Rusty the Cycloptic Rabbit Minimalist Assemblage Sculpture

Ah the inspiration of Spring! With the melting of the snow, and Easter just a hop around the corner, I was inspired to create an assemblage sculpture bunny that's turned out rather Minimalist in style. Being comprised of found objects ol' Rusty here nearly made himself! I found a bit of rusted and twisted metal that had been flattened in the road by a huge bulldozer and couldn't help but notice that it looked like a rabbit, thus Rusty the Cycloptic Rabbit was born! I scrubbed him down with rubbing alcohol and a wire brush to clean him up a bit -- cleaning rust sounds crazy, I know, but with all the rust he WAS a bit of a flake. Then I hand cut a groove into a cylinder of wood so that the metal fit snugly and glued the parts together with a strong adhesive.

The base is an object I wish I hadn't found, but is an example of making the best of a situation. That very same huge bulldozer at one point had shaken my house with such a boom as to cause a glass shelf to bounce out of its holding mount and crash to the floor! No worries (once the cursing faded) because destruction facilitates creation and I was hoppy to have the glass shards to add to my creation.

 Though I encourage textural art work to be touched this is a piece of art to be explored with care because this bunny can bite with some sharp edges! I like the broken edges of the glass showing because the green color reminds me of grass. The wood body piece attaches to the glass base with a clear silicone adhesive. Quality rubber bumpers act as feet for the sculpture to both lift it and protect display surfaces.

"Rusty the Cycloptic Rabbit Minimalist Assemblage Sculpture", by Tree Pruitt (T. E. Pruitt)

*Original art images ©Tree Pruitt T. E. Pruitt, unless otherwise indicated. Contact the artist prior to ANY use please.

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Shells , Scales and Smooth

 Shells , Scales and Smooth is the title of a new ArtFire collection curated by member artisan, CactusCroneCreations, filled with the beauty of amphibians and reptiles. Personally, I love turtles and salamander, I think frogs are great, and snakes are lovely; All of these creatures are lovely in life, but this collection of art and jewelry adds an extra spark to Nature's work! I'm very pleased to have an original ACEO painting taking part in this group too... "Salamander Moon".
 I often pull my inspirations from myths and legends, putting pieces together to make my own puzzle. The salamander is considered to be a Fire Elemental within many cultures, and a Native American name for the August Full Moon is "The Red Moon", so in my world that moon is red because an Elemental has curled upon it for the season, adding heat to the moon's cool night.

Shells , Scales and Smooth

Curated By: CactusCroneCr...

ArtFire.com

Fine Art Photography

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Celtic Goddess Epona

The goddess Epona is particularly a goddess of fertility, but is well known as a loving protector of horses, donkeys, and other animals. She is also a goddess of sleep, dreams, hope, ambition, and is helpful in manifesting dreams into reality. Epona is known as a good protector when venturing on a new path in life and indeed the leader of the human soul in the after-life ride. Although originally a Celtic goddess, she was accepted by the Romans and eventually incorporated into the Imperial cult by being invoked on behalf of the Emperor, as Epona Augusta or Epona Regina.



Celtic Goddess Epona Mini Statue Sculpture

I've recently finished making this miniature statue of Epona, depicted sitting side-saddle on a horse. It's an original design based upon an authentic ancient relic, sized at a wee 1 5/8" tall. It's sculpted in Paperclay® modeling material, which is a great product that dries very hard. I glazed it with a wash of thinned acrylic paint and sealed it with several layers of durable clear varathane varnish. The colors are the natural cream beige of the clay and brown umber.

 It's a one of a kind. Check store links for availability.

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

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Medicine Woman Painting Near Finished

Recently I was overcome with the urge to sort of doodle, to allow imagery free flow from within, and the un-finished canvas shown here is the result. I had lain down to go to sleep, a few days ago, when the mental pictures began to flow. I grabbed some sketch paper to take notes and refer back to the next day. Tonight I feel as if I've worked this piece to a state of being very close to finished, so I took a couple of quick snap shots to look at it in a different way. Since it was moving towards evening the photos are dark, but I think the elements can all be seen well enough for now. Clicking an image will open a slightly larger version in a new window. The entire painting is done with Liquitex Acrylics and Prismacolor Pencils on canvas.

Generally a painting is well planned, or even fully mapped out, but I've had fun allowing this one to grow as it seemed to like. I can't say what inspired the concept; sometimes these things just happen. I've been in a phase of using Impressionistic brush strokes a little on the wild side, so it's been a bit of a challenge to switch back to Realism ... but this painting isn't exactly 'reality' based, is it? The main character is a young Native American woman wearing eagle feathers in her hair and a poignant expression; perhaps she's only recently discovered her Path as a Medicine Woman, perhaps she looks upon us with compassion. Her vision emerges from the energy of spider, the weaver of life. Behind her is the strong presence of raven, who is nearly always a symbol of magic in cultures and mythology. Behind her hovers a white moth intended to portray the presence of the spirits of ancestors. The background houses spirit orbs, pine trees, distant mountains, and a salamander in the Full Moon watches over the valley below.



I think I'll work on her jewelry accessories a bit more, and perhaps add a touch of a silver glint to the spider webbing in places. Whatever my choices are, when the painting IS finished I'll happily show it here in a better light.




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

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Wicked Black Cat

I've just finished a new painting illustration on paper featuring a black cat with the word, "Wicked". I'm happy with the results and hope it pleases others as well because it's inspired by a couple of my all time favorites. Animator Chuck Jones was an expert at creating expressive felines for Warner Brothers cartoons and he's close to being a hero of mine. His fun characters may have been inspired by the work of Théophile Alexandre Steinlen who is most famous for his black cat poster commonly known as, "Le Chat Noir" or "Tournée du Chat Noir". Steinlen (1859 – 1923) was a textile designer but became well known as an illustrator who created cabaret advertisements of music hall performers and his signature cats. Both artists had a good time portraying felines in art, as I did with "Wicked Black Cat".

My painting, shown at left, is done on acid free 110 lbs paper, and is painted with various acrylic paints, including a blue metallic that has a mild sparkle sheen for a magic touch. The image began as a playful monoprint, where wet paint strokes were applied to a piece of glass and then the paper was placed on top. This method creates fun, random background papers for me to later work into more refined art. The original may currently be available but here's a fun variety of Zazzle products featuring this image too including t-shirts, coffee mugs, poster prints, plus both blank note cards and special Halloween greeting cards.

Wicked Black Cat by TreePruitt

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

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Blog Share & Dolphins

Today I'm offering some thanks to Meagan, who's chosen to feature my Minoan Dolphin hand drum on Fab Finds Friday in her blog "Kadean Krafts". The theme to her blog post today is music, and she's chosen some very interesting finds from Etsy to help the music sing! Browse by to see the fun listings Meagan has chosen to feature and maybe something special will strike a chord with your interests.

My personal fav (after my drum design of course, lol) is the Fancy bird head rattle. Being that I'm a member of the Old World Shoppes of Etsy Team, I'm especially attracted to earthy designs from days gone by, and this Native style rattle certainly fits the bill (get the bird pun in there).

Now, I must let it be known that my dolphin drum isn't just a one of a kind... it's going to stay that way because much of the design was drawn free-hand. So, I'll likely paint more hand drums in the future with a Minoan Crete theme, but each one will be unique from any other; it's more fun for me that way! Look for drum listing in my Etsy stores; Mystic Griffin, Curio Castle Shoppe. And if you just happen to be a dolphin lover, you may enjoy a playful painting on canvas board from my studio as well titled, Playin' Around.

