The Camel - Mixed Media Tapestry made from Upcycled Junk Mail -- "The Last Straw"

 The Last Straw.

It came to me in a dream. A lucid dream, where I was holding a baby camel. I laughed out loud, but stayed asleep. So vivid was this dream, that I immediately looked up the meaning of the dream.

The Last Straw

 

 

 Of course, a dream about a camel can be about endurance, long journeys, reaching goals, but it also can symbolize burdens. That resonated immediately... carrying too many problems on my shoulders, too many responsibilities, clinging to emotions instead of expressing them and releasing them.
WOW.
So profound... at this juncture of my life, I am thinking about these burdens, about letting go of emotional baggage, about the "things" that I've held on to for so long. 
A few things happened in my most innermost thoughts... more to do with people who I feel responsible for holding up, helping out, opinions I keep to myself, words not expressed...
And it was that dream that made me confront those thoughts, those plans, those unexpressed desires and pent up rage... and as I drove home from an acupuncture treatment, the words spilled out of my mouth. 
"That's the LAST STRAW!"
In my mind's eye was an image of a camel, standing in the desert, the heat of the sun radiating behind him, the blue sky around him. 
As with any composition, I start with a simple pencil drawing... and let my imagination go... let the impulse be the action... 
I keep junk mail, calendars, postcards, business cards, greeting cards, and other paper ephemera around. I use paper to create my compositions. 
After the pencil drawing, I began to paint. Just a bit... and began collecting, from boxes of paper, an assortment of photographs. Could be Drew Barrymore's pic on a Vanity Fair fly card, or a pic of someone's baby from a Christmas card... perhaps a photo of me, a greeting card's puppy dog or cartoon...a campaign postcard's featured candidate... and eureka, an enormous pile of photos cut into little squares. I used the squares to create the body of the camel. I created a coating mixed with some acrylic paint to soften the photos; some lighter, some darker, all a little hazy... and outlined the camel with black. 

What is the meaning of the people as camel? Well, they symbolize the past, the ghosts and traumas the myriad of experiences. They are not literal.

 
The background was also improvised, and became a sort-of tapestry / oriental rug / geometric design. 
I created it with squares, triangles, circles and flower designs.
 Junk mail, patterns, textures... from a huge variety of papers I've been hoarding.
As you see in the photos, my camel is hairy... furry? Made from variegated yarn in beige and brown tones, cut with tiny scissors and flung on a sticky surface.

 I added some rough ribbon tot he composition for a bridle, and created some tassels from yarn, ribbon and beads, added chains, bells and other decorative touches. 

Along the bottom are desert roses, also made from paper, which are a bit dimensional. These flowers are native to countries where camels are used as beasts of burden.

You may wonder why I do not attach large files or hi-res photos to these blogs. 
I have a reason. 
I have seen my work reproduced as prints at art fairs, and for sale as designs for other commercial products.
The process of creating is the necessity for me. Once I create a piece,
I no longer need to own it. I work out my issues and have all the self-talk while I am in the studio.
  After many weeks, I am done. This is truly a mixed-media work, a paper mosaic, a tapestry, a dream realized. A slight departure from 15+ years of paper mosaic portraits!
The camel is for sale, it is 36" high x 48" wide, on canvas. Please contact me if you are interested in owning this unusual work of art.

The oddly glowing and extravagantly bejeweled Blue Hippo of Luck and Love in Situ.

 

Imagine you are wandering on your own, contemplating your future when your reverie is interrupted by a huffling noise amid the nearby grasses. A grunting noise accompanied by that of squishing of muck and mire, green blades of grass moving to and fro. You explore further and come upon a clearing - a puddle of mud occupied by a single, blue hippopotamus.

This beast is not only of unusual color, but also covered in a pattern of sparkling jewels. He glitters in the sunlight, his eyes are shimmering sapphires. Typically, hippos are dangerous to humans, but this particular specimen is not. In fact, you have discovered a mystery, a good luck charm, an enchanted being with the power to distribute luck and love to those who find him by accident. For those who need a boost of luck, or a true love to arrive, you only need to find him.

