Elizabeth Frank Artworks

Lost and Found Angels

2012-02-28T15:40:00.000-08:00

Lost and Found Angel with Crown of Copper Vines

These angels are part of an ongoing series inspired by the carved wooden figures that reside in an old Spanish mission in my hometown of Tucson. The church is nick named the White Dove of the Desert. I've visited there since childhood. In the church there are frescoes of angels painted on the ceilings. Carved angels and saints are suspended form the walls. Much of the artwork has been damaged over time and although beautiful restorations have been done its still a bit weathered inside. I've always found this particular church to be a place of mystery and sanctuary. Whenever I visit I leave with a renewed sense of hope.

All of the pieces in the series are made from carved fallen aspen wood, found, re-purposed and reclaimed materials. The aspen wood was gathered in the mountains of northern Arizona and New Mexico. The wings are made from antique ceiling tin.

Lost and Found Angel with Crown of Purple Vines

Heart and Flower

2012-02-14T07:38:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Bottle Cap Hearts

2012-02-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

Botttle Cap Hearts

"Wherever your heart is, that is where you'll find your treasure." ~from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Hearts and Lovebirds~In the Works

2012-02-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

Many Hats

2012-01-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

I think an artist has to put on many different hats. No, these aren't always real hats. There's the creator hat. Traditionally this was the french beret. The entrepreneur hat...faux fur??? The trapeze artist hat...because artists often have to jump through hoops! I'm thinking though that the trapeze artist hat is actually more of a hair style...a ribbon, flower...shaved head? The truck driver hat... maybe a baseball cap, this also might involve chewing something, gum...tobacco...beef jerky.... the end of a pencil. Personally, I like to chew gum when I'm driving my art around.

More on the hat and the gum thing later. For now I've just put on a new hat called "the contestant hat". Yes, I've entered a contest. It's called Artist Wanted: A Year in Review. Maybe you'd like to enter too!

Mother and Child

Please check out my online portfolio, vote, share, tell your friends and maybe put on a new hat! The deadline to vote or enter is February 7

Honey and Bunny

2012-01-23T05:13:00.000-08:00

Honey and Bunny ~Etsy

This happy couple is part of a series of hinged figures that celebrate the union of two souls. They might be siblings, lovers, friends or even pets! This pair is called "Honey and Bunny".

They are carved from fallen aspen wood, connected with a vintage/antique hinge and painted with acrylic. The wood is coated with a light layer of wax to protect and seal the surface. There are two hooks on the back for hanging.

Size: 8.5" x 4.5" x 1"

Our New Blog-Haunted Sandbox

2012-01-15T15:13:00.000-08:00

My friend Kristin Beeler and I love to do phone photos...maybe some actual camera photos too...and so we decided to do a new blog. One photo each. Every Week. Until your sick of the sight of us. Haunted Sandbox

Haunted Sandbox

After we decided to do the new blog I went walking with a friend in a dry, sandy riverbed. I brought along
my trusty iphone just looking for something interesting to snap for my first entry. And there it was, this lost, abandoned or perhaps haunted high heeled shoe.

On the Table

2012-01-12T10:26:00.000-08:00

Here's some of what's in the works this week. Can't wait to get it all carved and play with paint for a few days!

Wandering in the Desert

2011-12-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Many blessings to you in 2012!

Message in a Bottle

2011-12-13T17:26:00.000-08:00

In 1919 Marcel Duchamp, the founder of the art movement called Dada, purchased a 50cc glass ampoule from a pharmacist friend. After emptying the original contents he had the pharmacist seal it again with nothing inside but Paris air. Duchamp took the ampoule to New York as a souveneir for a friend. It was later exhibited as one of a series of found object artworks Duchamp called Ready Mades. At that time exhibiting found objects in the context of art just wasn't done. Duchamp and his Dada buddies caused quite a ruckus.

50cc Paris Air, Ready Made by Marcel Duchamp

So... I'd just like to say...Thank you Marcel Duchamp... for sending that Ready Made message in a bottle... you let everyone in on the sometimes grimey little secret...that in the right hands (and/or minds) found objects can speak volumes, tell stories, make jokes and even recite poems- of the visual kind. Sometimes it's done with elegant simplicity like the glass jar assemblages of photographer, painter and assemblage artist Valerie Galloway. See more of her lovely works in her Etsy shop.

Submerged by Valerie Galloway

Entanglement by Valerie Galloway

Or with delicate poetics like those of jeweler, assemblage artist Marina Rios aka Fanciful Devices. She often titles and accompanies her works with snippets taken from arcane stories, obscure scientific facts and forgotten texts. Click on the link below the photos to visit her shop for the wonderful descriptions of these pieces.

