BURNING BOWLS

CEREMONIAL BURNING BOWLS

Ceremonial Burning Bowls

Unity Church has a special ceremony each New Year’s Eve. A large bowl is placed at the altar and each member of the church is asked to write down problems or vices they wish to annihilate from their lives.. It could be a wish to quit smoking or drinking. It might be a desire to loose weight or to quit any of a number of addictions. Each person places their list into the bowl and at midnight, the bowl is lit. Everyone watches as the fire burns away all the troubles.

Burning Bowl number 1 "Bronwyn" Approx 6" w x 6" d x 9" h $58.00

Sold. Thank you Dorothy and Cherie!

Years ago, I decided to make small, individual burning bowls. They were a big hit but since they take quite a bit of time to create, I haven’t made them for a long time. Prompted by one of my customers, I decided to give them a go again. So. Here they are. Hope you like them.

Close-up of glass bottom

I created them with stoneware clay. I cut and placed stained glass in the bowl area and then fired in my kiln. After the firing, I embellished them with all sorts of mystical and mysterious looking objects.

Burning Bowl number 2 "Maeve" Approx. 9" w x 9"d x 10" h $86.00

I never know what will emerge from my kiln when I open the door. One time, one of the faces fell flat down and was forever immortalized in glass. Another time, the glass did not melt properly and was sticking up here and there. I never know, even though I do everything exactly the same for each firing. There are technical reasons for it I’m sure, like maybe the temperature of one of the rings in the kiln wasn’t hot enough or maybe the glass was too dense or perhaps the clay not dried enough. Who knows. That is part of the reason I don’t make them too often. This particular batch turned out great and all 4 are for sale. You’ll notice that I made one large one for those of us who seem to have an abundance of problems they’d like to see gone from their life!

Full view of Maeve

Burning Bowl number 3 "Azar" 5" w x 6" d x 11" h $54.00

Burning Bowl number 4 "Brighid" 5" w x 5" d x 9" h $54.00

I've decided to give my students a choice of making either a planter or a burning bowl during the sculpture class I will be giving in August. By the way, there is one more space left!

All are for sale. Please e-mail me for any questions or to purchase. I take all major credit cards and Paypal. Thank you!

THE LACE READER

THE LACE READER

The Lace Reader 16”x20”

Every once in awhile I will read a book that stays with me long after I read the last page. The Lace Reader, by Brunonia Barry, was just such a book. I was so impressed with the women of Ipswich that I felt a need to tell their story through a collaged painting.

Here is an excerpt from the book:

“The Lace Reader must stare at the piece of lace until the pattern blurs and the face of the Seeker disappears completely behind the veil. When the eyes begin to fill with tears and the patience is long exhausted, there will appear a glimpse of something not quite seen. In this moment an image will begin to form.in the space between what is real and what is only imagined.”

close-up

“Each reader must choose a piece of lace. It is hers for life. It might be a pattern handed down through the generations or a piece chosen by the Reader for it’s beauty and familiarity. Many Readers prefer the handmade laces, particularly those of old Ipswich or the laces made today by the women of Yellow Dog Island.”

After a few false starts, it became clear to me which direction I wanted to take with the collage. I wanted her to be mysterious and to have the look of a seer, for surely these women of Ipswich are clairvoyant. Even though the story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts, a place steeped in witch lore, my woman looks like she might have emerged from Casablanca, Kashmir, Istanbul, Madagascar or Ethiopia.

In the garden

My regular readers will probably notice the change in palette I have used on this collage. Lately, I’ve been using oils for most of my paintings and collages but I was so impressed with the results of a few blogger friends out there who took Jane DesRosier’s class, that I wanted to give her subtle palette a try. I very much enjoyed the lessons. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in shaking up their own artwork a bit. I hesitated signing up for several weeks because I know that often times when you take a class, you tend to pick up the style of the teacher and I like my work to be clearly mine. Jane is generous in her teaching and encourages her students to give her method a go. I tried to put my own spin on Jane’s teachings and hope that future collages will reflect even more change and growth.

“There is lace in every living thing: the bare branches of winter, the patterns of clouds , the surface of water as it ripples in the breeze….Even a wild dog’s matted fur shows a lacy pattern if you look at it closely enough.”

