Winging away is the wingback

The Chair 4 Charity for the Mustard Seed auction is complete. I have cut out more little birds than I ever thought imaginable. I must say until I added the bird lady on the seat I wasn't satisfied with the direction my zippy chair was headed. I am so driven by color and balancing the weight of color in a composition that my eye wasn't happy. The bright lady and her avian friends help the chairs with their Florida hued gams stand straighter and together as a picture worth taking. The pillow has taken its structured shape with an actual chair cushion filling out its interior with little hand painted ties to keep it in place when a more serious tone is desired. How can turquoise birds on a hot pink pillow be the serious side?
Sealed in polyurethane my friend the chair is ready to go to his next home. We have had a good time challenging each other, it will be a fond farewell.
Ciao chair...the wingback takes flight.

What a pretty furry girl.

I am taking a little break from the chair and thought I would lighten things up a bit. This is Scratch our 19 year old cat in her bathing attire, a brightly colored bathing suit and pink floral cover-up with matching slippers for trips to the pool. To celebrate your pet in a similar fashion you can contact me at beth@niftyartgirl.com. All of those years of drawing fashion designs in school can be put to work for your pet's glamour do moment.

all artwork copyrighted by Beth Rommel 2010

Step 4 in the chair for charity

Step 4 in the chair transformation is what I have pictured to the left. The first shot is the beginning of the painting I am doing for a chair cushion. I found the pillow at Ross for $6.99. There were pillows in a variety of shapes and colors. I was drawn to the bright Florida colors in this polyester, shiny fabric. The acrylic paint was absorbed to some degree, but once it was sated the extra color dried on the surface giving an illusion of depth. A few more coats for that. The chair is now sporting lots of birds and some bright paint. I will begin to incorporate my paint style into the chair itself. Acrylic paint and small brushes to the rescue.

"Is it a wingback?" he so glibly asked.

Step 3 in the makeover for my handsome chair for the Chairs 4 Charity Auction. I have spent countless hours in front of HGTV trimming little birds from the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. I am using small scrapbook scissors with a blade that makes the pieces look as if they have been torn. Using Mod Podge I am adhering the birds to the chair in what I like to think are artful arrangements. You can see in the top photo an arm with winged creatures in flight. The other photo is the back of the chair with a series of buntings. I am stretching the confines of the Florida border and adding a few feathered fellows from other states in our great American continent.

Speaking of birds, the highlight of our morning walks has become the farm with the cheerful belled goats and their guinea hens and lone rooster. This is a living illustration of the barnyard friends. They literally run together and I swear, they play together.

Till next time and step 4.

Chair step 2

As the weather has warmed up my dear chair and I have moved inside. An open door invited a buzzing friend to fly in so we are now inside in air condition mode and ready for the next step in my friend's transformation. A bright yellow green or as Craft Smart paint says,"citron" is now gracing my wooden friend's visage. I am busy culling through National Geographic's Field Guide to the Birds of North America. This was a bargain purchase at Borders, $5.99 for 552 pages of beautiful color illustrations. My first thought was to use a book of maps I found the same day, but something about birds, especially those of Florida was more intriguing.

Stay tuned to see where those birds are going to land.

A Chair for Charity

Pictured are two photos of a chair I am preparing for the Mustard Seed Chairs 4 Charity event in May. Chairs are being transformed by artists from the community. The finished pieces will be auctioned to fund the Mustard Seed.
I have photographed said chair. I chose it from the warehouse at the Mustard Seed facility in Eatonville. There were lounge chairs, upholstered chairs, royal chairs, kitchen chairs, this is a strong chair. It is sturdy, functional, practical, and has character, and impeccable values. It started as a new wooden chair. Then it became a nice, sanded, smoothed, primed, white chair.
You can watch it through the next few weeks, step by step as it takes on a new life and becomes a chair of a different character.

I have deep friends for sale.

