Once More from the Garden

Too bad the red of the maple leaves got lost in translation from my picture to the blog, bummer! It was a much more fiery red.

44 Years Ago Today

i arrived in New York City from Paris. So today my son David gave me a beautiful postcard  to celebrate this anniversary...along with a bottle of Champagne....from France, of course!
But that being said, here is my demi-grapefruit finished, including pics of the process. Once the rind is removed (deliciously useful  in our Cosmopolitans btw) i let it dry out and then slice it in half to eat it (i have to use a sharp serrated knife at this point because it has become VERY hard)

This is what it looks like at this point, after a very brief stay in the oven.

A couple of layers of Golden medium later...

Now is the time to collage little bits of my handpainted papers inside...

Now on the outside

Done!

Cute little container, nice gift!

Plaster Exercise

5"x6", plaster , acrylics, with transfers and wax layer

Sunlight on a golden hosta leaf.

The marabou is a transfer on plaster while the left drawing is a transfer on wax. i had problems with both but especially the left one: when i was fusing it, i started losing the lines and details which were moving  in the direction of the air flow from the heat gun. i am a newbie at that, a lot to learn as i keep practicing. My drawings were kinda lost in the process, oh well!  Sisterette says it's fine!♥♥♥

L'Inconnue

6"x10", oil pastels, casein, graphite, watercolors on a page from my vintage book "Encyclopedia of Chinese painting",. The Universal Book Company, pub.

i wonder how many of us have been inspired by Lynne Hoppe.....i have found a couple of folks out there but is that all? i think not! i hesitated about my "Inconnue" because, well you know, because of the strangeness, but both Steve and i liked her instantly so she feels secure now, part of the family.
Now working on some plaster piece in the studio and thinking about what i could do to the empty rind of a half grapefruit which has now hardened beautifully....whew, a mouthful:)


A few hours later:
i am reading over my post and i realize that with my pathetic English i poorly expressed myself  (misleading): when i wrote "a couple of folks",  i meant people who were inspired to actually draw/paint faces in the manner of Lynne...we all know what an inspiration she is to so many people in so many different ways.

In the Garden

Still beautiful! As for these amazing maple leaves, i stand in silence and humility.

Quickie Face

i was experimenting with this Chinese paper (book) on calligraphy. i have always loved these characters and find them totally beautiful. This was very quickly done especially when i noticed that i had not painted a layer of medium to protect the paper which is very fragile....made a couple holes...these characters are like rubons , showing quite a bit of relief. i love this paper and i intend to do more like this one but i will prepare my paper before hand!