Blanca Queen of France by Marina Rios/Fanciful Devices

Futility by Marina Rios/Fanciful Devices

Assemblage artist and jeweler Priscilla Moore's lovely works tell fascinating stories through her subtle choices in found materials and techniques. As a bonus she often accompanies her pieces with historical anecdotes or poems. Click on the links below the photos to visit her Etsy shop for details about these pieces and more.

Tobacciana by Priscilla Moore/Read Between Lines

Affianced Edwardian Necklace by Priscilla Moore/ Read Between Lines

Mixed media artist Lynn Whipple creates poignant, multilayered works with an intricate combination of found materials, paint, and text. Visit Lynn's beautiful website and her Etsy shop to see more of her amazing works.

Mixed media assemblage by Lynn Whipple

Little Cartoon Souls

2011-12-06T13:13:00.000-08:00

Coquette - Little Cartoon Soul No. 10

Have you ever had a day when your life seems to be a comedy of errors? Maybe you trip over a that invisible crack in the sidewalk or the soda explodes from the bottle when you open it to take that first delicious sip? If this sort of thing has happened to you it's probably just your cartoon soul reminding you that it's there. We all have one dwelling somewhere inside. It's their cartoony duty to remind us not to take all of life's little twists and turns quite so seriously.

The Little Cartoon Souls are carved from found aspen wood and mounted on a vintage wooden toy block. Each has a pair of antique porcelain doll arms. They're painted with acrylic then lightly sanded to give the surface an aged appearance.

These Cartoon Souls are having a dance party in my Etsy shop!

Hekate's Angel and a Fairy Tail

2011-11-19T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hekate's Angel

This assemblage and carved wood piece is named for Hekate the Greek Goddess of doorways and crossroads. In ancient Greece she was considered the guardian of the veil between the worlds, the material and the spiritual.

Hekate's Angel is made with a vintage doorknob plate nailed to a found piece of wood. There is a magnifying lens where the doorknob once fit. Behind the lens I inserted an antique porcelain doll face. Behind the keyhole is a tiny bone. The keyhole is covered with mica. I carved the wings from fallen aspen wood.They are painted and then gilded with metal leaf. There is a hook on the back so that the piece can hang on a wall.
Size: 7.5" x 11" x 1"

Tulip

Tulip is from a series called The Secret Garden. As a child one of my favorite books was "The Secret Garden" The story of a young girl who discovers the locked door to an abandoned, overgrown garden. As the story unfolds the garden is revived along with the girl and her closest companions.

The objects in this series are worn and maybe a little crusty on the outside. They've a few chips and dings. With a little love and attention something wild and wonderful grows out from their ruins! Tulip is made from a vintage porcelain doll and carved aspen wood. I carved the wooden stems and leaves. Each detailed carving is attached by a tiny carved peg and glued in place. The wood is painted with acrylic and waxed.The figure is set in the stem with jewelers epoxy.

Tulip can sit on a surface or hang on the wall.
Size: 2"h x 7"w x 3"d

New Works November - All Souls

2011-11-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

I Love November. beginning with All Souls Day and ending with Thanksgiving, it's a month for remembrance and celebration. In keeping with the spirit of this season I've started a new series inspired by Memento mori. This genre of art dating back to antiquity is meant to remind us of our mortality and to remember lost loved ones. My Memento mori, made with antique photographs, carved wood and found objects, alludes to life's ephemeral nature. I'm so excited to be able to exhibit some of these pieces in a fantastic group show at Sacred Machine Museum and Curiosity Shop. The show is part of The Santa Muerte Music and Arts Festival and runs through December 31, 2011.

Trick or Treat ~ Los Luchadores!

2011-10-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

Movie Poster featuring the luchador El Santo, 1965

This time of year in the US most kids and quite a few grown ups are putting on masks for the Halloween holiday. Wearing masks for celebration, theater, and ritual started long ago. Probably around the same time we humans were hunting and gathering. Nowadays there are few places on earth where masks are regularly worn but in pre-Columbian Mexico masks were worn by priests and kings. The Aztecs and Mayans left behind stone carvings and paintings of those masked men. They were kind of the rock stars of their day so I guess masks were a part of pre-Columbian pop culture. In present day Mexico masks still have a place in mass culture on the faces of luchadores (Mexican wrestlers). Real, live, flesh and blood masked men, luchadores are part superhero/villian/amazing athlete/ film star/comic book character/icon. And not only that ...their images are painted on the sides of buildings, adorned on clothing, and are used in advertisments. They're inspiring subjects for visual artists all over the world.

Luchador postcard

Valentino The Luchadore of Heart Breakers by Robert Palacios

Lucky Lucho by Max Lehman

Their form of professional wrestling is called Lucha Libre (Free Wrestling). The masked version originated in Mexico in the early 1900's. Most luchadores begin their careers wearing a mask. Many only appear in public masked. Even those who appear unmasked go to great lengths to guard their true identities. The mask is sacred. At some point many luchadores will lose their masks either in a "face off" (challenge) with another wrestler or as a ploy where they remove one mask and replace it in order to transform in to a new luchador character. Sometimes a masked luchador is umasked at the end of his career relinquishing his identity once and for all.

Luchador Poster-Mask vs. Hair

They fight the timeless battle of good and evil. There is lots of drama in a luchador match but they are also true athletes known for their high flying moves. Some take on the role of the good guys. They follow the rules of luche libre to the letter and execute the luchador wrestling techinique with consumate skill. They are called the tecnicos. Others are a bit tricky, They are the brawlers, the bad guys. They are known as the rudos. All of the wrestlers are expected to stick to the Luchador code of honor.

El Santo by Teresa Villegas

El Santo and the Blue Demon Coutesy of Saide's Art

Street Art, Madrid

Painting on Metal Sign, Mexico City

At this point you've probably realized that I have a bit of a "thing" for luchadores! When I set out to do this post I realized that I've gathered quite a collection of luchador stuff. It was hard to choose. Recently I made some of my own Luchador inspired artworks, these little Luchador Angels. I can't wait to do more!

Luchador Angels

I've only included a few of the images here that I wanted to, some from my own collection along with a few stock photos and best of all the works of some wonderful artists. There are links back to the artist's websites under the images of their works. I hope you'll visit to see more of their fantastic art!

Traveling Angels

2011-09-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

Tin Can Angel

While you were dreaming... an angel might have flown over. She was circling the planet. Observing all of the people, the animals, the varied landscapes. Ocean to mountain to desert. Angels like to travel. This one even has her own map.

Earth and Man

2011-09-14T16:31:00.000-07:00


Earth and Man

The Earth

Once in his life a man ought to concentrate his mind upon
the remembered earth, I believe. He ought to give himself up
to a particular landscape in his experience, to look at it from
as many angles as he can, to wonder about it, to dwell upon
it.
He ought to imagine that he touches it with his hands at
every season and listens to the sounds that are made upon
it. He ought to imagine the creatures there and all the faintest
motions of the wind. He ought to recollect the glare of noon and
all the colors of the dawn and dusk.
For we are held by more than the force of gravity to the earth.
It is the entity from which we are sprung, and that into which
we are dissolved in time. The blood of the whole human race
is invested in it. We are moored there, rooted as surely, as
deeply as are the ancient redwoods and bristlecones.

Navarre Scott Momaday

Earth and Man 22"x6.5"x7"

This figure is carved from fallen aspen wood that I collected in the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico.. The base is made with a mosaic of vintage wood. The figure's tattoos and the earth are painted with acrylic. The entire piece is finished with wax.

Hello Harvest Moon

2011-09-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

Bird Boy and the Harvest Moon

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns." ~ George Eliot

Sueño/ Dream

2011-08-10T14:21:00.000-07:00

Sueño/ Dream
8" x 27" x 6"

We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep."

~William Shakespeare, The Tempest

Carved from fallen aspen wood this piece holds a tiny window made of antique tin, collage and mica.The figure is painted with washes of iridescent acrylic paint. The delicate details are done with paint and a wood burning tool. The entire figure is coated with wax to enhance the richness of the paint and protect the wood surface.

Story for the Magpie

2011-07-25T15:19:00.000-07:00


Story for the Magpie 87" x 17" x 15"

It is said that Magpies can be taught to speak the language of humans. I'm sure they already have a language of their own. If we could converse with the Magpies I think they would have marvelous stories to tell. This piece carved from aspen branches collected in the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico tells a story of the Magpie's adventures. The figure holds a book made with five tiny windows. One contains a miniature painting of the starry night sky done on Mexican amate bark paper. The others include found objects and collage suspended between sheets of natural mica and then framed with antique tin. The sculpture's headdress is made with layers of old copper nailed to a wood form. It's painted with acrylic and metal leaf then coated with a light layer of wax.

