Free To Be Me by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Leada Wood, Watercolor, Mixed Media, Collage

"Free To Be Me" ©Leada Wood 2016

I hope you have enjoyed seeing my Happy, Whacky Bird series at least half as much as I enjoyed painting them. My desire was to bring color into your day and a smile to your face, I hope I succeeded. 

There is still time to run by Howard College and see them closer. The Caboose Watercolor exhibition will close May 4th. The show is  excellent with exciting work from various artists.

"Art is, after all, only a trace...like a footprint which shows that one has walked bravely and in great happiness."

                                                                                                                       ---Robert Henri                                               

Blackbird Fly, by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Leada Wood, Watercolor, Mixed Media, Collage

"Blackbird Fly" by Leada Wood ©2016

I just loved the Beatles...I can remember seeing them on the Ed Sulliven show. It was their first American performance. I was pretty young but my younger cousin and I followed our older cousin to their house to see what it was all about. I didn't quite get it...all those girls screaming on tv...and of course my older cousin was quite excited as well. I soon got it though and still enjoy their music. They were very creative and their music kind of changed the world of music. I never got to see the Beatles in person although I have gone to many concerts since then but I did get to see Paul and Ringo perform.

Music takes you places as well as visual art. That is why it is so important to support the arts...to keep creativity alive in our fast paced world.  Where would we be without art? All great inventions begin with an idea born out of a creative mind. Everything you wear, live in, drive , talk on, began with a vision born out of creativity.

"Blackbird Fly" is another mixed media painting in my Happy, Whacky Birds series.

Thanks for stopping by!

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life you were only waiting for this moment to arise.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these sunken eyes and learn to see. All your life you were only waiting for this moment to arise.

Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly into the light of the dark, black night.

                                                                                                 ---The Beatles

Happy Feet, by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Leada Wood, Watercolor, Mixed Media, Collage

"Happy Feet" by Leada Wood ©2016

"Happy Feet" is a mixed media collage created from hand painted papers. I just love painting the little birdies...real and imaginary. Happy Feet has bright cheerful colors that makes you smile just looking at him. This is one of my recent bird series created for the Caboose Watercolor show at Howard Collage. The reception is April 12th from 5:00 to 6:30, stop by and see the show, have some sips and snacks and say hi!

Love Is, by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Leada Wood, Watercolor, Mixed Media, Collage

"Love Is" copyright 2016 Leada Wood

Happy Valentine's Day ! I hope you are having an enchanted day with those you hold dearest. Isn't that what love is spending time with those you hold near and dear to your heart? It's a special day all around for children and grown ups alike. Making hearts and valentines for your beloved...

conversation candy hearts...class parties...chocolates and flowers. I always enjoyed creating my fancy sack to hold all the valentines from my classmates and reading them. I now enjoy spending time with Bootman...cooking up a special meal I know he will savor. I do adore creating him a special Valentine every year as well. I am just a Romantic at heart.

  LOVE IS

Love is patient,

Love is kind and envies no one.

Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude.

Never selfish, not quick to take offense.

Love keeps no scores of wrongs,

does not gloat over another's sins,

 but delights in the truth.

There is nothing love cannot face, 

there is no limit to its faith, it's Hope and endurance.

In a word, there are three things that will last forever,

 faith, hope, and love, 

but the greatest of these is love.

1Corinthians 13

Girl With The Golden Fan by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Day 8 of Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. Hope you aren't getting tired of seeing a post by me everyday in your inbox. I do appreciate your support and welcome your comments.  Don't be afraid to comment...I love to hear what you think. I am happy that I am still hanging in there and have already painted 8 paintings this year! I would say 2014 is off to a good start. I have been bouncing back and forth between realism with watercolor and acrylic mixed media collage. This keeps me on my toes as well as creatively challenged.

Todays painting of the day is a mixed media collage, 8x8 on canvas board painted with acrylics. Even with these small paintings it takes time. I make the papers for these collages using various techniques. Very rarely do I use purchased papers. I use found papers as well. They might be pages of an old book or pages out of a telephone directory or newspaper. I am searching for interesting calligraphy and line. When I create my collage paper it is a 2 or 3 day event as I do lots of different colors  and lay them out to dry. The next day I will get out my collection of hand carved stamps and put design onto the paper. I sometimes add another layer the next day. I enjoy the making of the paper as I think it gives a unique and personal touch to my collages.  

