IF: THE BLUES

This weeks topic for Illustration Friday is "The Blues". And boy, do I have the blues! Anyway, here is my submission for "The Blues".

IMT: Intimacy

Hoo boy...going out on a limb on this one. I was going to go through my extensive photo image library for this since I take a lot of up close and personal shots of many things. I thought that it would be great for the subject matter for this week's challenge for IMT.

And then I thought, why not post something from one of my journals? That's pretty darned intimate! This is from a little book I have that is a tribute to goddesses (BTW, have we done goddess as an IMT challenge?).

Anyway, the photos in this one are from the Polaroid I Zone camera which I wish like anything that they still made the film for. My ramblings on the page is a commentary to my self as to how I feel about being a goddess ( in this case, not).

Going, Going, Gone...

Photos by Merle Kennedy

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed that there is something about the number 10 in my life.

My sister was born when I was ten (significant if you were the only girl among four brothers).

Ten years later, I moved from Hawaii to San Diego.

Ten years later, I moved from San Diego to the Los Angeles County area.

Ten years later, I moved to New Mexico.

I started working in the Admissions Office at UNM (University of New Mexico) in 1997. Tomorrow will be my last day there after ten years.

Ten years ago my father in law died.

Ten years ago, my mother died (Oct. 1st).

You see the pattern? Pretty weird, huh? It takes my breath away. It seems to be rather consistent, this number ten in my life.

It is funny how people ask me,” what are you going to do after UNM?”. Although it has certainly become a part of my identity, I know that there is so much of ‘me’ that isn’t UNM. I’ve come to learn that there is the “we of me” where each person in my life contributes something to who I am (thanks, Leau for your discussion on this!). Conversely, in reading the goodbye cards from my friends and colleagues yesterday, I also see that there is the “me of we”. I realize too, what I have been able to contribute to other people’s lives.

Here’s ten things about me that isn’t UNM:

1) Dance is my first love-I wasn’t able to pursue it until I hit college in 1972. I’ve been dancing ever since.

2) I love to cook.

3) I love to garden.

4) I’m a research nerd.

5) I’ve been referred to by others as a curandera.

6) I used to train restaurant wait staff on fine wine and how to sell it.

7) I’ve been a tomboy most of my life.

8) I can always see the positive side to anything.

9) Learning to live in the moment (jublio de vida) is my lifetime project.

10) I am an eclectic person and much of my work reflects my personal philosophy and eclectic approach to life.

Although I am reluctant to leave the life I've had for the past ten years (I really love this line of work) and the 'family' that I've had here on campus, it seems that it is time for me to step through another door and work on new projects. My family is my first priority (ok, wait, it's supposed to be me that is the first priority, but you know what I mean).

I just see this as the universe's way of giving me that nudge out the door. As though I'm being directed to find out what it's like to be a full time artist! Eghads!

IMT: SQUARES

This is my posting for the Inspire Me Thrusday (IMT) challenge for this week, which is "square". I went for the plural as I felt compelled to do three squares (so, would that be a cube??).

These images are from my SX-70 Time Zero Polaroid film (sadly, Polaroid no longer makes this film as of March 2006). The top and bottom images are on slide film transposed to Polaroid film. They are of the swimming pool water at my brother's home in Hawaii. These two images are not manually manipulated (that almost sounds redundant, but it's not!) as I usually do with my SX-70 images. The middle one of the pinwheel is manipulated, however. Most of the alteration in that image is done by hand. Very little was done digitally.

Fall Equinox

Tomorrow is the first day of fall. My favorite time of the year where the light is absolutely beautiful; it makes everything extremely photogenic. It's not too hot and it's not too cold. Like Goldilock's porridge!

I took some photos last year of the jimson weed (made famous by O'Keefe in her paintings). Perhaps this will become an annual thing for me to shoot. The one posted here is this year's and it was taken late in the day.

The "Manure Only" sign is from the State Fair. I think I need to go there next year for the sole purpose of taking photos! A lot visual fodder if you'll pardon my pun! : ) Several of us were crazy enough to think that we could sell art at the State Fair (what were we thinking?). Leau logged in most of the booth sitting hours and she wrote her observations for each day she was there. Her friend, Tara in Paris posted two of her writings so far (Day One and Day Two), so bookmark her blog and go back regularly to check for the rest of the postings for the State Fair. It's all true and rather amusing in a sick sorta way!

Next in the line up is a close up of pinwheel in a planted in my backyard.

Some prickly pears down the street that are just perfect. If only they weren't on someone's property. I'd pick them and eat them! I can't believe people let those beautiful fruits go to waste.

The little purple flower (larkspur) is in my backyard and so is the New Mexico sunflower. Yea, we have our own indigineous sunflower! There should be a romantic movie named, "Under the New Mexican Sun" where the opening shot is fields and fields of New Mexico sunflowers!

IMT: Limited Palette

This is for this week's IMT challenge of creating something in a limited palette of color. Although, I must admit that I did not do this piece this week. However, when I did create this piece, I intentionally limited my color palette. I opted not to work in the jewel tones (which am drawn to as a raven is to shiny things), but in earthy, muted tones. This is a reflection and summation of how I felt after a year's committment to create art each week of the year. I've made refernces to this project in previous posts as there were several of us who chose to do this ("52 weeks" which was on exhibit this past March at the OffCenter Gallery). I found that in making this committment, there was a sense of continuity in my life that transcended the distractions of day to day conflicts. Creating this blog was a part of that 'push' for me to create and to go beyond what I was used to doing. I think I have well over 123 posts (see the archived section)! I never thought I would ever have an on-line blog. I am inspired by all those artists whose blogs I've visited; those I know and those I've never met. It is an amazing community to be a part of!

IF: Momentum

The feather is my submission for this week's Illustration Friday 'challenge'. The theme for this week is: Momentum.

I wanted to convey the feeling of momentum with as little visual information as possible and resorted to a simple pen and ink drawing.

The second drawing is one my son did a few years back; I think he was about 9 years old when he did it (out of his head, he said). We call him the "running man", but I think he does convey the idea of momentum also.

September's ATC

Drum roll, please....here's my ATC submissin for our group trade this Saturday. The suggested theme for September was "Faeries". This is my "Trash Faerie" or Faerie of the trash. The rubber stamp is from Stampington & Co. and the image is created by Sandra Evertson. The name of the image is Bounder. I thought it was perfect for my faerie.

I used 140 lb. cold pressed watercolor paper by Fabriano which come in a 10" X 14" pad. Perfect. You can get 16 cards from one sheet with absolutely no waste (the perscribed dimension for an ATC card is 2 1/2" by 3 1/2"). I used 2 sheets for a total of 32 cards. Our group is getting bigger! Backgorund done in Golden's fluid acrylic paints with a glaze added. A large, flat marble was glued over the face and I added a black netting bowtie that is attached with a small little copper brad. No two cards are exactly alike.

Transcending the Mundane...

I think if you're a mixed media artist, it doesn't take much to transcend the mundane. Leighanna and I were having a discussion this past week about how to make metal things rust. Different metals require different processes. I was trying (in vain) to get some chicken wire to rust for The Cradle Project. So, I consulted with Leighanna, as she does it all the time (rusticate). So, the formula for chicken wire is 50/50 of bleach and vinegar; must be done outside as the fumes are noxious and probably toxic. Works beautifully! Leighanna gave me some shiny doo dads (I call 'em that as I have no idea what they are for). So I took those shiny doo dads and submereged them in the 50/50 solution in a closed glass jar and oxidize they did! I loved all the rust it threw as a by product and in drying them, they imprint themselves on the surface. That's what you see here; the rusted doo dads and imprints. Very, very mundane for the rest of the world, but pretty exciting stuff for a mixed up media artist! Yeah, like I said, it doesn't take much...