Saturday, September 13, 2008

Guarding Monk Mummies ACEO Gargoyle Art

Title: Guarding Monk Mummies
ACEO Original Gargoyle Art


This image began as a digital print from one of my sketch book pages. Though there may be other printings of the drawing, this version is unique and one of a kind. The digital print was then hand colored with acrylic paints and quality Prismacolor pencils. Printed on acid free card stock paper, plastic protection sleeve included. Signed as "T P", lower right.
 *NOTE; Image shown is a scan of the actual card for online showing; card will likely be considered as looking much better in person because the printed card has a better resolution than you see here.

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Moon Dancer ACEO


Moon Dancer Print ACEO

A special ACEO image, of an original pastel and acrylic on canvas painting by Tree Pruitt, is now available. Depicting a mysterious feather wearing shaman like figure and the Full Moon. An expression of the magic and mystery of nature combined with devotion of humanity.
Protective, clear display sleeve is included. The official standard size of an art card is 2.5" x 3.5" (64 x 89 mm). ACEO's make excellent contemporary framed wall art with over sized matting.

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Start of Minoan Priestess ACEO Painting

An ACEO is tiny artwork, reproduction or original, in the format of an art trading card. My newest ACEO involves collage again, but a collage of hand drawn images rather than magazine cut-outs. A scan of the drawing stage is included here.


In the center of the card stand the famous Minoan Poppy Priestess, or Goddess. The small statue the figure is based upon holds two snakes in her hands with the heads pointed down, (see image at left). I can't explain quite why, but this feels wrong to me, so I have drawn my sacred serpents heads up. In the sky of my drawing, on the right hand side, hovers a Mediterranean bee in flight. The bottom left shows an upright dolphin, splashing out of the waves of the sea. The lower right corner sits an octopus, referenced from recovered Minoan pottery, and fitted curling into the tiny scene, (shown at right).

When working with paper, it's important to be careful with the graphite. Too much graphite from the drawing pencil, and eraser marks, can stop later paint layers from sticking to the paper, often causing a blurb or muddy looking spot. A spray fixative will stop all migration of graphite, but textured papers can still be difficult to get a clean erase. Pressing too hard when drawing will leave indentations, so a light pressure was used. Notice on the left hip of the figure is out of alignment. Due to the heavier amount of graphite, and the small work space, I'm going to need to correct those lines with paint later. This would have been avoided with better planning before getting started, but this was one of those instances inspired by doodle play; I didn't really know what the picture was going to be when I began. Anything in art can be "fixed" with skill and an open mind, knowing the inward mental picture must be altered to the action taking place.
The first layers of thin paint will pull on the drawing lines and mix with the graphite. With care this can be used to create under-painting tones of shadows and highlight. Fellow artists may find it interesting to note that Prismacolor Pencils also mix slightly into the paint. Notice in the background I've lain in a light color tone of blue and green pencil. The paint softened the pencil strokes and filled in the bumpy textured areas of the paper surface. This was achieved by thinning an already thin bodied acrylic paint 50/50 with clean water. A small medium bristled paintbrush is loaded and white paint floated onto the paper. Working a small area before it dries, the paint is lightly scrubbed into the pencil pigment blending it about; this works with all water media. Each layer after that will be more opaque, and the graphite will mostly disappear to the eye. By keeping early paint layers thin, paper buckle will be avoided, and later thicker strokes will stand out (pop) giving greater depth.
These are methods I use for any sized image on paper, and indeed often when painting my Spiritkeeper Stones too. I wouldn't have considered myself, in the past, to be a painter of miniature art because my Spiritkeepers are something just outside of art to me; being closer to a spiritual experience. I don't think much about size when painting on rocks, but it is obvious the tiny world of art collector cards isn't all too different. Hopefully you'll enjoy seeing how the Minoan Priestess ACEO turns out.


