Focal Point?

In my art group, Fiber Optic Group, we are studying design.  The next session is on focal point.  I think the focal point in this design is the purple ribbons, mainly by contrast but also using placement.  I find the design principles hard to master but I'm sure my work will improve through the practice!

Boxing (Day) Bird

Here are two versions of my Boxing (Day) Bird.  The first seemed to have too much contrast so I added a wash of PearlEx Silver mixed with paint and then a glazing medium.  I discovered the black stamp on the bottom really helped to "ground" the composition.

And this is Willy guarding my room!   Looks ferocious doesn't he?

Zentangle Xmas

A friend gave me the "official" Zentangle kit for Xmas.  What fun!   But before I start with the kit, I wanted to finish the Zentangle in progress.

This seems to be a finishing day.  No turkey at my house!  But maybe I should go and cook some chicken. . .

The Scanner is Always Right

Last night, I was disappointed in the scanned image of the focal point piece. I even played with the color settings thinking it MUST be the copy quality.  By this morning, I admitted the scan was correct; it was the piece that needed correcting.  Some copper Lumiere paint resolved what I finally perceived as the problem.

Today I also finished a work done on a piece of manilla file folder.   The raised portion is Elemer's glue.  It was suppose to act as a resist, but didn't!   I do like the effect though.

Xmas Eve

There is no better way to spend Xmas Eve than in my studio.  This is a project for the Fiber Optic Group on Focal Point using line and shape.

What, Me Depressed?

My goal this winter is to not succumb to winter depression.  Lots of Vitamin D, California Quilt Show in January and lots of art are my main strategies.   I decided Christmas time would be better with bright spring flowers, so this page depicts bright flowers and my annual winter struggle.  The words, 3 individual phrases cut from a book and put together by me, say:
"There is nothing worse than having
soft stems which die down in the fall
and grow again the following spring"

Gee, Instructions Do Help!

Today, I decided to read some internet sites on drawing faces.  Very good idea!   Now I know about proportion and made myself a nice little grid to put under the drawing to help me place the face features.  I also learned a bit about shading and how to draw eyebrows. 

I think she looks much better than my previous efforts!  I do need some help with hairstyles though.  My hair is always a disaster. 

No future as a portrait artisit

I don't know what is more pathetic:  spending Saturday night listening to The Who while drawing faces or the faces themselves!  But practice does make a difference even though I'll never be a portrait artist.  The first set is Friday's attempt, the second is Saturday's (to the beat of I Can See For Miles!)

I like the first face in the second set; she looks like someone I would like to meet.

Maybe I should listen to Beethoven and do Zentangles instead. . .

Motto on my whiteboard:

"It is impossible to get better and look good at the same time"  Amen!

I also have a background page ready for something, I know not what.

Hopefully some day it will tell me what it wants to be!   In the meanting, it sits in my journal awaiting inspiration.

Star Light

I like walking my dogs early in the morning, especially in the winter.  I love to look at the city lights and the stars.  The view from Edworthy Park is spectacular!   Maybe that is why I often make dark blue journal pages and quilts.  I love dark blue.

And we get Sky News; a great source of pictures!

Life Really Does Need an Undo Function!

My hard drive crashed earlier this week, but, hey, I have a dual backup system!  No problem, right?  Except my camera software was storing picutres in a shared folder that was not part of the backup.  Big problem. My tech is going to see if he can recover the pictures from the old drive.  A lot of pictures existed elsewhere on my drive, so I guess I have the really important stuff.

On a lighter note, I bought some new stamps.  I especially like the one that says "I wish life had an undo function".  Could have used that when the drive crashed!  Here is a page with some of the new stamps.

I also tried some heavy gel to add texture to a page and I brought out my old, make that ancient, tole painting supplies.  After over 12 years, most of the paints are still okay!!  Here is the heavy gel with Jo Sonja silver metallic paint:

And finally, a work in progress.  There are many layers on this page; I have no idea where it is going nor where it came from!  Last night it told me it wanted to be flower. 

The scan was right. . .

I decided the scan was right and I was wrong.  Winter Night needed something else:

Gesso to the rescue!

Why isn't art a verb?

You can be drawing, painting, sketching, quilting, collaging but you can't be arting!!  We need a new verb for those of us who work/play in a variety of forms.  I'm tired of telling people I play with glue and paper.  Maybe I should say I'm investigating the properties of various forms of adhesive mediums for use with tissue paper.  That should keep them guessing.

Anyway, I haven't blogged for awhile (even posting blogs has a verb!) but I have been "arting".

First, lots of zentangles!  I prefer to call it "ink art"!

Pigma Pens, 8 1/2 x 11 inches

Pigma Pens, 9 x 12 inches with watercolor background

Pigma pens Moleskine journal with watercolor background

Pigma pens Moleskine journal with chalk pastel backgroun

card for a friend on watercolor

Pigma pen on watercolor paper.

Pigma pen in Moleskine journal.

And a couple of collages:



This one started with tissue paper for a background and Sakura Pen-touch Gold

And finally, one that looks better in real life.  Or maybe I just think it does. . .