Gaze upon him, then close your eyes and visualize that which will fulfill your heart's deepest wish. His power is yours for just a moment, as he will disappear as quickly as he arrived.

The Oddly Glowing and Extravagantly Bejeweled Blue Hippo of Luck and Love In Situ.

Sandhi Schimmel Gold's Blue Hippo

in si·tu

/in ˈsīto͞o,ˈsē-/

adverb & adjective

adverb: in situ; adjective: in situ; adverb: insitu

in its original place."mosaics and frescoes have been left in situ"

in position. "her guests were all in situ"

Copyright 2015 Sandhi Schimmel Gold - Schimmel Art. Made from upcycled/recycled/repurposed junk mail and other paper that would otherwise go to waste - on canvas - using only non-toxic materials. Covered with repurposed "jewels," rhinestones and sparkling lacquer.

 

10 years in the making - HARAJUKU Girls Kawaii! Style...

Something like...oh, ten years ago Gwen Stefani's song Harajuku Girls came out. I liked the song, the album, and thought the styles the Harajuku girls developed was so much fun! I never forgot it.

Here's a pic of Gwen with a few of the girls... and here's a LINK to the song on YouTube.

 I had a dream about a year ago... in it, I was creating these ridiculous necklaces featuring plastic babies, that were flocked. I searched high and low for the right size babies, bought 'em, painted 'em, flocked 'em. They're still in my studio waiting for a place to go.

I rediscovered Harajuku girls again... and there are a LOT of different styles. I like the Kawaii style that includes a lot of toys, baby colors, and ornaments. Here are some samples of what's happening in 2014:


Cute, right? I love the sparkles, the Hello Kitty look, the bright colored hair... so I decided to create a portrait of some Harajuku girls using upcycled items. I collected a lot of used things from thrift stores... barrettes, yarn, buttons, toys, jewelry, glittery things... and then started drawing, painting and cutting paper.

I made some changes along the way - in color scheme and a few other things...my motto is "The Impulse is the Action!" I put some red and white rays in the back to simulate the Japanese flag... everything else is from my imagination and inspiration.

first sketch

The paper I used is in my studio...a collection Holiday cards, packaging, postcards, business cards, menus, calendars, training manuals, trade magazine covers, catalogs, business cards, tags, etc. I save everything. All the paper used in the background is Christmas cards, or paper with metallic. Every single piece is cut by hand and glued on to the painting -I created- on canvas.
I cover all of the painting with paper... and the only paint at the end is used on the eyes.

Paper part done!

After I finished the paper mosaic, I added a little blush [yeah, real makeup] to the "girls" to tint the paper! I sealed the composition with a non-toxic gloss lacquer. Ah...but I wasn't done yet.

I assembled all those thrift store toys, jewels, etc. to add to the portrait. I know - the girls are flat, and the toys are dimensional. I HAD TO follow through with my vision. I attached, using glue, thread and fishing line... a variety of "stuff."
I even took some of those babies, painted on some pajamas, flocked them with irridescent glitter and coated them... drilled holes into them and made them into a necklace!

plastic babies in their glitter onsies

I cut slits into the canvas to attach hair clips, a crown and earrings. There are jewels, a doll, a pony, hello kitty eraser, a baby pull toy, more weird plastic babies, teddy bears, buttons, and other jewelry.
I was going to use lavender yarn for hair, but it didn't lay right.
At the very end, I touched up the eyes, adding just a bit of paint. The finished piece is 30x40" unframed, but edges are finished. You can see it "in person" in Miami in December at the Spectrum Art Fair. For information on how to get tickets to the oepning, send an email.

Yeah, it took 10 years for a song to make it to my easel, and to finally get some babies on a necklace!
Thanks for reading!

The custom portrait process...and "inside the studio" insights.

