42x42 oil on silk, work in progress

        

with this piece!...OK she's a little fickle, she usually falls in love with her most current piece, but this one is SPECIAL, no exaggeration....here's one reason why...i drew it on the horizontal but i'm liking it more on the vertical as pictured....so this one SURPRISED me....and i LOVE surprises!...cause i never had a clue it could ever be shown any different than the original sketch....and it's absolutely gorgeous!...this photo does it no justice at all (trust me, and the lighting is bad too), if u see it in person it's really vivid and u will also FEEL it and it's truly a beautiful piece....so beautiful i just had to talk about it which means this is the second time i'm posting for the day.....I'M IN LOVE Y'ALL!!!....and it feels so damn good!

siona

        

work in progress

told y'all Siona's been on a roll...got the urge to dig up a few ancient unfinished pieces and begin to work on them again...this one is currently untitled but it's my first foray into the style of impressionism...to give a little history, this style was developed in Paris in the 1860s and the name comes from Monet's work called Impression, Soleil Levant, translated, Impression, Sunrise...it eventually became a very popular movement as it contrasted against most if not all previous styles of painting up until that time.

it deals with short, broken brush strokes, often dots, and the emphasis on bright light and colors....the artists who first experimented with this worked outdoors, en plein air to be technical, and this was a major shift from previous artists who generally worked indoors, painting landscapes and portraits...

another thing - since they generally worked outdoors, they had to paint quickly and capture the moment because once the sun set the work day was over, so they developed the quick, dot-like brush strokes to work in this manner...even as the sun shifted position in the sky, the lighting would change so if they were painting a landscape for example, they had to capture the way the light was hitting objects now, because within a short time things would shift....they also often used unmixed paints, again, time was of the essence...

so with that being said, siona is versatile in that she'll try new things and see how she feels about it....and this piece was one of these experiments that turned out OK....i call this style abstract impressionism since abstracts are what i do... and i will try it bigger and bolder the next time on a silk canvas...one love.

p.s. i have a personal quote that came to me this morning: painting sets the heart free

siona

        

Sketch#6, 42X42, oil on silk, work in progress

was up late last night....working....and up early this morning....Siona is riding that energy train cause she's feeling ultra inspired and very energetic.....and getting some serious work done....the Sex Mosaics series is coming along nicely, will be finished pretty soon...and since these pieces are all on silk which for some unexpected reason makes the oil paint dry extremely fast, they'll soon be ready to varnish, which is the ultimate finish - once it goes on, the piece can't really be touched again....or at least without removing the varnish which is way too complicated for Siona who likes to follow the KISS Principle "Keep It Simple Stupid"...hey, it works for me...

So this is Sketch # 6 , still in progress but almost there....don't it make you want to screw?...if not, then wait 'till the series is done....because this series is raw sex energy at its purest....notice i said energy, not the act....cause it's bigger than just the physical.....so that's what it's about....if you're new to this site, this series is where the science of tantra meets the beauty of stained glass windows.....

one love....p.s. if you're checking this at work, don't have sex on the job...it's SO unprofessional!

siona

        

My archival ink prints have been feeling neglected....they're telling me i never talk about 'em and they're feeling like that red-headed stepchild (whatever in the hell that means)....

so i'll say a few words....they are from digital sketches....which i do with a pen as pictured....and i don't do them too often unless they're commissioned cause i'm in love with the oil paint....and the silk which i've been working with for the past 8 or 9 months...it's real hard to go back to cotton, but i'm gonna do some work on linen real soon....see, there i go again, treating the prints like second-class citizens...

so these prints are from digital sketches that end up on archival paper with archival inks....they could technically also be made on canvas but i haven't done that yet...and the inspiration comes intuitively, i go with my flow and what comes out is always a pleasant surprise.....this one is called Red Bubble Abstract, 25x25, and it's a personal sample of the real print which is 60x60....click here for a much clearer pic.....interested in a commission???

One Love Baby...

        

because my daddy passed in January....and i can't tell him Happy Father's Day to his face....and he's about the only one who understood my crazy ass...but he hasn't gone too far, really....i feel him around me, i think he talks to me sometimes....and my son actually sees him all the time....so HAPPY FATHER'S DAY daddy!...i miss u much!!!!.....

his passing has made me start to grow up.....the fact that he was never really happy here keeps me in better spirits.......in about 50-60 years (if i'm unlucky) we'll be together again...and sometimes i feel like i really can't wait!....One Love.

        

                                                               work in progress

today i decided to make the female head a little more shapely and...feminine....(check the post below)....i touched slightly upon the male head but it's still big on purpose (and i still need to make a slight adjustment) .....this piece will be absolutely gorgeous framed, believe me....photos rarely do justice to how art looks in real life....i made these changes in acrylic not oil so it'll be dry real soon, but it still means the painting won't be ready for a few weeks....but the price is based on me being hungry today (can't speak for tomorrow) and it's definitely subject to change, so my suggestion is you get it now...click here...One Love.

        

Deep Love #2, 30x27, oil on canvas, work in progress

since this art is about what u don't see, about what lies beneath and behind the imagery, i wanted to touch on this piece, since it, like me, is grossly misunderstood....and on that note, the Deep Love series is basically finished, i'm just waiting for the pieces to fully dry so i can prime them...then look for a venue to display....which is a job in itself....

truth be told, the Atlanta art scene is not as thriving as it once was...the Natl. Black Arts Fest has dwindled down to a few days from more than a full week a few years back (they just got a new director so things might pick up again)....major galleries like the Faye Gold gallery have closed and the recession in general has taken its toll in a big way on the art scene as a whole, not just in the ATL....but since i do this for the love and not for the money, Siona is patient about getting into that New York venue because that's my native town and my preference....(and i'm way too picky and suspicious about who to trust and all....)

but i do have a few ties to the local scene in Atlanta, know a few artists and such, but i have to be honest in saying from what i've experienced, southern artists rarely stick together and are somewhat catty about things....so as much as i like to party, i'm a loner and an outsider by choice down here (i miss NYC!) but that's always gonna be OK with me....it's what causes me to thrive....too many people around tugs at one's energy and can greatly affect the creativity.....except of course, at a party.......

anyhow, (and thank u for bearing with me on that digression), this piece is more about aggression which is usually associated with the male sex, and my belief that this urge should be tamed, dominated and controlled....femininity, although considered weaker and passive is actually a very strong force and if one studies interpersonal communication, which i used to teach, there are actually whole cultures that are labeled 'feminine' as well as those labeled 'masculine.' For example, native american, south american and many african nations are considered feminine cultures because of the values they cherish, values such as listening, sharing, catering to the group as opposed to the individual and so on....which is why they were easily conquered by more aggressive peoples...but the ways of the world are changing (slowly but surely) and as we enter into this information age more fully, these values will emerge as being more significant than ever....

so this piece which is as basic as can be is more complicated than it seems on the surface level, which is the beauty of minimalistic art!....and it will sell for around $12,000 (make me an offer) when it's completely finished....now buy it cause i have kids to feed!....One Love...

siona

        

no, i can't be like Mia Farrow and do a hunger strike.....i wouldn't last long....so i finally got the Art for Darfur prints ready for sale...to recap, these prints are from my first and only mixed media series called DIAMONDS.....i decided to go with hand-signed posters, which is something i don't normally do, so they are different than all my other prints....plus, they're on that shiny paper we all love....and 60% of proceeds are going to the organization SaveDarfur.org so they can continue to work hard to save lives....they are also very reasonably priced at $75.00....on behalf of SaveDarfur.org and myself, we thank you for your support. ...CLICK HERE TO ORDER....one love...

siona

        

by the gay ad network, and these folks are picky...she is now officially gay friendly.....now why is she taking the time to make this into a post?....

first, to let u know this site is self funded and may now actually pay for itself, which i know, u could care less about....but Siona has kids to feed and anything saved is a real benefit.....she just threw her son a birthday party and paid out the ying yang to rent this funhouse and feed all these people some damn good Jamaican food!.....(it was hard to get some of them to leave, the food was so good, and some of them were taking plates home)

second, because gay people are some of the nicest folks you'll ever want to meet....even though some of the men can be a bit bitchy at times, u  don't really see too many gay murderers or serial killers, they generally don't go there with the violence.....(except for Boy George and that bizarre-as-hell beating incident)........and Siona can hang with them at a party! - she don't vogue though, that's beyond her capacity....

thirdly, gay people just LOVE her art!.....it's bright, it's bold and it's fun, just like them (no stereotypes intended, but even then, ain't that a good stereotype?)....2 of her favorite pieces were commissioned by a gay man.......she's an equal opportunity artist and might even add a gay piece to the Sex Mosaics series........been thinking about it.....and this is way off topic, but she's been thinking to add an "alien" (some say space brother) piece to the Faces series, this is just about a definite.......can't wait to start on it.....

