Characters & Collage

 Just some random sketches and stuff that I did in June and have been holding off sharing until I finish the horse abstract.

A page in my Winsor Newton sketchbook where I cleaned off my acrylic paint palette. When it dried, four, possibly five, horse head images appeared to me. They are more visible in reality than the scanner picked up here. Anyway, I decided to bring them forth, but didn't quite know how, since previous horses I tried to sketch still look like the ones I tried to sketch in grade school. So I searched Pinterest for ideas and finally found one that mixes reality and abstract that I liked. I didn't copy it. I couldn't even if I wanted to, but it gave me a jumping off place.

The first phase in acrylic paint...

It has gone through several layers and phases to get where it is now, and looks much different, so it's waiting for finishing touches...

I decided to go ahead and post this, because I don't know when, if ever, I will finish this one, but if I do, I'll share it. I'll have to work up the nerve to tackle it first. :)

I applied a different filter over the first abstract page above, and this came out. It could be one large horse head, or a cow head, or some other animal close up! I've saved a copy, just in case...

A fun collage, also in my sketchbook, made of original papers created by me, except for the washi tape strip across the bottom. Some are gelli plate prints, some I painted on tracing paper with acrylics and ink, some I stamped with bubble wrap, there's a newspaper clipping with a tree photo printed over it, some stenciling and stamping, some freehand sketching and mark making, and some found words torn out that say "Progress not Perfection". It's a bit busy, but I like it!

Another collage with some of my handmade gelli printed papers, text pages from an Anne Rice book with found words circled, a newspaper clipping with a tree photo printed over it, a window torn from a magazine, an abstract bird and nest painted in acrylics on tracing paper, a piece of scrapbooking paper, and a bit of sketching and mark making in ink. This one is a bit more calm and peaceful to me.

Just some face practice on these two girls. The top one is with a Stabilo pencil, a bit of water, and a bit of white acrylic paint. The bottom one is a 2B pencil. I need much more shading practice! Sometimes I just want to give up and quit trying, but something won't let me, so I just keep on keeping on...

Ok, this one got a lot chaotic on me. I think it has everything but the kitchen sink in it, but it also has a lot of meaning for me. I used some translucent wrapping paper, a napkin, a piece of pink collagraph image I did way back, a copy of handwriting from two of my best friends that they had written in my Senior year school annual, a bit of colored pencil, a one line ink sketch of a vase and flowers, and some other mark making. Chaotic fun!
                                                                                      

 

This character came out of my imagination one day. I sketched her off with a Stabilo pencil, then went over with a bit of water and brush. A couple of days later, I added some white acrylic paint. I couldn't get the light on the right cheek right, and it looked a bit like war paint to me, so I added the two dots under it and called her "Warrior". I wish I could remember to allow enough space that they don't run off the page. Someday...

Same girl with a background filter added, using Microsoft photo editing. Just playing around!

Same girl, face cut out...

Same girl, face cut out with glass effect filter over half her face...

Another character from my imagination. Again, I didn't allow enough room, and her hair ran off the page. At least, she doesn't have the typical long face that most of my girls have!

We are having really hot temperatures. So thankful for air conditioning, and I'm not outside much, but hubby is an outdoor person, and I do worry about him getting overheated out mowing, weed eating, etc. 

I'm staying indoors as much as possible. I can't take the heat anymore, so after these sketches, I've made a woven journal for a class called "The Magpies Nest" on Jeanne Oliver's website. The cover is woven, and I've made pages, sewn the signatures in, and I'm adding embellishments inside and out now, plus I took another Toni Burt class in another group of sample classes, which I'll post soon. And the dust is still piling up...

I'm having a number of health problems also. Not fun, but could be a lot worse. I am so thankful for art and creativity to take my mind off it. The only problem with it is it causes me to sit way too much. :o

Thanks for visiting! Hope to see you next post! Keep creating! Even when it doesn't turn out pretty, it's still therapeutic!