It's his birthday, he's in his 70's. He is getting married. 

He started coloring his hair a little...

His family wants to give him something special.

A Portrait. From me!

I get these photos through email, and put together a quick sketch to capture the best of both of them.  I picked the photo of "her" from above [her eyes were the biggest] "him" from the top photo, and his hair color from the one on the right.

Quick Sketch in Paint on Canvas

After drawing and painting, I begin the process of cutting up hundreds and hundreds of pieces of paper. What started out as a simple mosaic process has become an incredibly detailed method...I've been doing this for so long, it's just second nature and difficult to explain!

There is a set of old bedroom furniture in the studio [it was mine when I was a kid] - all junk mail, old calendars, postcards, menus, fly cards, card stock, greeting cards and other ephemera go into those drawers. 

Before I start a new project, I spend a few hours going through that stuff - cutting it and sorting into colors...those piles go into other drawers.

Back to the easel, I sort the colors I've chosen to use by shade and lay them out on a large table. I work one color at a time, cutting and pasting [glueing] each piece one at a time, cutting again and again to fit. Sometimes, they're nothing but a sliver... I might need tweezers to hold the tiny piece, I might need an exacto to trim... The process takes hundreds of hours... during this time, I am looking at the subject's photos...constantly going back and forth, tweeking whatever I need to "get it right."

Thank goodness for NPR and Pandora and PBS online... I can listen to stories, music, comedy and might learn something while I am working or discover a new artist whose music grabs my attention.

Sometimes one of the dogs wanders into the studio. Usually Farfel, who wants me to hold her, but that ain't happening. But she will sit on my hot pink chair and whine... I wish I had a baby bjorn for dachshunds.

In the morning hours, after I have my tea, I often work in whatever I was sleeping in the night before. T-shirt, Yoga pants...Hopefully, no one will come to the door. I work odd hours, all day, with breaks to check my email and see what my friends are doing on Facebook... or talk to friends or family... always wandering back in and picking up where I left off. I am back in the studio at night - often WAY into the wee hours. When I am in the mood...the "zone" I don't know where the time goes. 

The studio is carpeted and I am always trailing it around - embellishing the house with slivers of paper that have stuck to my toes or my socks... and at some point, vacuuming is necessary. Byproduct of my work.

After all the paper is applied, I go back and repaint the eyes, teeth, whatever makes sense. Whatever colors you see - that's the color of the paper. After 24 hours, I apply a sealer and UV coating. Edges of the canvas are painted...usually black.

Here's a small pic of the happy couple [a little glare on the right side] before it got shipped away to enhance another home.

By the way, I don't make my art for me... I make it for YOU!

Thanks for reading!

S

"LUNA" a Pareidolic Portrait [what's Pareidolia?]

This is "Luna," a new mixed media portrait.

 Materials are: Junk Mail, Acrylic Paint, Glitter, Textured Glazes.

Pareidolia is the experience of “seeing” something in a stimulus or an object that’s simply vague and random. An example is the Shroud of Turin. Remember when you were a child lying on your back in the grass, watching the clouds go by and you saw a bunny or a castle in the sky, or the man [or woman] in the moon? Or the Madonna on a piece of toast, or a cluster of cactus? Maybe you've even heard messages when records are played in reverse [number nine? number nine?].

Carl Sagan believed that the ability to recognize faces from a distance or in poor visibility was an important survival technique. While this instinct enables humans to instantly judge whether an oncoming person is a friend or foe, Sagan noted that it could result in some misinterpretation of random images or patterns of light and shade as being faces.
Leonardo da Vinci wrote about pareidolia as an artistic device. "If you look at any walls spotted with various stains or with a mixture of different kinds of stones, if you are about to invent some scene you will be able to see in it a resemblance to various different landscapes adorned with mountains, rivers, rocks, trees, plains, wide valleys, and various groups of hills."

So often, people compare my work to those photo mosaics they've seen at Disneyland or in magazines... an image made up of thousands of photographs created in a computer.

