Halfway Down The Road.....

Me, walking this road, one step at a time....

It seems like ages since I have posted, and I really had planned to be off blog until everything was done. But I've hit the halfway point in my treatments today, and I have to admit that overall, time has flown.
I want to thank the many generous bloggers who have stopped by to wish me well, encourage me and keep the Blog Mistress firmly pointed down the road to getting well. You are all much more than any one blogger deserves, and it is humbling. The blogging community is a strong force of nature, in my opinion!
I'm doing good; I've had to learn to REST and not try and do everything I think I should do, so housework was the first to fall off the list. ;-)  In my down time, I've done a heck of a lot of knitting (no dent made in the yarn stash yet...*sigh*) and I've even shot a few photos, though I don't believe I've uploaded them to the computer....not sure.
I'm signed up for and anxiously awaiting the beginning of Michael DeMeng's new online class; "Crusted, Crumpled and Cracked".

(which, on any given day, could describe ME...LOL!)

Maybe that's why I'm so pumped about it....Or maybe it's the fact that some of the old Anne is shining through and finding you can fight the physical battles and still function and make art, or something close. Or something!
Anyway, when I have finished all the running to and from the hospital, I'll be back to fill everyone in. 
Unless I make something weirdly beautiful, and I might pop in with a photo, but I'm still officially on blog break, okay? :-D
Until then, find something beautiful to contemplate upon....

....every single day. I do. Life is very very good.


Pax....

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend! (no, not THAT kind!!!!)

Now that's more like it. 
THOSE are the type of *diamonds* I am talking about! The type you can WORK WITH. heeheehee!
I am a tool girl. I just love them, and recently made a quick trip into a local supply store, only to come out with a small, heavy bag and a lighter wallet. That seems to be the way things work. But, in my defense, it was full of things I had been waiting for a long while to buy.

I still am in search of the perfect pair of very tapered pinch nose pliers since I broke one of the sides off my good pair, but I did acquire some delightfully useful tools.  ;-) 
Not to be confused with people we call a *tool* for various reasons that have nothing to do with usefulness.....
A nice set of steel stamps, nippers, some electrical fuses strictly for altering into who knows what (glass tubes with metal--how can you resist???), cutting discs for the Dremel, along with ALL...THOSE...BITS...   *swoon*
And then the prize of the day, the baby pliers. Yes, a couple of pair of adult pliers had some quality time alone in the factory at night and thus was brought forth:

These little darlings! In three different tips shapes too....
I am always needing something small to retrieve things, and large pliers occasionally just can't do the job. I think my heart skipped a beat when I found these.
And the timing on all this was perfect as MDM put up the link to sing up for Art Lab #2 about two days later, so I am fully equipped! Well, except fot the leather tool apron, and that is still on my want list.
They didn't have any in black with shiny studs....just the boring split cowhide.
But I can dream.
An artist has to look good as they are deconstructing and reconstructing *things*.
Maybe just goggles and some opera length black leather gloves with heavy metal snaps.  ;-D
(it takes little to amuse me.....)
Ahem....sorry for the short digression. At any rate, I am ready to try out everything and start some serious destruction around El Milagro.
Hopefully nothing structural. I need my studio.




Pax....

DeMeng Delivery -- DELIGHTFUL!!!

Yesterday's mail held a delightful package. As I pulled the container out of the mailbox and noticed the return address, I knew immediately what it was and hoped I did not manage to drop it from excitement before returning to the house! It was the prize from the colorwash competition held in Michael deMeng's "ArtLab #1" on line class. (ArtLab #2 is coming soon to a computer near YOU!)
I gently peeled the tape off and nestled inside was this utterly amazing piece of art.....
Let me say this; photography is a wonderful medium and you, my readers, know I love it. But to hold an actual piece of art IN HAND that you have only seen on video, from an artist whose work you have studied in books....well....it is day and night. The attention to tiny details absolutely blows me away.
This close up gives an idea:

The work is 3" x 6" but is so incredibly rich and textured, it visually reads much larger. The eye has much to consider  and soak in; the juxtaposition of delicate and industrial is perfect. That is the part that I find hard to express through photo or word.
It is balanced art in so many ways.
It is a gem in a weathered container.
Tough and delicate, dark and light, heavy and fragile.
Exceptional!
Also enclosed was one of the show announcement cards from the opening of "Strange Angels" and I have to say, I would LOVE to see this one *in the flesh*....or in the assemblage...  ;-)

"metatron: the scribe"

Today I am off to try and finish some art I have percolating, if I can get my attention away from my little shrine. And if I spend time meditating upon it, well, it's all good. I'll consider it "Assemblage Theory 101".
What a cool way to study art!
Thank you Michael!!!




