I seem to be stuck between styles with the medium I have chosen: oil or acrylic, non-representational or reality/fantasy?  I am feeling kind of stuck.  I know inspiration will reappear, but I need some ideas.  I can’t sit around in my studio with no ideas.  So I have been reading some photo books, and trying some techniques.  I took some of my Lorton pics and made them into double exposures-I’m going to try some image transfers and combine them with other mixed media ideas.

I just got a book called Digital Alchemy by Bonny Lhotka.  She is supposed to be a master of printmaking techniques and image transfer.  So I hope things will get moving and I can produce some interesting work.

This is the big building between the 2 studio buildings.  It will eventually be renovated, but now it is pretty spooky looking.  I combined it with a photo of  a “quasi” guard tower that is right behind the studio buildings.  I used the image blender app and scratch cam(my favorite app).

This one is the same guard tower and another building with interesting smokestacks.  I think I used the bad camera app and image blender.

Image blender and scratch cam.

Well, I’m off to check out my new book, hope it has some good ideas that I can use!

Yikes, I updated to the most recent wordpress, and my drop down menu stopped working.  My galleries don’t work either.  I have been trying various fixes for several days.  On the wordpress forum I found other people with my template having the same problems, but their suggestions didn’t help.  I finally figured out how to contact the template designer, they don’t make it easy to find them.  They actually acknowledged my email, but since it’s Friday after 5 pm., I may not hear from them until Monday.

In desperation I did try a new template, but after looking at WP free templates for a couple of days, the one I chose (after much agonizing)  was dreadful.  It’s hard to tell what they really look like just reading their “blurbs” or trying their previews.  So I am back to my broken site.

Changing the subject, I went over to the Lorton Workhouse museum yesterday and talked to the docent about all the abandoned buildings on the site.  There are several really strange looking buildings that I can’t get close enough to for a good photo.  The docent didn’t know what the buildings were.  Frustrating, there seems to be so little info available (that I’ve been able to find) about the old buildings.  I don’t know why I feel so connected to this land, It was a prison until recent times.  I love to walk around the grounds and try to imagine what it would’ve been like to be the there when the prison was in operating.  I just feel like the prison grounds have a story to tell,  they want to talk.  I don’t know why I get this feeling so strong, I’m sure a lot has been written about the prison already.  The prison grounds have a really strong energy, but it doesn’t feel negative.  It is one of the most beautiful parcels of land in Fairfax County.  It used to go on for acres and acres, don’t know how much land is left.

A few more pics, that I took the other day, before I got stopped by one of the security folks.

The two metal “smoke stacks” on the roof are interesting because they seem to be narrower at the bottom than the top.

Another “raggedy building”.  These old buildings won’t be torn down anytime soon, it would cost too much.  They have asbestos in the ceilings.  I am glad they will not be torn down.  I would hate for the whole property to become “new and shiny”.  I am waiting for a cloudy day to take more pics, so I get better atmosphere.  I plan to do image transfers of some of the photos.

My photos are showing up wonky on the blog too.  I keep fixing them to no avail.

I haven’t posted any pics yet of the building that I am in at the workhouse.  Here a a few, one on the hallway and several of my studio.

The brick wall and windows are from the original building, and have historical value.  This building actually did house indigent folks who worked on “public projects” during the new deal.

The actual windows are cracked, some are broken with big holes in them.  New windows were installed in front of them but the old broken windows are still visible.

I apologize if this is messed up, ever since I updated to the latest wordpress my site is having all sorts of issues.  My drop down menus don’t work and I have tried everything to no avail.  Woe is me.

Can’t believe it is almost 2013.  I only have a few more weeks before I “retire” from my current job at GMU.  Right now we are on Christmas break until January 3.  I’ve been finishing up a few projects and trying to decide where to go from there.  I’ve done a lot of hand sewing over the last month or so, but I now feel like I need to move on and I haven’t been inspired to go back to painting or move on to something else.  The painting currently on my easel is unfinished, I just couldn’t get it to become anything.  That hasn’t happened in a long time.  I think I have worn out the style I have been painting with, I have felt for a while that what I was doing was in a state of flux, and that my last series of paintings were just a transitional period.  As I said before, I do have a sketch for a new painting, I just don’t feel ready to begin.

I need to get my Etsy site updated and start using it and maybe add a shopping cart to this site.  I know I should post to this site more regularly too.  I just am not feeling motivated right now.  I am feeling terrified at the idea of not reporting to work everyday instead.  I’m working on a plan to keep involved in the art world and to find a new art community now that I’m leaving the School of Art.  I can’t say more until I know for sure how that will work out.

For now,

Here are a few projects I recently finished:

This is a little doll I made for a friend, it is a charm for protection and also has an eye in the back of her head.

You just never know when an extra eye will come in handy!

I just finished this one today:

It is an adaptation of a turn of the century cat pillow I found in this book Country Living: Seasons at Seven Gates Farm (owned by James Cramer and Dean Johnson).  I think perchance the ears are a little big!

BTW just saw the new Cirque du Soleil movie, Worlds Away. Wow, I just wanted to crawl into the movie and never leave.  I would love to be a costume designer for them.  It was a beautiful movie.

This pinkeep is from a punch needle pattern I found at NotForgotten Farm.  Altho I had never done punch needle before, I just had to try it because this little squirrel was so irresistible!

Been very busy creating with Christmas in mind:  These little guys are from a pattern I found at Pineberry lane.

These 2 hawks just landed in the tree outside my office window.  I heard them calling as they flew by.  It must be an omen of some kind, especially since it is Halloween.  A good omen, I think.

Yesterday we went to my grandson Max’s last flag football game for the season.  It was blazing hot but so much fun!

Max runs down the field

Max and his trophy