Recent Creative Pursuits: I'm a Fashion Designer?!

Fancy pants, in progress



Fancy outfit:  complete!

No, I haven't actually changed focus, but I have been nudged outside my comfort zone in terms of substrate as a result of another Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild project (funny how the Guild seems to be at the root of most of my non-comfort zone forays, isn't it?!).  Earlier this year, Penny Arrowood and I were invited to a meeting of Arts for Life, which is a local 501-C non-profit organization "dedicated to providing artistic education and emotional well-being to children across the state."  Their staff members and artists provide art programs for children at Duke Children's Hospital.  As we saw a video presentation showing the kids and their work, and listened to stories about the impact these creative art activities have on the critically ill patients, we knew the Guild had to become involved in some way with this effort. 

Of course I had to have
matching fancy earrings!

At the very least, we knew we'd want to join Arts for Life during their annual fundraiser called the "Fancy Pants Dance," where attendees show off their fanciest, and I'm told, most outrageous pants.  There's also a silent auction of donated art items (I've donated a 12-inch bamboo wall hanging from the 'Leaf Dance' series), dinner and information about the great work Arts for Life has done at the hospital during the past year.  So naturally, I had to have fancy pants!  And, of course, not just any pants would do:  I had to paint my own.  I found some at a fantastic local consignment shop called Passage, decided upon a design, and got to work.  Once I finished them though, I realized I needed an equally fancy top to go with them...so, I got a plain, brown long-sleeved shirt, and got to work.  Once I finished it, though, I realized I needed equally fancy earrings to go with the pants and the shirt (is this starting to sound like If You Give a Moose a Muffin?!), so, I made some, out of paper.  Fashion designer I'm not, but it was a fun project to do.  Here are the results...the dance is tonight, so photos of me in my finery, along with my CMMAG pals to come.

We also collaborated with Arts for Life on a wonderful project which will make its debut tonight, and at Art of the Carolinas, but that deserves its own, special post.  Stay tuned.



Recent Creative Pursuits: CanvaSynergy

My lists, color palette, map, design plan and guidelines
for CanvaSynergy 2011

Our Carolina Mixed Media Art Guild often takes on creative challenges, and I set one for the group in August, called CanvaSynergy.  I'd seen a collaborative piece done by a group of painters, and thought we could add another dimension (literally!) to this idea.  So, with canvases and paint donated by our favorite art supply store, Jerry's Artarama, 25 member artists were given a 12"x12" canvas, one tube each of Soho Acrylic mineral blue, cadmium red medium hue, cadmium orange hue and burnt sienna, and a list of guidelines I'd prepared.  The guidelines included permission to use black and white in addition to the four colors of paint, and the encouragement to "showcase our mixed media marvelousness".  I'd drawn out a design on all 25 canvases--unfortunately, or fortunately, whichever way you want to look at it, there are no photos of the gyrations I performed to do this, at first on the floor (a bad idea, given how un-limber I am!), then on my dining room table (much easier on the knees!). Once the design was on all canvases, I assigned one canvas to each artist, and the challenge was on.  Members brought their finished canvases to our October meeting, and there was great excitement when they all came together.  The public, big reveal won't take place until next week at Art of the Carolinas.  Stan is building a framework which will house and display them all, and the finished collaborative piece will, we hope, be donated to a children's hospital.  My canvas is below, but you'll have to come to Art of the Carolinas next week to see the rest, or stay tuned--I'll post photos of the grand reveal after November 13th.