New Work for the New Year - Drawings and Paintings

These new pieces have been so much fun to work on.  There's a story in all of them.  Come by my Etsy.com shop to check them out.

 Exploring Gouache paint with colored pencil and pencil on primed fiberboard.  I like the raw edges of the fiberboard.  The fiberboard is from gift boxes, cereal boxes and any other box that has a nice paintable surface will do.  I like the thickness of the fiberboard and  the imperfections.

when the earth shook

when the earth shook

as the blue sky appears
the moon dips into the clouds
just behind the mountain top
the earth shook as it came near
in the darkness of the early morning.

she closes her eyes
for a new day
lay your head down
song birds sing their greeting
as the baby of my soul awakes
a squeak and anoter toucan appears
watching and protecting the moon
the black bird and the earth shake
with a golden beak we wake

Written in Jan of 2004 in Costa Rica at a beautiful farm called Finca Ipe. It was the first and only earthquake I've felt. More of a shudder than a quake, but strange none the less. The moon was full, and everything was quiet. I remember thinking that there were wild animals running through the woods nearby, that was the sound that woke me from my sleep. We were sleeping in an open air stilted shelter made as a yoga retreat house. Oh, it also sounded like hard footsteps on the teak wood floors, but there was no one there. The serenity of the experience is what I remember most and how out of tune I am to natural happenings. I think I can tune-in... if I try.

The game of Life continued

continued from an earlier post here

Opportunities abound - each moment has an opportunity...
Sitting in my yard with my kids playing in the sand box... Opportunity to be happy, to organize my thoughts and ideas.
Walking down the sidewalk past a neighbors house. Neighbors outside watering the lawn and carrying on... Opportunity to make new friends and network.
Find out my son has (had) a brain tumor... Opportunity to put my faith in the powers that be and see life as an opportunity to spread the positive vibrations around for all to feel.

The first 20+ years of my life were filled with life's lessons learned through experience. I once read "knowledge comes from things done, wisdom comes from things done wrong." The key to wisdom is to learn from experience, and then act based upon what is learned. My Mom once told me, "...you always have a choice. You decide whether something is good or bad..." Everything is what it is with NO judgment placed upon it. I am the one who places the judgment, I say if something is good or bad... This idea changed my world. It has opened doors at even the darkest times.

Every moment has an opportunity...

Back in the Saddle

This blog has been entirely too neglected. I am finally able to spend some time finishing up some paintings that were made almost three years ago when I lived in Lawrence, KS. I've stumbled upon a new finishing technique for the surface of the paintings that I really enjoy! The final product is exactly what this painting and and the 20+ other paintings on wood have needed. The surface is a buttery smooth satin matte with waxed wood edges. The reverse framing is perfect for the painting, allowing the imagery to exist "in" the viewers space. This frame creates an experience that is less like looking through a window and more like looking at an existence within the present reality. I am very pleased with the outcome.

Obstacles is the title of this piece. Moving around them, working with them and accepting the gifts they may bring.

See you soon!

Come and See What's Happening in Kansas City

Kansas City Etsy Street Team’s Artist Trunk Show

Type: Exhibits
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2007
Location: Bella Dance Studio
Address: Bella Dance Studio, Westport Center, 508 Westport Rd. Suite 102, KCMO, 64111
Phone:
Admission: FREE
Hours: 3pm – 8pm
URL: kcetsy.blogspot.com/

Description:
Shop local and shop handmade from local artists and handcrafters in the Kansas City Area who sell their wares on www.etsy.com. A wide range of high quality, unique, handcrafted items will be available. Here is just a glimpse at what this show will have to offer. Amazing wool felt creations; stunning mixed media and digital art; beautiful ornaments, stationary and pendants using vintage art; chic handmade wearables; classic accessories for babes and tots, and much, much more!

During the show enjoy music by DJ Labeaugot, and sample foods by Personal Chefs.

For a list of all our local Etsy artists, visit our blog at kcetsy.blogspot.com/. View pictures of our recent work at our Flickr group at www.flickr.com/groups/kcetsy/.

Sculpted Wire Pendant Necklaces

I've just developed a new line of Pendants featuring my handmade polymer clay beads. Sculpting with wire has been one of my favorite art forms for some time. I remember visiting the National Gallery in Washington, DC, and seeing a Calder exhibition... Wow!!! I was totally inspired. I've been twisting wire since.
Now, I've found a way to use my handmade polymer beads WITH sculpted wire... Check out my Etsy shop ( www.scottgarrette.etsy.com ) to see some Sculpted Wire Pendant necklaces and more...