the unraveling of my mind

New Art - January 2012

2012-01-14T01:48:00.039-05:00

No one wants to join your fucking club

Acrylic on wood, 2012

From the beginning, it felt like being inducted to the Cancer Club.

A club no one chooses, no one knows how they end up there, and it's never short on new memberships.

Tonight, I needed some "in yo face" art therapy. There are no sophisticated subtleties in this one.

BTW, the "people" in the club are amazing and without them I would be lost. It's the "cancer" in the club that this piece is directed toward.

I'm documenting my journey from diagnosis to treatment and onward here: fleeting glances: a moment. a day. a year. a life.

If you could see your soul... what would you see?

2011-11-03T00:05:00.034-04:00

Don't know? I can draw your SOUL PORTRAIT

... or you can have a Soul Portrait done of someone else as a gift for them.

A Soul Portrait is a drawing (like below) that combines images and symbols that represent a person and illustrate an individual personality.
The above Soul Portrait combines the following images: Rocky Mountains, film photography, gardening, astrology (zodiac), Aquarius symbol, Uranus, music, thunderstorm, Epona the white mare, dragon, dragonfly, birch tree, antibodies, handheld micropipettor, a nickname, and part of a favorite quote.

Why is this a cool gift?
1. Who wouldn't love an original artwork made just for them, and all about them?
2. Black and white matches everything
3. The size, 6x9, is small enough to sit on a bookshelf if there isn't enough wall space
4. Customized original artwork for $45
5. You're supporting an artist (thank you!)

To purchase a Soul Portrait:

1. Choose from menu (with or without $5 shipping)

2. Email me to request a Soul Portrait questionnaire - so you can share what images and symbols you'd like in the drawing.

sheri.delia@gmail.com

OCCUPY ART

2011-10-17T20:15:00.005-04:00

NO MORE, mixed media, 2011

(incomplete... work in process...)
This past July (2011), I drew this fat CEO sitting on top of working class, poor, sick, and elderly American people -- just a few months before the Occupy Wall Street movement hit NYC. I must have tapped into the vibe that was brewing.

Today, I added the flag underneath and the words. I hope to share the finished piece soon.

Cinemopolis in downtown Ithaca

2011-09-04T01:31:00.005-04:00

Cinemopolis, altered image, 2011

Artists are observers driven to record what and how they see the world around them. Like scratching into existence "I was here."

Being drawn back into photography --- but with a painters spirit. I've decided to call this an "Altered Image" rather than "Altered Photography". Not that it makes a big difference.... but it was taken with my cell phone before altered -- so "image" seems more appropriate.

New Series: Mixed Media on Wood

2011-05-15T13:56:00.001-04:00

Joy and Sorrow, mixed media on wood, 2011

An almost completed image in new series inspired by chapters in the book, The Prophet.

May add more... not sure.... but happy with result so far!

New Art in Downtown Ithaca exhibit

2011-05-01T10:45:00.000-04:00

Birds, 2011, 14x11, Mixed Media

Joy, 2011, 8x10, Mixed media

New mixed media pieces will be on display at the Waffle Frolic on the Ithaca Commons.

New work in mixed media

2011-04-20T21:56:00.015-04:00

For my upcoming solo exhibit titled, Creative Wanderings: 2005 - 2011, I've created some new pieces in mixed-media (two posted below). The work will be on display in the Chittenango School District, where I taught art for 11 years. Talk about pressure! The show will include 15 works created from 2005, the year I resigned from teaching, through today.

I taught digital media, film/digital photography, and studio art. As a professional artist, I've worked in several medias -- I began as a portrait illustrator (which I hated), moved to more expressive and experimental works in painting and assemblage, embraced digital illustration for a while, worked with video and web design, and have ended up in the land of mixed-media --- where I've been experimenting (and indulging in) combining illustrations, doodles, and digital images with painting and found objects.

Images from top to bottom:
Nectar, mixed-media, 2011
Destiny, mixed-media, 2011

My entry-point to creative wanderings

2011-04-02T11:30:00.001-04:00

A fellow artist posted a question on her blog today.

She asked all artists, musicians, dancers -- all creative types -- to share what they see as their "muse" or inspiration for doing what they do.

I realized my muse is doodling.

It has been my great escape since childhood. When I doodle, I'm in a flow-of-consciousness mode, channeling or allowing images to surface in my minds-eye.

I've called myself a "doodle-artist" in the past but I've never considered it my "muse" until today. Doodling is the entry-point for most -- if not all-- of my create wanderings. Many of my doodle-images get recreated or incorporated into completed art pieces.

I am working on two solo art shows right now so I have a new commitment to my muse in order to meet my much-needed self-inflicted deadline-inspired productivity!

It's a love-hate-love relationship.

So... what's your muse?

Sheri

New artwork in Ithaca Gallery - now through Dec 2nd.

2010-10-14T21:22:00.018-04:00

Five new mixed media pieces inspired by water, on exhibit in the GVA group show titled WATER. Show consists of 14 artists and 40 pieces of artwork.

ART is on display NOW at:

First Unitarian Society of Ithaca, Art in the Parlor Gallery
306 North Aurora Street (corner of Aurora and Buffalo Streets)

Show runs October 15 - December 2, 2010

Join us Friday, Nov 5th

Happy Hour Artist Reception 5-8pm!

Blue Waterfalls

Hope

Oil and Tears

Blue Heron

Oil Puker

Images are small, so for a close-up look -- you'll have to come to the show!

Oil Puker Dude; new piece

2010-08-23T23:31:00.004-04:00

This image popped into my head one night -- just as my head hit the pillow and I had to get up to sketch it out before I could sleep.

I'm not sure what to name it....
1. Oil Puker Dude (that's just what I've been calling him)
2. In God We Trust (says that in the ripped money -- top right corner)
3. Goodbye Blue Sea (homage to Floyd and the real fear behind the image)

Opinions?

SOLD!

2010-07-31T13:19:00.007-04:00

Violet Waves, acrylic on canvas board, 2010

I was lucky enough to get 3 pieces of art hanging in the Grassroots Art Barn this year. Thank you to Dan A! Jody S! and Scott P!

This one sold for $100. I priced it low to sell --- and it worked!

Still --- its a good feeling to have someone put down a decent amount of cash for my artwork. Thank you to whoever you are. Hope it looks awesome where ever it is.

New Artwork....

2010-07-01T17:21:00.007-04:00

Not sure about the title. Here are options:
5, #5, Five, #five, Number Five, Number 5, cinque

Why 5?
I just like it.

Coincidentally - in numerology my life # is 5 when calculating my name or my birth date. Its the number that symbolizes freedom.

iNSPiRED!

2010-05-21T07:08:00.004-04:00

I'm very excited about the new work I'm doing in my studio... finally!

I am combining linear ink drawings, prints of digital images I've taken, some found objects, and acrylic paint all on canvas. I am gluing prints of my images and drawings on the canvas in two ways; directly on top and ripping holes in the canvas to have the image show through.

Ripping & cutting through helps me control the shape more and add texture to the whole piece.

I'm considering experimenting with using foamcore in place of canvas. Its thicker and I could cut sections out and build sections up more. hmmmmm.

new art

2010-05-20T00:37:00.004-04:00

hope

ink and 4 leaf clover on paper

fate?

ink on paper; color added digitally

ART.

2010-05-13T23:06:00.011-04:00

I think of you everyday
you give my life purpose
I live for you
I look forward to you
but I avoid you
I torture myself
by unfulfilled moments
I had imagined would be with you
you are my hope
but I continue to resist you
and disappoint myself
while you shine your light on the world
with or without me

in between

2010-02-01T00:54:00.019-05:00

Life is full of transitions and sometimes we're caught in between.

"in between" is the title of my new solo art exhibit on display at the Scale House Brew Pub. Art can be viewed during restaurant hours, now through the end February 2010.

Artist Statement
In recent months, I’ve been agonizing over the direction to take my art. I work in three medias; acrylic paint, ink drawing, digital illustration and imagery. I’m steering away from prints --and moving toward original, one-of-a-kind artworks.

This show is titled “in between”, because this is where I am artistically. You can see from the pieces in this show, a transition happening as I merge my drawing and painted media together. Visions and Violet Wings are the beginning of this style jump.

To view all 13 pieces in this show, click here --> "in between" flickr gallery

Posted below: Two new multi-media works, Visions and Violet Wings, along with my most recent painting Violet Waves.

Violet Waves

Visions

Violet Wings

2010-01-19T10:56:00.003-05:00

My personal art website design is updated... finally

www.sheridelia.com

2010-01-03T02:27:00.003-05:00

Doorways
acrylic on canvas 14x17

This is a product that came out of doodling in my journal. I doodle a lot and save the ones with potential. Still have some saved from over 10 years ago! Since my art group, Green valley Artists, has a new exhibit to hang tomorrow... I was motivated to have something new to show.

another apocalypse glimpse

2010-01-02T14:13:00.003-05:00

Cracking up (study)
acrylic, ink and pencil
4x4x1.5

Cracking and collapsing....

2010-01-02T10:48:00.012-05:00

Waiting (study)
Acrylic, pencil, ink
4x4x1.5

First completed image of year 2010! Somehow, without consciously choosing to go there, I landed in the middle of an apocalyptic vibe. Not too surprising since mainstream media has been going crazy with this stuff for a while now. I started buying into the serious possibility of society collapsing around 2005. One reason I moved back to NY the winter of 2007, was because of the possibility of not being able to cross state lines at some point. Martial law, I believe. I was reading a lot of alternative news. Whatever happens, I'd rather be in the same state with most of my family and friends.

Are humans the only creatures that strive to improve themselves?

2009-12-28T23:07:00.016-05:00

Below are two small paintings I started yesterday and finished today. They seem to be about striving, improving, desire for growth, awareness.... maybe influenced by the New Years Resolutions people are making. Is this desire to improve ourselves- something that sets us apart from other living creatures?

Wind (study)
Acrylic with ink and pencil, 4x4x1.5

Flight (study)
Acrylic with ink and pencil, 4x4x1.5

I've always been drawn to birds and trees and skies... right now I have art in an exhibit at Moving Box Studios with several other artists, many of them drawn to the same natural elements. Its not surprising that creative minds often tap into the same pockets of inspiration.

We are wired with the desire to know what we are incapable of knowing

2009-10-12T02:02:00.003-04:00

Roots
digital illustration 2009

Blue Tango

2009-08-11T00:28:00.008-04:00

Blue Tango
Acrylic on Canvas
2009

Blue Tango has the overall feel I had imagined... but I think, again, I became too representational. I was thinking of more simplified shaped figures... like Violin Dreams... but this one landed smack in the middle of expressionism.

My solo art exhibit at the Scale House Brewery gets hung tomorrow. So this baby is done.
More of my work is uploaded at Flickr here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sheridelia/

Violin Dreams

2009-08-05T23:26:00.004-04:00

Violin Dreams
Acrylic on Canvas
16x20
2009

I love this one. I didn't let myself feel self-defensive and unsure about the painting... just went with it. She had snake arms... but in the original drawing I was trying to show the movement... and the violinist was moving too fast for me to get a hand positioning.
Its such a freedom to not worry about realism and just have fun with color and let myself get lost in the movement from one color to the next, from shadows to highlight, and manipulating depth... moving it forward and backward. Not that there wasn't lot of frustration along the way.... at one point the entire thing was way too pink... there were several transitions along the way. Not easy... but when it works... it works!

This one lifts my spirit when I look at it. I hope it will for others too.

new artwork in the works....

2009-08-02T17:35:00.008-04:00

I've got 2 new paintings and 1 new digital illustration on the burner.

The first is Tango inspired. Tentative title "Tango Dreams".

Here's the very 1st canvas sketch. Her legs will be longer and his torso will be shorter in the final version.... lots of swirling colors...

Here's a sketch I drew while enjoying a live jazz trio in a Frederick, Maryland cafe. The actual Violinist had clothes on... and hands :)

Working off the original sketch above --- here's the canvas sketch - - - Title will probably be "Violin Dreams". It might look dreamy... I have colorful ideas and other things floating in my head for this one..... to be continued.

I just googled the violist's name and found that the name of the jazz trio is also Violin Dreams!

didnt think it bothered me

2009-07-31T23:51:00.012-04:00

to turn 42. I was born 1 minute after midnight on August 1st. I'll be 42 in about 12 minutes.

Today has been a roller coaster ride. Work was great. Getting ready to go out after work - wasn't great. Felt angry. Pissed off at TIME and AGING. Fuck you AGING. Screw you TIME. No matter what, you win. Then walking the dog, a cute young guy smiled at me and asked for directions. He kept smiling and looking. The perfect cheer-up solution for someone lost in the middle of middle-age. A few hours later and a few margaritas and a sushi dinner later... having a great time with my man... dessert at Madeline's...

oh shit.... its 12:01
happy birthday to me

Derby Girl

2009-07-12T20:54:00.004-04:00

Derby Girl

might be done.... haven't decided.

the deadline to submit is in THREE days.

I better get to work.

Derby Girl - - in process

2009-07-03T15:55:00.005-04:00

Derby Girl
in process.....

Inspired by the Ithaca Sufferjets and hoping to enter this in the local art competition
MOVEMENT which is raising $ for our local derby girls and food pantry.

Took the image from a screen shot of video I took of a Bout they had at Cass Park last year. Can you guess which Sufferjet's image I'm working off of? Maybe when the dark hair is done..... . . . ?

Done!

2009-07-03T15:52:00.005-04:00

Departure
Acrylic on Canvas
11X24

A few posts ago - I showed this when it was incomplete. It needed more contrast... both in lights and darks and in color. Here is the finished piece. When I added the first small orange areas... it clicked! I purposely kept the orange areas to a minimum in order to keep them special.

incomplete.....

2009-06-17T22:28:00.003-04:00

tree spirits

in the spirit of incomplete work.... I started this about 5 years ago. And it has looked like this for that long. I kinda like it in its incomplete state.

However.... I intend to let this one evolve into whatever the final image will be. I'm thinking there will be several more faces before this is done.

to be continued....

departure

2009-06-17T21:55:00.007-04:00

departure
acrylic painting

This painting is NOT done. ick.
I first painted this about 10 years ago... I never liked it. It was flesh tones with dark greens and blacks... just gross. Last week I intended to GESSO over it. Then decided that maybe it was worth re-visiting.

Departure has been part of the last several months.... departing souls, like this is depicting... but also departing jobs, governments, etc.

Departure creates change. New jobs, new president.... but departed souls can't be replaced. Still... maybe its not all bad.

New Tattoo

2009-06-17T21:25:00.004-04:00

Here's the new tat. Thanks to a friend's husband... it was affordable even in my laid-off employment state. I've started a new job this week. Still work for the same college within Cornell University as before... but now I'm with the Communications team as a Web Assistant. Working Tuesdays through Fridays.

Life is good.

ink me up baby!

2009-05-20T13:05:00.006-04:00

Its that time of year again!

Summer = sunshine = skin = ink!!!

Here is a tattoo I designed last summer. Want it to look like I'm walking through wild flowers. If I can afford 2 colors... it will be blue and violet. Yes... I know. Its gonna hurt like a bitch. Just waiting on a price quote from a freelance tat artist.

I'm already planning my next 2 tats... . . . .

death

2009-04-13T23:26:00.011-04:00

Last week my Uncle died. His health took a turn for the worse recently, so I drove up north of Syracuse to see him. I sort of knew what to expect... but not fully. He had gotten very small. Not his regular 6 foot healthy frame. There were too many others around the house to have time to say anything to him. I held his hand. Tight. He hadn't been able to talk for a few days. But he held my hand tight. I stayed that way for about a full minute... and then I bent down and looked at him.... this would end up being the last time we made eye contact and touched. I said to him.... "I'll be back tomorrow with dad... ok? Love you.". He was moving his mouth and trying to say something. I don't know what he was trying to say. Maybe "ok... see you tomorrow". This was Monday. He died Wednesday.

