Daily Drawing: Ink and Wash Butterfly studies #2

I made 3 of these mid sized butterfly studies today. Pen and ink drawing with a wash of oil paint.






Butterfly studies: ink and oil wash on Kitty Wallis sanded pastel paper, 7 x 5". Available for purchase at $100.00 each, framed

Daily Drawing: Butterfly studies

I made 3 of these small butterfly studies today.






Ink and oil wash on Kitty Wallis sanded pastel paper. 6 x 4"available for purchase at $75 each, framed

Aphrodite: The Goddess Marilyn Portrait

"Aphrodite" Charcoal and pastel on mylar 20 x 16".

New from the Black Butterfly series, a tribute to Marilyn Monroe from a photograph taken by Bert Stern at the last sitting. I always said I wouldn't draw Marilyn again, lahttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifst time I was 15, but my friend Val inspired me with her recent portrait of the Goddess and I couldn't resist.





A video inspired by Marilyn's last sitting, the actress's likeness to Monroe is astounding!

Daily Drawing: Beside Ewe :)

Double portrait of sheep on Achill Island, Mayo, Ireland. The markings are meant to identify the sheep to the shepherd.


"Beside Ewe" pastel on prepared Art Spectrum sanded foam core, 10 x 10" Available for purchase at $250.00, ready to hang, in gold plein air frame.

Blog: My NEW space ~ fresh beginnings

I've been meaning to move my blog off of it's former SPACE, so here it is. I deleted my two myspace accounts this week, long story but I'd been meaning to do so anyway. It felt like the world fell off of my shoulders to tell the truth. I may return to it sometime, but not quite yet. I saved my blog archives, wasn't able to save my blog comments, so feel free to revisit older posts here and comment if you wish.


Another fresh beginning: I moved my studio back to the Fine Arts Building in downtown Chicago this week, after working from home for about six months. It feels good being back at FAB, I'm sharing space with an artist friend who leaves for the warmer southwest in the winter months. He left me his easel and drawing table and one full wall to display my work, which is great during FAB's monthly second Friday open studio events. I was just in time to participate in the October Chicago Artist's Month open studio event this weekend. I moved in and organized, hung my work and started working right away on a new series of Irish related works. I'll be in a group show at the Beverly Arts Center once more in time for St. Patrick's Day, a big month in my Beverly neighborhood.

The theme so far for the series is sheep. For some reason sheep sell. Every sheep I ever painted sold within it's first showing or two, so there must be something to that. I don't mind painting them, so why not an entire series? I'm planning to paint a few of them life sized or so, just for kicks. My trip last month to Achill Island in County Mayo Ireland has left me with dozens of great sheep photo references. I'm sure I'll eventually get around to painting some of the other beautiful scenic shots and session musicians I snapped in the pubs as well.

If you're interested in seeing more of my Irish photography from the trip, visit my Flickr site here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/amwhitestudio/

It was great hosting friends from my Chicago artist community once more at the Fab Open Studio event, especially myspace friends Brett Manning and Morgan Leavitt.

I had a few new works to share and the reaction was very positive. The mylar works created lots of conversation, as did the new poems and butterfly metaphor. As always there are questions about my models and the Beatles themes, or discussions about my trips to Ireland. There were 25 other artist studios open at Fab for the event, and it's fun to visit some of my favorite artists and view their new work and catch up on the building news.

Thanks for visiting my new spaces. Ciao for now! xx ~ Alice

Daily Drawing: "Summer's Muse"

This piece has been sold.

I liked this small frame and decided to use it for another of my Black Butterfly pieces. I think the style of the drawing resembles an old sepia photo somewhat and so suits the vintage fame. The butterfly is symbolic for the artist's muse. Since this is a self-portrait, I decided to incorporate the Celtic knotwork, from my heritage.


"Summer's Muse" charcoal and white pastel on mylar drafting film with Canson moonstone backing paper, 11 x 9" framed in vintage tabletop swing style frame. $300.00 SOLD!



"Summer's Muse" in vintage swing desktop frame.

On Finding an Irish Peacock Butterfly on Croagh Patrick

An Irish Peacock Butterfly, photo taken on Croagh Patrick, County Mayo Ireland (c) Alice McMahon White September 2008

Written today in about two hours, after waking with a head full of words. Please forgive the rawness, and the serious tone of this piece. The butterfly should teach lightheartedness and joy, and it did. The powerful and ethereal experience of the butterfly encounter two weeks ago in Ireland only took a moment, but changed my outlook on everything. So, I think it deserves a bit of weight in the telling. :-)

Feileacan na Péacóige

On Finding an Irish Peacock Butterfly on Croagh Patrick

(for Steve)

A fourth journey to Erin

My love as guide

Threading the needle of existence

Grace found

On Maigh Eo's ancient sacred mountain of Celt and Christian

Rough stone path of pilgrim hardship

Nature turning tides at our feet

Stark splendor

Set soul and spirit free

Sun

Moon

Fire

Lightening

Wind

Sea

Earth

Rock

On ascent in the mystical place

Overhead, a breathtaking

Breathing

Scarlet - violet rainbow

Seasons of impending joy announced by

Frail and fragile fairy dust wings

Psyche

Begging a dance

She pauses to drive the thought home

Perfectly still

Beauty

Sits for a time

Why?

To meditate on sun warmed rock -

The creature's only embrace?

Or simply trusting

Accepting in faith

The spirit capture

On descent

Changed

As travel inevitably will

Filled up and overflowing

To contemplate

Our dream awake muse

Celebration of coming home

Unknowing

New life unfurling

We pause to warm ourselves

In a lover's embrace

On stone

In brilliant sun

Breaking through cloud

(c) Alice McMahon White 2008