so that's that....guess u can tell it has been a slow art day.....One Love....

siona

        

                                                                                            work in progress, 42x42 oil on silk

is on its way! (yes, this is rough, but it's how it all starts).....one love....

siona

        

been on the introspective side lately......also had the chance to watch the movie Slumdog Millionaire which was an accident because i never planned to, was simply flipping the satellite remote and by chance it was just starting and even though i didn't have (or think i had) time, what started as a miserably depressing flick (yes, i turned the channel a few times) turned out to be one of the best movies i've seen in a minute.....i guess that's why it won all those awards, huh?

the Universe is a Perfect Place in my opinion, it's mankind that hasn't stepped up to its responsibilities..........the part that touched me the most was the karmic return of his generosity......and it nearly made me cry.....because he had the heart and the generosity to give the blind boy a 100 dollar bill, he was able to answer the question many years later which made his fortune..........if i remember right, the blind boy was the one who told him who was on the money......and his fortune meant nothing without love since he cared nothing about the money - he went on the show for the girl......i'm assuming you've seen the film obviously, and if u haven't it's well worth the time.....

my son turns 6 this week.....and i have 2 other kids also, one is damn near a man....i'm putting this out there because people don't normally assume that i'm a mom, nor that i'm older than i might seem or look.....but since an artist basically only has life experience to draw from, (which was why that movie was so fascinating - he knew the answers to the questions due to life experience not education) i get misunderstood a lot because i don't like to talk about my life in depth unless it's necessary.....and even though i have some education, i've still experienced some things that would have made some folks lose their everliving minds!...i've lived without electricity in the Jamaican countryside and had some pretty rough times in the past....never starved though, but been real real hungry! .....i'm a tough bird and my survival instincts are well sharpened.....

and i don't take pics cause i'm a narcissist, far from it.....hell, i only have one self portrait, that should be a clue....but to keep a visual record of my work and also to show the scale of a piece....it's easier to see when i'm standing right next to it.....

so that's it for today....one love

siona

        

 
OK, i want to correct myself on the last blog post. Interpretation may START with the artist but continues on to the viewer. and both are important.....because the artist creates by inspiration but whoever ends up owning the work gets something from it that might not be even close to what the artist intended.

Quick example, the piece Inspired by True Love has nothing to do with romantic love.....yet the imagery can mislead one into thinking it's on that level when in fact it goes beyond the physical into the realm of Cosmic Love.....but whoever has a reproduction of this piece will interpret it in their own way and they'll be right also....

so the keyword is CHAIR......of what?....The 1000 People Project sponsored by the Arthouse Coop.  participating artists have to create something loosely based on the interpretation of this word.....and the instructions emphasize loosely.....

it's a challenge to see what i'll come up with........one love....

siona

        

  Sketch#6, 42x42, oil on silk, work in progress

discovered yesterday this piece can be viewed in 3 ways,  although I intended it  to show in only one way…..good example of how interpretation is in the eye of the viewer……One Love.....siona

              

        

can't remember what number sketch this is but it's the next piece in the series.....One Love....

        

 Union 2, 42x42 oil on silk, work in progress

- decided to keep it simpler with this one, the two are the same color, meaning they're joined in spirit and the two individuals have morphed into one being....and orange and blue being opposite colors is also an interesting symbolism.....

        

up late again last night.......HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!



Union 2, another work in progress

        

Union 2 (aka Sketch #1), 42x42 oil on silk, work in progress

worked late last night and started on this new piece......still very rough, not feeling the man's head at all right now, kinda small......and Sketch #3 has been modified too.....(disregard the color differences due to lighting - version 2 is closest)....can u see the difference between how it looked yesterday and today? it's kind of minor detail-wise, but kind of major at the same time symbolically.