*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Edgar Allen Poe Raven ACEO



Edgar Allen Poe Raven ACEO was fun to put together!!! I love collage anyway, but the challenge of the tiny collector card format is over the top! The main body of this piece is from a Smithsonian Magazine snippet about Poe, a color scan of a vintage funeral photograph, with a touch of a Van Gogh (magazine cut-out of course). It's really art about love, and self torment. The background is a dark gold paper and it's filled with text about Poe -- a wordy ACEO is perfect for a poet -- nevermore!



*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Exhibiting A New Beat

I'm excited that one of my new items is getting some special attention! I'm painting original designs on professional quality Remo hand drums, and my Sol-Luna design (Sun-Moon) is featured in TWO special places!

A member of an artist group, Sharon K. Shubert, hosts a daily themed exhibit of great handmade items to buy from Etsy sellers. WWAO stands for Worldwide Women Artists Online. Today's theme is indeed showing WWAO members artful creations. Sharon has a good eye and always chooses fun and skillful art to show on her site. It's well worth it to stop by each day to see what's new!

 Visit Sharon at Red Lady Art and her own Etsy store too.

The other location my Sol-Luna drum is currently featured is also an altogether honor for Etsy as well as myself. A fab new magazine is popping up called The iEmporium Sizzle. It's terrific to have one of my pieces chosen to be in an Etsy feature in the first publication of this online magazine. The article is cleverly presented by "the scenes", in that you'll be sure to find something pleasing to shop Etsy for all of the body's senses. Being that my contribution is a drum, it is rightfully found in the sound section, page 25 to be exact, with other lovely artistic musical instruments. The magazine also features recipes, craft instructions and plenty more. Take a look at the mini version, or go right to viewing the publication.








*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

Monday, September 1, 2008

Fresh Catch; Minoan Dolphins


 "Playin' Around", an acrylic painting of Minoan dolphins fresh off of the easel.

The title of this small painting speaks for all aspects of its making. My computer is off and on the fritz and won't be fixed until later in the week, so I've have plenty of off line time to play with the paints. I thought I'd take this chance to show a quick couple of snap shots of the results of my own playing around. The photos are a little dark because I didn't wait until the daylight, but there will be much better images soon.

The Minoan dolphin fresco of Knossos has been a strong image in my mind. I'd been working on drum heads painted with the dolphin and really needed to take a break from the tight, tidy lines of decorative painting. I have a new selection of colors in yummy thick Liquitex and was happy to give them another testing out. This 11" x 14" canvas board painting has five different blues, (which I think is ironic because the subject matter is so "happy" yet the piece is painted with the "blues"). Liquitex has an Unbleached Titanium that is a very nice neutral tone, yet holds warmth, and I enjoy it as a shadow to Titanium White and also as a highlight to Raw Sienna. I have some old bright brushes that give off a nice large round stroke, so I started hacking in the shapes with Payne's Gray; there was no actual black used, only implied with red and Payne's Gray. Bouncing around the board with various paints, I finished with a favorite round bristle brush (size 1000) for smaller strokes. The whole piece was painted mimicking the motion of dolphins in water... darting, quick paced, sharp movement with graceful turns. I had a good time painting it and I certainly hope that comes through to the viewer.

'Til later... be well!

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

Friday, August 22, 2008

Minoan Priestess Poppy Pod Earrings



Finished a lovely, delicate dangle pair of earrings with sterling silver components and semi-precious gemstone beads. They feature two hand painted poppy flower pods; an authentic ancient design! They have been sealed with clear environmentally friendly varnish, but are a real, natural plant material. Quality sterling ear wires, and spiral wire drops hang with pale green/blue-green Amazonite gemstone beads (Grade B) and dark Czech Glass fire polished beads. Free rubber stoppers included to insure the earrings stay put. Unique, mystical design fit for an Atlantean priestess or Pagan princess alike! The blue green pods of the purple poppy were carefully dried, cleaned, and painstakingly hand painted for an oxidized copper effect. The paints have a mild metallic sheen, and were dry brushed on, returning the pod to a vibrant life like color scheme.
Check store link for availability.

