Blog

My Zen Ink is a play on the meditation of drawing repeated patterns. The people who have developed all sorts of patterns, books and training are very protective of their name/process but the technique and process has been around since forever and copyright has been denied 8 times.
I first had my class work on their initials. I haven't finished adding color to mine - 9"X12".


Couple weekends ago, I facilitated Finger Painting on the Moon. I demoed several ways of using bubble soap.
I also had my Zen Ink class make a "bubble" watercolor sheet. I put acrylic ink into a small bottle of bubbles.
You carefully blow the bubble onto the paper. Sometimes the drips and spatters add interesting patterns.
I started with the word dream but have only made one flower pattern with the pens yet.

I made this bubble background last week in the Zen Ink class and tonight in class I started to make patterns but then suddenly trees grew and words came up...


summer sun warms earth feeding plants, trees... nature smiles in day's glow. roots dig deep into the earth seeking sustenance. stars dance in the night sky somewhere.
day fades into night. the stars fill the azure sky
summer night twilight flows soft and warm... stars blink sending their light through space and time. moonlight fills the darkness

Keep arting,

e

From the Washington Center for Performing Arts: The WCPA Art Event committee met August 6 to select the entries for this year’s show and we are delighted to let you know your artwork submission, “Rhabdomancy” will be included. Just twenty-eight pieces were selected from a large number of entries to commemorate the Center’s 28th anniversary.

Opening reception is on Oct 2 from 5 to 7pm and the exhibit is open during Arts Walk weekend.

3rd row down 4th from left to right....

"Melange" has been accepted into the

Corridor October EDGE Graduate show - reception Oct 3rd [1st Thursday in Seattle].

Location: Tashiro Kaplan BLDG., 306 S. Washington St. 98104

Below is my Artist Statement regarding the exhibit.

"Curve and Lineal Tales". EDGE Graduate Exhibit -

Curves resound in my work often representing the course of one’s life – beginning to the end – circle after circle rippling out from one’s center. Life is not a straight line..

My artwork tells expressive tales. How I came to be and continue to develop as a person influenced by family heritage/customs. My mixed media pieces transform the miscellaneous by intergrading them together with layers of acrylic paint not unlike growing up in a huge Scotch-Irish clan that rented a “hall” for holiday celebrations. I have fond memories of hearing favorite family tales late into the evening. These and new ones are passed on to my children and their children in widening circles.

REDUX

I finished my son's 100% wool sweater last night well actually 1AM. Earlier in the evening, I thought I was finished with the hood but a] the directions were really crazy and b] it looked awful. I pulled out 8 inches and began again. This time I just bound off at the top of the hood which makes the back a little pointy...[ maybe it needs a tassel].

Necessary finished touches include: blocking after sewing the underarm to the body - a mere 8 stiches, adding a zipper and making a hoody cord and turning the hood edge for the cord. Next a sweater for me...

Today's goal - make lots of6"X5" Sumi-e images and also print blocks prints for blank note cards....

Of the six pieces I entered, four were accepted...

so if you are attending the WA State Fair [formerly known as the Puyallup Fair] stop by the Fine Art Exhibit.

I have two mini mixed media [ Autumnal Equinox Sunset & Japanese Maple Mandala] and two Mixed Media [Calibrate and Circumscribe] that were accepted.

Find it odd that the two whimsical Sumi-e [Apple Snack and Grasshopper Tease] were not accepted... judging is so subjective. I always wish they'd include a note of why a piece was rejected.

Washington State Fair Events Center
110 9th Ave SW
Puyallup, WA 98371

The Fair dates: September 6-22nd

http://www.thefair.com/

I need to restock Shoreline Arts Commission cards and Traditions in Olympia... I hit a snag in working on making new cards yesterday.

Lone Star Adventure Cat has decided this is a great padded place to sleep.

Yesterday was a very sunny day - he slept there all afternoon

so I knitted - started Tuesday on a hoody sweater for my son.

will have to toss that fuzzy cat off the Sumi-e painting materials and get to work...

e

and is back there again today.

Sold Biz cards from my Zazzle Zen Ink shop.

http://www.zazzle.com/zen_ink

Thanks to whomever bought them...

http://www.zazzle.com/blue_zen_enso_business_card_templates-240318256520287658

I promise this is the last touch up, etc. for the submission to Redux 2013, the fundraiser for Kirkland Arts Center - deadline is 8/16. I felt the disk was too light a blue so I tried to match the ribbon colors and I added the carved piece. Happy that I'm early for once... I did receive a response that the submission was received.

Shikantaza [serene reflection referring to Soto Zen meditation] A square museum wrapped canvas [20”X20”] is the base for this mixed media using acrylic paint, ribbon, lace, embossed metal and a carved Celtic style knot embellishment. This carved piece is the focal point within the center circle.

Finally getting to these Art-o-Mat mini images... I made these paintings Thursday and Friday.

Here are most of them colored from today's efforts...

This is why I don't paint in the late afternoon - well, at least in the dining area at the front of the house!

It's so bright!!!! The post between the windows is shading the paper.Note: I use a regular watercolor brush on these minis as its such a small space and the brush has a lot of spring to it.