More Dyad WIP photos + pics from artwalk on NW 23rd

So i did some more work on my Dyad painting:

...as you can see i have put down the first layers of acrylic paint to my outline. I am still in need of more layers, refining and polishing. So far i have only really worked on one wing and must to the other and then figure out what those strange claw/flower appendages are doing :P

On Thursday we went down to check out the first ever art walk on NW 23rd in the North Nobhill district of Portland Oregon. From now on every 3rd Thursday of the month the art community there is being given the use of vacant building to use as "pop up art galleries."
Wonderful idea no?
A couple photos from the event:

Here i am deep in discussion with one of the featured artists, Mark Marasco. We had met before at a drum circle gathering and it was really wonderful to check out his art in person...his paintings were extremely inspiring and it was a wonderful thing to drift along and talk about each piece and much more with him. It was the first time any of his painting work had made its way out into the community and i was thrilled to be present to behold it! Check out the Mark Marasco website for more info and a closer look at his work.
The pop up gallery also featured America on 13cents & a bag of paint: Living Work by Julie Love Artist
Your Car Does Not Make U Invisible: Photography by Juleen Johnson
Live music by New Weavers including harp, dulcimer, & flute
Unique Handmade Hats by Elizabeth Rohloff Designs
Art Cards made of Flower Petals by Mike Mason
gratis wine bar
Vegan Chocolate tasting by Missionary Chocolates

...i cant wait for the next one!

And then just down a block at T.Ruth Artspace Gallery was a new art installation:

I had met the artist Dani during one of my live body painting session inside T.Ruth artspace so again it was very cool to finally see her artistic expression. I love that she is such a dainty/pixie girl yet she works with heavy metal sculpture.

A photo of us together hanging out with her metal sculpture work.

...so yes, it was a fun night!

Thats it for now. more comin soon.
Peace n Love,
-Chelsea Rose
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The devine Dyad WIP and The Buddha Project

Busy Busy Busy.
....just started this new painting the other day:

...Been calling this one the Devine Dyad.
right now its color base is acrylic with India ink outlines. i have already started painting in the body so the color is pink and purple- very fleshy. This is different from my usual green or blue skinned goddess/fae creatures. I really do love painting my creatures colors like blue and green because this gives them a "raceless" foundation which I think helps the viewer see them as "other" then flesh and bone. However, here in this painting i think the pink does well to pop off of the cool colored background- I will post more process shots soon!

...And so the Buddha Project continues and culminates:

hand made original ebru(Turkish paper marbling) and 3 color screen print by Danny.

and the process was something like this:

1, 2, 3 !

...and another one with diff color combo!

hand made original ebru(Turkish paper marbling) and 3 color screen print by Danny.


....more coming soon!

Much love,
-Chelsea Rose
Lucid Optic Lab
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New Drawing, tie dye, Buddha Project work in porgress photos

I am pleased to introduce you to Her Imperil Majesty, Elephantress:

Original pen and ink drawing
by Chelsea Rose

.....I have always though Elephants held an air of majestic and regal grace so honestly putting one in a fancy court dress wasn't to big of a stretch for my imagination. Also, Elephants are my cousin Allie's fave animal as well as my boyfriends....so i had to try my hand at them at least once. I like her fancy trunk glove/sock or cozy..whatever you want to call it :P

...so yes, as you can see i did a bit of drawing over the weekend. I also prepped some painting surfaces for new works in progress. This is what my art table looked like over the weekend:

...the art room got a lot of use in the last couple days.

Danny has been quite busy working on his Ebru( Turkish marbling) and silkscreen Buddha project. He has finished the marbling portion and moved on to silk screening his 3 color Buddha prints onto the marbled sheets.

Here some shots i took when he was "Dropping Paint, Not Bombs" :


...and then the screen printing madness over the weekend:


....getting the line up right.


...taking a deep breath before putting down the first layer.


pushing the paint for the first layer- note the ridiculous HUGE squeegee!


...pulling the second color. The final color went on as a light lime green for the Buddha's highlights. I have no posted pictures of that yet but i imagine they will be up soon for viewing.
Neat huh?

