Blank Canvas

I have saved over 10 years of magazine lettering and calligraphy. I sit staring at a white computer screen. I feel like I feel when am sitting in front of and white stretched canvas I am paralysis. I must admit that I am a art supply and materials hoarder. I thought it would help if I would work on this blogging thingie, but like the canvas and entering a new journey with my art; my mind and muse are silenced.  I started this blog several years ago and visit sites of other people. There is some awesome and talented people in cyber-space and at age 65 years or so, I still feel like that four year old who was practically thrown to a classroom with other children all taller than me. I had  heard stories about this strange place brought home from at my older cousin, two months, along with boasting of having a brown bag lunch like the ones Nana made for my grandfather to take to work.


One day my grandmother braided my hair along with a morning bath. Without words, she held my hand as she pulled me through the neighborhood and down paths of concrete and bushes.  Nana left me with a swift about-face, a whisper to the white lady standing in front of the room.  Her instruction to me was to stand outside in front of the school and wait for my cousin so that we could walk home together. Speaking in whispering voice, the white lady spoke softly as she pointed towards  a pad of newsprint draped over an easel. Jars of  blue, green, red, black and yellow color lined a little shelf at the bottom of the little stand. Tall thin brushes stood inside the containers. My mother claims that I could call out colors since I was two years old.  My love with art supplies and school started then.

8" x 11" canvas paneled in a shadow box of cedar. This is made with a collage of wrapping paper, magazine "clip-art" from my lettering and calligraphy stash. The birds just happen to be flying around on that day.  I need some more practice with my photographic work.  "HOPE" was created during a period in my life where healing was needed.

I enjoy mixed-media art (too fun for words!!), I have dabbled with all kinds of mediums since that first day of kindergarten and I guess that is when my art adventure began. I discovered with oil painting as soon as I discovered that you could paint on canvas board and that came without numbers.

My old paintings 2003

I spend a lot of time practicing and practicing my art. Even at my age experimenting this something you might like to do. I like to play with the art supplies and materials to see how they interact with one another breaking the rules that I learned in college. Rules that include never used black never use white when creating watercolor paintings. I never considered myself as being an "ethnic" artist (if there is such a person) but instead I took on A persona of being an artist who happened to be born a woman who happened to be african-American. Fortunately, I had instructors that saw the art even when I could not. It was just too much a part of me.

I hundred and 40 pound watercolor paper with acrylic

Gray lady series with demensional hair painted on Masonite board

Acrylic on prepared Masonite board

Nana looking at the Moon

The color purple- I love painting backgrounds and practing dark skin tones  acrylic on board

Miesha Women

Acrylic and fabric collage 

Cash prize from Inland Empire art show

I was trying to paint a man's face but they always seem to look like women or my face. I think I was playing around with yellow background .

This was a small painting and one of my favorites. It is called "Serenity" around 5"x7" on 140 lb watercolor block with watercolor and acrylic

All of these paintings were created with professional grade art supplies. All have been sold or given away (I love trading art for goods).  I am just sharing the old to make room for the new. 

another birthday

Today is my birthday. I do not know how I got to be age 63 years and such a short time. My closest sister and I were the same age on the day before yesterday. In other words, we were both the same age and not twins for two days. I have other sisters, but Elaine has always been in my life since I can remember. We pretty much agree on things we agree about. Disagree on a lot of issues as far as East meeting West. Our favorite colors are the same, both of our moral compasses waiver only slightly. She loves books and working in a garden. I love art and looking at gardens.  Even in our sixties, we laugh like we did when were little girls. My sister has always been my Theo (you know who that was even you know anything about the life of Vincent Van Gogh) both on all levels.  My sister helps me to keep my mental center. I mean she really tries. She is the optimist to my pessimism. She is my secret place and where I feel safe when I am sure the boogie-man is still chasing me. She is my hero.  When I feel like I want to scream and smash something, she tells me it is OK...because all of us are a little crazy. 

