CRASH GLASS-'SORROW'

CRASH GLASS

“SORROW”

"Sorrow" Completed

Crash glass is great to work with, especially if you love mosaics like I do. I developed a method of gluing together small pieces of irregular glass to form her dress. When I first worked on “Sorrow,” I had not taken any classes in oil painting and therefore, painted her face with acrylic. After I learned the Renaissance Oil method I loved the rich look of the oils so much that one by one, I began all my older paintings and redoing them.

Close-up

I have a question for my readers. If I started a painting several years before, then reworked it recently, which date should I place on the painting? The date I had on it before the revision or the day that it is revised?

Side View

I have changed the date to 2013, even though it was first finished in 2010. I understand many Renaissance artists would hang paintings on the wall, take them down and rework them numerous times before calling them completed. I guess looking up the answer about the date will be another google project for me.

Detail of Glass

“SORROW”

Her heart was breaking. Though she tried hard to forget, nothing could erase the pain. After years of unresolved sorrow, An inner voice spoke softly revealing a great truth, which she knew but had Somehow forgotten: “Everything in life comes full circle. What was will be and you shall be whole again.”

~Cheryl Dolby~

Sorrow is, now finished. If you are interested in purchasing her, you can see more views on Etsy and purchase there or contact me by e-mail. She is 12" w x 28" h x 1" deep. I love the way the glass sparkles when the sunlight shines on it.

FRIDA'S PAIN

FRIDA'S PAIN

Frida Kahlo

I’ve always been an admirer of Frida Kahlo and have created a few posts about her in the past. Click here to see. I wrote about the accident she had when she was young and how she had lived with her pain; her art being a constant source of diversion. When I wrote these things, I didn’t have a clue as to the effect pain can have on a person. I thought I could empathize with her because she was an artist like myself and I admired her for working in pain, but, I had never experienced very much pain in my life and really could not have known it’s effect over the long run. Until lately. It’s just my knee but keeps me from moving as quickly as I’m used to. The more chronic pain I experience, the more I admire Frida. A lot of her paintings show her in pain. She even had to attend a major art show held for her, by being carried in on a bed! Frida said “I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality.” She also said I paint myself because it I know myself better than anyone else.” She created 143 paintings and of those 55 are self portraits.

Close-up

I am lucky, as most artists are, because when I am in pain, I can look to my art to pull me through. Just thinking about a piece in my studio, whether it’s a painting or sculpture, gives me a goal and before long, I am focused on finishing that piece. I believe if you continue to search for answers for your pain, you will relieve it somehow and I also have come to the conclusion that “wisdom is nothing more than healed pain.” Although I can’t take credit for coining that verse, ( I read it on Facebook, author unknown,) I certainly am going to adopt it as my own.

Close-up of Seven Antique Jewels

In honor of Frida, I have created this Renaissance oil and mixed media painting with gems and jewels of every type. I wanted to make her glitzy as she appears in a lot of her pictures. She liked to wear dangly jewelry and flowers in her hair. I have used some very old earrings and some even older pins. (some may be worth a lot more than the painting!) I guess you could always snip off the valuable jewel and add a costume piece in place of it. LOL. She is 8” w x 10” x h. and 1 ½ “ deep for easy hanging. I also created a crackled background. I have priced her at $145. You can check her out at Etsy since I just placed her in my shop or you can also contact me directly at my e-mail

Picture of 1 1/2 frame

Also, I placed a Frida necklace on Etsy for you to look at.

Thanks so much.

'SHI" "I AM NOT THE BODY"

“SHI”

“I AM NOT THE BODY”

Sold. Thankyou Deb!

I love the effect I get when I use earthy, woodsy materials along with the Renaissance Oil painting method I use for my faces. It seems to produce a rich quality that I can’t get with acrylics or other methods I’ve used.

The story I gave her comes from my book, “Grandmother Tree.” The book is out of print at this time but I will soon combine it with my “She Who Whispers” book to create a 3rd edition. “Shi” seemed appropriate for this original mixed media painting. Here is the story:

“SHI”

“I AM NOT THE BODY”

She so bravely bore her illness. Knowing there were those who would miss her in the end and being selfless beyond compare, she spoke these words. “Grieve not for me, for I am not the body. I am the green, fertile earth, the waves merging with the sea. I am the silence of the Himalayas and the eternal vibration of Om…know that I will live forever..for I am not the body….I am the soul.” The word Shi in Zen, written by calligrapher Hakuin, means death…anyone who sees Through death becomes ageless, deathless and Immortal..

~Cheryl Dolby~

“Shi” is 11” w x 14” h and 1” deep. I have priced her at $235.00 and she is available through me at this e-mail or you can purchase through Etsy. Thanks so much for viewing. This is definitely going to be a new series for me.