Mother Mary Jones

“Wherever she went,” Sinclair Lewis wrote of Mary Harris "Mother Jones", “the flame of protest leaped up in the hearts of men.” She said to "Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living."

Mary Jones is a sort of hero of mine. Not perfect, but she fought injustices with such a fire in her belly and for such a long time, that it's hard not to put her on a smidgen of a pedestal. 

(To read a tiny bit about it, swing by this Patreon blog.)

The original watercolor portrait of her is in now the collection of a special Patreon patron, after an exclusive Patreon giveaway.

Prints and merch of this wc portrait are available on Redbubble and Society6. (Which I think has free shipping today.)

They have been moving this week, for some reason. That makes my little agitator heart smile.

"Sit down and read. Educate yourself for the coming conflicts." -Mother Jones

https://rdbl.co/2JyxNjB

Flocked on Flamingo Friday

Flocked in wallpaper on Spoonflower

Heard of Spoonflower?

It's an online fabric company that uses eco-friendly inks and printing processes, artwork from indie designers, and passes on thousands of unique choices and environmental feel good to you.

It's a cool place for makers and designers, alike.

There are tons of fabric options, including organics, sport, and even denim and velvet. 22 fabrics, I think in total, and a few wallpaper and gift wraps.

There are themed design challenges to help keep juices flowing.

This week is  "Animals by Air".

I know, right? I had fun voting on that one. I think I faved every single design. So. Many. Birds!

The site also collaborates with Roostery (home goods) and Sprout (patterns and white-glove sewing service) for those of us that aren't exactly domestic goddesses but dig the unique fabrics.

With the move coming up, I'm pretty stoked about the wallpaper, which is something I never thought I'd be saying. They have an adhesive wallpaper, that I plan to use on bookshelves and other areas. I'd love to design bespoke patterns once I get in the space and see exactly what it needs, ya know?

(Custom fabric designs are also a reward I now offer my Patreon supporters, so head over there if you want something special for a project.)

If you're already a Spoonflower customer and you like Flocked, please give it a

 vote for the 

Animals of the Air Design Challenge!

 The voting ends soon.

And umm, if you're just a flamingo person and aren't into the whole fabric thing, I get it.

Flocked is also on Society6.  No sewing required. 

Have a fantastic Friday.

~Stay flamboyant~

Flamingo Flame

I've been dabbling in flamingos over 5 years.
Still at it.
New trio are waiting for their UV varnish to dry, so here's a lil' backstory for you...

On a sticky Florida day, the kind of day where the Sunshine State seems truly equatorial.
 I approached a lagoon full of pinkies wading. Their long grace admirable and alien,
synchronized and sharp. I sang something to them in a hushed tone about their beauty and comic confidence. In my head, I snapped my fingers in a zig zag and apologized for being off key. I must have let a loud chuckle escape.
Their honks and calls quieted, and they turned to me all at once.
The flamboyance jolted and jutted side to side, but it was unmistakable, 

they were walking to me.

A single bird stepped forward. "Excuse me."
 His voice was deep and rich. The sound poured over me like honey.
"What is your name?"
I stammered, making a few unsure, creaky noises that resembled, "Ruh. Ruh. Ruh."
Mesmerized by his eyes, I got out one last, "Rahhh..."
He looked into my soul and pulled out the moment this body first Knew something.
 "Shit." I whispered, hammered with humility.

"Mmmmhmmm. Little girl was right. Don't shut it again."
 I don't know if it was them or me that flew into the sun.

Agrimony meaning and folklore

Agrimonia eupatoria, or more commonly known as agrimony, church steeple, or cockleburs. 

In the language of flowers, sending them symbolizes gratitude. Their role in folk medicine for millennia might have something to do with this. (Disclaimer- not medical advice, though it's non-toxic, don't go eating to replace your meds, k?)

A powerful coagulant, it was given to heal wounds and stop internal bleeding, skin diseases, snake bites, sore throats, diarrhea, and the list goes on so I'll cut it short. There was a medieval remedy for internal hemorrhaging that involved agrimony, human blood (menstrual- whole n'other post on suppressed sacred feminine and what the holy grail probably was for realzzz), and pounded frogs, soooo-  level 4 Patrons might get a new frog print sans the smoosh. 

 I digress.

Having so many uses, it was also thought to be kind of magical, so giving it to someone that was thought to have fallen under a hex made total sense. It is said to ward off negativity, and lots of wildcrafters and homeopathy practitioners use it today. It's part of the infamous Bach flower remedy, and it's used as a yellow dye.

Oh, and another name for agrimony? Fairy's wand. Put it under someone's pillow and they won't wake until it is removed. If only, right? 

The flowers have a rich, spicy scent, and afterward their seed pods turn into those little spiky burrs that stick to errything, you know what I'm talking about? You know.

  Want to grow some? Native to Europe (eupatoria) but it grows pretty much everywhere. A perennial with sunny, yellow blooms, it can tolerate dry and alkaline soil.

