My gratitude list is growing. I was interviewed via Zoom by long time long distance friend Loretta Louviere (formally Pompilio) who lives in the Finger Lakes of NY. Like me, she’s been an artist all her life and published a book, Soft people The Art of Dollcrafting by Loretta Pompilio. Photo below and link to interview video.
Today I woke up to a thrilling newsletter email from Janine at Uppercase magazine telling me my Sketchbooks feature is in the latest newsletter! Seriously, you should subscribe to this quarterly publication!
As featured in Uppercase newsletter As featured in Uppercase newsletter My favorite cloth doll designer
Greetings from Dallas! Climate, politics, Texas freakin’ politics, protests and wars, oh my! It’s all happening.
Personally, I’m on indictment watch while I carry on with my Art biz. And have you seen Uppercase magazine #58 yet? I’ll show you the full page photo of my piece in the “whimsy” section. And of course some new stuff I’m working on.
So I’m set to start a YouTube channel soon. The timing is auspicious. Look for Genie Geer Artyology.
Art Graf tailor’s chalk portraits started with abstract strokes. Then I saw the faces in the marks. A Junk Journal July ‘23 entryquilt wall art at the eye clinic last week!My cover for JJJ23My latest crush: Ranger Dylusions Creative Journal. Mungyo oil pastelsColor pencil Prismacolor alcohol markersStudio cat Isabel
Surprising how busy I’ve been, considering my chronic fatigue diagnosis which gave a name to what has hounded me all my life. How dare I have been calling myself lazy? Other people have. Take that! other people. At age 75, maybe the diagnosis is a gift in a couple ways. I can pat myself on the back when I manage to vacuum. I enjoy being alone. I have tightly curated collections of dolls, and heirlooms, and a wardrobe I love (I favor a flowing Swedish style and jazzy glasses). And can we talk about the art and decor books? So recently, I started curating my supplies / inventory. And had the Salvation Army haul off my 7 ft. sofa, in favor of keeping just the Barcelona chair and red curvy chaise lounge. Girl, I purged my closet too.
Trees across the parking lot. Holbein watercolorsWatercolor, acrylic, gouache, color pencil, magazine image collagePaint palette cleanup with collage and masksFreeform cutouts and book page images on tea dyed journal page
And finally, I was gobsmacked by the news from UPPERCASE magazine that my response to their call for entry in late April was selected to appear in the issue #58 July-Aug-Sept in the “Whimsey” feature! I have admired this creative periodical since it’s inception. What an honor! I must remember to be humble about this unbelievable opportunity!
I bet I post about it when the issue hit the stands!
Local and global social issues, climate change, politics, and spirituality are of utmost importance to me. Am I expressing this in my artwork? Sometimes.
Vote Blue! Go Beto for Texas Governer! And can we talk about how cruel Texas has become under the far-right wing Republican rule? It’s embarrassing to be a Texan right now in light of current events.
See? Activism and public opinion matter. My hero, Jon. Well, one of them.
Lament for Ukraine. I keep hearing Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders singing, “My City Was Gone”. I think Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the Hero of our time. I should make a drawing of him.
This is one of the pages I made for Junk Journal July 2022 online challenge.
Women’s Rights. Pro-Choice. Where the hell has “separation of church and state” gone? Why is the religious far-right imposing their will on us? We know why. I could say more and am sure I will.
I have fallen in love with nature this year. Even if it’s in my imagination, like these paintings in my art journals.
I will leave you with these latest creations of mine above, and will publish another short picture-post soon.
I have a love affair with social media creatives. I follow and learn from YouTubers. My latest obsession involves making and working in altered books, junk and art journals; mixed media collage; giving all the characters and their environments a place to live on the page. I find I really like paper.
I’ve started to add tags, journal ephemera, cards, hang dolls and wall art to my Etsy shop, GENIE GEER ARTYOLOGY on Etsy.com. Below is a sneak peak of artwork going in very soon.
Thank you for stopping by! I will keep you posted. Hang on to hope in this world. I have to believe that The Times, They Are A Changin’.
I’m so busy making art, learning new techniques, and also making plans to move to North Carolina to be near my son (who turned his life around at last!), that I’ve decided to let the blog go. I’ll keep everyone up to date via Facebook.
