I DON'T KNOW WHAT LEAD ME TO DO IT

Different view of Madonna and Child
Originally uploaded by peregrine blue

...or do I?

It just happened by chance. The other night, on a whim I decided to paint my version of a Byzantine Madonna. I painted it in one of my brown paper notebooks, probably no more than 5 by 7 in all. But it resulted perfectly. I was lucky to have some metallic paints among my acylics which is what made the cape so beautiful. And today, I decided to paint my second Madonna, this time with Child. I have always loved the Cuzco school of art and actually own a couple of their madonnas. I had always wanted to paint my version of one. Finally I have. I have also been a follower of Naive Art and Folk Art, have over 10 books on these forms of art and have dabbled in assemblage and collecting modern versions of folk art aka Handmade. When I can actually produce a solid piece, it is so rewarding. I have still not found my voice per se, but I think I am on my way. I began by painting an abstract thinking it would be the easiest, but I like to see people in paintings so switched to something I am a little closer to.

Something tells me, I am being summoned.

Mini Painting of The Madonna

Mini Painting of The Madonna
Originally uploaded by peregrine blue

It's funny how I get my best inspiration once the sun has set. I guess it's all the distraction of the daytime chores and responsibilities that distract me. Yet as I work in the menial things around the house and garden, I am always thinking, concocting images in my mind. I never know where it will take me later, but I gather my wares and just begin.

Today's mini painting reminds me of the brass rubbings we used to do in England with my parents on the weekends.

Back to creating MIXED MEDIA ATC ACEO

Back to creating MIXED MEDIA ATC ACEO
Originally uploaded by peregrine blue

I love this gift of silence today. Jonathan is at work most of the day and then off to record and Tatiana also at work and then putting in a few hours at the gym (she claims she ate far too much this weekend). So the house is calm and quiet as the kittens take their afternoon nap. amazing how much one can achieve at peace.

My first impulse was to delve into my new art supplies but I decided to start with putting some beauty into the house. My pink roses have bloomed into a plethora of clusters and the white ones are starting to give a few new flowers too. Poor cosmos, on its last leg for the season.

I have so much catching up to do with calls and e-mails. I haven't checked my emails in days and avoid the ban account altogether. I just want NO stress at all. No idel conversation, no uneccessary worrying, just calm.

"The Tropics" Hopefully the next step

Everything is a process and lessons in stages. When I turned to the Visual arts about nine years ago, I took a step away from the written word and began experimenting with collage since I don't know how to draw too well. Borrowing other people's images to make my art made sense since I could alter the images and make them mine, but I always felt I was cheating in a way, not letting my own inner voice come out.

I would still doodle once in a while and find my notebooks filled with funny things. I should have made those my art journals since they were usually made while on the phone or jumping across town, a jotting down of ideas, phrases, quotes and mementoes picked up here and there.

Eventually I became tired of the clutter in my art studio. I had more collage images than I could ever use in a lifetime and scraps everywhere as well as thousands of found objects, jewelry parts, and embellishments. Something was telling me I needed to simplify; the clutter was making me anxious and what I was seeking in Art was a release from stress not more of it.

Yet all those years had to go by before I set that aside.

It is only the beginning of a new exploration. But it is a Hope. A hope that I can finally create my own style, voice my own inner stories and visions. Maybe what I need is to completely step away from all art for a while, let things decant in my mind, read a bit, watch a few good missed movies, listen to music and come back to it when I have envisioned a few pieces.

I am full of expectation.

Almost finished with the Art Journal

Almost finished with the Art Journal
Originally uploaded by peregrine blue

Four more pages to go and a few finishing touches including the covers and I will have finished my Art Journal. 80+ pages of non-stop arduous two and half months. I am thrilled.

I will take a few days off to just read and listen to music, take walks and ponder on what my next art adventure will be. I DO SO WANT to try my hand at a second canvas. But I need to find that voice, that only "me" voice.

