Getting Ready For Grave Rubbings

 Some of the headstones in Stonington, CT.

I have been researching interesting grave sites in New Jersey. I got the idea, oddly enough, while I was in Stonington, CT. There was a small graveyard there with beautifully engraved headstones. Later that same week, there was a lecture about the history of the graveyard and the people buried in it. These engravings interested me so much that I started thinking about doing grave rubbings. The stones in Stonington were too delicate for me to try on them, but I thought about doing ones in New Jersey because we have some pretty interesting people buried here and it might be more fun for me to explore the graveyards of my home state. I will be charting how my progress goes, and I will be selling the grave rubbings at Smithville's Artwalk on September 8th this year.

Upcyclers Unite!

Yesterday I went down the main street in Westmont to check out the Creative Reuse Center. It's a tiny storefront filled to the brim with pre-owned things - bits and bob that would normally end up in the trash can like leftover craft supplies, partial bottles of glue, games pieces or games with missing pieces, and obsolete teaching aids.

My first purchase from the Creative Reuse Center

Nothing has a set price, you just pay by donations. I am thrilled to have this as a resource and I expect to go back frequently. If you are ever in the Westmont, NJ area you should check it out :  134 Haddon Ave. Or if you can't make it to my special part of the Garden State, check them out on the web at www.gardenstatecreativereusecenter.com and see how you might make a similar home for creativity in your own town.

A Web Store Home Of My Own

Last night, I finally made myself a web store. I only have my Tarot prints up on it right now, but if all goes well, I will add T-shirt tote bags and purses made from upholstery fabric. Check it out at www.phoenixrefashioning.bigcartel.com.

The Hanged Man

In my second post after I started this blog, I talked about my "Hanged Man" Tarot painting. I chose to paint the Norse God, Odin, hanging upside down from the World Ash tree complete with wolves and ravens. I finally finished it last week, and now it is dry enough to show:

You can see my whole "Refashioned Tarot" project on my Facebook and Flickr.

Canvas Mixers

For my birthday, my mom took me to Canvas Mixers in Collingswood. With instruction, you can go from blank canvas to finished acrylic painting in three hours. Here is mine:

 A Bird of Paradise flower

You can find out more about Canvas Mixers on their website.

A Reason To Celebrate

While at work today, I found out that my cousin, Sharon, was invited to give a lecture to a photography class at Gloucester County College. Sharon is a talented pinhole photographer. Check out this cool example:

 "Sitting Through Hoops" by Sharon Harris

www.sharonharrisphotography.com

I'm pretty excited about this lecture opportunity for her, and I'll see if I can interview her about the experience later on. You can find Sharon's photography and information on both her and pinhole photography in general on her website.

The Value Of Good Advertising

Today I got a T-shirt made featuring the Tarot card paintings I have done and advertising my Facebook page. I'm really happy with it because it gives me something cool to wear at craft fairs that shows off my work. I'm also really happy because making the design for this shirt encouraged me to finally name my in-progress Tarot deck:  The Refashioned Tarot. I love the name because it refers to my business name, Phoenix Refashioning, and because I am refashioning the classic Tarot images to reflect a more universal understanding. Check out my facebook page to see my ever-growing collection of Tarot paintings as I work my way to my goal of 78 unique paintings. And while you are there, please press the "like" button!

Update: Sheeple!

If you saw yesterday's blog post about the Woodbury Block party, you saw this print that I got from local artist, Angela Capel:

This print is called "Bruce and the Emo Sheep," and you can find it and all her other awesome art at harmlessfangirl.deviantart.com.

Woodbury Block Party

Having a table at the Woodbury Block Party was such a blast! The weather was beautiful, there were lots of people, and it was just a fun time overall. Going with my friend, Mel only added to the fun. I got this great print from a table near ours:

 

The artist didn't mention a title, but I'm going to check out her website tomorrow and post an update to this post then.