Last week I saw an day time show where the host had these blogger who apparently "over shared" information on the Internet.  I have always been one to supply the world with TMI. Sorta like writing a word on a dollar bill and seeing if it comes back to me. I doubt if I will run for president of the US or seek a career change any time soon and at this point in time care one-way-or-another what I say about anything. So I will probably be "over sharing" in this blog. If you do not want to see your name in print...this will not be a hang out place for you.  I believe that art heals, but I have not picked up a brush in over a month. I am trying to stop taking anti-depressants on my own and with the encouragement of my sister. I feel as if I am going through an emotional mine (mind) field, but some art making may come out of this. I hope so. In the meantime, have a good day.

Frieda for Stephanie F

I painted my interpretation of "Frieda" on an 8 1/2" X 11" canvas panel while attempting experiment with "grunge" art. I have been playing around with several mixed mediums and observing the techniques of so many wonderful online artists. I wanted to try some of the things I use to do artistically. Having at least 400 CLEAN rubber stamps that I purchased from my late friend, Vickie Enkroff,  I decided to try some out on this canvas. I was trying to loosen up and get "crazy" with my painting. I found a 5 gallon can of gesso (over 20 years old) that was still workable and went to work on painting everything white; attempting to get enough nerve to put some color on my palette. Thus came "Frieda" (if you did not recognize those eyebrows) that I painted for my friend Stephanie F. because she loves the artist's work.

Stephanie and I are both dialysis patient and that keeps you hooked up to machines for most of the day, but I wanted to finish the little painting so that I would have an excuse to meet her for lunch. and give it her as a present (do not tell her). I felt something was messing from the piece, but called it finished. I was not jumping up about it.  It resembled one of my many ATC/AECO that I have painting hundreds of times and was trying to get away from the style for now.  After several coats of acrylic varnish, I finally turned it over to my hubby so that he could make a simple wooden frame for my first painting since 2003yr. The canvas panel warped a little because of all the wet layers of polymers and water mediums I used. Per hubby, a lot warped, but he was just happy to see me picking up a paint brush again (another day, another story). So my loving art conservator all-around-handyman, went about his work. He layed the painting face down on some kind of rubber shelf lining material and placed three small oxygen tanks on top of the back of it to make it lay flat.  After about a week, I asked him about the progress of the wooden frame...

Do you see those blue dots one side of the face?  Blue rubber shelf lining stuff!! I could feel tears coming and looked up to see a face of terror staring back at me; waiting for a my reaction as he spilled out apologies for messing up my painting. NOW, I am an artist (and a wife of over 20 years) and with that comes a certain amount of melodrama (and I can be good at it). I could see that husband was waiting for me to bite his head off his shoulders. But (hating to admit it) I liked the dots better.  What do you think?

Art, Heart & Healing - Week 1 - It's ok to be who you need to be! - Art Journal Spread - willowing & friends

Art, Heart & Healing - Week 1 - It's ok to be who you need to be! - Art Journal Spread - willowing & friends

IMHO (or How I look at it): Layered & Textured Backgrounds: Art Journaling Tips & Tricks (Download) - Interweave

IMHO (or How I look at it): Layered & Textured Backgrounds: Art Journaling Tips & Tricks (Download) - Interweave

I actually downloaded this...I have been watching Paula on You Tube for about a week now. She has become one of my favorite muse. I love her teaching style and the everyday way she uses in explaining her art and best of all the supplies. I feel a kinship to her and I think you will too. Paula's inspiration caused me to once again subscribe to the "Cloth Paper Scissors" magazine. The magazine was good before, but now they have these "workshop" downloads making it more interesting. Try it you may like this stuff. Hugs and Chocolate kisses from LynnB

Layered & Textured Backgrounds: Art Journaling Tips & Tricks (Download) - Interweave

Layered & Textured Backgrounds: Art Journaling Tips & Tricks (Download) - Interweave