In the past I have done my own challenges during which I aspired to make mandalas (almost) every day for 100 days. I have been able to work on a mandala almost every day but a lot of my work takes more energy than I have on a given day. Frequently when I try to make a simple one it becomes complicated. So I once again am aspiring to make 100 mandalas by the end of the year, or make a whole lot and finish up a lot of works in progress. I started the project when there was a little more than 100 days left in the year.
Here’s an overview of week 1. I’m off to a good start! I did make 7 mandalas, but one is in the same sketchbook as the art supplies inventory rainbow so it’s not in the overall photo. Another one also appears twice as I combined a completed mandala with one that was in progress and not going well.
Sketchbook Revival class on art supply inventory taught by Janine Vangool of Uppercase MagazineCombination of dragonfly mandala and zendala featuring a pattern by Debbie Huntington.This zendala is from a class in the Tangle Talez workshop taught by Shie Naritomi.This zendala is a combination of one of my handcarved stamps and some Zentangle patterns.A collection of my handcarved stamps with some mixed media Zentangles and enhancements.Another Tangle Talez zendala. This one was taught by Anica Gabrovec (Zen.linea).The central portion of this mandala is another tile that was taught at Tangle Talez by Anica. I incorporated it into a collage that uses my stamps, zentangles and mixed media.
Newly completed collage titled Dane County Garden. Can you see the map in the background?
This month I am the featured artist at the Wisconsin Art Hub in Cambridge WI. This article provides answers to questions about my process of making art and development as an artist. It also provides more information about the classes I will be teaching there this fall. In April I will be having a solo exhibit there. Lots of exciting things going on!
The EcoSquared Exhibit is going on right now at Hatch Art House. There will be a reception Friday July 12, from 5-8. I plan to be there and I hope to see you there. There is a lot of detail in these pieces that you can only see in person. What is EcoSquared?
“EcoSquared (eco for eco-friendly, squared for square art) focuses entirely on square works of art made with upcycled materials by local artists. This year will be a massive show of upcycled artworks with nearly 120 pieces made by over 40 Wisconsin artists.”
Hatch Art House is located at 1248 Williamson Street in Madison, WI. Their hours are M-F: 11am – 6pm, Sat: 11pm-5pm, Sunday: 11-4.
I have started working with a new gallery, The Art Hub in Cambridge. I will have 2 pieces in the general exhibit for the next six months. I will have more in the August show 100 and Under. There will be a fantastic selection of affordable art, as the title implies they will all be $100 or less. (photos coming soon).
The Art Hub is located at 145 W. Main in Cambridge, WI. Their hours are Tuesday -Saturday 10AM-5PM. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Mixed Media Collage Oct. 19, 1-4Altered Book Art Journal Nov. 22, 6-9Introduction to Zentangle Dec 14, 1-3:30
This fall I will also be teaching at the Art Hub. The fall 2024 schedule will be available soon here.
October 19th from 1-4 I will be teaching a mixed media collage workshop. “Create your own floral collage. This class is an introduction to gelli printing and mixed media collage. It is for both beginning and intermediate artists. In this class we will use acrylic paint and a gelli plate to paint a variety of papers to use in a 5×7 floral still life collage.”
November 22 from 6-9 I will be teaching an altered book art journal workshop with a focus on gratitude. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. “Learn how to repurpose a hardcover book using gesso, acrylic paint, writing tools and stencils. We will explore using what you find in the book for inspiration. An art journal is a great place to experiment with art supplies and different techniques. We will do a simple art journal page layout using mostly just acrylic paints. We will explore layering transparent and opaque acrylic paint to create a harmonious composition. You will leave with an art journal that doesn’t have blank pages, ready for you to keep making art.”
December 14 from 1-3:30 I will teach an introduction to Zentangle® class. “In this workshop you will get the tools and skills needed to create beautiful, small works of art using the Zentangle® Method of drawing. This meditative art form uses quality art supplies and simple instructions to create patterns to explore non-representational art. You will be using a Zentangle® kit that includes a professional grade Micron pen, pencil, tortillion, and 5 Zentangle® tiles. You will have 2 small abstract pieces of art completed by the end of the class and the kit is yours to keep.”
