Linda Mahoney Art

Zentangle - In the latest issue of CPSA's "To the Point", Verna Curnow presented an article on zentangle or zendoodle. An artform where repetitive patterns or shapes are used to create a meditative image. Easily seduced to try something new with art, I began my patterns with ink pen in hand. I used archival Pitt pens and made my image on Stonehenge paper. I have to admit it was time consuming, but thoroughly enjoyable. I titled this little piece "Edge of Entanglement". It's on an 8 x 6 sheet of Stonehenge paper. It's something I could work on between other projects with very little needed for materials. I did some of it while riding in the car and had to stay away from the finer lines while bumping along in the Mustang. Seems those sports suspensions are not built for smoothness. LOL! Now I'm thinking of doing a whole art journal in this style. Wonder if I can stick with something that long...Anyone can do this type of art and it if doodling is ...

I am so very honored to have my artwork included in Ann Kullberg's "Colored Pencil Treasures" book. My work appears on page 34 as seen in the previews here http://www.annkullberg.com/cptreasures_2.php This is the third book that includes colored pencil artwork that I have created. I continue to work on improving my skills in fine art and to promote colored pencil as a viable medium for creating fine art.

I can't believe it's been over a year since I posted on this blog and vow to be much more attentive to this in the coming year. Just this week I helped judge artwork at the local junior livestock and homemaking show. It was interesting and inspiring to see such wonderful work being created by local children ages 6 - 12. I was moved by the ability of so many of them and encouraged by the interest of all of them. We were instructed to make comments on each judging sheet. As a sometimes instructor of adults who have shared their childhood experiences with me, I strived to find positive comments for every piece and to frame negatives and suggestions in a constructive manner. I thought about abandoning my blog as it takes time away from other things I might like to do a little more. But then, I thought about how easy it is to give up on things and that's what so many kids do even though there was something they longed to communicate. So, my message to myself and to you is: Keep...

As I began to write this post, I realized that the previous 2 entries featured shades of pink and this one will, too. Maybe time to come up with a different pallette? I keep struggling with the need to create a body of work. My ADD-addled brain has me hopping from one "great" idea to another despite my concerted efforts to stay on track. I began a colored pencil painting but the new box of open acrylics kept calling my name. I've been interested in trying the "open" formulation of acrylics for some time now and I finally succumed to the siren call. I have also been wanting to paint flowers in a larger than life format, so this rose is 18"x18" and I really enjoyed doing it. While painting this rose, Frances Ince Erdmann came to mind as she grew beautiful roses and even worked with a rose supplier (Jackson Perkins?) on their hybrid line. She was a generous friend and fun person who was also a victim of cancer. I've named this painting "Rememberi...

This chest belonged to my husband's sister, who I never got to meet. It was then used by his daughter Liane and ultimately ended up in storage. I decided it would make a great project for Liane's daughter, Kamrynn, and set about changing it from the basic French Provencial white to something with a little more character. Previous makeovers of this type have included a set of cabinet doors when we added a cabinet unit to an older house and were not able to match the existing cabinets, and a large wooden floor lamp. I'll post photos of the other two mentioned projects in the near future. The chest and lamp were inspired by the ever colorful and whimsical styles of Mackenzie-Childs. I find their work especially delightful for the child in us all. Happy creating!

This past week was spent in the cool mountain village of Cloudcroft, NM where I taught a class in collage.So much has happened since my last post. Some of it has been fabulous: I have a fantastic daughter-in-law! Some of it tragic: my daughter-in-law's father, who was also a personal friend, passed away in the early morning hours on the day of the wedding. Also, my baby sister is now home with hospice as she continues to battle damned cancer. Life happens and we deal with it. Collage is a welcome respite from the world of reality. It is a break from the tedious detailed work I usually do. I believe the freedom of it is what has made it a unanimous first choice for my students.I'm posting a collage that I completed as a demonstration for the students which includes 3-d elements. It's a cheerful party dress that will be inserted in a shadowbox frame. The dress is made up of paper elements layered and bent to contribute to the form. The wood panel support was c...

Though my website, I was contacted by a lady who asked if I could do a portrait of her daughter along with her daughter's pets. She has 3 dogs and a beloved turtle and wanted to have them all included in the portrait. We discussed sizes and agreed that a 22 x 16 would be large enough to incorporate all the subjects and include enough detail to make each recognizable. Also, with a 4" mat, the fnished portrait would easily fit into a 30x24 standard sized frame. We discussed pastel and colored pencil as the preferred mediums for completing the portrait. When I learned that they wanted to carry the portrait with them on a plane where they would travel to visit the final recipient, I suggested colored pencil as the more portable of the two. The client was already leaning toward the colored pencil from reviewing portraits on my website. We discussed the setting for the portrait and a natural, outdoor setting seemed well suited for the inclusion of the pets. The client lives in a bea...