Another Monday Afternoon @ Barnfire Studio

Talented Kiddos + Props + Charcoal = Cool Wall 'o' Portraits!

Mything Persons Opening Reception

Some snapshots from my opening last Friday night. We had a good turnout despite the rainy weather! The exhibit is up until December 3rd.

I plan to continue this series...

just look at what my cousin e-mailed me Friday afternoon...

This is my mother's mother's mother's mother's mother!!!!!

Ashes to Ashes

I love that my show falls at this time of year for celebrating Day of the Dead, and All Souls Day. I felt like a magician of sorts while working on this series of portraits, conjuring up these spirits and faces from the past with my humble pots of soot and powder, and sticks of charcoal and chalk. The perfect mediums for a medium...

Catching Up

Here are some of the portraits I've been working on for the past month. There are a couple of them that I consider finished, but the rest still need work. These aren't the greatest shots - I took them on the fly last night in my studio after my Life Drawing class (not teaching, taking!! I'll post about that soon...) I'll have to rephotograph them in the daylight. These are all mixed media on Stonehenge, and are fairly large - 36" x 36." I'm using acrylics, charcoal, charcoal powder, India ink, and white pastels.

Unglitched!

My genius daughter-in-law Tracey figured out how to download my pictures. She imported new software, and it worked! Something wacky is going on with my camera, though. It may be on its last legs. But for now, I am back in business! (Thankyou, Tracey!!!)

Here is the portrait of my Great Grandfather Godfrey, taken from this photo of him from 1921, when he was a new grandfather. My mother's "Grampa Godfrey" was a farmer who lived in Apponaug, Rhode Island, and Mom often spoke fondly of having delicious summer suppers of just corn on the cob, straight from his garden.

I have several more portraits to share! I'll be in my studio this afternoon, documenting away, and will post them soon!

Drawing Out Spirits

I started this woman's portrait the day before yesterday, and will return to my studio to resolve it today. This is my Great Great Grandmother, circa 1899 or so, my mother's mother's mother's mother (!)

My husband and I are having no luck resolving my camera problem, though. Frustrating!! We'll figure it out soon. Meanwhile, no pics of works in progress.

Boo. (Hoo, and Hiss...)

Speaking of boo, and ghosts, and Mything Persons and things, I am planning to print this little headstone on my title labels. It's from a headstone at a local cemetery - I thought it would be a good logo of sorts to tie together the show. I also potted up a bunch of marigolds that I had planted outdoors this summer, and plan to put them on a table at the gallery along with an album of prints of all the old photographs I've used to create this body of work. Marigolds are used in Day of the Dead and All Souls Day celebrations. I've read that their pungent odor draws the spirits out, so I am going to scatter some blossoms on the door sill as people enter the gallery on the night of the opening...

I guess that's what I've been doing, too, literally and figuratively. Drawing out spirits. When I was at work in my studio recently I was listening to Bob Dylan's version of Rollin' and Tumblin', and this apt line came ringing out and made me stop what I was doing to write it down:

I've been conjuring up all these long dead souls from their crumblin' tombs...