Tarot card #8

If I was anything near as difficult to raise, back in the day, as I was to paint, it's a wonder my mom didn't smother me with a pillow.
This is me, age about four. I still remember the photo session; we had just moved to California that summer or fall. Note the peasant-style embroidery on the blouse. Welcome to the 1970s, kids, AKA the year 2004.

Look at all the yellow in my skin. It looks pretty close to the undertone of Indian Yellow Hue. Should be pretty easy to paint. Ha!
You should see what landed in the garbage.

Finally, I tried "flesh" tone (that would be Caucasian flesh) and was astonished at how much yellow there was in that peachy color. Indian Yellow Hue mixed with it right away was a disaster. (See exhibit A: lower right attempt.)

What I needed was to layer the flesh tone with a mix of soft white, Indian Yellow Hue and Burnt Sienna. More like a smear of the other three colors. I guess the flesh tone acted like white layered under other acrylics: it creates a more opaque base for the other colors.The finished painted-over skin compared to the photo:
I couldn't live with what I think of as Seventies Red (too orangey), so I went for a reddish purple overlaid with Interference Violet.
All this effort was for The Pretty Baby tarot card. I was thinking of times when I've felt like I could do no wrong, that everything about me was as it was supposed to be. At first, I thought of the typical princess images, including me in my wedding dress.
But then I remembered feeling that way as a kid when I went swimming. (And I used to luuuuuuuuuuv "Man from Atlantis." Come on -- you know you tried to swim like that at least once as a kid.) Putting my head on a fish looked weird, and not in a good way. Hence the mermaid.

Would you like to share that with the class?

Two examples of "eco-art" that the pre-kindergartners have made at The Boy's day care.

This summer, The Boy has gotten a chance to make art at school as well as home, so I know he's thrilled at that. His homework (yeah, that's right -- homework for pre-kindergartners) the other day was to bring in recyclables for them to make more "eco-art."
Between TwoBoo's baby food jars and The Husband's soda cans, the pre-k kids could probably remake the Statue of Liberty. I'd send along the (washed) used bottle inserts, but they look too much like unrolled condoms. No need for me to become That Mom.

Tarot card #7

Yes, Virginia, you can patina paper. Whoo-hoo!
Remember, the key is to seal the paper, otherwise it'll just drink up whatever paint you apply. A coat of gel medium or matte medium creates a barrier between the paper and acrylic paint.

Then you'll need metallic paint and patina solution, which you can find in a craft store kit. (You can find a how-to here.) Finally, finish up with another coat of gel medium. The second coat halts the patina process, so the patina doesn't continue eating away at the metal in the paint.
My dad was the Fixer in my life, and my grandfather was much the same for my mom. (Dr. Freud, you can take a break now.) Both were pretty practical men; one was an accountant, the other was a master plumber. Which is why I started out with the blueprint paper as a background and the idea of a balance scale.
But an ordinary balance didn't really do much for me. Then I thought of substituting the fulcrum (is that the term for the vertical piece?) with a pipe wrench. I found what I was looking for on FunDraw:When I painted the wrench, I wanted to leave some of the detail apparent. So I went a little lighter on some areas, and left most of the shadowing alone.
It's funny: I don't know if either my dad or my grandfather would've gotten what I'm going for in this tarot card. Dad would've certainly understood some of the implications of the symbols I chose. He did have his artistic side: he collected a few Ernie Barnes and Erté prints. And as a kid, he went to the first arts high school in the country, where he played clarinet and sax.

But the main priority for both him and my grandfather was to spare their daughters the kind of economic pressures they were under. So I wonder if they would be open to this kind of personal exploration.

Fresh Paint

This year makes the third I've gone to the Fresh Paint arts festival with The Boy.
Now TwoBoo joins us; not yet independently mobile, but definitely enjoying all the pretty colors as we walked along the marina. It's one of those something-for-everyone events: artists at work like my friends Mary and Kim, children's activities, and this year, art cars!Who knew you could get so much mileage out of old accessories? Yeah, I said it.
I think this one would've worked a bit better in a drier climate. I wanted to like it, but the wet-then-dried out feathers just kinda made it look like colorful roadkill.

The kids' favorite was the Toynota, by Ranger Kidwell-Ross. Some of the toys attached to the car still work, like the music makers. Plus... bubbles!I preferred Margot Lovinger's Butterfly Car. She hands out an FAQ card that explains the car's raison d'etre. My favorites: she can always find the car in a parking lot, and the paint is also an anti-theft measure. "Who's gonna steal a car this recognizable?"We got caught in in a downpour the previous years we went -- the weather is often iffy this late in the summer. Not this time, though -- plenty of sunshine and art.

