3rd Week of ICAD

Prompt 15- Bouquet - I painted a small bouquet on watercolour paper with watercolour paints.  I'm not to good with flowers yet, so I kept them as simple as possible.

Prompt 16 - Wallpaper - I found the ugliest scraps of wallpaper that I had and layered them on top of one another and stapled them to the index card.  It seemed true to form to have layers of wallpaper, since in the days these babies were used, you would slap one layer of wallpaper on top of another.

Prompt 17 - landscape.  I came across an index card that had a stroke of gold paint on it, a wee bit of blue and a blob of yellow and orange at the top; so I decided to create a dessert scene - complete with oasis.

Prompt 18 - Orange - I love doing monochromatic anything. So it was fun to find orange  bits and pieces in  my stash.

Prompt 19 - Snow.  I used one of my Stampin'Up! snowflake stamps and embossed it in silver on a paper I had added some turquoise toned alcohol ink to.  Then I added some glue and sprinkled some micro flakes on top - voila.

Prompt 21 - 1960's.  When I think of the 60's I think of the Peter Max posters that were big at the time and Flower Power.   I copied this dove poster and wrote the icad in bubble letters - which was kind of a new thing.  The background is suppose to have a hot pink stripe in the middle - but it didn't come out very well.

Prompt 21 - Create your Own Prompt - Black and White.  I said I love monochromatic!  I took a piece of black card stock measured to index card size and drew a mandala with white water based paint Sharpie.

Create something any size everyday.

Joan

f art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. 

John F. Kennedy

Journal Pages

I have this stencil of eye glasses that I just couldn't pass up for some reason.  Here I paired it with a pair of wooden glasses that I painted bright green and added rhinestones to.   And staying curious is an important thing to do - especially in anything artistic. What will happen if I do ….this…?  Music, painting, dance, acting, are all open for curious minds.

I did follow an "Artist Gang" tutorial for this journal page and I'm glad I did.  Creating a background and then using the "Mask" portion of this stencil was a new process and a good one to remember.

I attended one of the Urban Scrapbook journal nights and this is the page we created.  Imagine how happy I was when I saw we'd be including zentangles!  Right up my alley.  I also liked the process we used for adding the text.  I adhered sticky letters of various fonts onto the bare page and then covered it with gesso.  Once all the layers of colour were on, I outlined the letters in sharpie to make them pop off the page.  Too Cool.

Create something everyday.

Joan

Draw your pleasure, paint your pleasure, and express your pleasure strongly.

 Pierre Bonnard

Former Dancers?

A few months ago I was in the scrapbook store I go to to take classes and buy products.  I spotted three "old lady dancers" stencils and asked my daughter which one I should get - being a former (and now old lady) dancer myself)  She told me to buy them all, so I did and two of them are posted today.

The above page is inspired by a tutorial from the Art Gang attached to Donna Downey's Inspiration Wednesdays.  I used a different image, but the theme of balance and the round circles were part of the "lesson".

I absolutely love the tissue paper that Aritzia uses in their packaging when you purchase something from their store - these huge feathers are wonderful…..so I knew I had to include one with this second dancer as she lept across the page.  Not much leaping in my life anymore, but it's fun to imagine.  The funky circles are from the same thinlits set I used the other day - "Swirly Scribbles".  I cut the pieces out of gelliprint paper that I'd made previously and matched my colour scheme.

Create something everyday.

Joan

Art cannot be modern. Art is primordially eternal. 

Egon Schiele

Busy days with Canvas

I have a "job" creating canvases for a realtor who gives them to his clients when they purchase a home. It's quite an honour and lots of fun coming up with different pieces.  He wanted to see a selection to pick from so I got busy over a two day period.

When I'm making a music themed piece, I like using old music torn up for the background.  In the above piece I was also able to us one of Stampin'Up!'s new thinlits (Swirly Scribbles).  The lines worked perfectly as a funky sort of staff.  I'll be using them a lot for this I'm sure!

I had done a journal page, a week or so ago, similar to this.  I thought the muted tones would work well as a house gift.  The fun part of this piece was creating the wrinkly texture in the background with a piece of tissue paper.

When I put the black, silver and white paint onto this canvas I really wasn't sure where I was going to go with it.  I ended up with a lot of stuff pulled onto my workspace before deciding on punching out squares of different matching papers and embossing some of them.

I was thankful the creative juices were flowing those two days…..and all the pieces were chosen, so that made it even better.

Create something everyday.

Joan

Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable. 

George Bernard Shaw

Week 2 of Icad

Prompt #8 - Island.  This card had a bit of painted paper towel glued onto the bottom already, so since it looked like a little island, I added some waves and trees and then listed the different islands that I could think of.

Prompt #9 - Compass.  I was away from home when I did this - so I had to look through some hotel magazines for items to use.  I was able to find one "North" symbol - but that was it for any sort of compass - so since compasses help you get places, I cut out words.

Prompt #10 - Cobalt Blue - I know not all of the blues on this card are cobalt, but it was fun finding all the textures of blue in my stash of magazine clippings.

Prompt #11 - Baseball.  It was convenient that I found a prepainted index card with this curve on it that reminded me of how the baseball fields always have fancy designs "cut" into them - and of course the infield is sorta shaped like this.  So I added little bases, the pitchers mound and a piece of ephemera from when we went to a Jays game a couple years ago.

Prompt #12 - TV - couldn't think of what to do for this - so since I had scraps of watercolour stripes on my workspace, I created a little collage with them.  That's the nice thing about the "rules" for ICAD, you don't have to stick to the prompts each day.

Prompt #13 - playground.  I made a playground of zentangles.

Prompt #14 - Venn Diagram.  I couldn't decide what two things I wanted to compare in a Venn diagram, so I just created a bunch of different sized diagrams on watercolour paper and painted them in.

Create something everyday.

Joan

A work of art is above all an adventure of the mind. 

Eugene Ionesco

Mission Inspiration & Artist Gang

I haven't only been doing Icad cards - I've been doing other stuff too.  The above journal spread is the May Mission Inspiration.  The first thing we were to do was to use three colours to create drips on the page.  I used three shades of green and used them as the stems for the daises.  The daisies are created with molding paste which I outlined and coloured.  The butterflies are "collage elements".  I had to add some glitter or gems, so it was quite convenient that the yellow cut out butterfly already had gems on it in the photo - so I just took some gold gems and added them on top.  I love this challenge because the outcomes from everyone who participates are all so different.  So much fun!

This spread is from one of the Artist Gang from this year's Inspiration Wednesday.  I don't mind this page, but I am not one for leaving this much empty space - which is why I added so many speckles.  I do like how the right side of the page turned out though!

Create something everyday.

Joan

The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web. 

Pablo Picasso

Icad's First Week

Here are my index cards for the first week of Icad 2016

Prompt #1 - Mix Tape.  I began by putting on the wide, black and white, tape on because I discovered that it can be pleated quite easily.  I then added the gold tapes and the blingy purple.

Prompt #2 - Pyramid.  I live outside of Edmonton and one of the attractions of the city is the Muttart Conservatory which is 4 glass pyramids 3 of which are filled with a different biome and the fourth is used for seasonal displays.

Prompt #3 - Snoopy.  Snoopy is pretty much the only dog I know how to draw so I just seethed  him snooping inside a box

.

Prompt #4 - Typewriter - I had a Tim  Holtz sticker of a typewriter and and old StampinUp! alphabet block for the background.  I made a little slit in the typewriter to thread the paper through and then wrote the details of the day.

Day #5 - I didn't go with the prompt of the day - just drew a mandala on a repainted card.

Prompt #6 - Top Ten List - I have a very difficult time coming up with list of things; favourite foods, music, movies, things to do.  I just come up blank.  So it took me awhile to figure out what to do with this card.  Even after I stacked the numbers, I had to decide what I was going to make a list of.  And I don't really think that this is a very accurate list of what I enjoy doing from 10 - 1…….I left out my grandson for pete's sake.

Prompt #7 - Pinball or bowling.  I drew the ball and pin and some lightening "strikes" and zentangled inside the ball and pin.

Mandalas and zentangles are my go-tos when I'm not sure what to do.  Keeping to the prompts is not the most important thing- it's creating something everyday.  So……

Create something everyday.

Joan

Art distills sensations and embodies it with enhanced meaning. 

Miguel de Unamuno

Warmups for Icad 2016

Good Grief - almost a month has passed since I posted anything.  I'm realizing I can't always get to posting everyday - but I thought I could make it once a week - and then a month flies by.  With the beginning of June came the beginning of this year's Index Card a Day 2016 Challenge.  This is a personal challenge, no deadlines, no prizes - just the satisfaction of having created a small piece of art once a day for 61 days (June and July).  If you are interested in participating, you can get all of the details at Tammy Garcia's blog - DaisyYellowArt.com

Tammy had 10 warmup exercises…I didn't complete them all (although I will eventually):

First off we were to do some sort of puzzle - crossword, jigsaw, sudoku, etc  just to get the brain exercised.

The next warm up was to write three Haiku poems.  I usually end up doing these  on previously done journal pages just to add some interest to them.

This is the second Haiku, but I still have to write the third one.

Warm-up #3 was to create a small travel case for doing index cards on the go - when you're waiting for an appointment etc.  This is a really mini one for me - sharpies in black and white, markers, gelatos, aqua painter and some index cards - some blank, some with backgrounds already added.  When I'm traveling the case includes a bit more because I'm away from home for longer - scissors, glue, pencil etc.

This warmup had to do with making a collage with junk mail.  Mine ended up being a one piece collage because I thought this little stopwatch was too cute as a way to count down to Icad beginning.

Warm up #8 was all about irregular circles - so I got out my scraps and started cutting.  Tons of fun!

Warmup #10 was to make a title card for Icad 2016 - Woo Hoo.

I'll share some of my first cards tomorrow.

Create something - no matter how big or small - everyday

Joan

Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun. 

Pablo Picasso

One Finished, Three works in progress

I created another set of houses on a mint background.  I made my own mint paint so that the trees didn't clash.  I like these wonky little villages.

I came in close to take a picture of this mandala; which is  on a canvas.  I have a bit more to do on it before I add a quote or word of some sort.

I always take an altered book to a doctor's office so I can pas the time creating.  I'm bling to outline all the dark pieces and then write words inside of them…..I think.

Finally  here s another neighbourhood underway - this time a neutral background and I will be keeping the houses sort of neutral too.

Create something everyday.

Joan

"An intellectual says a simple thing in a hard way. An artist says a hard thing in a simple way."

 Charles Bukowski

Patchwork and Texture

Last week I created a random patchwork pattern on a canvas thinking I paint another set of houses on it.  I decided that the background was too busy and too many colours so I decided to just create the mixed media canvas you see below.

First I put a light wash of creamy coloured paint over the patches to push them into the background.  Next I added some stencilling in two different colours.  I had some corrugated cardboard for IKEA, along with some other specialty papers which I layered and this cool straw like "paper" which I tore apart to add.  I've been debating whether to add words or not - but I think I'll just leave it the way it is.

Create something everyday - remember there's no mistakes - only creative opportunities.

Joan

Plaid and Transparent Muse

                                      

Well I had fun with this Muse prompt  - Plaid.  As soon as I saw it I knew I had to pull out the few little scraps of tartans that I have….from my wedding 30 years ago.  Annnnnyway - I fashioned little kilts/skirts and drew little people  - who are suppose to have their hands behind their backs!!

This prompt for Muse30 was Transparent.  I had fun with this one!  I sprayed some metallic inks onto the background and then added printed tissue papers, napkins and washi tape.  For the lettering I stamped the letters of the word with permanent ink onto clear window sheets and punched them out; adhering them to the page with Self Leveling Gel because I know for sure they will stay stuck.  Tons of fun.

Create something everyday.

Joan

"To be an artist is to believe in life"  Henry Moore

Sunny Flowers

I had started this background a number of days ago and this past Wednesday evening I couldn't help but go outside onto the deck to start filling in the colour.  It was 8:00pm and the sun was still well above the horizon so I took my book, paints and tunes and had a very pleasant evening.

I did end up coming inside to finish things up and put the words on.  I think I need a lot of practise blending colours - some of the colour changes on these flowers are pretty "square" and abrupt.  Oh well, practise, practise, practise!

Create something everyday - even if it's something you've created before.

Joan

"Art is a natural as sunshine and a vital as nourishment."

MaryAnn F. Kohl

Funky Neighborhood

I spent this morning at a scrapbook store in Edmonton, Urban Scrapbook doing this Art Journal spread created by Lynette.  Tons of fun and I can see a lot of different "neighbourhoods" being created with this layout.  I had a great time creating it and finishing it off at home.  Look for more variations of this "house" theme in the future!  (Plus - it's a great way to use up some of your old scrapbook paper!)

Create something everyday,

Joan

"If I create from the heart, nearly everything works; if from the head, almost nothing.

Marc Chagall

Journal Work

I worked in three different journals one day over the weekend.  This page is in my Lyrics Book and is the lyrics to a song by Mercy Me called Flawless.  I didn't intend the title to be the focal point - it's just the main part of the chorus.  I do like how this page turned out especially the gold leaf on the sides of the cross.

I know that I want to put some writing on this page - but I'm not sure yet what I want to say about these ladies in relation to me.  I love how the spiral just to the right of the middle of the page came into being.  I didn't notice it until I had posted the picture and was looking at it.  There are a lot of layers on this spread - spray ink, paint and molding paste.  Lots of fun.

Create something everyday

Joan

"Art is the most intense form of individualism that the world has known.