Photo Mosaic at Disney

In fact, many people believe I use some sort of computer program to create my work. I'd like to say that no... I actually DRAW...PAINT...CUT...GLUE... using nothing more hi-tech than pencil, brush, scissors and sometimes and exacto knife.

So, I decided to tackle one of the most common Pareidolic images, the man in the moon... but I love women's faces better...

It's only a Paper Moon

I began by creating a monochromatic background and crescent moon in large squares - if you look closely, you'll see movie tickets [Knight & Day how apropo], greeting cards, advertisements, invitations, fly cards, postcards and photographs. Yes, I have a room full of paper. I save everything. I recycle everything. It took HOURS to cut and sort by tone all of those pieces! I reversed the progression on the moon.  It's only a Paper Moon!

Then the painting of Luna took shape... I kept to a somewhat monochromatic color scheme, only adding a bit of pink paper to the lips and greige shades for the hair.

Luna before the asteroids...

A Crater!

I was pretty happy when I got there, but never leaving well enough alone, I grabbed palette knives, brushes, glitter, gravel, textured gels and my own fingers to create peaks, valleys, craters and rocky textures.
This changed the perfectly flat "collage" into a textured moonscape. Now my woman in the moon looked like she was ON the moon!

This portrait, one of many in my collection of paper mosaic portraits is 30x40" on 1" museum wrapped canvas. Edges are painted black. Wired, ready to hang!

See more here: Schimmel Art Web Site

Aurelia - Golden Girl

My Golden Girl... Aurelia

Despite the similar features to a somewhat familiar face...my portrait of Aurelia is NOT an actress. The inspiration was drawn from a photo of a captivating brunette in a crisp white blouse.

I'm first to admit I appropriate images seen in advertisement... images of beauty as defined by society. I take those images and re-make them - re-invent - re-interpret the shapes, planes and curves of a face... and make something completely new.

Although it is difficult to tell, the entire piece is gold. Hundreds of pieces of hand cut and hand affixed "mosaic" pieces - of paper. White and cream pieces of junk mail, greeting cards, holiday cards accented with foil embellishments... golden pieces, bronze, and deep browns with accents of gold. The background is painted in gold and bronze.

16x20" on canvas.  Aurelia \a(u)-re-lia\ as a girl's name is pronounced aw-REEL-yah. It is of Latin origin, and the meaning of Aurelia is "golden".

The Blogosphere!

So, I got a request for images for a blog. Sometimes I respond, sometimes I don't...depending on the blog. If it looks like an aesthetic fit, them seem legit, and they ask for PERMISSION to use my images, and they PROMISE to add a link back to my site, I say yes.

Am I crazy? Or crazy good?

So the latest, blog, My Modern Metropolis did a short story, but included a lot of pics. Thanks, Alice - that was wonderful.
But then... off to cyberspace! Blogs picked up the story and reblogged it all over the world.

Off it goes. Liked on Facebook, Tweeted. Somehow, Flavorpill picked the My Modern Metropolis story verbatim. On to Tumblr. From there to many other blogs including pretty propaganda and hundreds of others. Most just posted a photo of one of my pieces. Some of them included my name, some got my gender wrong [should it matter?], some got my name totally wrong! Most left my name off... and images are just floating around...

What's your opinion? Should it bother me? I'd love your opinion...

Buy Local, Bid on my work!

I'm an advocate of the "buy local" movement.

Way back when I worked at St. Mary's Food Bank, I made sure the organization joined Local First, Arizona and when I started my own business, I joined, too.

The Fall Festival is coming up in two weeks, and to lend my support I have donated

an original piece of art for the silent auction. 

"Thinly Veiled Attempt" is 16x20"

It is a junk mail mosaic, embellished with gold netting and jewels. 

It's not a good photo of the piece, but here it is:

 

If you're in Metro Phoenix on November 13th, I hope you'll attend the Fall Festival and bid on my work - it goes to a good cause.

Shift your spending!

Ever Fallen in Love with Someone...

With someone you shouldn't've?

There are two songs that inspired this new piece, "Ever" - 

one is Queen Bitch by David Bowie, the other is  Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) by the Buzzcocks...I like this version by Billy Talent.

You know the feeling - you're pissed - you're heart's in the basement your weekend's at an all time low... you're up on the 11th floor...gazing at your hotel walls...and you're phoning a cab, and you're stomach feels small...

You've fallen in love with someone you shouldn't have fallen in love with.

Love doesn't always end well. Sometimes it just STINKS. If you haven't been there yet, you will be someday. It's good to have a great song to blast and sing along with during those moments of fury. These two worked for me [oh, a long time ago, kiddies... I'm happily married].

So, here's a hot red-head. Naming her "Ever" just 'cause it's pretty. What YOU need to figure out is whether she's the mean one, or if she's the angry one because her lover is fooling around somewhere else [perhaps with someone in a bippity-boppity hat?]. 

"Ever" is a lovely mosaic created entirely from junk mail - 24x36" on canvas...like all my other art.

Have you seen my slideshow on Planet Green? 

Did you know I am teaching art classes in Phoenix?

Hope to hear from you - let me know what you think!

Sandhi

What's with the Green Fine Art?

A lot of people ask me why I am a green fine artist.

There are actually many reasons

1. I've been an artist since I was a little kid. Art classes, art major, artist as a profession. You're always around toxic stuff - paints, fumes, dyes, etc. I'd wake up at night wheezing after exposure to these chemicals. I know how dangerous many of them are. I made a promise to myself a few years ago to stop using toxic materials. 
2. Artists have a tendency to hoard. Okay, I'm not on the scale of those who end up on reality shows, but I do have a room where I store all my paper [junk, mail, postcards, calendars, etc.], paints, crayons, pencils, Styrofoam balls, moss, needlepoint canvas, beads, yarn, tile, glass, mats, stickers, frames, ink, magazines, colored sand, buttons, toys, broken stuff... a whole lotta potentially useful "art supplies" that I always intended to use for something.
3. I am a recycle/upcycle individual by nature. I can't help it. I have 10 times more trash for the recycle bin than the trash bin... and if I hadn't found a giant RAT in my composter, a couple of months ago, I'd be doing that too. I buy art at yard sales, and re-use the canvas, the frames... why not. I ride a bike. I buy local. I use green products.
4. I think of myself as an artist first. I happen to be a green person. My work happens to be made from non-toxic stuff. You could eat it [you can't digest it].

So, it's somewhat from self-preservation, a life-style, a habit, and kismet. I created a technique that is unique to me... and happens to help the environment. It's all good.  I hope you like it, too.

Hope you can attend the opening at Translations Galley in Denver next month!

Not just another pretty face...

Not just another pretty face?

I realize a lot of people really appreciate my work, but they just aren't into faces. I get it.
So, in a flash of inspiration, I took to my library of books - tile, art nouveau decor, elements of design, stained glass, architectural elements, turn-of-the-century architecture... to find a couple of images that would spark my imagination.


Results? Three new pieces.
Each 24x24" on canvas - Floral [Art Nouveau], Fleur de Lis [Tile] and Stained Glass.

Still made entirely of junk mail.

I thought these would be easier to make than a portrait...and I WAS WRONG. Just as hard.

I hope these new images will appeal to a broader base than just faces... but they're still pretty!

