Lingstudion

I never dreamed when I first doodled a drawing on the page from an old classroom dictionary that this process is going on all over the world. I certainly wasn't the first person to come up with the idea of drawing or painting on odd supports.  I first noticed people photocopying oddball images on old book pages on Etsy years ago.  Those same folks are still publishing and selling today with thousands of their random prints on old pages sold. I live in an area of the country rich with Native American culture.  Native American ledger art is perhaps the father of drawing on old book pages.  I've had the honor to show my art along side some amazing ledger artists.  It's all about using supports for your artwork that are available and familiar. Sometimes its about the passionate need to draw on something, anything even when you can't afford a blank page. I believe, however, that the grandfather of the altered book, drawing on book pages movement has got to be the Com...

One of my favorite parts of doing live theater is building sets, props and costumes.  "Man of La Mancha" is set in the 1600's in Spain during the Spanish Inquisition.  It tells the story of knight errant, Don Quixote and his many crazy adventures. One of the standards of "Man of La Mancha" is a scene where he meets his principal rival "The Enchanter or the Knight of Mirrors."  Most directors costume an actor in an elaborate suit of shiny army for the Enchanter but I knew I wanted to do something a little different. For my knight of mirrors I wanted to create a giant puppet and have the mirrors that eventually jolt Quixote back to reality come out of the puppet.  This is the result of that plan.  I had parts of this giant guy all over my classroom for weeks.  I was thrilled when my cast finally got to introduce him to the audience.  His eyes glowed.  He had great personality thanks to the three puppeteers who manipulated him.  He also filled t...

Quixotic 8.5" x 12" Mixed Media Drawing on Antique Dictionary I have neglected my blog and my art studio for the past few months.  I have been pouring all of my creative energy into directing a show at my local, community theater.  My husband and I helped to start a community theater in our small town nearly 40 years ago.  Since it began I have directed over 17 different productions.  My last show was "1776" 14 years ago.  I really had moved on and didn't think I would ever direct a show there again - for lots of reasons. Last spring a former student and the current president of the community theater came to visit my husband and I in our high school classrooms and pleaded for us to come back and do another show.  It's impossible to say no to a former student.  We said yes.  So for the past year, we have been planning, designing and calling in favors to create a production of "Man of La Mancha." "Man of La Mancha" is a huge production and ...