Story for the Magpie
87" x 17" x 15"

From the Dragon's Garden

2011-07-19T17:57:00.000-07:00

From the Dragon's Garden

You have probably heard that when a lizard loses it's tail another will grow back in it's place but did you know that if a dragon loses it's claw it can also grow another? In order to do this the old claw must be buried in the dragon's garden in a perfect place at just the right time of year. There are other secrets to the growing and not all claws make the grade. If for example the dragon had an exceptional amount of dirt under his nails to begin with it will throw the entire chemical balance of the soil off and a new claw just will not sprout. But, if all is done according to the magic dragon code not only will the dragon grow a brand new claw but also a magical flowering dragon's claw plant!

This dragon claw is made with a found cast iron piano stool foot. It holds a little glass globe in its talons. The foot was purchased from the fabulous Etsy shop of ProfessorTiny. I carved the plant section of the piece from found aspen wood. It's painted with acrylic and metal leaf and finished with a light wax.

In the works...

2011-07-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

Here's what's on the table after an inspiring trip collecting aspen in New Mexico.

Church doors in Chimayo, New Mexico

Mica, Music of the Spheres and a Really Big Book

2011-06-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

So... I've been working on a little project... and I finally shipped it off last week. It's a tall carved figure holding a really big book. The theme of the book began with the Music of the Spheres. The wonderful person who commissioned this work had absolutely inspiring ideas. It was a pleasure and an interesting challenge to make it.

The pages of the very big book are about 30" high when enclosed in the book frame. They're made with two 9 x 12 translucent sheets of mica laminated together to make one side of each page. Those large mica sheets were doubled to form the front and back side of each page. Found objects, collage and transfers of renaissance illustrations by Robert Fludd are suspended in between them.

The book frame is made with strips of antique tin riveted together... and riveted and then riveted some more. As you probably gathered I like rivets but in this case they are really useful and also create an interesting visual effect. There are three little carvings inside the book. They are pop up parts that suspend from the books spine. To make them do their lovely "pop up" thing I needed a solution that was both light and strong. Light so that visually it would appear that the pop ups were almost floating out of the pages but strong enough to hold the weight of the carvings and withstand shipping. I ended up soldering brass wire to very thin gage brass tabs then riveting the tabs into the metal spine of the book.

And that is the story of how I made The Magic Book. Now I'm holding my breath-just a little- until I hear whether it made it to it's new home safely. (and also hoping my oh so thorough packing job did not completely frustrate the kind person who had to do the unpacking!)


The Magic Book 81"x 15"x 16"

Food City

2011-06-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite grocery stores here in Tucson, Arizona is called Food City. There are a few small versions of the store scattered around town but the the big super store is by far the best. It carries all the basic items found in any market but what makes it so special is the vast assortment of products from Mexico along with exotic produce and hard to find ingredients necessary for Mexican cooking. There are bins with dried cinnamon sticks, and cones of cane sugar. Mounds of chilis from anaheim to the extra hot habaneros. Edible cactus pads called nopales (Yum!) money drawing room spray, colorful cleaning products, statues of catholic saints, an entire row dedicated to dried herbs and spices.

Today I was in search of the delicious queso fresco to use in a summer salad.

Here's my recipe for Sonoran Style Pasta Salad:
1lb. Whole wheat penne pasta cooked
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup sweet corn- fresh or frozen
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped mango
3 scallions chopped
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
1 cup mesquite grilled chipotle chicken sausage or chicken breast (optional)
Dressing:
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon red chili powder
1 tablespoon salt
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill salad at least two hours before serving. Sprinkle top of sald with a little crumble queso fresco and serve.

Fabuloso!

Art Friend Wednesday- Christine Kaiser

2011-05-25T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Still" 9.5" x 9 " x 2 "

I met my art friend Christine Kaiser a few years ago when we were both exhibiting at the Philadelphia Museum Craft Show. I've been a fan of hers ever since! Her fantastic pieces are made of carved wood that's sanded to a porcelain like finish then painted. She uses graphite to do detailed drawings directly on the surface. To see more of her beautiful works visit her website: http://www.christinekaiser.com/

"New Dress" 6" x 3.5" x 2"

Pinky Little Dog-available on Etsy

Born With a Tail

2011-05-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here's one last photo of a piece made from the pile of goodies I posted in March. This one was inspired by some little brass claw feet that arrived as an extra gift in a box of vintage casters I'd purchased. First I had to show a brass claw to my cat for his approval.

Born with a Tail

Tiny Monsters and Little Cartoon Souls

2011-05-14T15:59:00.000-07:00

The Golden Hour

2011-05-11T15:13:00.000-07:00

There's a term that cinematographers use to describe the time of day just after sunrise and just before sunset when the shadows are long. The light is diffused and everything seems to radiate with balmy light. They call it The Golden Hour.

