Bachelor Button Fantasy

After admiring the bachelor buttons this summer along the roadsides and on the trails where I have roamed, I decided to try my hand at this piece.  I am " kinda" fond of it!  I like bachelor buttons!

Flying things....

A flying bug that was almost "goldish"- cooper, iridescent when the light hit it and it  looked like a cross between a fly and a bee, was the inspiration for this piece.  It is in a small 8x8 inch format.

 

Inspiration from a day of outdoor adventures

After lots of outdoor exploring I was inspired to get busy on some nature art with a contemporary flare.  Dragonflies seem to be my subject these days. These are four of my newest creations. 

I think this one is my favorite one so far!

Reminds me of 1970' psychedelic era....

Today's work turned out far different than I expected.  It reminds me of 1970' psychedelic era.  It is in
a large print format, 24x44 inches

Colorful complex digital patterns

I like the colors in this piece that I thought that I had posted long ago.  I know that I put it on my Facebook page Gayle Forster Designs but I failed to post it on my seriously neglected art blog!  This is a complex digital pattern derived from a very different nature photograph in the beginning.  From nature to complex art....

The Blue Hawk

I was in Beckley, WV for a few days last week and I completed a project. It is a hand painted Adirondack chair to support the Annual Women's and Children's resource center Chair-ity Auction. Jerry (my husband) wanted me to paint a blue hawk in memory of the old Beckley College. Their mascot was the Blue Hawk. So being the hawk lover that I am, I painted a moon lit hawk making it look blue. The moon has an overlay of varnish mixed with strontium powder pigments that are phosphorescent so it glows in the dark for a long time if it has been in the sun for several hours during the day. I was told that in the past some of these chairs have brought $1,500.00 a piece to the charity event. I wanted to paint flowers, butterflies and something colorful but I listened to Jerry's vision! Imagine that! It was hard for me to get motivated to paint something that will possibly sit outside.  But I finished it up at about 3:00 AM, it was great to get it finished.

Nothing That Happens....

Nothing that happens in life is a coincidence or random, it all happens for a reason.   And sometimes the repercussions of an event can be shocking, enlightening, and wonderful or down right frightening.  I have made a personal decision to take a 40 day journey or challenge, soul search, refocus my passion and use my gifts and talents the way that God has intended me to.  There is nothing like renewed energy, ideas and nothing quite as potent as a clear purpose and direction. I am constantly in a state of rediscovering who I am and what I am capable of with God's guiding hand.  I have told myself to stop dabbling and stop trying to do it all.  I have come to a point of pruning off and doing what matters in order to make some progress in my creativity.  It seems that my mode of operation has been aimless distraction for some time.  Show me a garden that is bursting into bloom, rushing water, the sun on my skin and let me feel the presents of God, see his almighty face and hear his tender voice within me. 

Art For The University Of Charleston/Beckley and Martinsburg Campuses

We/I have been trying to come up with some art and West Virginia photography for the walls in the Learning Resource Center ( Robert C. Byrd building) and facilities on the campus of The University Of Charleston/Beckley and the Martinsburg campus as well. The Beckley campus tends to be more modern in design, which lends itself toward a more contemporary type of art.  There are far too many bare walls right now and I know that no one wants to see only my works here on campus or elsewhere! So, I am asking for help with this endeavor either in the form of donations of art and /or the use of art from artist that would like to display their work for a determined period of time (decided by the artist and the University).  This will help both UC/Beckley and Martinsburg dress up the buildings with some amazing art and hopefully help our artist get exposure and sell some of their work.  A benefit both for our University and the art community.  In turn it is a real treat for our visitors and those in our Beckley and Martinsburg communities when we exhibit the beautiful "eye candy"!  Initially we would like to have artist (all different media and mediums welcome for consideration) from West Virginia and those with ties to West Virginia contact us first. Anyone interested please email me at GayleForsterDesigns@gmail.com or contact The University of Charleston/ Beckley 609 South Kanawha, Beckley, WV 25802 or via phone:(304) 929-1414 or email: ContactUC@ucwv.edu regarding any questions.  If this idea sounds interesting to you, we look forward to hearing from you!  We hope to make this campus a place for extraordinary, exciting, fun and exceptional things to happen! The rebuilding is in progress http://www.register-herald.com/highprofile/x2056617416/Dr-Jerry-Forster The University's website is: http://www.ucwv.edu/Beckley/. 

Thanks so much,

Gayle Forster

This is a recent piece that I finshed with a contemporary theme in mind after a hike near our home in Sewanee, TN