I created somenew pages here on the blog which you can link into and find pics for miles. The pages are listed at the top of the blog. Check out the ones featuring friends’ inspiring homes (hey there, Mary Korfanty, Barbara Gold, Dwight West, Linda Goodwin, and Dr. Ladenberger).
(This is a new blog format/theme and I am having a hell of a time getting the fonts right. Apologies if it comes out wonky. It is very very late at night.)
After a year on the wait list for an apartment at the Juliette Fowler retirement community, the move happened all of a sudden at Christmas. Around that time we BA ’66 grads lost one of ou icons, one of our beloveds, to cancer. I was so glad to have spent a little time with Bobby Bassett over the last few years; mainly at art venues and then later in hospice. I sure hope I see you in the afterlife.
Bobby is on the left. Middle: Brent; right: BryanLots of artwork in various media going on here in my new home. It’s only 600 sq. ft. and I’m pretty used to living small, but I do have to have my art supplies, artwork and treasures! I’m comfortable here and the 2 big windows with expansive views plus high ceilings, keep me from feeling closed in. I’ve joined the artists’ group here, and have committed to the water aerobics class by purchasing a new swim dress. I was without Wifi for awhile, so couldn’t post. Today and evening I got caught up on blog posts by creatives I follow. That was cool.
Meantime, here are pics from The Lakewood Library 54th Annual Artists’ show on view all of May. I am thrilled to have 2 pieces in it; cardboard and fabric doll, and acrylic painting using the techniques I learned from Lynn Whipple during her online class, The Essence of Still Life. I will never paint the same old way again!
Vessels Spring 2018
Ms Dignity’s Red Shoes at the Lakewood Library 54th annual artists’ show
Here is work by a new artist friend Jacqui during our weekly art workshop here at JFCA:
Online challenges are a new passion of mine, having stumbled upon a free one a few months ago….maybe via Instagram? Somebody’s blog? I am losing track of how I found – and keep finding, such great talent on the web to learn from, maybe emulate, and share with. Then of course, you get chummy with the other artists involved in that challenge or class. You’re hooked.
I found more artists whose work I wanted to see more of, via a big clean-out of my many art books and periodicals. I will be downsizing even further in the next few months, and I needed the cash, so off to HalfPrice Books I went with a load. Before letting a good book go, I found it necessary to peruse it thoroughly; keepers were set aside and some pages torn out of various Stampington publications before trashing the rest of the magazine. Even so, there were plenty of pristine issues intact left to sell. You can find ’em at the HPB store on Northwest Highway.
Now I have roughly half the art and decor books I moved in with; which gave me the courage to toss a big trash bag full of fabric scraps. I’m not done ferreting around in my stash; I’m determined to be tough. I’ve had this stuff for many years. I used to enjoy popping in to the fabric store for the odd remnant but haven’t had that pleasure for a long time, ’cause I just didn’t want to add to my piles.
Last week I let my favorite doll that I made go; and it didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would! “Beth” is with her new mom now up in Glen Ellyn, IL. I listed her on Etsy and she wasn’t there for long, so I am encouraged to keep going with dolls and other artwork for sale. And selling at lower prices than I offered before; I am trying to find that sweet spot between what’s affordable for a buyer and gives me some profit, too. It’s the sharing of my work, and the recognition, and joy the buyer experiences that mean the most to me now.
I love Instagram for its ability to satisfy my need for instant gratification. I follow close to 200 artists world-wide now, and have some followers of my own. It keeps me on the creativity path. The online challenges have you upload your “homework” onto Instagram, and all the artists in the challenge view and comment on everyone’s work.
Shout out to Tara Leaver, a young abstract painter in Cornwall for her Art Notes news and encouragement! She has online classes in addition to an occasional free challenge.
Black gesso smudge, white charcoal and oil on small canvas paper. I didn’t plan it, I just pulled the imagery out of the black smudge.
White and Black charcoal
Still loving learning painting with soft pastels via Gail Sibley’s blog, How To Pastel
I fell in love with a business card featuring a photo of A Little Company stoneware/porcelain sculpture of these delightful characters
I wanted to see what would happen if I held two different tip size pens and made a quick sketch of a still life.
“Beth” doll is ready for mailing to her new mom in IL. I made her wrapping paper out of paper napkins stitched together.
