Summer takes flight

These two pages were a prompt from In the Sun.  The prompt was "Summer take flight".   Here are the two pages I did.  I took some watercolor paintings I made that I did not like the composition of and cut them up and glued them on to these painted pages.  The lettering was done using a paint brush dipped in acrylic inks.

Another really cool blog I just discovered has a My Monthly Mojo feature.  This month she interviews Kelly Kilmer, which I'm sure if you've read my blog you will have heard me talk about her online art class.

In this Monthly Mojo, Sarah talked about using photographs, perhaps ones that you don't necessarily like in your art.  This scrapbooky collage was made using an old photo that I had extras of.  Here's another one in which I put a hand carved stamp on top of the photo.
Where does creativity come from?  Well, I think that when working with collage a lot of it involves just taking elements that you have experimented on and playing with them to find new and inventive ways to combine them.  A lot of my inspiration comes from nature, especially flowers, fruits and trees.  I also enjoy colors and seeing how colors interact with each other.  Seeing other people's artwork inspires me too.

Another fun thing I'm going to do is the 30 Days of Get Your Art On... make art for 30 days straight!

Linked up to Inspiration Avenue

Awaken in your own time

Evolving Watercolor Doodles

Journal before and after

Here is another before and after of a journal page with writing....

Journal Pages.. before and after

 

It's interesting how writing can change the whole look of a collage.

This whole "art journaling" thing which has been a name coined for combining drawing and writing in a book format is very interesting.  It's like anything that can be turned into a market will be.  You can now buy "art journal" sketchbooks which are specifically designed for collaging, writing, painting.  (which the ones from Strathmore I must say are awesome.)  When artists started making artist trading cards, then a whole new market for that opened up, such as selling the blank cards, selling embellishments and papers and so forth.  It's just interesting.  I wonder what the next new fad will be in the mixed media art world. 

Paint Party Friday

Happy Paint Party Friday!
Here is the painting that I just can't stop re-doing.  It's getting closer to being "done".

Sketchbook Playing

Greeting Card Collage

Mixed Media Journal Page

Sketchbook Doodles

 Just playing around with watercolor paints and acrylic inks... just because I can!

I Love You.. Christmas Card Lettering

In the Sun

Here is a sketchbook collage page based on a "Take a Vacation" prompt from In the Sun.

If you look at the video on the In the Sun prompt, you can see that I took the bright colored stripes from the room in the background of the video. 

In progress journal page

New Painting

I need a name for this painting... any ideas?  I use fruits, leaves and flowers as well as doodles from my subconscious for inspiration.

I'm also considering adding white gouache in places for more interest.  I don't know.  There are parts that I think look a bit awkward (like the circle with the weird purple spiky things) and maybe the white gouache will tone them down.

 

I really like this new Aquabord that I tried.  It's like a canvas board for watercolor paints.  I bought mine at Hobby Lobby, but it seems there are a bunch of online dealers that sell it too.  It doesn't absorb as quickly into the surface as paper, but I like it a lot because you don't have to worry about wrinkling paper and the board itself is actually not the expensive.  Another thing I like is that if you want to remove a color or blend a color, you can get a napkin wet and wipe it off so it's lighter.

Here are some detail shots.

Updated my Blog

Hey, I'm excited!  I figured out how to make and edit "stand-alone" pages about me for my blog.  Go to my blog home page and then at the top there are different links you can click on to see "galleries" of my favorite art pieces.  yay!

another in progress journal page, because I can't have a picture-less post!

Mosaic Monday

A bit of inspiration for you from my flickr favorites....  Visit the links below to see the original artists' works.

1. happy, 2. wheniwaslittle_WM, 3. Faster, 4. rain or shine, 5. there is a light in this house / it originates from your hands and my arms, 6. Mail Art Envelope, 7. Beautifying my community ♥, 8. Untitled, 9. Jan. theme

In the Sun

I'm following In the Sun, a journal art course, and picking things here and there to do.  One of the prompts is:  I want my summer to be full of....

Lettering, watercolors

June 6, 2011

Just playing, having fun, combining colors and cutting out shapes.  I taught a silhouette project with my 3rd graders a couple weeks ago and the girl below is where that came from.  I sometimes will make my own examples for the kids, and then blend them into my sketchbook.  The bottom two pages need to have some writing added to them before I can call them an art journal page.  Tape seems to be the big thing lately.  I've noticed lots of people using colored tapes in their mixed media art.  It's a nice way to make a solid line quickly and to of course, attach something!  

Mosaic Monday

These are images from contacts of mine on flickr.  I have tagged them as my "favorites" because they are inspiring and wonderful!  Check out the links on the bottom to see them in their original set.

 

1. Circles - dry, 2. blind bird drawing, 3. Love at first sight, 4. teasers, 5. Amomsprayer, 6. Åke Göransson, 7. believe in something, 8. gellymadness, 9. POWER, 10. Jardines Mágicos.Vendida., 11. DSCN1580, 12. Airform 2, 13. waiting, 14. Suns, 15. a rare political statement, 16. couverture "bible de l'art singulier"

Painting!

Flower Power, 2011,  Gouache, ink, watercolor paint

Remember this painting, that I was unhappy with?

 

Well, I gessoed over those flowers in the middle and added some other colors to change the scheme a bit.  I'm going to add a bit more line work, probably in white or light gray.

I testing out some new methods for lettering!  I'm going to make some greeting cards.

journal cover