Pax....

Sweet Surprises!

Yep! That says it all!!! Been a GOOD WEEK!!!

I have people to thank this week, and I need to first say I am sorry I was away from the blog and blog-land so much. I sort of feel like I lost a week~~it flew by, dragging me through the dirt with it. My plans (and I use that word loosely) all got turned upside down so I just had to wing it. I'm sure y'all have been there...
A LONG OVERDUE (bad bad me!!!) thanks first for this:

I got this from M.A. at Magpie's Mumblings longer ago than I even care to discuss. I am soooo sorry!!!  This is a sweet award for small blogs under 300 followers. At the time I received it, I think I was still in the 180-something range, then OWOH happened, then our Michael de Meng   class happened, and then, and then......well, you know how things just go crazy all at once. M.A.~~I am not even going to pretend I remember what I was supposed to list with this but to my blogging friends who have a blog with UNDER 300 FOLLOWERS, please feel free to grab this and know you are getting a dose of Blog-L♥ve from El Milagro!!!
Second sweet surprise, Laura at Shine The Divine: Creativity IS a Spiritual Practice gifted me with this: 

Sending out a big thanks to you Laura, and thank you to the folks who came by and visited! I much appreciate it! Both of these ladies have blogs that you should take time to go to and peruse at length. Totally different, both completely enjoyable!!!
Third surprise; my friend Audrey at The Magic, Miracles And Joy of an Artist completely shocked me when she made the post that the above link connects to~~you see, there was a colorwash competition in MDM's class, and *clueless* here was out in the ozone (as usual) and did not know I had won with my baby, *Crypt Corrosion*. I had won an original piece of his work, and Audrey was kind enough to write about it and wake me up to the fact!!! That is a GOOD FRIEND.....  ;-)
Soooooo, I am off again to try and dig out the studio. I have been reading a great art book I want to share with you some time next week and working on a little hand made journal, which is a post in itself...omg.......LOL! I am not cut out for bookmaking, but it is a funny story.
In the meantime,

....Here's looking at YOU kiddies!!!! Have a great weekend!

Pax....

DON'T FORGET!!!!!

If you have not signed up for the give away tomorrow, now is the time!!!

Three winners~~click the photo in the sidebar to go to the link where you need to put your name!

Goodies to new homes!

And Happy Lundi Gras!

"Gris-Gris For The Itinerant Artist" (new art!)

"Gris-Gris For The Itinerant Artist" (c) 2011 A.M.H.Lockard

I have worked and worked on this piece.
It started with an anchovy tin I saved and stashed in the studio. It kept calling to me. Saying, work with me, make me into *something more*.
But an anchovy tin is small; I mean small. And I kept setting it aside, and it kept catching my eye.
Having finished one piece for my online class, I felt trying to get a second piece done, along with color washes, etc, was pushing it, but that danged little tin was there.....niggling at me. Thus, what you have here.
Small tin, lots of meaning, big name, big art.
Happy artist! ;-)

Texture abounds....

I added insult to injury by burning myself numerous times during the making of this little gem, and also caught a couple of the elements in it on fire.....I should not be allowed to OWN a heat gun of any sort. (and this was just with the embossing tool, not my commercial heat gun or torch....this is why DH insists I have a fire extinguisher in the studio...)

Crushed shell....the *gravel* of New Orleans.....

While small, it is rich with hidden meaning. 

Contents and wishes, offerings, gris-gris...

The third life of an old timer bell.....