I’m exploring different ways of creating layers in the background as well as layers in the flowers. I am enjoying playing with circles to make abstract flowers as well as carving stamps. This piece inspired a new coloring page that is for sale as a digital download in my Etsy shop.
I haven’t posted in a long time because I had some health problems and I have been busy making art. I have sold more this year than ever before. One of the pieces that sold has also been selected to be part of a calendar. It is for Mental Health America (MHA) of Sheboygan County. It was the culmination of the 100 days of flowers. It is called Organic Geometry: Garden Mandala. This has been a motif I have been exploring since I participated in the 100 days of flowers and I am including some other examples of this series. I have also done a deep dive into carving stamps. I have carved a lot of flower and leaf stamps and I love to stamp/paint them and cut them out to make collages. I did a few still life pieces like this and plan to do more. The backgrounds and some of the leaves come from some of the beautiful stencils from Stencilgirl Products using a Gelli plate. That combination has provided me with hours of entertainment. It is one of the best antidepressants I have found.
Thank you for taking the time to stop by. I would love to hear from you. You can find me on Instagram @jeanette.clawson.
Over the summer I created a series of small canvases as part of a fundraiser for our local art association.
I had so much fun with those that when I got my new stencils from Stencil Girl Products I made another 8×10 piece.
That started a series of 8×10 collages in September of 2020. My lofty goal was to create a collage a day. My realistic goal was to make art almost every day. And I did. Most of these have since been gifted, bartered or sold. Send me a message if you’re interested in one. The butterfly one is sold.
Hello again. Since I have started posting to Instagram (and it is so easy) I have neglected my blog. I want to do some catching up. When the pandemic started I bought a large sheet of hot press watercolor paper and started making a very large Zentangled mandala. I still have not finished shading it, but this year I want to finish things. I have developed a daily art practice over the last 10 months and would like to share what I have made with you.
The piece on the left is called Illuminated Journey and is a large (24×36 inches) mixed media collage that I made for a call for art. The call for art was a presentation to a hotel chain that was looking for art by local artists. Our art association didn’t have anything else going on, so we put up a show with a lot of different styles of art. It turned out that they were looking for landscapes and traditional representational art, but it inspired me to make this piece so I’m happy with the outcome. I put a lot of work into it and didn’t have an end in mind so it kept evolving. The inspiration for it is a book I got from the high school library purge that occurred while I was in my residency at North High School. The book is called Victorian Inventions by Leonard de Vries. If you look at the details in the close up pictures you can see a wide variety of transportation related inventions.
The backgrounds of the six small mandalas include vintage book pages that I wrote over with a blue pen. I saw an old journal with small blue writing in it that really looked interesting. I’m always on the lookout for interesting ways to write in my journals and art without it being legible and this is a new favorite. The mandalas that have black circles as a background include an unusual textural element, a circle of chipboard covered with black gesso and the netting that vegetables come in. It was kind of tricky to do, especially in a circle, but I love the effect and plan to play with it in the future.
This is Zendala 7 of 100. We are moved into our new house and things are getting unpacked and setup. I hope to update my blog in the near future. Have a beautiful day.
I have been very busy so far this year. I completed the Brooklyn Art Library’s Sketchbook Project. It will be available digitally at their website and will be traveling around the country during the next year. The first event will be the Bookmobile at The Other Art Fair at the Brooklyn Expo Center in the beginning of May. I made a flip through video that I posted on Instagram, but I have not been able to get the video onto my blog. Look for me on Instagram @jeanette.clawson. Here are some photos of the process of completing my sketchbook.
I will soon be living in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, near the shore of Lake Michigan. I hope to be exhibiting and teaching again in the near future. I hope you have some beauty and peace in your day.
I have been very busy so far this year. I completed the Brooklyn Art Library’s 
Jeanette Clawson Art 