Monday, April 20, 2009

A Garden Under The Sea




This is my creation for Mixed Media Monday....... The prompt was mermaids which are one of my favorite things next to all things Alice. I have been enjoying making art out of found items or second hand items for a long time....this is built on a large 6" round tarot card from a deck I found at the thrift store Saturday and some old book covers....used some chipboard, gesso, pearl paint and gold paint.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

And They Danced By The Light Of The Moon


I found a new site I like called Lots To Do thru Heather Robinson's blog Creative Solace. I just love checking out her blog and seeing what the newest fun sites are. I really enjoy her art too. The challenge was a black and white art piece of choice so I had to put this up. I had a lot of fun stamping this. I seldom use stamps alone anymore but remember why I enjoy them so much.

He Makes Me Laugh


He makes me laugh.....a lot....and I love it! When I saw the catylyst for Creative Therapy was Laugh I knew I had to do this picture.I used some beautiful turquoise duct tape on this. Fun stuff! Anyway I will do this challenge again......Thanks to Lucy for telling me about it! She does the most beautiful artistic scrap booking I've ever seen..go check it out.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Moments Of Silence


My entry for Mind Wide Open.....I really enjoy doing the monthly challenge on MWO. The image this month was very pastel and light so it was a challenge not to overpower it with the other elements. I played with some techniques after reading Kelly Ray Roberts book and taking some journaling classes from Pam Carriker, Nancy Lefko and Dina Wakley. I used a piece of chipboard, some gel medium to collage the torn glimmer misted book pages on the background. I sprayed a fixative on that then gessoed over everything but the heart and used some Palette gold ink and Jo Sonjas gold paint over a stencil. The hot glue spirals are dusted with Pearl Ex. This doesn't feel quite finished to me. I'd like to continue to work on this and maybe post another photo when I get it done to my liking. I started very late on the challenge and couldn't decide whether to enter or not. Then I realized it's all a learning experience and I want to be a part of it. I had a busy week and didn't make enough time to spend on creating.....like I said in an earlier post "it's all about balance" :)
I saw the best quote this week, it said "the most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do"....so true.....I have said more than I wanted to in some conversations this week and think I need to learn to edit a bit. I am sensitive myself by nature and you would think I would be more cautious when speaking but sometimes I am not. The girl seems to be sitting in a quiet moment of reflection. So this is what I was thinking about when I put started putting this piece together... Moments of silence......

Monday, April 6, 2009

A Lovely Blog


I was visiting Terri Conrad's blog today. It is one of the blogs I enjoy going to when I want to relax. Here is a sample of one of her lovely posts "Remember to share the love with your comments and on your blog . . .and Surround your every thought, and embrace your every action in its sweetness." Here is a picture of a few of her pieces soon to be for sale. She is having a give away this week. She has some gorgeous boxes among other things that I will be very glad to add to my studio when I find them. :)

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Polka Dot Rain Boots



OK...crazy month! I have been in renovate, clean up and organize mode since January and getting weary of it. I tend to work past my limits. When I do that my body fights me...I get sick..."the bug everyone has had" , my muscles get tired, I get clumsy and I do things like trip and put my hand through the metal front of our old pie safe (yes, I did this) ....yikes! Very lucky..no cuts! However did receive a mild but very annoying sprained right wrist.


So not much creativity going on in March...just putting finishing touches on projects I've started but had left 90% complete. But I took a week away from our renovations to rest up a bit and voile I now have some creative energy again! Lesson? It's all about balance in every area of my life. A lesson I intend to take seriously. I need art as much as a finished house!



So when I saw the challenge on Saturday Surprise I thought it was perfect. The prompt was childhood and I had been working on a painting of polka dot rain boots which make me think of summer days when my mom would let us go outside and play in the afternoon rain showers we seemed to have every day in Florida.....what a great mom! We had to be so messy when we came back in!


I started this painting when I got my new Webster's papers. Love the leafy scroll paper and the subtle yellow flower in the corner and wanted to paint right on top of the paper. Definitely needed some gesso for that. I broke out my new red Claudine Hellmuth paint (gorgeous red by the way) and last night I just put a soft wash of Golden's Nickel Azo over it. Tah dah!

Here's the pie safe that broke my fall......geez! Guess I'll be learning how to do punched tin panels now....LOL!