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Painted Hand Drum Soon Minoan Dolphin

Minoan culture was a Bronze Age civilization in the basin of the Aegean Sea that some believe to be the origins of the myths of Atlantis. The Atlantean connection may indeed hold some truth due to the many technological benefits the society enjoyed and the relatively peaceful existence they encouraged. Developed on Crete in the 2ND millennium B.C., it is thought that the Minoan empire coordinated and defended bronze-age trade over a large area. Despite the powerful influence of surrounding artistic cultures such as Egypt, the Minoans developed their own highly distinctive styles. Minoan, and later Mycenaean, art is notable for its struggle between stylized and naturalistic motifs; However the colorful, near three-dimensional, natural style originated on the island of Crete. The famous frescoes found there are dynamic, fluid art filled with expressions of nature and daily life.

One of the most famous of motifs chosen by the Cretians was the dolphin. Just as those crafts-persons of the past painted motifs formed and curved to suit the shapes of vessels, I have done with the dolphin design on my new Minoan hand drum. I've hand painted many different types of objects using the dolphin frescoes as reference, but each piece is unique. The dolphin jumping upon this professionally made Remo drum was hand drawn without the use of a pattern or template -- only visual references and the guidance of fun.



It's the same type of drum I've painted unique, free hand designs on before; a Remo hand held frame drum. The Frame drum originated in the Middle East and is among the oldest of drum types. Frame drums can be played using the traditional style of striking with fingers, held with one hand and played with a soft mallet, or straddled between the knees like a bongo drum. Whether you are a professional drummer or just want to have fun at a drum circle with family or friends, the Remo frame drum will meet your highest expectations for sound quality and durability.

A finished example, Celestial Sol Luna (Sun Moon) drum
The Minoan Dolphin Drum is nearly ready. Though the acrylic paint is durable and long lasting, I've protected the artwork with an art fixative. Neither the fixative nor the paint adversely effect the lovely tones of the drum. I'm sure it will please the owner both as a music instrument and inspirational wall art for unique Mediterranean home decor.

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Harbor Path Painting


Harbor Path
Originally uploaded by Artist-Tree


2008 Fresh off of my easel...
16" x 20" x 1-3/8" acrylic paint on gallery wrapped canvas -- painted on the edges.
Painted from memory is this stormy landscape meeting the water. It portrays a walk along Grays Harbor, literally behind Hoquiam, Washington. A compacted version of wild Rennie Island rests in the background. The path leads towards the Hoquiam estuary where an annual bird migration offers the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival. Also very near is Bowerman Airport. Bowerman Field is coastal Washington's only jet-capable airport. Bowerman is a destination for thousands of air travelers and visitors alike.

I began the painting with a thick blank canvas. Eager to get my brushes moving, and with only a strong mental image in mind of my former home, I sketched a scene out with an orange Conte pastel. Then dipping a brush into Transparent White and Neutral Grey (Value 5) paints I workeded the pastel in with the acrylics to fade and bind the drawing to the canvas. Some of the original orange color can be seen in the background horizon, and it adds a touch of warmth all over. I challenged myself to use new colors and move quickly to stay with the mental picture of a place I once knew so well.
Here's a list of those colors used ...
  • Orange Conte Pastel
  • Transparent White
  • Titanium White
  • Neutral Grey
  • Unbleached Titanium
  • Transparent Raw Umber
  • Parchment
  • Raw Sienna
  • Prussian Blue
  • Mars Black
Below are side views of the painting in natural light.




Copyright 2008, Tree Pruitt, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The Road to Aberdeen


The Road to Aberdeen by Tree Pruitt
The Road to Aberdeen

Originally uploaded by Artist-Tree
I'm getting to be more active at a site called Flicker, for sharing images. I found some great groups there, and especially groups on the topic of my former home -- the Pacific Northwest. I love the rain. So here's in an older painting of mine I've recently shared at Flicker. It is in the style of Post Impressionism, with fat juicy paint strokes in vivid Da Vinci brand oil paints, which are excellent for capturing the high key light of the moister places in Washington.
The earth and sky shake hands on the horizon, in the Olympic National Rainforest area. Travel on towards Aberdeen - where rivers meet. Towering trees hug the roadway in this Western Washington State scene. Pacific Northwest, Grays Harbor area.


