New Things I'm Playing With

The beginning layers...

Where it is now, but definitely not where it's going to stay...

Six layers of gelli print images to start in art journal, now where to go from here...

Owl Be Seeing You!

An 18" x 24" mixed media painting on mixed media paper, inspired by Tracy Verdugo and Flora Bowley, with some Connie Hozvicka Solaris fearlessness thrown in.

First layers in first session...

A few of the many layers the painting went through above and below. Shapes are beginning to emerge...

The final version! Sorry about the photography. It does look better in person. There's more I could do to it, but I decided to stop, at least for the time being. Click on the picture to see more symbols and layers! I didn't do the best job in the world, but I had fun doing it and playing with different media, textures, and techniques, and I really enjoyed approaching it without fear. I like it!

I thought it was the final version! The butterfly kept bothering me, and I changed its color about 3x and decided it was the size and position of where it is, so I took some of the paint off in the area and stenciled some white dots over the area. It still didn't look right!

I used some small stencils to add the bird and other patterns over the owl's head and around. Not the best photo, but I like the painting much better and can leave it alone...unless I decide to cut it up for other projects...

Now you know what the inside of my mind looks like! :D

Now working on another 18"x24" painting inspired by the same teachers on mixed media paper on which a bunny has made itself known. Don't claim to be a pro, but this style of painting is so much fun, and I just signed up for another mini course with Tracy on Color, Pattern, and Texture, which starts Dec. 15 (go to sidebar and click on the Animalitos Mini Mojo course to check it out). It's an early Christmas present to myself! :D

Small Dress Painting

My mom still had my prom dress from 1966 when I was a junior in high school. I'm planning to cut it up to make a fabric journal, but I decided to paint it first. I didn't have it in front of me, so I painted it from memory in mixed media on a  5"x 7" piece of hot press watercolor paper.

Acrylics, gesso, soft pastels, stabilo pencil, gelly roll pen, gelatos, brush, water

I decided it needed a bit more color, but I'm debating on leaving it this way. I also got the dress a little shorter than it should have been, since it was a long dress, but it was fun to paint in my regular style for a change, as much as I enjoy mixed media pulled out and intuitive painting.

By the way, hubby took me to my Jr banquet/prom, so this dress is a precious memory. We have been married 45 1/2 years now. Not always easy, but always worth it! :D

Happy Painting!

MIA Lately!

Hello out there! I'm still here! grin emoticon Just having health problems and haven't finished anything in a few days, plus I've been sitting up way late watching TV with the hubby and sleeping in, in the mornings, which doesn't leave me much time or energy, despite how much I enjoy it. I'm going to have to reverse that trend quick! I need ME creative time! Will try to have something to share shortly! Thank you all for your support of my shared attempts! 

Puddy Cat Inky Animal

An inky animal, inspired by Tracy Verdugo's Animalitos mini-course (see sidebar for link) on a blank page in my mixed papers journal. The cat also has other media besides ink on it, and I did it several weeks ago...

This week I've been working on the background. I know it's easier to do the background first, but sometimes I work backwards. That's just me! :) I used found and bought stamps, text, acrylic open media paints, Pitt brush pens, and metallic pens on gessoed paper for a double spread.

The text in the lower right corner says, "She loved this time of day, loved feeling melancholy and loved sitting under the elm, looking up into dark against sky." I borrowed it from a book I'm dismantling. 

The story may, or may not, be finished, but I've had fun doing the pages. Very meditative and calming for me!

Inky Elephant and a Red Bird

Another fun little f-nut inspired by Tracy Verdugo's Animalitos class (link on sidebar). These are addictive!

F-nut shape on 300# watercolor paper with acrylic inks; I used a small blue elephant salt shaker figurine for a model....

I should have done the harlequin stenciled background BEFORE the elephant, but didn't. I added it and my handmade bird stencil after, and added patterns and marks to the elephant and bird with metallic gel pens, Pitt brush pens, metallic markers, and acrylic paints. The b/w background bothered me, so I added some red-gold metallic marker across the bottom to kind of break it up...

Still didn't like it, so I went over some of the red-gold with a plain gold metallic marker and added acrylic paints to the white background, then wiped it off, and added more embellishments to the figures...

The colored background seemed a bit much, so I repainted it with a burnt umber tinted white to tone it down and kept working on the embellishments...

I added some final touches to the elephant and bird and called it done. I love it!

They both have a tear and a flower, because losing someone you love is NEVER easy, and a good friend to help you through it is a great blessing...

Stencil Cutting Practice

Been practicing cutting my own stencils and masks and trying them out in one of my art journals. All of the try-out journal pages will be worked on further, so these are just beginning pages and are still works in progress...

Journal pages, of various papers, where I tried out the stencils cut from Graphix stencil blanks at the top, and the stencils/masks at the bottom. I know they don't look perfect, and they aren't, but I happen to like wonky and imperfect! :) I used open media acrylics dabbed on with a stencil brush for these pages...

The same journal pages after I added some marks all pencil to the birds/chicks to further define them. I like them! :)

Journal page try-outs on the top on gessoed and patterned paper, with open media acrylics; stencil and mask on the bottom! Bare beginnings of the pages.

I cut these stencils/masks from a blue transparent Graphix stencil film, on the bottom, and tried them out on journal pages of various backgrounds and papers by spraying Delusions Inks on them. I have since done more work on them, but don't have pictures yet.

I'm staying with very simple designs to learn on, and I think I'm getting better with every one. I've had trouble with my stencil cutter getting too hot and causing the point to bend while I'm cutting. I'm going to try a different point next time, and if that doesn't work, I'll retreat to using an x-acto knife again. They're pretty dependable for lots of things!

Have a great week!