.

I think I'm finished with Aidan's Angel.  I think....maybe.....

Painting, mosaic work, tempered glass, sculpting...oh my!

I opened her eyes today.....not loving this, but it is improving.....maybe it's time to stop and start another one.....

Grouted my latest Reiki wall piece....

Here's a close up of the key and wings....

Working on a new piece....metal vintage lantern piece...painted chinese red with gold leaf, put netting in window openings, tempered glass mosaic on the interior walls....

This will be the back piece...French letter from 1870, gold leaf with antique metallic netting over it....

and now I'm sculpting ceramic hands with a Reiki Blessing symbol carved into the palms and these will be placed inside of the wall lantern...somehow.......

New Reiki wall pieces.....

"Heart Blessings"

"The Ebb and Flow of Time"

close up of large scarb on clock face, surrounded by shells and tempered glass

Looking back.....

 

 I was recently interviewed for an article.  I really enjoy the process of answering questions about my artwork and my career, over the past 35 years because all those years offer me a perspective on my journey.   Looking back I see how my inspirations came in cycles.  I put together some collages of some of those cycles.  The first collage of  photos shows my 'Relationship" pieces. 
Faeries and tiny faes.

 The "Goddess" series showed up with "hardscape" costumes created with shards of abalone or mosaic pieces.  The faces of these pieces were always painted a soft white and were very theatrical.

 My first pieces stood between 3 - 5 ft. tall.  Deer Prince, Mythical figures, Father Christmas and Angels.  These pieces had sculpted heads, hands and feet and the bodies were wire and cloth.

 Rabbits have played a large part in my artwork.  Rabbit Princes created with gourds, fabric, paint, wire and clay.

 The use of antique silk velvets was replaced by sea glass mosaics when we moved to Hawaii.

Autumn, Winter, Summer and Spring Trees created from gourds, with little faes within.

And lately my passion lies with the wall pieces of tempered glass over hidden Reiki symbols.
I wonder what lies next.................

Working on new pieces....

After much time setting up the studio.....getting supplies....settling into my new space...I'm back to creating.   These are three small wood  pieces from a cut up old door that I have painted on Reiki symbols and then hidden them beneath the tempered glass mosaic and images of the madonna's face and hands.  I"ve grouted the glass and am waiting to put the colored sealer on.

                                  

New online classes!

I am excited to announce that I will be offering a new series of online classes, beginning in July at the "A is for Artistic site".

Each class is offered individually or ...at a savings...as a series. The classes begin with my technique of sculpting and painting a head and face. Each class of the series has about 4 to 6 lessons with full instruction and colored photos, showing each and every step, and in every class there is an online forum where we can talk...critic if you want....share tips...share photos and just get to know each other.

The next class will be on to sculpting and painting the hands and arms, then on to sculpting and painting the legs and feet. The next class will show you how I create a torso, how I attach the previously sculpted arms and legs and how to make a stand. The whole series then culminates with the class on Creating a Hardscape. When I moved to Hawaii I found, because of the heat and humidity, velvets and antique laces did not work so well.

From walking the beaches and discovering sea glass, and found objects, to incorporating abalone shards and mosaic class, I developed a costume that I call a Hardscape.
This is the way I created the piece that I have been posting about here on my blog...
"My Lady of Guadalupe".
So the last class will be on how to create her costume!

I'm excited about these classes and I do think taking classes online is a brilliant idea!
I know I have taken many classes from felting to jewelry making, and I very much enjoy being able to create my own studio, at my own time, and yet learn something new.

I hope I see you in class..... in cyberspace......creating, creating, creating! :)