tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32831678907097519752024-03-13T05:13:23.416-07:00UTTERINGSfrom Carmen Tomé Art StudioCarmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-66891023252996352982017-05-10T18:14:00.001-07:002017-05-10T18:30:45.955-07:00At the Okanagan Art Gallery for month of May<h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: orange; font-size: small; text-align: start;"> <br /><span style="background-color: black;">I love trees with personality and animals and birds with soul.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: inherit;">Okanagan Art Gallery</span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">OPEN 11am - 4pm Tues - Sat ... 8302 Main St, Osoyoos BC </span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">office@okanaganartgallery.ca Tel. 778-437-2238 </span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #ffe599;"><span style="font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><a class="_56pjv" href="http://l.instagram.com/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.okanaganartgallery.ca%2F&e=ATNxcYW6F5Drbzr_GZ2EIJQ9vettvVOQTI1bgSvFc0Dbpjy9ob_D6dmNo6RJJOY" rel="nofollow me noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 600; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">www.okanaganartgallery.ca</a></span></span></div>
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Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-40480870740978406672015-11-29T13:58:00.001-08:002015-11-30T09:59:44.705-08:00TRANSFORMATION of a COUNTERTOP with iCOAT When I bought my place there were three things about my kitchen I did not like. The fridge, stove and dishwasher were black. The cupboards were dark brown. And the countertop was a dark, dreary taupe laminate. Dark tones in a wide open combo of living room, dining room and kitchen I found oppressive. Funny that I should buy this place since that is how I felt. But the vaulted ceilings, unusual room arrangements, and a view of the mountains helped me see the potential beyond the darkness in the room.<br />
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Light and airy is what informs the peace in this home for me, so those three things had to change. The black stove, fridge and dishwasher were replaced by stainless steel. Next, chalk paint in off white changed the dark brown cupboards dramatically. And was left with the dreary taupe laminate countertop and wondered if I could live with it since it would be a major thing to actually change it. Two years later, my sentiments had not changed and I braced myself for the work ahead.<br />
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I chose to do the countertop with iCOAT since I have worked with it before, loved it, and it is a complete all inclusive system and so it simplified things for me. It is basically very thin layers of concrete that can go directly over that ugly formica, laminate, tile, wood and traditional concrete.<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12px;"> </span></span> The topcoat is a 2 part Epoxy that self levels and has additives for scratch resistance and is scorch proof. <span style="text-align: center;">I encourage you to check out iCOAT inventor Tim Phelp's youtube videos on how to do each step. </span>For more information and for samples of other's work with it please go to www.icoatproducts.com</div>
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To start with, the sink and dishwasher in the island had to come out. The fridge and stove moved out of the way. Next the taping! This is extremely important! And the tough part as you have to be inordinately careful because you will be using resin epoxy over the whole thing and cannot have leaks. Leaks are very expensive as you don't want to replace floors, grind down walls and cupboards. Be very, very careful in taping. Also be very careful when using the cement blend as you don't want to wash it down sinks or toilets because it could harden in pipes and then you'll have an expense you never bargained for. Have a pail of water to clean brushes, hands, and anything else that has had the cement in. Then you can throw the water away in the garden. The plants will love it. Probably. Mine didn't die.</div>
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So, I was careful to tape where I needed to and draped plastic over everything in the room. I did not tape the back off with cloth tape because there was a space between the rocky wall and the countertop. I actually wanted to fill it with cement followed by resin so that it would be seamless. I may probably do the wall at another time to look like a piece of marble from the same rock as the rest. But I haven't figured out how to do vertical resin. That is for another time.</div>
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Now for the fun part. The first step was to sand down the counter, then apply the cement finish blend. I used 2 cups powder to 1 cup water for the initial basecoat. since I wanted lots of texture, it was roughed in with pallete knife, trowel and hard bristle brushes.</div>
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Once the base coat was dried, I applied with a pallette knife a thicker coarser coat of 4 cups powder to 1 cup water to the edges of the counter by the fridge and stove. I wanted that to look like hewn rock. I mixed more of the thinner blend of 2 cups powder to one cup water to blend here and there and smoothed it with the edges. The island, being smooth all over including the edges, took another coat of the thinner blend. </div>