     

        

from the Faces series, oil on silk, 42x42, work in progress....

why do i like the 42x42 dimension so much? because the bolt of silk i'm working with is about 45" wide...so this is the biggest i can go with this size cloth, leaves about 1.5 inches of cloth on each of those 2 sides.....and the balance of a perfectly square painting is something i've come to adore, adds a beautiful unseen dimension to the work....and i'm ultra comfortable with it....one love...

siona

        

i read a lot of inspirational books...cause i like to be inspired....and one thing i've learned from that ancient tablet Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is that most if not all people who have ever achieved have failed more times than they've succeeded....and in each of the failures not only was a priceless lesson learned but the will to push on is the defining factor in future success.....cause it's super easy to give up, especially after defeat...

from the beginning my artwork has dealt with duality....this was purely unconscious to me although it was real in my personal life....because i've had lots of failed relationships - been married, divorced, stalked and stifled...but each one has truly been an eye-opener in some way or another and artistically, i've got inspiration for decades! so in failing relationship-wise, i've grown spirit-wise, and my new understanding has transferred to my artwork....

so my latest series, The Sex Mosaics, deals with the issue of duality on some level and quixotic love on another. it's my second series in silk and it's rooted in the science of tantra which is beyond my expertise but is of interest as an artist because it's a part of the human experience for everyone....the idea for the series resulted a few weeks back when i was thinking of a piece called Union which sold a few years ago and which reminds me of a stained glass window....i'm gonna duplicate it in a larger size on silk and call it Union 2; could never be the exact same though and it will still be a unique original. And there will be about 5 pieces total when the series is complete.

so that's where i'm at until further notice.....and also finishing up some pieces from the Faces series...One Love

           

Sketch # 3, 42x42, oil on silk, work in progress        Sketch # 5, 42x42, oil on silk, work in progress

siona

        

to work on this one again.....as u can see, it's still a work in progress - from the Faces series.....42x42 oil on silk, it's called, My Woman is Gone.....or for my gay folks - My Man is Gone....

        

sometimes i feel like i'm living a double life....because those who really know me call me by my artist name, Siona, while everyone else does not....

i changed my first name unofficially about 10 years ago, after a painful and life-changing divorce....well technically i changed it before the marriage was over but it was dead in the water about 2 years before the divorce papers were filed....

and it was extremely stifling to me....which is why i know all about energy, having learned the HARD WAY that sometimes people around you who profess to "be in your corner" can make life far more miserable than those who claim they don't like you....

so what does it mean? Siona is the female version of Zion....and they both mean HEAVEN as far as i understand....and the name is fitting because my ultimate goal is to create a HEAVEN ON EARTH around me via art, love, inspiration and whatever other means i have available....i truly subscribe to the "New Earth" concept by Tolle, and thanks to Oprah for bringing this forth in a big way.....

so what's in a name?...EVERYTHING....and to me, it's so important that i only tell people my new name who i really like or trust....but still, there are many folks in my professional and past life who don't even know i'm an artist.....(my art is too deep for some folks to handle - you've got to be a serious art lover which means you seek to understand what lies behind and beneath the visual....)

One Love

siona

        

A MILLION LITTLE PICTURES: This is a project sponsored by the Art House Coop in Atlanta....in a nutshell: One thousand people from around the world will document their lives in 24 frames using a disposable camera. An exhibition will be held showing over 24,000 photographs.

So what is Siona supposed to do? Take 24 pics of her life which can be done in as little as one day or spread out over a time period....

they will then exhibit all the pics in two exhibitions, one in Atlanta and one in the city with the most participants...

They are looking for ANYONE to participate....u don't have to be an artist.....they're looking for people with different cultures, ethnicities, geographic locations, and lifestyles....if interested, click here.....One Love...

        

for those who may think she's a bitter chick, YOU'RE WRONG!......she actually appreciates men for what they are....

but let's face it, you've f*cked up the world just a bit ...... it COULD be a much more peaceful place....(sigh)

but i LOVE YALL still the same.....

so to prove this point, here are the explanations behind the remaining two pieces in the Inspired By True Love set which was by the way COMMISSIONED by a MAN.....(who skipped town by the time they were finished......go figure.....)


After The Eclipse, 26x24, oil on canvas

This piece signifies the beauty of the fiery feminine. Like the sun, she's able to nurture life and foster its growth. But she has a passive countenance. She is powerful but serene. She realizes her true power lies in her creative abilities, not in her ability to control, destroy and set things ablaze.....


A Lonely Night, 26x24, oil on canvas

This piece features the receptive but not weak male, one who truly understands his strength and power, which lies in his ability to listen, understand and be compassionate.....walk softly but carry a big stick.....but if you're able to create harmony, you'll NEVER HAVE TO USE IT...........

This painting is very close to my heart.  The imagery came about unexpectedly.....

and we have ALL HAD at least one lonely night....

ONE LOVE

siona

        

Siona and The Whip


so i felt like just taking a picture......thanx for stopping by!
ONE LOVE