In other news i had rather nostalgic moment this weekend when digging around in various boxes in the art room i came across news articles that my mom must have saved for me from the West side Weekly- one of which a photo of me participating in a sculpting class at age 7 is shown on the front cover followed by a quote in the article saying "I love doing the painting, you can make anything you want. What I love most of all is getting the paint on myself."
The photo below the main photo was taken of me at age 7 also in one of the Arts Mecca's painting classes:

( to read the snip it of article just click on this thumbnail and view large.)
...the Venice Arts Mecca was an amazing gift. their classes were more like free-for alls where freedom of expression reigned supreme before rules of technique. The program was given freely to the "underprivileged" youths of Venice, CA. I took many classes there ranging from photography, dark room, Polaroid transfer, painting, clay work, creative writing and more.
I wish that more programs like this existed today, throughout the world- they really do make a huge difference. http://www.venice-arts.org/

...and Lastly:

I know summer is long gone but its just begun to really feel that way. The wind is cold, first frost approaches, my morning glory vines have died out including my other potted wildflower garden. This weekend i took down the wasted vines, flowers...consolidated the left of soil and stacked empty pots. My patio is now bare save for my basil, chamomile and Chile plants which i will be bringing inside very soon in hopes of keeping them alive for winter. while i am sad to watch the "abundance" of summer come to a close i am elated at the changes in the air, the glow of fall in the trees...the inevitable "rest" of winter.
....but its photos like this, taken in summer's height that will help get through the coming months of getting up in the dark chill( but i really do love winter!!)...and spring is such a miracle- to watch the green roll back in with such force! i cant wait to have my morning glory vines growing and flowering again. this time i will start the seeds indoors as soon as spring hits. should be good.

So that's it for now, more coming soon as always.

...and remember kids, Drop Paint, Not Bombs.
-Chelsea Rose
Lucid Optic Lab
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New painting, Rainbow Roots + giant Ebru marbling

It was an art-filled two days off, which always makes for the most refreshing of weekends.

I managed to finish a painting i have been working on:


Rainbow Roots
14" x 14" stretched canvas
Original acrylic painting by Chelsea Rose

....I started this painting one night with the need to paint without plan or even thought. I let my subconscious come out and man the paintbrush and watched rather amused at the various shapes and creatures that came out.
I did change it up a lot after the initial out pour:

...if you compare that to the finished one above, you'll see what i mean about changes. But all in all, this painting was very fun to paint. I gave myself no rules or guidelines and just got to "play" and express. I hope to let myself do more of these spurr of the moment paintings- it was a nice break from my usual tight/planned out creations.

Meanwhile, my other half ( and often Better half) worked on a project that he has had up his sleeve for months now- a GIGANTIC Ebru( turkish paper marbling) project:

This is just one snapshot i took of about a billion of him throughout the creation process. He built a huge container for this project out of wood which he then filled up with thickened water so that he could float acrylic paint on the surface, manipulate as seen in the photo above through "combing" and then take a single mono print of the effect via paper. Yesterday he made two such prints with different colors and designs. The thickened water should stay good for about a week so he has time to make a bunch more prints. In the meantime this huge container has taken over the dining room so we have been eating at the coffee table :)
....more info with photos on this will be posted as the project progresses!

And a couple snapshots of me bouncing around the artroom:


I did some digging around and cleaning out in the art room which lead me to the discovery of a big stack of some of my very old art- some dating back to elementary school years! I posted some of my better old artwork finds on the art room closet couple with a few "inspiration" pieces from other artists. All this lead me to even go back and look at old sketch book journals- its really fascinating to look on old artwork and see how your style and technique has changed through the years. Its comforting to see my own creative evolution and realize that it shouldn't ever stop morphing. I am interested to see what my art will look like in a few more years!

...and a dready update in front of my art room inspiration wall:

My dreadies have gotten a bit longer i think! My dreads are back to the same length my hair was before i dreaded the locks up. Shrinking is normal in the maturing stages of the dreading of ones hair so i am pleased that i have finally been able to get past all that and see a bit of growth, even if its only slight! The henna color I put in a month or so ago is almost completely gone and i am thinking about doing it again- it felt soooo good on my scalp and the red made me feel like a Celtic fiery maned huntress :P

Anyhoo....we harvested a bunch of the Basil we grew from seed on our patio:

isn't it purdy?
We made a pesto sauce out of it which we ate over cheese tortellini with roasted garlic cloves- yum!
...Looks like we should probably bring our edibles in from the patio today or very soon before the first frost catches!