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Because I wanted a surface that looked exactly like a luminous marble, it had to start highly textured. It looked a mess, but this kind of work looks bad before it looks beautiful. So on the dry textured backgound, color was applied spontaneously. The plastic over everything in the room, enabled me to spray colors and washes to allow colors to run together. Buff white, off white, white, bit of black washes. All running together. When dry, another layer of color is applied. When that is dry, another layer is applied and so on. I kept adding layers, some more transparent and allowing colors to show through. At some point I wanted a surprise in the finished product of having luminescent patterns so added an opalescent powder to glazing medium. Mixing in some 99% alcohol created unique patterns as shown in the photos below.</div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">All in all, I used a lot of different layers of color because I work til its perfect to my eye. It is finished when there is an aha moment as it suddenly comes together and looks like marble. Over it all went the two part resin in three coats. </span><span style="text-align: center;">A gas blow torch must be used to remove all bubbles as they rise to the surface. </span><span style="text-align: center;">I've learned to place the bottles in hot water before combining them, so that it fascillitates the blending and seems to be easier to remove bubbles and provide a smoother finish. </span></div>
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People think it is actually marble when they see it in person. Really. It was a lot of work but so worth it to have a unique, one of a kind countertop.</div>
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<br />Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-44614667119316559302015-11-27T16:30:00.000-08:002015-11-28T11:04:22.445-08:00A Painting with iCOAT Premium Wall Finish <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few years ago I was on a Faux Forum where I became acquainted with the Inventor/ Owner of ICoat, Tim Phelps. He had something new he wanted to try out and I was one of a few artists that volunteered to experiment and come up with something new. While I did not do a wall as intended, you can see from the photos shown here of my painting that interesting effects can be created. You can use the icoat cementitious plaster as you would a venetian plaster. I encourage you to try it. It is fun. Adventurous.<br>
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As their website states ... <i>iCOAT Premium Wall Finish System and its products are the newest iCOAT System. A revolutionary new product that can be applied over almost any surface due to the advanced adhesion characteristics. The iCOAT Premium Wall Finish has been formulated to provide lengthy open time so that Glazes and Colors can easily achieve amazing results. This product is far less expensive than Venetian Plaster and can achieve the same or better looks. iCOAT Premium Wall Finish is an add water only concrete mix that yields high strength at a very thin application. www.icoatproducts.com and https://www.facebook.com/timphelps.icoatpage</i><br>
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Onto my adventure. Starting out I had three pieces of 96" x 18" plywood that I nailed each to stretcher bar frames. This made for a projected triplicate painting of 96" x 60" with a few inches in between each. First, I sealed the wood with clear primer paint. I used clear because there are times I will use the interesting worls in the wood as part of the design. Since I was winging it, I wanted to keep my options open.<br>
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But no, decided to cover it all instinctively. Over everything went three layers of the icoat cement. Extra was added on the sides to hide any seams in the joins between stretcher bars and the plywood. I experimented with dragging the cement, brushing it, applying with pallete knife and a trowel smoothing things out as I went. The cementitious plaster went on a putty color and ended up almost white when dry. Some colors were added between a dried layer and then more cement went over that but allowing color to show through. Next, I applied deep turquoise with thalo blue and white acrylic was added sporadically.<br>
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A copper glaze of Rojo Metallic Illusions and icoat glaze medium was applied on the bottom layer of cement as I wanted it to show through as part of the design. White acrylic paint along with Bone and Smoke iCrylic color was brushed over sporadically as well.<br>
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Over most of the painting I used a stain and icrylic colors and dispersions to bleed into each other as I wanted a dramatic sky. Using Mistress Mercy Superstain I added 1oz to 1 quart water in a spray bottle. Before it was dry, clear water was sprayed that had a small amount of alcohol added to it. Next I used Taupe and Mortar grey Dispersion paints 1 cap colorant to 12 oz of water in a spray bottle and sprayed each here and there. I also added soap, just a tiny bit, to create effects. Icrylics were 4 oz with 24 oz water. Some were brushed on, but mostly sprayed on.<br>
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The stream was taped off between the sky and the desert scene. In addition to the icoat colors I had liberty using metallic powders and other acrylics and a design in the water emerged. To the bottom a warm yellow ochre/Sienna stain was used to create the desert. More of the pinky copper powder of Rojo Metallic Illusions in icoat glaze was added to settle into cracks and create luminous depths. Gold powder in icoat glaze was added to highlights. Superstains of umber (Mistress Mercy) were encouraged to settle into cracks. Over all brushing with 50/50 weld bond glue and water sealed the works. Final coat was an acrylic medium that had UV protection.</div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">A Stream in the Desert</span></div>
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Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-3257604547543852502015-04-03T16:16:00.001-07:002015-06-12T10:56:57.670-07:00THE CALL<div dir="ltr">
I want to share with you my latest painting ... THE CALL. The original is 42x42" with acrylic, resin, marble dust, pencil, on wood. As part of my stone series, the marble represents that truth is written in stone. The horse represents the horse that will be summoned by Christ for the end time ride as revealed in Revelation.</div>