Tarot card #6

Have you ever noticed that Hello Kitty has no mouth? I know, she commands a freakin' empire. But she still can't talk, can't bitch or moan, can't even smile.
Which is appropriate, in my mind, to represent the years I spent being Serious as a Heart Attack. Eyes wide open, mouth shut.
Sealed for your protection, as it were. (Those medicine bottle seals come in handy.) I also painted over the gel medium transfer of the girl's black & white image.
You don't hear much out of rabbits, either. Cute, but silent. I found these on a piece of nursery-themed paper, then blended the white background to that of the skates-printed background paper. The girl looked like she was floating, but not in a good way, so I grounded her (hah! Grounded her!) with the ruler bit.

Tarot card #5

WARNING: If you're a devout Catholic, Hindu or Orthodox Christian, you may want to skip this post. I mean no offense by the following.

(Really, do I have devoutly religious readers? If so, thanks for sticking with me.)

I finished this tarot card this week.At first, the phrase (rather than the actual concept) "Kali the Destroyer" came to mind, which led to "Mommy the Destroyer." Some days it seems like the best solution to every annoyance the kids hand out is for me to criticize and snap.
Serendipity -- Kali was a pretty spot-on choice. According to Wikipedia:

In both of her forms, she is described as being black in color but is most often depicted as blue in popular Indian art. Her eyes are described as red with intoxication, and in absolute rage, her hair is shown disheveled, small fangs sometimes protrude out of her mouth, and her tongue is lolling. She is often shown naked or just wearing a skirt made of human arms and a garland of human heads.

Okay, I'm not high, fanged, or nearly naked, but still. Don't make me add your head to my necklace.

In spite of her seemingly terrible form, Kali Ma is often considered the kindest and most loving of all the Hindu goddesses, as she is regarded by her devotees as the Mother of the whole Universe. And, because of her terrible form she is also often seen as a great protector.

Like the mama bear. Which brings us back to...
... Our Lady of Czestochowa, one of the most famous European Black Madonna icons. The image was on a card holding a religious medal with the same image and title.

I painted over it with skin tones more similar to my own, simplified the clothing colors, then added the barking dog in the medal opening. I wish I'd used another color in the pumice gel surrounding the images, but I'm still experimenting with it. Meh. Still better than the wimpy little flowers around the original card.

Rise up!

Urban Craft Uprising drew us into the heart of Seattle last weekend. The Husband was still groggy, so I packed up the kids and went. The Boy allowed himself to be lured with the promise of art-making.

This being a art/craft show, I figured there had to be something kid-friendly, and there it was. Homemade play dough. The maker provided a testing spot for small people. Kids' books available too. Matthew Porter brought his prints, t-shirts as well as his children's books. How do you not like a one-legged pirate monkey?

Oh, man. You should've seen the jewelry made by Marie Khediguian. My favorite "Markhed" jewelry pieces were made from microfiches of old New York Times ads.

Some of the crowd was a lot edgier than I...

But I definitely wasn't the only mom with stroller and small kids in tow.

The Boy wasn't all that impressed with the play dough -- he's beyond that artistically. So later we made a superhero cape out of string and a broken-down Goldfish crackers box. (The box was his idea. Love it.)

Later, we went outside so The Boy could practice his superhero leaps.

Artfest 2010... Awwww, yeah

Why, yes, I am going to Artfest. Thanks for asking!I had to miss this year's festivities. Fookin' economy, man. And I have definitely used what I've learned in 2008, but as for putting away my Artfest goodies...
... um, yeah. Maybe I'll actually get my ATCs and trades put away by the time AF 2010 rolls around. Sure. (Oh crap! Trades! I have to start thinking of trades!)
It was somewhat difficult, then and now, to commit to going. Not out of a lack of desire -- but worrying about money and leaving The Husband by himself with the kid(s) for four days.

I do have some of my own funds to pay the expenses. Also, The Husband is totally capable of taking care of the small people; he does it all the time. But that's a lot of time with two children under five, with no break, and no corresponding free time for The Husband. It just didn't seem fair.

So I just said, "Sigh..." on my Facebook status update, browsed the AF classes, and figured I'd keep plugging away on my own.

Once again, I had totally forgotten how much The Husband gets me.

First thing he said when I got home last night was, "Go to Artfest." He points out that this is how I recharge and that it's good for me as well as our marriage. ('Cause as you know... if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.) And when he needs time away, say for a training seminar, he knows I'll be happy to return the favor.

The Husband also noted that of the four days I'd be away, two of them the kids would be in day care. So he would have breaks, just not on all four days. I argued, weakly, but he insisted.

So I have to go. As long as Teesha picks my registration out of the hat, I'm there. Stay tuned for Artfest-related mishegoss arising from the feverish enthusiasm that builds during the next seven months.

It burns! It burns!

It's been so relentlessly hot these past two weeks that even the ferns in our backyard got sunburnt. See how part of the frond looks bleached? Poor things.

We've had record-breaking temperatures this summer. Pity the poor Husband; he had to put the kids to bed in that heat. One bright spot -- once they were sleeping, both slept more deeply than usual. TwoBoo even slept through the night until 7am.

This week is supposed to get back to normal... only 81 degrees today -- hah! -- and possible rain at the end of the week.