Author Archives: Jill Kuhn

Building A Wardrobe

Today’s weird bird is part Canadian Warbler from this photograph:

I then had fun building a wardrobe for a Warbler using an old dress pattern:

And some of my Gelli Plate printed papers for outfits:

Which “style” is most becoming on this wild Warbler?

A new twist on “paper dolls!” Lol

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 😃

P.S. I’m sure you will see this Warbler again in a future post!

Fiddle-Faddle

One never knows what will inspire me to create a weird bird…

It was a doodle on a grocery list today!

That inspired this little bird:

What do YOU think I should name it? Perhaps Marty?

He looks a little extra green and Martian like…

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday and Doodling!

Cheers! 😃

A Humdinger!

I found myself humming a Tom Petty song while shopping at the grocery store yesterday…

The song seemed to be stuck in my head! Does this ever happen to you?

It was my inspiration for today’s weird bird:

It is a Humdinger!

I hope your Wednesday’s a winner!

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 😃

Hello Dahlia!

My neighbor grows the most beautiful Dahlia flowers…

She recently gave me a bouquet and I wanted to share them with you!

The colors, shapes and patterns are just dazzling, aren’t they?!

Perhaps you may also enjoy these imaginary flowers that I created in my large handmade journal:

I created them in a variety of art mediums; such as paper collage, ink pens and watercolor crayons.

May ALL these flowers inspire YOU in your art or just brighten your day!

Cheers! 😃

The Lederhosen Bird

This weird bird is a little late to the party…

Oktoberfest was celebrated in Munich between September 17 and October 3 this year!

But The Lederhosen bird is always ready to celebrate!

Did you know that lederhosen or “leather breeches” were worn as traditional garments in some regions of German-speaking countries? Formerly, they were worn for hard work but today are mostly worn as leisurewear.

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 😃

And Happy Fall! The leaves are changing amazing colors and the days have been extra sunny and warm in the Pacific Northwest where I live.

I have been spending as much time as possible outdoors… before the days get colder.

Do you have a favorite season? I hope you share it with me! 😃

A Large Handmade Journal

This summer I want to work in several art journals and a couple of other projects while I take a weird bird break.

I started this handmade journal last November when I took an online class with Pam Garrison. It is made with 140 lb hot press watercolor paper.

I thought you might enjoy seeing the pages in a video before I fill them:

The journal size measures 15.25 inches in length by 11 inches in width for each page.

As you can see in the video, I made some marks on some of my pages as a starting off point.

Here are a few pages I’ve been working on:

I used stencils with watercolor in the bottom of the first page. And the page below is shown closed over the above page with some doodles and a butterfly.

Sometimes I like experimenting with collage and adding a quote:

A fish collage using my Gelli-printed papers inspired by the artist, Clare Youngs:

I used the watercolor circles to experiment with drawings in color pencils. And I added some whimsical lettering:

The insert papers are good for experimentation also. I used a stencil for the first one and collage for the second photo.

I was inspired by a wall calendar by the artist, Caroline Simas for the page below. I liked her color choices:

I am experimenting with collage, color pencils and water soluble crayons for this page…it is a work in progress! I find circles meditative.

I hope my art journal inspires you in your own art making.

What art projects are you working on? I’d love to hear about them!

Cheers!

Some Brero Bird

Today’s weird bird is wearing a sombrero…

He is some Brero bird, don’t you think?! haha

I have decided to take a summer siesta from my weird birds and work on some other art projects. I look forward to sharing them with you!

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 😃

What’s Blooming?

Today’s weird bird is taking time to enjoy Spring’s blossoms:

We have had an unusually cold Spring so we are behind schedule…

Our crabapple tree is just starting to display its glorious bright pink blooms:

And the lilac is filling the air with its heavenly scent:

What’s blooming where you live?

I hope you take time to smell the flowers!

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers to Spring! 🌸

Bird Watchers

I discovered two weird bird watchers when I was watching birds at the lake last weekend…

One was high on a branch with his binoculars close by:

The other was well hidden and appeared to be wearing a disguise!

At least he had his camera ready!

I saw several “normal” birds too! All in one day…

2 Rufous Hummingbirds

4 Blue Jays

4 geese and their fuzzy goslings

1 Cooper’s Hawk

It was a successful bird watching day, I’d say!

Happy Weird Bird Watching Wednesday!

Cheers! 😃

P.S. I’d love to hear what birds you see today!

The Map Of A Feather

I have been Gelli-Plate printing on old travel maps with fluid acrylics.

Today, I am sharing a feather from a weird bird!

I thought you might want to see my creative process for my feather.

First, I cut out 2 shapes from a Gelli-printed map and glued them into my journal. (I’m using an old map of Seattle, Washington)

Next, I used tracing paper to create a pattern and draw the shape of my feather:

I cut out the individual pieces of tracing paper and used other Gelli-printed papers to make my feather shape.

I positioned the pieces in my journal before I glued them to my paper.

I wonder what kind of weird bird has this feather, any guesses?

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers!