Sunday, August 28, 2011

Mary Jo's Inspiration Plaques

After a few days of work, 40 of these little 5"X7" canvas plaques went off to the gallery. They get snapped up so fast! People love inspiration and COLOR, in our experience.

Here's how I do them:
I buy 5" X 7" canvas board. Good quality so that it doesn't warp.
They're gessoed (one less step), so I begin applying layers of acrylic paint. This can go on for a while until I'm satisfied with the combination of color and texture. (Depends on my mood, too!) I also have to remind myself to WAIT for each layer to dry. (I get way too impatient.) I now realize I can use up a lot of "weaker" color paints (especially whites) as the richer colors take over and I've lost the effect I wanted that color for. If I wait a bit, the blend works much better.
When I'm satisfied and the paint has dried, I pick my sayings, blessings and quotes and hand tear the edges (I like that look.) I pick the art papers I want to use on each one, tear those and begin gluing. I keep trying different methods so the papers don't pucker, etc. Golden Mediums do a great job. And so does ModPodge. Finishing touches - I often use sparkly Golden gold acrylic, in a sharp tip plastic bottle, to add definition and kick. At this point, my section of the studio is a wild mess!
Then comes the many final details: finish the whole thing with a finisher (ModPodge Hard Coat, of late.) On the back I put a blank tag, sign it, add bump-ons and a stick-on plastic hanger. This way people have a blank space to leave a message if its a gift, and with the hanger it can go right on a wall. (Hopefully they'll be popped into a nice frame eventually.)
And, finally, I add identity/price stickers to the clear sleeves, sleeve 'em and send them off. See why it takes days?
PS Clean up time before the next project... :)

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Mary Jo's Inspiration Stones

I've been doing Inspiration Stones for years. They seem to snag the heart of many, including myself. Beautiful, smooth, rounded beach stones - rolled smooth that way from glacial action (Whidbey Island is in essence a glacial dump... :) and the waves and tides of the Salish Sea (or, another name, Puget Sound.) Now we offer my stones in the gallery for a small price.

The secret for writing: Micron Pigma Pens, #1 or #2. I use these pens for so much - my Fantasy Houses, for instance. Archival and permanent ink. I've had one stone outside in the weather for years and it still looks the same (except for a bit of moss.)


Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Raven Rocks Studio Greeting Cards



What goes into the Raven Rocks Studio greeting cards we sell in our gallery? Let me tell you!

--We purchase Strathmore Deckle Edge, acid-free, card stock & envelopes. These are beautiful and elegant looking. They’re also 5” X 7” so any cards can be easily popped into a standard frame.

--First step is to print the back of the cards with our info.

--Art work images by Mary Jo Oxrieder & Windwalker Taibi are then printed using a Canon Printer with archival inks (in other words, they last a long long time!) and are printed on Ilford fine art paper.

--The little prints are then cut to size and mounted on the card stock using YES! glue.

--Then they’re titled (handwritten) and signed (Mary Jo on the back, Windwalker on the front); Mary Jo adds a gold heart by her name.

--Next they’re folded, envelope added, sleeved and sent to the gallery. Voila!

Monday, August 15, 2011

Dragon Falls

Somewhere in the wilds of British Columbia, on the edges of the land where the white Spirit Bears live, is beautiful Dragon Falls Provincial Park. Little is said about this spot in literature or the web. People who find it do so “accidentally” and later hold their experiences close to their hearts. If they share their stories, they do so only with special people. In this way the area has maintained its magical qualities. The air, the light, the colors, the smells, the sounds, all have the vividness and mystery of what some say is the Faery Realm. There can be no way to properly express the surprise and leap of the heart, the thrill when one first sees the true gift of the park: the shimmering dragons diving joyfully and with wild abandon through the roaring waters of Dragon Falls.
Watercolor & Ink Original

Blue Cubette - Go Your Own Way

Blue Cubette - Go Your Own Way

Dark Blue Cubette-He Thought He Could

Dark Blue Cubette-He Thought He Could

He Travels For Work

He Travels For Work
Mary Jo's latest print

The Stunning Vistas of the Volcano Tahoma

The Stunning Vistas of the Volcano Tahoma

Wind Blow Us Home...

Wind Blow Us Home...

Fuzzy BindleBird Collecting Huckleberries

Fuzzy BindleBird Collecting Huckleberries
Sighted behind our tents in the huckleberry bushes.

My Eternal Love ... and Pal

My Eternal Love ... and Pal
Windwalker's Ravens in Love Series

Fairy Gardener's Hat

Fairy Gardener's Hat
Spotted on the Naches Trail, Chinook Pass, in huckleberry bushes.

Old Growth Islands

Old Growth Islands
Caretakers' Isle

Beach Fire Bag

Beach Fire Bag

Rumble Stream Home

Rumble Stream Home

Hazy Lake Days

Hazy Lake Days

First Love Song

First Love Song

Beauty Way Chant

Beauty Way Chant
Mixed Media on Canvas

Sunrise House

Sunrise House

A Garden of My Own

A Garden of My Own
Windwalker's Woven Purse

PrimroseMorning - Scrumble

PrimroseMorning - Scrumble
Nickname: Bounce

Daisies Dreams

Daisies Dreams
Acrylic - SOLD

The Sun's Blessing

The Sun's Blessing
Its already sold!