"One or the other starts a piece and then turns it over to the other artist. At that point it goes whatever direction the other artist wants to take it – there are NO RULES! For instance, on the Moon & Stars piece - I did the first iteration (the background of starry night) in Portrait orientation. I labeled “Top” on the back and handed it over to Lenna, but failed to mention the orientation to her. No matter what she was going to add I had already planned to just do the silhouette of a window frame over it (call me Mr. Clever). Well, she handed it back to me with a Landscape orientation. Uhhh… Errrr… Back to the drawing board. Unknowingly she forced me to dig deeper into my creativity. If you know Lenna, you’ll know that this is a common experience for those orbiting in her Art solar system. That experience reinforced our rule of NO RULES. Things just come out best when the artist just takes what is given and goes from there. One odd thing about what we’re doing, is how many people think we’re crazy. The most common comments we get are: Asking if we get angry that the other artist changed something?? Well, we definitely don’t get angry, but for pieces like these you have to be totally willing to let it go when you turn it over . . . and we are!"

 -as written by Steven Deming, after we returned from the opening reception of the Juried Art Show at the East Granby CT Library where one of our collaborative pieces was accepted and shown!

In May, 2008, Steven and I collaborated on two cards for family members

It had been a long time since we worked together collaboratively! Steven did the drawings and used black paint to accentuate all of his lines. Then he turned the cards over to me to add color to. We both agreed it was really fun to work together again : )  Now that we are getting settled in our new home hopefully we can do more of this! Click on the thumbnails for a full-size photo.

*Steven & I began working on these last 2 paintings in March of 2006. Because we moved twice in a year's time we finally finished one painting in late 2006 and I recently (2008) hung the other 'as is' in my studio! Click on the link for the latest additions to these canvases >> updated 12/17/06.

On March 6th, 2006 Steven and I each started painting on a 16x20 stretched canvas at the same time! Steven's canvas is the blue/gold one below left, and mine is the colorful one on the right: click on the photo for a full-size image.

03/07/06: We have both assured each other that "anything goes" and covering any part of the original canvas is legal!

03/08/06: Lenna added to Steven's 'blue' canvas. I followed Steven's lead, and used gel medium with a few drops of paint; pink instead of blue. I spread this mixture next to his blue medium on the bottom of the canvas, and then I added one of the gel medium circles Steven made (see above right). To the left is a close-up of what the gel medium & paint mixture looks like when it's dry!

Click on the photos for full-size images! 

  03/08/06 ~ Steven has started adding to the canvas I started. I've just snuck in and taken a couple photos of what he's done so far! You can see the thicker red and yellow paint he's added to the bottom of the canvas; the middle & right photos above. He's waiting until the paint dries before he can add anything more.

                                                               03/10/06: Steven has worked on BOTH paintings. We are using a lot of gel medium mixed with paint on the blue canvas; this makes it see-through and luminous. The brightly colored painting originally started by me is so thick with pigment. Wow, what a contrast!  

June 5th, 2006 - At the end of March we went on  vacation. We also made the decision to put our home on the market and look for a new home that would be truly ours. Things have not been the same since after putting the house on the market! I found myself feeling frustrated not working on our paintings, so one day during the last few weeks I added to the 'Blue' Canvas:

Click on this picture for more details. I added Dye-Na-Flow paints by Jacquard which are thin and act like a dye. I spread them across the sky and changed the color of the pink land. I added a rock under a piece of gold mesh and a piece of driftwood. I doubt we'll do any more for a while until after we move. We've found a wonderful place, with Lake rights for canoeing & kayaking, near my parent's home in Avon, CT. We couldn't be more pleased! You'll find more from us after we make the move & set the studio up.

October 12th update: We've just begun hanging some of our collaborative work up in our new home . . .  but have yet to begin working on any art together. The studio is still being unpacked as we have moved from a larger home to a smaller one. This takes some doing; but we'll be back at this before too long . . . . 

December 17th, 2006 update >>>

Lenna has added to both canvases, see below!

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*ColorPLaY: our 6th collaborative piece started by Lenna on February 25th, 2006. A very large 24" x 30" canvas. ** We are very happy to share that this painting was accepted into the West Hartford Art League's Juried Member Show (CT) in February 2007!

Lenna started like this 2/25:

Steven added 2/26:

 Steven is NOT having ANY fun at all doing this with me! :  )  Perhaps we will end up calling this MIND STORM instead of color play? ? ? (no, we stuck with colorPlay)

What I added when Steven's black paint had dried:

I used a thin yellow paint called Dye-Na-Flow by Jacquard. It's formulated to act like a dye on the top of the canvas. Following Steven's lead . . . I added more black lines, and sponged on some bright green squares. I love working with all this color on such a big space. Steven may add a bit more . . . . Lenna 2/27/06

 No, we have decided we like this piece just as it is, and consider this finished on Steven's 50th birthday: 03/05/06. We have ordered a black frame & we'll hang it in our living room!

Done! Color Play is framed and we love it! - This photo was of Color Play hanging in our East Granby, CT home:

     :  )  Lenna ~ 03/20/06

We moved to a new home on Secret Lake in Avon, CT in July of 2006 and Color Play had a place of honor, see below. For a long while it was the only piece of art that was up on the walls!

lenna 10/12/06

Secret Lake House, Avon, CT

We moved yet again in September of 2007! As always, Color Play was the first piece of art up on our walls of our new home (and yes, we plan on staying put for a while now!!)

Our new home, Avon CT ~ 2008

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*Golden SPLAT! Our Fifth collaborative piece, started by Steven Deming Jan 29th, 2006 + finished on February 24th, 2006. 

Steven has named this one Golden Splat!  We shall see what I can come up with to add to it. ~Lenna 1/29/06. ~ Click on the photos for full-size images!  

~Note on Feb. 6th: I have been busy with other things and have not added to our 5th collaborative piece yet. The canvas is out on one of the tables in the studio though, and I have been thinking about it while I've been working on other things like my Blue Quilties. I have some ideas of what to do . . . . but I'm waiting for that "Ah-HA!" moment when I'll dive in and start. Stay tuned!

On February 14th and 15th I got busy. I added stamped images, words, a bit of gold paint, some metallic pen and Angelina Fibers. I have now handed the piece over to Steven. I can't wait to see what he adds to this piece, or if he thinks it's finished as is? hmmmmm. 

Steven thought he was done working on this piece, but I was not sure . . .

One evening I walked past this cool paper (see above right) my sister had given me for my birthday and I said, "Ah-Ha" ~ THIS is exactly what this piece needs to finish it off! I applied it to the canvas with gel medium and it leaves just the texture I was looking for. Steven and I signed it together on Feb. 24th.

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