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For those interested in purchasing it, beautiful prints in different sizes to 20x20 through the link attached in this post. </div>
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http://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-call-carmen-tome.html</div>
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For those interested in the Original Painting, please contact me through my website. www.carmentome.com<br />
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Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-66169168311858288072014-12-22T17:58:00.001-08:002014-12-22T17:58:04.515-08:00SEASON GREETINGS!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-62097651529622288182013-07-16T16:56:00.002-07:002013-07-16T17:03:49.099-07:00A Portrait of Mom and Dad<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">My new portrait painting is of my Mom and Dad. I had taken a couple quick shots of them at a picnic table a couple years ago and used this as reference to paint. Done in mixed media, the painting was created on canvas with plaster (that I made) and acrylic for an old world ambience. The paint was rubbed off here and there, with acrylic yellow ochre, sienna, bronze and gold glaze settling in cracked texture.. Then two rectangles were gessoed in multiple layers and sanded down for smoothness and where I would paint them in acrylic, pencils and glazes. I wanted to depict them individually </span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: center;">since they are living separately due to illness, but united by over 50 years of love and marriage as represented by the golden bar between them... an Enduring Love.</span></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxG2pfPWEZA/UeXcdhpIG9I/AAAAAAAAALc/nn3-Di93IXw/s1600/Enduring+Love+-+%C2%A9+Carmen+Tome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxG2pfPWEZA/UeXcdhpIG9I/AAAAAAAAALc/nn3-Di93IXw/s320/Enduring+Love+-+%C2%A9+Carmen+Tome.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-66743334732283549842011-12-19T14:30:00.000-08:002011-12-19T22:49:49.236-08:00Art Chair Auction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599;">There is an artistic group called Katalyst on facebook. A member, Chad Pratch, in an artist with quite the conceptual eye. He had a show in Kelowna Art Gallery involving chairs and when his installation came down, there were over a 1000 chairs and he had a brain wave ... </span><br />
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<i><span style="background-color: black; color: #f9cb9c;">... an<b> A</b><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">rt Chair Auction </span><span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">at the Volcanic Winery, West Kelowna, BC.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">I’m taking down my show at the Kelowna Art Gallery where all my chairs are destined for the trash. The chairs come down Monday and are going to be stored at Lois Lane. So they will be very easy to access. Where you come is that you pick out a chair from the lot and revamp it into an art piece for an Art Auction. So whatever you can think of doing with the tattered chair (fixing the Chair or not and changing the chair into something else) SOME TIME THIS WEEK YOU NEED TO PICK A CHAIR OUT FROM THE LOT AT LOIS LANE! From there you have until December 16th to make an art piece for the art auction where you can sell the work. Whatever the chair goes for is what you get. So come pick out a chair and get to work! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">The Auction will be a silent auction where people can place bids by the work. The event will be held at Volcanic Winery in West Kelowna on December 16th. </span></span></span></b></i></span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; line-height: normal; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i><b><span style="background-color: black; color: #f9cb9c;">http://www.facebook.com/events/147774931997452/?context=create</span></b></i></span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; line-height: normal; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i><b style="background-color: black;"><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: Times; line-height: normal; text-align: -webkit-auto;">This was sent to 15 artists, including me, and I thought it would be fun and something new to play with. I set out with so many ideas that I was driving myself crazy. Then I got the chair that my niece had picked out for me. It was traditionally shaped and badly marked up. Shifting focus from any prior ideas, I did not know the end from the beginning. Intuiting and painting along an impressionistic path, I finished by depicting a favorite symbol, the wild goose, as it is the celtic symbol for the Holy Spirit. </span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599;">All in all, a few evenings and it was done. Fun times. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599;">The auction went alright considering the low attendance as there was little time to get the word out. Another auction has been set for February giving advertising and promotion time to be more effective. </span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: Times; line-height: normal; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #ffe599; font-family: Times; line-height: normal; text-align: -webkit-auto;">It was fun to be in the company of artists and to enjoy the ideas all came up with. A few caused smiles, some laughs, some admiration because it was so, so well done. And, I don't remember who thought it, but an 'invisible chair' was set up with a $200 price. Someone bid on it! The joke was that it was going to be paid with an invisible credit card, or cheque with invisible ink from an invisible bank account. Hah! You had to be there. :)</span></span><br />
