So many know this artist by one painting…the infamous kiss.  That is one painting I will not be showcasing and it’s not because I don’t like the image(I love it) but there’s so much more to Gustav Klimt’s work.

Gustav Klimt was a symbolist painter whose technical skills were painstakingly accurate. His early work as well as his drawings demonstrate that. 

 His work is extensive and exquisite – some of his work is haughty and some provocative. For a complete view of all of his work check out klimt.com 

Thank you Gustav Klimt! You truly are inspiring!

I didn’t post last week, as my days off were filled with a couple of outings, but it should work out well, because as I review my photos from two weeks ago and think back, I’m in a similar frame of mind this week.

I find myself, at this stage of my life, more confined, so that when I look at photographs of others from far off places, I’m a bit envious, although I’ve been blessed to have traveled in the past. But the current situation can dim my spirits and I’ve been feeling like I’ve been running on empty. So I seek refuge in my usual haunts, and find myself traveling familiar grounds, physically and metaphysically.

Metaphysically speaking – I find myself on the verge of depression. I’ve been here and through it before. I’m isolated, geographically, from my closest friends, and I feel at a disconnect. I feel…

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/skull-art-day-of-the-dead-3-stone-rockd-sharon-cummings.html

It’s Halloween and all of the goblins will be out soon combing the streets for candy.  We get so many on our street because I suspect we buy the best treats around the hood.  But this year a little devil got me right in the throat last night.  Strep will keep my door closed tonight as I may still be contagious.  I wont even put a bowl out just in case my hands might contaminate (though I wash and sanitize non-stop)…so boo!  Hope everyone has a great Halloween!

I’ve been looking through The Looking Glass again…..actually I’ve been playing around in it for quite some time now.  I had 22 images to share with the World and got them all up yesterday.  Whew!  I am getting ready for the Holiday season and promotion and custom work will be the names of the game for the next 6 weeks.  I will not have much time to create new paintings let alone list them!  So enjoy these NEW pieces until the crazy time ends!

THE LOOKING GLASS SERIES:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sharon-cummings.html?tab=artworkgalleries&artworkgalleryid=344305

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/tall-hibiscus-flower-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

I really love hibiscus flowers.  You might know that from my avatar. 😉  They grow like weeds in Florida and this makes me smile.  We have a huge bush of them blooming just outside my studio right now.  The bright orange bud you see in my mouth is courtesy of this 10 year old plant.  Recently while walking the back streets of downtown St. Augustine, I came upon this long tall shoot with one red flower at the top.  The tree was barren otherwise and it’s surrounds were dead and brown…it was a beacon.  A reminder to me to stand tall and keep reaching for the sky no matter what garbage is all around me.  Enjoy!

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/the-door-vintage-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

I just returned from a little 3 day getaway to St. Augustine, Florida.  The weather was absolutely perfect….crsip….cool and sunny.  The kind of weather we Floridians live for.  I had been through this historic town one time in my life, but never really explored all of the nooks and crannies.  Of course we visited all of the typical suspects….The Castillo De San Marcos National Monument….The Lightner Museum….Flagler College….etc.  But what really intrigued me the most were the out of the way places.  The smaller details that are so often missed by most tourists.  One cool morning we decided to make our way in the opposite direction of the hubbub and we found some really beautiful old homes.  This vintage door really grabbed my attention.  

We also found this cute little harbor….Camachee Harbor near St. Augustine Beach.   There were colorful vessels docked and waiting, but there…

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/sacred-crown-mandala-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

I’ve always had a thing for circles.  Every since I can remember, I would collect round pretty things.  I would constantly draw them.  I would intersect, separate or make a mosaic.  And as a career artists much of my work features circles and spirals.  To me they symbolize the continuity of all that the Universe entails.  Everything is connected and returns to the starting point.  For some reason lately, I have been seeing these beautiful mandalas everywhere.  It’s as if they were calling to me to create some.  I found some youtube videos showing how to make them with Photoshop but my brain just tuned out, but I did grab a few things from them….enough to figure it out myself by experimenting.  Here are my first mandalas…..I was surprised by their striking beauty.  I hope you like them too!

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/heart-aura-mandala-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/sacred-voice-mandala-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

You can learn more about these…

http://fineartamerica.com/featured/soul-star-abstract-art-by-sharon-cummings-sharon-cummings.html

I am back to The Looking Glass today….gazing in to see what I can see.  This piece titled “Soul Star” has a simple soothing feel to me.  I see a soul opening up…..a new star…..What do you see?

I am working hard this week getting ready for some much needed time off from work. 🙂 Thank you to all of my followers and fans for your continued support!

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sharon-cummings.html?tab=artworkgalleries&artworkgalleryid=260538

I really had no idea that digital art could be so much fun.  I have always been a traditional paint slinger.  My paintings have always sold really well and I have earned most of my living off of commissioned and original art for the past 10 years. But times they are a changin’…..I see more and more AMAZING digital art online and I am starting to really love it.  It is just a different medium.  Throughout History artists have used any and all medium available to create artwork.  It is a sign of true creativity when you are willing to embrace new technologies…acrylic paint was controversial when it first appeared to the Fine Art scene.  Traditional oil painters scoffed.  I imagine the charcoal drawers didn’t care much for oil paint.  And so it is with digital.  Some artists shun it as if it were the devil.  I did myself…