Lace Reader can be purchased directly from me. Just e-mail me for details or through my ebay listing. Price: $325.00 Thank you so much.

I like the way she looks with an orange background.

FILET MIGNON WITH LOBSTER NEWBURG SAUCE

Filet Mignon
with Lobster Newburg Sauce

Filet Mignon with Lobster Newburg Sauce, Asiago Asparagus in Orange Sauce and Roasted Potatoes

Yum! Best word to describe the delicious meal that chef Stratton prepared for my son Charlie and me last night. Stratton is preparing his menu for the all-inclusive sculpture class that I will be having here at my home (Woodloft) in August. The plan is that he comes over every once in awhile and cooks one of the dishes he will be creating for the class so he can familiarize himself with my kitchen and my fancy, yet oh so temperamental, appliances. Tonight, he made Filet Mignon with a delicate Lobster Newburg sauce. He accompanied it with broiled, herbed potatoes and asparagus with an asiago orange sauce.

Charlie enjoys first bite. I think this picture says it all!

The first thing Stratton did when he stepped through the door was to hand me an electric knife sharpener. He said my knives were so dull that he’d have a hard time cutting butter with it. I have to admit, after using those hand held sharpeners, the electric one made a huge difference. My knives are so sharp right now that I just know if I drop one on my toe, the knife will go right through it. I guess many of us are guilty of not keeping sharp knives. I am amazed at how much easier my kitchen chopping is going now that my knives are lethal weapons.

Stratton says that he really doesn’t consider himself a gourmet cook. He just likes to make interesting (and very tasty) food. He says it’s a step up from everyday cooking but not fancy. I sort of disagree with him on that point. It seems to me that everything he cooks is up a notch and is definitely in the gourmet category. Here is the recipe for this wonderful dish. Since Stratton doesn’t write anything down, not even a grocery list, I tried to figure it out as he cooked. I sent him a copy and I was completely wrong! Here is the correct recipe…imagine he actually DID write it down and e-mail it to me!

Stratton Preparing Sauce

Filet Mignon with Lobster Newburg Sauce

Ingredients:

3 lobster tails
3 filet mignon steaks 1 1/2 “ thick
Asiago cheese
Asparagus
New potatoes
2 oranges
Cream Sherry-1/2-1 cup
Cream fraiche
Red wine vinegar
Chives
Oregano
Olive oil
Paprika
3 cloves garlic
S and P

Method:

Pour olive oil in a baking pan. whisk together 1/2 cup oil...1/4 cup red wine vinegar...1+tablespoon brown mustard. Add 3 cloves minced garlic... chives, salt, pepper and fresh oregano (actually any combination of spices work nicely)... quarter the red potatoes and toss in the dressing... bake at 375 cut sides up for 1 hour.

In the meantime:

Season the medallions of meat with a generous portion of salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the oil till hot but not smoking. Sear the meat on both sides until desired tenderness. Remove from pan and set aside... add the 1 cup of Sherry along with the lobster shells and simmer until red... about 10 minutes max. Remove the shells and reduce down to a quarter cup then add the cream fresh and paprika along with the lobster meat. IF the sauce needs to be thickened more have equal portions of butter and flour mixed together and formed into tablespoon sized balls and add 1 at a time to the sauce until it thickens. Remove from heat.

Heat the olive oil in a pan until hot but not smoking. Add the asparagus and sear until bright green. Sprinkle with the cheese and add the orange juice and cover then turn off the heat and allow to steam while you plate up the meal...

Place some of the potatoes on a plate with some of the drizzlings from the pan... place the medallions of meat on it followed by equal portions of the lobster meat and some of the cream sauce... finish by adding the asparagus and serve.

It is a good idea to sauté lobster shells or shrimp shells into sauces for extra seafood flavor.

Filet Mignon

Preparation of Potatoes

Asiago Asparagus with Orange Sauce

As you can imagine, we did choose this as one of the meals for the class.

WELCOME! MANILA ENVELOPES

WELCOME!

MANILA ENVELOPES

Four welcoming envelopes I created for the students

The welcome packets for my upcoming sculpture class in August are finished and ready to mail out to my four special students. Since we will be sculpting lots of faces, I used my sculpted and painted faces as the basis for the manila envelopes. Now for the task of deciding which envelope to send to which student? I think I will use my intuition on this decision.