To paint another beach person follow the steps in the aforementioned post. If you are having trouble coming up with subject matter or how to paint them look in your photo album. Photos from the beach often have other beachgoers in the background, lots of inspiration.
Come see these beach people and a whole collection of pithy fish at Artistree Co-op on Saturday. Prices for these originals start at $20, matted and hermetically sealed. Not even a print, an original painting.
Hope to see you there, I will be there with my two dimensional friends who are really quite deep.

Gentleman at the beach

This gentleman is going to be attending the Artistree Co-op Spring for Handmade sale this Saturday, March 27. Join us from 10-4 to see some new work. I am having so much fun with my new famiy of little old"er" people on the beach.
Start with artagain black paper. Sketch with a pencil. Just in case use a kneaded eraser. This will leave a shiny spot, but can be covered later with paint. Paint in the gentle beach people's skin and clothing, etc. It will be dry in a matter of minutes. You now have a treasure. Enjoy.
Hope to see you Saturday. I will be sharing a tent with clay master Dawn Ferguson who also teaches at Trinity Prep.

Little fish steps

Steps in this fellow's transformation.
1. Paint watercolor paper with a variety of washes of acrylic paint. Whatever is leftover on the palette is a good place to start.
2. Sketch some fun cartoony fish. Don't forget the teeth and the eyes and a few fins. Shape can be as creative as you like.
3. Fill in bodies, leave the eyes and teeth unpainted, with a color of your choosing. I love the blue background and orange fish contrast.
4. When paint is dry, acrylic is pretty quick, 5 minutes on watercolor paper, paint white teeth and whites of eyes.
5. Begin to add patterns, white really stands out. Drawing the fish and putting in detail is what I enjoy. Hint: these little details can hide mistakes. Use a tiny liner brush for control. Add water or acrylic medium to your paint to get the viscosity you can manage.
There you have it. A step by step to the creation of a fun painting for all ages. Coming up soon: I will add one more step when I mount these fellows for display.

It took a family effort.

I am now having fun getting ready for the approaching Spring for Handmade Art sale at Artistree Co-op on March 27. This fishy character is one of several in the process of becoming a niftyartgirl original. I was in a slump as far as creating some new images. My son was home for a few days. Yesterday he spent the afternoon working on a wooden sign for his fraternity in my studio. Having his energy and peaceful nature in the room with me was a catalyst to creating again. The sense of humor my family has shared for generations woke up again.
Look for this new cast of characters and their pithy sayings at this fun outdoor event in College Park. I will post several on etsy in a few weeks also.

A good time was had by all.

Here is a photo from Saturday night. Pictured from left Cat Saunders, jeweler extraordinaire, Laural Schmidt, Beth Rommel, and Catherine Hinman. A great time it was.....

The Ladies Share their Messages Without Me

My two friends "Lady of the Stars" and "Protector of the Night Sailors" have found new homes. They were part of the opening at Artistree Co-op last Saturday evening. The rest of their friends can be viewed for the month of March at 1600 Edgewater.
Years ago I saw a PBS special called Genesis by Bill Moyers. He had a very interesting take on creating art. He, not I, compared it to Adam and Eve and God. The idea that an artist creates a piece and molds it to communicate his message was nothing new. Sending the piece out into the world to meet new people, new challenges, and to deliver its own message without its creator was a fresh take. I would never be so bold as to compare myself or any artist to God. As I metphorically wave good-bye to these two ladies I am a little wistful. I enjoyed their presence and the stories they created on their own after I had put my brush away.

Lady of the Daytime Worries

This Lady of the Daytime Worries is going to be at Artistree Co-op Saturday night. Come find her. Here she is cropped from one of my new paintings. Hope you can join us from 6:30-8:30 at the co-op in College Park at 1600 Edgewater next door to Infusion Tea.
I will also be showing some studies for the future Hurricane, My Memories show. This show will be a personal view of hurricanes not a political statement. Stay tuned for more information about this event.

Fine Fellow will Join Us Saturday

This fine fellow is cropped from the painting Protector of the Night Sailors. See if you can find him this Saturday night, March 6 from 6:30-8:30at Artistree Co-op. There will be an opening to share my new artwork with friends and the art faithful. The work will be up for the month of March. Infusion Tea is part of this affair so have dinner with them while you enjoy the festive evening. We will have Van's homebrew on tap for those who want to enjoy its magical powers. You know who you are:)

The little black things.

At the left is one of the paintings I have hung at Artistree Co-op for this week's opening. This pensive woman is the Lady of the Night Mind. She is letting the concerns of the day fly to the night winds with the fireflies. At some point we all have the sleepless nocturnal hours where our heads are spinning like gerbils on a wheel. My late dad whose birthday was yesterday used to call these,"the little black things that sit at the foot of the bed."
Lady has been fortunate enough to learn the secret to a peaceful, restorative sleep. She can put the little black things in a locked attic and retake the night hours.

What a turkey! No really.

This is the kind of day I have had. Stressed, trying to get artwork together to hang at the gallery. A last minute call asking me if I could hang a few days early. Yikes. I won't even bother to mention that both my honey and I are under the weather. As I am frantically framing and wiring paintings a movement in our backyard/woods catches my eye. Lord above...20 wild turkeys taking a stroll past the pool. Luckily we have a pool enclosure otherwise they would probably be doing the backstroke as I write this. They came around the side of the house to get a sneak peek at the artwork for next week's opening. They walked up the stairs of the patio to the studio door. They peered in, freaking Harold the cat out.
These birds are huge. The males stood waist high and I am almost 5'8". I snapped photos, my husband came out, our neighbor came over. (I learned some of these were jakes, year old males. One can tell by the long feathers on their tails.) The turkeys thought we were very interesting, not in the least bit afraid. I could have pet these crazy things. The only time they gobbled in alarm was when they wandered away and a car drove by. A little bit of Florida wildlife. Reminder: earlier posts include information on pythons. At least with these we could eat them not the other way around.

the Beach Lady and her perfect match

Eureka! A beach lady and the perfect frame have met. It is always a trial to find the perfect match. The perfect spouse (I have that one), the perfect shoes, the perfect purse, the perfect bottle of wine, you get the picture, "ha!", said the artist,"yes, you get the picture." This painting I am posting a hint of is the infamous "Where are the Children?" She has endured lots of comments about her zippy bathing suit and her dozing while the children played near a beach, what kind of mother is this anyway? Well she has been cornered, so to speak, by a frame I painted with a multitude of pattern. They have cohabited in the same house for a while and never met until this morning. They are about as happy as a couple can be. They look good together. They complement each other. They prop each other up when the other is down. Okay this is getting out of hand. Six days of cold and cough medicine have literally gone to my head.
Bottom line is the lovely beach lady will be turned out in style for the March 6th opening at Artistree Co-op. The event will be from 6:30-8:30. Come see her. She will be hanging around with other new characters for the month of March at this lovely spot at 1600 Edgewater in the College Park area of Orlando.

Family, Love, Life, Wind

Reviewing a portion of a painting started for the hurricane show. This is a very small section of the 24" x 36" piece. The background is a collage of torn paper, the sea of flood waters. The woman is a return to my madonna/mother images. She is holding her baby tightly, her side to the wind, bracing herself. The trees and houses are caught in the rabid winds. Several of the images take me back to the spirit of previous paintings. Family, Love, Life...is the first to come to mind. Family, baby, the wind or whatever blows a family.
Stay tuned for more.

Mardi Gras radio via Starbucks

A New Orleanian office on Mardi Gras. Note: opened and beautiful Valentine Day tulips, gold beads with fleur de lis, frog with crown (on Mardi Gras somebody needs a crown), and the music you cannot hear. Starbucks has been selling a great CD of Mardi Gras tunes. The best way to start it out is with my all-time favorite Iko Iko sung by the Dixie Cups. I have told my family and written on my will that I want this played at my funeral for the recessional. The most joyous, infectious, get out of your chair song you have ever heard. Following this cheer is Litenie des Saints with Dr. John, Fats Domino's When the Saints go Marching In (the song of the year), and Professor Longhair's Go to the Mardi Gras. This is only the beginning of a long list of heartfelt going home kind of songs. Hope you can still find it and enjoy the sound of New Orleans' radio stations at Mardi Gras.
P.S. The purple, green, and gold beads are on the wreath at the front door. The king cake has long been inhaled. Don't forget lent begins tomorrow. What are you going to sacrifice? Reminder: this is all related to Catholic/Christian themes. Love to all in purple, green, and gold.

