Bloomin' Schwantesia and a New Soul Window

So just before the sun illuminates this little Schwantesia, the bud of its single flower is still closed- most photos show the full bloom, but here it is in the moments just before....

Schwantesia ready to bloom at dawn, and a Soul Hand. MRobb 2016

And behind the little mesemb is one of my new Soul Windows; I've done several hands now, this is the Night Hand, I'll show the Day Hand later (too lazy to photograph it!). On the right is a bowed psaltery by James Jones. I'm learning to play it, gorgeous sound!

Have a wonderful holiday!

Weekend Walkabout: Munin the Fish Crow and the Bloomin' Babytoes

Babytoes bloomed today, just in time for the weekend. And I finished a difficult painting, a tiny little thing that has been bugging me for months (another in my New Orleans Wall Fragment series), so I put them together for a mini-portrait:

Bloomin' Babytoes with New Orleans Wall Fragment 2, MRobb, 2016

After a whole month of drought, we got a lot of rain (phew, no more evening waterings!), so I thought I'd publish a portrait of Munin, our resident Fish Crow Patriarch and Way Cool Corvid, enjoying the rain on my fence- have I mentioned that Fish Crows are as intelligent as chimps?

Munin in Rain, MRobb, 2016

Here's a more regular portrait of Munin, singing on the balcony while I play my HAPI drum:

Munin at Dawn, MRobb, 2016

And finally, a new soul window, from an indigo center to a bright yellow outer ring. This one will go to the winner of our local poetry contest:

Soul Window, Indigo to Yellow, MRobb, 2016

Have a wonderful weekend and happy gardening!

More Soul Windows

Here are a few more:

Soul Window: Blue Crystal, MRobb, 2016

Soul Window: Forest, MRobb, 2016

Soul Window: BlueGreen, MRobb, 2016

And some that aren't based on tiles, but gardens!

Soul Garden, MRobb, 2016

These last two are tiny, just a few cm square:

TinyArt, Gardeners' Hands, MRobb, 2016

Paint a Window: Soul Windows

I haven't done a painting post for nearly a year, I think. If I weren't too lazy to look this up in my blog archive, I would know for sure, but my sandy memory tells me it's been about a year.

My new series has been going on for several months, and I call them Soul Windows. I suppose they could just as easily be called Soul Tiles, since they are based on tiles, but never mind that. They are designed to be portable and used for meditation. Here are a few:

Soul Window Purple, MRobb, 2016

Soul Window Yellow and Blue, MRobb, 2016

Soul Window Magenta, MRobb, 2016

Sometimes, I don't go with tiles, but with flowers or feathers:

Pink Feather, MRobb, 2016

They are painted on wood, Aquabord or Gessobord (though any gesso'd Masonite would work well) with layers of crackle paste, various glitters and pigments, watercolors, and acrylic interference paints. Pouring medium is used at the end to give a smooth, shiny, "surfboard finish". I learned this surfboard finish from the amazing acrylic artist Nancy Reyner (do give her a Google).

The tiles are usually studded with tiny Swarovski crystals or bits of gemstone. The end result is glowing color and toughness so they can be lugged around in...luggage. I've always liked portable shrines that are used in many religions, so I may try enclosing these in wooden boxes than can be opened and shut. Maybe I'll use old cigar boxes. Right now they are housed in silk bags. We'll see where it all goes!

Have a creative weekend!