The Road to Aberdeen; 16" x 20" x 3/4" original oil painting on canvas by Tree Pruitt.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Teddy Bear Original Hand Sewn Doll

Had a little fun ... I hadn't made a stuffed animal in years and the urge to sew overcame me a little while ago. So, I drew the pattern, cut the fabric, sewed it all together by hand and then stuffed with a little polyfil and dried lentil for a floppy feel. He sits well for display with that fat tummy. A little guy, at only about 4" high or so when sitting. All original design, each unique!
He'll be available for purchase soon.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Isaac Hayes; The Shaft, the Chef & a King

~ 1942-2008 ~


Isaac Hayes, a fellow BMI member, has always been a favorite entertainer of mine, as well as a person I admired with great respect. Entertainment legend Isaac Hayes has died at the age of 65. It may not have been a tragic accident that took the life of the latest celeb to cross over, but it was indeed a tragedy.


Having reached near Pop Culture deity status from his success with works such as Hot Buttered Soul and The Shaft movie soundtrack, Isaac Hayes was a soul singer, songwriter, musician and producer for over forty years in America. He was a key player in the birth of 1960's Southern Soul music, and gave us now classic songs such as Soul Man. Hayes' deep sexy voice later became THE sound of "gettin' it on", and only Barry White may have been more well known for putting the groove in smooth seduction.



In 1997 Isaac Hayes became the voice of beloved "South Park" character, Jerome "Chef" McElroy. Chef handed out lunch trays at South Park Elementary School, and had befriended the group of children who are the main characters on the show. Chef dished up more than food though, offering wisdom through song, served with a side of sex; a flash back, not throw back, of the open lifestyle of the 1970's. The character went a little like this ... create a stereotype of a white dude, then picture what that white dudes stereotypical imagining of a hip black guy would be and there's Chef! Isaac Hayes was good natured about playing the role, for the most part, though it often times seemed to be a parody of himself. Eventually his patience ran out when his Scientologist views clashed with the show. In 2005 South Park created a thinly disguised satire of Scientologists in its 10th season premiere on Comedy Central. Hayes left the show and continued with his work in other areas of his life.

A lesser known fact about Hayes is that he was also true 'resident royalty' for more than a decade. He was an actual coronated King! In the western Africa Ada coastal district of Ghana he was a member of the Royal Family. According to the Official Isaac Hayes website a http://www.isaachayes.com/ "instead of a palace, he built an 8,000 square foot educational facility through his Isaac Hayes Foundation (IHF). He is most certainly the only King on earth with an Oscar, Grammy awards"!


In addition to his music and television careers, Isaac Hayes was also well known for his concern with literacy. He and Lisa Marie Presley, a lifelong friend and fellow Scientologist, established a mission for the Central Library in Memphis in their hometown of Memphis. The mission now houses a LEAP center (Learning Education Ability Program), "for kids after school to learn how to study, to learn how to read and write." The IHF continues to partner with other nonprofit organizations to support global causes that serve community needs, actively promoting celebrity benefit concerts (like the Jam For Literacy at the House Of Blues in Los Angeles), Literacy Links 2000 (a middle school program in Memphis), and the Crusaders, a volunteer team of exhibition basketball players from all over the country who put on benefit shows for various causes.


In the spring 2003, one year after his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Isaac Hayes made a celebrated move back to his birthplace in Tennessee, where his body was found laying on the floor next to a treadmill five years later... today. A man may not do all that he is able to do within his lifetime, but a man who does all that he can with the life he is given graces us with his efforts.


