25% off all original paintings for 3 days only! Type PAINTING at checkout for the discount, link to my shop is in my profile! #viviennestrauss #originalart #painting #sale
Move that rubber tree plant. (me from 1975 in the 2nd photo). #viviennestrauss #collageart #rubbertreeplant #gremlin #movethatrubbertreeplant
Modern Medusa original collage; 8x16.5” #viviennestrauss #collageart #medusa #fantasyfashion
REVOLUTION - embroidery on vintage fabric - 10"x10" I wish I could take credit for the idea but saw this in graffiti form #viviennestrauss #embroidery #fiberarts #revolution #love #stitchersofinstagram #stitchtherapy
The Disintegration of David mixed media on textured mat board; 10"x12". I just finished reading Close to the Knives, A Memoir of Disintegration. Now every book I pick up and try to read just feels trite and shallow. #viviennestrauss #portrait #davidwojnarowicz #david #maleportrait #portraitofanartist
Foxglove garden at night. Oil painting from five years ago today. #viviennestrauss #oilpainting #foxinthegarden #foxgloves
Pretty as a picture. original collage; 14x18” #viviennestrauss #collageart #butterfly #butterflies #pitcherplant #prettyasapicture
Alice, again. Mixed media on paper; 12.5x19” #viviennestrauss #illustration #alice #mixedmediaart #portrait
Alice oil painting on canvas; 16x20” #viviennestrauss #oilpainting #oiloncanvas #oilportrait #alice
playing with paper - #viviennestrauss #votesforwomen #pleasevote #motherearth #doessheordoesntshe #womensrightsarehumanrights
SO many birds this foggy morning: mourning dove, indigo buntings, Common Yellowthroat, field sparrow, white-throated sparrow, northern Cardinal, robins, blue jays, red-winged blackbirds, rose-breasted grosbeak, red-eyed vireo, eastern towhee, tufted titmouse, Carolina wren, white-eyed vireo, yellow warbler, my first black-poll warbler, brown-headed cowbirds, eastern kingbird, Swainson's thrush #naturetherapy #lostrivercave #may #viviennestrauss #birdlover #birder #springmigration
painting some birds, trying to get back in a regular groove again - #viviennestrauss #birdart #birdillustration #easternwoodpewee #northernwaterthrush #orchardoriole
Plant Bandit original collage on mat board with stitching; 6x12" #viviennestrauss #yellowwarbler #collageart #birdart #plantbandit #plantlover #vintageaustin
Magnolia Warblers original paper collage; 8.25x11.5” #viviennestrauss #collageart #magnolia #magnoliawarbler #birdart
I believe Winston Churchill gets credit for the black dog metaphor. #viviennestrauss #poem #poetry #blackdog #depression
Around the May pole, they did play. happy 1st of May! #everydayiscaturday #may #maypole #viviennestrauss #catart
Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. Oil painting on paper, 9x12” #viviennestrauss #oilpainting #scorpion #predator
Tommy with tulips. Oil painting on cradled wooden panel, 8x10”. #viviennestrauss #oilpainting #catart #tulips #greytabby #portrait
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. original collage; 10.5x13.5” #viviennestrauss #collageart #ashestoashes #skull #cobraplant #trillium #mourningcloakbutterfly
peony season - rerouted our walk just so I could see and smell this year's peonies #seenonmywalk #april #peonies #viviennestrauss #scratchandsniff
Murmuration at Dusk - original embroidery; 13"x24" #viviennestrauss #fiberarts #embroidery #murmuration #starlings #birdlover #naturelover #abstractart
The man in black with a goat named Sue. Oil painting on paper. #viviennestrauss #johnnycash #babygoat #aboynamedsue #oilportrait #oilpainting #themaninblack
beautiful walk on the nature trail - fleabane, miami mist and ragwort #naturetherapy #wildflowers #april #viviennestrauss #vitaminD
Joyriding - limited edition prints available, a personal favorite from the archives. #viviennestrauss #collageart #collageartist #birdart #joyriding #joyride #roadtrip #ontheroad #migration
The first swallows of spring. oil painting on canvas; 16x20" #viviennestrauss #oilpainting #portrait #swallows #spring #originalart
Happy Earth Day #viviennestrauss #earthday #clouds #poem #poetsofinstagram #pleasedontlitter
I was a late bloomer. But anyone who blooms at all, ever, is very lucky. ” ― Sharon Olds collage from the archives #viviennestrauss #springhassprung #latebloomer