And yes, i am already loving October with every bit of my soul.

Best wishes,
-Chelsea Rose
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Wrong Side of the Sunrise, Chelsea Rose spoken word music project with Bone and All

So I must admit i have been rather preoccuiped with getting all my body painting photographs ready for the book i am printing, thus i dont have any painting process photos to share of my two paintings in the works. However i feel both paintings should be done by monday and I will share photos of them finished then.

In the meantime check this out- a treat for the ears:


Bone and All


Wrong Side of the Sunrise:

Take a trip through a conscience, sculpted and refined with mind melting psychedelic tracks created by Bone and All. Each track is its own unique treasurbox, adorned with the poetic spoken word of Artist Chelsea Rose, whos words conjure and evoke strange truths from the depths of the sacred and unknown.

"Wrong Side of the Sunrise" features Artist/Poet Chelsea Rose on five new mind altering tracks produced by Bone and All in the Fall of 2010. It opens with the mystic "My Epitaph", followed up by the backwards zen of "The Great Transformer", then have you breath taken away with "Words From a Predecessor", then really dive deep into the mind of madness with "Thunder in My Head", and finally transcending into new conscience with "Wrong Side of the Sunrise".

Take a listen here.
----

And for those who are interested...here are a few poems that i wrote recently, a couple of which i read peices from out loud for the musical concontion above:

"I am the elated Goddess, wild dancing spirit warrior equipped with the full fledged and precious talons of ...life held close to my sweet thighs, rebounding and evolving with the supple repercussions made in the blooming of this cosmic flower.
My flesh, holding fast and courageous to this world and its enchantment is made sacred and perfect in its menagerie of strange treasure and fruit.
My roots are fleshy and gorged with the sweetness of blood stemming to prove with each rhythmic palpation of my flaming heart, the conviction and blessing of this honored existence.
These bones of mine are an architectural prayer that shall remain gleaming white and pure as the moon, like eternal kernels of truth, long after this slippery soft succession of flesh falls and mates with the dirt.
Sacred and beaming, my song spirals and weaves worlds with voluptuous tendons of destiny- birthing wildly from my cauldron womb, swelling my breasts with the heavy milk of creation.
Know me with your most tender devotion for I am a portal.
My insides, pink and mild, touch deeper still into the void with which we all must pass…
….for I am The Great Transformer.

-by Chelsea Rose"
--------

"Blatant and harrowing the blue smoke climbed umbilical and groping in the shattered light
as a symbol gleaming hot and molten in the shadows of failure
penetrating deep and wallowing into the rotten core of the eye
staring from above which holds so little brightness within
but devours and hordes each jewel like a basilisk
with its talons of thorn, pulped and splintered with vein
within the beast the empty sequence of palpating calculation prevails
holding court a governing insurgence lined thick in mortar and scheming reverie
up taking and dissecting the definition of self and steal atop the brim of strangers tongues
their mouths agape with perpetual strain made stiff and groping at the dust in the swollen air
as maimed pretenders lifting numb the bulbs of their palms to the slate above
groveling in listlessness with pealed and bleached bone
protruding from each scab bound thick and embedded with wounded words
each inky character an illusory phantasm seeking to explain the truth out of the roots and dirt
as patterns speak volumes of chaos and riddle
when the bright plains of golden dawn break warm and frothy above each head
the conspirators lock fang with bounding intent
chaining reason to prescription till no heart gleams without predator forecast
birthing dreams that inscroll with twisted metal
settling over the spilt reminders of all that is genuine
the self claims the cannibal status of a pawn and fool
waiting weighted and exposed to the corrosive embrace that laps thick with eclipsing cages
ensnaring in unison each blind feeler
holding onto broken limbs and vision
groping for that line drawn in murky breath
separating this impalpable undertow
from the chance of manifest truth

the blossom weeps its seeds
floating adrift a glassy memoir
its reflection a towering waif
petals of cosmic reverb lay bent and rigid with meditated grace
a silent kindling of force it dredges up
forming new feathers of transformation
to splay at the feet of the fallen once more."
-By Chelsea Rose
----

