Tourmaline Eye Candy

 Today I've been reviewing some of my past jewelry designs as I prepare to make some new pieces.
This lovely piece is one of my favorites.  Doesn't the multicolored tourmaline make you think of a nice juicy piece of watermelon?

I added the gooseberry green shade of grossular garnet and magenta colored stick pearls along with some sterling silver and Swarovski crystals.  This lovely is available for purchase along with matching earrings.

Thanks for the well wishes for the Linn Creek Art Fest last month.  It was beastly hot, but we were blessed with a shady spot again this year.  The turn out was wonderful and I had a very good day.  The only down side for me was waking up quite sick with heat exhaustion the next day.  I learned that staying hydrated wasn't enough for me when spending a very long day with temps in the high 90's.

We are finally getting some rain in our parched drought-stricken area.  Even the birds seem happier!

Dragonflies will be at Linn Creek Art Fest 2012

Here's a sneak peak at mixed media art I've been working on.  I'll have a booth at the Linn Creek Art Festival in Marshalltown this coming Sunday, July 15, 2012 from 10 - 4.  This is a fun art festival with plenty to entertain the whole family in addition to the beautiful art you can see.

In addition to mixed media art, I will have acrylic paintings and jewelry.

This art piece was started on acrylic paper which is really just a heavy water media paper.  I think it has a different sizing than regular water color paper.  After applying washes of acrylic paint and allowing the paint to dry, I added visual texture with an acrylic transfer. 

To make an acrylic transfer-

Choose a laser or toner copy of clip art (I used copy of a floral design from a Dover royalty free book.) and adhere it face down to the art surface using matte or gloss gel medium.  Rub the paper to make sure there are no air bubbles, but be careful to not get any medium onto the top of the paper.  Allow the medium to thoroughly dry which can take several hours to over night, especially in humid conditions.

Now you will wet the paper you adhered to your art. 

A damp cloth works well to help keep the paper moist as the paper gets softened.  When it starts to look translucent, rub the paper and it will peel or curl up from the surface, leaving the toner image behind on your art.  If your image is coming up as you rub, you didn't adhere it with enough medium or it wasn't thoroughly dry.  Occasionally, you may be rubbing too hard.  I find Golden gel medium has very consistent results.  I've used Liquitex, too, but its gel is not as creamy as Golden and is trickier to apply evenly for this type of application.

Keep rubbing away the paper until the milky appearance is gone.  As the surface dries, you may find that you haven't removed as much paper as you thought!  Just keep wetting the surface and rub away.

I added more layers of matte medium and paint over the transfer.  I also used Caran D'Ache water soluble crayons, Inktense pencils and water soluble graphite to enhance the surface.  The transfer was very bold and I wanted to push it way back so my dragonfly clipping and text could be the stars.  The background was still a bit intense for my purposes, so I stenciled the vines with gesso and added more color glazes on it.  I also used a bit of interference paint in one of the glaze layers.

In person, the result is reminiscent of encaustic. 

The dragonfly is my personal clip art.  Last fall I painted a set of dragon flies on Tim Holtz Grunge Paper for a client.  Before delivering them, I scanned them to use for clip art in future projects.  After this collaged dragonfly dried on the surface, I embellished it with Sakura gel pens and outlined it with water soluble graphite.

The text was salvaged from an old music book that I rescued from a friend's discards.

I scanned the finished art and added the border effect to the digital image.

Now it's time to finish a bit more art...

Art Show at Snus Hill Winery this Saturday!

This coming Saturday I will be participating with a fun group of artists at a charming country winery that is close to the High Trestle Trail in central Iowa.
I'll have some new jewelry pieces along with some of my paintings and prints.
It's a great time to go shopping for Mothers' Day and graduations!
Come out to Snus Hill Winery on May 5, 2012 from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

State Fair 2011 Art and Summer Learning



"Connections" at Iowa State Fair Fine Arts Exhibit 2011

 Sunday we attended the Iowa State Fair Fine Arts reception where we got to preview the amazing art that will be on display during this year's fair.  This was the third time I've had a painting juried into this show.  It's a thrill to get the bright colored postcard in the mail and find a check marked in the accepted box.

You'll find the Fine Arts display on the first floor of the Cultural Center.  It's on the hill on the east side of the fairgrounds.  If you want to see my painting, it's located in the SW corner of the fine arts room on a half wall.  That's not an ideal place to view it.  I'd prefer it be hanging higher and with more space to step back from it to take in its subtleties and depth.  But I'm still very pleased to have a painting on display.



