B.Original

Does anyone else watch this show? I LOVE it! Michelle Beschen is the host and she does an incredible job of showing new and interesting craft techniques. You can find out more about the show on the DIY network site. Yesterday she had a show about collage and she presented a technique where you coat all your papers and your base front and back with gel medium, let it all dry and then when you ready to attach you use a piece of parchment paper and an iron and the two surfaces are fused. I can't wait to try it. I haven't heard of this technique before.

ABC Collage-Done

I finished this piece this morning. My great husband gave me an hour to myself! Thanks honey.
I will post it in the shop tomorrow. Have a great weekend!

Leaf Printing

I made some leaf printed thank you cards last year and yesterday I got the urge again. My son and I had a blast.

Supplies:
Acrylic Paint (We used assorted greens and yellows)
Pre made note cards or cardstock
Brushes
Plastic plate or paint palette
And Leaves of course ( the ones with raised veins work best)

Sort through your leaves and pick one that you like. Turn the backside and apply chosen color with your brush ( not too heavy) . Flip over and lay on the card. Press with your fingers to get all the paint to the paper(don't worry if it squishes out a bit). You can pull up a little to see if it has all transferred. If not lay it back down and rub again. And then pull up. They aren't meant to look machine made. It is supposed to have the hand made feel so not always will the paint transfer perfectly and that is great. Then move onto other leaves and colors. You just work very intuitively and don't worry if you don't like it it is only paint and paper. I usually can't wait to pull up the leaf to see what it came out like. And I don't clean my brush all the time in between colors. Since I worked with similar colors it was fine.

This is so easy to do and so much fun. Gather your supplies and you can make tons of these as inexpensive gifts or keep for yourself and send to your friends and family with a little note inside.

Have fun with this. You will want to do leaf printing on everything ( and your kids will too)!!

I am going to include this set of cards (tied with a pretty little ribbon) with the next piece of art sold in the shop!!

Color Stories: Warm + Cool

Inspired by the big baskets of flowers on the porches of older homes and of course the blue sky.

Collage Box available now

ABC Collage

New collage I am working on. 9"x 12". I love it when it is all undone and the possibilities are endless. So fun.
I am just about done with my GATHERINGS:SEA collage box. I just need to sand and paint the box part. What are you working on?

Color Stories: Multi

This image is from Denyse Schmidt's web page . The colors (and layout and patterns) are so exciting. It makes me want to learn to sew and make a quilt. Yummy!!
I don't know when I will post again.. I may have a freelance assignment next week. Have a great Sunday.

Doodling

I just doodled the other night. It makes me feel better. It takes me out of my thoughts and puts me in the moment. The flow. I realized when I don't get a chance to some sort of art for the day I get a bit cranky. I know that I have to make art. It almost isn't a choice just something I must do. Sounds crazy right? I will be back later with a color story. Was inspired but lots of homes with pretty flowers on their porches.

Work in progress: GATHERINGS-SEA

Working on this collage/box. Gatherings that are evocative of the SEA. Nothing is fixed into to place so it may change. I am going to frame it up as a box per Claudine Hellmuth's instructions in her Collage Discovery book.

ARTIST: Sarah Lugg

Does everyone remember this cover? It is the cover of Victoria magazine from February 1999. Art by artist Sarah Lugg. I can't believe this was ten years ago. This is what really started my love affair with collage. I remember getting this issue in the mail and being so excited by it. It is so simple and so beautiful. I love the tags and her use of common (yet beautiful) items in her work. I believe this was my favorite piece by her. Here is a little Q & A she did with Another girl at play
http://anothergirlatplay.com/sarah-lugg/
It makes you feel so inspired and full of possibilities.
Enjoy!
P.S. My hubby won't be home until late tonight so I will get a bit of uninterrupted art time!!