See more at Schimmel Art

Smoulder

Smoulder. Definition? Slow Burn. With those eyes and pursed lips, arched brow... this girl's on FIRE!
Usually, when I draw and paint faces, I'm very very tight and controlled - a perfectionist. This time, I wanted to be a little loosey-goosey. I drew and painted with fluid motions. I let go of the need to control every detail.
And, I usually paint pretty pictures. This one is perhaps a little deeper.
I painted her face in shades of blue - and then - geez! had to match the odd shades going through a gigantic box of blue paper, junk mail, advertising, cards, etc. Look closely, you'll see icebergs and Hanukah candles and clouds.
I painted her lips red. They just popped. But the hair...hmmm. what to do. I stood back, asked my husband - he said RED! Once the paint hit the canvas, I knew he was right. Look closely to see perfume bottles, Macy's ads, catalog covers and more in the hair.
The original is available from the artist for $4150.00 no prints, no cards, no reproductions. One of a kind! Contact artist@schimmelart.com

Mother Nature - Inspiration

This is my newest piece [until later today, anway]... Mother Nature is 24x48" on canvas.
While working on my Angels & Icons series, my friend Julie suggested Mother Nature... and that I would figure out a way to incorporate branches...perhaps coming out of her head!

When I drew this face on the canvas, I was thinking of a more traditional tree...but came across an invitation to a grand opening event in San Diego put on by Ran Roy Printing - that featured my art. Lisa Sinclair from Ran Roy called to say they had left over invites, did I want them? Sure! So, the invite featured a bird in a flowering tree. The branches were swirly... and you know, I love swirls.

So the branches became swirls - sort of like ferns - billowing out of Mother Nature's head... thanks, Julie!

I decided to use the colors of earth, sand, dirt as the tones in the face. I sorted the pieces by shade and after creating all the darker shadows, started with the darker shades and moved toward the light - using lighter shades as I went... All of the colors in Mother Nature are pretty natural. Look closely, you'll see some pieces of the invitation in her hair.

The photo doesn't do her gaze justice... she looks pensive, maybe a little suggestive [slightly open mouth].

The colors are browns, greens and a little red & black.

By the way, Ran Roy printed my greeting cards and prints - 8 different images as cards, 12 images as prints. Check them out here.

What's Happening Now... S A Schimmel Gold

At the moment...

The last few years have been a whirlwind of activities, many taking me away from and out of the studio. I've been distracted at times, and have participated in too many activities. I will spend the next 6 months hunkering down, concentrating on my new direction; re-shaping my work, paring down the messaging and preparing 10-12 large pieces for a serious showing.

I am not participating in a lot of events – you may notice my calendar is short of openings, shows & festivals. I am also not cranking out new pieces as much as I had for shows, etc. This was planned.

• For one thing, I had major surgery last week and am recuperating. It will be several weeks before I can return to my normal work schedule. The surgery date kept getting moved, so it was difficult to plan ahead or make a lot of commitments.

• Second, going to art festivals in this economic climate can be depressing – yes, I still get incredible reactions to my work, but I know a lot of people are hurting and just can't make purchases of luxury items... let's face it, art is a luxury!

• And third, after the Access Hollywood gift lounge, I am committed to completing several custom portraits for celebrities, so these custom pieces have been and will continue to tie up my time for a while longer.

• I have been asked to create a book, and also to teach workshops. I will be taking some time to explore this direction; investigate if, how and when I would move forward with these projects.

• But, most importantly, I have a series in mind that I believe will take me as an artist to a new level. My intention is to create a modern collection of Icons – using the traditional Russian Icon as an inspirational “jumping off” point – using my pop-art style & unusual color palettes to create something completely unique. And creating my own resource images.

  • I often use images provided by the advertising machine – whether for beauty or fashion or even celebrity.

    • For this series, I will style and photograph my own images.

    • Instead of using models or actors as subjects – I will use ordinary women and through my art – transform each of them into an Icon. A new mythology of women will go along with the series. Curious, yes?
      

  • I will continue to use advertising ephemera, junk mail and other “potential” debris to create my work, including found objects beyond the 2-dimensional.

    • In addition, all materials used to create the image will be non-toxic, acid-free and water-based. I will continue to upcycle, reuse, repurpose and recycle whenever possible.

  • I will be posting progress and photos on my blog, so keep posted.

Am I still selling art? You bet.

I do have a one-woman show at Translations Gallery in Denver – opening May 1, 2009.

