Swirlscape

“Man is a microcosm, or a little world, because he is an extract from all the stars and planets of the whole firmament, from the earth and the elements; and so he is their quintessence.”

— Paracelsus

Scroll on through to travel back in time

See this little mini swirlscape from its beginnings.

For such a tiny piece…it’s surprisingly easy to escape into all its lacy eddies of blue-violet microcosm. And…with a touch of pearly iridescence.

Lots happening in this little one. Along with using the classic paint brush I sanded and scratched onto the surface. Also, lots of tiny dots of iridescent paint drops like pearls.

It’s drying and will be available for purchase for the holidays!

If you are not already on my list you can sign up here

Eden Vibes

Sharing some snaps from the very mud like beginnings of 4 new pieces. I started these in early spring. They are in one of my favorite formats…tall and narrow at 12” x 48”

It’s been a lot of pouring on paint like stain and pulling in pretty pinks. Letting them shift and change at will. I paused in the midst of my usual “intuitive flow” to take a little excursion into experimenting with incorporating flower shapes. I always get a little obsessed with flowers in the spring;)

I’ll be curious to see if these flowers remain or disappear into the layers in the months ahead. Either way, I suspect these pieces will always have something of a flowing out of Eden vibe.

Eden myths amuse and intrigue me.

I like to imagine…Eve giving an epic eye roll while slamming the gate. Calling out behind her “I can’t do a damn thing with perfection anyway!” Marching away with her Maternal Mitochondrial DNA and tracking mud from Eden all over the place. Sure she made a bit of a mess but honestly nothing would have changed without her. Thank God for Eve. Wink!

Till next time…Be Well!

“At its essence art is an alchemical process. Alchemy is a process of transformation.”

— Julia Cameron

“It doesn’t disappear just because you say it isn’t there, so
When they ask why’d she go you can say ‘cause
Life in Eden...Life in Eden changed”

— Sara Bareilles & Matthew Hales

ps…pretty sure I’ve shared this quote before but it’s just too good not to share again!

“After all these years, I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her.”

— Mark Twain, Diaries of Adam & Eve

Lucent Blues

I’ve got three of these “Lucent Blue” watercolor pin-punch pieces in the works.

I’ve spent an insane amount of time punching these little holes. So many…the paper is starting to feel a bit like textured fabric.

They are still in progress. Very much in experiment mode with these pieces.

I had to set up in the kitchen to use a window big enough to shoot photos. I think I’ll shoot again at another time of day to see if I can catch the sunlight coming through or maybe on an overcast day…so it’s not so bright.

I’ve also been getting some very cool shadows when the light goes through. Still working out in my mind away to photograph that. We shall see…

pin-ta-lism : playing with light while pushing the potential of pin punching.

is there such a thing as too much alteration?

yes & I don’t care….it makes me pleased as punch;)

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Lady Yellow & Pintalisim

Today my husband called my pin-punch, watercolor, drawing style “pintalisim.” This makes me smile and tempts me to trademark it or something…but only as a joke;)

Lady Yellow

It’s always interesting when faces show up in the work. They come from time to time. Always ladies, often with water or tears dripping from eyelashes. Not sad exactly…something else I can’t put my finger on. Just something I think about.

I think this Lady Yellow wears her ideas like a headdress. Maybe a “headdress series” could be on the horizon someday…again just something to think about.

Lady Yellow with front lighting

Lady Yellow Back Lighting

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Psychedelic flower power

For a million reasons I’ve been a little obsessed with the pinhole watercolor pieces. With no idea how they might become art pieces. I’m good with that…I just want to see where it goes.

These are explorations of using them in photography. Then pushing the color limits in lightroom…with some wild psychedelic effects.

and…this set has a bit of a pretty antique vibe…I think.

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Revamp a thing or two

sharing pin hole sketches today along with a post about posts…ah so very meta;)

So…about a year ago I switched things up and rebuilt this website. Like all things, it was a ton more work than I ever imagined.

I hoped that this new format would be easier for me to make blog posts. The good thing is…it is!

The not so good thing is…some people think that since the rise of social media…individual blogs are now obsolete. Apparently, with so much happening online no one has time for something as old-fashioned as blogging. I guess…I’m suddenly old-fashioned…who knew!

Something…I think a lot about is the need to stay close to the creative edge. To keep stretching into unknown places. To find the sweet spots where I’m following a path but not repeating myself. The only way to be there is to experiment and let things be a little messy…a little all over the place.

I want this blog to be a way to share the paintings. I also want to create a place to collect my random creative tangents.

Anyway…I’m thinking that in the coming year I’m going to use this space even more as a place to dip into the stream of consciousness. For the most part, I’ve been holding back because of some notion I have that a blog should be focused on one thing. I hate to say it but better for marketing…and all that blah. blah.