Girl With The Golden Fan by Leada Wood ©2014

By The Light Of The Silvery Moon by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Day 7 of Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. One week down...only 23 days to go! It is very difficult to keep up the pace, but I keep cheering myself on and doing a painting a day. It's a mind game. Your comments make my day as well. Today I needed a change of pace so I did a mixed media, a little smaller than I have been painting. I may be down to Artists Trading card size by the end!

When I do mixed media I created my own papers using hand carved stamps and hand cut stencils from my designs. There is a lot of creative process in mixed media collage as well as many layers. It is a lot more work than painting but I enjoy it.

"By The Light Of The Silvery Moon" is 8x8 on canvas board with collage, silver leaf and acrylic paint.

By The Light Of The Silvery Moon by Leada Wood ©2014

La Dolce Vita by Leada Wood, Artist of Texas

Awww Valentines Day...the holiday of love...whether you are in love, looking for love or just a romantic it is a day for fun! The symbol we most associate with Valentines Day is the heart. It represents love and giving your heart to another.

I always make my sweetie a Valentine for this special day. This year I decided to make a collage. We are abstaining from sugar so I put some chocolates in my collage in the form of kisses.  Of course I had to add a couple of hearts...especially like the heart with wings because love makes my heart soar. La dolce vita means the sweet life and I had to throw in a couple of cherubs for good measure. This Valentine is 8x8 on canvas board.

Happy Valentines day! Hope sweet treats come your way!

The Times Of Your Life by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

The Times Of Your Life by Leada Wood©




I thought this would be a good painting to post today as it is a celebration of life and love. There are messages all though the painting. This painting is sold and will live in Houston with a very nice couple. It is a 12x12 mixed media on canvas.

You never know what the day will bring...sometimes good...sometimes exciting...sometimes sad and sometimes bad! November 30th started out quiet ordinary for me, I was taking care of business in my studio, framing paintings getting them ready for delivery. I went to lunch with Bootman and our grandson Kyler and WHAM! I began seeing blood leaking into my eye, panic stricken yet not wanting to upset everyone we left the restaurant and headed for the nearest retina specialist 76 miles away.  The doctor did an emergency laser tack and told me to go home and wait for the blood to leave my eye and not to do anything. I went back 5 days later still not seeing out of my right eye. Instead of another simple laser surgery I had to go back for the real eye surgery. On Friday December 7th I had surgery on my retina to restore my sight and here I am 4 days later able to blog about it!

 Friends this is my Christmas Miracle! My sight restored! Amazing! My eyes are still a little weak and I cannot do things for long at a time but I CAN SEE! What a wonderful gift our eyesight is, please don't take things for granted...you are a walking, talking, breathing miracle!

 May God bless you and please remember to be grateful and thank Him for His blessings every day.

Changes by Leada Wood, Contemporary Artist Of Texas

Changes by Leada Wood©
www.leadawood.com

October! Where has the year gone? I love fall...rich warm colors... crisp mornings...pumpkins...the feeling of change in the air. I enjoy using the rich warm color in my art as well. Nature inspires me...the shapes, colors and beauty.

This is a mixed media painting, 5x7, on illustration board using layers to give texture and depth.
 It is available!

Peace by Leada Wood

by Leada Wood ©

This is another Little Jewel, 5x7 with lots of layers. I make my own collage papers and a lot of my stamps so that it will give an original look to my art. I love adding embelishments to my work.

This is the begining of this little jewel. 

Happiness Symbols by Leada Wood, Artist Of Texas

Happiness Symbols by Leada Wood ©

This is a new little Jewel, only 5X7 with a powerful punch and message.  There are various symbols for happiness incorporated into this painting as well as the Japanese Kanji symbol for hapiness. This symbol can also be translated as blessed, welfare, well-being or fortunate.
I used the symbol of a man and woman, as I believe that one completes the other thus bringing happiness to each other. I used the coins for good fortune and prosperity.
The spiral is associated with the cycles of time, the seasons, cycle of birth, growth, death and then rebirth. Some also consider the spiral a symbol of a spiritual journey. Life doesn't progess in a straight line, it resembles a spiral. We seem to pass the same points over and over again with a different perspective each time.
The circle is an unbroken line which has no beginning, and no end which represents completeness.
The color orange is a power color! It stimulates creativity and enthusiasm. People who like orange are usually sincere and thoughtful. Lady Luck's color is orange.
The color turquoise is a friendly and happy color. It controls and heals the emotions creating stability and balance.
Can you believe one little Jewel has so much symbolism?