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</b></i></span></span>Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-71224852987674487142011-04-28T20:53:00.000-07:002011-04-28T21:11:02.181-07:00A Painting called 'In The Rain'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5DlSwGBYs7M/Tbo0ujmZhHI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/YD-ADEertVU/s1600/In+The+Rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5DlSwGBYs7M/Tbo0ujmZhHI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/YD-ADEertVU/s320/In+The+Rain.jpg" width="104" /></a></div><br />
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Many years ago, more than 25, I came across photographs of Europe. I think it was the National Geographic. Tall buildings and narrow streets with people walking in the rain. The poetry of the moment struck me then and I quickly roughed out a sketch with a black felt pen on paper.<br />
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When I moved into my condo 8 years ago I came across the drawing and contemplated what I could do with it. Having some polaroid sx 70 film around I photographed my drawing outside while the color of light was blue. What resulted was a blue toned drawing on an emulsion and I 'manipulated' it with a toothpick and the back of a brush, pressing hard to get a monet effect. Then it was put to the side as another idea took my attention.<br />
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A couple years passed and I came across the drawing again. This time I wanted to do a highly colorized, painted version. Wanting a heavy texture I took an 8x24 canvas and glued a lot of torn tissue paper with acrylic medium in successive layers. When dry I sketched out the drawing and painted in several layers in acrylic to get the colors to surprise by coming through the layers here and there. I kept seeing red and green/turquoise and muted yellow and played along with it. Put this aside until further notice.<br />
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A few months ago I picked it up again and this time 'saw' it covered in epoxy. Adding india inks to intensify some of the colors, I layered a few coats of epoxy as the texture was pretty heavy and the final flood coat of epoxy leveled the finish. Here is the final result.Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-35276689029398540572011-03-12T13:51:00.000-08:002011-03-12T23:38:43.073-08:00Using Stencils<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0YsOoy9vtUU/TXvrN96agZI/AAAAAAAAAG0/TivlL5WYbV4/s1600/+Ready+to+Grow+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0YsOoy9vtUU/TXvrN96agZI/AAAAAAAAAG0/TivlL5WYbV4/s320/+Ready+to+Grow+.jpg" width="156" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Victoria Larsen creates beautiful stencils. I was blessed to have won one, an Aspen tree stencil, in an art contest in December. W</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">orking with dimensionality in a stencil is s</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">omewhat of a learning curve but adapted to it and used it as a springboard for creating my own tree. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The stencil comes with about 4 or five different leaf motifs, one motif of thin branches, as well as two trunks, one thin and one thick. All this fitting into 2 16x20 stencils. So, with the choices inherent in it, you can create any size tree you want, by twisting the designs this way and that. By skipping here and there and coming back to the places where you missed, after the initial branches and leaves dry. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I really wanted to do an 8'x5' image of a forest of Aspen Trees and prepared triptic canvasses for this. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">This idea was put aside as, in emotional and spiritual terms, I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> kept thinking/seeing in my mind's eye,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> a plant firmly rooted and ready to grow, rain and sun coming down,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> speaking of life and propelling me forward. The aspen tree stencil thus was adapted to configure my plant. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I love these stencils because you are still in control of creating whatever you want out of it. And while it is drying you can flatten it out, make it bigger, smaller, nudge it to where you want, delete sections, paint it, add more texture, carve it, etc. It is another tool in your arsenal to create.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">This painting is heavily textured throughout, the background built up with layers of epoxy, marble dust, acrylic, mica flakes, silver and irridescent paint on canvas. The branches, roots and leaves were created with Durabond 90 with a pinch of marble dust and a half cup of some epoxy dust thrown in. (I had saved the dust from when I've sanded down epoxy in a prior image). Yeah, I figured it would create a new polymer blend. A pinch of this, a pinch of that is fun ... :) </span><br />
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">This image shown is before the final glaze of epoxy because I wanted to show you the texture without the shiny glare. The final flood of epoxy will smooth everything out and the colors will pop.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.victorialarsen.com/">www.victorialarsen.com</a></span><br />
