What is Beauty?

What is Beauty?

11″ x 7″ x 4″  What is Beauty? is an assemblage piece, examining attractiveness. The base is an old jewelry box with Botticelli’s Venus  painted in acrylic on the front.

What is Beauty? front

The sides and back are covered in images from The Best From Playboy, 1971 (don’t hate me gentlemen). Inside, the original tray swings free to reveal bits of mirror on one side and a pin-up girl on the other. Found objects make up the main scene, with antique doll dressed to the nines – you’d look good in a paper sack. She holds the key to beauty in one hand and the message to “Just be yourself” in the other. Surrounding her are antique earrings and others items such as an old Max Factor rouge compact that I dug out of the ground years ago, metal detecting, an antique perfume bottle, found the same way, and a glamorous shot of an unknown lovely.

What is Beauty? detail

What is Beauty? detail

What is Beauty? back

What is Beauty? detail

By Heather Brush. For Sale $65, at The Artisan Center Along the Crooked Road, in Rocky Mount, VA.

Venus Re-birthed

Venus Re-birthed

10″ x 7″  Venus Re-birthed is the first stage of an assemblage piece that will be titled What is Beauty? that I hope to finish today. My deepest apologies to Botticelli. I fear if I were his student he would have thrown my to the street. I am pleased with the result though as it will lend well to the theme of the piece. Done in acrylic on the top of an antique jewelry box, by Heather Brush.

This is the last posting for Art Every Day Month. I have so enjoyed this challenge. While I didn’t quite post a bit of art every single day of November, I am happy with what I have completed during this personally challenging month. It’s not every day you adopt a teenager into your life!

I’ll still be here, getting my hands dirty, so please check back!

Jar of Hearts

Jar of Hearts

11″ x  6″  Jar of Hearts is an assemblage piece. Using an antique half-gallon canning jar as receptacle for a variety of created hearts, each representing a different soul who’d left it behind. The tag reads, “He collected hearts like marbles in a jar.” Not referring to anyone in particular but representing those who tend to break many hearts in their lifetime. Created and posted for day 29 of Art Every Day Month (it took a good while to create all of the hearts!) by Heather Brush. For sale $35, at The Artisan Center Along the Crooked Road, in Rocky Mount, VA.

Jar of Hearts tag

Jar of Hearts detail

Jar of Hearts detail

Jar of Hearts detail

Buddha’s Hand

Buddha's Hand

11″ x 11″  Buddha’s Hand is an assemblage. The background is comprised of an antique image in gold ink. Buddha’s face is drawn with pencil on vellum and painted in gold on the back – my favorite of the many depictions of Buddha’s image. The gold wire hand to the left of the face is a mudra – a symbolic gesture.

“The thumb and index finger of the right hand stand for wisdom and method combined. The other three raised fingers symbolize the teaching of the Buddhist doctrine, which leads sentient beings to the paths of the beings of three capacities who follow the combined path of method and wisdom.” http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/history/mudras.htm

 

 

Buddha's Hand detail

 

 

 

Buddha's Hand detail

 

Created and posted for day 23 of Art Every Day Month, by Heather Brush. For sale $50.00

Once in a Blue Moon

Once in a Blue Moon

 SOLD  8″ x 10″  Once in a Blue Moon is a collage work. Oil pastel, blended with linseed oil make the night sky. Oil pastel, again blended with linseed oil, on sheet music, make up the moon, under a veil of mist made of antique angel hair, and under glass. By Heather Brush. Created on the night of the November 21 Blue Moon, for Art Every Day Month.

Nature Obscured

Nature Obscured

12″ x 16″  Nature Obscured is a mixed media piece featuring the Green Man, god of nature. An acrylic covered canvas is the base, with created paper mask under a veil. The message is simply that money obscures nature. Posted for day 21 of Art Every Day Month. By Heather Brush. For Sale at The Artisan Center Along the Crooked Road in Rocky Mount, Va. $50.00

Naked in the Mist

Naked in the Mist

10″ x 13″  Naked in the Mist is a mixed media work. Multilayered, I began with oil pastel on paper, blended with linseed oil, then applied a coat of sealant. Pen and ink trees are representative of the view out my front windows. Over that is layer over antique angel hair, under glass. Posted for day 17 of Art Every Day Month. By Heather Brush. For sale at The Artisan Center Along the Crooked Road in Rocky Mount, Va. $45.00

Naked in the Mist detail

Heart Parts

Heart Parts

Just a quick post today for Art Every Day Month, day 16. Heart Parts are small parts of a work in progress I’ve already titled Jar of Hearts. Inspired by those people who seem to collect love stories by loving and leaving. It may take me a while to finish this project but I am enjoying creating a variety of hearts representing the menagerie of people who might pass through one person’s life. No, this is not my own personal jar of hearts…that would be a thimble.

Keeping Secrets

Keeping Secrets

10″ x 6″ x 8″  Keeping Secrets is an assemblage piece, utilizing an antique wooden box, blown glass fixture and other found objects. The iron bird holds a scroll, his eyes twinkling. All my life, my father would find out things about me and my life from my mother and sisters, but when I questioned how he knew he would tell me “A little bird told me.” This little bird is being kept under glass and under lock and key.

I adore this piece for the idea of it and for the fact that it seemed to pull itself together on its own, only using me as a means to an end. I post it happily for day 15 of Art Every Day Month. By Heather Brush.

Keeping Secrets top view

Keeping Secrets side view

Keeping Secrets detail

Two Birds in Suspense

Two Birds in Suspense

 6″ x 6″  Two Birds in Suspense is a mixed media collage using antique book jacket for the birds’ bodies. Created and posted for Art Every Day Month by Heather Brush. Inspired by Regina Spektor’s song Two Birds on a Wire. For sale, $25.