May is here- new beginnings!

So its May already? That means my two gallery shows have come to an end. On Sunday i went to InOtherWords feminist bookstore to take down my artwork which had been on display for the entire month of April. Today after work i go downtown to grab my artwork from the Practical Magic show. It was a great month with wonderful opportunities! I'm excited to see what May has in store.
...Speaking of new beginnings Danny and I had our rental applications approved for a glorious 2 bedroom apartment that we have had our eye on for a couple weeks now. Thus...we will be moving in another week! And yes...this does in fact mean i finally get an art room vs an art corner!
So on Saturday we went on over to the rental office and put a deposit down that takes the place off the market. We will be signing contracts come Wednesday...and then the moving maddess will begin!
Danny got a new lens for his camera so i was playing with it over the weekend. Its an 18-55mm ...which is significantly wider then his other lens. The wider lens really allows for more versatility. It can focus up to 11 inches close to the subject...and captures so much more of the suroundings too!
...i also found out that i can actually take pictures of myself using this lense without having to set up a tripod:

so yes...here are a few shots done in the oh so cliché "stretch you arm out far enough and snap your photo" self portrait way. Fun huh?
my dreads are about 16 months old now. they stopped shrinking but they still seem to be getting fatter. cant wait till i finally grow some length.


here is a snapshot i took of danny as he was daydreamin on the couch. He was talking about cutting off his dreadlocks once we are finished moving to the new apartment as a sort of "cleansing" ritual sorta thing. I am going to miss his dreadies. This is the longest he has ever had his hair.

I also wanted to share a goodie i got in the mail on Friday:

My Aunt Char sent me this really cool head wrap in the mail. It was a great surprise and the wrap is super bright and colorfull.
I loved what the label said- " Life is an illusion, dress accordingly."
Thanks Aunt Char! I love it :)

So thats about it! It may prove to be a busy week. We have to find some moving boxes and start packing all the books and trinkets. Im really looking forward to this move. Change can be a beautiful thing.

I wish you all health, happiness and success in this new month!
Much love,
-Chelsea Rose
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Weekend art projects- works in progress

So this weekend I focused on a healthy combination of spring cleaning, watching x-files, and working on art projects new and old.

By the end of Sunday my apartment was tidy with one exception: my art table:

Pretty messy huh?

Well it is a productive mess, so i dont mind so much.

I managed to begin a new painting that i had been talking about starting for a few weeks now:


freaky huh?

I started this painting based off of an older pen and ink drawing that you can view here.
I dont use the color red very often. I have found that even when i use it minimally in my artwork people become very disturbed by the piece. So this use of red comes as a bit of a shock but i felt it matched the fierceness of the creature. I have to admit i decided to paint this piece in semi retaliation for all the flack i catch for painting my faeries, my goddesses, my creatures of all sorts with nude breast. People have told me the offense doesn't necessarily lie in the "suggestion" of nude breast but the full nudity of the breast including the showcasing of the nipple. Well....there are no nipples to be seen in this painting but im sure its still pretty "jarring"
: P

I also worked on finishing a few more ink drawing over acrylic painted canvas:



The three that i have propped up here i had just finished gloss varnishing. Im trying to pump these out so i can have a bunch to display and hopefully sell come this Thursday which just so happens to be Last Thursday Artwalk on Alberta st (portland oregon) where i will have a full booth set up selling my art wares. I have a few of these "ink over acrylic painted canvas" art pieces for sell in my etsy shop, just check out my original artwork section. They are selling for $45.

...So that's that. I believe my next post wont be till Friday...but i will be recounting how our experience went at Last Thursday Art walk on Alberta with pictures of our booth set up + more.
So till then...

Much love!
-Chelsea Rose
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More of the Mother Goddess shoot, Trades n Bartering, News n projects

Its Friday! We made it!
I wanted to share a couple more photos that i released. These are from my most recent body painting shoot that occurred last weekend with a very pregnant and dear woman as my model. She seemed to naturally channel and personify The Great Mother Goddess.