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</span></span>Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-17485303506253029192011-02-22T18:54:00.000-08:002011-02-22T20:38:17.591-08:00Hand Painted Parson Chairs and a Resurfaced Pine Table<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2vFf4G0UEEE/TWRayJStWOI/AAAAAAAAAFM/q3ks94xBpyw/s1600/_MG_2572s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2vFf4G0UEEE/TWRayJStWOI/AAAAAAAAAFM/q3ks94xBpyw/s400/_MG_2572s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N0cSuZtq8HI/TWRa202fECI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/Uypo4RzO6_o/s1600/Beofre+and+after+chairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N0cSuZtq8HI/TWRa202fECI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/Uypo4RzO6_o/s400/Beofre+and+after+chairs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-DlQufWCJI/TWRa8agsfyI/AAAAAAAAAFU/6ZjegaDoRLY/s1600/Before+and+after+tabletop+Detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E-DlQufWCJI/TWRa8agsfyI/AAAAAAAAAFU/6ZjegaDoRLY/s400/Before+and+after+tabletop+Detail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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There was a great deal on a pine table a few years ago that I couldn't pass up. Ditto some Parsons Dining Chairs I saw in a second hand shop. The chairs I knew to be valued at over $200.00 each as I'd seen them in magazines. And they were going for only $18.00 a piece! I bought the six they had. They were a linen cream color in dire need of cleaning. I washed them with bleach but unfortunately some dirt stains did not come out. The legs were cloth covered and were the most marked with dirt. So I ripped the fabric off the legs and underneath was rough looking wood that looked like pine. I left it as is for it went with the pine table. Then painted white stripes on only the front part of each chair. Lived with that for a couple of years.<br />
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Because I use this table in the kitchen frequently to work on art, and everything else, it has taken quite a beating. Lately I looked at it with new eyes and realized I wanted to have a tabletop that would wear well and look great for when clients come when I teach art and photography. So I resurfaced it with a cementitious product called aurastone. It binds to anything. Then I layered color upon color using acrylic and biocolor. While wet I sprinkled a lot of sparkles on it, clear, green and metallic, as well as pearlescence. When dry I taped all around underneath the table and also covered the iron bars that hold up the table inserts. This is vital as epoxy runs everywhere and it is deadly if you don't protect your floors, your walls, your hands, your eyes. The two inserts for the table that I've got were done on a plastic covered countertop and lifted so the epoxy can drip off the edges. It dried overnight and the following morning there was another pour of the epoxy. This made for a surface that will be very durable, and I love that you can 'see' into it and get the sparkles from different angles. Right now I like it shiny. Down the way, when there are any scratches on it, I'll probably just hone it down, sanding it to a matte finish. I love it that way too and it won't show scratches. But right now, shiny it is. Note: the dried epoxy drips must be sanded down on the underside of the table with a power sander or grinder so that the edges are smooth. Don't want people to bump their knees into those drips as they can be sharp.<br />
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The chairs were looking kinda mangy. But they are incredibly comfortable and solid, so they are worth saving. Recovering them in fresh fabric was not the direction where inspiration flowed. Having lots of paint here right now, inspiration struck so off I went. From the first dab I was committed to complete it. All the while wondering, as it went through ugly stages, 'OMG what have I done?'. The paint used was fluid acrylic and biocolor with fabric medium added. It was all done freehand, deliberately using inundating lines to impart an organic feel, with the nubbly texture of the linen coming through. This needed a couple of coats as the colors sunk in and became too light. Then a damp cotton cloth was used with a steam iron on the chair to heat set for durability so that it can withstand dry cleaning, or scrubbing. This is finished off with a spray of fabric guard. The chairs can be recovered later when I tire of this.<br />
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The legs were first painted in white primer with holes filled. And will be painted with white satin melamine paint later, as soon as the weather permits, so as to not have the paint fumes inside the condo.<br />
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Now, having done all this, I can say that some things can be done to make the process shorter, easier, or even for a different style. I think next time I'll try using a metal ruler with laundry markers to mark permanent lines where I want them. And then the lines can be filled with color. The straight lines will be more sophisticated than hand drawn so it may be a good thing for a wing chair that I can see done in this manner and it may just work. :) Adding black lines, then painting in with yellow on the blue will make it green, and adding white on some of the green will cool it lighter to an aqua. I must show this a bit later when I get to it.<br />
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There are permanent markers that may change color over time, but that may not matter. After all, if a black changes to a deep maroon, it may just be fabulous. But if you want to have colors that do not shift then fabric dyes, waterproof india inks and acrylic paints with fabric medium, are the way to go. <br />
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A disclaimer ... see sidebar...Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-73498149598077813892011-02-17T18:32:00.000-08:002011-02-22T17:30:25.453-08:00Impressionistic Bedroom Walls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Hed88hMpXQ/TV3ZLfDLOkI/AAAAAAAAAFI/P7_ajfDO6mY/s1600/Nazare+Panorama-wall+mixed+media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