I used an image of one of my tall standing sculptures and eyes of another one

I loved the picture of the columns so added one of my sculptures and mysterious face

Magazine images, stamps and image of one of my paintings

Labyrinth from my laundryroom plus faces and sculptures

In addition to our sculpture class, I was able to lock in several exciting visiting guests. Lisa Plummer of “Groggy Froggy” fame, has agreed to teach the class her method of Soul Collage. Also, Rudy Sanders, spectacular drummer, will teach a class in drumming with a drumming ceremony to follow. Ella, water aerobic instructor extraordinaire, will give us a water work out one afternoon. I was also lucky enough to have Patrick Beale agree to give each student one of his spectacular Swedish based massages. Patrick has been a masseuse for over 15 years and believe me, you will feel pampered and relaxed after one of his sessions. I have one more opening left in the class so if you have been hesitating, now is the time to check out the details by clicking here

I'm heading for the post office right now. Sure hope the students like them!

LET ME FLY!

LET ME FLY!

Mixed Media Oil Collage

Close-up of "Let Me Fly" Please double click on the pictures for better view

I’ve been in the mood for lots of colorful creations lately. Maybe the spring flowers have brought on this frame of mind or maybe it’s the butterflies that I’m anticipating seeing soon. I purposely plant flowers to attract those wonderful, vibrant creatures, like the buddleia or butterfly bush.

I thought I had a plan in painting my butterfly girl collage, but she seemed to have a mind of her own and took me in a completely different direction. I know that has happened to most of my readers out there in blogland. So..as we used to say way back when, you've got to go with the flow. Actually, she doesn't even look like my work!

Close-up of butterfly hat-left over from the Royal Wedding.

I painted her face using my Renaissance Oil technique and the rest of her body is acrylic and felt. I used pop up butterflies for her hat. For the background, I used a spackle compound followed by deco crackle and stain. It has an interesting texture to it. It feels entirely different to the touch than when I add the crackle to paper. The entire collage is on a 3-dimensional canvas

Close-up of angled frame

For the saying, I found it online but the author was unknown. I couldn’t fit the long saying on her so I changed it a bit and came up with “ How does one become a butterfly? You have to give up being a caterpillar and…fly” So true, don’t you think? Set your goals high and don’t let anyone, anyone talk you out of them. Choose to fly!

Then, just for the fun of it, I made one of my Philosophy Paper Art Dolls to match! She has the correct saying in it’s entirety on her.

Paper Art Doll

Close-up of "Fly" Paper Art Doll

They are both for sale. Although the painting took me a very long time to do, I had so much fun with her that I’m lopping off many of those fun hours. I’d like $125. for her and if you love her…this is a real bargain. She is 12x24.”

“Fly” paper art doll is $38.00 and about 10" high. I take all the credit cards and Paypal and can ship worldwide. E-mail me and we can go from there.

Thanks so much!

GRANDMOTHER TREE WALL SCULPTURE

GRANDMOTHER TREE

WALL SERIES

"Grandmother Tree"

I’m not sure when I first began my “Grandmother Tree” series but it makes sense that I did. I love the trees and have surrounded myself with them for as long as I can remember. I write about them, read about them and view them daily from the tree house I call Woodloft, which is my home.

Here is the story I have written and associated with my series.

“Grandmother Tree”

The trees are alive! She wandered
into the garden early one morning
and she heard them speak to one another..
It was a language spoken on another
frequency..in another vibrational time
frame. They spoke of healing with power
and energy and of the relationship between
energy and matter.

She was drawn to an ancient Chinese
Elm and as she leaned her body next to the
base, somehow she felt immersed
in the tree and felt herself slip into the
tree..was one with the
tree and knew that she was the tree.....

~Cheryl Dolby~

close-up

Outside view

If you would like to read more about this series you can check it out here where I show various other trees that I have created.

My grandmother tree has driftwood from a lake nearby, moss from Woodloft, one of my original clay faces and various other woody type items. Hope you like her. She is 5”x8” and priced at $68.00 You can e-mail me if you are interested in purchasing her. I take all major credit cards or Paypal. I have also listed her on ebay.

