Fabulous AND Flawed

"fortune" from the Dove Chocolate that came with our 

Sushi from Minami Japanese Restaurant

Who can honestly claim to be perfect? Certainly not me.

Last night in Sedona, AZ my friend Katie from Michigan and I spent the night at the Lark Art Gallery for the First Friday Gallery Walk. After the gallery walk, we decided to get some sushi for dinner. Last year when I rented a road bike and pedaled the hills of route 179 in Sedona I came across a little unassuming Japanese restaurant just at the edge of Oak Creek Village. I stopped and took some sushi away with me that day, because I was all bike sweaty and stinky and figured I would not expose anyone to that in the dining room. I sat and had a beer at the bar while I watched Yoshi make my tuna rosettes, beautiful.

Sedona offers amazing color in the spring

This trip I decided that Katie and I needed to eat-in at Minami. We really enjoyed talking with Yoshi about being from Okinawa and having been in the US for over 30 years. We met Michelle from the North of Boston who's accent sounded just like half of my family. She said that when she first moved to town folks asked her if she was from Australia. Michelle introduced us to Ian who had hobbled in on crutches sporting a bright green leg cast, Yoshi had to help him through the doorway. Looking over at Katie, who had just had "work" done to her face and was sporting swollen lips and tender upper arms, I realized we are all flawed in one way or another.

Our "fortune" made Katie and I laugh, we where relieved to hear that we were going to be OK.

Yours Truly teaching and talking about my love affair with torn paper

shot by Katie, who knows how to capture my "good side"

Standing up in front of a group was never really a big deal for me, I'm pretty confident when I know the subject matter. But 15 years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter, I contracted Bell's Palsy. This is a compression of the facial nerve, which results in paralysis. 85% of people heal spontaneously and completely within three months. Not me. 

I have been left with permanent nerve damage. Flawed. 

It took me a long time to feel better about this situation. I tried all kinds of miracle cures. I have had biofeedback, facial retraining, vitamin B12 injections, sublingual vitamin B, massage, and Botox. Still flawed. 

Somewhere along the way, my self confidence started to come back. I began to realize that things could be a lot worse, and that you can be Fabulous AND Flawed. Let's see, I have a wonderful family that loves me, I have talent, and I have a great job. I love what I do and I am very lucky to be able to do what I love and be myself on the job. I can have pink hair, a pierced nose, visible tattoos, and not have to answer to anyone but myself. 

How fabulous is that?

These days I'm OK putting my face out there in front of my Paper Paintings Workshop class and talking to people with my crooked smile. I'm ok with it because I know that I am a pretty good teacher, I'm very sensitive to folks who may not be very confident in their artistic ability, and I can usually make you laugh. Typically everyone in my class has a really good time. I'm confident sporting pink, purple, and teal  hair, knowing it will draw attention to my face. To use a popular saying these days, "it is what it is."

Ann came all the way from NYC to take this class with me in Sedona, 

and she looks like she's having a fantastic time!

This is my fourth time teaching at SAC where they welcome me 

with open arms and make me feel at home

This weekend I'm teaching in beautiful Sedona, AZ loving my job

Guess what? Being flawed makes you more empathetic. My heart goes out to others who may be suffering something similar, or worse. It's impossible to hide your face, it's the center of your expression, your emotions and communication, and the window to your soul. I met many people in the early years of my support group who had suffered facial paralysis due to trauma, tumors, Ramsay Hunt Syndrome and more. I learned early on from this group that what I was going through was not really all that uncommon and one of the best things we could do was to reach out to others.

For years I practiced a "controlled smile" (big smiles make my right eye squeeze shut) I still prefer to use the self facing camera to take the photo of the two of us together, rather than let someone else do it. Why? I can see what I look like before I push the button. 

Katie and Yours Truly via the front facing camera

Recently I submitted a wine glass collage to my art licensing agent for reproduction on a wine journal by Target. He called me and said (in his awesome British accent) "Elizabeth, this is lovely but the glass is not symmetrical and you need to fix the one side." What? not symmetrical? Who cares? It's art, it's impressionistic, and I like it just the way it is.