Goodbye Uncle O. I love you.
Siete nel mio cuore per sempre

just keep laughing.... or is it drinking...?

2009-03-04T18:32:00.007-05:00

well.. today... I lost my job. Got laid off. Our whole department got laid off. Chop CHop CHop. Cut-backs... you know. They just had to. But the new building that costs a bazillion dollars is only 'tabled' for now. I am glad they gave us 2 months notice.

I will land on my feet. Maybe, if I can muster up the courage... I can try and enjoy spiraling through the air and the magic that comes with uncertainty.

Or maybe I'll just drink more.

uncertain future

2009-01-30T21:00:00.008-05:00

Here is my latest completed piece. "collecting bits of Now"
Thanks for the inspiration Skip, Palma, Dan, Shannon, Frank, James, Ursula, Laura, Matt.... oh there's gotta be more of you 'photogs' out there.... but I gotta keep these posts short (excuse for bad memory...)

I'm feeling a lot of anxiety... like most of you... about the world today. About keeping my job and affording my bills, and my car, and my dog, and my health, and my family and friends, and their jobs and their health..... January 2009 has not pulled any punches.

January 2009.
jobs lost, no prospects..... everyone wondering if they're next
car trouble, house trouble... everything cost double... or more than you'd expect
pipes freezing... gas prices rising.... just trying to stay warm
health problems....everywhere... when will it end?
bodies drowning in an ocean of debt.... keep your head above the surface or sink
With Obama theres hope..... ?.....
I hope... its not too late.

lost in the archives....

2009-01-11T01:21:00.005-05:00

Here's a piece I began about 3 years ago and found it in my digital archives this month. I added about an hour's worth of finishing touches and finally decided to call it completed.

Knowing when to stop.

Almost as difficult and getting started.

Title:
disconnect
digital illustration
2009

New Art in process......

2009-01-04T14:48:00.015-05:00

Now that I've hopped on the blogging band wagon.... I'd like to share my most recent work in progress. The first image is a sketch from an art gathering this past December. The idea was inspired by all my photographer friends who literally 'collect little bits of now' where ever they go. The second image is incomplete. Its where I've taken it 'digitally' so far.

"collecting bits of Now"
Pencil & ink drawing
2008

"collecting bits of Now"
Digital illustration - in process...
2009

About 50% incomplete... I'm really psyched about whats happening with the multiple layering and different transparencies.

2009-01-03T20:16:00.004-05:00

whole
digital illustration
2005

nothing is killing me

2009-01-03T19:03:00.004-05:00

I'm starting off my blog with poetry... even though I'm not a poet.
Wrote this last year.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

nothing is killing me

stuck on the edge
of anxiety and nausea
suffocating
in my own skin

lost in a cycle
of creation and destruction
knowing
something is broken

desire and resistance
crash together
sadly
only one will win

wanting only movement
fearing what I want
cursed
these wheels only spin

standing in my own nothing
to lose or to save
buried
in my own grave

last day lemons and honey

2009-01-03T16:28:00.004-05:00

The date on this poem is correct. I wrote this last year, on December 31st, a day before moving my final items to the room I was renting on the west side of Cayuga Lake. I have a small car... so the final move included my computer, my dog and my overnight bag.

Happy New Year one year later!

December 31st, 2007

the mileage on my car
turned 100,000 today

at the light by the fish fry
on Bridge Street

missed it by .4 of a mile
searching for chapstick

the sun appeared through the clouds
brought tears to my eyes

lemons were on sale at wegmans
bought six to mix with hot water and honey

honey from a good friends hive
kept in their Liverpool backyard

today I scraped the last of it
from the glass jar

I licked the spoon
and smiled.