On my worktable...

You'll have to use your imagination here! This is the very very beginning of a painting which is a flat paper artdoll made for my swap partner for this month. The theme was using a bird head with a human body. I've roughed out the top part of the doll on my drawing paper and have begun to fill in some areas with watercolor. This crow head with human body will be holding a small bird in her arms. The title of the doll will be MOTHER. So we will see how this turns out.
Looking forward to seeing what the rest of you are up to on What is on your Workdesk Wednesday! See you soon, *smiles* Norma

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Zora and Jazz

These gals are just catching a breather as they have hung their fairy wings to dry and are waiting for the water to boil for tea. They've just returned home from a very long journey to a bird fairy conference that took place this year in Mexico! This is a long flight for the friends, but was well worth it.
As you can see by their colorful blouses and head gear, the hot sun and bright colors have inspired them both to a wardrobe treat. It is raining cats and dogs here but that doesn't deter their cheerful disposition and they are glad to be home here on the west coast of Canada, at the edge of a rain forest.
Jazz and Zora are looking forward to assisting even more birds who have found themselves in trouble, or ill, or lost. I guess you might already know, but these bird angels have bird cage skirts and they live in garden areas, both public and private so that they can be of service to birds. The cages are home to any bird who needs or wants it. They can stay as long as they want and there is no rent. The bird angels have a network so they can help locate family members of the sorrowful birds.
Humans have never actually seen these bird angels who live in the gardens but perhaps it is because it has never been reported per se. Sometimes you may think you have seen one, if you've sensed a movement just out of sight, or heard a soft fluttering. But even though invisible to the human eye, they are there.
These two paper artdolls were made for two swap partners who have had to wait far too long for me to mail out the regular swap dolls and so therefore will receive one each of these surprise bird angels flat paper artdolls. I hope they will be enjoyed.
Well now it is time to begin two more paper dolls!
Fairy hugs, and hope to talk again soon, Norma

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What is on your workdesk Wednesday

Just discovered this fun place. See the button on my sidebar? Check it out! Do you love to see where other people create? This is a bird's eye view and oh what a view. Way fun. (My workdesk photo for today was actually posted Sunday, but as it was the last post, people can find it). Looking forward to blog hopping now, to see what other folk are up to. *smiles* Norma

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On my art table...

Sometimes you just have to go for it. I am no artist. No training. No anything...except a box of watercolors, a stash of pencil crayons which I love, some pencils, a needed eraser, and a whole lot of hoping. I copy from books. You know how that goes~it is impossible to get what someone else got in the first place. But you know what? I love my work. I hate it too but try to turn the hate into something positive...rename the feeling...like 'dislike' it. I am working on a watercolor (pencil crayon) face for a paper artdoll that I am doing. Here is my art table set up on my bathroom vanity (I live in a small studio apartment), and here is the beginning of a face. The eyes go one way, the nose one way, the lips the other; but so do faces, really.
Well, just wanted to pop in to show you what I am doing these days. *smiles* Norma

All is like a dream or a magic show.

It does seem like that these days. Like all is a magic show. The title of this post is a direct quote from a Tibetan Buddhist Treatise from the 11th century. Remember the story about how I found a book about submarines a few posts back? Well the magic is happening again. Same bookstore too!
Here is the lead up (to the story). I did scherenschnitte and fraktur back in the 80s and enjoyed it thoroughly. Over the past year or so I've been called to think about and notice these artforms once again and I sort of dreamily imagine things I would do. I even did a few cuttings and put them on ebay not too long ago. But I didn't want to just go over the same ground artistically speaking. Having said that, I didn't really know what I wanted to do. All I knew is this: a) I wanted script writing, not heavy gothic lettering, b) I wanted to join up scherenschnitte with fraktur in some way, c) I wanted a quote [this being the most important 'want' on the list], d) I wanted to incorporate india ink line drawing by my own hand, and e) I wanted to mix up the spiritual with the religious and add a dash of magic for spice. I really did not want to take it too too seriously. I needed to find some quotes that allowed me to quote from one religion so I could maybe use an image from another religion that had an organic attraction to one another. For example I have a cutting of Jesus on the cross in one cutting in my stash of cuttings I did years ago. He is surrounded by wonderful flowers and shrubs and urns and I was thinking that maybe I could put a line drawing of buddha in there instead. You get the idea. I thought that I'd have to google quotes and just start compiling quotes willy nilly.
UNTIL yesterday, when I found this book: The Quotable Spirit ~ A Treasury of Religious and Spiritual Quotations, from Ancient Times to the 20th Century.
The day before yesterday I went shopping and it means walking 3 miles and because I have M.S. I take the walking as a serious blessing and enjoy every step. I am glad to not be in a wheel chair. I have long periods of remission and I live my life not only a day at a time, but an hour at a time. But I do get tired. So anyway, I purchased purple onions and other heavy stuff and I just knew I would not have enough energy to do anything but go directly home. I wanted to so badly go to the library and sniff around and then pop into my favorite used book store but I wisely talked myself out of it. I made it home. But the next day, the pull was still there and so I just let myself drift in that direction and soon found myself browsing the stacks in the used book store. It did not take me too too long to find the book. I knew as soon as I put my hand on it that that was what I need and that is why I made my way to the book store.
Yes I know that if I'd of googled it and typed in the correct information, I'd of found similar books (it didn't occur to me to do that because it didn't occur to me that a book such as this exists) and I'd of been able to obtain a book like this, or even this book. But I feel the specialness of this event because I felt the specialness of the pull to the bookstore. It was s-t-r-o-n-g! So it may be just one of those things in life where you pay attention to what you notice, and notice what you pay attention to, but in the end I have this fabby book and I'm inspired. I have a 'vision.'
I think I will add f) a tiny bit of sparkle, to my list of what I want to do in my scherenschnitte/fraktur art piece(s)!
Okay this is all and well but I have to put this on my back burner because I have some paper artdolls on my plate, and a few other things. At least I know in what direction I am going with this.
Hope everyone is having a fun time. Talk soon, *smiles* Norma
P.S. look at those heart rocks on the cover beside the box of glitter. I just received them in the mail from Firuzan, a generous and wonderful artist who has become a friend.