the swifts return! part of my 72 seasons ongoing project #viviennestrauss #72seasons #stitchtherapy #stitchersofinstagram #chimneyswift
Red-Tailed Hawks -- please don't kill the messenger. original collage on paper; #viviennestrauss #collageart #redtailedhawk #animaltotem #67mustang #redcar #birdart #birdlover #dontkillthemessenger
Warbling all the way. original collage with stitching; 8x11” #viviennestrauss #collageart #birdart #magnoliawarbler #viola #fordcountrysquire #vintagewagon #happyart #singalong #roadtrip
Morning Murmuration framed and on it’s way to the Birds of Vermont Museum! #viviennestrauss #embroidery #fiberart #murmuration @birdsofvermont
Bird Lover's Bookshelf ----- oil painting on paper, 9x12" #viviennestrauss #oilpainting #birdlover #booklover #reader #allaboutbirds #books #bookshelf #readmorebooks #watchmorebirds #hisforhawk #birdsofamerica #crowsandravens
25% off all embroidered works for the next 2 days only - enter code STITCH at checkout - link to my site is in my profile! #embroidery #originalart #supersale #whitesquirrel #flowers #viviennestrauss
Magical spring morning in the woods! birds seen and heard: northern parulas, broad-winged hawk, Northern Cardinal, Carolina Wren, red-bellied woodpecker, tufted titmice, prairie warbler, American crow, blue-gray gnatcatchers, red-eyed vireo, northern rough-winged swallow, brown-headed cowbird, Carolina Chickadees, yellow-throated warbler, scarlet tanager, red-headed woodpeckers, blue jays, American goldfinch, Louisiana Waterthrush, red-winged blackbird, white-breasted nuthatch, white-throated sparrow, pileated woodpecker, and turkey vultures #april #viviennestrauss #naturetherapy🌿 #mammothcavenationalpark
iris bloom/blue-gray gnatcatcher returns latest stitching on the 72 seasons project #viviennestrauss #embroidery #72seasons #stitchersofinstagram #stitchtherapy #irisbloom #bluegraygnatcatcher
Rebirth original collage on mat board; 14x18” #viviennestrauss #collageart #butterflyart #butterflies #dogtoothviolet #rebirth #ribcage
from 3 years ago today Gardening Au Naturale. 8.5x11” original paper collage; #viviennestrauss #collageart #collageartist #gardening #gardener #spring #iris #daffodils #crocus #aunaturale
marigolds with toy tiger oil painting on canvas panel; 5x7” #viviennestrauss #oilpainting #marigolds #tiger #stilllife
toy giraffe with bluebells oil painting on canvas panel; 5x7” #viviennestrauss #oilpainting #stilllife #bluebells #giraffe
I wanted to do some embroidery this morning, but not anything huge. In one of my many journals I came across this quote from The Misfits - the first Marilyn Monroe movie I saw as a child - this film never fails to bring me to tears for so many reasons. I related at a young age to Roslyn who “cared too much” for animals and the ridicule she received for that. As an adult that topic is just as difficult but also the sadness of each and every one of the characters in this film written by Arthur Miller. Also the last completed movie for both Marilyn and Clark Gable. Here is an excellent article about the movie if you haven’t seen it https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2023/cteq/were-all-dying-the-misfits-as-haunted-film/ embroidery on vintage handkerchief 11.5x11.5” #viviennestrauss #stitchersofinstagram #embroidery #themisfits #marilynmonroe #arthurmiller #clarkgable #montgomeryclift #EliWallach #thelmaritter #inspiredbyfilm
9”x11” embroidery on linen blend #viviennestrauss #stitchersofinstagram #embroidery #stitchtherapy #scissors #thread
nice walk this morning at Lost River Cave - northern Cardinals, tufted titmice, blue jays, red-winged blackbirds, robins, Carolina wrens, brown thrashers, goldfinches, white-throated sparrows and the return of the blue-gray gnatcatcher #naturetherapy🌿 #birdlover #birdersofinstagram #april #viviennestrauss
a levity of meadowlarks from my 72 seasons stitching project I’ve only ever seen or heard one or two meadowlarks at once before - seeing a small flock recently felt very special but I was more than a little disappointed to learn that the collective noun for meadowlarks is a pod. Surely we can do better than this! How about a levity or a lightness of meadowlarks - announcing an end of winter? A bird that rarely leaves the ground where they both eat and nest but their beautiful song rises up from the tall grass. Perhaps a cheerfulness of meadowlarks? They are one of the few birds who sings while they fly. #viviennestrauss #72seasons #meadowlark #birdlover #naturelover #stitchersofinstagram #stitchtherapy
