Turquoise Cross

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121351450447?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Write up:

"materials: colorful swirled green stained glass with copper wire and a polished stone turquoise howlite in the center.

This cross was hand-made by me, dianne curtis using stained glass and copper.
I use a special technique for placing my solder in a decorative style similar to the old medieval Romanesque crosses I love so much. The bent wire hanger and lightweight design allows it to be hung anywhere a push pin can go. This particular cross has beautiful, white swirls going through clear, deep blue and iridescent glass."

Turquoise Romanesque Cross

My favorite art style during the Middle Ages was the Romanesque style which references the 11th and 12th century in Europe. This was a prosperous time when artisans looked back at a great empire and tried to mimic the art left by the Romans. Unfortunately, the skills and training threat the roman artisans had was not readily available but many of the old traditions were preserved in Byzantium and the artists from Constantinople were traveling to the Roman Catholic world. They brought their skills with them and shared these styles with the monasteries where crosses and small figurines were in demand. In fact, this was such a lucrative trade that many of the monasteries became rich off of selling 'cloister crafts' to medieval Christian families.

Like these early Christians, I share an appreciation for Roman style and skill. I love the mixed metals they used and even thought they did this because of lack of resources; the 'marriage' of more than one metal into an art form creates a beautiful style. I've always loved copper and silver or lead together so I really enjoy making these crosses. Every one of them is a unique, one-of-a-kind work of art. I've sold over a hundred of them to different churches and people browsing through crafts fairs and festivals.

This cross is available on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/121351450447?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

The Golden Hour

The Golden Hour

Photographers know this moment. It occurs twice every day no matter if it's been raining or sunny. Long before photography, we called this time, 'twilight.' Even the early renaissance masters knew that this was a magical time of day when the suns colors were brilliant. 

The sky takes on a gradient rainbow and everything is bathed in a golden highlight. 

Grab your camera and head for the outdoors when you see the sun setting behind the horizon. Your pictures will turn out wonderful, but hurry...

 

...you only have a 30-45 minute window before all the magic is gone.

The Mysterious Dr. Byrd

The Mysterious Dr. Byrd

Write up on ebay:

"What is he up to this time? The mysterious Dr. Byrd creates quite a questionable stir, staying up late in his laboratory working on secretive experiments. Is that a chart of a human or bird on the wall? Is he making humans into birds or birds into humans?"

The original painting for this print was inspired by many things: my love of vultures, my love for Sci Fi, and my love for the macabre. I'll address each one of these muses separately.

Vultures have always fascinated me. When I was younger and a group of us were driving to Mexico for Spring Break, we came across a group of vultures picking away at a carcass in the middle of the highway. They were so bold they would not move for us. The driver had to slam on the breaks to stop from hitting them. I wanted to take a picture of them but they wouldn't stop long enough for me to get my camera out. The driver screamed at me, "No way am I stopping! Vultures are nasty!"

Vultures have been called "nature's environmentalists." Imagine how messy this world would be without vultures. The ancient Egyptians believed that the vulture brought your soul to heaven. They probably drew this conclusion by seeing a group of vultures picking away at a carcass and then flying up into the sky.

A black vulture is featured in this painting, much like the ones an Egyptian would find in the desert. I've dressed him up in doctors' clothes to reference Dr. Frankenstein, one of my all time favorite books. Mary Shelley was way ahead of her time, like many science fiction writers and I've mentioned her famous book before. (See my writing on Edvard Munch.) Dr. Byrd also represents Dr. Moreau. I love H.G. Wells and "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is my favorite of all his works.

Monsters make great horror stories. They are symbolic for the unknown and the mutant. Many monsters in stories are the cause of humans' wrong-doings which gives the monster a relationship to our own societies. I believe those are my favorite monsters although I do love the legends of Bigfoot and the Thunderbird. I would like to think there are still species this large that we have not discovered. 

This print is available on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251540978097&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Ruben's Garden

Ruben's Garden

I just moved and although I'm very happy with my new place, I miss some things about the old place. Top on that list is Ruben's Garden. Ruben is a fellow artist that teaches painting. His work is incredible and he tends a garden in his spare time which (I'm sure) gives him inspiration for more paintings. Monet did this with his garden so this isn't unusual for an artist to build their own inspiration making the land readily available whenever they need a beautiful landscape to paint.

Ruben lives on a corner lot so he gets lots of sun and space to grow all kinds of flowers. I used to sneak over to his garden and photograph all the different types of flowers he grew. I'm using them as inspiration for my own paintings, too.

I also took photos of the entire complex where we lived. I found inspiration everywhere. We had incredible gardeners at this place and I've got the photographs to prove it. I've got several ACEOs on ebay that were inspired by my old complex.

Creating a garden like Ruben's garden takes years of practice. I don't see how he can pack so many different species of flowers in tight spaces. I didn't live there long enough for him to teach me but now I've got my own piece of turf and an east-west sun for the challenge. I can't think of a more peaceful hobby for my spare time. Artists' gardens are extra special because they work their own sculptures into the landscape. There seems to be a treasure behind every corner and inspiration for everyone. I could write more about Monet's or Ruben's garden but all this talk about landscape painting and gardening makes me want to go create something...can't stand it anymore...gotta go. See ya!

   

Here is the ebay link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251540444109&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

Edvard Munch and "The Scream"

Edvard Munch

"The Scream" is as iconic as the "Mona Lisa" and it speaks to us on many levels. Most have read the quote by Munch about this painting, "I could feel nature screaming" and contribute it to all the anguish the artist had to overcome in his own life. At a young age, he watched his mother and his sister both die of tuberculosis. Munch used painting as a form of therapy for dealing with the trauma in his life. Long before there were terms like art therapy, Munch was using art to express feelings he could not put into words. 

Edvard was ahead of his time in many ways. Historians call this an iconic image because it speaks to every one of us on many levels. One small part of this painting I like to focus on when I talk about this painting in art history lectures and that is the blurred factory in the back that seems to be spewing smoke into the sky. Edvard talked about the sky being blood red on the particular night that he was inspired to paint "The Scream."

 This particular version of "The Scream" was painted in 1893 which falls right in the middle of the industrial revolution. This is a time when modern inventions brought all kinds of luxuries into the western home but it also brought slums, child labor and pollution. People were becoming aware that the air quality around them had deteriorated. They were questioning the technology and where it had brought them as a society. Was Munch feeling this when he said he could "feel nature screaming" as he painted this symbolic character in the foreground?

Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" was first published in 1818 and it addressed the fear society was having with all the new technologies. They questioned whether these inventions were controlling the human. What consequences did these new luxuries bring us? Could science and inventions get so out of control that machines might be able to take over? Were we becoming too dependent on our new machines?

Have you ever realized that the "Terminator" movies are based on the same theme as Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein"? We are now in the beginning of the Digital Revolution. Many of the problems facing our society today were addressed in the industrial revolution. The 'Great Depression' followed the industrial revolution. Should we reflect more on that famous quote "Those who fail to learn from history are destined to repeat it?"