Chalking Off In The Canyons

Entrance to Andreas Canyon.

A few weeks ago I spent the morning in Andreas Canyon, one of three incredibly beautiful, incredibly inspiring native oases carved from deep canyons at the base of San Jacinto Peak and the Santa Rosa mountains. The Indian Canyons, as they are collectively called (and managed) by the local Cahuilla tribe, are one of my favorite places to retreat to for a nature/wildlife fix to charge my spiritual, creative, and physical energy.

I was there for a MeetUp with my Let Nature Be YourMuse group. We were there to honor our creative time, simply gathering to make art in the canyons for the morning. I decided to try something new for me—a new medium, something I had never tried before yet have been wanting to for some time: soft pastels.

After exploring around for about 40 minutes, I found my spot. I dropped the chair, the backpack, the blanket, the camera, and water I’d been lugging around and settled in. I pulled out my sketch pad, my clipboard, tape, and my brand new box of pastels, and I set up.

I sat facing a year-round stream, with those yummy layered mountain outcroppings and dense palms framing a nice little scene. It was so lovely. And all of a sudden so complicated. Where do I start? Maybe I should I start out with something simpler? Then I remembered a couple of tips I came across, 1) start with your background first, and then another important tip, 2) make sure you start with dark colors first. Okay...?

I shared smiles with a couple hiking up the rocky steps to my right and they commented on the "beautiful setting I was going to paint." My inner-artist-ego fluttered. I just LOVE it when I happen upon an artist “in the wild” deep in the creative process, reinventing the landscape before them—their work always looks wonderful to me, and I always believe they must have been painting/drawing for years. I wonder if this duo thought that of me? Eh, probably not as my paper was blank. Glaringly blank. Hmm.

I pretty much sat there staring at the palms for a good solid 15 minutes. How do I do this, actually? More hikers. Hmm. Busy trail today. I noticed a nice round bobcat track next to my chair in the mud. Hmm, a freshy. I took a picture of it scaled with a AA battery. Then it happened. I made a deliberate mark on my paper. More hikers came by and now I had to look like I was doing something with it—my cue to just keep drawing! I thought to myself, don’t think Michelle, just experiment, be free loca. And I did. I kept drawing, rubbing, drawing and rubbing. Blowing clouds of chalk off my paper now and then.

My first attempt at soft pastels. Not only did I dis-

cover a new medium I think I'm going to love, at

this point I have a personal, artsy escape to a place

I love on those days I can’t get there.

It turns out I got into to the whole experience and really loved working with those pastels! By the time I had to leave, I was proudly sporting grimey, oily chalk hands and fingertips (maybe bring a towel next time).

I can't wait to continue working on this piece. I’d like to practice some techniques for defining elements on the trail off to the right, and balance out the palms with more palms, foreground too. Oh darn, I forgot to actually use the tape. I haven’t caught that dense oasis feeling yet—arghh! This critical yammering *gasp,* wonder if I overdo it?

Needless to say I am a little intimidated to make that first mark again. Fear creeping back. But I can do this—honestly overall it was just too fun. And next time my “FEAR” flag-waving inner critic can be my towel boy ;)

Onward toward second attempt! 

Dia de los Muertos

Last weekend I gathered with fellow creatives to spend the afternoon making mini-altars for Day of the Dead. Those of you who know me--even just a little--know that Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is one of my favorite "holidays" full of creative art and personal expression, passion, and celebration of life and loved ones.

In between taking plenty of pictures and eating yummy pan dulce, chips, guacamole I managed to make two nichos. I was inspired by everyone's personal altars honoring loved ones who have passed, even a beautiful pet altar was on display for a sweet reminder of all the beings in our lives that bring us love and happiness.

Day of the Dead occurs every Nov. 1 and 2. Traditionally, the first day celebrates children, now our "los angelitos" or little angels. The second honors adults who have passed. This is also when families will go to the cemetary and spend the night and day mourning, playing music, eating, celebrating with loved ones at their graves. Day of the Dead is not meant to scare people, it is simply and honestly a day of remembering our dead, it is their day to be honored and we honor them by celebrating their lives and life through altars, offerings of their favorite foods and items, smiling with their memories, and engaging their happiness through fiestas and love.

Nichos, retablos, altars....can be simple or extravagant. Traditionally, these expressions were made from old boxes, cigar boxes, cans or small tin boxes--anything put together or that could be used to create a niche for placing objects that honor someone you love, who has passed. It's a great way to incorporate recycled materals into your art! 

Below are photos showing the found materials for my nichos, specifically a found car ashtray and a found metal scrap round, also I used a toy plastic scorpion which I "transformed" just by using fine black glitter. I attached a bone skull bead to a feather butterfly and added more black glitter to the body. Glitter, sequin, bright paints and color are simple and very effective Day of the Dead elements to make your nicho or altar sparkle with celebration :)

Grab a photo, jewelry, notes, a small box, paint or other artsy accents and create your own memory box (altar!) in honor of someone you miss and love. Bring it out once a year for Dia de los Muertos or keep it close to you in a special place. Express yourself in this way and you are are sure to feel the magic of those you love.

Would you like to see more of my Day of the Dead? Click my set on Flickr! 



F.A.T. Release: "El burro sabe mas..." Palm Springs, CA

As many of you already know I happily participate in an online community of artists who leave their works in public places for people to find. This particular group is known as Found Art Tuesday and was originally started by artist Rosa Murillo. I am inviting fellow creatives like YOU and friends in my art meetup group (Let Nature Be Your Muse) to start doing this locally--join the Flickr group if you wish to post your experiences and of course your work. 