Chardonnay / 9x12 / collage of hand painted papers

"Well Michael, I'll fix the image in photoshop for your purposes, but I'm not changing the original." Is what I told him. Because I think it's fabulous, just the way it is. 

Thank YOU for being a part of my art journey.

Elizabeth

Unconventional Art Supplies

Jumbo erasers in Target's $1 bins

More often than not, art supplies can be found in some unsuspecting places. One day while wandering aimlessly around Lowe's Home Improvement, I found that a silicone sink liner worked as an amazing stamp! I picked it up for around $7. 

Today I want to share with you how to make a wonderful stamp from a jumbo eraser. I was so excited about creating these stamps that I popped up out of bed at 4:30 this morning with nothing else on my mind, I headed out to the studio with my coffee and my dogs. 

most artists have this handy tool in a drawer somewhere

These erasers are soft, flexible, and they carve like butter with traditional linoleum carving tools. I bought several of these jumbo erasers (I love that they are "jumbo" because we all know that bigger is better), I figured that I could not go wrong for a dollar. When I got them home I took them out of the packaging and sanded off the screen printed images of cats and pigs and peace signs with household sand paper I had tucked into a drawer in my studio. These images were insanely distracting and who knows what kind of things that ink would do when covered with acrylic paint. Better safe than sorry, or distracted.

Images sanded off quite easily, leaving me with a clean slate for carving

I had a very easy and good time carving the eraser material

 These erasers come in round, rectangular and square shapes, I bought a few of each for variety and size of stamps. I also switched the carving tool tips for a variety of thick and thin lines in my stamps. Anyone who knows me knows that I love the spiral, so of course my first stamp was concentric circles!

Stamp inked with acrylic paint I spread on a disposable palette sheet

I figured in homage to Target, I'd print this up in red. I mean really, THANK YOU TARGET. I transferred the acrylic paint to the stamp on a sheet of palette paper for a nice even coverage on the surface of the stamp.

Some great effects, I really like the distressed look of the line

Now, most artists learn techniques from sharing swapping, and DVDing other artists. This idea is not my own original concept. I must give kudos to my mother-in-law Tricia Nelson, fiber artist, for not only sharing this wonderful technique with me, but also for purchasing the original pig stamp for me so that I could try it myself. Of course I went back and bough six more! The circle is my favorite. 

Good luck and enjoy!

Do you have some unconventional art supplies you'd like to share? Leave some in the comment field. I'd love to hear about them. It just might keep me up at night. 

Lavender Lemonade iPhone 5 Case

Custom made Lavender Lemonade Case-Mate *

I loved this image so much I've made it available as an iPhone 5 case and I've ordered mine today. Very excited about my new phone replacing my old phone which was silent due to collage glue having made its way into the speakers. (don't ask)

**This is a custom order case, no returns unless the product is somehow defective

product description for Barely There Slim Case Here

My Klimted Life

Morning coffee in the studio with my recent bird series, 

no coincidence that I love the spiral in my work

Artist Kimberly Kelly Santini and I decided to give ourselves a challenge a few months back. We set out to paint an image in the style of an artist that we admire, married with our own subject matter and techniques. February, the month of love, was set aside for my favorite artist, Gustav Klimt.  Kim's Klimted version of my dogs Sam and Bella is stunning. As Kim put it, we are going to "wallow in artistic brilliance and see if by chance a little of it might rub off on us."

Speaking of rubbing off, or not...

My Klimt tattoo, (Fulfillment) circa 1990

from the Tree of Life

I have studied the work of Gustav Klimt nearly all my adult life. I have admired his gold leaf, his symbolism, composition and above all, his combination of flat patterning and design elements with amazing lifelike portraiture featuring beautiful and delicate modeling and brush work. Being both a graphic artist and a painter, this combination in Klimt's work resonates with me on two different levels.

My first exposure to him was in college, while on a semester abroad in London, UK through Syracuse University. I had a fellow student in my illustration class who was from RISD on the SU program. She was goth, black hair, heavy black makeup, combat boots, listening to GNR on her headphones. Claire and I hit it off, I loved her look and she loved Klimt. She showed me photos of a dining room she had painted in his style on commission. I looked him up and poured over library books for hours, It was true love, and that love never faded for me.

My bedroom room rug, inspiration at my feet

My Maternal Great Grandmother's name was Emily. My Mom always told me that if she had another girl after my sister (I am the oldest of five kids) the name she had waiting in the wings was Emily. Alas, she had three boys after Aimée, and we are all glad she stopped after that!

Emilie Louise Flöge was an Austrian designer, fashion designer, and businesswoman. She was the lifelong companion of Klimt. Her youngest sister was married to Klimt's brother Ernst. Klimt portrayed Emilie in many of his works. My first child, a girl, we named Emilie Elizabeth Nelson


I read this book to both my kids when they were small, 
Emilie loved that her name was spelled the same as the girl in the book. 


Gustav Klimt was born on July 14th (and I was born on the 13th!) (1862 - 1918) His genre is Symbolism and Art Nouveau. One of his most famous paintings is "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer 1"  This painting sold for $135 million in 2006, which made it at that time the most expensive painting for about four months. I was lucky enough to see this painting before it was sold (along with 10 others) in the Österreichische Galerie Vienna, Austria. I traveled to Austria solely to view the original works of Klimt. I went alone, and I enjoyed every minute of my time in front of his breathtaking originals, taking copious notes in my sketchbook. As the shift change of the museum guards took place, I realized I had been there all day. Adele Bloch-Bauer commissioned her portrait to be painted twice by Klimt, lucky woman. I have always wanted to be in her shoes...

 My "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I" Klimt slides at the base of my easel, 
crown jewel of my shoe collection for many years

For the Klimt Challenge, I couldn't think of a better subject to tackle than my own self portrait (which I have never done in collage) as Adele Bloch-Bauer in the famed gold portrait. I would have my golden portrait, even if I had to paint it myself!

In progress, underpainting and sketch on wood panel

My Klimted self portrait is 24x30 and that's pretty big! The intricate patterning took me a while to collage. On the left is my homage to Klimt's "Tree of Life" where I updated the bird to be a modern day painted bunting, he's got my colors! I love the spirals Klimt uses in much of his work, you can see that influence in my collages.

While Kim was visiting FL and working on her Klimted piece, my friend and fellow artist Robin Maria Pedrero stopped by and started working on her own Klimt inspired still life, "Tea Party with Klimt" Her piece was started in my studio and it was wonderful for three artists to be working on a Klimt challenge in one space!

Friend and fellow National Collage Society member Alyson Champ said our Klimt challenge influenced her raven piece. 

Self Portrait as Adele Bloch-Bauer with Painted Bunting

©Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson / 30x24 / collage of hand painted papers on panel

For my portrait, I felt that the black hat was reminiscent of Adele's hair in Klimt's rendition. I wore the glasses to give me a more modern look, but I kept the concept of a collar that separated my head from the rest of my body and the patterning of design elements, both in metallic gold and in color. 

This challenge was not so challenging for me, since my life has always been Klimted (a term coined by Robin, by the way) and I have had the amazing opportunity to see his work in person. Something I'll never forget. 

See the entire progression of this Klimted self portrait on my FB fan page

for an really visually stunning film of Klimt's life, starring John Malkovich, check out
KLIMT available on DVD and Netflix

Life is Truly a Journey

Mutt Lynch Winery "Rusty" 2008

©Kimberly Kelly Santini

With an Open Mind, Open Heart, and Open Hands

Last week I had the pleasure of a long overdue visit from friend and fellow artist Kimberly Kelly Santini. Now Kim will tell you that the pleasure was all hers, as she came to Sunny Orlando, FL from Almost Canada, MI. We had an amazing week, packed with fun, lots of rain, and some sun. When it was time to bring her back to the airport, I just kept saying "Can't you stay longer? I have so much more I want to show you!"

Me: OMG What's THAT? 

Kim: Um, That's your finger.

Open Your Hands - Generosity

My DVD and Book and workshops have been my way to open my hands and share my papers, my knowledge, my techniques and experiences with others. I hand over what I know and have gleaned from other artists in these publications. Fellow artists have shared with me, and I share with others. This is good karma, it comes back to you two-fold. Sharing with other artists will actually help you to learn and grow, reaching new heights in your work and on a personal level. Nothing compares to the appreciation of others when you teach them something new.

For those of you who don't know, I met Kim right here on this blog in 2010. One morning I was catching up with email over coffee and my iPad when I noticed an email from someone with whom I was unfamiliar. She introduced herself, admitted she had stalked this blog but NEVER commented. She went on to say that she was toasting me with her OJ that morning, because she had used the techniques she had gleaned from my DVD and book to create "Rusty" a dog portrait which had won first place and the honor of donning a Mutt Lynch wine bottle label that year. Sweet, love winning, but more importantly.... "you stalked this blog for years and NEVER made a comment?" That's just wrong.

P!NK in concert in Orlando, you don't get any closer than the PIT!

Me: This was going to be a surprise but you can't leave the pit once you're in and I figured you might have to pee first. 

Kim: What? Are you kidding me? And yeah, I gotta pee.

Kim, My crazy teenage daughter Emilie, and Yours Truly at the concert

Emilie: My mom and her friends are so cool

(that may have been taken out of context)

One email lead to another, one text lead to another, one phone call lead to another, and good karma brought me an amazing friend who I was lucky enough to spend last week with. We took in a LOT in a few days, and we had a ton of laughs. At the P!NK concert, we laughed SO HARD when I couldn't figure out WHAT was over the lens of my fancy iPhone camera. (Kim says she's never been photographed as much as she has been with me) Turns out it was my finger. Thanks Kim. We are still laughing about that.

Kim has opened her hands to share marketing tips with me, to trade a painting with me, and to help me through a few artistic dilemmas along the way. "Um, is this too colorful? have I gone over the top? I mean he's supposed to be a BLACK turtle and he's now PURPLE!" Kim, the voice of reason, gave me advice and talked me down from the ledge of the varnish table.

L to R Kim, Robin Maria Pedrero, Yours Truly

In my studio, painting together

Robin at the varnish table, she works flat

Kim at the table top easel on my fancy new countertops

Kim simultaneously painting and blogging

Me being impressed with her multitasking 

Open Your Heart - Friendship

As artists, our daily painting is a solitary pursuit. We are in the studio alone, we don't talk to anyone while we work, there is no water cooler to stand around and gossip about the weekend with co-workers on Monday morning. A good friend, and especially a good artist friend, can really warm the heart of a solitary painter. She can relate to your struggles with commissions, your challenges in capturing a likeness, and your obsession with keeping it fresh.

Kim and I have become fast friends since 2008. Orlando artist Robin Maria Pedrero and I met at Gallery on First when I was dropping off work one day a few years before that. She came running out of her studio and said "Hey! I've always wanted to meet you." And we've shared many a lunch, glass of wine, and even exhibited together (twice) since that day.

It was wonderful for me to be able to introduce Robin to Kim, as they too had come together online via Yours Truly. Robin drove a long way up from south Orlando to come and spend the day painting with us in my north of Orlando studio. ALL the way out of her zip code, that means a lot to me. After all, I have a 3-mile radius.

 Kim, "I have no upper body strength" paddling away from alligators 

along the Wekiva River and 3-miles from my house (well within my radius)

Open Your Mind - Life is a Journey

You never know where life is going to take you, but you can't get on that train if you don't have an open mind. I mean really, "The Polar Express," people!

"When was the last time you did something for the first time?" I saw that quote embroidered on a pillow at an antique shop in Upstate NY last summer and it really resonated with me.