Golden Hour Talisman

I think life can sometimes offer up a golden hour of the metaphorical kind. It might last a few moments or possibly an hour. If you're really fortunate you’ll get a whole golden week. The experience is akin to that radiance that filmmakers love but it’s a different kind of illumination. It could feel like hot sunlight pounding on your head or just a soft whispery glow that says, “hey check this out". It may be years before you realize that you were hit with magic golden rays... you were in the perfect place at the perfect time and something amazing happened that changed you.

Cup of Life #2

The thing to remember about your own golden hour is that you can't make it happen. You have to let it happen. Put your ducks in a row. Place your cards on the table. Then take a ginormous leap! Cross the border. Get on the bus. Go to the place that no one expects you to be. Open the door.

Doorway Talisman #14

My works shown here are in the company of some fantastic artists in Beyond the Sacred Music and Arts Festival opening this weekend at Sacred Machine Museum. Sacred Machine is the creation of world-renowned Tucson artist and musician Daniel Martin Diaz, and wife and co-founder of their band Blind Divine, Paula Catherine Valencia. You can visit the sacredmachine.com to preview the show and see more of Daniel’s extraordinary works.

Works by Daniel Martin Diaz at Sacred Machine

New Toys

2011-03-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

I've been on a scavenger hunt the past few days. Gathering lots of materials for new series of small works. Can't wait to dive in to this pile of goodies!

New Toys

Hello My Name is Animal #2

On the Table

2011-03-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

I love this part. Everything I've been working on for a few weeks is carved and ready for the final finish sanding. Then I get to put the puzzle together!

Body, Mind, Heart

2011-02-12T16:26:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is here and as I sat at my work table recently making Blossoming Hearts I began to wonder ... with all the breakthroughs medical science has made to understand the mechanics of the human heart, why is it still such a popular symbol of love and passion?

“The heart has reasons that reason cannot know.”

~Blaise Pascal

For centuries philosophers, scientists, priests and poets have contemplated the function of the heart. In Ayurveda, India's 5000 year old system of medicine the Anahata or Heart Chakra is located in the middle of the chest the same region as the heart. It's characteristics are physical, emotional and spiritual. It's associated with the physical functions of the heart, blood and circulatory system and also the spiritual traits of compassion, unconditional love and issues of the soul.

Anonymous Persian Anatomical Illustrations. [Iran or Pakistan, ca. 1680-1

In the fourth Century B.C. the Greek philosopher Aristotle identified the heart as the center of intelligence, motion, and sensation, the body's source of vitality.

The Sacred Heart, a traditional Christian image, is often depicted as a flaming heart impaled by a sword or encircled by a ring of thorns. The imagery suggests physical duress but also spiritual passion. It's a frequent subject in Latin American folk art. Contemporary artists have expanded on the traditional image to express there own ideas about the nature of the heart. It's even achieved something of a cult status in popular art.

Mexican Tin Sacred Heart courtesy of The Virgin Rose on Etsy

Mexican Milagros courtesy of Alamo 2003 Shop

El Corazon-Loteria Series by Teresa Villegas

www.teresavillegas.com

Sacred Heart-3 By Scott Holloway

www.paintingloft.com

*********************************************************
I will have to leave the mysteries of the heart unsolved for now and instead end this post with some words from the Sufi poet Hafiz~

"How did the rose ever open its heart and give to this world all its beauty? It felt the encouragement of light against its being, otherwise, we would remain too frightened "

It's all about LOVE

Blossoming Hearts

2011-02-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

The Blossoming Heart Series is inspired by sacred hearts found in Latin American folk art. The found materials that I use are chipped, worn and nailed in place. Sometimes our hearts have to go through a bit of wear in order to truly blossom.

Unfinished Hearts

2011-01-22T17:02:00.000-08:00

Wabi Sabi and Weathered Things

2011-01-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

vintage hardware

There's a remarkable beauty in weathered things. The peeling paint on old buildings, rusty hardware, lines on peoples faces and eroded cliffs all bear witness to the passage of time. It's etched on their surfaces like a mysterious story written in a forgotten language.

a weathered building in Granada, Nicaragua

The Japanese have a phrase to describe rustic, impermanent beauty -Wabi Sabi "Nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect." ~ more on Wabi Sabi.


partially restored church Granada, Nicaragua

I'm drawn to the quality of transience in weathered things. There's an element of chaos in their inevitable decay. I find the whole process hopeful. Eventually something wonderful grows in the ruins.


Mayan ruins-Tikal, Guatemala

Selected works from my Secret Garden Series

Manos Santos/Blessed Hands