Thrifty Aftists are Thinking Outside the Box and Reducing Costs!

(Might be messy, but it's easy clean-up and safe for toddlers --
They can even taste as they go!)

If you want to know how the economy is really doing, take a look at how artists are surviving in a climate where the buyer's focus is on necessities.

Giulia Bernardelli from Italy paints with food: the ice cream that drips from a cone is used to create mini portraits; coffee is splashed onto a sheet of paper or a canvas and imagination visualizes the scene hidden within the brown watercolor. Preconceived notions are cast aside as the artist tries to see what is there. These inexpensive materials are bringing Bernardelli recognition for the artwork’s unusual and entertaining qualities.

LINK:  Painting with Food

David Zinn, a Michigan artist is using chalk on the sidewalks and construction sites of the city to draw attention to his artwork. Of course, the weather could wash his drawings away, but he seems not to worry. Residents look forward to seeing his comic scenes and they will remember who he is. If you haven’t seen his work, you’re in for a treat:

▲ Creation David Zinn

David Zinn is an artist from Michigan. He runs around all day 

in the streets of Ann Arbor,  with street construction, cracks, 

etc. on the road with chalk to create a lot of street fairy tales.                                                      

David Zinn's most famous creation was undoubtedly a little 

monster called Sluggo. Sluggo has a green body and long,

round eyes, it and its partners have also become a small

street in Ann Arbor unique scene.                                                     

___,_.___
More food art:

Please share your ideas on reducing costs of artwork while publicizing your skills.

Healing the World through Natural Remedies and Cooperation

"Cafe Costa Rica" 20 x 20 acrylic on canvas

I’m having a cup of chamomile tea while I work. It’s supposed to be good for your immune system. I’m staying away from caffeine as I’m having digestive problems. I added a sprinkle of ginger to cut the sweetness of the flowery tea. Ginger is another digestive wonder. How do I know? I studied herbs and medicinal flowers using my favorite Public Library.

Before manufacturers got in the business of making drugs, people always used natural remedies in healing. I’ve used some of them myself: garlic for earaches and croup, dill seed tea for diarrhea and stomach ache, etc. Depending on how costly medicines and care becomes in the future, we may all need to learn about the natural healing properties of plants and seeds.

"Work-in-Progress" of Cafe Costa Rica

In the sixties, people were flocking to communes to share in "the love" and in the expenses like housing and food. Some of these groups were successful, and some of them ended up in bickering and violence.

Some people were attracted to the communes for a “free ride.” When they discovered they had to pull their fair share, bitter complaints and disagreements boiled to the surface.

Some of these “swarms” were brought together under the guise of religion, but instead of being anchored in truth, they were nothing more than mind control cults that preyed on the gullible.

I read about some of the early communes. I myself had longed to go to Alaska, the last frontier. Some of my favorite books tracked the early exploration and settlement of this spectacular land. The early settlers learned much from their Eskimo and Native American counterparts who shared their methods of gathering and storing food.

Additional knowledge was learned through experience and through bouts of hunger and starvation. Communes learned quickly that If you didn’t catch it, kill it or store it – you didn’t eat. People worked together building cabins, and bartering for food and game. 

An Indian mother showed a new resident how to put moss on her baby’s bottom to soak up the urine. Moss’s softness and drawing properties kept the infant’s skin smooth and free from chafing and rash.

Foods that the newcomers had never eaten were cultivated and harvested under the guidance of the natives. Using Alaska’s almost limitless supply of plant foods, fish and game made survivors out of them. A tough, hardy people, they faced unknown terror and starvation in order to carve out a new life in this wild frontier.

(Inspiration for the following painting: "Americana")

Could you survive if all the grocery stores were suddenly empty? What would happen if supplies were interrupted by terrorists or traitors? Would you know how to forage for food; what to eat and what not to eat in the wilds of your own back yard? If money was scarce and food lines were long, would you know how to plant a garden and feed your family or yourself?

Thanks to my parents and grandparents, I learned how to sow and to reap. Following in my mother’s footsteps, I canned tomatoes, green beans, applesauce, peaches and pears. When the produce was available, we pickled beets and cucumbers; cherries, apricots and raspberries. We made jams and jellies to spread on our homemade bread through the winter.

"Americana" mixed media on canvas

My father, a fly fisherman, caught fresh trout: rainbow and German brown that my mother froze for the winter months. We always had food on our table even when times were lean. 

If you are incapable of living in a world without electricity or technology, talk to someone who is. Prepare yourself, if necessary, for an uncertain future.

The Ancient Art of Painting with Coffee (or Tea)

A new LinkedIn Group said “for coffee painters only.” I couldn’t resist. “What is coffee painting?” I asked. One question led to another; and before I knew it, I was hooked!

From India -- Coffee Paintings By Amita & Mira Chudasama

http://www.rogersfamilyco.com/index.php/coffee-paintings-by-amita-mira-chudasama/

This environmentally safe medium which sounds cutting edge and modern is actually as old as time itself. First used in China, Thailand, and India, coffee and tea as a painting medium has been around for centuries. 


It’s safe, inexpensive and extremely versatile creating wonderful textures and values. But from what I’ve learned, it’s not as easy as it sounds. For enduring quality, the mixture must have the right amounts of coffee or tea, and water. One painter added a few squirts of Elmer’s Glue for consistency and permanency.

The beauty of it all is it gives the artist an opportunity to experiment and to be creative. Used with charcoal, pencil or ink, the results are simply amazing!

My favorite artist uses tea to create wonderful characters that charm and humor us. Brian Kesinger ‘s “Tea Girls” are whimsical, authentic, and creatively crafted. Brian sells his creations on Fine Art America (FAA) and at the following link: http://www.bkartonline.com/

YouTube has helpful videos on coffee painting from a basic “how to” to more complex training pieces.

http://youtu.be/L2MuzF8gInk

There are other applications you may find of interest. In my mixed media painting “Lucky Lady” I used an actual playing card burned on the edges. Had I known how delightfully coffee and tea stains make things look old, I would have used the YouTube technique here: Aging/antiquing paper:

http://youtu.be/mPug32jHXGo

Use your imagination and have fun with this truly ancient art.