Depression - that dependable friend who never truly abandons you - I feel like I brought on the latest bout by telling someone that I rarely get depressed. How do I escape this endless loop of negative thoughts? Circling and cycling over and over and over again. It is being kicked when I’m already down. My bootstraps break off in my hands. I try to give this whirlpool of anxiety a positive spin but no one has happy thoughts at 3 a.m. and the darkness pulls me right back in. A scratched record with a skip. A roundabout without exit jolted by the same bumps and potholes with each circulation. The more I struggle, the deeper I sink into the muck of my mind. A hurricane of despondency draining my energy and gaining momentum. Destroying any beauty or joy caught in its path. On a downward spiral, about to slip down the drain. Worn out from clinging frantically to an increasingly unreliable ledge. One more thing will push me over the edge. I repeat the words of Robert Frost like a mantra -- the only way out is through THE ONLY WAY OUT IS THROUGH the only way out is through. 18x18" embroidered muslin #viviennestrauss #embroidery #stitchtherapy #stitchersofinstagram #depression #bipolar
Joan had another bad case of the blues mixed media on paper; 12x15” #viviennestrauss #watercolorpainting #illustration #theblues #bluebathroom #swantub #interior
Year of the Dragon embroidery on cotton blend 11.5x20.25” #viviennestrauss #embroidery #embroidered #YearOfTheDragon #stitchersofinstagram #stitchtherapy
April 2nd- I wish you could smell this post #viviennestrauss #flowers #aprilshowers #spring
I’ve missed painting birds! Since I saw a flock of meadowlarks this morning and had a ruby-crowned kinglet in the backyard this weekend - alternately singing and catching bugs (I hope they build a nest there!) The black and white warbler just because he is so dang cute! mixed media illustration on book pages #viviennestrauss #painteveryday #birdlover #birdart #birdwatcher #rubycrownedkinglet #easternmeadowlark #blackandwhitewarbler
Beautiful Monster original collage on art paper; 14x19.75” #viviennestrauss #collageart #collageartist #monstermoth #beautifulmonster #carolinajessamine #daytimemoths
I met the most amazing tree yesterday. Trip to Cedars of Lebanon State Park and a brief stopover at Bledsoe Creek State Park. #viviennestrauss #naturelover #naturetherapy🌿 #treehugger #march #cedarsoflebanon #bledsoecreekstatepark #greatblueheron
Home, Sweet Home - (not ours but one I walk past often and covet) oil painting on cradled wooden panel; 14x14” #viviennestrauss #oilpainting #homesweethome #house #architecture #cat #vultures #southerngothic
fluff - the instax didn't turn out great but I like the photo of the photo very much! #viviennestrauss #instaxmini #dandelionfluff #shadows #selfportrait
A couple of small collages- discombobulated and backstage. #viviennestrauss #collageart #discomboulated #backstage #usingupmyscraps
ANGRY FEMINIST when I think of what was accomplished and how much we’ve lost...it bears repeating - embroidery on vintage handkerchief- 10.25x10.25” #viviennestrauss #stitchersgonnastitch #stitchtherapy #stitchersofinstagram #embroidery #fiberarts #feminism #angryfeminist #handsoffmybody #womensrightsarehumanrights✊
More fun with polaroids . #seenonmywalk #candy #spring #groceryday #instaxmini #viviennestrauss #parksandrecreation
Sandhill Cranes oil painting on canvas; 30”x48” (image cropped) #viviennestrauss #oilpainting #sandhillcrane #birdlover #naturelover #birdwatcher
Happy Caturday! That Darn Cat— collage from a few years ago. I recently watched the movie again and loved it just as much as I did as a kid, perhaps more because really, sometimes we need a great escape. #viviennestrauss #caturday #catstagram #thatdarncat #collageart
Eminem. Oil painting on paper; 9x12” #viviennestrauss #oilpainting #oilportrait #eminem #mockingbird