Thanks so much!

Face Planters

FACE PLANTER

“SHE WHO SURROUNDS HERSELF IN BEAUTY”

Here she is surrounded by a garden of zinnias

Maybe I’m wrong, but I’ve always said that materialism and spiritualism can mean the same thing. The wonderful fountain that plays a background melody in my garden and allows me to meditate upon life, the flowers that adorn every corner of the grounds at Woodloft (my home), the rock walls that hold the soil at bay and the sculptures that beautify each walkway, all play a part in spiritualism. Yet, they were made at a price or purchased. Where do we draw the line between those two words? Materialism/spiritualism?

Full view

Here is the poem I wrote for her:

“She Who Surrounds Herself in Beauty”

……Brings all of nature’s bounty to her abode. She calls upon the earth, the mountains and the ocean to share with her their abundance. She takes no more than she is offered for she knows that life gives what is needed. She has hand crafted everything in her possession or has received as a gift those items that were carefully and with love created…therein her life is made sacred..by all these things.

~Cheryl Dolby~

Another close-up

The planter I have named, “She Who Surrounds Herself in Beauty,” reflects my feelings on this subject. I used lots of gold, bronze and silver to adorn her. She sits quietly in the garden and adds a feeling of atmosphere to her quiet surroundings. We will be creating a planter similar to this one at my residential sculpture class this summer. I am accepting 5 students and have 2 openings left. You can read all about it here.

At an angle-side view

She is 12” high and 5” wide. I used stoneware clay and fired her at a very high temperature so that she can remain outside all summer long and can be watered without fear because I used Aquarium glue which is the same glue I used on my art car b-dazle I know this glue works!

I’ve just listed her on e-bay. You can check her out there and e-mail me if you’d like to purchase her. She is $85.00. I take all credit cards, checks and Paypal. I am happy to ship internationally as well.

Thanks so much.

ANGEL OF SACRIFICE

ANGEL OF SACRIFICE

Angel of Sacrifice Oil Collage

Sold. Thank you Dawn!

ANGEL OF SACRIFICE

Silently,

She lies cocooned beneath the gossamer wings of her guardian angel.

She does not move, for fear her angel will leave her
Alone
To face the universe of memories
That abide in her mind.

Unrequested,

the angel came with strength, wisdom, love and a promise to lift her sorrow.

Luminescent prisms flow in the distance
Becoming brighter and clearer as she travels.

Seeds of light burst round her in an
Unwavering fashion. Her angel by her side, they transcend toward a presence brilliant and familiar.

She is teased with leaving behind the heaviness of her life and escaping to a place of peace.

But…knowing in her heart that it is not the time…for there is much more love to give before she can go home again…

She returns.

~Cheryl Dolby~

I think the antique frame came from Mexico

An old almanac that I had stashed away in my studio was the inspiration for this angel collage. I love to read measurements and usages from these old tomes. This one in particular has details of herbs used in the early 1900’s. I used it for the background and added crackle glaze to it. I painted her face using the Renaissance Oil method and made her three dimensional halo using the technique I learned while taking a fresco class in Italy a few years back.

Close-up of almanac and crackle glaze

Close-up of halo I learned to make while in Italy

I have used my Angel of Sacrifice story with many of my sculptures and paintings. It has special meaning to me and I think it speaks of many women.

I have priced "Angel" at $325. She is 17x 21". If you are interested in purchasing her, please e-mail me and we can go from there. I take all major credit cards and Paypal. You can also purchase her on ebay by clicking here. This is my first listing on e-bay. Wish me luck! Thanks so much!

FRIDA ART BOXES

FRIDA ART BOXES

A TALE OF TWO RECYCLED ART BOXES

Recycled Frida Art Box

For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed recycling just about anything. I especially like to recycle discarded pieces and turn them into works of art. When I found two cigar boxes recently, the shapes basically dictated their use to me.

The first box is about 1” deep, which is a rare find. I knew I wanted to use my Frida digital image to create a box in which to keep art pencils or pens.

Quilted interior of box

Can you guess what I used for the clasp on the lid?

I just knew this old opener would work it’s way into my art..Of course, if things get tough, you can always use it to open a beer!

