Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau (As of April 29, 2022)

I worked on this project today, a wooden codfish cut-out that I am decorating for the annual Cod Auction held to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art.  This year, my fish is decorated with a pattern seen on the sidewalks of the beaches in Rio.  I am using collage, and I am almost finished, but there are some tiny gaps to fill.  Once that is done, I will paint the edges and back with silver paint. 

Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau (As of April 28, 2022)

Today I continued working on this project, a wooden codfish cutout that I am decorating for Marblehead Festival of Art's annual Codfish Auction.  This year, I am decorating my codfish with the pattern of black and white stones seen on the sidewalks near Copacabana Beach,  At this point, I am cutting and pasting small pieces of paper to close up the gaps in the background.  The process gets harder and more frustrating the closer I am to finished.  But I like the end result, so it is worth it.

Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau (as of April 27, 2022)

Today I worked on this project, a wooden codfish cutout that I am decorating for the Codfish Auction to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art.  The basic design is there, and now I am filling in the background.  This is slow going, but I made progress today.

Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau (As of April 26, 2022)

Today I continued working on "Rio Rita," the codfish that I am decorating for the annual Cod Auction to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art. This year, my codfish is going to be decorated with the black-and-white cobblestone design seen on the broad sidewalks along Brazilian beaches such as Copacabana. I recreated this pattern with collage, using some gift bags that I brought home from my most recent trip to Brazil. Today I continued worked on the head,  but also managed to get all the black lines in place on the fins and tail.  Now it is possible to see the design as a whole, even though the background is not yet filled it.  Cutting and pasting all the little pieces is a painstaking process,  but it is fun to see the  "Rio RIta" of my imagination become a reality.

Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau (Codfish project as of April 25, 2022)

Today I worked on this codfish, which I am decorating for the annual Cod Auction held by the Marblehead Festival of Art.  Every year, some 50 or so artists decorate wooden codfish which are displayed in Marblehead and then auctioned off. This year, I am decorating my codfish with the black-and-white cobblestone design seen on the promenades of Brazilian beaches, such as Copacabana beach, hence the name "Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau"*  I recreated this pattern with collage, beginning with some gift bags (wrapping paper) that I brought home from my last trip to Brazil.  I had to tweak the design to make it work on the body of the fish, so there was already a lot of cutting, pasting, and glue involve.  My original plan was to make the fins, tail, and head silver, but today I had a change of plan.  I decided to create the head, fins, and tail with the same paper, cutting out the black and white parts of the paper to create the design.  This is a lot more work, but I thought it would look a lot better.  I can already tell you that yes, it is a lot more work, but I can also tell you that I already like the results. 

"Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau", codfish project as of April 24, 2022

Over the past few days, I have applied gesso to my codfish "blank", so I will have a white, nonabsorbent surface to work on. And today I finally had a chance to really get this project started. This decorated codfish is for the Marblehead Festival of Art.  Every year, some 50 or so artists decorate wooden codfish which are displayed in Marblehead and then auctioned off to benefit Marblehead Festival of Art.  This year, I decided to use the black-and-white cobblestone design that you see on the promenades of Brazilian beaches, such as Copacabana beach.  And I decided to name my codfish "Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau"*  I am doing this with collage, beginning with some gift bags (wrapping paper) that I bought on my last trip to Brazil.  I am tweaking the design to make it conform to the body of the fish, so there is a lot of cutting and pasting, and I am all over glue. I already see some things that need to be fixed.  My plan is to make the fins, head, and tail of the fish solid silver, either paint or collage, still to be decided.

Reposting: "Snowcapped Mountains" (on display in "Artists of Porter Mill" show)

I am reposting this image,  the second of two paintings now on display in the annual "Artists of Porter Mill Show."  This is acrylic used with watermedia on Aquabord (16 x 20 inches).  Because this is acrylic, there is no needed for glass, and the 2 inch deep Aquabord "cradle" is the only frame needed.

Reposting: Near Glenwood (in "Artists of Porter Mill" show)

This is a painting of Glenwod Springs, Colorado, one of my favorite places. I am reposting this painting because it is currently on display in the "Artists of Porter Mill Show". This is acrylic used as watermedia, on a 16 x 20 Aquabord panel.

Reposting: Pikes Peak Daydream (on display at Porter Mill)

Here is the tenth of the ten paintings currently on display at Porter Mill, in the "Vitrine Gallery".  This one is called "Pikes Peak Daydream."  It is painted with acrylics used with water, on Aquabord 16 x 20 inches.  The Aquabord has a 2" cradle (border), so no frame is needed. 

Reposting: Mountain View from Garden of the Gods (on display at Porter Mill)

Here is another of my mountain landscapes now hanging in the lobby of Porter Mill Studios.  This one is called "Mountain View from Garden of the Gods", painted with acrylics used as watermedia.  It is 16 x 19 inches on a cradled Aquabord panel.

Reposting: Purple Mountains Majesty (Acrylic Watermedia) on display at Porter Mill

Here is another of the paintings I have on display at Porter Mill Studios.  This is called "Purple Mountains Majesty", and is painting with acrylic paint used as watermedia, on an Aquabord, 16 x 20.  The Aquabord is cradled (has a 2" sides), so there is no need to frame.

Reposting: Driving Toward Vail (Acrylic Watermedia) on display at Porter Mill

This mountain landscape is one of ten of my paintings currently on display at Porter Mill in the "Vitrine Gallery", all based on memories of my home state of Colorado. This is acrylic watermedia on cradled* Aquabord, 16 x 20 inches.

*This provides a "built-in" frame. 

Reposting: Mountains and Lake (Acrylic Watermedia) on display at Porter Mill

I am re-posting this now because this painting is on display in the "Vitrine Gallery" in the lobby of Porter Mill.  This is acrylic watermedia on Aquabord, 16 x 20".

Reposting: Purple Canyons (Acrylic Watermedia) on display at Porter Mill

Here is another of my paintings currently hung at Porter Mill, in the "Vitrine Gallery".  I painted this with acrylics used as watermedia, on a cradled Aquaboard 16 x 20 inches.

Reposting: Snowscene from Boulder Overlook (Acrylic Watermedia)

 

I am reposting this painting, which is also currently on display at Porter Mill, in the "Vitrine Gallery." This is acrylic watermedia on a cradled panel, 16 x 20 inches. 

Reposting: Loveland Pass in Midsummer (on display at Porter Mill)

This is another of my paintings now on display at Porter Mill, in the first floor display case.  This one is called "Loveland Pass in Midsummer," acrylic watermedia on Aquabord, 16 x 20 inches.

Reposting: Above Breckenridge (now on display at Porter Mill)

Here is another of my paintings, currently on display in the first floor "Vitrine Gallery" at Porter Mill.  This one is titled "Above Breckenridge." It is acrylic watermedia on a cradled Aquabord, 16 x 20 inches.

Codfish "Blank" (For Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau)

On Sunday,  I picked up my pre-cut "codfish blank" in Marblehead.  I am going to decorate it for the annual "Codfish Auction" to benefit Marblehead Festival of the Arts.  This year I plan to decorate my codfish with the black-and-white stone wave pattern seen on the promenade of Copacabana beach.  I always name my codfish project, and this year, I am going to call her  "Rio Rita, Brazilian Bacalhau."  That's the plan, but right now, the codfish blank is still really just blank. All I have done so far is sand the edges. But here is "Rio Rita to Be," sitting in the sun.  I liked the shadows cast by the window blinds, so I took this picture.

Reposting: Estes Park Memory (now on display at Porter Mill)

I decided to (re)post the paintings that are currently on display at Porter Mill, in the window display on the first floor ("Vitrine Gallery").  So here is the first of the paintings: Estes Park Memory.  It is acrylic watermedia on a cradled Aquabord panel, 16 x 20.  

