Latest works . . .

I've been generating a prodigious amount of work lately with no lack of ideas and with the luxury of having a decent amount of time to create. I'm not sleeping much at all (which isn't good), but I'm loving what I'm doing.

What I especially love is the surprise, the way images turn out that bear no resemblance to my initial concept(s). I try an effect, something bizarre happens, and so I run with it, often tossing it out later but that doesn't matter -- it's the process that's important, and everything I discard gives me a stronger foundation for future images. (Did that make any sense? Am I taking myself way too seriously?)

As I'm working, I'm constantly uploading my pictures to Fine Art America, where I currently have slightly more than 800 available. And sales have been good. I'm excited at how well I'm doing there, and am extremely grateful.

Here are five examples of current images. The prayer flag project continues. I'll probably upload one more "set" (three individual images plus a triptych) and then, even though I've got many more for this particular series, am going to change the look, see if I can come up with a completely different series of them.

Old papers, cement, my own sketches, lines, and marks are forming the backbone of what I'm currently doing. I'm also looking at previous "failures" and seeing if there's anything I can do with new eyes and more skills to create something better.

It's 3 a.m., 19 degrees outside, Chris and the cat are sound asleep, and here I am in my little office, bleary-eyed but very pleased with how things are progressing. Wishing you equal pleasure in your work, whatever it is that is capturing your heart, but hoping you are sound asleep right now and that your weather is a bit warmer than we're having here.

©Carol Leigh

It's a good day to . . .

. . . celebrate yourself! When I created this photomontage of pen nibs, I made a quick note in my journal because I was so jazzed with the result. I didn't plan the montage, it just seemed to come about automatically. I love it when I surprise myself. Have you surprised yourself lately? And did you celebrate it? ©Carol Leigh

Inkwell

A vintage inkwell, a vintage pen, and a photo I took of a page from an antique Japanese book combine beautifully here. The warm color comes from a background I painted and then photographed to add to the mix. All the elements in this piece were photographed here and then, not unlike a collage, pieced and blended together into one picture. Click to enlarge. ©Carol Leigh

Fountain Pens

Sometimes you're working along, trying this, trying that, and then something just snaps into place. Which is what happened here, when I began messing around with a photograph of an old fountain pen. ©Carol Leigh