Showing posts with label Canvas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canvas. Show all posts

Friday, December 27, 2013

2013 Favorites

As I'm not sleeping I began to think back on 2013 from an artistic point of view. My word for the year was Artist - as in this was the year I would become one. Sometimes I own that, sometimes it still seems  far away, but there is no doubt I grew....as an artist. So here's my top ten of the year.

Tim Holtz issued a tattered flower challenge in March. This tops my favorites list because I really played with colors, mediums, and textures. I had never done anything on a a piece of metal either.











I used grunge board, cheese cloth, plastic, paper, and screening, with paints, stains, metallics, glue (to stiffen the cheese cloth), texture fades and some favorite buttons. The finished piece is hanging in the Fun Room. Original post.

















The next piece was a birthday gift for a dear friend who has been nothing but encouraging about my art work. Not only was it a gas to make - she loved it! Original post.


From canvas to ATC, the next project was for an ATC challenge of underwater. I had been playing around with some Twinkling H2O's and salt a couple of days before and this kind of fell together.  Original post.

I participated - somewhat - in Lifebook 2013. It's a great, year long course, but it takes a lot of time - something I rarely have. This lesson was entitled Quirky Birds. Indeed. Original post.

The tag is another Tim Holtz inspired project. He's what got me into this after all. As I recall this was either the second or third attempt at the colors and layout, but I just love how it came out. It's incredible vibrant...and hangs within my field of vision at the office. Original post.

My daughter turned 21 this year. One of the things I started doing for the kids when they came into my life was silly birthday riddles - I'm made some very unusual rhymes over the years. This year I was informed she would like a BIG card. So I made her a canvas, and turned it into a card. Based on Christy Tomlinson's style...another find from Lifebook. Original post.

Another Lifebook project by a great teacher, Kelly Hoerning. I learned a BUNCH about eyes...even managed to draw a couple. Great techniques as well. Original post.

These little notebooks were Christmas presents I made for sisters and friends. What makes me laugh about them is I started to make them with scrapbook paper and then realized, duh, I make paper....I got good and inky with these! Original post.

These are a recent project as well. Affirmation Cards for the Brave Girls Club. They make the list not because they are such great works of art, but for how consumed I was in making them. I stayed up until 1:30 am and was back at my desk at 7:30 am. Quite unlike me for a Sunday morning! Original post.

And finally this rounds out the list...because it was another first. Really the first time I played with canvas....there's going to be more of that in the new year. Plus the colors are Yummy. Original post.


Thanks for taking this little journey with me....both this post and the whole creative ride. I really can't imagine doing what I do, learning what I have, getting a fraction of the inspiration I have, without all you folks in blogland. I am thankful girl!!


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

It's Wednesday Somewhere in the World # 220

There was probably ten days when I didn't even go into the Fun Room - gasp! Every once in while life just takes precedence. But finally Sunday I got to play and spent the day doing just that in my art journals. Large, contented sigh. In reading back over some past entries I found several which said I was consumed by art, which is probably true .... if I let it. It's all about BALANCE. So my new idea is to spend some time in the Fun Room each night after work (providing I don't have to work) and then some time with my family - who ever happens to be home at the time. Always searching for that BALANCE. 

Here's what my desk looked like when I left tonight.


I'm playing with another canvas card. My last one, I made for my daughter was well received and FUN to make, so I'm having another go at one for a friend going into surgery on Thursday.


Because I'm still very much a beginner, I have LOTS of layers. Mostly from covering up stuff I'm not so keen about -- thank heavens for my brayer. But this time I was determined to be lighter so you could see some of the cool papers I used. Japanese text, dictionary pages, music sheets etc. So please do notice one can actually see some notes in the bottom right hand corner! Tomorrow night I'll work on my girl.


I thought I would actually give you a close-up tour of the desk. On the left side is a bucket of Dylusions sprays in each and ever yummy color they come in. Above them are photos of one of Finnabair's latest creations. I think she looks like a spiritual Queen and I just love looking at her and all the details. Such an inspiring artist. I would love to take a class with her, but it seems so unlikely she would come to Alaska. I might have to settle for the West Coast.

But I digress. You see lots of things I use to create texture, a Christy Tomlinson stencil, some punchanela, and a texture rub that works just like a stamp. In the upper left hand corner is an empty Country Time Lemonade container from two Christmases ago when I attempted to make Russian Tea which I use to clean brushes. I've apparently just dumped the water and have it sitting, ready for the next session.


This is all pretty self explanatory. Someone asked me two weeks ago if I use those pens. Yep. Sure do. Love color.  The only thing that might look weird is the rubbing block in the upper right corner. I think they are made to use with paint sticks on fabric, but they work great with ink and paint on paper too.


Again, pretty obvious stuffs. I do love my big girl squirt bottle though. I filled it up on Sunday and have been able to fill my water container twice to clean brushes, without having to get up. How's that for the height of laziness?

And that concludes my tour around my work space. Why? So I can go look at everyone else's work desks for WOYWW, over at Julia Dunnit's blog the Stamping Ground.  She hosts us every week, and I missed last week so I'm happy to be back. Join us.