I'm not sure I will write it all; there is a lot. But there is sentiment too, as the base is the bell section of an old timer my dad brought from the factory we worked at. It was broken, he fixed it, I used it for years before it gave up the ghost again and yet I saved it.
Now cannibalized for parts, it has another shot at a third life. And the gris-gris container has a place to stand. 

My trademark blue butterfly, with flame, representing inspiration and the soul.

Perfect.
Sometimes, the very small things speak volumes and the broken bits we save, in turn, save us.
I love this recycled art idea.
There is so much possible.......




Pax....

Final Treatment of Heart And Daggers

Final treatment......happy Anne!

I did not realize, as I have been in way too much of a rush lately, that I had not posted the photo of the completed "Heart and Daggers". I finally mounted it on a birch cradled panel, rounding the edges with my handy dandy bench grinder and then had a ball with techniques I learned in Michal deMeng's class.
I had to jump out of the box, and this is from a girl who seldom is IN a box, let alone knows whether she owns one to stand in! LOL! I went for my hardware drawer in my table upstairs and one in the cellar and pulled any likely suspects out. There spread before me were insulated staples, tacks, wires, washers.....you name it. I was treading into uncharted territory! I was on a MISSION!
I didn't really have a clue what I was doing......
I knew I wanted a specific feel for the background, so painting that wasn't too hard. 

"New Orleans Tomb" color combo....neutral, effective.....

And I had treated some of the insulated staples and washers with molding paste, so that seemed okay.
I just had to put it all together....
Normally my work consists of everything being held together with Golden gels, but this piece had a bit of heft, so I thought, well, if I use the washers, I need another *industrial feel* piece to accent them, and the insulated staples did the trick. Series of washes had brought them up to the nice *Crypt Corrosion* color and when I had the piece drilled, hammered, swathed in paint and all together, I liked very much.

*Crypt Corrosion*~~doing it's thing! Left panel shows the layers of color washes

It's okay, but just not quiet there......not tied together enough.

But it still needed a hanger and if there was something sticking out of the TOP, then there had to be something to balance out on the bottom.
I had changed out an old chandelier in the living room before the holidays, and still had the monster sitting around because I wasn't sure what to do with it. But the clear gold wire was perfect to take paint with the help of some heat, and it became the hanger on top.

I knew that butt-ugly chandelier was good for something....WIRE!!!

I had rooted around and found (while looking for other things...oy!) some cool Fleurs that I had bought with the intention of jewelry, but I grabbed one of those and went to work on it, aging and corroding.

Insulated staples *holding* things together; lovely, aged Fleur.....Oooooo! Too good!

What destructive fun! :-D This is right up my alley!
So, the final piece is greater than the small work I had originally. I was hoping to not overpower it, and by keeping colors somewhat neutral, it worked. Everything fell into place.
I was also hoping to not hammer the wrong thing while putting the corner staples in; I did NOT know how I would replace a broken plastic sword.....
The gods of industrial tools were smiling on me......
(except that one that rules the heat gun, and he is a little STINKER......)
Now go make art! Have fun~~get outta the box!


Pax....

Art Goodies--Time To Celebrate!!!

Oooooooo, arty goodness, going out to three lucky people!

Here's the bottom line...
I never thought I would reach 200 followers, and when I checked the dashboard yesterday, it was at 202.
BINGO!!!
Time for the GIVEAWAY!!!!
I had purchased, some time back, two copies of Michael de Meng's "Secrets of Rusty Things" just for this day. I actually thought that I would be holding onto them longer. It's okay, I have my own copy but multiple copies somehow feels extremely extravagant..... ;-D

The loot, without special effects.....

So there are the two books (1 book per person) and then a small third give away ~~you know how sometimes you buy something and it looks very familiar but you're SURE you don't have it and then you DO? (no, I'm sure that never happened to ANY of you.....ahem....) Well, the third item is a small bit with another small bit, but a favorite of mine; 

Love me, love my skellie....and paint too! (for that eerie, ghostly glow!)

