Tis the Season

I enjoyed the opening of the Art=Gift show at the Hygienic Gallery on Saturday night. What a great job the show organizer and resident artist Susan Hickman did putting this show together. It looks fantastic!

Sierra Drift is the name of a new series of small mixed media pieces I worked on for this show. I'm so happy with them that I plan on doing several more before I call the series complete. Here are two of my favorites. 

 

 © K. Johnson 'Sierra Drift #2' 4" x 4" mixed media on wood



© K. Johnson 'Sierra Drift #3' 4" x 4" mixed media on wood
 

This was the first year the participating artists were given the option to make ornaments.
I was so excited when the email with this info arrived. I haven't done anything crafty like this in a very long time. It was so much fun. A nice variety of ornaments are now decorating the front windows of the gallery.

I found an old dressmakers pattern in a thrift store a couple years ago that had green and red cutting lines on it instead of the usual black. It was so interesting I had to get it and figured I'd use it for something someday.

 

To make this ornament I glued the pattern paper to the front and back of pages from a garden book and then cut out petal shapes when dry. The petals and small wooden beads are strung together with wire and finished off with a button and raffia ribbon for hanging.

The show runs through Sunday Dec 23rd. Stop by and see the works of other local artists including Laura Gaffke, Diana Sartor, Millie Donovan and Sadie DeVore. 

 

Two Tuesdays – Collage #23

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Aqueous' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

Playing with some more painted tissue papers. Getting away from the fall colors from the past couple of weeks and working with one of my favorite color combos - turquoise blue and spring green.

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays – Collage #22

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Late Fall' - 7"x 5" collage on paper 

Not many leaves are left on the trees in my yard after Hurricane Sandy came through last Monday. Tuesday morning after the storm was so strange. We had no power and looking out the window you could see debris everywhere but the sun was shining to start a new day as if nothing had happened. My home was lucky to have power restored by Friday morning as many in my town were still without.

My thoughts are with the many who have been deeply affected by this storm and send hopes for the quickest possible recovery.
 

© K. Johnson 'Transition' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays – Collage #21

2012 Collage Challenge

I love taking walks this time of year with the air is so crisp and cool. As I'm getting my exercise I take in all the colors of the leaves as I kick through the piles that accumulate across the sidewalk. I can't help but to pick up a few as I go and by the time I get home I have a handful of leaves that were just to pretty and special to leave behind. I always put them in an old phone book to dry and flatten for later use. Although most of the time I do use the actual leaves in my collage work this time I tried something a little different and used scanned and printed copies of the leaves. 

© K. Johnson 'Autumn Joy' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

© K. Johnson 'Settlin In' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

All the collages in this Two Tuesdays series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays – Collage #20

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson ''Tangerine' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

Along with some gray rainy days it's been getting noticeably colder these past couple days so I thought I would put the brown bags to rest for a bit and have fun with some color instead.

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Beat the Deadline

I heard about the Prayer Flag Project and the Call to Artist’s for an exhibition at the Oceanside Museum of Art by following the blogs of Jane LaFazio and from my friend Ileen who has been making flags since the project began. I was really excited about this exhibition because I lived in Oceanside for 13 years before moving back east and I always loved visiting the OMA.

I just barely made the deadline for sending in my flag. I was in a bit of a panic the day I was bringing it to the post office to mail – I lost track of time and got there barely 5 minutes before they closed.  I’ve been having a problem with procrastination the last few months - very bothersome because this is not like me at all. I've been making a real effort lately - I don't want this to become my new bad habit!

© K. Johnson 'Serenity' 8"x 5" Mixed Media, Fabric

This is the flag I sent in for the exhibition. One of the most peaceful and calming things I enjoy is walking on the beach.  I can really relax and love finding bits of driftwood and sea shells along the way.  My intention and wish for making this flag is for everyone to find and enjoy that special place that brings them peace and serenity.

Yea! My flag did get there on time.  Jane posted a picture of a group of flags ready to hang and you can see mine in the top left of the photo.  Aren't they all gorgeous? After all my worry I see they extended the deadline. The museum will keep hanging the flags as they arrive so it sounds like you have until Oct 14^th to send one in. Show dates - Oct 15th - Dec 31st, 2012.

Two Tuesdays – Collage #19

2012 Collage Challenge

2 weeks ago after I finished the first collage using a few brown bags from my storage/recycle closet I still had so many interesting pieces left on my table that I just wanted to keep going and see what else I could come up with. Here are the results. 
Do you recognize any parts from bags where you shop? 

© K. Johnson 'Brown Bag 2' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

© K. Johnson 'Brown Bag 3' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

© K. Johnson 'Brown Bag 4' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

This morning I found a few more different bags while cleaning so I don't think I'm quite done with these brown bags yet.

All the collages in this Two Tuesdays series can be seen here. 

Two Tuesdays – Collage #18

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Brown Bag' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Two Tuesdays - Collage #17

2012 Collage Challenge

© K. Johnson 'Summer Plans' - 7"x 5" collage on paper

Inside an old gardening book I found at an estate sale a couple months ago were some folded up hand written notes from someone’s garden plans. As I was cutting and gluing these found notes into this collage I was wondering about what plants were their favorites and what their garden might have looked like.

I’m forever jotting down ideas for future garden plans. Some so grand that I’ll probably never get to them but it’s always fun to have a vision and dream a little.  

All the collages in this series can be seen here.

Peaches - Pick Your Own ...

I've picked strawberries and apples at those "pick your own" places many times but I had never picked peaches.

A few Sundays ago my Mom and I went to Scott's Farm in East Lyme, CT.

 It was a beautiful not too hot sunny morning and we had the whole orchard to ourselves. 

They are such beautiful trees with their long slender glossy leaves.

I thought I might make a peach pie but I never did get around to that. Before the peaches over ripened I peeled and chopped a few to put in the freezer for making smoothies. Coconut water, almond milk and peaches in the blender - easy as can be!