Friday, October 8, 2010

invisible school


my nicho on legs... i think that makes it a spirit house instead of a nicho (that's what someone said), but it needed legs! i left the class with a lavender turquoise-y nicho, and came home to repaint it and add legs... now i need to add something inside - and keep it out of the wind. it'll surely blow over at the first gust. ; )

i highly recommend cathy dorris as a teacher... she's patient, generous, and very good at what she does. she has *a lot* of knowledge to share... as i listened to her, little lightbulbs went off about things completely unrelated to nichos. for me this is the most valuable thing about taking a class...


before any more times goes by, i want two thank two fellow bloggers/creators for sending me gifts of their art...

the first is deb lewis from vintage moon studios. deb won a give-away that i did a few weeks ago and she sent me this incredible painting as a thank you. these eyes, these lips!! thank you so much, deb! it's on muslin, in case you can't tell...


the second is jan brattain, from laughing dog arts, who sent me 'dooleybobber # 6' even though i didn't win it in a give-away that she had. someone else won, and chose another piece... i did a teeny tiny bit of whining about not winning, and she sent it to me! along with a dvd of tommy emmanuel (amazing guitar player) and a vintage cloth napkin (i love those). thank you, jan!


this is what the second batch of rust stained buttons looked like after a week in a rusty can with water, salt, vinegar, and a little miracle gro (i added that towards the end). i like them more than the first batch; they're quite a bit darker...

watercolors on watercolor paper

since i've been back - working with watercolors and experimenting with different ways to paint eyes.

watercolors on watercolor paper

these weren't easy to photograph... everything is subtle, and when i try to brighten the image up (because it's a little too dark), the eyes get way too vivid and dark.

watercolors and oil pastel on old book page

here i am back on an old book page using the same technique as i did for the 'creek people', but still experimenting with the eyes. not drawing them in first, but sort of blocking them in with a pencil and going from there with paint.

eyes and lips endlessly fascinate me... the slightest change in either can change the expression completely.


a silk and muslin 'fragment'... oh, how i love muslin and silk together!


my copy of capacity was waiting for me at the p.o. on my way out of town last week. i can't begin to tell you how much i love this book; how much i appreciate the intelligence and talent of theo ellsworth...


* * *


"After I flunked out of High School in 1994, I secretly began attending the Invisible School of Art, Wonder and Imaginary Technology (ISAWIT). I was 18 years old. Attending an invisible school is challenging. It is up to the student to discover the curriculum, intuit assignments, and chart one's own progress. Most of the professors are imaginary, yet stricter than you'd expect. There is no escape. One of the biggest challenges for me was to keep remembering that I was an ISAWIT student. Finding my classrooms was also hard... "

Theo Ellsworth, at the end of 'Capacity'

XO

25 comments:

  1. love the shape of your nicho... is that front piece book board? and holy Goddess that piece Deb made is outstanding!! will have to tell her!!
    and this is what whining will get you huh? I will have to try that! lol
    buttons are fab, but love the watercolors, the eyes are fantastic and adore the bees!!!
    took a class with Theo at art fest and he is highly talented, bet the book is great! xox

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  2. Lynne, I love your spirit home....thanks for the button blip..someone just gifted me with hundreds of buttons..and thanks for the turn on to Theo Ellsworth..!! hug, hug

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  3. LOLOL Yeah, those locks on the lockers are a bugger to get the numbers right. lololol love him.
    Love the spirit house too. Eyes are dreamy, unfocused, I like. :)Bea

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  4. oooohh that book sounds interesting. i love ur stitching, paintings and ur spirit house as well as your lovely gifts.

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  5. Your Nicho looks wonderful! You lucky, those gifts are wonderful! Your art is wonderful and so are your buttons!

    My word verification today was dingle!

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  6. Lynne--I know I sound like a broken record but I agree with all the above posts! Your stuff is spectacular! And how wonderful of those women to send you art. Their stuff is just as awesome too. Lucky, lucky you!

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  7. Hi Lynne,
    I see you are even more incredible than ever...I love the new watercolor people...and your saintly niche...I can't wait to see who/what will live inside, maybe a button fairy...
    Your gifted art is beautiful in many ways...

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  8. *Lynne*
    I love your blog, and your art!
    Even when I am very zzzz and down, it cheers me up.
    A

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  9. Your Spirit House is truly miraculous. I would love to see more photos (hint, hint).
    What about putting those little feet in some concrete? so it won't be blown over.
    xox

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  10. This post is choc-a-block full of wonders. Your Spirit House, the new eyes, rusty buttons ....just amazing.

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  11. silk and anything is nice. slik seems to coat other fabrics, especially with added stitch.

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  12. Oooo lots of different stuff today. Love the spirit house. And deb Lewis face is wonderful as is dooleybobber #6.
    I am going to have to try the rusty buttons. I have a ton of white buttons that are kind of boring and the rusty ones look Brilliant!

    I love the look of eyes painted without lines and I still have a hard time leaving them alone even if I do it, I want to go back and add lines. I love your new eyes!!!

    I am a Theo Ellsworth fan too and want to get some of his woodcuts. They are so cool!

    hugs

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  13. Wow Lynne.....what a post. It's full to the brim with beautiful things.
    Love the spirit house and you are so busy creating so many things.....just got into the studio today for the first time in months.

    Hope you are well.
    xo K

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  14. What a rich post. Loving your creations and what wonderful gifts to have received.

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  15. wonderful gifts you received and it was meant to be a give away for others... fun.
    love your view of eyes and mouths and how they change everything, i find that to be true as well.
    Muslin and silk, wonderful, heaven and earth...

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  16. wow
    you have been busy.

    the new eyes look wistful, while your fragment is simply gorgeous..

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  17. the legs make all the difference, well now the wind can pass beneath and get up on the roof and knock on the door.

    great gifts, and that text from the Invisible school sounds vast and good. i know that feeling of not finding Home room, or not wanting to find it, too!

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  18. Dear Lynne, your spirit house/nicho is fantastic, I love the color and the little corner pieces and the doors. And your new paintings, wide-eyed and full of wonder, And the beautiful gifts... the face from Deb - the color of the sash is glorious.... and the rusted buttons, And (there is so much I want to mention) your silk and muslin little beauty. I hope you have a beautiful day today! roxanne

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  19. Spirit house or nicho-whatever- it's totally brilliant! I like the innocence of the people in your watercolor paintings, and I especially like the eyes of the first one. thanks also for sharing the word about Theo Ellsworth!

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  20. I love the blurry watercolor eyes of the second face, which seem to me to be tear-stained (maybe just my present mood). The silk/muslin fragment is real fine. Have a great week, and thanks for the inspirations.

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  21. You have been so busy. I love the buttons. Your Nicho is gorgeous , but i like the sound of a spirit house too. Your gifts are wonderful. xJ

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  22. Hi Lynne,
    I love your spirit house - it attracts to put my hand to/in it - but no - this would destroy the secret.
    Think Henry would like your new watercolours a lot also. They remind me of some of his heads - but yours are looking better. :-)
    And wow, nice gifts you got - I remember how it feels. ;-)

    Nicole

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  23. I've missed meandering with you and your show and tells. Nice catch-up, nice work, nice introductions... thanks! -j

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  24. Lynne,
    I love your spirit house - is it metal? and what a great idea for the buttons - I'm always rusting stuff, but never thought of buttons. They look beautiful. Thank you for sharing yourself so beautifully.
    Olivia

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  25. Thank you for sharing
    This fabulous work with us
    Good creations

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