an ultra-cool rubber stamp of a chic skull, for all my skellie fiends--er--FRIENDS out there! And I am including an extra bottle of Golden's C.T. Interference Green-Blue fluid acrylic......and if I feel REAL generous, I might throw a surprise in the package with that to sort of even up the value to the books.
Here's the scoop; leave a comment on this post and I'll put you in the draw.
I will not be replying on blog like I usually do or I'm apt to pull my own name out of the hat.....*rolls eyes*
I think I'll draw the names on Fat Tuesday, March 8th, so you can celebrate plenty before being in penance for all that joyous misbehavior.....
I will be shipping the books the cheapest way possible as they have some heft to them. And I need money for art supplies. As always! LOL!!!
If you want, you can lie and make your comment as wild and entertaining as possible,; why you think it should be YOU that gets one of the loot items---it would sure make MY day!
Ooo-kee Dokee!
Sign up, pass the word, go make art!!!


Pax....

A Quick "THANK YOU"!!!

Beautiful winged shrine from Barbara Mason

 I am hopping in quickly to say THANK YOU to two wonderful bloggers I met during One World One Heart~~and lucky ME~~I won a couple of prizes! (generally I am the last person on the planet to win something, so this was a nice surprise and also makes me wonder if the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are getting the tack down and saddling up their steeds....say it ain't so!)
The winged shrine above is from Barbara Mason @ An Art Soul......Barbara, it could not have found a better home with my love of Nichos and Shrines in any form! :-)
Visit Barbara and enjoy her work!

Incredible digital collage sheet from Rian

The second item I won is from Rian in the Netherlands, from her blog Freubel-Art and the colors there are a sensory overload! Check out her digital work~~it is what I dream of doing and know it will never happen here! LOL! I mean, I have accepted my limits.

In fact, I am about to have a Blogger rant this morning, but that's not polite when thanking those who have been kind to you by sending you some of their art.

I BOW!!!
Mille Grazie!!!

As to my normal dose of pith and vinegar, I'll be back--give me a couple more days. I am frantically working through what is quickly becoming the end of two delightful months of my on-line class with Michael de Meng and I have to admit, my brain can manage only one direction at a time anymore, and sometimes even that is iffy!

But I have to include one of the color wash samples I made, and it pretty well speaks for itself.......

That sums up my current mental state.....what I am left to work with as opposed to nice, fleshy, thinking matter! LOL!!! I should have called it *Brain-Fart* but then it would have been a totally different selections of colors, and they might be icky, ya know....

BTW------It is going to be GIVE AWAY TIME here at El Milagro when I get my stuff together, so stay tuned!

Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel!!! (if you're old enough to understand that, well, welcome to the club...)

And this is a nice give away too.....

Until I waft into blog-land again, swearing my way through trying to get another post up, I remain you loyal and mentally stained servant....

Pax.... 

A Valentine Unlike Conventional Hearts

Remember that ornery little skull??? Well, he was MOST DEMANDING as far as being dressed properly......

I promised a finished piece from one of the samples I had used in the gel tutorial, and here it is. I am hoping--reeeeeeally hoping!--that today is NOT the day DH decides to look at the blog, because it is my gift to him tomorrow.

HA! I won! Free makeover, and now I be a Pirate Skelly!!!

That ornery little skull I had to keep an eye on was just a pip to dress properly. He was totally into the Cap'n Jack look.......what's a girl to do??? Just give in and dress 'em! LOL! And I had to have just the right bone to hang from the bottom, plus I couldn't find the coins I wanted and settled for this one. It's okay, but you know how it is when you want something else and can't find it. I need those shelves like they used to have in garages; all the little jars with their lids nailed to the shelf. Believe me...SOME DAY!

And, providing I am not laid lower with this current migraine, I want to put a little something fun up here for my readers on Valentine's Day itself....
This has been a delightful journey through process; I'm not sure how I will follow it up.
I may have to take a few days off and get back to work hard on my Michael deMeng class. I have enjoyed that thoroughly and it soon will end. I am hoping he will have another, because I would sign up immediately. How ideal; work in your own studio and get the benefits of class time when ever you have free time. Economical, fun, educational.
In fact, a goodly portion of what I learned from the class made this Valentine. I could have done one without it, but numerous techniques are in the final product that I learned along the way, between the laughs.
That's what I always hope to provide here, laughs and some learning fun!
So I'm out of here for now~~and remember, love isn't just for Valentines Day or for a Sweetie~~it is for everyone.