Cherry Blossom Lady paperdoll

This gal is a lover of cherry blossoms so this is her special time of year. They are in full bloom. She is painted on watercolor paper with layers of used tea bag paper collaged with music sheet paper. A line drawing of a cherry blossom is outlined by machine stitching, and a poem by e.e.cummings is stamped overtop of everything. Celery seeds are scattered about in between the layers of tea bag paper while she is edged with sepia colored lace. Her painted face is not my best, but I think she has a look about her.
Now she can be sent by mail to go live with her new friend, Elaine. Hope you like her!
So now I am about to plan a doll that has a body of a human with the head of a bird. Maybe I'll be able to use the idea I've had for awhile of a window with a bird peeking out and a tree and house in view in the background, all placed where a heart would be. Fun, fun, fun.
AND I will also plan an a.t.c. artdoll that features sewing of some sort. I am thinking hand-sewn sequins and seedbeads. We'll see where the muse leads this time...it's as surprising to me as to anyone. *smiles* Norma

Cherry Blossom time...

This paper artdoll is coming along nicely I think. I've painted the face in watercolor and made the basics for her skirt which is a line drawing of a cherry blossom that has been stitched onto used tea bag paper placed on top of a music sheet base. This will be the makings of her skirt. Now I'll figure out the bodice/top section, and the arms, and paint the hands. Then she will be assembled and ready to go live with Elaine who is my swap partner. Talk soon, Norma

A bit of magic...

Well you know how the muse works! Surprises everywhere...today is another mystery. I am supposed to be working on a paper artdoll. I have started to paint the face and I've got the dress designed in my head so it's off to a good start. The dress (skirt at this point) is made from used tea bags (paper) and I've sewn the outline of a plum blossom on it using music paper as a base. Lately I've been noticing the use of tea bag paper and let me say I'm speechless with excitement about using it, and often I am thinking. The first experiment was the skirt of my paper doll and as I said I'm off to a good start. Except that I looked at something on line (a blog I follow) that talks about using Pine Sol cleaner as a transfer technique. Somehow I got off on a different path altogether (this is the surprise part). The transfer technique didn't work at all (this will be another blog post), but here is what designed itself. Where it came from is a COMPLETE MYSTERY to me. My muse is at work here.
This is a wee bird pretty much the same size and shape as my paper inspirational bird (small size), but is made of used tea bag paper that was doubled over for strength. Encased inside are some fennel seeds which are believed in some folklore to ward off evil persons but I am using them to ward off evil thoughts. Sequins decorate it and chicken feathers (oh I am feeling the voodoo vibe here) feature in the tail. There's a small bell for the idea of sound and the bird hangs on a gold cord.
I am calling this a paper bird talisman to ward off evil thoughts. It is a complete prototype and I've used sequins and cord that were readily available so have given no thought as to color. It is stamped with the rubber stamp which says 'aspire to BE' and this talisman will hang by my computer screen to remind me that I would like to be a person who has more positive thoughts going on.
Now it is back to the paper doll. Have fun everyone! *smiles* Norma