Sporadic Returns to the Feminist Paper Doll Project

In March 2012, I created a feminist paper doll a day.  This project was physically and emotionally draining for me.  (...like many artists, I also have a pay the bills job that tends to be pretty crazy in the springtime...) But I really liked doing it.  When the month was over, I was glad for the break away from researching and creating.  I did not feel, however that the project was complete.  There are so many folks who espouse feminist ideals and whether of not they pin that moniker on themselves they influence other folks like me who do wear feminist underwear.

So, I will be sporadically creating more dolls in this project.  I would like to resume with Harry Patch.  I have begun a blog that houses only my paper dolls.  Please do check it out.

"When the war ended, I don't know if I was more relieved that we'd won or that I didn't have to go back. Passchendaele was a disastrous battle – thousands and thousands of young lives were lost. It makes me angry. Earlier this year, I went back to Ypres to shake the hand of Herr Kuentz, Germany's only surviving veteran from the war. It was emotional. He is 107. We've had 87 years to think what war is. To me, it's a licence to go out and murder. Why should the British government call me up and take me out to a battlefield to shoot a man I never knew, whose language I couldn't speak? All those lives lost for a war finished over a table. Now what is the sense in that?" (Harry Patch)

Antoinette Bunnies are a Gas

Gas Girl

Processing Information

Making art unfortunately doesn't pay the bills.  And staying in the studio day after day can be isolating for an introvert like me (YES!  I am an introvert!).  It is these two reasons plus my love of teaching that means that I have a day job otherwise known as "work work."  I do love this job that I have.  I get to be rather creative, create (hopefully) positive change in my community and maintain a flexibility of mind in my work tasks. 

However, this does not negate the fact that drawing is my true love.   It is on my mind always.  It also helps me to stay focused during meetings.  If I need to remember a crucial bit of information then I will write down.  But the feel of the pen on the page usually leads my hand to start drawing almost unconsciously.  I remember the conversations and the topics discussed during the meeting and often sometimes the drawings that I create are surreally connected to the topics.

Here are drawings from 3 different meetings that I have in my legal pad.  Enjoy.

August Exhibition at The Yellow House Gallery

Join me at the Yellow House Gallery for a show of my works.  More info can be found here and here.  See you there!

Gas Baby Work in Progress

Gas Baby WIP
underdrawing June 22

Studio view of Gas Baby with rainbows cast from afternoon sun
July 9

Gas Baby WIP
With the addition of the collaged plant image I think the composition is settled...maybe.
Now to complete.
July 16

Paper Dolls, Gardenpainting, and galleries...

On February 1, I posted about needing to continue with the paper dolls until they ran their course.  I feel like that project ended in May.  I am happy that I did it for as long as I did and I am happy that it is done.  Making the dolls on a daily basis was exhausting and while I do believe it informed my graphic work, it did not allow me time to paint or draw on the scale that I like to.


If you'd like to see the paper doll project without having to swim through this blog, it will be available at Inventing Dolls.


For now I have been very busy with my garden and with painting. Oh and finding a new gallery...


On June 30, Sylvia Kania Gallery closed after running as a cooperative, artist centered gallery in Portland Maine.  I joined in October of 2008 (?) and it was a very wonderful creative home for all those years.  The connections that I was able to make with fellow local artists has been incredibly valuable to my personal and artistic life.  


Just recently I travelled to Rockport to meet the owner of The Yellow House Gallery, an artist owned, local outsider art focused gallery.  This place is lovely!  Two of my Babydoll paintings are living there currently and the Feminist Paper Doll series from March 2012 will be shown there in August...

For the month of July, I have two shows up just steps away from each other in Brunswick Maine.  The first is at Gelato Fiasco where my trees and some new plants are on view.  The second show is a viewing of my bird paintings up at Frank Brockman Gallery (68 Maine Street in Brunswick Maine). 


In the meanwhile, my summer is filled with gardening, painting, wandering off to the beach and watching stars with my fabulous husband and our marvelous daughter.  Life is sweet if you make it thus.

Losing and finding one's head

This is the most recent view of Weight of Words (Lonesome George).  
Some major pushing and pulling is needed with the values and color,
but I believe we are on the right track now.

The image on the left is the original image for George's head.  It was wrong and kept looking more and more "off" the more the rest of the painting got into shape.  It called to a Marie Antoinette move..."Off with his head!"

Or would that be the queen of hearts?

Well whichever, I placed a newly drawn on another piece of paper head on the painting and I think it is looking better. 

The Weight of Words (Lonesome George Painting in Progress)

Detail of Weight of Words (Lonesome George Painting in Progress)
Watercolor, acrylic, wax crayon, graphite and collage on paper

Initial drawing of Lonesome George

In Process: watercolor

Further Process: watercolor, acrylic, wax crayon, graphite

Process: adding texture to the shell and paper collage to the background.
The paper text in the background of the painting is from a chewed up copy (courtesy of my puppy)
of James Ellroy's Black Dahlia.  I was enjoying reading it before the dog sunk her teeth in it...now
I can only read desperate bits while adding them to the painting.  

Nearly complete...Some values will need to be punched up and pulled back  and a few other changes.