Through the funky portal and across the quantum field...

Werk!

Totes gnar-gnar

For Katerina, Mr. Tomkinz, and countless others..

This image was inspired by an awesome Youtube video I saw called "DO WHAT YOU CAN'T" by Casey Neistat.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG7dSXcfVqE

Hope you had a magical, weird, enchanting and not too taxing full moon.

The Latest News from the Boopiverse..

A friendly nudge from the Universe.  Or perhaps the Boopiverse.

I got to snowshoe up on Mt.Bachelor last weekend.  Here is the result of my snow contemplations.

A Prayer

For when you're in a Spring feverish/ pirate-y/ galactic sort of mood.

Trying to see through the eyes of the heart

A Few More...

Up-cycled Art Show by Jenny Rideout

Phew, almost there...

I'm having an art opening!  Thursday, October 29, 2015, 6:00-9:00 pm at Living Room Realty, 1401 N.E, Alberta, Portland, Oregon.  It's a beautiful space and I can hardly wait to see what my work says to me in this large, airy, bright space (as opposed to stacked up and otherwise crammed in my little studio).  Should be interesting.  More pictures and insightful ramblings to come once the show is in place.

Painting!

Upcycling all the time

Here's a painting I just finished.  It's also part of the reason I haven't posted for awhile because I've been busy, busy, busy working on a show of entirely up-cycled art.  It opens in October, more details to come.  Can't wait.

Finding the magic

It's Spring Equinox. Stop, drop, and OM.

  My last post http://thedelightist.blogspot.com/2014/03/year-of-wood-horse-talisman.html got me reminiscing about some of the other ba-jillion times I seemed to randomly find something absolutely brilliantly symbolic and/or metaphoric, causing me to say to myself, "wow, I'm up to my tits in deep magic here."  Being that we're right on top of Spring equinox, I thought I would share the story of the artwork pictured above(and below)and how I created it.

  It all started about 5 years ago, a few days before that year's Spring Equinox.  I was walking through the neighborhood with Ruby when she was at an age when she was constantly finding "treasures" on the ground that were very important and I absolutely had to save them in my purse.  A purse that was starting to bulge with pinecones, stones, bottle caps, and other cool detritus that a five year old finds fascinating and collectible.  Anyhow, as we were crossing the street she bent down and picked up the letter "O" pictured above. In case you didn't recognize it, it's one of those linking toys for babies and toddlers that one could use to make a chain and perhaps attach a pacifier to the stroller. It was a little worse for wear but into the purse it went where I promptly forgot about it.  
  Until two days later, on the Spring equinox when I was walking in a completely different neighborhood and I looked down to find an "M" shaped linking toy.  I didn't even know they made M's!  I thought they only made O's.  But how else are you gonna spell OM? Right?
  Anyhow, to commemorate this juicy gift of symbolism from the Universe I had to incorporate it into an art piece.  Ever since I became a busy mom I've been making my artwork by starting out with second hand paintings.  Just a little time saving trick I came up with.  A couple of weeks before, my neighbors happened to be getting rid of this velvet beauty with the maiden and the wolf.  So I painted the frame bright blue, glued the OM and some other tchotchkes to it, and added some painted polka dots for good measure. 
  Looking at it I am reminded to stop, drop inside, and go to the OM place.  Or the HOME place. Stillness. Balance.  Like the equinox. The balance between the play of seasons and day and night.  To me there is always a magic about the time around the equinoxes.  The stillness feels still-er but somehow fuller too. Like a deep, deep pause and preparation. Renewal. Connection. Unconditional.  Love.

Mexico trip!

 Hope you enjoyed these pics from my trip to Mexico. I would like to express my thanks to the anonymous artists who created the beach art and jungle graffiti.  I would also like to thank my friend Karen for moving from a gorgeous little beach town and having six cats that needed to be moved from Mexico to the US thereby requiring the services of Renee and I to help move them. Thank you to Alaska Airlines for having an "only two cats per human" rule.  They practically forced me to take a beach vacation.  Thanks to the bartender at Bar Camaron (conveniently located near the big rope swing) who made us the "mug-o-ritas".  Also thanks to Jo Roxie, the Aussie lady who took the picture of Renee and I at yet another establishment that featured the winning swings/margarita combo.  And last but not least I'd like to thank Rob and Ruby for valiantly holding it down in Portland while mommy went off to "Camp Margarita".  Love you guys!

Up-cycling 0ld 70's Art

What to do with those old 70's style brown metal sculptures one finds at a thrift shop, garage sale, or perhaps on their parent's wall.

  So I got the idea for this after "enhancing" some semi-tacky butterfly shaped metal sculptures I literally found lying on the side of the road.  Which was really a cool story in itself as it came at a time in my life when I was going through a major transformation and I needed a little confirmation that I, myself was succeeding in the process of upgrading some of my internal semi-tackiness into something more cohesive and beautiful.  Anyhow, I mentioned that I wanted to do more of this "enhancing" to my friend and ace thrifter, Rachelle, and she immediately found this spectacular ship. (thanks Rachelle!)  Rumor has it that this beauty came out of an old bar in Astoria on the Oregon coast.  Judging by the nicotine stench I find this story to have some plausibility. 

   Step 1) hose down your sculpture.

   Step 2) just start splashing paint around and decoupaging the heck out of whatever metal sculpture thingy you've managed to get your hands on.

             Some More Random Tips

   I found it helpful to lay down a light base color on the entire thing. But I kept it fairly painterly. I like that some of the metal showed through. 

   Fan brushes and a spray bottle.  Fun to play with and great for the textures and drips I love so much.

So much fun!

   I used scrap booking paper, newspaper, and old wrapping paper for the decoupage part.  In retrospect, maps would have been cool too.  Mod-podge is my adhesive of choice.

   I also used some stencils and just regular old painting in case you were wondering.   The sky is the limit.  As I was working on this, I really wanted to let it unfold in the present moment, in the lightest and most joyful way I could muster.  No mulling or planning allowed!  Just being.  It felt really good and it still feels really good to me when I look at it. Tall ships have made appearances in my work in the past.  I think they appeal to me as symbol of the soul with each sail unfurled representing a another lifetime.  Each lifetime providing experiences that propel your "ship" across the multiverse.  Each experience (no matter how "good" or "bad") adding more interest, beauty, and power to your voyage.  Um, at least that's where I went with it.