<img border="0" height="285" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2Hed88hMpXQ/TV3ZLfDLOkI/AAAAAAAAAFI/P7_ajfDO6mY/s400/Nazare+Panorama-wall+mixed+media.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">Home decor continues to fascinate me. I am so wired to create order and beauty in my surroundings. And I can't leave well enough alone. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">This bedroom had walls that were cream colored and the whole ambience was asthetically peaceful, breezy, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">light on light</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">. Like a tropical room complete with mosquito netting over the bed. The time came for a change and a sense settled in me as to what direction to go. So got some latex paint and some rags and mostly my hands, and got at it to create an impressionistic ambience. Almost like stepping into an Old World Monet. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The rule is, most of the time, to do dark over light. But I (mostly) prefer to do light over dark... it goes cloudy and cool, so you warm it up. With just three or four colors you can make it look like so many as the depth is amazing. It is more 'impressionistic' whereas the dark over light is more 'renaissance'.</span></div><div style="font-family: Optima; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">This wall was created by starting with a dark olive that looked like something unmentionable :). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">I wanted light and airy and impressionistic but</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> I needed an interesting dark color to come through all the successive light layers. Starting with the olive and lightening it with white and cream created a bluish tinge. Layered next a brick color and yellow ochre on that olive, then used lighter versions of both with the addition of cream paint and white to successive layers. Adding a touch of lightened magenta paint here and there completed the work.</span></div><div style="font-family: Optima; font-size: medium; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">The image on the wall is done with oil glazes.</span></div></span>Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-5854667493510204382011-02-03T19:39:00.000-08:002011-02-26T12:37:06.227-08:00The Very First Photo Negative?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUt0DsD_pEI/AAAAAAAAAE4/GIb1BJTFde8/s1600/_MG_2558s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUt0DsD_pEI/AAAAAAAAAE4/GIb1BJTFde8/s400/_MG_2558s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUt0zp-h4LI/AAAAAAAAAFA/1Y0Uq8ojAIM/s1600/_MG_2562s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUt0zp-h4LI/AAAAAAAAAFA/1Y0Uq8ojAIM/s400/_MG_2562s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Being a photographer it has come back to my remembrance a seminar I took in at Trinity Western University a few years ago. It was on the Shroud of Turin. Quite by chance a couple days ago, at Starbucks, I bumped into the professor, Dr. Phillip Wiebe, who teaches this at Trinity Western. I asked if I might photograph the copy of the shroud he has and graciously he said yes. I went to his office and took in the lifesize replicas of the shroud. The front and the back. Goosebumps. Astonishing. And fascinating thinking that it may be the oldest and first negative ever in all of history.<br />
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I include here the simple shots I took of it. Not intended as art but as representing fascinating photo negatives that challenges the viewer to really think through what they are seeing. There are so many scourging and cutting marks on the back and legs, actual blood drippings on the head, the arms, the hands and feet. Standing in front of them left me in awe.<br />
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For those who would like to read extensively about this ( I am not an expert) there are links online, books, and of course Dr. Phillip Wiebe, Professor of Philosophy at Trinity Western University.<br />
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</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">www.shroudforum.com/</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">www.shroud.com/</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">www.manoftheshroud.org/exhibit/<br />
http://shroudofturin.wordpress.com/</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 17.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 17.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Book: </span><b>The Blood and the Shroud: <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">New Evidence That the World's Most Sacred Relic Is Real</span></i></b></span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">by Ian Wilson</div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 14.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 16.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">INSTRUCTOR:</span></div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Phillip H. Wiebe, Ph.D.</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Professor of Philosophy</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">SNC Center</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Trinity Western University</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">7600 Glover Road</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Langley, BC V2Y 1Y1</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">604-888-7511 Ext. 3334</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">EMAIL:</div><div style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">pwiebe@twu.ca<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Optima; font-size: small;">The wheels are turning regarding ideas and images springing from this. Some images I've been thinking about creating are spiritual, or have spiritual longings of deep calling to deep. Some nebulous, mysterious, ethereal feelings and thoughts until they settle into something concrete. Thinking out loud ...</span></div>Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-53711904086897864792011-02-03T13:31:00.000-08:002011-02-07T09:04:33.150-08:00From a Cocoon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUtpMYTPKUI/AAAAAAAAAE0/zwBfY27cuNs/s1600/Emerge_MG_2507s+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUtpMYTPKUI/AAAAAAAAAE0/zwBfY27cuNs/s320/Emerge_MG_2507s+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This image is part of my " Emerge " series. Mixed media - layers of epoxy with marble dust, plaster, stones, earth stains, acrylic, silver and pearlescent paint, mica flakes, on wood base.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Seems like all I can think about right now is transformation. Tranformation of the mind, of the soul. How it happens. How to get there from here, how to cross over. By an about face? By paradigm shifts? By rising from emotional constraints and baggage? Muscles forming from forceful thrusts into liberation? By a force of faith so strong you just believe souls can fly? How can a caterpillar 'see' when all around is darkness? What of the wind and light and colors beckoning forth?</div><br />
