Sunday, August 28, 2016

A Thought for Sunday, August 28, 2016

“To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.” -- Edward Weston

Saturday, August 27, 2016

An Inspirational Gold Mine for Mixed Media Artists

We all know there are zillions of online resources for mixed media artists. Inspiration and an endless supply of new techniques are just a click away. One of these resources is Cloth Paper Scissors Magazine, which offers a mind boggling wealth of online information for artists engaged in every imaginable form of mixed media. And these wonderful tutorials, tips and step by steps are free and accessible to all.


This magazine is one that I can't live without!
I love Cloth Paper Scissors. It's my favorite magazine. I save every single hard copy issue, referring back to them time and again. So when I discovered its vast treasure trove of free information available online, it was like stumbling upon a box filled with 24 karat gold nuggets!

Here's just one example of the hundreds of goodies you'll encounter: on the magazine's Studio Saturdays blog, I came across an exercise from noted artist and author Seth Apter. Aimed at enabling us to work more spontaneously and more loosely, it's an ingenious way to get the ball rolling that I can't wait to try.

Apter offers a step by step guide to having a blast with a deck of playing cards, gesso and paint that oh, BTW, from the looks of it, results in some very cool backgrounds! Check it out for yourself here, then be sure to explore the rest of this fascinating site. But I must warn you, there's so much great material to delve into, a thorough exploration could take days!

©2016 Lynn Edwards

Saturday, August 20, 2016

Happy News!

I'm delighted to announce that two of my abstract paintings, Blaze and Dawn on the Nile, have been accepted into the Artists Guild of Northwest Georgia's 9th Annual Fine Art Exhibit and Juried Competition! The exhibit opens on Tuesday, Sept. 6, and ends on Sept. 27, with an opening reception on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 7-9 p.m. The location is the Mabel House Arts Center, 5239 Floyd Rd., Mableton, GA. For information, call 770-819-3285 or go to http://www.mabelhouse.org.

"Blaze," 12x12 acrylic on canvas      ©2016 Lynn Edwards





"Dawn on the Nile," 10x10 mixed media on cradled wood panel   ©2016 Lynn Edwards

A Thought for Sunday, August 21, 2016

"Nobody should ever receive more money for a work of art than the artist who produced it." -- Pansy Schneider-Horst

Sunday, August 14, 2016

A Thought for Sunday, August 14, 2016

"The political machine triumphs because it is a united minority acting against a divided majority." -- Will Durant

Saturday, August 13, 2016

From Trash to Treasure and Beyond: The Works of Vik Muniz

I will never be able to look at peanut butter, chocolate sauce, and the detritus one sees at landfills in the same way again, thanks to Vik Muniz. Muniz is a Brazilian-American artist, born in 1961. This past week, I was privileged to see a collection of his amazing works at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Actually, I could describe them as mind-blowing, beyond amazing, and extraordinarily imaginative and none of these terms would be adequate. Maybe I should simply say that Vik Muniz is a genius, creating stunning pieces out of microscopic scraps of paper and old photos, condiments, thread, trash, dust........in other words, the stuff of everyday life, presented in completely unexpected ways.

These super-sized Brillo boxes and the enormous collage in the background are just two of many works by Muniz currently on exhibit at the High Museum of Art.             Photo ©2016 Lynn Edwards

I've never considered the contents of a refrigerator to be a source of art materials, but Muniz saw  potential in such mundane commodities as black beans, chocolate syrup and peanut butter. Below is his portrait of Jackson Pollock:

This portrait of Jackson Pollock was created using chocolate syrup.    Photo ©2016 Lynn Edwards

Frankenstein, the Mona Lisa and other "celebs' " portraits are created using materials such as strawberry jam, caviar and diamonds (Obviously, it wouldn't be feasible to display the original pieces; instead they were photographed and it's photos that are displayed in this exhibition.)

There's so much to see in the Muniz exhibition I can't begin to do it justice in a description. Two friends and I arrived at the High around 1 p.m., and spent more than three hours in the Muniz exhibit alone. If you can get in to see it before it closes on August 21, you'll find it's more than worth your while. The more time you spend looking at each piece, the more you'll see, and the more you'll appreciate Muniz' view of life and his finely honed sense of irony. Take the time to examine each piece closely and carefully, and I promise the world will look very different to you by the time you leave.

Text and images ©2016 Lynn Edwards

Sunday, August 7, 2016

A Thought for Sunday, August 7, 2016

"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world...Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive, and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be." -- Patanjali

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Stumped for Gift Ideas? It's Classic Images to the Rescue!

Most of us artists like to give the special people in our lives something hand made, hand crafted, or hand painted rather than some mass produced item from a retail store. If you're like me -- someone who detests shopping -- you'll move heaven and earth to avoid retail experiences. 

But coming up with gift ideas can be tough, especially on short notice. Whenever I find myself in this situation, I turn to my collage skills and artists like Botticelli, Rembrandt and Vermeer. Using a small copy of one of their paintings, a snippet or two of found paper, scissors, glue and a quirky sense of humor, creating a one-of-a-kind present is quick and easy.

For example, here's a gift I made for my niece when she was in college. Figuring she'd appreciate having a purse-sized notebook, I created this collage on the cover of a small, blank artist's sketchbook using Botticelli's famous Venus:


I could have used Venus just as she appeared in the original painting, but I wanted to contemporize her a bit, so I gave her a hot pink bikini. (I had to cut out that paper bikini with manicure scissors, BTW!) My niece loves the beach, so for the background I used a fragment of a map depicting the coastal area she and her parents frequent on their family vacations. Finally, I added some text that fit my theme, brushed on a light coat of acrylic varnish, and it was done. From start to finish the project took less than an hour to complete.

This same technique lends itself to making fun greeting cards. (Thinking up clever sayings to use with the images is half the fun. The other half is making the art!) Or, you could decorate the top of a trinket box, a wooden pencil case, or just about any item with a flat surface. In less than the time it would take to drive to the mall, you can create something totally unique that's sure to be appreciated by the lucky recipient -- all the while flexing your creative abilities while remaining happily in your studio!

©2016 Lynn Edwards