Creation of a Phoenix ~ Part Two

Part Two: The Head
Yes, I am going to tease you and only show you bits and pieces.  

It took me months to paint this one, so I need to slowly expose her.
What I will tell you is that the 3 pictures above come from the face and head.  If you have been following along all year (2014) then you might notice a few things are different about Phoenix #7.  As you may be aware, each Phoenix has morphed and changed.  This one is no exception.  The more astute will recognize that the beak has changed.  Some of things that have morphed are; around the eye has gotten more elaborate. The Phoenix seems to be flaming just a bit differently.  Oh, and there is more yellow in this one.  To see how they've morphed over the year, Click Gallery. 

At this point in the painting things were moving along quite quickly.  Each day more and more of the canvas was being covered.  I was thinking to myself, at this rate I'll be blazing my way through this painting in no time.  One must never assume the Muse has the same idea as I was soon to find out......
Yup, this is where I am leaving you.  As they say, leave them wanting more. :-)

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Creation of a Phoenix ~ Part One

Part One: The beginning
I must confess.  I've been holding out on all of you.  I started this painting back in April and didn't actually finish it till the first week of November.  I didn't realize it had taken me so long to paint this Phoenix, but........... I guess it did. Apparently I am a slow painter! :-)
It is 24"x36" the largest painting I've done in about 2 years.
Of course I am going to tease you a bit before I unveil the finished painting.  It took me 6 months to paint.  I can't share the full monty right off the bat.  That just wouldn't be fair.
This piece took me about 3 weeks of sketching and decision making, such as what size canvas to use before any paint touched the canvas.
Starting with a clean palette and my favorite colors of paint. I picked up my beloved palette knife, crossed my fingers and hope for the best.  Starting with the eye (yes, I always start with the eye) I put down a mark of paint, stopped thinking and let the muse take over. It is usually best for me to stop thinking.  Thinking just gets in the way and reeks all sorts of havoc!
With that, this is where I shall leave you hanging till the next post.  Which hopefully won't take me 6 months to write. LOL

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Phoenix Series Continues

Meet Calliope

The latest Phoenix in my series

and

the one I've been teasing you with. 

Calliope
24"x24" Original Palette Knife Oil Painting
on Gallery Wrapped Canvas
Click for a Closer Look

"Calliope"
The muse of epic poetry and Inspiration.
Almost from the very beginning of this painting
I knew her name was going to be
Calliope.
I don't know why?
I just knew that had to be her name.
Calliope is usually depicted with a tablet, writing scroll
or wearing a gold crown.
The gold/yellow light around her head was
already painted before I looked up the
meaning of Calliope.
So yes, she was always meant to be
Calliope.

Apparently she also wanted swirling
fiery tendrils
and the first to have claws and talon.
She took a bit longer then I expected
but I think she was worth the wait.

Sorry this is not the best of pictures
but if I waited till I had her
professionally photographed
you might be waiting a very long time to see her.
And we couldn't have that!

As always, thank you for letting me sharing
my art with you.

If you haven't seen it yet,
I have a Brand NEW Website
Please feel free to go have a look see.

You can also find me on
Pinterest and Instagram

Just a Tease

Just in case everyone out there is thinking that I've been 

slacking when it comes to painting. 

I'll give you a little tease to the piece I've been working on 

for quite some time now.

It's 24"x24" oil on gallery wrapped canvas

and of course being created with my beloved palette knife.

Lots of wet paint here which can become 

a bit of a hazard as you'll see.

Sorry that the photos are a bit blurry.

They are taken with my phone and my left hand.

Not the best combination for great pics! :-)

Thanks for letting me tease you just a bit.

Just another day of swirls

Closing in on corner #2 and just a little peek of blue

Tendrils and Talons, oh my!

Corner #3. Only a side and a corner left to go!

This is what happens when you're  right handed
and you decide to paint from right to left.
Not the first time that has happened nor the
last, I am sure. 

Also be on the look out for the unveiling of my new website!

Just another little project that I've been working on. 

My goal is to have it up and running July 1st-ish. 

In the meantime, feel free to visit my current website

or follow my painting progress on Instagram

En Fuego

En Fuego
16"x20" Oil on Canvas
Available

Another Phoenix has risen.
I never know when I start painting what
the outcome will be.
I just start with a rough idea and go from there.  
Sometimes that can be a bit frustrating during 
the birthing process. 
Most of the time I love the  surprise 
of the outcome.
This Phoenix decided that it wanted to be wrapped
in a cape of fiery wings.  
Hence the name, "En Fuego" on fire.

If your interested in this painting, please email me.
It is not presently available on my website 
as I am in the process of creating a new website.
I apologize for any inconvenience. 

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Return of the Phoenix

"Isis"
12"x24" original Oil on gallery wrap Canvas
SOLD

As some of you know, 
my muse has had a wee bit of a fascination
with the Mythical Creature 
The Phoenix.

