A quick update

I am back in the studio this week and I thought I would just give a quick update as to the progress I have made.  I started this project before I left for Italy and although I am inspired to begin a couple of new ideas, I have to complete this little guy before I can concentrate on a new planned series.  Below is the original image.

  I will be working on the canvas over the next few days and hope to have the piece finished by next week.  Have a great weekend.  - Laura

Larry's Girl

This piece is relatively new and is a memorial piece for a dear friend of mine, Larry, who passed away suddenly in early May of this year.  The figure in this piece hung unfinished on my studio wall for some time and every time Larry visited, he commented on how much he liked her and asked me if I would consider selling it to him when it was finished.  Of course, I agreed but unfortunately, he was unable to enjoy the finished project.  So, as a tribute, I named her Larry's Girl and I believe he would approve.

This is another piece I displayed at  my July show at the ArtCapsule gallery.  Vintage buttons adorn the neck of the instrument along with vintage thread from my stash of goodies.

I have taken a little time off recently as I seem to have damaged a nerve in my thumb during the frantic pace needed to finish pieces for that show.  It is on the mend and I hope to get back to work in early September.

In the meantime, I have been gathering my inspirational trinkets in a recently procured vintage mailbox.

I'm not really sure what I will do with these babies but I couldn't resist their adorable faces and they will, at the very least, be on the sidelines, cheering me on.

Imagine

"Imagination is everything.  It is the preview of life's coming attractions"

                                                            -Albert Einstein-

I have been struggling with this project for weeks now and I finally see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.  This is my third attempt at creating what I see in my mind and I believe I am now on the right path.  These pieces are soooo difficult to capture on camera and I wish I could invite you into my studio to see them first hand.  There is still much to do to meet the May 15th deadline for entry into my next competition.  

On another note, I will, over the next few weeks, attempt to expand my blogging to include other areas of interest.  When a piece takes this long to bring into existence, I find myself totally immersed in the process and without much to blog about.  By diversifying my blog, I hope to inspire others to bring creative expression to  everyday life.

Oppression

It is often easier to become outraged by injustice half a world away than by oppression and discrimination half a block from home.
Carl T. Rowan

I realize that this piece is a far cry from my recent work but the turmoil that is occurring in the world cannot go unnoticed.  I created this piece because I believe that nearly everyone experiences oppression in some form in their lifetime, be it physical or psychological.  Turning a blind eye only serves to promote further oppression and makes us co-conspiritors.  So this piece speaks loudly and, I'll admit is even a bit frightening, but if it pushes one person to stand up for another, then it has served its purpose.


Now I say that with cruelty and oppression it is everybody's business to interfere when they see it.
Anna Sewell

Nat King Cole

I have been able to complete several new pieces over the last few weeks and I wish to share one of them with you now.  I felt the need to add to my Musical Artist Series and came across a photo of Nat King Cole in the Library of Congress archives.  I am very pleased with the result.  Click on the photo to zoom in.

I have mixed feelings about the recent sale of the above piece.  This piece entitled "Broken"  was sold from Margot's Gallery in Oxford last week.  It is always difficult to part with a piece as it becomes a part of me in its creation.  I am pleased with the purchaser, however, as she was truly touched by it and will, I'm certain, treasure her as I do.