Zones 6-9

Well drained, Full Sun, Tolerates part shade

If propagating by seed, germination can be tricky and take 1-3 weeks, transplant outside as soon as seedlings are visible. It can be invasive and take over, so keep an eye on it if you don't want too much of it. 

tip- I like to use the little biodegradable seedling starter/transplant pots. 

It keeps the roots in check for a while.

 Speaking of roots, there's so much more history and folklore on agrimony, but that's for you to google or hmu to chit chat in DMs. The next Patron only post  over on Patreon

has a zip file filled with agrimony watercolor design elements (png & jpg) and printable thank you card goodies. 

Whatever your ailment, gratitude is damn good medicine.

Thanks for stopping by,

D. Renée

Black Pearl

 I've said it before and I'll say it again,

do you Fringe?

You really should.

Orlando Fringe is a local organization that provides the opportunity for performing (and visual) artists to exhibit original and cutting edge work. Work that pushes boundaries yet brings us all together.

You also know about my love affair with the city of light.

Always on my mind, her deep historical roots paired with lust for revolution and the avant garde hold the eternal flame of my spirit.

Behold-

Fab Fringe 2018 fundraiser featuring Josephine.

Josephine Baker needs no introduction.

If you're rusty on your history, read up and know that entertainers have long held important roles as rights activists and even resistance fighters. 

She refused to perform for segregated audiences in the U.S., 

Because when you shut up and do as you're told, you're merely a servant to the corrupt systems and powers that be. 

*

I created another piece in my Clothed in Cosmic series specifically for this event and donated it to the fundraiser auction.

Black Pearl of Paris,
6"x9"
Watercolor and Silver leaf.
Original winner will receive a certificate of authenticity.
*Update- original sold, prints are available here.

*update original has been sold and prints are available on my print sites.
https://society6.com/product/black-pearl-of-paris_print?curator=dreneewilson

Twin Peaks Day

Twin Peaks Day! 10 steps to posting...

February 24, 1989 was the day they found Laura Palmer’s body by the Lake and it all began.
I don’t want to give spoilers to anyone living under a rock the past 29 years, but it’s all amazing & the return/season 3 is definitely worth watching for Lynch fans. I really enjoyed it. There are some explanations, even more weirdness, and some interesting outcomes. My take on Carrie Page influenced this piece (right in the pic collage) and now fire walk with me through each step of the process.

1. Ink drawing of Laura Palmer’s pretty face. (I’ve had this one under wraps-pun intended- for quite a while waiting for the right time to use it. Glad I didn’t throw it out during studio purge 1 last month.)

Pdf print available on Patreon

2. Paint several watercolor galaxy backgrounds. I enjoy the fuck out of these. They are super relaxing and I don’t care too much about representationalism because it’s incorporated into fantasy art.

3. Scan all artwork, vectorize line drawing, color correct galaxies. Maybe
do yoga and or take more serious pain relief measures at the end of the day because lumbar spine is wrecked from sitting in a chair all day. 🌌

4. Create separate files for each. Level 3+ Patrons will be getting the ink portrait download to print.💕(coming in next Patron's only post) Watercolor galaxy files will be used in other projects, and possibly one original for Patron giveaway depending on feedback.

5. Make new file and use inverted line drawing file as masked layer on both backgrounds. Mess with transparency levels until it looks just so...

6. Enter file info, save it as a pdf.

Canvas mockup on Redbubble...

7. Upload file for sale onto my pod print site.
Society6, Redbubble, etc.

8. Give my Level 4 Patrons a free download of the final large print pdf because they are the wind beneath my monthly web fees.

9. Give the link to Meals on Wheels volunteer signup- because Laura would have wanted it that way.

10. Repeat second half of step 3, have a damn fine cup of coffee ☕️ maybe a piece of 🥧 pie. Think about Carrie Page, how much I love David Lynch and my Patrons.

On the first day of Christmas...

 Okay, okay, so technically the 12 days of Christmas happen after Christmas, but that wouldn't really be as fun for you guys, and the build up helps you get in the spirit. 

 Fun fact, the gifts in the song seem super weird because they are actually symbols for the tenets of Christianity. The "true love" is representative of the Judeo-Christian god, and a partridge was chosen because this bird displays a behavior to protect its young wherein it will lure predators away from the nest and go so far as to feign injury to keep any threat away. 

Man, I love birds. Nature is so cool.

 The printable page of the line drawing is available to download on my Patreon page for supporters at the $10 level. It can be used for coloring, wrapping paper, or various small pet bedding when properly shredded. Printed at a very small scale, they may enjoy the artwork, too.

 Not into coloring or supporting independent artists monetarily? That's cool. Interject your new carol knowledge at the office party to make people uncomfortable when they thought they were singing strictly secular songs. 

 FYI- the Cyber week sale has ended and the extra Patron codes have expired, but as an extra thanks during the holidays, there is a 30% off code for $10 Patrons on the Patreon page with the Partridge download. 

 Thanks again for stopping by!

See you birds soon,

D. Renée