My Brain is in Overdrive

Oh how I long for a whole month with myself, by my myself and for myself. The closest I've come to relaxation was the camping trip to Los Padres National Forest with my brother's side of the family a few weeks ago. And parts of the trip up to Pleasanton.

What I need is a good dose of Nature, fresh air, the breeze waving through the trees, picking wildflowers, cooking outdoors, feeling free.

I think the Journal has taken alot out of me. Almost eighty pages. Now that I look back, it's a wonder that I am about to complete it. I could have taken it slower, but I tend to move towards other things and feared it would lie on my art table with half a heartbeat and ultimately die from oblivion. So I committed to it. It's been almost two full months of nothing but the journal pages, hardly any sewing, a few ATCS in between and literally no new creations for my etsy shop.

Yet I don't regret it. I am now working on the cover. It will be three dimensional and have some found objects on it.

I have managed to read and follow some of my favorite blogs and sellers and recently purchased a poetry book titled "Summer Ghosts" by Cathy Cullis Cathy Cullis What a breath of fresh air. She does everything with so much grace and imbues her art with such subtlety. To think I was one of her first followers on etsy. Almost like it was meant to be-the finding of her.

At night I get to read and watch a few good movies, luckily ran into a great Pavarotti documentary on PBS last night which I think I will get for Bernardita's birthday since she loves opera so much. Reading Isabel Allende's latest Memoir and just cracking up with her usual humour and anecdotes. Her photo album on her blog is an example of this is Isabelallende I have probably read all her books at this point except the children's trilogy.

I must slow down. My voracious spirit must stop and process now and defragment lest it become nebulous clusters of mush.

Art Journal Page

Art Journal Page
Originally uploaded by peregrine blue

28 pages left to go in the Art Journal, I 'm so happy. It will be a complete book. I am currently working on the cover too. I think that together with the Mandala Canvas, this will be one of the first encapsuled works I have completed which really makes it feel like a true accomplishment.

I've been stocking up on some great Art books thanks to JoAnn'a input at the convention and the 1000 Journals movie we watched as well as meeting Dawn DeVries Sokol. Ineed to put an order in for Susan Tuttle's new book too.

"Death Rabbit" The Musicians in the family

"Death Rabbit" The Musicians in the family
Originally uploaded by peregrine blue

Art runs in the family. A musician(Jon), a visual artist (ME), now we need a writer. Yet I don't think Tatiana will be the one to write although she does write in her journal. Who knows, she might.

I am so proud of Jon and Adam and their first Death Rabbit CD titled "Bottom of Abyss". The CD cover was designed by his girlfriend Ashley and all the photos taken by a local aspiring photographer.

Their first venue is next Friday playing with several bands from the Ventura County area. Ofcourse Mom will have front row tickets and will clap and cheer the loudest.

Once again, it can be done. With perseverance, patience and commitment they have put together the band, had the CDs taped, labelled and packaged. They practive every single night, sometimes way into dawn and they have launched a mass campaign over the web and indie sites to make it happen.

This is success. Even if they don't make it big, they have followed their dream and stuck to it with a tear bringing motto:

Pay now, Play later.

Mandala Mixed Media Canvas

Mandala Mixed Media Canvas
Originally uploaded by peregrine blue

I DID IT. I ust went for it on a real canvas. The canvas I had always feared as a true artists' background. The canvas that inspires so much respect. Being my first, I really like it. The colors turned out beautifully. Amazing what can be accomplished with layers of paper, tissue paper, gesso and acylics watered down and played around with with your fingers and lots of LOVE. Ofcourse there was an inspiring artist behind its creation, the talented Anahata Katkin who actually has workshops on Mandala collages.

I feel new possibilities emerging. I had been wanting a quantum leap and I needed to be brave.

IT CAN BE DONE. Just like in the movie Ratatouille, anybody can become a great cook once you learn the techniques, anyone can delve into the realm of art and create beauty.

I am so happy, so excited at the possibilities opening up to me.