Hand Stories

 Well we are having a quiet Thanksgiving-Hope you all stay safe and make good choices for this holiday- I know my gratitude list is long. I try to remember that when I get close to the edge of deep anxiety.

Here are several more hands.  My friend, Micaela Seidel here in Albuquerque challenged herself to make 100 hands.  She created a facebook group Handmade Hands and I was  hooked.  There is something about combining my collage work on to a hand substrate. I am at 20 so far and I am sure there will be more. I doubt I go for 100 but you never know.

Why Indeed

For You

Go Easy

On Troubled Waters

He Tried To Rise Up

Viral Fear

Two Dolls Watching

Out Of Reach

Looking Within

Looking Outside Myself

Sometimes The Pieces Just Don't Fit

Home Weighed Heavy On His Mind

Metamorphosis

Finding My Way Home

Not Welcome There

No More Running Away

He Reverts

Letters From Home

The art show is in lock-down

 November greetings,

Well my art show opened November 6th at Remarque Print Workshop. The artist talk was on the 11th and will be on their YouTube channel soon. I felt good about the show and have received some nice feedback.  Monday our governor started a two week lock-down- all nonessential businesses are to be closed so my show ended up being open for a week. Can't be helped- our covid cases are so high right now.

https://www.remarqueprintshop.com/narratives-in-cut--paste---terry-garrett.html

I was able to get some journal time in.  I actually played- I used hand stencils and masks and put them under my paper and did rubbings with Prisma Color sticks. Then I scanned those and played with them in the computer- I printed out a couple that I liked and they are the back grounds for these two spreads.

Title: Asking For Your Helping Hands

 

DreamScape

 

This last spread is titled Viral Nightmare- and it is-

 

My friend Micaela Seidel here in Albuquerque is working on a challenge she gave herself -making 100 hands.  She decided to create a Facebook group called handmade hands. I jumped in- here are my first two hand collages. This was challenging but very fun.

Internal Screaming

 

Thoughts of Flight

Three Self Portriats

 Hard to believe one week left of October. I deliver my work for my show a week from today so that is exciting. We  are finally going to get some cooler weather here in New Mexico.

For one of my online classes a self portrait was an assignment. It took me years before I would include a picture or image of myself in an artwork- leftover baggage from thinking people would think that is egotistical to include myself in a work.  Over the last few years I have become more comfortable with putting myself in artwork and journal spreads. These three I am showing here were done differently for me- I altered photos of myself to high contrast black and white. I then cut some monotypes to the standard size for my printer and I printed the black and while images right on the monotypes. Some that have a lot of paint cause the ink to slide a bit and then it seemed to not dry for a long time- I liked the way it is  left to chance how the photo will look on the monotype.  I then collaged them.

Key To Contentment

 

Melancholia

No Longer Chained To The Past

 

Online Classes

 I am a life-long learner.  I am thankful to have online classes as an option to take classes from artists that I follow. The trouble is I take too many and then get behind- usually it is ok as there is lifetime access to most of the classes. This post I am sharing some things I have made for a class by Fonda Clark Haight.  The class is Forgiveness. This class is a follow up class to her Down Deep class. These classes while hard at times, provide the motivation for some needed self care and work.  I find that art is so important for  growth. While I won't go into detail about the meaning of things- I will share the box I made for cards we were to make on topics of forgiveness. I also am sharing some of the cards I have made. The cards are just under 4 inches by 6 inches and the substrate is mat board.

This is the box I covered with images and quotes.

This is the top of the box.

One side of the box

Another side of the box

One of the quotes on the front of the box.

October Already

I see I have missed posting in September.  Have been really busy- I completed my work for a November show I have coming up- Finished the matting and framing even- So that feels good.

I have been making new zines and mail art of late and I have done a few collaborations with other artists.  I miss my art groups that met monthly before the pandemic. I organized an Artist Trading Card exchange for the Scissors & Glue ABQ group- that has been fun and a way to keep the group connected. I am taking a few online art classes. I will share some things- First  here are my artist trading cards- then I will share some things I have made for an online class from Fonda Clark Haight in another post soon.

I hope this finds you healthy. Enjoy the change of season.  I find getting out in nature really helps during this crazy and troubled time we are all experiencing.

Artist Trading cards set 1

Artist trading cards set 2

Artist trading cards set 3

Artist Trading cards set 4

Artist Trading cards set 5

Artist trading cards set 6

Artist trading cards set 7

August is Zooming

 This pandemic has been odd - in that it seems like forever and yet the days and weeks go by so fast. We have been in a heatwave here- yes even for the desert SW- it is hot. We will reach 100 again today - 90s have been the norm ALL summer- usually we have a couple of weeks of those and then to the 80s. So besides the virus fears keeping us at home- the heat keeps us home for sure in the afternoons.

I am thankful for my art- I try to be in the studio some time each day.  I am taking a few online art classes- One is The HomeBook- Rakefet Hadar- it is altering a children's book-into a house shape and the  video lessons deal with concepts of home- where is your home? Who can enter your home?  Those are two of several questions that are dealt with in the book we make. I found a used book called The Doll House Book and it was already  in a house shape. So I am sharing my cover and some spreads. It's larger than I sometimes work when it comes to art journaling. A double page spread measures 14 inches tall and 18 inches long. The paper in the book is shiny so I am using gesso and acrylic paint to create a surface to work on.

Book Cover collage

This is the inside cover and front page spread. I was going for a children's book illustration feel here. I digitally added birds to the building here- then printed out the buildings with birds and then glued it into the book after I had journaled and painted a background color.

This is the tile page spread that said Doll House Book and I painted out the Doll.

This is about my husband and me.  We have been together 44 years and we see each other with our hearts as well as our eyes. The background is a gel plate monotype I glued to the pages.