That '70's Thing

(puka shell necklace, carnelian beads, leather cord)

A blast from the '70's for sure...this is a necklace I made for myself back then. You can't find puka shells like these anymore. They were just becoming a craze then. And, like everything else, exploitation stripped all the beaches on the north shore of Oahu of puka shells.  'Puka" in Hawaiian, mean's 'hole' (loosely translated). The puka shells are the tops of cone shells that break off from the cone and get tumbled by the sand and the action of the waves. Over time, a puka, or hole, forms in the middleof that 'cap'. Hence, the name, puka shell. Perfect for stringing together since no drills are required.

Anyway, when I made it way back when, it was strung on fishing wire and the back half of the necklace (the part that is now the leather cord) was brown, crocheted string. Very hippie-dippy-ish! But, I love it anyway and am glad I restrung it as I can now wear it again. Made the earrings to go with it. LIG. Life is good.

Working With Golden's Glass Bead Gel Medium

I love using Golden Paints Glass Bead Gel Medium. It gives it such a unique look when you are done-I used it on these two pieces:

 

("Colors of Time" Photo with mixed media on 6" x 6" cradle board by Paula Scott)

("Petrified Tree" photo with mixed media on 6" x 6" cradle board by Paula Scott)

There is a free Golden demo coming up (and often, free samples are given at these demos) at the Village Press in Magdelena. Plan for a day trip there or spend the night so that you attend Nancy Reyner's workshop that weekend (be sure to sign up as space is limited). Nancy's workshops are a great way to get familiar with using Golden's products. It was, to date, one of the best workshops I've ever taken!

Work Completed 2011

A visual representation of most of the art work I completed/curated in the year, 2011:

Photo Contest at the Matrix

If you attend the Artist Reception at the Matrix Fine Art Gallery in Nob Hill on Friday, Jan. 6, 2012 starting at 5 pm, you can enter a very special photo contest that takes place that night:


Join the photographers of this exhibit at Matrix Fine Art for an
Artist's Reception, January 6, 2012 5-8pm.
In honor of this special New Year's 2012 First Friday Artscrawl,
there will be a photography contest at the gallery, with the
winner receiving a Think Tank Airport Airstream
Rolling Camera Bag, with a value of $299.75!
 • Please read the rules and regulations, below,
for a complete description of the contest...

Minie and You!Win a Think Tank Camera Bag by submitting a photo of Minie taken at the Artscrawl First Friday Photographer’s Reception, January 6, 2012,  at Matrix Fine Art!

Rules & Regulations:• All attendees present at the opening are eligible to shoot
• You must register for the session and a donate a minimum of $5 (to go toward the model sitting fee) for a two-minute session
• There will be a limit of 40 registrants
• All registrants will be eligible to send their selected images to Matrix Fine Art for the winning image selection. All entries will be posted on the Matrix Fine Art Gallery blog. Coordinators for the 2011/2012 1x15 Invitational Exhibit Show and Sale will select the winning image, and the prize of a Think Tank Photo Airport Airstream roller camera bag ($299.75 value), will go to the winning photographer.

Registration and Photography Process:• Registration will commence at 5:00pm, January 6, 2012, at Matrix Fine Art, and last until 5:30pm.
• All registrants who have paid the $5 minimum fee will be given a ticket.
• At 6pm, that evening, a line will form and each qualified registrant will be allowed a two-minute shoot.
• Minie will be stationed in the middle of the exhibit area, and will have access only to a chair for a prop.
• Registrants can elect to photograph her with or without the chair.
• Minie will be photographed as she is, with no additional clothing requests, in order to keep the “playing field” equal for all, except for one’s own personal vision.
• There will be an entry limit of one image from each registrant. Pick your best!• Any and all photographic mediums are allowed: cell phones, digital/film cameras, 4x5, 8x10, whatever method registrant chooses will be accepted, but the time limit at the Gallery will be strictly enforced.
• If you have any questions at all about this contest, please email tim@cygnetpress.com.  

Deadline for image entries:
Entries will need to be submitted to director@matrixfineart.com by January 31, 2012. Entries will be uploaded to the Matrix Fine Art blog on a first-come first-served basis, with the winner being selected February 3, 2012.

See you at the opening! 

The Story Behind My 1 x 15 Images

These are the images that I completed for the "1 x 15" show-a group show at the Matrix Fine Art Gallery in Nob Hill. The premise of the show is, one model, 15 photographers. The model is also one of the photographers. Each photographer was able to present two images for the show.

 

("La Cazadora de suenos" 16" x 20" photo, wax, oil pigment, watercolor)

 

("La Cazadora de suenos 2" 12" x 12" photo, acrylic, watercolor, oil pigment)

 

Both images are originals-they are not what one would call composite work done in Photoshop or some other photo software. The image of the model is printed on Japanese paper that is treated with a digital ground. The flowers in "La Cazadora de seunos 2" are also a photograph of a surface and are printed on the same kind of Japanese paper.

 

Originally, this show was slated to exhibit in Dec. 2010, but got moved up an entire year for some construction work that needed to get done in the gallery. Unfortunately, for me, I was the only one who had photographed that model before it was postponed. And, that model was not available to continue on in 2011 with the photographers, so I had to re-do my photoshoot session and came up with an entirely different concept from my original shoot. In the original session, my concept was about a forgotten goddess. You can find out more about that session here (which includes my image).

The story and inspiration for "La Cazadora de suenos" comes from a shrine I created in 2010 for an on line charity project that I contribute to annually. The shrines are artfully created from cigar boxes and are sold at an on line auction-the monies raised for that auction go entirely to the street children of Oaxaca-a grass roots movement to end poverty through education. 

Here's a shot of work in progress of the doll that was in that shrine for 2010:

 

 

 

 

The dress is comprised of pages from a dictionary just as my life sized version is. The life sized dream catcher was made by a blogging friend of mine, Joe Spado. And the face and headdress is inspired by the people of Omo. To loosely explain the significance of each of these things-the pages of the dictionary speak of the importance of education, the dream catcher represents the dreams that do come true with education, and the tribute to the people of Omo has to do with the limitless creativity we possess within ourselves-it speaks of our potential. And of what is possible.