-- artist Tree

*Photograph credits unknown.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Seahorse ACEO

I've broken the ice and made my first ACEO! Giving myself a little play time the other night, I thought of the monthly WWAO challenge. I'm currently a member of Worldwide Women Artists Online, which is an international collective of women artists showing & selling our original art through the worldwide web. Each month, group leaders pose a topic or subject for each artist to challenge herself with in her chosen media. It's a casual event, shown privately within the group, so it's an excellent opportunity to test yourself with something new.
The theme of the August Challenge is "Nautical". Having lived near the ocean for most of my life, I'm excited that a favorite topic came up.
So with my thoughts drifting towards ocean memories, I began to admire my curio collection. I've a small hoard of flotsam and jetsam gathered over the years. Sitting out on a studio table was a dried little seahorse I'd collected after a Florida storm when I was a child. In between artistic work times in the studio I'm moving my collections into specimen mount display cases. The seahorse was awaiting its new home, but at that moment the shapes begged for exploration. I grabbed a specimen hang tag, a pencil, and doodled out a drawing in play. Sitting back to check out the final line, I liked what I saw. Thinking that it was too cute to tuck away in a drawer, I pulled out my basket of collage supplies.
I got out a stack of papers and quickly selected a few, because I knew what colors I wanted right away. It was GOOD to get back to collage! Sadly, the project was over far too soon, so I'll have to do another right away, ha! The bottom of the tag, where the drawing sets, was perfect to cut off and add to the center of the tag. By doing so, it created a hang tag in the ACEO size!
It simply hadn't occurred to me before to make an ACEO. I often paint small when working one of my Spiritkeepers Stones, though an animal on a pebble is different from a full scene in a mini canvas space; the smallest Spiritkeepers Stone to date is a 1/4" tall baby penguin! I suppose I knew how perfectly addictive the world of the ACEO could become. Look out for more to come because ACEO's are fun!




*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

About the "On My Easel" Blog

As an artist who is sparked by the whimsy of Muse, I'm often unable to finish a painting or project before inspired to another start. This method of sketching out the basics of a painting, especially, worked well for years; I'd develop ideas during my most creative times to finish later when the conceptualizing phase wasn't running so hot. This was a most excellent method for getting through "dark" or "down" time, and created a balance in the studio.

Recently, health issues have kept me from finishing out many paintings and other creative projects for quite a while now, leaving a lot of UFO's (UnFinished Objects). So, since I'm feeling more spunky, I thought it was high time to bring some of those projects back to light. I thought to myself, what better way to highlight an unfinished art project than to share it in a blog! Hopefully visitors will get to follow along on some projects and see them through to a final stage, ready for new homes at last. I've respected these projects enough to hang on, so I look forward to getting back to work on them.

I have blogs for different topics at different places. This becomes consuming, so I'm going to make this my only blog for art, with the exception of my Spiritkeepers Blog for hand painted stones; even though sites where I have membership may offer blogging services. I'll also be transferring in some entries from my old blog. Be sure to check links in the side bar area, if you'd like to know more about me and my locations on the Net.
Be cool! -- Tree Pruitt

*Photograph above shows a portion of my old studio in coastal Washington State. Unfinished paintings staged for image display, including an early "Le Morte D`Arthur" (The Death of Arthur) and still life prop items.


*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Portfolio Progress

I crack the knuckles and give a heavy sigh as I undertake the daunting task of getting a handle on my web portfolio. I've been painting and creating for many years, so when I finally got online I couldn't wait to share whatever images I had to show. With glee I uploaded like madd to my portfolio at ArtWanted.com then got side-tracked for far too long and the time to update them all has come. The site has changed the way member information is displayed, so every single image entry of mine will need tweeking. To get the most out of my efforts, I've decided to try opening up to the print program they offer while I'm at it. The quality and varity of products offered through "AW" has improved over the years, as has the entire site, so I can feel good about offering products right from my portfolio.
I'm really trying to reduce the number of links and locations myself and potential customers may need to click upon. I'd much rather be spending more time using my creative skills offline rather than on ... but on to my portfolio updates I go!


ArtWanted.com

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use or for purchase information.