I have been a very bad blogger lately. Life was a bit busier then normal these past few days.
Drs. appts., playground build week, a rare chance to go out with my mom to a book fair and some shopping. Also, I am excited to to tell you that our shop was accepted in the Indie Fixx Galleria. It went live today!! Go check it out if you have a second. There are some amazing items over there. So I was busy entering all the pertinent info for a galleria space as well. I haven't had a chance to make much art but I have been thinking about alot.
Does anyone have a bookstore near them that sells Marie Claire Idees? I was searching at Barnes and Noble yesterday but only could find the Maison copy. I would love to get this magazine and would happily pay for all shipping and handling if someone could get there hands on it. I am going to subscribe soon.

I will be back later (I hope) to share some art. What have you been working on?

New wreath available tomorrow

The weather was a bit overcast today but I got some shots. What do you think? What do you think I should call it? I was thinking either seaside or sea and sky. Available Thursday in the shop.

Color Stories: Neutral and Brights

This is a painting done by Felix Vallotton. View of a Paris Street, 1895. Gouache on cardboard.
Felix was one of the Nabis.

You can learn more about them if you google them but basically they were a group of young radical painters who formed an artistic brotherhood in Paris in 1889.

Their common aim was to make art part of everyday life. LOVE THAT!!

I love this particular painting for not only the subject matter but the COLOR as well. Love the neutrals mixed with the pops of bright color. Lovely work.

I am done with my wreath. Not sure if I like it yet. I will hopefully get to take some pics tomorrow if the weather improves any.

Almost done...

with a blue and white wreath. I hope to add it to the shop in the next 2 days. Lots of hand painted papers. I wanted it to have a very beach casual feel. Soothing and calming.

And this is so great and inspiring...

I adore this banner from thepurlbee.com. I love the colors and patterns... so great. May be the inspiration for a new wreath (wanted to do a yellow one anyway) and collages!!

Working on a new wreath

Sorry this pic is not so great.. the weather was very grey and rainy hence dark photo.
This is going to be a very beach, casual type of wreath. Lots of blues and whites-canvas, tracing paper, blue/white stripes, hand splattered paper. The leaves were just laying there and I thought it all looked nice together.

Have a great weekend!! We are going stawberry picking today with the kids. Yummy strawberry jam coming and strawberry inspired art I am sure.

ARTIST: Rick Ruggles

I came across Rick Ruggles awhile back (I can't remember where). I picked up one of his found heart cards. I was so intrigued by his work. He takes photos he finds naturally of hearts. This one I think is just great. Go take a look at more of his work. http://www.foundhearts.com/

Coneflower-Original Collage

This is the small collage I made based on my sketchbook. 4"x6". I used recycled security envelopes, vintage wallpaper and gouache on Arches watercolor paper. I added it to my Etsy shop.

Sketchbook today

This is a a couple of pages from my moleskin. I was coming up with some ideas for a collage. I finished the collage. I will share with you soon.

Also, I am looking for a name for my group of collages/paintings. I was orginally thinking of Nature Studies ( they will have a nature theme) but then I thought of Gatherings. I want to gather different ideas, papers, colors and put them together. What do you think?

A new day, a new week, a new month

After some thought and being realistic about what I can and can't get done I have decided on posting on a few different topics regularly.

Color Stories: I started wanting to do this but it kinda dwindled down. I want to showcase great color. Color to me can make or break a piece of art, a sheet, anything really. So I may show a photo, painting, swatches, whatever to get the message of beautiful color across. I started making color combos in a small index card book.

Sketchbook/Works in Progress: A page or two from my sketchbook and/or what I am currently working on.

Other artists/designers that I love.

Occasionally I want to have a contest/giveaway if I can swing it.

I would also love to have a tutuorial from time to time if I think there is something that anyone would like to learn that I could possibly teach them.

Alisa mentioned showing photos of your home. Our home is a work in progress that is for sure and I don't know if I would want to share it yet. I love seeing homes of others though.

I am sure I will drop in the posts on kids and being a mom and an artist and trying to juggle it all. And of course just as in life this is all subject to change.