This is the third Phoenix I've painted and I'll let the cat out of the bag,
there are more on the way.
I finished this one just before Thanksgiving.
Yes, I am a little behind in posting my paintings. 
These Phoenix's just seem to want to flow out 
of me and insist on being born.
I loved that my muse gave her such
an elaborate headdress and lots of color. 
As well as the cosmos background. 
One note of interest that I see anyway,
is the wing can also be seen 
as other objects when just looking at the wing. 
Which is a pleasant plus.
Do you see anything besides a wing?

As always, thanks for letting me share my artwork with you.
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Bloom True ~ Week 5

The Fifth and Final week

This week had me feeling quite stuck and frustrated. 

I was missing the fun, loose relaxed abstractness of 

the first couple of weeks.  

I kept looking at my two canvases wondering where on

earth these were going to take me and not sure

it was going to be anywhere. 

I must admit I was a bit disappointed when I realized

that at the end of the 5 weeks I wasn't going to

end up with a finished painting. 

At the writing of this blog, a few weeks past week 5, I have

only finished one of the canvases. 

Which is canvas one. 

Though after looking at the pictures and being 

reminded of how colorful it was I am not 

100% thrilled with the outcome. 

But you'll have to wait to see the finished piece. 

Canvas One
Layer 9  This was the Peacock canvas

Canvas One
Layer 10

Canvas Two
Layer 9

Canvas Two
Layer 10  Got Bold and added marks and color

I will admit it was fun to be Brave, Bold and 

step out of my comfort zone.  

I did learn that I love to paint with me fingers and dripping

dropping and letting the paint run.

I can see myself creating abstracts in the future

using the technique of the first few layers
but no more black and white for this girl.

It'll be interesting to see if I integrate 

any of these techniques into my daily painting life?

For now, I'll say that I am happily back to my beloved oils

with my best friend colors.

I did procrastinate getting back to the canvas,

but now that I am back I've been 

painting daily. 

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Blooming True ~ Week 4

Apparently I am a little behind on my posting.  

Travel and birthday's and such diverted my attention 

for a little bit.  

Week 4 was about vulnerability,

lessons learned, work with what's working 

and stepping up to the edge being brave.  

Easier said then done for all of the above.

To have the courage to be vulnerable, like sharing layers 

of paintings when you have no idea where they are going. 

Lessons learned, like what colors mix and make 

beautiful colors.  And maybe not every step of the 

process in this course works for everyone.

Finding a color, a spot or a line that you like in 

the painting to expand upon. 

Stepping up to the edge of fear  and being willing

to step off the edge and see what happens. 

I found the below quote in week 4 and it really spoke to me.

Be willing to step up to the edge and "let go"

Which is right there with my theme for 2014

of letting go. 

Below are week 4's layers. 

Thinking at this point that Canvas 1 is going to turn

 into peacock feathers? 

Canvas One
Layer 7

Canvas One
Layer 8 

Canvas Two
Layer 7

As you've probably figured out by now,
don't get too attached to any part of these paintings
as I can promise they will continue to evolve and change! :-)
With one week of the course left to go,
I am thinking there will Not be a finished painting
at the end of next week.

Follow my progress on Instagram
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For more info on the Bloom True E-Course

Blooming True ~ Week 3

Week 3 of Bloom True had us finding Inspiration

What things enliven us? 

What stirs our soul?

Also finding/having Gratitude for all things.

Big. Small. Everything in Between

You are probably seeing by now, this course isn't 
just a course about painting but life as well.

Our painting days are Tuesday's and Friday's each week.

Tuesday's week 3 layer was incorporating 

personal imagery. 

For some reason this had me holding back. 

Maybe it was due to the fact I was really NOT liking

my paintings since the black and white layer. 

Maybe a little bit of fear creeping in

that I was going to make even more of a disaster

on the canvas then what was already there.

But I decided to hold off on this layer till after I
had seen Friday's lesson.

In the meantime, one of our exercises was to get out in Nature. 

Now this I can do!  

As some of you know, one of my favorite things to do

is to head to red rock canyon and do some hiking.

So off to red rocks I went to spend some time

with Mother Nature. 

Here are just 2 of the pictures I took while I was there.  

Calico Basin in Red Rock Canyon

Yes there are plants in the desert
Mother Nature's Mandela

Friday came and it was time to bite the bullet 
and add some imagery. 

Insert deep breath here.

After hanging with these 2 canvases for the past week 

and seeing if anything was speaking to me,
which honestly wasn't much!

This is what came of week 3's session.
I will say, I am not in love with the outcome 
and as you can see, I stayed away from B&W.
But as Flora says, we are exactly where we are suppose to be.
I sure hope she's right! LOL

Canvas One Layer 6 

Canvas Two Layer 6
No the face wasn't planned

A couple of things I've learned during the process so far:

 I prefer not to have music playing while I paint.
Or at least for now.

This I knew from my oil painting but it was suggested

to listen to music to help you "flow."

Apparently, my muse flows quite nicely in silence.

I prefer to paint with my fingers.

That 24"x24" canvases are too limiting and I should 

have gone with larger canvases.
I am sure there will be other lessoned learned as 
the process continues. 

Curious to see how the layers evolve in Week 4? 
Me too! 

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For info on The Bloom True Workshop

Blooming True ~ Week Two

Sorry I am a bit behind with my blog post.

I had a little computer interruptous!

My trusty old (7 year old) laptop has decided she's a bit tired. :-(

Apparently, in Apple terms, she is obsolete. 

After a week with the tech, a good rest and a new computer on it's way.

I am giving it my best shot to get this post out before the old gal

decides to not work again. 

Week Two of Bloom True 

had us "Letting Go"

Which is great since that is my theme for this year as well. 

We were encouraged to RELEASE whatever

is getting in our way of being able to 

Play. Be Silly. Be Messy

When we "let go" of something we make room to "let in" something new.

As I stood before my canvases to add a third layer,

I put on some good music and did my best to 

let go of the critic in my head. 

The only rule was to be free and just put paint on the canvas.

I was hoping to show you what both canvases looked like

after the third layer.  However, I am once again

experiencing technical difficulties.  :-( 

Canvas 1
After third layer

As with the first two layers, I was able to let go more on Canvas One, 

but surprisingly I really liked both canvases and was amazed at how

different they were from each other.  Even though I used the 

same colors on both. 

I am so bummed I can't get Canvas 2 to load!

Later on in the week we were to add a fourth layer.

This time using just black and white. 

The rule for this layer was:

To commit to painting layer 4 with pure wild abandon!

I think I took the wild abandon to heart. 

However, afterwards I realized that using black and white sparingly

might have been a wiser move.

Canvas 1
B&W layer 

Canvas 2
B&W layer

After the B&W layer was done, I was definitely not liking 

these canvases as much anymore.

We had one more layer to go in week two and that was a

translucent layer. 

I thought to myself, this has got to help cover up all this white! 

Again still not loving the result.

I had definitely entered into what is called "the awkward teenage phase" 

of my paintings. 

Canvas 1
Translucent Layer

Canvas 2
Translucent Layer

What happens in week three, you get to wait just like I had to

to find out where these canvases are going?

Only time will tell.

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A rocky start to the New Year

The New Year started of with a Bang!

And not necessarily a good one.

Apparently I picked up the H1N1 flu, or something just a bad

and on Jan.2 I was down and out for the count.

It took me close to 3 weeks to start feeling human again.

Needless to say, that was pretty much all she wrote for January.

Getting back into the creative groove has been a bit challenging.

So to try and kick start the creative juices I decided to try

something new and completely out of the box. 

I signed up for a 5 week online art workshop called Bloom True

with Flora Bowley. 

Last week was the start of the workshop.

Monday had me setting up a new creative space for myself.
Needed a separate acrylic painting station 
away from my oil paints and needed 
to protect the walls and carpets from being covered with paint.
Which was a smart move! LOL

Day 1
Adding a creative space next to my
sacred morning journaling space. 

Tuesday had me working in acrylic (a medium I know nothing about),
dropping paint on canvases, spraying water to make things drip
and finger painting. 
Yes, I am totally outside my comfort zone! 
But I must say was a whole lot of fun!

Day 2
Dropping paint on the canvas on the floor
Painting with my hands on the wall canvas

 Day 3 had me creating a positive affirmation and making a

deck of cards with positive, empowering words on them.

I decided to take a "study" I had done on paper quite some time ago,
 cut it out and use it

to put my affirmation on as well as my positive words.

I didn't see the symbolism until after I had completed the exercise.

The empowering words emerging has been quite powerful!

Day 3
Affirmation Goddess

Day 4 my exercise was to take a "selfie"

I will say this was quite the challenging exercise.

But after about 20 takes, I did manage to get a picture I like.

Apparently, this angle and lighting takes about 20 pounds off!

Wish it were that easy! LOL

Must remember this angle for the future!

Day 4
My selfie

Day 5 our exercise was to take cool colors and pretty much cover

our canvases trying to "Let Go" and not think the whole

time your putting color on the canvas.  

Much easier said then done. 

I was able to "let go" much more on 

canvas one but my head started to kick in on 

canvas two!

Day 5
Putting cool colors over the warm colors
This is the finger painted canvas

Day 5
Putting cool colors over the warm colors
This the drop and spray canvas

I will say, it has been a LOT of fun getting my fingers into the paint!

Will continue to try to "Let Go" and Let Happen on the canvas.

It'll definitely be interesting to see where this journey takes me! :-)

To  check out Flora Bowley's 

online course, click the link below.

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