I still have work at the American Gallery in Carmel and Raw Style in Santa Monica – both in California. And, I have several pieces here at my home studio – private appointments are available. You can always check my site to see what is available... and send me an email for pricing.

One last thing - the name game: S A Schimmel Gold... Sandhi, Sandy, Sandra...etc. What's the deal?

S. A. - I like using my initials. They're not gender nor age specific.

I started using Sandhi about a year ago as a new way to spell Sandy. It's a sanskrit word - the meaning works. I like it.

Schimmel Gold. Okay, I was Schimmel for SO long, "Schimmel Art" [the business name] started when I was still single.

When I married Mr. Gold 4 1/2 years ago, I added Gold to the end of my name. No hyphen.

I'm not a jeweler.

A lot of people still call me "Schimmel" - some use both. I don't really mind, but Mr. Gold does. And I am proud to be his wife, so I like having Gold at the end of my name.

I look forward to talking more!

After the show

Nothing is more satisfying to me, as an artist, than meeting the people I create my artwork for. When the adorable couple from Canada spotted the one piece that was meant for them =[Film Noir] and instantly fell in love with it - I knew it was meant to be.
Recently, I've been thinking about a new direction and experimented with a piece I created right before the show - and a gentleman saw it and had to have it. Thanks for supporting the direction, I'm thinking it's the way to go!
I was thrilled to bits to be part of the Scottsdale Art Festival - for many reasons - meeting my fans [!] and seeing my collectors again, and giving new homes to my art - it all adds up to a wonderful experience.

Yes, I am the smart-ass artist

I make art for YOU. I am in love with each piece as I create it, but then I am happy to let it go.
Here are some of the questions I get asked every time I show my work. Yes, I am a smart-ass.

FAQ:

1. "Are YOU the artist?" - When people meet me in person, they seemed to be surprised at my appearance - were you expecting someone taller? younger? male? thinner? African-American...blonde?

2. "How long have you been an artist?" - I've never not been an artist.

3. "How long have you been doing this kind of work?" - I've done mosaic work forever. Check out photos of my bathroom on my web site. I created mosaic portraits in many versions using several techniques - years ago. I created a mosaic landscape in high school. I've always painted in this style...so it's a natural progression. The first portrait in this style probably happened in 2004.

4. "How did you come up with this idea?" - I'm brilliant! Sounds like a smart-ass answer, but what else would it be? I'm clever, I'm talented, I'm an artist, I'm creative...!

5. "Why is it so expensive?" - Compared to what? How do you put a price on my talent... or the time it takes to create a fabulous piece of art from nothing? A canvas is blank - and after a while it is filled with color & texture - my vision transformed to a sustainable image you can own forever. A "Kelly" bag from Hermes can cost $30,000.00! A pair of Manolo Blahnik designer shoes can be over $1000.00 [and you won't wear them next season!],

6. "Where do find your materials?" - the mailbox. And, stuff that might have been heading into the recycle bin. Yes, it's all mine. I save everything.

7. "Oh, so it's JUST paper?" - JUST paper? Yeah, and Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" - it's just paint...so are the masterpieces created by Picasso, Klimt, Jackson Pollock - Michaelangelo's "David" - it's just a piece of rock... Rodin's "Thinker" is just metal, Warhol's soup can... just ink...the famous windows at Notre Dame Catherdral or Chagall's masterpieces at the U.N. ... are just glass [which is just sand]...the army of terracotta soldiers in China...just dirt. Does it really matter what the masterpiece is constructed of? Some of the world's most amazing places were created by just water [the Grand Canyon, Victoria Falls] or wind.

8. "What kind of glue do you use?" - this is probably the most common question. My question is - why do you need to know? I created the concept, the technique, the style... what difference does it make? All you need to know is my adhesives work and are acid-free... the pieces stay on and the color doesn't fade.

9. "Do you hold workshops?" - I've gone around and around on this. I'm not a patient teacher. What is most important is knowing how to create a composition, have an eye for color, be willing to spend hundreds of hours sorting and cutting pieces... I can't teach you how to paint or how to see an image in tiny bits. So, at the moment, I'm not having any workshops.

10. "Do you have any other talents?" - I've been playing piano since I was 4. I am a good painter [acrylic, watercolor], I can draw, I can design needlepoint, handbags, shoes & clothes, I can throw pottery, fuse glass, make paper, set tile, I can cook, I can ride a bike. I focus on my artwork so I continue to create every day in a style and technique I love.

Access Hollywood Gift Lounge

Everyone's been asking me about the "Stuff You Must" Gift Lounge - I gave each celebrity a choice of a custom portrait or a giclee of one of three pieces. You'll just have to keep an eye on my web site to see who got a portrait - I'll post them once they're done!

The Access Hollywood
“Stuff You Must” Gift Lounge Experience

Here’s who I met… and a few other visitors who were there but didn’t stop by…

Aaron Paul – Breaking Bad – Big Love
Alexandra Leighton – Swingtown – The Hills
AnnaLynne McCord – 90210 – Nip/Tuck
Billy Bush - Access Hollywood
Blair Underwood – Dirty Sexy Money – In Treatment
C S Lee – Dexter – The Unborn
Candis Cayne – Dirty Sexy Money
Carrie Ann Inaba – Dancing with the Stars
Chi McBride – Pushing Daisies – Boston Public
Christian Siriano – Project Runway
Deanna Russo – Knight Rider – The Young and the Restless
Erinn Hayes – Worst Week
Evan Handler – Californication – Sex in the City
Glynn Thurman – In Treatment, - The Wire
Greg Germann – Talledega Nights – Bolt
Holly Robinson Peet – For Your Love - Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper
Jack McBrayer – 30 Rock – Forgetting Sarah Marsha;;
James Kyson Lee – Heroes - CSI
Jamie King – The Tudors – Tristan + Isolde
Joey Fatone – ‘N Sync – Dancing with the Stars
Josh Adams – Access Hollywood
Josh Gomez – Chuck – Without a Trace
Joy Lauren – Desperate Housewives
Judy Reyes – Scrubs - OZ
Julie Benz – Dexter – Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Justin Bruening – Knight Rider – All My Children
Kelly Hu – The Tournament – In case of Emergency
Kevin Sorbo – Hercules – Meet the Spartans
Kimberly Elise – The Great Debaters - Diary of a Mad Black Woman
Laurel Holloman – The L Word – Boogie Nights
Madeleine Martin – Californication – Law and Order
Maria Menounos - Access Hollywood – One Tree Hill
Mark Moses – Desperate Housewives – Mad Men
Mark Wiley – Best Buddies
Maureen McCormick – The Brady Bunch
Melina Kanakaredes – CSI New York - Providence
Mrs. Adam Carolla - The Hammer – The Man Show
Nancy Lenehan – Worst Week – My Name is Earl
Nancy O’Dell - Access Hollywood
Neil McDonough – Desperate Housewives – I Know Who Killed Me
Paul Campbell – Knight Rider – Battleship Gallactica
Rachel Harris – Notes from the Underbelly – Worst Week
Rachelle Lefevre – Twilight - Swingtown
Rodrigo Santoro – Lost
Ross [the Intern] Matthews – The Tonight Show
Rumer Willis – The House Bunny, Ms. Golden Globes
Sam Trammell– True Blood – Alien vx. Predator
Samaire Armstrong – Dirty Sexy Money – The O.C.
Soloman Trimble – Twilight
Tahmoh Penikett – Battleship Gallactica - Smallville
Taylor Lautner – Twilight – My Own Worst Enemy
Tichina Arnold – Everyone Hates Chris - Martin
Vanessa Hudgens – High School Musical
Zachary Levi – Chuck – Less Than Perfect

And, Sophia Bush, Cloris Leachman, Tim Daly, Sally Hawkins & Donal Logue