Modernly Vintage Art by Roberta Schmidt

The year is winding down…can you feel it? A definite feel in the air, seasons changing, leaves falling rapidly, quick rainstorms come in with thunder…and there is a change. I can feel it in more ways than one. I look back on the year, and see how far I’ve come in many ways…new opportunities to sell my art, connections with other artists have had a deep effect on me, as well as workshops that infuse me with energy to create with more confidence, to try things in my art…to not be afraid of change.

As the year ends, I am even more enamored with drawing and painting faces, more than ever before. I’m trying more sketchiness, more color, unexpected little changes, wispy designs, and words…all these are flowing in and out of my work, while I get a feel for what I want to pursue. I have a feeling 2010 will be a year of more portrait art, more collage, more sketching, a lot more photography…which brings more digital art. I have a feeling I will be creating less jewelry, and I will try to stretch myself to create L A R G E R. I have canvases in the art room, begging to be splashed with paint…and that’s what I’m going to do.

My Etsy shop did pretty well this year, and I have enjoyed creating art for others to enjoy. I’ve even done some custom work for others, which makes me feel very good. Art is such a personal thing, but when others enjoy it, it brings me joy. And seeing my work in the homes of friends, family, and customers…just makes me smile.

I’ll be taking off most of December, for some rest and relaxtion…and rejuvenation…so, the last day the Etsy shop will be open this year, is December 1st. But it will reopen in January, and hopefully bursting with new creations…and don’t be surprised if you see a few changes.

True life is lived when tiny changes occur. ~Leo Tolstoy

See you next year!

Long before mixed media art captured my heart, I had a deep love for photography. With the invention of digital cameras, came a new love…a love of manipulating photographs…a form of altering nature with the use of a computer. I quickly fell in love with this, and it has become one of my greatest  joys in the last 5 years. This is a much safer way to manipulate photographs, instead of working in a dark room, where the chemicals are NOT so good for your respiratory system (among other things!). I don’t mess with film anymore, and though the processing was fun while it lasted, digital creativity has taken it’s place.

And while you see a lot of my digital collages are uber-colorful, I still have a sweet spot in my heart for black and white photography. These photographs were taken in color, in my backyard, using my Canon digital camera. With digital software, I was able to make the image into a negative, then manipulate it to look much like high contrast black and white photography…all without the chemicals. I recently bought some black mats, and have been having fun getting these ready to share with a friend, as a housewarming gift. While I was at it, I added a few of these to my Etsy shop. There are three black and white digital photos, matted, and ready to be popped into a frame of your choice. www.ArtcyLucy.etsy.com

Though it is late autumn where I live, and the sunflowers are long gone…this is a great way for me to remember the graceful beauty of summer flowers.

There is something so relaxing, about putting paint to canvas. There are times that I don’t even know where a certain painting will take me. Sometimes, I have no idea how it will end up…only that the process of it all is something that I long to do.

When I started these canvases months ago…they were headed in a direction I wasn’t too pleased about. So I let them sit a while. About six months. Being re-energized after some really creative workshops last month, I decided to bring out the paint once again…to re-visit these canvases, to see where else they could take me. This time, I liked where the process lead me…with the help of some texturing, and marking pens and pencils, these two pieces were what emerged…and I LOVE them both!

“Her Poetic Soul” and “Strength”  (sold) are now available for purchase in my Etsy shop. I’ll be taking most of December off, to unwind, to create, to spend quality time with my loved one. It’s a much needed rest after a very busy year. I’ve learned a lot this year, and as you can see from the art I share here…there has been a little stretching of the artistic wings too…exploring where I want to go with my art. I get this way at every year end…looking back at what I’ve accomplished, and seeing what direction I want to take in the future. I guess I am still mulling it over…and will probably take the month of December to explore that a bit further.

I’ll keep you posted though…as you are along for the ride too…as the artistic journey continues….

If you have been a regular visitor to my blog, you know that I have a fascination with creating stories with collage…especially using vintage elements in my art. So, it should come as no surprise to you, that some of my newest Etsy additions are vintage mixed media art pieces…from this one…The Subject of a Portrait, to my beeswax collages.

This one is special to me though…because I’ve used some personal elements in this art piece, such as a copy of my great great grandmother’s census record…her name was Mary…Mary Caroline to be exact. So, to create a story about this girl, and to include personal items that mean something to me, just makes this art adventure of mine a real joy.

I guess art came into my life first, as a child, but almost at the same time, so did poetry…then a teller of stories I became…then a photographer…then a genealogist…poetry came back…then back to creating art…a full circle. Mixed Media art, gives me the label I need to combine all those elements that I love into my art.

Personal art…art with a little heart, and a little soul.

My newest Etsy additions can be found at http://www.ArtcyLucy.etsy.com