November Series...

I am making angels this month. I wanted to venture away from my colored pencil work and revisit some mixed media, that much I knew.  But I wasn't sure of the colors that I wanted to use for the series...or the format...size...and because I like to work within fairly strict, self-imposed perimeters...I had to figure all of this out.  

So I have been working on the angel heads...and that is it. Til now.

Be forewarned...the next few paragraphs are straight out of my rambling brain, and I am going in a big circle...so stay with me for the full rotation, it will all make sense, or at least it does to me.

A bunch of lady heads, nothing to see here folks...

So, why angels?  The single most profound event in my life has been the passing of my best friend, Amy German,  my senior year in high school.  Hands down- this changed my life.  There have been other events, but when I think about the heart of why I do what I do- it all goes back to Amy.  Her death awakened in me to need to create, and to try and spread beauty and joy...which I do, or hope that I do, with my art...to share my heART.  

I revisit the idea of angels... halos.. wings... butterflies and dragonflies periodically in my art. This is all part of the imagery that I attribute to my friend...to honor her...and because I think that these things are beautiful and bring joy to others.  

And I am kinda into that...which led me to...

...something I call an #angeldrop.  
That's when I leave art for folks to find...hopefully it will brighten their day.  I used to call it #angelbombing, but that became problematic...I didn't want to potentially cause a bomb-threat situation. (ummmm...that would be BAD) So I started using a different tag...making small angel paintings, usually watercolor outlined in pen...and I just started...leaving them.  Everywhere.   I am going to do a separate post on this at a later date because I have some things in the works...including adding a link in the navigation for these...but that will be later...

Last weekend, I went to New Orleans with my husband John. (congrats on getting the paper in the SMA conference!  Yay!)  While I was there, I 'dropped' twenty angels in the French Quarter and also in the airport.  For the most part I left them for folks to find, but I also handed a few out to people face to face, which is also fun.  When I was painting my angels Friday night I had the idea to combine my whimsical angel bodies (heavily influenced by the flying, floating, FABULOUS images of Marc Chagall) with the unresolved heads I had been working on.
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I had the idea then...but I wasn't ready to act on it yet.  Nope, I wanted to #angeldrop. So I did.

Blue Angel by Marc Chagall

Nawlins with #JohnnyNice ...too much good food, amazing street music, jewelry and art from local folks...and angels everywhere!

When returned to Florida, I continued to work on the drawings and played around with some backgrounds...then finally, I just went for it. I started to glue things down and made a few angel bodies to attach to the last few pieces I started.  

So far for the series I am using my 'grown up' colors (this is what I refer to when I work in more muted, neutral colors instead of my usual bright jewel tones).  I am painting scrapbook papers, collaging, layering, stamping...and I am just getting started. 

So far...I am really excited about the series. Pairing the flying figures with the faces...just seems to fit.  I can still draw my semi-realistic, stylized faces that I love, and then combine the elongated bodies that I use in my #angeldrop art...AND play with mixed media.

I will probably work on my daily art in pieces, starting with the heads, creating one each day for a few days and then sitting down to finalize the backgrounds and attach everything, so you may not see the pieces completed each day...just bits and pieces and then all of a sudden- angels.  I am going to attempt to allow myself this freedom to work...we'll see how that goes.

Stay tuned for more angels...and side note...many good things happening!  I must have some angels looking out for me!!  More on that later!