The shifts and upheavals of the pandemic are a catalyst to revamp a thing or two.

I’m not exactly sure what is going to show up here but I’m feeling an unexpected sense of freedom in being suddenly old-fashioned.

Please feel free to dip in here from time to time but going forward I’m not going to send out an email for every post.

I’ll send out a round-up post from time to time if something especially good bubbles up!

light from the front

back Lighting

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Experiments

I’ve been in an experimental mood…

A shift started in the spring with the Doodle Ladies and it has just carried through all summer. I think the pandemic rattled something loose inside me and pushed me to take a detour into works on paper.

In the studio, I’ve been playing around with pinhole punching in some very tiny drawings. That led to pin punching some bigger abstract drawings. Then before I knew it I was pushing the needle into even bigger drawings that became more elaborate.

This is one…I call them “Light Bright Ladies.” Although they could just as easily be called “Poppy Ladies” because I’m pretty sure they got their start from all the poppy photos I took this spring.

What I find interesting about these mixed media pieces is the way the light plays on the surface and transforms it when backlit.

It’s a little exhausting on the fingertips to punch so many holes through the paper but also surprisingly soothing. I just splurged on a fancy Pergamano tool so that should save my little finger muscles…(in case you were concerned;)

I like the braille effect when I run my finger over the surface. I also like to think of the process as paper voodoo or acupuncture for paper…it depends on if I’m feeling vexed or in a healing mood;)

Front lit

You might not see her if you look too quick…but she is there. Look for the eyes.

Back lit

These ladies are a little unruly…I mean ripply…to get these photos I had to tape them to windows and walls. I’m not sure how I would display this work as I’m interested in both the front-lit and the backlit versions.

This work is all still very experimental so anything can happen…But, one idea is to frame them pressed between glass but then I would lose that ripply unruliness that I’ve come to love. Another is to print them up along with all my mixed media lady drawings from this strange pandemic time into a book.

I’m not sure how long that book would be…since this strange time still hangs over our days.

experiments to be continued…

“If I cease searching, then, woe is me, I am lost. That is how I look at it - keep going, keep going come what may.”

— Vincent van Gogh

PS….If you are not already on my list…Please be sure to send me your email at siobhan@siobhanbedford.com to be added to my VIP list so I can keep you updated as we get closer to the open studio coming September 19 -20.

Luminescent!

I’ve been watching the sun slide low across the western sky.

Ducking out of sight earlier and earlier each day. No amount of knowledge of the how and why of the tilting axis of our spinning world makes much of a difference to me. It seems every evening, I’m still astounded by the shortness of the day. I stretch and yawn thinking to myself “it’s time for bed.” Only to look at the clock and roll my eyes…because it’s not yet eight:)

I’ve been trying but I’ve never learned to love winter. The low light and cold make me want to hide.

In my way, I’ve tried to befriend it. I focus on it as a time of cocooning. Deep thinking in the dark. A time to review the past year. Glean what is worth gleaning. Let go of the rest. Easier said than done. Candles help. Lots of candles.

You may have already heard of Hygge. It’s the Danish idea of staying happy in winter by getting extra cozy indoors. I’ve hung twinkle lights in every room and my fake fire place is surprisingly…really cozy. 

Still, as we approach the longest night of the year the darkness feels more and more tangible. Something to hold and consider. Deep and heavy. I’ve been imagining darkness and light as threads that weave together. Stitching our days into years and making the fabric of our lives. Existence of one without the other is impossible. This is a lesson I learn again and again.

I picked this painting to share with you because I thought it would be a good counter point to the Winter Solstice. I started it over a year ago at the height of summer. It definitely has summer’s warmth with its coral orange. Though, at the moment it’s the emanating cool blue light that gets my attention. It reminds me of winter light.

I’ve been searching for a title for the piece. “Luminescent” came to my mind. A light not caused by heat. Something caused by chemical reactions or electrical energy. That idea of light without heat makes for some wintery thought. It seems light itself is more multi-faceted than I imagined. This weaving I’ve been thinking about is infinitely complex.

Tomorrow the light will shift. Its arc will slowly rise bringing with it a new year.

Maybe…I’ll learn to love winter this time around:)

“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.
”

— Madeleine L’Engle

Happy Solstice and Merry Everything in the New Year!

Cosmic Lace: Luminescent, oil on canvas, 36” x 36” Available spring of 2020

Moody Birds

This dark and dreary day has got me in an eerie mood. I hope you enjoy some snaps of dark and moody birds in progress. With a little Edgar Alan Poe on the side to keep it creepy;)

“While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door — Only this, and nothing more.”

— Edgar Allan Poe

“Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortals ever dared to dream before.”

— Edgar Allan Poe

“Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling”

— Edgar Allan Poe

“Quoth the Raven, “Nevermore”

— Edgar Allan Poe