Birthday Excursion into the woods with paint

So, you may or may not have noticed that i have been rather quiet this month. Truth is its my Birthday month so i have been more introspective with my goals centering more so around relaxation and personal time. Yes, the art has suffered a bit...but I have managed to spend some time on my current painting in the works and i am seriously about 20 mins away from finishing it! So i will be sharing photos of that soon.

My 24th birthday was on Monday and i decided to take a few days off from work and get away from the city. So my better half and I ran off to the southern Oregon woods of wolf creek to visit with my big bro Wonder in his most amazing patch of forest. We had a splendid time spent hangin out, swimin in fresh mountain water, eating yummy food, star gazing, story tellin and...painting!

Wonder and Tinker have a full attic of art supply goodies and they had the great idea to paint thier newly fashioned chicken coop. It was decided that I would paint a harpy laying a golden egg.


Danny helped out by painting a "GanEGGsha"
See? its Ganesha holding golden eggs.

Here we all are during various stages of the creative process. Wonder was painting a eggy hobbit riddle that went something like "A box without hinges, keys or lid yet golden treasure inside is hid?"

Anyhoo! I had a wonderful time and want to run away and live in the woods forever.

More updates soon.
Love and Light,
-Chelsea Rose
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A much needed break from routine

Danny and I got back from southern Oregon around 6pm last night.
We took a drive down to Wolf Creek, Oregon to visit some dear friends who have recently made the plunge into natural, woodsy living straight from busy city lives.
Wolf creek is about a 4 hour drive away but each time we make the trip we are re familiarised with just how wonderfully healing a break from routine can be.

As some may recall, i have been working on what i have called Wonder's Woodsman cloak. This was a commission from my friend Wonder who is now living in Wolf creek.
I had not actually finished the cloak in time so i spent a few hours of our stay painting the finishing touches on in the back of the land's big barn.
here ya go, modeled by Wonder himself:

(full view this image to see the detail)
....this cloak started out like this:

This was my first fabric painting project ever. I actually painted down a foundation of white screen print paint since the canvas coat was so dark. This really helped the fabric paint pop and be vibrant. I was using Lumiere metallic acrylic paint for the entire coat. I really loved those paints and their shimmery vibrancy, however i was disappointed to realize you couldn't really cross blend colors( they got kinda muddy looking)...which is true for a lot of metallic and specialty paint. I still managed though.
This project has made me think about buying canvas tote bags to do painting work on. I may also start making some patches too! ( do you think that sorta stuff would sell?)
we shall see.

The land we visited is owned my Nomenus which holds a non profit church status and is known as the home base for the Radical Faerie movement. Danny and I have been on the land a few other different times during big gatherings( such as Beltane and Samhain) so it was quite a different experience to walk the land when there was only 15 people about vs 100+. and it was sooo very soothing!

In the mornings Danny and I would get up and take hikes on the various trails around the land. Our favorite spot is called the sun alter. Its a semi vigorous uphill hike that ends on a high up rock and tree grove shelf where you can look out on the expanse of land below while being up high amidst the misty pine tree line. Its the perfect place to bring a drum- the earth and the air pulsate with each beat and the mist in the tree lines seem to dance and weave in gracefull sweeping response!
But when the crisp chill and the misty wet started to sink in the bones we would make our way to the heart of the sanctuary which was garden house.

(my favorite place to sit and drink tea in the garden house...gazing out toward the fields and the trees)
There you would find the wood furnace ablaze with a bunch of happy faeries within drinking tea, baking treats, conversating, singing, dancing, and playing. However during out stay the land was having its bi-annual meetings so it was largely all business( which was a big change from what we normally see there!). Everyone on the land but Danny and I were held up in the library via conference call with SF hashing out the plans for the faerie lands, projects, new rules, bright ideas and much more. It was both intriguing and inspiring to see an independent community at work.
Plus, the land was left entirly to us! and it was such a treat to roam.

...so it was wonderful to run away to the wild woods of southern Oregon. Now we are back in Portland at work.....but we will be back on the land to play, most certainly.

There is a lot to get done this week. Danny and I have to submit our artwork for the Myths and Legends show as well as the 5th Annual Portland Love show.

Ontop of that this weekend i have my 4th body painting photo shoot to do!
If you are in Portland Oregon this weekend feel free to drop by T.Ruth Artspace(2403 NW Thurman , Portland Or 97210) this Saturday. I will be in the art gallery painting a model from head to toe starting at 10am-ending at 5pm. Come on in, see the process and check out the artwork on display at t.ruth artspace gallery. I believe there will be free hot coco for all!

Hope to see you there!

Peace n Love to all,
-Chelsea Rose
ChelseaRoseArts.com
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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:

here I am playing with face paint at any chance I get. Check out Wonder's beard- its glorious no?

Danny looking quite handsome in samhain ritual garb!

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!

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:

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.

( 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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