Wire Wrap Crystals

Thanks to a day with my friend Cheryl Davis, I have been having such fun wire wrapping the crystals that I got on our crystal dig at Mt Ida. AR.

This is just a few samples of the fun.

So far, I have done 20 wraps.  So maybe more pictures to come.

They are simple and wild designs that are inspired by the stone itself.

Turquoise, Rose Quartz, and Crystal

 Fired Clay and Crystal

 Agape Crystal

Garnet Chips and Crystal

Photo shoot around Holly Lake Ranch

Riding around HLR on the golf cart for a photo shoot.

Gathering some painting material I think.

So much beautiful scenery and wildlife.

2012

From Wilder Art Studio

May this year be filled with 

Love, Smiles, and Joy!

card image from 

http://www.hallmark.com/product/greeting-photo-cards/new-years-day/

Wishing A Very Merry Christmas

to All!

Absolutely Artistic Reiki

I would like to invite you to my new blog about Reiki and Healing Art.

Absolutely Artistic Reiki

Small oil landscape study

Country Road
8x10
oil on canvas

This weeks study for my summer series.
I am not at all pleased with this one. I will redesign my compostion
and begin again.

This Weeks Addition to My Summer Series

Farm and Field

24x36

Oil on Canvas

This week's addition was started earlier.  But I decided to include it in the summer series. This is a old farm place not far from my house.  I took pictures years ago and have painted many versions of it in watercolor and pastel through the years.  The farm has sold and the big sycamores are gone now.  Glad I still have the photos.

Beginning My Summer Series of Oil Landscapes

Red Roof
Oil Landscape
Canvas 16x20

Here is the first in my summer series of Oil Landscapes. My goal is to paint a minimum of ten landscapes and then ten still life paintings. I know ten is not a big goal.  So I should be very happy with my accomplishment when I actually see that I have painted many more.   

This may seem like I am venturing off in a new direction for many of you.  For the past 10 years, I have shown mostly abstract watermedia.  But oil and pastel are really my roots and I am yearning to return to those roots.  

What I hope to show myself as well as all of you, is a growth in composition, value and color through a dedicated study this summer.  Wow,  now I am making a big commitment to live up too.
For a limited time, this summer, while my series is in the works,  I am offering the purchase of these paintings at a special price.  $200.  Just click the buy button.
I better get to work!  I have a lot to do.  Hope you will enjoy seeing my post.  And comments are always welcome.

Judging Apples and Oranges

I had the pleasure and honor of judging an art exhibit this morning.  It is always a challenge to judge art.  But this exhibit was a extra challenge.
The exhibit was a group of talented artists of various mediums, including wood turning, jewelry, pottery, stone sculpture, watercolor, and oil paintings. There were 13 artists set up with booths of their work for an exhibition and sale.  Each artist chose one work that would be judged for 4 awards, Best of Show, First, Second, and Third.  Now my challenge was to structure my criteria to judge apples to oranges, so to speak.  I came up with a point system.  I created my list of criteria categories  with :
1.  WOW factor..........meaning catching my eye, bringing me in and making me want to take a closer look.
2.  Technique/Skill.............how well did the pieces demonstrate mastery of the medium.
3.  Creativity/Originality..............I was looking for thought provoking, or handled in a new or unusual way,
 or different approach than the common.
4. Design....................good composition and design principles.

Each category would get points judged from 1 to 5  with 5 being perfection.
It worked very well for me and I felt like I was able to judge each piece on its on merits and not against each other.
It is always hard to only give a few awards when there are so many good pieces in a show.  This was a very small show and I must say that they all get a "job well done" from me.
Congratulations to the awards winners!

Journaling the Journey of Discovery

As I begin to collect my journals last night,  I planned out the journals I would begin to work with.  I knew I wanted one titled "Gratitude",  one for " flow writing" (which would be message from my higher self and my guides), and one for "Art Notes", and one for "Dreams".  I am sure there will be more to come.
With this new plan for writing, it seemed somehow easier to begin writing.  In the past it all seemed to jumble up into just wild unclear thoughts with lots of starts and no finishes.
I am also visualizing getting creative and decorating these journals, but that will come later.  Getting down to writing is the important thing.
I am sharing with you this journal entry from last night.  I know it was a clear message for me and my questions.
I thought that many of you would also make sense with the message.  So if it helps you,  I am so glad to share with you.
"Journaling is one your many visions of yourself.  Some are true to who you are and some are illusions of who you want to appear.  As you begin to search within and ask your heart what it wants in order to fulfill what you came to earth to be, you will see more clearly and enjoy the true desires of your heart.
Do not feel as a failure for those that you can't achieve.  Put your energy in the things that allow your heart to sing and your light to shine to the world.  Begin your journal and see what desires come forth  that you have yet to dream.  Listen in silence and without judgement.  Be willing to accept what gifts you have been blessed with.  Writing is a natural ability for you and one talent that your should have faith in and share. You think you have nothing to say but the truth of the writing is that you have much to discover through your writing."

How I started my art journals

Page from one of my sketchbooks/journals.

Here is a website about journaling.  I got some great ideas and inspiration from Aisling's Personal Art Journals.  So I wanted to share it with all of you who might be interested in creating exciting journals for your thoughts, creative ideas or just for getting at all that stuff that swims around in your head.
I now have a cleared idea of how to utilize that collection of pretty, yet empty journals on my book shelf.

Would love to hear some of your ideas on journaling.  When do you write?  Why do you write? and  do you share any of it or keep some secret?
Let me know in the comments section.

How I started my art journals
Excerpt:
Generally, I have a couple of journals going. From 1999 - 2001, when I was approaching my divorce, I kept an angry one that no one will ever see. It's unattractive, but it kept me from venting too inappropriately sometimes. Pain and rage were scribbled on its pages. I was processing a lot of anguish.

If I see a time in my life that is unique or compartmentalized--a journey, or time alone, or a very intense teaching schedule or something like that--I'll create a journal just for that theme alone.

Then there's my everyday journal. It's at hand for my random thoughts, sketches, bits of paper & receipts, and collages. Sometimes it has a theme, but usually it's just my everyday journal. The theme may seem obvious later.

excerpt: