AVOIDANCE HUMP NOW CROSSED

WOOSH ~~~~~ Gone. My day is almost gone. I have been sitting in the same position for about 4 hours BUT I got a new video uploaded to my GETIN2NATURE youtube channel and finally after almost two years updated my getin2nature website to reflect what I am doing now in terms of EnviroArt, Eco Art, Mandala Painting, Presentations and more. CLASSES!!!

There is more to do on the web but that BIG AVOIDANCE HUMP has been crossed. :) Yey ME!

As for art here is a pic - then a website link - then the video link. Have FUN. I think my leg is asleep. It is time to move the body and stretch EVERYTHING.

Upcycling a damages tabletop a few days ago. Pretty Cool. Remember the records? I will be promoting classes in acrylic pouring on vinyl for Spring.

http://getin2nature.com/

There you will find the process video and a whole lot more.

CHAU 4 NOW!

COME PAINT STREET ART

We are all geared up for BoHo Fest this coming Saturday the 22nd. And... it has been decided that we will be painting in tempera a huge street mandala at one of the cordoned off intersections. HOW FUN! It will be a community mandala. I am looking for volunteers to help me get all the chalk lines snapped and the inner core painted before 10 AM. Do you want to help? It takes a village to paint a community mandala. :)

I have decided to make a circle surrounded by a 6 pointed star and layers radiating outward. People can come by and add their personal touches. Tempera paint washes off but it would be advisable to not wear your best Sunday outfit.  We will have aprons available so you can play with us without getting too messy. FUN!

Speaking of fun, we had a great trail walk last Thursday in honor of National Wilderness Month.. Two more walks focusing on Environmental Art are scheduled for this month. After those we have to cease for awhile until after the holidays. The parks close at sunset. Here's a photo of our motley crew at Sabal Bluff Preserve.

And here is a blast from the past. Facebook reminds me of what I was doing from years past. Yesterday was the 4 year anniversary of when I created the Ames Mansion Mandala for the Blanche Ames National Juried Art Show. Crawling around on your knees helps you stay young. We began that way and for me it hasn't changed. I will need to bring my cushy little kneeling rugs for Saturday's pavement gig.

Well that's it for this week. There is much to do. Acoustic Art Lounge is happening Wednesday night at the Leesburg Center for the Arts, the trail walk is Thursday (meet at Flat Island Preserve at 5:30 in the parking area), Friday is Open Studio at 10 am, Coffee & Convos at noon and then the last big push getting the BoHo Fest all set up. Do stop by.There's gobs of unconventional fun to be had right in Downtown Leesburg. ART HAPPENS HERE!

BOHO EARTH FASHION - ORGANICALLY CHIC

Today rushed by and I almost forgot to post for Mandala Monday. Today's post is another Earth Art Dress. YEY!  BoHo Fest is almost here (Saturday September 22nd - Downtown Leesburg) and Sweet Magnolia is bringing her best friend Rosemary.

Rosemary is wearing a fuzzy sweater vest with shawl collar, a belt of sweet gum, bodice of rain tree pods and skirt of Spanish moss woven with dried rosemary - of course. BOHO EARTH CHIC!

I rushed to take some photos and videos before another storm hits. These dresses are not made to live out their lives outdoors but by the big mandala garden  behind my home studio they sure look fine. To think last year I had everything tied down and packed into closets as Hurricane Irma spun closer and closer. I am very thankful for today's calm in contrast. I am preparing to make some modifications to the garden this month. The MUMS are in stock but pavers are a bit harder to find. Stay tuned!

Make sure to stop by on the 22nd and check out the festivities. Here is a link to the BoHo Fest page. https://www.leesburgarts.com/bohofest2018/

MAGNOLIA YOU SWEET THING

It's Labor Day here in the USA and also MANDALA MONDAY! I just got in from cycling. I am making it my routine to pedal in the morning. On my route I ride over a bridge above an inlet. I usually stop and re-hydrate there and check out a huge magnolia tree. Last year I saw so many of its pods on the ground but wasn't quite ready to collect them. Well I am ready now!

A little voice said back track a bit and note the house number. I had never seen anyone outside. Sure enough the grandson was there. I gave him my card. "When those pods drop please call me. I will come and get them out of your way."

What do I do with them? LOTS OF STUFF. Here is an example. I call her "Sweet Magnolia".

"Magnolia you sweet thing. You're driving me mad."

There are a few more finishing touches to be applied then I need to set my studio lights up for a proper photo shoot. I have another piece that I am working on too. I used an oil stain on Spanish moss in the design. It needs to dry more before I continue. Maybe by next Monday...

Yes - Earth Art Dresses!  It has been too long since I made them for historical sites and state parks. It took a bit of time and trail walking/cycling to learn my area's botany. I AM SO EXCITED! These new ones are not 100% bio-degradable. I have made them to last with wire, paints and glue but most of the ingredients are organic. I need a new tagline for this enviro art work. I no longer can say...

"I don't make rotten art. I make art that rots." These are designed to last.

Oh and don't forget. September is National Wilderness Month. To help people get outside I have agreed to run four trail walks after work on Thursdays in Leesburg so that people can explore 3 different area preserves. We will meander the parks as I point out cool artistic things you can do with foraged organics. But please note - no picking. We cannot take anything from the park except inspiration. :) Check the Leesburg Center for the Arts website for details.

leesburgarts.com

ENVIRO ART TRAIL WALKS

Similar to many attempts at getting a new routine started, I began biking in the mornings before the sun got too high in the sky and heated up the pavement. This is Central Florida and it is August.That routine lasted 4 days but it did spark my "earth love" memories of being outside in nature. Consequently, after two busy mornings off I took to the woods on foot. YEYYYYYYY!

Nature feeds the soul. I am not full yet but man did I have some great appetizers over the weekend. Yesterday I was walking Sabal Bluff preserve. While by the lake I heard a rustle from above. There on a tree branch not more than 20 feet away was an adult bald eagle. It spread its wings, circled around me and flew off. What a beautiful thing.

So why not share? In person. YA - Why Not? It is time to get my walks started in Central Florida.

Introducing - for September (National Wilderness Month) Thursday after work EnviroArt Trail Walks sponsored by the Leesburg Center for the Arts. Parks close at sunset and September's setting times are past 7:00 PM. We will have time to discover. Find the addresses on your GPS and meet me there at 5:30. We will take a 45 minute walk around. Get to know your preserves. All three on the schedule are very close to downtown Leesburg.

No more feeling fearful of walking into the woods alone. You will have company.

Bring repellent, water and you may want to wear lightweight trousers and shoes (not flip flops) as Flat Island Preserve has some taller grasses on some of the trails. Will we make art? We'll talk about eco and environmental art and learn to see the woods in a new way, a place full of color and texture. If we have time perhaps we can make some simple mandalas along our way.

Check out the schedule and print the flyer for your friends. Let's GET INTO THE WOODS!

Sept 6th

Bourlay Historic Nature Park

851 N Canal St.

Sept 13th

Sabal Bluff Preserve

1201-1257 Leesburg Mobile Rd.

Sept 20th

Flat Island Preserve

2388 Owens Rd.

Sept 27th

Bourlay Historic Nature Park

851 N Canal St.

Download the park's trail maps here:

https://www.lcwa.org/open-preserves/

And now for me it is 8:30 AM and I am saddling up my bike and heading to the island.

Try to get outside today!

 - Chau 4 now.

YOU NEVER KNOW UNTIL YOU TRY

I have been playing around with record albums. Sunday I came across a bag of old broken crayons, the really cheap poor quality DollarTree kind. I decided to make some use of them and play around combining them with heat and vinyl. It was a hot cloudy day here in Central Florida. Perhaps I should have saved this experiment for the winter months when I need to heat up but alas, inspiration comes when inspiration comes.

Although not happy with the result it gave me some more ideas. That is what the artistic process is about. Many of us hold on to the finished result not realizing the result is the process. Experimentation is vital to art. From experimentation new techniques are discovered.

Besides I can always re-purpose this again into ?????  Any suggestions? It is covered in cheap crayon wax. :)

Short process video below.

Hasta Pronto!

NATURE HUGS HONORING MOTHER EARTH

It is still a bit cold in Central Florida evidenced by the several layers I have on in the below photo. It was taken inside my house on Thursday. Ouch! I have been told many times that these cold temperatures are not usual, it is an odd year. Well I don't know about that but I do know that I am looking forward to spring! Anyway...a very special postal delivery warmed me up from the inside out. Insert Big SMILE HERE :)

Keith Beaney's Earth Mandala Calendar arrived last week and I thought that if a picture was worth a thousand words a video would be worth 12 times that amount.

Really, think about how a land artist would explain what they do."I make earth designs out of twigs and pods and leaves. They blow away and biodegrade. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."  Most of us photograph our work. I created the book that you see at the top of this page. Keith Beaney of the UK makes BRILLIANT calendars. Check out this video I made. LOVELY. A year full of nature hugs honoring Mother Earth from a very talented land artist.

The video says it all. Go to the FAcebook. Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/Earth-Mandala-Calendar-2018-1492308927718255/   

That's it people. I am busy beyond words. I need to stop typing now and get on with it. This post is short but ever so sweet and beautiful :)

As a land artist, earth mandala creator and workshop facilitator please send me your inspirational images. Share your appreciation for Mother Earth through your ART.

Be INSPIRITED!

 Adelante >>>>

STABLE OF STALLIONS

OK, the title of this post is a bit tongue in cheek and has nothing to do with Mandala Monday except for the fact I have been incredibly busy. WHY?

A couple of weeks ago I accepted a part time position at the LCFA as the Program Coordinator. This is BRILLIANT for me especially living in a brand new part of the world. Connections in the art and business arenas abound. My mind is absorbing and clicking and clacking on programs and projects. This temporarily leaves me less time for my personal artwork. I am getting my brain wrapped around it all though. It is simply an adjustment having 10 scheduled hours and non-scheduled inspiration and follow-through time. One of these" brilliant "inspirations is the rise to the title of this post.

Fashion Week in Leesburg happens is in March. Eight professional designers will be showcasing complete with runway. When I heard this my brain's gears started churning with the question, "How do we get kids involved?" BAM, instantly my Little Read Dress Workshop came to mind. As a former designer and costumer myself I had to jump right on in and make a proposal.

Lake County Eco Fashion Design Competition 2018

It is a go! A call to the high school student artists/designers of Lake County, Florida is forthcoming. I will be traveling to area high schools to chat with the students, plus boys and girls clubs, YMCAs, etc. It is exciting getting our youth turned onto art and into environmental responsibility.

HELEN HELPING OUT

So my stable of stallions? In the back room of the Leesburg Center For the Arts I spied two male mannequin torsos. I had worked out different ways for the student designers to make their newspaper garments at the Center. Out of all the options I chose having uniform dress forms. I am now paper mache'ing 15 unisex light weight and portable mannequins. Yes I know - time consuming. Each form needs to be 5 to 6 layers of paper, glue and paint, and cardboard stands made. I will be bringing the original rubber forms from my Home Studio to Open Studio meetings (every Friday @ 10 AM) at the LCFA so that other artists can volunteer to help me get them done. Also if you are in the area instead of getting together for coffee and drinks at a cafe with me COME ON OVER TO MY STUDIO and get your hands sticky. Volunteer - that is what I am doing. It is good for the soul.

As for my CronePods...

I did get some sunshine time to add more wrinkles to a piece yesterday. She called to me, "Pay attention!" Of course my dear wise woman, of course..

More on my fine art pieces another time. I need to get sticky. :)

Make some mandalas and send me the pics.

Saluti!