Meanwhile, it had been awhile since I've left something somewhere and I decided to get back to it by leaving this little piece called "a,e,i,o,u -- el burro sabe mas que tu" hanging from a light fixture by the restrooms and back entrance/exit in my favorite local Mexican restaurant. The little rush of excitement returned as I tried to hang it up there before I was spotted!

I wonder who will be the one to check it out and (hopefully) take it home with them?!

Land Art



Whitewater Preserve

A couple of weekends ago, my art MeetUp group gathered at the Whitewater Preserve for a morning of land art creations. It was the first time since I was a child, building stick houses around exposed tree roots, that I planned on creating something using only natural material and tools strictly from the surrounding environment. In the spirit of true land artists, we used no rope, glue, paper clips, etc. to bring our vision to life. I did bring gloves for moving around river rocks, but never used them.

Before arriving my intention was to create something using the plentiful rocks by the river. But once I got to the site, I saw lots of driftwood that inspired something completely different.

Excited to have a new idea, I began gathering. And gathering. Gathering armloads upon armloads of  "just right" pieces of driftwood. I knew I would need alot, but quickly realized I would need much more than I expected!

During the 2 and 1/2 hours I tried my hand at land art, I'd gained a whole new appreciation and respect for land artists  and what they see in the wilds around them, and especially for their patience, flexibility and the physical work involved with bringing about their masterpieces.

At the end of three hours, our small group reconvened for a short break and a light discussion sharing our experience in trying this, followed by an inspiring walking tour of each participant's work throughout the Preserve. It was a fantastic way to spend the morning out in nature and in such a creative way. I can't wait to try this again!

Check out my first land art creation in the photos below. Click the link at the end of this post for more images from the day, including the five other installations!

If I had more time, I would have kept going by adding 

more rays to try and make more of a stylized

octopus-like design.

I was very proud of this ray!

After about three hours of working solo, we

gathered for our own land art "gallery" tour,

visiting each participant's works throughout

the different environments at the preserve.

For more images of the day, please visit this photo album full of fellow creative's land art creations!

Paint Chip Poetry

Oh how I love playing and creating with paint chips. Lately, I’ve been making plenty of paint chip poems. I decided to go through my “pile” of paint chips that I’ve been collecting from my frequent stops at our home improvement stores. While going through and organizing them into certain themes and topics, nearly 20 poems emerged.

So I began cutting, arranging and placing a variety of paint names on canvas, quirky and intriguing names meant to inspire homeowners to transform a tired kitchen or new home office. So far, “Desert Native” is now in the Drawn From the Desert Art Benefit show (Tamma's Magic Mercantile, Yucca Valley, CA) for a local artist--check out the show if you can, it is ongoing until the end of October 2011. Two more poems are completed and heading for Etsy, they are “Summer Camp” and “Mermaid Water Dance.”

The poems (each line a paint chip color/name):

Desert Native
Spring bloom
petal
cottontail.

Nimbus cloud
gossamer wings
something in the air
Canyon echo.


"Desert Native" paint chip poetry









 

 

 

 

 







Summer Camp
Mountain trail
mirror lake
skipping stones

Canoe
wishful thinking
first kiss
How sweet it is.

"Summer Camp" paint chip poetry
















Mermaid Water Dance
Beach
seaglass
bottle blue

Blue ocean
dolphin grey
glistening moonlight
mermaid water dance.

"Mermaid Water Dance" paint chip poetry



 

Think Pink



Image credit: unknown source



I couldn't help myself. I love this image. Not long ago, I would have passed this right up--I mean, pink?! Ugh. Sparkly? Eh. I love hearts, bokeh, flowers, those colors. Coincidentally, so does my 5 year-old son (well he's not hip to bokeh effects, but he did notice those hearts)! Perhaps my draw to this wonderful image is because I knew my little one would love it too. My sources of inspiration and style continue to change and surprise even me. I only hope it shows in my creations as an evolving, growing process.

I initially interpret pink as a soft color, warm and fuzzy, romantic, content, cheerful, youthful. As for deep, dark, rich pinks--those power pinks like fuchsia or hot pink--I find myself with a completely different set of so-so descriptions. The desire to kick it up a notch is what inspired this exercise.

TRY THIS! When you first looked at the pink flower image above, you probably had an initial reaction to it. Did you like it, love it, hate it? Maybe you were unimpressed (I mean my gosh, how many heart-shaped bokeh/hearts in nature things can we see?). Maybe it was magical to you. Or too fairy tale. Perhaps it evoked a memory.

Now, what would be the OPPOSITE of your initial response? Imagine the image, the feeling, the words, the taste, the sound--mentally explore the opposite with each of your senses.

Use the image as a prompt to explore this territory that is opposite to your initial response, and devise a way to get that into a quick creative expression. Either jot it down as an idea to pursue later, or attack it right now. An example would be to create or write something that say, uses "pink" as the unexpected component in your piece. If you see pink as "soft" bring it back in as something edgy and unexpected, contrary.

What happens?

Pinkies

Soft, silky peach fuzz

New life, a tiny pink tail

Hangs by a forked tongue

Dia de los Muertos Inspiration

Lately I've been on a Dia de los Muertos streak creating beads, altars, jewelry, and assemblage pieces. It's one of my favorite ways to express myself creatively while remembering those I've lost too soon.

Pet altar.

Whenever I am creating something in this style, I feel connected to this beautiful and festive celebration, and connected to my loved ones who I miss so very much. As I'm working on a Dia de los Muertos inspired piece, I can almost feel the chuckle or delight a particular family member I've lost might feel about that piece. Perhaps it was their idea I felt in the first place, inspiration whispered in my ear during the night only to wake with me the next morning and make itself known throughout the day :)

Here are a couple of finished projects that have emerged over the past two weeks: