Greens and Blues

I do have a hard time with NOT using this colour palette - blues and greens, especially bright green and turquoise just make me happy.

Anyway - This spread is in my lyrics book - a book I'm creating with song 

lyrics from songs I enjoy and mean something to me.  This one is by Toby Mac and all the little banners fit well with the lyrics.  Now that this part is done, I will put in an inclusion with all the song lyrics on it.

A couple of weeks ago I went to a scrapbook store, Urban Scrapbook, and took one of their art journal painting classes.  It's something I have never done before and I had a good time doing it.  I had to adjust my little vase because everyone else's books were rectangular and mine is square.  I looking forward to going back.  Making those little flowers - or the flowers in general was a bit nerve wracking - so it was good for me.

Create something everyday.

Joan

"I think that one's art is a growth inside one.  I do not think one can explain growth.  It is silent and subtle.  One does not keep doffing up a plant to see how it grows."

Emily Carr

Inspiration Wednesday….on Thursday

I wasn't feeling all that great today, so I pretty much hung out in my art room doing a couple of projects.  This is for the Inspiration Wednesday class that Donna Downey is putting on right now.  Lots of layers, lots of paint and molding paste - and lots of drying time in-between.  I didn't have the gel that she used for her numbers, so I was able to get ride of a couple of numbers in my stash of chipboard!

Here's the flip side to show the rest of the quote and the second page.

I've decided I don't want to over use this treble clef, so I think I'm going to have to carve one!

Create something everyday.

Joan

Texture, Texture, Texture

This page added a lot of weight to this art journal!  I followed an old Donna Downey Inspiration Wednesday video.  I didn't have the same kind of flowers, so I used up the retired Stampin'Up! paper flowers that we used to have, and some fabric brads.    Once the layered  flowers were created, I glued them to the page and covered them with gesso.  When the gesso was dried I applied molding paste in-between the flowers.  Next I added paint that was actually left over from another project I was working on today and I finally covered the page with Versa Mark and Clear Embossing powered.  I may end up having to reinforce the spine of my book after this page!

Be brave - do something new.

Joan

Irregular Grid Collage

This is the second page in my "Novel Approach" altered book.  I found some larger sticky letters, but the problem I had this time when I went to take them off was that they pulled some of the paper along with them.  Easy fix - just cover the torn sections with the background paint.  Also, instead of leaving the letters with the original page base, I finger painted them with my co-ordinating colour, outlined them in black paint sharpie and again with white paint sharpie.

I have the little EXIT sign pointing to a hole in the paper where the letter tore off.  So that's my escape hatch for release.

Tammy's instructions didn't include doodling around the edges of the pictures in the grid - the difference between these first two pages is the little bit of paint outlining each picture and overlapping the edges of it a bit to soften it a bit.  I can see now that I failed to outline a little bird that's sitting on top of Michael Jackson.  Guess I'd better go back and include him.

So tears and holes in your work are all workable into some sort of solution.  They are creative opportunities - there is no mistakes in art!

Joan

More Gelli Print Backgrounds

I've been wanting to create some backgrounds on cardboard so I can create some mixed media pieces to sell.  I wasn't sure how the gelliprinting would go on the cardboard - but I'm happy with the results.  For the first and last background shown I simply brushed the paint onto the Gelli plate and took the print right onto the cardboard.

 

There are a number of layers on this one - using stencils and found objects to create the shapes.

The paper I use to cover things while I burnish the prints comes out just as awesome as some of the prints.  I keep these papers too - either to add to collages or I may start using them as book covers too.

Try having fun with paint - create something everyday.

Joan

Blue Zentangles

This was a page that didn't start in quadrants, but after the central design the page became sections of zentangles alternating between black and white sharpie  paint pens.

Create everyday.

Joan

Doodling Quotes

I was away from home for a weekend and I only brought my "Quote Book" along to work in.  I hadn't finished up some quotes in such a long time.  The book isn't full yet though - so I'll keep adding them.

Return Labels and Sand Castles

Prompt 36 was to write a "Return" tag for our prompt book.  I used an index card - created a border and then wrote in my words.

Prompt 37 had to do with Flash Fiction and an added Art prompt if wanted.  The art prompt was high tide, ocean, sun, sandcastles.  I did my castle in watercolour and I thought it would be kinda easy - it kinda wasn't…..but I'm learning.

The flash fiction could be a story or a poem.  I chose to do a poem…..written on acrylic paint with ocean, sandy colours.

Create something everyday.

Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers!

Joan

Tiny bubbles…...

