All dolled up at Eclectix

Eclectix site has been updated with images in the mini side show "All dolled up"

Show includes yours truely... Nita , Kerry Kate, Sheri deBow and JennyBird Alcantara!!!! How very cool! ^-^

Click on "current exhibit"
http://www.eclectix.com/

Sorry I have not been posting but, Im almost moved into my fresh new house.

a lil change

You might have noticed Ive been MIA (missing in action) what has happened is we cant keep up payments on our home so, were letting it go and gonna rent a smaller place. Im not too upset about it . I think its a good thing realy since my art has been in a semi slump. I say semi cause Im still sculpting,just at the rate a snail tiptoes through a salt flat. Being in a new environment and new perspective..something else to focus on will help Im sure..and I have my eye on a place that has a wisteria arbour. *hopes*

A coworker a few years ago dropped me off at the house. We both were vollenteers . Martha had 85 yrs and has since graduated to the next plane. I had just moved into this old house and I was content with my basic little life I told her. She said " just remember things change" Ayup! they did. I started to sculpt shortly after that.

Were packing our stuff. Im leting go of junk I should have filtered out a long time ago.. Like I got rid of my big teddy bear pillow cause I am a big girl now uhuh.^-^ I crave blessed simplicity. lack of clutter and clean open space- to wave my arms franticly.

Even though things seem backwash right now I think the universe must be trying to throw some good my way. I keep meeting people who want to send me gifts. its perplexed me why all of a sudden?

Recently I had my hubby drop off beads in person to a buyer on etsy who happens to live in my town. She gave me some of her sterling silver art as a gift. This large pendant in particualr isnt it gorgeous! I had a blast setting up pictures using our birdbath as a nature set. They looked to me like fairie treasure and offerings. She's plainspirit on etsy if youd like to see her other stuff. Besides the lovely gifts she is also a wonderful down to earth person and I hope this will turn into a longterm friendship.

my own little world

Here 's my new bust "Vanessa" I think finished though Im always tempted to do just a bit more.. I actauly liked her much better without hair but , a girl must have hair and for the most part Im pleased with her. The light really makes a big diffence in how she looks. Side light makes her glow within! ^-^ I added a few freckles to fracture the flawless "covergirl " look and gave her antlers.
She embodies a longing for inner healing and for the shady bower, the babbling brook and deep peace of nature. I hope you get some of that too.

Vanessa

Things are finaly begining to form again for me after about a month of not being able to sculpt decently.

Im also working on a green eyed mermaid so my mind is all on green and fresh things right now. I thought she might be Rusulka but, now I think she is too carefree for that. A bonett of strawberries might fit ,but Im not going to stay tied to that if she says no.

I was hoping to achieve a higher level of realism for this peice so, I worked from a photo of Milla Jovovich as a 12 year old. I dont know how that is going to work out. Maybe I should have picked a more realistic model than Milla but I also wanted an elvish look!

Flame and Ash ADO challange peice

Got some nice photos of Flame and her lil companion Ash today. I hope you like them. The theme of Flame and Ash is Purfiying and Rebirth. You can see Im sure that Flame is a glaring child capable of destructive powers ,but at the same time pure and innocent with her white banadages coving her burns like a nuns habit. These are self imoliating burns as fire and smoke emerge from her mouth shown by the scaring of her cheeks and smoke stains on the bandages. The nimbus symbolizes the intense radiance and enegry within her.

Ash is like a wisp of smoke and has the face of a wize stern but, gental fellow he will see that Flame's destruction fosters beginings ,hope , growth and change. He coaxes tiny spouts to grow. He is attached with a magnet in two parts his head is able to swivel on a neck magnet for posing and the wisp of his body also can be removed from on Flames temple.

I stunned my self with the forcefulness this peice ,but also just a touch disapointed with the completed figure. It is nothing like I started out imagining!

The hair is not quite the color I wanted but, will do . Its a carrot orange with deep red tipping. I didnt get any topaz I liked for her bling but, I gave her a square rhinestone choker that I actauly wore when I was 10 till it broke. The necklace has history so, I hate to see it go ,but why hang on to things you cant use?: shrug:

Most disapointing the layering the colored clay didnt work out . I liked her much better pre-cure cause the clay yellowed and darkend in such a way that she looked ashy and dead. Yes... worse than now! So, balancing this out I painted her with a wash of white. Not wanting to heat cure her yet again I used acrylics instead of genesis. Will have to revisit to see what else emerges at a later date.

I use a white wash on most of my child figures. This has a shamanic spirit world meaning for me. Its also a devise that takes the veiwer away from predictably interpreting a literal clay skin surface. The logical mind likes to label and know it all and it flicks across a peice of art in seconds and says "ah yes I know what this is" plunks it in a labeled box and dismisses it. Does it take you seconds to be done looking ? The part of the mind I want to engage is the side that feels deeply and can stare and be facinatated or lost in what it looks at. It doesnt try to label its only a pair of fresh eager eyes.

To know what Im aiming at.. imagine my sculpts as a misty image that shifts in the light. Because it isnt flawless or entirely tangible youll find new things to see depending on the light. Like a dream child rather than a real one. Did I hit the mark? Its easy when making a painting or taking a photo to mist, blur or grain the image for mood ,in a sculpture its a whole difficnt challange! How to make something etheral thats solid and right there!?

So anyway now I am very interested in working with natural pigments and making my own gesso. I foung this link http://www.earthpigments.com/index.cfm

While out blog skiping.. who was it.. Susan Mcmahon or one of the herbal or art blogs? I dunno lemme know if you think it was you.

I remembered that I used to use gesso alot on my wooden dolls carving and sanding it for shaping.. and at some point it changed consistancy and I could never carve it again. I had no idea this was because the gesso was really acrylic rather than the traditional gesso I had the fortune to use earlier. So my old love for gesso has strirred awake! I think I will try to make some ^-^

Facing the formless void

This undefined bust is how I feel right now. The head in back is old work shes there for moral support. Saying see you have skill in there somewhere.

A formless void ..As if the future is cloudy and unformed just now. More so than usual. Are we at the eye of the storm or is something wonderous about to happen that changes everything?

I had a horrible crash tapering off the Efexor and I never fealt so sick in my life!Im jake now cept for some insomnia really! ^.^And if not Bah anyway! Im ready for my seat next to YOU and the dormouse!

I had some insight recently. I dont give a rats posterior about being in magazines or making a ton of green. Im not terribly impressed by most honors people wave around as proof of something. I dont wanna be a high productive machine. Id rather a few special people cherish my intimate artworks. Maybe pass them on to their kids later.. Thats good cause I had got caught up in feeling a bit guilty for not being the doll a week workhorse type. I imagine alot and research alot and thats part of the process I enjoy. Im not only fashioning the hollow semblance of a figure .I want to capture the soul and full story. You cant do that rushing to 3rd base. Wham bam thank ye mam! is good for making babies fast but, it makes a lousy lover!

I made some tiny food in an effort to feel I was doing something in ther direction of artfulness. Everytime I try to make a face I got some ugly thing. And not as in neat salty character! Ive even stopped work on Flame my ADO Challange peice because I started to strip ,carve away and redo and then strip down and redo over and over! I knew if I kept it up Id have a ruined peice!

I made an Amanita Muscara. I dont think theyre edible ,but see... my names in there.

And a cute morel. Something I cant mess up and finish quickWhew! Someday Id like to taste a morel after were properly introduced. They have a funky look as if they could poison you if they decided not to like you.

I started practicing making these fruit, and forest harvest for a future peice . I want a mediaeval gathering basket briming with bounty of nature. Including honey comb ,flowers, herbs .. maybe some handmade foods like buiscuit or cheese.

A summer abundance theme. Sounds like a positive peice huh? Just watch somehow I will have the best of intentions and something creepy will come of it! >:{ Hey I cant help it dont hate me for chanelling the angel that picked me!

You want my zombie dont you?

You want to buy her for large sums of moneyz.... Some strength ...surpising.. That was me using the voice! :)

I senced telepathicly some of you were wondering what happened to the zombie punk fairy and is she EVER going to finish or update on that!? She stands next to my puter and whenever something else is drying I do some touch to her. She has a base now so roots are slowly growing up her legs.

June is busting out all over !

Eventualy I want tiny pallid mushroom caps like skulls of faerie warriors long dead pushing up through the soil and enjoying a good mulch of black saplike zombie drippings. I bet you didnt know that zombies were eco freindly. She will stand back inside a banyan tree kind of cove or dank bower. Ive found such places in the woods behind waterfalls. Constantly wet ,mossy and dark. Creepy and yet invitingly hidden.

I must say I dont like her hair.. Too rainbowey! I wanted it to look like swamp moss,but punk too. ya know it!

her peircings chest, nipple and mons venus*sighs disapointedly* are just wire.

how Id love to have some decent peircings in teensy size.

And in other news...Tornado Nita has hit California!

This is part of my workspace today. my czhech buttons just arrived and are huge! I missread their size.

I can still use them though . They are like a mini figured sheild or I can use them on an art nouveau style bust.

This is only the right hand side of my computer. I usally work here while I check mail and do stuff online.

The rest of my new workshop looks similar! Every available spot has half completed work on it. its never been quite this scattered before! Oh in the back center right of my zombie you can see a face necklace that Pattee sent me!