Last year I was contacted by the Traverse City Art Center and asked to teach there. My geography stinks and I'm usually too lazy to look things up. So I called Kim, "how far is Traverse City from Almost Canada?" Basically she said "I'll pick you up at the airport and we'll drive up together." We did, and she took my class to boot. That was the first time we met in person.

I told kim she could bunk with me while we were in TC. She told me I should not agree to share a room with a total stranger, and that she might murder me in my sleep. I assured her that I'd probably be able to over power her, or get to her first.

Agreeing to spend that weekend together in person was a leap of faith and that leap required an open mind... and a little bit of a death wish, after her threatening me and all.

Learning Something New

What experiences have you had in this journey of life because you have been wiling to take a walk outside your comfort zone? Sometimes that includes taking an art class in a medium your not familiar with. Like art journalling. I was way out of my element at Kim's class she taught here in Orlando at the Craft Shack, but boy am I happy with the journal I made! And it was super nice to be a student for a change.

Kim, Yours Truly, and Maggie Weakly, a wonderful woman I also met online, who took my Craft Shack 3-day workshop and then came back for Kim's journalling class. Of course they met online too!

Inside the Craft Shack, my new favorite place to teach

probably because it's within my 3-mile radius, despite being OUT of my zip code

My handiwork with stencils and magazine letters

Open to Inspiration

Speaking of something new, we took a road trip to the Salvador Dalí museum in St. Petersburg while Kim was here. What an amazing collection of work in a visually and architecturally stunning building. I love visiting museums and galleries because at the end of the day, my mind is typically whizzing and whirling with ideas and possibility. I'm very motivated and inspired by other artists.

Geodesic glass dome combined with concrete, amazing architecture

A Wishing Tree in the garden of the Dalí Museum. 

Patrons remove their admission wrist bands, 

write a wish upon them, and tie them to the tree. 

My Wish: A Longer Journey

Workshop Fun

Hand Carved Stamps

Blick Carving Pad

I carve my own rubber stamps so that they are unique and different from anything you can purchase in the store. In the old days we had to carve linoleum or wood block, which was difficult, slow going, and often resulted in cut fingers!

These days there are a number of soft carving materials that cut like butter with traditional carving tools. 

Above is Dick Blick's Readycut. This product is very affordable, flexible, easy to cut down into small stamps from the large piece (6x9) with an Xacto knife.

Blick Carving Pad stamping effects

Speedball Speedy Carve Block

My second choice to the Blick material is good old Speedball Speedy Carve Block. This pink carving pad is also soft and flexible and carves like butter with traditional linoleum tools. 

I've been happy with both products, so it comes down to personal choice. But there's nothing more fun than sitting at the kitchen table with kids or friends and passing out the carving pad sections and the linoleum tools and having everyone make their own stamp (which you then collect at the end of the evening for your own purposes!). You'll be surprised at the variety you get when you recruit others to help!

Workshop Fun

Stamping and Stenciling

You don't have to purchase art store stamping and stenciling tools to get good results when making hand-painted collage papers. Sometimes the best tools are found in where you least expect them. The flower pattern that I have stamped over deli paper and Mother Goose book pages in this photo, is actually a silicone sink linter mat that I purchased at Lowes. I love this so much for stamping that I have gone back and purchased several more so that I can have one in my workshop supplies box as well as in my studio! 

The pink paper nursery rhyme sheet was coated with Quin. Magenta and then stamped with Red Oxide while it was still wet, offering a soft edged, watery effect on the flower patter. The deli paper was coated with Quin. Nickel Azo Gold and allowed to dry completely before stamping over with Burnt Umber, you can see that the dry method gives a much more defined stamp effect on the edges of the flowers. 

A paper doily coated with gesso makes a wonderful stencil. You can see the doily above has been used to both stamp and stencil many colors. A coating of gesso will help this fragile paper stand up to the test of being used over and over again. 

Think outside the box. Think big. Look around your kitchen for interesting texture tools, as well as your garage. You'll never look at the isles of Lowe's or Home Depot the same again!