Kind and Creepy Doll

This strange doll emerged as just a head for the longest time. I stuck two glass beads into random holes in the stone and it became a face. I didn't want to use adhesive to keep the "eyes" in, so wire came into play and before I knew it, she reminded me of the misshapened faces of the doctors and nurses in one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes "The Eye of the Beholder". Kinda creepy. But her entire form looks kind to me.

I'm not a doll person, but this odd creation grew on me as I fastened her together, and I've named her Janet Tyler, after the "ugly" character's name in the Twilight Zone episode.

Made with beach rocks, wire, glass beads.

~ 7" tall

Mini Altar - Dia De Los Muertos inspired Tortoise

This was a birthday gift to my mom :) I suppose one could say this is not exactly a "traditional" type gift: a beady flower bouquet, mixed with found junk, sticks, and a "dead tortoise." Well, this is true, but my mom's happy, generous and loving spirit is not exactly traditional--thank goodness for me ;)! LOL My mom is one of my favorite junking parnters...the only person who will go with me on my desert junk--I mean TREASURE(!)--hunts this side of the Colorado! She also loves Day of the Dead...

When I first found this twisted car ashtray, I immediately thought, "oo, this would make a perfect mini-altar!" It sat around in my work space for a while until I made an extra Day of the Dead-inspired tortoise, from another project, and placed it in the ashtray. I love those new beads and I thought they were the perfect addition to the altar--representing the wildflowers that desert tortoises love in spring.

The desert tortoise is still a threatened species due to habitat loss, predation, and reckless OHV enthusiasts; and now climate change according to some scientists--the effects of which could surely accelerate desert tortoise disappearance in the wild.

Made from: found car ashtray, washer, also wire, sticks, glass beads, and acrylic.

6" h x ~3 1/2" w

Jean Luc Cornec’s Re-purposed Rotary Phone Sheep

Ring-ring. I am in love with these sheep! Be sure to check out this installation piece from artist Jean Luc Cornec's Rotary Phone Sheep as seen in the Museum of Communications in Frankfurt.

From the site: Does our constant manipulation of these familiar and classic, yet obsolete, objects in art and design signify a desire for a more natural state of being? The exhibition presses visitors to recall more simplified times through a flock of free-roaming sheep sculpted from old, analog, rotary phones.

Fron the photos alone, I could almost hear them and see them move. I do appreciate the artistic re-use of rotary phones--very clever and wonderfully creative. Check out the site and come back to share what you think of this unique flock :)

Water Mandala

I'd like to share something with you that is a wonderful tool for your creativity tool box! You may already know that I'm a nature-inspired/nature-lovin' creativity coach (shameless self-promoting links here http://www.thenaturecoach.net/, and here http://www.thenaturecoach.blogspot.com/).

I love connecting my art with nature and vice-versa, and I especially love to encourage others to do so as well. At my "Your Nature" blog in the link above, I ask visitors to create a water mandala: ...pour water (recycled pasta or plant water even better!) into a wide, shallow bowl or extra large plant saucer. Collect older flowers from your garden, along with a variety of leaves. Gently float petals and leaves in a pattern or arrangment that emerges from your inner nature. After a day or two, remove the petals and leaves and pour your mandala water over some plants.

As an example of how easy and calming this exercise can be, I created one today from an seriously shriveling bouquet of beautfiul roses that my honey surprised me with three weeks ago--like I said, they were seriously shriveling by now!

Here is the series of moods my mandala took on as I worked off some very nervous energy from a phone call I had made just prior--and yes, by the end of the mandala petal play, I felt like a new, calm and warmly creative person :) I loved feeling the silky texture of the petals and allowing spontaneous designs to emerge.

Do give it a try!

"Tortoise Medicine"

The desert tortoise is one of 12 reptiles threatened by global warming, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. They were once as numerous as 1,000 torts per square mile in the Mojave Desert. Loss of habitat and raven predation are immediate threats but biologist believe global warming/climate change could add disease, fire, predation & new habitat threats.

This is my piece I submitted to the Climate Change and the California Desert art contest/show. My first time doing this, I am excited and nervous—the other submissions are incredibly wonderful, artistic, beautiful. But I’m very excited to be a part of something so environmentally important, as an artist! A big step for me.

The original piece I had planned on submitting exceded the size limit—it felt like the perfect fit, but once I received the details for entries I realized it was going to be too big, and scaling down wasn’t an option. I was crushed! After a loving pep talk from my hubby, I thought, maybe I’m supposed to submit something else? I decided to go for it again, and try to get another piece in on time—crazy!!! Forcing myself to take this opportunity under a deadline was a source of inspiration in itself, and the entire process evolved into “Tortoise Medicine” which was born exactly when it was meant to be, as my grandma told me. It was fun to create something in direct response to the guidelines, as far as the theme; as I worked on it, the concept morphed and soon evolved into many layers of climate change-related symbology for me. Such fun!

I am told our works will be on exhibit intermixed with the Hi-Desert Nature Museum’s Reduce, Reuse, Recycle art exhibit. I can’t wait to visit it, the chance to see my art in a place I love and in the company of other found artists. Pretty cool experience already! (Despite the nerves LOL) I will be sure to update, “win or lose” although it’s already a win for me that I finally jumped in as a full-fledge artist :)

If you’re a Coachella Valley/High Desert local, go to this event! The show runs through April 24, 2010. It’s a lot of fun, very inspiring!

MATERIALS:

Found bike wheel; found auto parts/washers (embedded in hatchlings); found toaster oven knob; scrap wire; quartz crystal, can lids; stone beads; clay; acrylic

UPDATE: I am thrilled to report that I received an Honorable Mention! There were 21 amazing artists who participated, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cash awards, and 3 HM's! I also got to meet some wonderful new friends and can't wait to be a part of other events likes this!

String Spin--A New Spin On Doodling!

A friend sent this to me, and then a few days later it separately appeared as a post in Sandy Ackers' blog Strangling My Muse...I figured the universe must be inviting me to a beach-inspired creative play date involving hot pink, spirals, and the Z-axis! ;)

Check out String Spin for one of those fun, quick--possibly addicting--creative breaks you deserve. Play around for an infinitely new spin on doodling...

Book Paintings

Paint on canvas, paper, and why not on books? Check out these creatively cool book paintings/sculpture by artist Mike Stilkey (found via member post on Coach Creative Space)...