Repenning Fine Arts 22nd Annual Student Show

Yesterday my family and I went to the Repenning Fine Arts Student show in Audubon, NJ. My mom and I each had a painting in the show. I don't remember how long my mom has been taking lessons there, but I have been going there since I was eight years old. As usual, the show was like a big party. Lots of great food, talented live musicians, and swarms of people. Even as crowded as it was, it was a lot of fun to go and see all of the artwork - from a child's first acrylic to the oil of a commissioned artist. Best of all...free admission! Check out Repenning Fine Arts on Facebook.

New Sketches

On May 4th, I participated in a Dr. Sketchy's event. I use the sketches I make during these events as bases for watercolors that I frame and sell. I go over my sketches with permanent marker, erase my pencil lines, and then paint them with watercolors. This time it occurred to me that before I do that, I should preserve the sketches in their original form. So I scanned them into my computer and uploaded them to my Flickr. You can see them here.

May The Forth Be With You

This post is late. Very late. Because when you find out there is a National Star Wars Day it takes a little while to recover. On Friday, Underground - my favorite store in Smithville - had a Dr. Sketchy's event. There were two models and lightsabers and a Darth Vader helmet, and it was awesome. Someone even made stickers of the event and gave them out. We spent several hours sketching the models and listening to a mix of songs about  Star Wars. There were the obligatory Weird Al ones, but also many I had never heard before like "Star Wars Cantina" which is sung to the tune of "Coca Cabana." Check out what Dr. Sketchy is all about at www.drsketchy.com. Afterwards, I slept a lot, got absorbed int reading a lot, and did prep work for THE PROJECT. More on that later.

And Going And Going...

Still working on that project pile. I didn't know some of these pieces were projects until I found them while cleaning out my closet. Now I'm pairing failed projects together to make new pieces. It's a fun, if impromptu, exercise. Also, the art piece that I won in a silent auction is finally hung up. An artist in Stonington, CT ran a workshop on Tunisian Collaborative Painting, and this piece is one of the products of that workshop.

At The Arts Festival

I decided to take my time with this post because it will be my first time posting an image. Yesterday I went with my best friend to an arts festival in Gloucester City. He knew an artist there and we went to see her work, as she was doing a painting of the Walt Whitman Bridge on site. While we were there, I came across the stall of an artist who draws comic book characters. I bought a print from the "Poison Ivy" folder, and it certainly looked like her, but after I went on the artist's website I found out it was actually entitled "Original Sin." I think the characterization fills both titles perfectly. I love her use of vivid colors. Check out her work at www.lauraguzzoart.com.

Posting a little late tonight because of art class. A little background on my latest project, quickly. I have a fascination with Tarot cards. I love the different artistic views shown in different decks, as well as the way the images symbolize deeper meanings. I have three decks, but only one that I really love and feel connected to. That one, in case anyone is curious, is the Robin Wood Tarot Deck. I have toyed with the idea of creating my own deck off and on since I was in college, but for some reason I only just came up with the idea of painting the images early this year. I am painting them in oils on 5x7 canvases. So far I have painted "The Fool." "The Magician," "The Hirophant," and "The Hermit." I'm not doing them in any specific order, just as inspiration strikes. Tonight I worked on the angel for "The Lovers," and the wolves on "The Hanged Man." The angel is looking a little sickly, but the icon image I'm using as a guide looks sickly too so I guess that's ok. Anyone familiar with Tarot might be wondering why I am painting wolves on "The Hanged Man." Well, instead of a man who may or may not be representing Odin, I am painting Odin hanging from the World Ash, as he does in the myth about how he obtained the runes and their wisdom. In the image that I have of Odin, he is pictured with two wolves in addition to the two ravens that sit on his shoulders so they are all being included in my painting. Since he is hanging upside-down, the wolves sit on either side of the tree while the ravens perch in its branches. As I finish each painting, I will post it to my flickr account. When I have painted all 78 cards I hope to make them into a deck.