Swan Love

 Another hobby of mine is digital manipulations.  Even though I've been playing with them for several years, I still consider myself a novice since there are many digital tools that mystify me.
The only good thing about Borders Books going out of business is that there are some great bargains.  I found "Digital Imaging Workshop" by Rick Sammon and paid just over $2.00!  Yes, it's a bit dated since he was using PS Elements 2.0 and 3.0.  Some of my tools are different in the PSE 4.0, but I'm still benefiting from his tutorials.  Last night I randomly chose a so-so image I took a couple years ago.  I often save this quality of shot just for the purpose of painting reference.
I learned a couple of new tricks from the book and added a couple things I already had up my sleeve.  Digital magic!  I know this image still has problems.  The distant swan in blown out a bit by being over exposed.   Even so, there are still many things I like about the results and I'm encouraged to keep learning.

Triple Galaxy Painting at Octagon Art Center

I'm happy to announce that this painting was juried into the current Community of Artist exhibit at the Octagon Center for the Arts in Ames, IA. 

I previously posted about this painting when I was contemplating whether or not it was finished.  Honestly, I don't think I added anything more than my signature.  I took it to the critique group that I was attending and we all agreed that this orientation of the painting was best.  Sometimes when I work abstractly, I end up hanging the painting in a different orientation from how I did most of the work.  This is one example.  Most of the time while working, this painting was in a horizontal position on my easel.

I haven't been as productive with painting or making jewelry as I'd like.  The Linn Creek Arts Festival has invited me to return this coming July and I look forward to being there.  One of my creative outlets has been making lots of cards...  graduation, birthday, sympathy, etc.  I was introduced to the Martha Stewart scoring board which has been a great tool for creating cards and matching envelopes.  Tri-fold cards are so simple to make with the board.  Heavy scrapbook papers make a great base.  I should have photographed some to share with you.  Maybe I'll do that with future cards and a future post.

Earlier this week we celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary by spending an extended weekend in the Twin Cities.  We stayed at the Bird House Inn in Excelsior which is just a few blocks from Lake Minnetonka.  What a wonderful time we had and my artistic juices were renewed as well.  The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is just a few miles away.  The peonies and yellow lady slippers were glorious.  I definitely want to revisit this place.

I hope to post here more often.   Thanks to all my faithful followers. 

Art at Snus Hill Winery on April 30th

I've been making some new earrings to prepare for the upcoming art sale at Snus Hill Winery this coming Saturday.  The event is part of a multi-community celebration in honor of the High Trestle Trail.  Read more here.
This grouping features different stones and sterling silver.  I've been shaping and hammering sterling wire.  That's lots of fun.
So is hanging out with fellow art lovers.  I hope you'll come out this Saturday and see us at Snus Hill Winery.
We'll be there from 10-5.


Turquoise and Sterling Silver Earrings



African Chrysocolla and Sterling Silver Earrings



Just a few of my earring creations.

High Trestle Trail Grand Celebrations

On April 30th, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is celebrating the grand opening of the High Trestle Trail.  This trail features one of the largest pedestrian bridges in the world!  The bridge is over 1/2 mile long and 13 stories tall.  The trail is part of a 670 mile trail system that connects Des Moines and several Central Iowa communities.  Get out you bike or walking shoes!

Several area communities are hosting festivities to mark the occasion. One event is being held at Snus Hill Winery where 20 artists will have their work for sale.  A new artists group, the High Trail Trestle Artists, is organizing the event at Snus Hill.  Their members have invited other local artists to join them.  I'm blessed to be one of them.

There will be something for everyone at Snus Hill, including some great wine tastings.  The winery is set in the country where you can enjoy the rural Iowa scenery.  The artists will be set up indoors, so the weather is not a factor.

I hope to see you on Saturday, April 30th.

Octagon's 43rd Annual National Exhibit



Oh, The Wonderful Cross I

This past week I received the happy news that the above painting has been juried into an upcoming national art exhibit at the Octagon Center for the Arts in Ames.  I've been submitting entries the past few years, and this is my first acceptance.  Care to join me in doing the happy dance?


Oh, The Wonderful Cross II


To the left is another painting I submitted that won't be in the exhibit.
Both acrylic paintings have a lot of texture.  They started with layers of heavy gel medium that I incised to create texture. I mixed the paint into heavy gloss gel and applied it to the canvas with palette knifes.  I enjoyed the process very much.

The title of the paintings comes from a beautiful worship song that I sing with my church's praise band.
These words are from the chorus:

Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live
Oh the wonderful Cross, oh the wonderful Cross
All who gather here by grace, draw near and bless Your name
 
 
The 43rd National Clay, Fiber, Paper, Glass, Metal, Wood Exhibition will be on display January 28 – April 10, 2011.  The opening reception will be held on Friday, January 28, 2011 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. 