Prompt #33 was bubbles - using bubble wrap.  I love using bubble wrap and have about 5 different sizes to use.  I do however, need a bit more practice putting the paint on so that it doesn't glob up in one area.  I started with the larges bubbles first and ended with the smallest I have.  My colours were chosen by closing my eyes and putting my  hand in my paint drawer - I think I was pretty lucky in that regard!  once things were dry, I added some Stampin'Up! Crystal Effects to get some clear raised bubbles off the paper, then I brainstormed things that have bubbles and finally drew some bubbles on the page - however, they just look like circles because you can't see the highlighting I tried to do.

Created something everyday - have a great one!

Joan

ps. Hmmmmm I just wrote the post title and I think I'm going to have to add champagne bubbles to the page!

Silent Night

I had a lot of fun creating this before Christmas.  The tree is a stencil with a multi-layered paint background.  I saw this bird on a Christmas card at school - it was easy to take off of the card, but I decided to doodle it onto my canvas so I could use the bird another time.  I traced the outline of the bird so I could paint the right shape and then copied the lines of the bird with Sharpie.

The falling snow is one of the stamps from "Gorgeous Grundge".  I painted snow on the branches, added a bit of music and finally decided what the words should be.  I wrote them by hand on a piece of card stock, glued them to the canvas and then added a bit of silver "Dazzling Details" around the edges.  

I've now made a fall tree canvas and a Christmas tree canvas.  I'd like to see if I can create one for each season so they can rotate through at my front door.

Hope your day is going well.

Create something everyday.

Joan

October Mandalas

I haven't posted for a while, but I have been busy doing things - mostly.  These three pieces were for a Daily Paper Prompt "Random Acts of Art".  The backgrounds are from gelli prints I did quite a while ago.  I cut them into 6x6 squares, drew mandalas and then cut them in half again.  I will be leaving little notes on them and then leaving them around my community.

Create something and then share it with a stranger….

Have fun,

Joan

Staples, Circles and a Ransom Note

Daily Paper Prompt - Day 46 - Staple Collage

I like doing these staple collages - everything isn't completely tacked down - so you can peak underneath the layers.  I tore apart one of my old cards and used pieces in this.  

Daily Paper Prompt - Day 47 - Stamping Circles

I scraped paint onto my page for the background and then used plastic lids, a couple thread spools and a couple Stampin'Up! stamps to create the circles.  

Daily Paper Prompt - Day 48 - Ransom Note

I had a hard time coming up with a note for this prompt.  I had words spread all over my desk and then this quietly evolved.  I had the first word as "We" but changed it at the last minute.

It's been a good arting day so far - lots of catching up!

Hope your having a good day - 

Create something everyday.

Joan

Brainstorming & Leaves

Daily Paper Prompt #43 - Brainstorming

I decided to brainstorm about things I thought I could spend forever doing.  I don't think about what I like to do that much - I know what I feel like doing from time to time, but over the years, the activities that have made me happy change as my ability to do them changes.  Like horseback riding.  I love galloping through a field, but I'm not sure that I will ever get on a horse again in my life.

There's not much doodling on this page - but I tried to change up my fonts and the direction I was writing.

Daily Paper Prompt #44 - Acrylic Leaf Prints.

I love fall - mostly because I love shuffling my feet through dry fallen leaves….so this was nice to pick leaves that were still supple and to print with them using acrylic paint.  I've done leaf rubbings with classes, but not paint prints - lots of fun!

I'm working on catching up with my Paper Prompts - so there may be more than one post in a day.

Have a good one -

Do some brainstorming today.

Joan

Playing with Paint

 I've had my Gelli Plate out on my table for a couple of days so thought I'd share the prints that I've created.  I still need some practice - but I do love how you're never sure what you are going to end up with.

This first photo is actually a page in an altered book that I used to get rid of excess paint before moving onto a new design - so it really is a miss-mash of designs and colours - but I like how it turned out.

My plan for these gelli print pages (because I'm getting quite a stash of them now)  is to turn them into pages of a 6x6 book to doodle on.  

Layers of Paint & Coasters

I played with some paint yesterday with my Gelli Plate…..I'm not exactly sure how much I like how this one turned out.  I'm not a fan of red….so I will probably put black doodles in the red sections just to tone it down a bit.  Otherwise I had fun, which is all that counts and I'll be trying another one this afternoon.

Sat in front of the tv a bit yesterday, and since I couldn't play with paint or paper, I doodled some more coasters.  

I'm not sure how much art I'll get done today since we're babysitting, but there is always nap time!

Hope you have a great day.

Joan

Feb 18

I only have a few pages left in my Nye & Nye altered book.  Got a quick mandala finished at the end of a busy day.

icad 2013

I was excited to find out about "Index Card a Day" - icad from Emily Lagore who referred me to the Daisy Yellow website where I found the information and prompts for each day.  I had a lot of fun creating one little piece of art each day.  I'll be using these eventually in my altered books or other art.  I'm looking forward to it for 2014!