Showing posts with label pumpkins. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pumpkins. Show all posts

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Recent Events, Musings and To do lists

In my recent absence I have had a wonderful adventure, traveling down to WolfCreek with my dear Danny. We were well met by our faerie friends at the sanctuary where we were able to set up camp, frolic and drum to our hearts content in the lovely wilderness of southern Oregon. I could not fathom a better way to celebrate Samhain! And celebrate we did.
a couple quick lil snap shots as we were getting ready for the Samhain ritual:
face painting at wolf creek sanctuary
here I am playing with face paint at any chance I get. Check out Wonder's beard- its glorious no?
Danny Maji
Danny looking quite handsome in samhain ritual garb!
samhain- wolf creek
I painted my face up too, for the witch's new year. although truthfully I am guilty at jumping at ANY chance to break out the face/body paint.
Originally Wonder and I had planned on painting his entire body green, and then going over with black lines to create a super intricate green man full body painting. But alas, it was chilly and wet for the days we spent there so stripping down to bare skin and playing with body paint wasn't the best idea. We will get to it some day, I really do so hope!
Wolf creek tribe ready for Samhain
quick shot of our lil wolf creek tribe before the Samhain ritual. take a look at this lil glimpse of land and the yummy vial of mist obscuring the tree line! so much love : )
A great time had by all, and we were able to finally break in our tent. Had to borrow sleepin bags from dear Shauna Mama, but we are slowly collecting all the gear we may need to survive the beginning of the end! Or rather, Danny and I are rounding enough gear so that we can run away to camp on the forest coast of Oregon during the weekends. sounds yummy huh? Need sleepin bags, wool blankets, one of those super nifty nomad heating systems that are made of tin cans, heating bases on alcohol(Wonder and Tim and one and made us tea in the morning with it), also need an extra tarp for more rain proofing + more.
Danny and I carved pumpkins too:
Carved pumpkins for 09
Danny's pumpkin was great this year. He carved a pattern of I think 9 different faces that went all around the entire pumpkin. Mine, like the last few years was an ode to the Cheshire Cat....i promise I will do something different next year, I swear!

Also, Danny and I have been together for 4 years now. We count Oct 31st as our anniversary date. So this time of year is always a super special time. I cant believe its been 4 years already- time is a strange misstress. I look forward to many more years together. Im excited to think on where we might be in another 4 years with each other, our art and our life style.
Lions in the Storm
( an older photo but a good one!)

As far as my artwork goes- im so behind! But now that the dust has fallen, we are back nestled into our cozy home studio space I am ready to get to work. Tonight I plan on putting the final touches on my wind spirit painting. I will take pictures of her once she is signed and varnished. I still need to post pictures of my painting "posy nymph", so stay tuned.

For the month of November I will be babysitting T.Ruth Artspace Gallery (where my solo gallery show/ paintings still hang) while the owner is traveling. So if you are in the area come say hi and drop by, yes? your company and support would be greatly appreciated.

and a recent poem I wrote to send you off with:

I am a careless heroine
with a brave finger against the brow
holding face in fuming reverie
growling with the entrails of this sorrowing bridge and its treacherous way
this convoluted path manifesting as a dagger of drought on my parched spool of tongue that wallows, shifting in steely indifference with the shrugging of half lidded eyes.
I stand as effigy, revered burden of glowering aptitude teaming in the splinters of steaming electrical coils, placid with the sharpness to inject.
This calibration wrought tight in columns of my spine resting in the nape of unperturbed illusory splendor is ready to spring and command.
My battered crown pulsates as a grafting symbol of granulated edict.
I am a ruthless heroine
My proclamation made deep and luxuriant amidst black opal pupils
gone milky in whisper weeping coals, gelatinous with polluted condemnation forever a scourge, mounted thick and groveling in the winding shores of divination thus bestowed.
The towers before me are glowing, steely dawn rippling like convulsing flesh, dripping splendors of warm smoggy breath all a glow in the chill of this inky shore.
And I stand here, holding this mound of dirt between stakes of armored intent with arms held in the pulsating homage of the sphinx with its claw and feather, a splendor of cruel truth and balancing awe.
A formidable opponent, equipped stark and naked with the gaze of infinity, growing in blazing feral trance.
And I, most like a thorny serpent, my jaw puckered into a blooming flower of wound, fanged and gagging on the heavy blanket of Babylon, my harrowing opponent, abusive in its splendor.
But these breaches have little effect, for a clandestine fortress ripples in this chest of mine where I bare the weapons of elusive voices, the heavenly defiance whipping like festooned brocade, a violent ivy thick with web to ensnare and consume.
Therefore, do not cross me.
I am a careless heroine.
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Monday, October 26, 2009

Fall colors: New Painting in Progress + plans for Halloween

I love fall with its psychotic explosion of color. The trees up here in Portland Oregon really go nuts this time of year glittering in golds, oranges, to neon pink in the howling wind. And its rubbing off on me thus inspiring my recent acrylic painting titled "Wind Spirit."
Let me fill you in on what I have done on this painting so far.
First off it was based on one of my most recent pen and ink illustrations:
Air Spirit
I then used my "Tracer Art Projector" to transfer my pen and ink drawling onto a 14"x14" box frame gallery wrapped stretched canvas that I had painted my background color on.

In my last blog I had someone ask me to take a picture or a video clip of how I go about doing my "art projections" so here I give you a slightly manic 36 sec. crappy web cam video of my projection process.( terribly sorry about the quality)
Click HERE to view it on my flickr account.
Description of the image transfer process via art projector:
...I have a rinky-dink set up consisting of a "Tracer" art projector that I bought off of craigslist for $20. Here I use a djembe drum with a thick book ontop to serve as a platform to put my print to be transferred + my art projector. I then turn the projector on, spend some time lining up the projected image correctly with the painted canvas. Once I have the projection where I want it I use my Faber castell India ink pens to trace over the projection.
After I am done with my projection I am left with the black outlines to begin to fill in with my color layers and highlights.

here is what my painting looks like after the first laying down of color/highlights( not finished!)
Fall progress
Over this past weekend I did more work to it so I will have to take a new process picture soon before I finish the painting.
As you can see im enjoying our pumpkins.
Danny and I plan on carving them tomorrow. On Thursday we will be doing the last art fair of the year before the season is over. We will be at Last Thursday Artwalk on Alberta St Oct. 29th around Alberta st and 20th with a full booth of art for sale + I will be doing face and body painting and we will have our jack o lanterns aglow infront of our booth! Should be fun, I will be decked out in costume and so will danny. Come visit us if you are in the area.
After Thursday we will be scrambling on Friday to get our car ready for our camping trip down in Wolf Creek Oregon on the Radical faerie sanctuary. We will be visiting our dear friends Randy and Tim whom we have not seen in a long time. I now have a tent so danny and I wont have to sleep in our car- yippiie! I will be bringing my face paint. My friend Randy Wonder Tooth has agreed to let me paint him from head to toe as the 'Green Man', I cant wait! On Sunday the sanctuary will be honoring Samhain with a ritual. It sounds like its going to be a lovely couple of days. We will leave Sunday evening to get home in time to grab a few ZZs before I have to head off for work on Monday.
So thats our plans for this years Halloween experience.
In Portland the air has already grown pretty cold. Its 9:00am right now and its super dark outside, pouring rain with howling winds. Im watching it all from my window, cozy with a big cup of Chamomile tea.
I hope everyone is enjoying this season before winter gets here and the trees are all naked!
Much love always,
-Chelsea Rose
www.chelsearoseart.com
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