Art for Arts Sake

Who is 'Art'?

I'm still doing the usual gourd art but I want to branch out and do something a little more exciting. I saw some gourd art yesterday that had me inspired and frustrated. How could I ever learn to do some of the things I saw? I guess I should use Google and find out!

(Later) I shouldn't have looked at the Google search results for 'gourd art' as I'm now somewhat pessimistic about my chances of doing something truly fine in this medium. What I should try and remember is the fact that my art is just that…mine. I have a style and look that comes only from me and my imagination. What I need to do is to let my imagination grow! And I think I need a good wood burning set. One that will do very fine lines.

Well, it worked out fine…I've explored on-line and found a good and much less expensive wood burning set. I also found that YouTube has all sorts of videos for alcohol inks and gourd art. I just need to sit down and watch some these and get motivated.

YouTube…Amazing!

Even More Gourds

Works in progress...

Busy…

I'm still busily engaged in gourd art…my escape from painful reality and an outlet for some pent up creativity. I do have 3 blank canvases ready for something, but what? The gourds are easy, but a stark white canvas is a real challenge. OK, my canvases (canvii?) are not really canvas, they are 11x14 canvas panels that I buy at Michaels for a relatively cheap $2 each. So I'm not risking a lot of money when I put a brush onto them, still they are daunting. (I need to get over this!)

More Gourds

A new one...
















A different view of the new one

















A work in progress
















Another one I'm working on
















An old one...take a shriveled and useless gourd and make an 'egg for an alien' out of it

More stuff...

Not the best images...

I've been busy. The creative side of my brain has me out in my 'studio' as much as possible. I can only sit for so long and it's the same with standing. So I play a little at what I'm doing. The small crucifix's (or is it 'crucifii?) come from my fascination with the shape of the cross in art. Ever since I went to that gallery in Santa Fe...or was it Taos? Anyway, there was a display of folk art featuring the crucifix and I was captured by them. And now that I have a large collection of Black Walnut to work with, I'm going to make some larger pieces...

The large gourd is a work in progress...

The small gourd is finished. I was fascinated by the patterns that the mold/fungus had left on the shell and I outlined them before sealing it.

Workplace and Work

Where I work...I have a large mirror as a work surface. It's easy to clean and I think it adds light to the area






































































The camera is unforgiving and shows every little defect. I need to learn how to soften the images so that the gourds appear as they do in 'real life'.