I saw this 'poetic saying' online ... don't know who wrote it...<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Along a dusty road in India there sat a beggar who sold cocoons. A young boy watched him day after day, and the beggar finally beckoned to him.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">"Do you know what beauty lies within this chrysalis? I will give you one so you might see for yourself. But you must be careful not to handle the cocoon until the butterfly comes out."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">The boy was enchanted with the gift and hurried home to await the butterfly. He laid the cocoon on the floor and became aware of a curious thing. The butterfly was beating its fragile wings against the hard wall of he chrysalis until it appeared it would surely perish, before it could break the unyielding prison. Wanting only to help, the boy swiftly pried the cocoon open.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: orange;">Out flopped a wet, brown, ugly thing which quickly died. When the beggar discovered what had happened, he explained to the boy 'In order for the butterfly wings to grow strong enough to support him, it is necessary that he beat them against the walls of his cocoon. Only by this struggle can his wings become beautiful and durable. When you denied him that struggle, you took away from him his only chance of survival."</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">May the walls of your cocoon be just thick enough to allow you to struggle just long enough to emerge the beautiful person I know you to be.</span><br />
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</span></span>Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-91709828684679941462011-01-27T15:16:00.000-08:002011-02-06T08:43:51.806-08:00Embarrassing SituationsHmmm... I have a plethora of embarrassing situations, even creative ones. Whether decor, painting or sculpture. I get so focussed on what I'm doing that I lose all sense of place and all sense of presence of mind and 'accidents' happen. Oyh. One coming to mind was when I was in a direct metal sculpture class at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. Attempting to solder a face together with pieces of metal can be pretty tricky as I was making it very detailed. Focussing intently on the eyebrow and needing a piece to fit in between the brow and eye where it meets the nose, I reached 'through' the flame for a piece of metal further away on the table. Then I saw my finger was white, shriveled and melted, turned off the torch, ran to a sink and yelled for help. Stupidola. LOL. The scar is still with me and am grateful for a functioning finger. This signalled the end of the class because it was clear that I was not practical enough to finish it safely. :) Learning a lot since then about having more presence of mind ensures that more things can be accomplished. But it takes effort and still 'attract' interesting experiences. Funny things happen ... I'm an intensely focussed kind of gal. LOLCarmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-57918674675979785982010-06-10T21:40:00.000-07:002011-02-05T15:32:26.004-08:00Written in Stone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUrgp35UrcI/AAAAAAAAAEM/DwkrzUY4Tws/s1600/Written+in+Stone+Signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUrgp35UrcI/AAAAAAAAAEM/DwkrzUY4Tws/s320/Written+in+Stone+Signature.jpg" width="177" /></a></div>I was contemplating the term 'written in stone' and so many thoughts flashed in my mind ... how it is a verbal term to express something unchanging ... and how ancient cave walls with archaic markings provide clues and narration of times past ... and how Christ proclaimed, "It is written ...", "It is written ...", "It is written ..." ... and how rock surfaces and their indentations are randomly etched, their tones and colors seemed to beg new interpretations, urging me to look closer and truly see.Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-53533514763692565802010-06-10T19:28:00.000-07:002011-02-05T15:33:10.574-08:00Shifting, adjusting, turning ...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span">"Most of you know that, in addition to continuing being a photographic artist, I also continue to seek to be creative in innovative ways" I have said. Months ago I encountered Aurastone, took a class on it and enthusiastically embraced the process. I created a lovely kitchen countertop and thought to do so for other people as well. Delving into it made me realize that's not where my heart is. My passion continues to be to create art, whether photography, painting, or mixed media, that inspires, is full of light and touches people to their core. </span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUsATIDmO7I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/b22LDWkvQvU/s1600/Kalahari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUsATIDmO7I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/b22LDWkvQvU/s320/Kalahari.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">So I continue to experiment, with resin and marble dust et al, to my heart's content. With all kinds of media, each one will be a one of a kind creative piece. Built with layers of mineral color, various stone, glass, pearls, mica flakes, crushed mirrors. All adding depth and clarity and created in many colors and illustrating many imaginings.