End of September Pot Luck including GPP Crusade No. 44

You might think I'm just scraping by....
In a sense, I have been.  The September Green Pepper Press Crusade challenged us to prepare a journal page by scraping on paint.   I often use a palette knife, but an old credit card makes a wonderful tool. 

This time I also used some unused plastic dividers from a storage tray... you know, the kind found in the fishing tackle section of the big box store.  I buy them to store beads.

I really didn't have a lot of time to spend on this crusade.  Good thing it was simple.  I started with paint colors I was considering for some "serious" art.  That decision served me well.  I was hoping to replicate a color mixture that I had used previously.  The teal color wasn't turning out as I expected.

After scraping around on my journal page, I remembered that I had forgotten to mix a bit of red with my blue & gold.  Yes, I have this written down in another journal, but I thought I had it memorized better.

I've only shown my "official" crusade page, but I scraped paint more simply in another journal to use up the paint.

The lighting was less than optimal for this flat on shot, but you can see the variety of marks that I could make with my little scrapers.  I wonder what Michelle Ward will challenge us to do next?

This is a little mixed media piece in progress.  It's part of a trio that I painted for this upcoming event:

I'm looking forward to hanging out with fellow artists at Snus Hill Winery in Central Iowa.  Since we will be indoors, it will be a great day to shop for art and taste some wine.

More ATCs for this event (which will make them ACEOs).  Names.  I will be following up soon with replies from my previous post. 
And just in case that wasn't enough, I've been in rehearsals with our church choir.   We will be part of a mass choir (nearly 200 singers!) singing with Simon Estes on Sunday, October 10th at 3:00 at Cornerstone Church in Ames, Iowa.
The proceeds of the concert will benefit Habitat of Humanity in Story County.  Our choir is joining the high school choirs from across the county to perform beautiful music.  Mr. Estes is a world renown bass/baritone.  If you are in the area, this will be a treat for your ears.
Well, I better get back to preparing for this coming Sunday!

Art on Display in Marshalltown

Yesterday a good friend helped me install my new art exhibit. There are now 38 of my works on display at the Fisher Community Center's auditorium in Marshalltown, Iowa. They will be up until January 5, 2010.

My exhibit is being hosted by the Central Iowa Art Association. The Marshalltown Chamber of Commerce is located in the same building and can be contacted at (641)753-6645. Call ahead to be sure the auditorium is open for viewing. The Fisher Impressionist Collection is also housed in this facility and is worth a trip to Marshalltown to experience.

It was a satisfying experience to see so many of my paintings on display at one time. I have several interests and like to try different techniques. I wondered if I would have a cohesive exhibit in the months leading up to this show.

I have to admit that I was a bit overwhelmed when we unpacked all my paintings yesterday morning. Where to start? What to put in which location? (There is one full wall and three partial walls to hang art on.) Then I remembered how we organized the art wall in Cherokee at the Sanford Museum earlier this year when we sorted paintings by predominant color. That's what we did again and it worked out just fine.

Last night an opening reception was hosted by the CIAA. I was so blessed to have some family and old friends come. A few community members stopped by. I think the busy holiday season and the frigid temperatures kept many of the usual art lovers away. More family and friends are planning special trips to view the exhibit. I am grateful for the interest shown in my work. It was very encouraging to me.

Lastly, many thanks go to my supportive and helpful husband.

Marshalltown Art Exhibit Publicity

I found out that our local newspaper ran an article and picture on the front page publicizing my upcoming art exhibit. This is a picture Hubby took of me in late summer. The CIAA (Central Iowa Art Association) requested a photo of me with my art.
Just in case you missed my earlier post, there is an opening reception this coming Friday, Dec. 4th from 5:30 - 7:30 in Marshalltown, Iowa at the Fisher Community Auditorium on Center St.

Come to Art Reception 12-04-09

"INTERSECTIONS"

Who? Regina Gansen Rooks
What? Art Exhibit Opening Reception
Where? Fisher Community Center, 709 S Center St., Marshalltown, IA
When? Friday, December 4, 2009; 5:30 - 7:00

I hope you will come if you are in the area. Thirty-four of my paintings will be on exhibit through the month of December. If you are a follower of this blog, you know I paint a variety of subjects from abstract to floral and landscapes. Most works will be acrylic, but there will also be some transparent watercolor paintings.

The exhibit is hosted by the Central Iowa Art Association. I am thrilled to have been invited to showcase my art.

Reasons to Celebrate Art

My how time has flown by since my last post. In addition to working A LOT at my regular paying job, I've had some art events to celebrate.