Little fabric collage, or samplers. Using up favorite scraps, and loving the zen relaxation of making them. Just instinctive; no plan. Addictive. Jude Hill of Spirit Cloth got me onto this.
Pamela Hastings Book and the little figure I made from one of her patterns
Wherein I begin to post all my new (and older) artwork and find a variety of artists and creatives and makers from all over the world, who post their expressions…..and you can communicate with them in real time! I need more real time!
A couple photos of what I’ve been working on. Or click on the link above to my Instagram account.
I am still a little challenged on uploading photos from my Flickr page to my blog via downloading them first to this Windows PC…..I find Flickr difficult to use and Instagram is my new crush. I can upload photos from my iPhone to Instagram in a snap, and tell it to share with Facebook and Flickr. Done and Done. I haven’t attempted to upload my phone data to this computer yet. I hope I learn that soon.
Final version of pastel, “The Dollmaker and Her Doll”
Final Version, “Imaginary Sam”
On the Bookshelf
I’m always reading / studying several publications at a time. Sometimes it takes me a few months to finish any one of them. Who am I kidding. Sometimes over a year. As is the case of Proust’s tomes; I love them for their descriptive prose, it’s like looking at a series of beautiful paintings. I’m a slow reader, maybe because I visualize every little thing.
Louise Penny “The Brutal Telling”, #5 in the Chief Inspector Gamache novels. I love her characters and the Quebec backdrop.
Elisabeth-Louise Vigee-Lebrun “Memoirs of Madame Vigee-Lebrun, Illustrated Edition”. This is the autobiography of the prolific French artist whose many clients spanning many decades, included Marie Antionette. She traveled and worked all over Europe until her death in 1842. Wow!
Barbara Gold’s “Loving Courageously…First Me, Then You, Now Us”.
She has a YouTube interview, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPuEHCeNlNw
Barbara draws on over 35 years of psychotherapy practice to help readers develop a self to love and take good care of as we re-write the script we’ve learned. Knowing me well, and some of the issues I struggle with, she recommended I read:
“When Food Is Love”, Exploring the Relationship Between Eating and Intimacy”, by Geneen Roth (also on Amazon). I’m only in the second chapter, but I can tell you that silent tears streamed down my cheeks all through Chapter 1. Many years ago I had to give up booze and cigarettes and looking for love in all the wrong places. My son grew up to have serious dependency problems of his own. No dad around. Now, I can’t live without artmaking. And comfort food, primarily Blue Bell Ice Cream. I wonder if I will cry during chapter 2 of Roth’s book?
I glommed on to this artist through one of my favorite blogs, “How To Pastel” by Gail Sibley. I’m using what I’m learning through Carole and Gail’s techniques to create my own pastel paintings over the last few weeks. Here’s the link to her blog:
And then through all these great learning sources, I can’t forget YouTube, because many generous artists of all genre share their expertise online. There aren’t enough hours in the day! Yipee for retirement! A friend of mine was shocked when she found out how many hours a day I devote to social media plus my artwork. One wonders how I even have time for ice cream.
Katherine Dunn’s “Creative Illustration Workshop for Mixed Media Artists”. I found this gem at HalfPrice Books. I first saw her work in one of Cat Bennett’s books. There is a whimsy and similarity in their styles, I think.
Lastly, two “In Easy Steps” how-to reference books on Windows 10 and Word 2013 because I had to retire my old and small, MacBook. Because I sometimes get to work with a couple of friends involving using a computer, and they use Windows, and mainly because I could not afford to upgrade my Apple OS, I made the decision to purchase a used, refurbished Toshiba laptop. And this sucker is big, for ease of use. This post is ‘Shiba’s virgin foray into the blogesphere of Artyology and friends. I am also using Google Chrome for the first time. Having a little challenge with curser control.
Stitch with Friends
It was a fun evening at Kelly’s with our friend Linda, and Kelly’s darling dogs, Gypsy and Elsa. I was really rusty since no actual fiber arts have been accomplished over here lately, just lots of looking at various textile artists’ blogs. I want to start some more dollmaking with simple patterns, smallish in size, and with some drawing on the fabric plus little “samplers” stitched onto their simple clothes….
That’s all for now. I’ve got a buncha blogs to read!
xoxo
Genie Geer Artyology 