Blue and Green Wooden Necklace with Green Stones and Carved Accent Bead

I finished this necklace today.  I used wooden beads in olive green and blue, with green stones and a large wooden bead carved with a leaf pattern.  This can be worn with the accent beads in the center, or to the side.

Mountain Landscapes on Display at Porter Mill

Yesterday, I took some of my mountain landscapes to Porter Mill to be hung in the first floor hallway, in a big glassed display case called the "Vitrine".  The display case is about 3 feet off the ground, and it is big enough to stand up and walk around in.  I wasn't sure how many paintings would work in that space.  I was thinking six, but brought eight just in case.  It turned out that  I needed ten, but luckily I had some additional paintings upstairs in the studio.  It took a while to figure out the best order for the paintings, but I was happy with how the display turned out.  I had to take pictures so I could get the titles in the right order for the list.  While I was at it, I poked my cell phone inside the display case and took a quick video.  I wanted to improve on the video, but my phone died! The paintings will be up for about six weeks (including during Open Studios), so I will get a chance to take more pictures.  Meanwhile, here's the little video, with a big thank you to Porter Mill!

Necklace with Orange Stones and Carved Wooden Accent

Open Studios is coming up at Porter Mill, and I have been making jewelry.  Here is a necklace that I finished a couple of days ago. I started with wooden beads accented by gold metallic spheres. I added two orange stones framing a carved wooden bead to create the focus point. This necklace can be worn so that the focus point is in the center, as is traditional, but it also can be worn asymmetrically, with accent beads worn higher and to one side, like a decorative pin. 

Freesia Blossoms

I was looking through my photos for something else when I found a photo of Freesia blossoms.  Although I took this picture back on December 3rd, it somehow got lost in the mix and didn't get the attention it deserved.  So I cropped it and retouched it a bit, and here it is now.

Hy and Ruth at La Bate's (Rescued Photo)

Among my Dad's photos sent to me a few years ago, I found a picture of my parents seated at a booth with another couple. I had never seen this photo before.  But then I looked more closely and noticed a number of problems that might explain why I hadn't seen it, but I thought I could solve them on the computer.  And I decided to that today, because my parents were married on April 4, 1943.  The 5 x 7 photo was in a cardboard frame with folder, and on the inside of the front flap is a business card announcing: "La Bate's Club Tavern, Dining and Dancing Nitely" and also lists a Denver address (7795 N. Federal Blvd). Looks like they were out dining and dancing with another couple, unknown to me. And now for the problems. First,  in the original photo, my father was missing his front tooth. Hmm,  I had heard stories that during his time overseas, he had some kind of altercation during which someone had punched him and knocked his tooth out.  So this dated the photo as very soon after my Dad came back from overseas, before he had time for dental work.  So I opened the image in Painter, enlarged it, and drew in the missing tooth.  Next up: my mother's lipstick was smeared and my father's collar and tie were askew.  I started to smile, wondering if they had been necking in the parking lot or something.  It was easy to fix the smeared lipstick with some digital pastel, but harder to redraw and fix the collar and tie. After that, another problem remained: a woman's coat (my mother's, probably) had been  thrown over the back of the booth, and it was sliding down and and hiding part of my father's sleeve. I redrew the missing part of the sleeve and cropped out the rest of the coat.  I also cropped the photo to frame just my parents, simplified the background behind my Mom, and that's when I noticed that my Dad had his arm around her.  Finally, I got rid of the cigarette my mother was holding (something I was never able to do in real life), and closed up the open pack on the table.  It took a bit of doing to rescue this photo, but I am really happy with the result, well worth it for the look on my mother's face and my father's smile, and  I am also happy with the process, for what I learned by spending a little time working with this image and remembering my parents.  

Green and Gold Earrings and Necklace

Here are the green and gold earrings that I made recently, along with the matching necklace.

Green and Gold Earrings

Earlier this week, I made these earrings with olive green wooden beads, lime green semi-precious stones (howlite), and gold colored metallic beads.  I matched these earrings to a necklace I made previously so I could give them together as a gift.  Tomorrow I will post a photo of the earrings with the necklace.