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

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Shorebirds painting & ACEO print

Though I no longer live in the Pacific Northwest, I still keep tabs on my old home of Hoquiam Washington. While visiting the city website I was reminded that the Spring shorebird migration has recently past for this year.

My first encounter with the migrating shorebirds in coastal Washington State inspired a small painting years ago that the Spring season brings to mind.
Though at first glance, "Shorebirds Feeding" may seem like an abstract painting, a longer inspection reveals the swirling forms of birds and beaks. When the tawny brown birds twist in the sunlight their bodies throw back a myriad of muted color by reflection and shadow, adding to an illusion of abstraction. The original painting is on 9" x 12" mounted canvas and is acrylic paint. The collectible ACEO mini print of "Shorebirds Feeding" (shown at left) is printed with Fuji inks on Kodak paper and is the standard ACEO size of 2.5 x 3.5 inches (baseball card sized).

I used to live only but a short walk to where the new viewing platforms have been built for this annual migration where thousands of long billed birds stop over at the Grays Harbor estuary to fatten up before heading off to the Arctic. When we rented our house there we had no idea it was such a prime location for an artist slash naturalist! I compared sea weed to algae, sketched ship wreck debris, collected lichen, studied wildlife tracks, painted misty mountain views, and walked alone with my dogs among the shorebirds. Now, according to the City of Hoquiam website, "People from around the world come to view this event of hemispheric importance. The Shorebird Festival works to bring people together for this incredible natural phenomenon."

What, you may ask, is so incredible about a bunch of birds? First, let me say, you really have to experience the event to gain the full impact. My personal experience involves a simple walk along the rocky beach. Other than my dogs and an occasional seagull there wasn't a creature to be seen on the shore. One bird with a funny long beak landed nearby. Then, before I could even get a good look at the first, I was immersed in a cloud of birds! Thousands of birds suddenly appeared at once, swarming after bugs (eat your heart out Alfred Hitchcock)! At times I could only catch glimpses of the dogs because the layer of birds was so thick. That, my friends, is an amazing experience! I can't say that everyone visiting the Shorebird Festival will have such a close encounter with the feathered kind, but a good time is assured. The peak in migration typically occurs the last week in April. The 14th Annual Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival was held this year between April 24 - 26 in Hoquiam, Washington. Visit the site for the festival for information about next years events. http://www.shorebirdfestival.com/




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

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Finished Painting, "Wild Scarlet Macaw"

"Wild Scarlet Macaw", by Tree Pruitt.
11" x 14" acrylic paint on canvas board,
unframed but will fit standard frame without glass.

Please enjoy these first snap-shots of one of my most recent paintings, titled "Wild Scarlet Macaw". The available light sources were poor today, so unfortunately the white areas are a bit washed-out. Color variations and brush work are lost in most of these areas of the photos. At the left, see an example of the painting in a studio frame (frame not included when purchasing).

This unique piece incorporates both realism and abstraction, with Impressionist style brush strokes. The sculpted form of the bird arises from breaking the image up onto five separate canvas boards, the largest being 11" x 14", stacked and mounted to each other using heavy bodied acrylic gel medium. The image twists and morphs over the canvas boards. The edges are painted, and in many areas the design carries over onto another board. In other areas the image disappears, blending into the background.

The overall effect I desired to create was the experience of a Scarlet Macaw suddenly coming into the focus of the peripheral view; to mimic the action of a scene from a memory. The Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) is a large, colorful parrot. The memory involved a walk through a jungle like path at a public zoo, where I'd paused for a moment without having noticed such a colorful bird right before my eyes! The macaw shook its head, catching my attention, suddenly becoming a keen color contrast against the green foliage. So the bird may not have been actually "wild", but the finished painting offers a wild view! The event made for a pleasant memory and a very enjoyable art project!

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

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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.

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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!

ArtistTree

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

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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.

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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.

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Teddy Bear Original Hand Sewn Doll

Bean Bear Original Hand Sewn Doll
by Artist-Tree

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.

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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.

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