Pax....

More Heart Art....And Assorted Sundry Items

Sorry folks...life has gone on a whirlwind again after my post that I would be right back with some aging I was doing on the heart and background. This is going to be a basic, no frills explanation of what I have done.

As you can see above, the heart was adhered to the substrate with heavy gel medium, which I smoothed under the edge of the heart and let dry overnight. Then I needed something to make it become more *one* with the backing.

 

I mixed in some coarse white decorators sand into one of my gel mediums and carefully applied it to fill the small void that was left between the heart and the back from the thick layer of heavy gel underneath. I like mixing textures into my gels and will do a post on that specifically.

As with ANY GEL, these must dry completely before attempting to put a coat of paint over the top. I usually use a blow dryer to get the process started and then have to wait for the rest to cure on it's own.

Once dry, I used some fluid Pthalo (blue shade I think...) and dry brushed the straight color on.

I want to emphasize DRY BRUSHED, as this is an extremely intense color that can get out of hand really fast. It provides the feel of a shadow while also adding a bit of glow. Black and some of the other colors I used would not produce the same effect. 

I gently work a tiny amount out over some of the background paint, allowing it to become a bit of a green aura at the top.

This view from the top better shows how the Pthalo, feathered out, gives some depth to a busy area. The eye can separate the pieces better now.
One coat generally is not enough on the sides, so I went back in and hit the gel with sand a second time; much darker and now is both separating and tying the heart to the back.
I have also added some black mica gel to the heart so that it is not so stark red. The flame area required a bit more also.....dirtying things up and making it have some character. (an aside.....Black Mica Gel also has tiny bits of clear mica in it too~~it's a *two-fer*~~you get age and sparkle)

 

The final step was adding some micacous iron oxide to the bottom red of the panel. It settled into the textural depth and made the color pop more.

And that is pretty much how this was finished up to make a couple of very bright, very diverse, visually competing parts work together well.

As I mentioned, I will do a short post on things to add to gels for different textures. Yes, you can buy textured gels, but you can do a lot of specialized small amount batches and save a lot of money.

There are some gels you can imitate a bit to see if you like them before buying and there are others that you can dream up with what you have on hand or can scrounge at wonderful places like Dollar Stores and Overage Stores.

Okay, I'm off to fight the grocery zombies.....if I don't resurface you'll know I was caught in their Rampage of Carts (and cell phones....grrrrrr.......)
Have fun~~make some art!

Pax....

Art With Warm Colors In The Frigid Winter

Okay, I am whining. 

It is miserably cold here (I am sure other areas have it worse and to them I send condolences), to the point I cannot even get out without being socked with a migraine. For once in my life, I am glad I have no idea what the temp is!

So the few minutes I could be upright over the weekend, I managed a little art time, and with VERY WARM COLORS. Yes, it helps. A little.

I had been working on texturing backgrounds for my online class and finally everything dried--rain and snow have kept the dehumidifier busy and honestly, there is only so much it can do. The rest requires patience......wait.....wait....wait.

 

substrate with several paint washes and my fat finger (I love the colors!!!)

When the work was totally dry, I decided to start with the smallest substrate I had made, and while waiting I was working with paper clay for one of the elements to adhere. Which I just HAD to pick up the next morning and the flames broke off....oh well. That turned out to be good over all; I could deal with them separately before attaching them.

heart in hand, and flames too!

a better look at the details....that hole was a PIP to make and not bust everything....

Then it was a matter of trying to get the heart reamed with the Dremel to accept the tiny cocktail swords that had been aged to look, well, old and crusty.

Note here: CLAY SHRINKS

So the holes I had made before drying the piece did not fit afterward and  I had a LOT of quality time with the Dremel and retouching with matching paint. (don't try and do detailed art when your head is pounding out a Conga beat...you really need those grey cells!)

The swords required a lot of trimming and touch up before it was over, but finally submitted to my will, went into the paperclay and behaved. I really liked the transformation on the heart. Sorry about the photo burn out--all the lights in the studio are working now and I have so much light I don't know what to do with it!