"A sign lights the loose window hanging in the heart’s home of heat
Combing the gray interior of riddled pavements
this toothy spectral lights in passing mosaic within
enacting the groveling lament of glory and spoil
forever nimble and eloquent these barbiturates fan the flame
are you thankfull?
Aloof in a riotous hovering, a conjuring steeped and mouthing steam
this moth and its pyre spells the dripping fleet of sky
Nestling in its entanglement of surprised peace
Nourished again by the eclipsing pages of blunder and steal
Holding a cripple- A scolded movement made glassy and taunt
A weapon made crystal and coveted
Will surely coddle this matriarch and her feathered head
Netted again is the same menagerie of blood in vials
Don’t ask to penetrate this door and its oak
The barbs are poised and laden
With the fruit of hallowed horizon
Milky and skeletal in its perfect silent farce
Do not spoil this
Do not
The soft sound of leaves on my bones
Does it not beg the question from my curdled lip?
Like velvet the cocoon is caught up and glows with a fierceness I can’t commune
All of this
In my home of slacken skin and curling mane"

-by Chelsea Rose
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September's Last Thursday Artwalk on Alberta st + work in progress photos

...had a wonderful time yesterday at the Last Thursday Artwalk on Alberta st fair!
We tried a different spot this time ( corner of Alberta and 23rd st )and did really well. Unfortunately we forgot our camera but a friend took some cell phone photos of the booth:


We got to our spot around 1:00pm and set up next to our friend Shauna mama and her mother who makes the most AMAZING home made Tempeh in the world. Danny and I saved a spot for our etsy friend MuseTypes also...so we had friendlies on either side of us. The location was great as well...on our side of the street there were about 5 booths that were very close together so in some way we made a super big booth for people to walk through and check out our wares. I was very happy to see lots of artists out this time( less imports and food carts) so that warmed me :)

I brought some painting projects to work on since we were going to be in our booth from 1pm-10pm. But before i knew it, it was dark and the art walk came to life. I sold quite a few of my pen and ink paintings and a lil bit of everything else( prints, tie dye, silkscreen prints.) This was our most successful art fair so far this year so we were really excited. People seemed a lot more open this time, i had lots of great conversations with curious passer byes, artists and the like. I think this might end up being our last out door fair of the year since its probably going to start getting cold and rainy..so am glad it was an especially good one.

and now a look into the art room and projects in the works:

( check out the lovley headwrap- its a new one! I traded for it. I LOVE bartering. Got it from the lovley Iolithie )
you cant really tell from this photo since its only a snapshot of my easel area but last week the art room got a good cleaning and organizing. I got rid of a lot of stuff i didn't need that was clogging up the creative space + hung a bunch of art and pieces of inspiration that i had kept boxed up for too long. I finally feel like the art room is "broken in" and it feels great to work in there. Unfortunately we had to rip it all apart for last nights art fair so i will probably spend some time this evening putting everything back together again so it will be nice and inviting for weekend art exploits.
and the projects i have been working on:

So far the biggest change made to this work in progress is the background. insitally i had painted it a dark blue/green/purple but it didn't seem to "pop"...so i am working on getting a pleasant warm and glowy aura around my creature instead. i still have lots of blending work to do on the background. I then need to work on the tree/staff/pen...especially to develop the upper branches + add leaves. Then more work on her form. This is so much smaller then i usually work so i have been a bit frustrated with it. The idea of working smaller was that i could offer them for more reasonable prices...but i love working big! Ah well....we shall see how it ends up.

...and here's my other painting i am workin on right now:

I don't think i am thrilled with this at all...but then again it isn't done. It was one of those spur of the moment, super random and unplanned spurt of creative outpouring. It felt really good to paint without thinking or planning....so i had a lot of fun with it. Still...not sure i like it but at least it felt good to paint. The pink is bothering me so that might be the next thing to go.

I am looking forward to a relaxing weekend full of art room time.
...more updates soon.

Best wishes,
-Chelsea Rose
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