Hubby & I went to the opening reception at the Iowa State Fair's Cultural Center on Tuesday evening. It's a special time to preview the Fine Arts exhibit before the fair openned on Thursday. Awards were distributed to winners. I was pleased to find my painting in a prominent and well-lit position this year. I enjoyed mingling with fellow artists and their families.

After the reception, we had a late dinner in the East Village area of downtown Des Moines. The Continental has plenty of atmosphere and delicious food. It was a wonderful way to celebrate.

New Stone Bracelets!

Poppy Jasper, Blackstone and Sterling Silver Bracelet

Blue Goldstone and Sterling Silver Bracelet


Ocean Jasper, Pietersite and Sterling Silver Bracelet

Garnet, Swarovski Crystal and Sterling Silver Bracelet.

Just one more week until the Linn Creek Arts Festival (July 19, 2009) in Marshalltown, Iowa. I've been making new jewelry. It's been a while since I made stone bracelets. I love the variation of color in the different Jasper stones.

Listening to Michael Card while I work.... so inspiring and uplifting! I was blessed to win a set of his CD's while at his concert in late May.

Art in the Heartland - Cherokee, Iowa

Last Friday night my sweet Hubby wrote the previous post on this blog, because I was exhausted after too little sleep and many hours of preparations. We had traveled 150 miles to Cherokee, Iowa where we set up my first solo art exhibit at the Sanford Museum and Planetarium.

There's nothing like a good night's rest to revive the body. After checking out of the motel, we headed to downtown Cherokee. We had an excellent lunch at this cafe.


I love the architecture and signage in this town. There were different types of brick and stonework to keep things interesting.


We were surprised to discover this little park and walking path that led to the Sanford Museum. It was tucked between two buildings. I wonder what happened to create that space.

UPDATE: This was "called Treptow Park, in honor of a WWI hero from Cherokee. He was killed in that war. It was kept up well, for a long time, but some years ago, it began to be neglected. A few years ago, the lot came up for sale and was bought by the museum. We redid the park, with many contributions from our great community, and called it Sanford Lane, thinking the walkway would connect up to the museum, which it does. The big mural on the side was done many years ago by an art class.I think that is some of the story, anyway." Information provided by Michele from the Sanford Museum. Thanks, Michele!


We went back to the Sanford to take pictures. On Friday we had finished setting up the exhibit after closing and didn't get all the shots we wanted. The following are the paintings as you go along the wall from left to right. I put a link to Flicker on the right sidebar of this post where I noted the titles of the art.













I am very pleased with this first exhibit. The museum has been wonderful to work with. I'm very grateful for this opportunity.

Coming Soon: Regina Rooks at Sanford Museum!

This fossil is just a sample of the interesting things to see at the Sanford Museum in Cherokee, Iowa. In May, the first solo show of my paintings will be held at this very eclectic museum. The museum houses a planetarium, archeology and natural history exhibits as well as local historical artifacts.
The Sanford Museum hosts a new art exhibit each month. They invited me to exhibit my art last summer after their representative saw my painting that was on display at the Iowa State Fair. What a thrill this has been to me!
We had never been to the museum, so Hubby & I made the 150 mile trip last December. It was a fun time to visit, because they were all decked out for Christmas. The room where my paintings will hang was filled with bare branch "trees" decorated by elementary age students. SO CUTE!

If you're a regular reader, I've mentioned this exhibit in passing in some of my posts. I have most of my paintings prepared. Now I need to get labels made and revise my artist's statement. I've been journaling thoughts, but it's time to get the job done. It just so happened that a blog I discovered last week gave some excellent journaling tips to help write an artist's statement. You might want to check out this link: Amano Books.

I'm very excited about this opportunity and very grateful to the Sanford Museum.

GPP Crusade No. 29, Brush Effects Take 2

This is an update to this post.



If you are not familiar with the Green Pepper Press Crusades, this post shows just a bit of my participation in this month's challenge. It was done a couple weeks ago. In the previous post, I showed the purple circles right after I added them to the rice paper. I was inspired by other participants to use a chip brush. Then I added a twist by brushing the diluted paint onto wax paper. I took the painted waxed paper and laid it onto the painted rice paper. I would never have made the same type of brush marks on the rice paper if I had worked directly.
I hope to carve out a bit of time this week to update you on the other brush exercises I did in early March. The past couple of weeks I've spent a lot of time cutting mat, mounting and framing artwork. The group I paint with hung a show at the Somerset Gallery in Ames this past week. I delivered new works to Swinging Bridge Studio in Story City on Friday. I hope to complete at least one more work for my solo exhibit that will be held during May at the Sanford Museum in Cherokee, Iowa.
As for my very last post. Nothing new to report on that project. I hope to get some painting done this week!