Category: Media

Red Balloon Has a Wall of It’s Own

Posted on by F.Magdalene

Guess what was bartered today? Guess who gets a new home? Red Balloon! Good choice.

Sam’s Red Balloon – SOLD

The African American boy with blue accents around his eyes stands tall in front of a rainbow background. There’s a faint show of a crown of small, round lights circling young Sam’s head. Open the detailed image and look closely, you’ll see it.
Sam's crownYour light is still there, even if other’s can’t readily see it. So when it glows only above your head just remember, your light shines to guide you, not others.

Art Title: Sam’s Red Balloon
Size: 8.5 x 5.5
Media: watercolor, 98 lb paper
Finish: unsealed, unmounted
Style: African Americana, Black Folk

Sam’s Red Balloon and the Great Pen Incident

Posted on by F.Magdalene

Sam's Red Balloon I recently purchased a pallet box to hold more watercolors. In one area I selected

colors based on what I use most but on the other side I put colors I need more work with. For the most part, I enjoy watercolors but at times I swear it off saying I’ll never, ever try this media again.

There was a mishap that took place that required damage control. You know those water paint pens? Well, see, no one told me I was supposed to put only water in there. I thought I was to fill the barrel with ink or paint so that’s what I did. Later on I saw in blog entries that they were not used that way. I tried to clean them up as well as possible but it didn’t turn out so great. I was able to clean and save one barrel but all the brush tops. Continue reading “Sam’s Red Balloon and the Great Pen Incident”

Getting My Hands Dirty

Posted on by F.Magdalene

available as prints see sidebarWhen I’m anxious I make small terrariums in glass jars. I make dry flower arrangements from flowers I’ve purchased or flowers donated by friends. I often get a years worth of lavender from a friend when she cuts hers back. I love that stuff. Thank goodness I don’t have allergies.

I have all kinds of terrariums and terrarium supplies, stuff I wanted to add to my Etsy shop. I haven’t added them because I have no idea how to ship them so I’ve started offering them locally. So far so good. I love getting my hands in that soil, placing driftwood, hand picked stones and tiny little plants into little landscapes.

I’ve struggled with depression recently, depression that feels too heavy to manage alone. Today I made a bit of extra effort to get out of bed and get into something productive which meant working with the fish and terrariums.

I’ve turned a 6 drawer wooden dresser into a feature garden with some of the drawers holding garden supplies like gloves, planters and terrarium supplies. Continue reading “Getting My Hands Dirty”

Watercolor Play

Posted on by F.Magdalene

As I said, I’ve been exploring watercolor. I haven’t done that well with proper techniques but I have played a lot. Here are some abstracts created in watercolor after a session of trying to do stuff right. Play is important. 🙂

Color Rush and Deep Purple Paper are my favorites. In a few of these I dipped stamps in watercolor and stained the paper then began to pile color until I was satisfied. I used a pallet knife to create texture and one had alcohol sprayed on it. That was fun. Three of these have an acrylic finish but two do not. They feel like they could be a small framed painting or even the background for an encaustic art piece.

All are roughly 4 x 6 and are on cardstock, watercolor postcard paper and sketchbook paper.

Faith

Adopted Art: Jane’s Flowers Bloom

Posted on by F.Magdalene

As you know, art without a wall of its own is sad, but today “Jane’s Flowers Bloom” was adopted. To celebrate this momentous occasion is the legendary Phil Collins singing, “In the Mail Tonight”.

Art Title:  Jane’s Flowers Bloom
Art by:  Faith Magdalene Austin
Media:  Colored pencil, ink, card stock
Size:  4 x 7 inches
Finish: Acrylic seal, signed on the front and back, unmounted.
Style: Primitive, African Americana, Ethnic Folk Art

Jane's Flowers Bloom - SOLDTake it away Phil!Jane's Flowers Bloom - SOLD

Well I remembah, I remembah orange flurries, flurries, flurries
How could I ever forget
It’s the first bloom,
the white moon
and an intimate moment.
But I know the reason why you kept your purse closed up,
Oh no you can’t resist me.
Well the love it shows
and the heart it rose
with a flower from you to me
(enter awesome drum solo)
I can feel it coming in the mail tonight, hold on
I’ve been waiting for a wall of all my own, oh Lord, oh Lord
I’ll be coming in the mail tonight oh Lord
for a wall
of my own. oh Lord  (end remake)

Me: Thank you so much Phil for coming to Sundrip to sing that classic song; a song for all time. What do you think Mary Jane, studio cat?
Mary Jane: That song chokes me up every time. He kills it on the drums. Amazing job Phil. Thanks for coming.
Me: Thanks to everyone who has given original art the only thing it’s ever wanted, a wall of its own.

Is there wall space in your home? Can you open your heart to grant the wish of original art? If so, please visit my Available Art galleries as well as my Etsy shop. Contact me and we’ll work together to stamp out homeless art.

Available Art. Available, too. Etsy shop. PayPalMe.

Faith Magdalene Austin
Artist
Mary Jane Austin
Studio Cat and Quality Control Manager

Art Adoption: Young Joker

Posted on by F.Magdalene

Young Joker - SOLDArt without a wall of its own is sad.  “Young Joker” waited a little bit for the right wall to come along and it did. Packaged ever so carefully, this special art piece will travel to its destiny via US Postal System. It’s a happy day when art gets adopted.

“Young Joker” is a rainbow dance around a patch of white flowers. Wrapped in the landscape are several who are finding their way through the meadow. A black bird takes the same path.

Art Title: Young Joker
Art by: Faith Magdalene Austin
Size: 8.5 × 5.5
Media: Marker, acrylic
Finish: signed on front and back, unmounted, not framed

Paintings that compliment “Young Joker” can be seen in the below gallery and are available via Etsy or PayPal invoice. See the sidebar for details.

Give art a home.

Feed a starving artist. Seriously, I could use a sandwich 🙂

Faith

DIY Encaustic Tools and Painting

Posted on by F.Magdalene

Awhile ago I did an encaustic mixed media piece created with Crayola and acrylic paint. Though I liked the way it turned out I thought it might be even better toned down a bit. I decided to go back and make it less abstract. The first step was to gather all my tools.

DIY Encaustic Art Tools

All you need is above and they are easy to acquire, household tools I used to melt wax and crayons for encaustic art. Since these are household used in encaustic painting, you will have to be careful to monitor the heat.

  1. Small glass jar or empty aluminum tea candle
  2. Coffee mug warmer or tea candle oil warmer
  3. Crafting iron
  4. Toothpick or small scraper such as clay tools
  5. Wax paper or Parchment paper

With those basics I was able to warm blues and greens then smooth them over the crafted canvas.

.Dollar Tree oil/wax burner .Small glass bottle of Crayola melted crayon

I mentioned in the original entry that the painting is on Viva Paper towels. Let me explain; the paper towels were layered with wax then gesso and Mod Podge until I had a nice surface. Continue reading “DIY Encaustic Tools and Painting”

Attaya and other cultural ceremonies

Posted on by F.Magdalene

Strawberry Kisses - available

Summer will bring kids and their parents to my home which means tea and more tea with painting and more painting plus some history tossed in.

Depending on the country, the ceremony or party, the kids use traditional cups dated as late as the 1940’s. My number of countries represented in tea is down to 38 countries because my Kenyan Ceylon container is empty. It’s on my list of must have. We’ve got so many good stores around here but I can’t seem to find one that will order this tea for me. I want the loose leaf by Safari.

I let the kids use vintage and antique cups without worrying too much about them breaking but I went ahead and retired my English rose tea pot. I’m a bit more protective of that one. No one uses my daily tea pot either. I’m even more protective of it. I don’t fret a lot about the cups being broken but I do expect all to use them respectfully. If one should break then it’ll do well as a planter and I can go to Goodwill and search for a replacement. Goodwill is where many online shops get their tea cups for which they charge exorbitant prices.

Here’s a little article on West African tea ‘ceremonies’. I’ve also started a collection of African recipes on my Pinterest page.

Continue reading “Attaya and other cultural ceremonies”

Paint Sketch and Alter

Posted on by F.Magdalene

“She dreams of flowers”

“Her fullest potential”

Her Fullest Potential fma

“The Girl” in apostrophe earrings. Continue reading “Paint Sketch and Alter”

Soothing Tree Drawings in Watercolor and Ink

Posted on by F.Magdalene

Drawing trees is soothing. I usually draw them bare. I love leaves. i like to see them up close and examine the cells. I recently learned that my sweet potato plant was holding water in the cells of the leaf because I watered too much and too late in the day. Leaves are a beautiful creation but I hardly ever draw them. I like them bare. There’s something so beautifully vulnerable about a bare tree.

I love to follow the designs on bark with my finger. There’s something so …. spiritual….about trees.

When it comes to art, I have a go to doodle.  I think all artists have a certain something they draw in almost a self soothing kind of way. The self soothing art for me is to draw trees with the branches reaching out, twisting and breaking through the things we can’t even see. Branches break through the air, they hold themselves erect when gravity tries to pull them over. I love that they take their place in the soil and let their roots reach as far and deep as they desire.

I absolutely love above the ground root systems. Those are fun to follow, too. Of course I have to peak in the little crevices where moss grows. I admire spider webs and small bugs that scramble to get away from my curious fingers.

Available
– Available

When I was a kid I was told that if a person draws a tree it usually represents them. I was told that putting a scar on the tree represents personal trauma. I never forgot that. Despite the psychological reasons for drawing trees, doing so is soothing for me.

Two trees displayed in this entry are Pay it Forward art pieces. You can find them in the Community Grabs and PIF section in my Etsy shop.

The first entry on trees has been posted in the Featured Art Gallery. page.

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