Above is the heart with daggers in and the flames basecoated and set in place....

 

....An overhead view showing everything after the pieces are reattached with part of a pin and E-6000; a bit of the *aging* on the flames for some depth....

And from the front showing the addition of red acrylic and tar gel; a few convincing drips.

This still has further to go. Everything is nice and bright, but a bit too *nice and bright*~~I want a little more earthy feeling, and that is for another post. I'll leave you at this point and hopefully get further down the road with this project.

As an aside, I have discovered that I am clueless as to where I stored a goodly amount of photos in my computer and am going to have to spend a day (or two) retrieving things. I do not know how my mental filing system works.....it doesn't leave me clues. I have a few images I need for the large background this will be attached to, and I have no idea where they are.......

Maybe I'll sketch while I think.....

Maybe I'll just sketch.

Or not!

Pax....

DeMented, DeLightful Fun......!

Just in case anyone is wondering how much fun it is doing an online class with Michael deMeng???
Take a gander at this video and judge for yourself! As part of the class he makes little movie shorts that have to do with whatever the instructional videos may be about~~~it is a nonstop roller coaster ride! (although this is promoing his touring for in person classes this year)
If you can't do a class in person, check for online offerings at his blog:

Assemblog Of Michael deMeng 

Or just follow for some of the most humorous reading and great assemblage art to browse.
And now I'm off on my own adventures......cue the theme for "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" please.....(dashing off with Fedora on and whip in hand)


Pax....

Distracted, Delayed, deMenged! -or- Where The Sketching Posts Went

Yesterday's winter storm in progress....cold....snow....more snow.

I should know my world in January in Indiana well enough to know that trying to do one thing is impossible. I mean, just one thing. Like sketch. Or get a blog post up in a timely manner. I took all the photos of my old *thumbnail/scratchy* sketchbook and shoved them into the computer. This morning I got them into groups so that this post would not roll on forever.

A little background; I started this sketchbook probably 15 years ago. There are some sketches that turned into fiber art. I have no idea if I have photo reference of those pieces. Well....SOMEWHERE.....but I don't know where. So off we go!

 

I still favor the size of this book for rough sketches; it is a mere 3 1/2" x 4 3/4" and is perfect.

PERFECT.

No intimidation.....it's tiny. If you screw up, it's just a little bit of paper. I always have used a Sharpie for work like this, though I go back in with ballpoint or pencil for fine notes. The ink runs too much for me to read later.

You can see the odd assortment of things sketched~~some with a visual guide like the Ampeg  sticker (no, I never got an Ampeg amp....that sticker was as close as I got to one of those *to-lust-after* bass beauties....) and some things I just scribbled. The last photo is significant because those sketches turned into art quilts and were the start of my shrine series that did so well. I never did sketches once the series was started; it was enough to get the general idea down and run with it. One fed the next.

Other oddities; leaves from my Japanese Maple under a piece of contact paper, pictures from quilt catalogs glued over the bleed-thru, and my original *Anne-tangles*. For those of you who might not have believed I was surprised when these became all the rage.....this is why. Been there, tangled that.

Anyway, the CURRENT sketching project had a slight delay due to a SNOWSTORM that decided to deposit itself in our State, thus, quality time with the John Deere (waaaaay too much) and the beginning of my Michael deMeng class which I highly recommend to everyone with a desire to learn new art technique and for those with a sense of humor because the man is a riot!

First, I will show that I actually got the gesso on the previous tag....whoooo-hooooo!!!!! (insert sarcasm)

And then the books everyone needs, whether you're taking Michael's class or not because they are delightful and fun reading, plus amazing artwork.....

 

Somehow I don't think he would mind that I had a little fun with the photo....

Okay, there is no odd thing in my hand photo today because yesterday That plow was the odd thing in my hand all day, and I am doing good to type this morning.

But I do have e-mail Spam humor. As I live and breathe, this was the header:

Jamaica Awaits Me!

And I it.

Not happening......I can barely get to the mailbox.

And now it's off to studio land, to try and accomplish something while I sit and look out at the gloom and grey of the continuing snowfall.

No more plowing.

Jamaica awaits me, ya know!

Pax....