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Some of the last few months may seem like distractions but its all process, isn't it? <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=4931&id=105464429489230&ref=pb">Mixed media Art</a></span></span></span>Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3283167890709751975.post-57560409312083768092010-06-03T11:37:00.000-07:002011-04-20T11:42:52.359-07:00An Inspirational Meeting and The Copa Award<div style="font: normal normal normal 19px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Abo</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ut seven years ago I had a remarkable meeting in a restaurant in Gastown with Terry Costa, actor/director/promoter/liaison extraordinaire. We were there to talk about and plan the fir</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">st ever portuguese Art Exhibition to be held in Vancouver. While discussing my various trips to Portugal, discussing vision, risk and overcoming odds, we got so inspired and motivated that we penned a poem together that was scribbled onto a napkin. Terry found the napkin recently and, as he was the presenter, read it at the Copa Awards in Toronto as the intro to my receiving a Copa Award for Art and Culture. It was also read at the beginning of the Portuguese Heritage Month Launch this past weekend in Vancouver . </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">I just thought to share the poem here as the feedback reveals that it has impacted the people who've heard it. Perhaps here it may serve to encourage whoever may need to 'see' the distance in their present circumstances. Even now, as then, pushing through barriers, pushing through self imposed limitations, facing unknowns, and pressing towards faith, is the order of the day. Knowing I'm being guided by an unseen hand, my heart can trust and my smile can reach my eyes and I'm happy.</span><br />
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</span> </span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 19px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3333ff;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ode to the Distance</span></b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 19px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #3333ff;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </b></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Let us bust out of boxes</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">No more self-imposed limitations.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our ancestors were ruled by bravery;</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ruled by timidity we faint.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The religion of ‘I can’t’ and ‘That’s impossible’</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">must be challenged within.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We are no grasshoppers in a world of giants!</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Invade the impossible</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">with tenacity, courage, love and sense of purpose.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our culture is worth it</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our people deserve it!</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dare to dream again</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Beyond your reach.</span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We must risk change.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Let us once again conquer the distance!</span></b></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUsBrVixDgI/AAAAAAAAAEc/a4Xdtt_TYRc/s1600/COPA+Awards+2010395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUsBrVixDgI/AAAAAAAAAEc/a4Xdtt_TYRc/s320/COPA+Awards+2010395.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUsBfa_mupI/AAAAAAAAAEY/pg9nR-GL9Aw/s1600/COPA+Awards+3s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUsBfa_mupI/AAAAAAAAAEY/pg9nR-GL9Aw/s320/COPA+Awards+3s.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUsCWj-61fI/AAAAAAAAAEo/WnGncw2vPPA/s1600/The+Copa+Award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yR34VtEHTLA/TUsCWj-61fI/AAAAAAAAAEo/WnGncw2vPPA/s320/The+Copa+Award.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></span></div></div><div style="font: normal normal normal 13px/normal 'Lucida Grande'; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My COPA Acceptance Speech</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thank you Copa that you have chosen to include me, to celebrate me here tonight. This honor in particular means so much to me, because even though I've been here in Canada for so many years, I am portuguese to the core. A portuguese artistic dreamer who was mocked growing up and had a pretty hard time but with determination overcame. So I want to dedicate this award as an inspiration for all those portuguese who've had a hard time, to be proud of their roots, and work hard towards their dreams and to share their gifts with others. And they will make it!<br />
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And I want to thank my Mom and Dad, family and friends, for their love and support over the years. And I want to thank God for breathing in me the portuguese passion to live and create from the heart and for every opportunity and God winks afforded me in this great land. <br />
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And I wish to recognize the Portuguese Canadian National Congress, all you Copa members, Terry Costa, Paulino Nunes and Ana Almeida, and all the sponsors, and all you dear ladies and gentlemen gathered here, for your efforts in making this award possible. I'm very honored and grateful for the recognition of my accomplishments and hard work. <br />
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Thank you so much and God bless you all.</span></div>Carmen Toméhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07140951697441955286noreply@blogger.com1