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.

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.

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.

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.