Tulips together

I am grateful I have Valentines. My wonderful children sent me these magnificent tulips for Valentines Day. They have opened over the last few days and been wondrous each hour. Several years ago in a painting class we were painting unopened tulips. As the class progressed the tulips began to open toward the large light source. It was beautiful, like a nature film. Did you see the Vancouver opening ceremonies last night? It was a spectacular nature film unto itself. Be sure to watch it somewhere, somehow. My other Valentine and I watched it after attending a Valentine gathering at the Artistree Co-op.

More to come

To the left is a stack of studies I have begun for my hurricane series. As a Florida resident and New Orleans native I have a few stories to tell. Watch for them as they unfold in the next few weeks. Plus even more exciting developments to watch for!

Geaux Heroes Geaux

Even Riley, our garden pig got into the act this weekend. Geaux Saints, Laissez les bonnes temps roulez!, Who Dat...all ushered in the weekend New Orleans and its fans have waited for. Having grown up in New Orleans there is a part of my heart that beats harder when something is said about the Crescent City. I admire the people who stayed, returned or ventured into the city for the first time after Katrina. These were real pioneers. Things were rough, things were dirty, things were depressing, and there was a long way to go to reach a success that outsiders could comprehend. I can only imagine how difficult it was living in New Orleans. The house I grew up in was under 5 feet of water. The present homeowners were heroic and put it back together. 85% of the city was under water. That includes more than what you saw on tv, that includes many more people than you saw on tv. There are lots of people who are putting the city back together and there are a lot more who will continue putting it back together. They are heroes. Our doctor friend has stayed past the point of exhaustion to carry out his oath to do no harm. Leaving the folks in New Orleans without medical care would do harm. He is a hero. The Saints as a team and as individuals are heroes. Tom Benson who kept the team in New Orleans is a hero. New educators who had the vision to build and improve on the poor education system are heroes. People who put their money and muscle into the rebuilding are heroes. New Orleans deserves this win, deserves a pat on the back and encouragement to keep up the heroics that are going to be required to continue the feat of rebuilding a city that took 300 plus years to build and 24 hours to destroy.
Geaux Saints, Geaux good people of New Orleans. When the going gets tough the tough get geauxing.

For two very strong and eye opening accounts of life during and immediately following Katrina check out One Dead in the Attic by Chris Rose and Code Blue: A Katrina Physician's Memoir by Dr. Richard Deichmann. You will have a new perspective on what happened in New Orleans and a new respect for those who endured.

Frame yourself

I have started a collection of picture frames for Artistree Co-op. These are some of the backgrounds I will be using. There will be a piece of plexiglass mounted over the papers. These can personalized with your own photos. Look for them early next week.

Feeding me.

The blast off class ended today. The journey to the moon is well underway. This class was like a valentine to myself. Signing up and taking a class, educating oneself is a form of self nurturing. Feeding your brain, your soul, your body. This class fed the first two and prompted me to feed the last. I have signed up for another 5k next week and best of all I had my first tap dancing lesson yesterday. Could there be anything happier than tap dancing? That is what I thought. Another Valentine to myself.

Need help sometimes.

You know how you go through life? Sometimes it is painless floating, no worries, in synch with the world. Sometimes it is floating with worries eating you up from the inside out. Powerless, waiting for the next "foot to fall". We all need help from time to time. The blast off class is discussing a support crew. I am so fortunate. My crew is overflowing with support. My friends, my family, and more in shining armor waiting in my future.
To the right is the beach lady floating. Does she know what is out there waiting for her? Does she have the support to get through it?
My family always said,"Ask and ye shall receive." I am sure it is biblical in its roots. We also meant we are here for you. I am.