Forgotten Art Found-Pears, Journal Pages, and a Goddess!

While cleaning out my work space, I found a lot of art that I had forgotten about, that I had done a few years back. I also found my Moleskine large watercolor book, which I had only used the first few sheets in. I haven't made pictures of most of what I found yet, some of it finished, a whole bunch not finished...yet. I'm going to try to separate the two during my organizing process, which is taking forever!

This one is in the Moleskinne WC book, and, if I remember correctly, is an intuitive watercolor painting, where I dampened the paper, dropped various watercolor paints and/or acrylic inks onto it, let it dry, then pulled out the images, then added a quote and some writing. The quote says, "Let your mind be quiet, realizing the beauty of the world and the immense, the boundless treasures that it holds in store." by Edward Carpenter. Notice the face over her shoulder and the cat walking down her arm. I love this one! 😊

 This is a mixed media journal page, also in the Moleskine WC book, with layers of papers, collage, stamps, and writing.

These are some separate paintings I found. The pears at the top were painted, possibly on cardstock, when I was trying to learn to use acrylics, which I had always hated, because they dried faster than I could paint. Then I discovered Golden Open Media Acrylics, and I was hooked! I LOVE them!

The bottom pears are mixed media on heavy watercolor paper. I carved the pears on a linoleum block, learning to block print, and printed them on some kind of oriental paper, tore around them, and adhered them to a background of layered textures, and maybe papers, then used a sponge stamp alphabet to stamp versions of the same word/number: 3 pear shapes, 3 dots, #333, Trinity, Trio, and Three

The dark one in the bottom corner is an abstract where I used various inks, playing with textures, runs, drips, etc. If you look at the whole piece, which is much bigger than this corner, you can see a lot of different shapes. Notice the little rooster in the white spot, totally accidental! 

Do you ever put paintings aside, thinking they're awful and you can't believe you made such a mess, then a while later you stumble upon them, and when looking at them with fresh eyes, you discover that they're not terrible, and you can't believe you created something that good?

One of the biggest problems I have is thinking everyone else's work is so much better than mine, and much of it is, but then I think of the saying that if only the birds with the best songs sang, then the woods would be silent, or something to that effect, and I happily keep doing my thing and loving it. If someone else likes it that icing on the cake, if they don't that's okay too. My creations are all my children, they all  have their own special quirks and character, and I love them all.

I do so appreciate all of the wonderful artists and teachers online and in books, who so generously share their knowledge and talents with the rest of us, so that we can enhance and find our own voice in our art to add a little more beauty to the world. We desperately need more beauty and tranquility in the world!

Can't wait to see what else I uncover during my studio excavation!  

Keep creating and doing what you love! 💓