For the inside, I used a discarded quilt jacket. It is so pizzazzy and goes well with the bright colors of the box.

Quilted interior and another image from my Frida Original Oil Collage

For the feet, I used 4 wooden pieces that I found at a flea market some time ago. I have several more and now I know they make a perfect flat base for a box.

Bright yellow wooden feet

Close-up of flowers that have applied with encaustic wax

My Frida Art Box is for sale for $42.00. It is 2" D x 8 1/2" W x 9" H. Art pencils are not included.

The second box I found really gave me inspiration. I love the chunky square shape. To me, it looked like a sewing accessory box.

I was going to add a clay bas-relief of Frida but decided to experiment with canvas. This experiment has given me all sorts of ideas of other ways to use the canvas. My method was to make a digital print of Frida on canvas paper. I then painted over the picture with oil paint. This gave the print a very soft, rich look. It almost reminds me of cross stitch fabric. I used the print on the recessed front along with small glass tiles.

Frida Sewing Box

I used a fabric I had leftover from another art project to the inside and added quilt batting to the top so that needles can be stored there.

Floral fabric inside of box

View of side of the box

My Frida Sewing Box is for sale for $38.00 and is 2 1/2 " H by 5 1/2 square.

If anyone is interested in either of these art boxes, please just e-mail me and we can go from there. I take all credit cards, paypal, or checks. Thanks so much.

RENAISSANCE OIL COLLAGE-GENTLE SPIRIT

GENTLE SPIRIT

Gentle Spirit Renaissance Oil collage

Spring has inspired me to create an oil collage of a young woman who looks a bit like a fairy or wood nymph. At first I was going to name her “Elfin”, which seemed to fit her but then I decided on Gentle Spirit, from my book “She Who Whispers.” She is highly textured with flowers from my garden and a crackled effect. She definitely has the look of one "not yet injured by life."

GENTLE SPIRIT

The seed pod opened-a woman child emerged. She was not yet complete…still in the process of becoming finished. She was innocent, having the quality of one who has not yet been injured by life. No soul searching, no vision quest. She was just content to be here and to be a living part of the great mother earth.

~Cheryl Dolby~

I placed flowers along the edge of the painting

I used encaustic wax to attach and preserve these flowers, which are from my garden here at Woodloft.

I was very pleased with the large crackle effect.

Gentle Spirit is 18x24” and priced at $290. Shipping is included to anywhere in the continental USA. I accept checks, MC, Visa, Discover and American Express or paypal. I can also send to anywhere in the world and will be happy to give you a shipping price to your country. Please click on my e-mail to make arrangements for sale. Alternately, you can view Gentle Spirit on my Etsy shop for more details by clicking here.

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

Johann Sebastian Bach

Renaissance Oil Collage of Johann Sebastian Bach

What a surprise! After studying Bach on Google, I discovered that he was a numerologist. I learned that his fugues and cannons are mathematical in nature and that he even played games with his music. A sheet of his music can be turned upside down and be completely unchanged! He was obsessed with the number 14 and wore only jackets with that number of buttons. In numerology, which I still don’t know a lot about, the name Bach supposedly is equated to these numbers:

B=2

A=1

C=3

H=8

Added together, they total 14. JSBach= 41 I created his musical signature and placed it on his sleeve shown below.

Musical signature Bach used on his compositions

Number 14 and mirror number 41, were Bach’s favorites. I decided to add that signature to my painting along with showing the 14 buttons on his jacket. I also added a complex mathematical symbol with the numbers and musical notes most often found in his compositions.

Mathematical symbols I used to depict his genius

Fourteen buttons on his coat-I placed a small image of Bach in the center of each

Here are a few basics on Bach’s life. He was born in Germany in 1885 and lived to be 65 years old. He was a virtuoso organist and composer and has been hailed as a genius whose work represents the peak of the Baroque era. He was taught to play the harpsichord and violin by his father. Bach married twice with a total of 20 children, many of whom became famous musicians in their own right. Bach’s numerological symbols still amaze musicians today and many consider him to be the greatest composer of all times.

I have now finished 3 of the 5 composers I plan to do. Next is Chopin.

Thanks everyone for your most appreciated comments on what has been for me a real stretch in my artistic endeavors!