(body painting and photography by Chelsea Rose
Model: Michelle Davis)
It took me a lot longer to paint her. I started painting around 10am and didn't finish till around 4pm so we had a lot of time to chat. We had some wonderful conversations and i remember Michelle bringing up an interesting point. We were on the topic of nudity in art and how its being received today and even how our community seems to be responding to the nudity in my artwork. She brought up the fact that since this particular nude body painting shoot is featuring a naked PREGNANT body- the finished images may be more widely accepted...even by those who find themselves feeling ill at ease with images of the naked human form. I think there is a truth to her thought here. It seems people tend to be more comfortable with the nude female body if it is in fact pregnant. I truly feel there is a fascinating and mysterious beauty that can be found in the female form during this special and sacred time that is undeniable and inspiring. Its almost as if The Mother Goddess her self favors women during this time by shining through the vessel thus opening up peoples hearts and minds with truth.
Fascinating.
...and I will be sharing more finished photos from this shoot soon, so keep an eye out for updates!

I also wanted to share some recent trades that i made with other fellow etsy sellers. I love trading/bartering. its a hell of a lot better then this monetary system we have going!

First off...check out my new hat!

This lovely purple tam was hand made with lots of love by Lively which is an amazing etsy shop that i had the pleasure of discovering. The quality of product is wondrous and the shop is full to the brim with close to 50 various knitted/crocheted hats for your fancy. The shop also makes really groovy vintage fabric purses, crotchet scarves and cowels- Yippee for Hippies!
What was my trade peice? She picked out one of my first ever silkscreen print creations that for some reason never got much attention:
Its a really cool green striped tubetop that i experimented on with a screen print design i made using the drawing fluid method. Im so glad its finally found a good home with someone who will love it dearly!

Also wanted to share my new tea!

Doesn't that look inviting?
I am a bit of a tea drinking junkie so you can imagine my delight when i found Dream Weaver shop which is full to the brim with some amazing herbal tea creations that had my mouth watering from the start.
The tea you see here brewing in my tiny lil teapot is called Triple Berry tea and it is a true delight. "Brimming with goodness, Triple Berry tea is a leafy herbal speckled with crimson rosehips and dotted with flower petals! A blend of strawberry leaves, blueberry leaves, and myrtle leaves, this infusion swirls with the aromatic harmony of a summer garden, complete with the floral undertones of hibiscus. Finishing with the refreshing breath of juniper berries, Triple Berry tea delights the nose and palate!"
yum yum yum.
I also traded for some Wiccan Women's Brew loose Tea and it really is soothing and delectable. "An all-natural blend of herbs, the Wiccan Women’s Brew combines flowers, fruits, and leaves to achieve a balanced tonic for health and happiness! Rich in iron, this profusion of ingredients includes raspberry leaf, vitex, nettles, linden flower, and cinnamon. With fruity and floral notes of luscious lemon and radiant rose, the final lingering sweet note is stevia, one of nature’s sweetest plants! Drink deeply from this magical brew!
Ingredients- Raspberry leaf, vitex, nettles, linden flower, lemon verbena, lemon peel, cinnamon, roses, and stevia."
....how can a tea lover resist?
...and what was my trade peice? An art print! This was the chosen one:
Her name is "Rainbow Goddess" and she happens to be a popular item in my etsy shop as of late.

So, all in all. Good trades. Go check out these two wonderful shops and support their awesome crafts!

...As for this weekend Danny and I will be preparing once again to do the Last Thursday Artwalk on Alberta st. in portland oregon. If you have time and you are in town do not miss this event! Its true it does get crazier and crazier as summer draws near but i am sure this one will be a success as long as it doesn't rain! There will be a bunch of local artists out there plying their trade along side traveling hippie circus that do stilt walking, fire breathing while offering free tea! Lots of live music too! People of all ages come out and explore. I love to dress up and i will be there with a full booth of artwork for sale. i will also have my body paint with me so i can do face and body painting through the day.
here are a few pictures of what our booth looked like last year:

( think this was the last Thursday of October(2009) very close to Halloween )

( this one was a few weeks before i had my first ever solo art gallery show! You can see on the table i was passing out show flyers)
So dont miss out. come find us and let loose! This event will be happening April 29th ( last thursday of this month)

So thats it folks. I hope you have a peaceful and productive weekend.
Much Love!
-Chelsea Rose
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