Topiary Tales

Topiary tales…

Cloud shapes floating in the sky,

What weird bird am I?

There is no right or wrong answer… Lol!  I look forward to your bird names. 😉

Our grass is finally turning green and the trees are budding, Spring has arrived!  Hoorah!!

Happy weird bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 🙂

P. S.  What animals do you see in the clouds?

A Spring Wing-Ding

I discovered this weird bird in my backyard this week…

A Spring Wing-Ding

It was “hamming” it up in preparation for an Easter brunch!

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 🙂

Cactus and Flowers

Hello Friends,

Thank you for your good wishes for my recent surgery.  I so appreciate it!  🙂

I have been drawing Cactus and flowers in my sketchbook since my last post and coloring them with different markers such as Tombow, Copic and Artist’s Loft (an inexpensive brand from Michael’s Store).

Did you notice the paper collage for the Cactus planters?

I was excited to buy U.S. postage stamps with Cactus on them this week!

Happy Friday!

Cheers! 🙂

Safe!

Since Baseball season is underway, my husband is a big Seattle Mariners fan…

This weird bird came out of left field today…

And crossed home “plate” just in time to be called, Safe!

Baseball Home Plate Trivia:

Did you know that prior to 1899, any round object could serve as as home base?  (At times a dish even served as home base which may have led to its alternative name, “home plate.”

In the 1899/1900 season, home base changed its shape to a 12×12 inch square to match the other bases.

The pentagon shape that is used today was developed in the 1900/1901 season by Robert Keating.  The biggest advantage of this new shape was that it made the edges of the strike zone more visible to pitchers and umpires and therefore, improved the consistency of calling strikes.

Do you think this weird bird is a St Louis Cardinal or a Baltimore Oriole?

Hope you hit a grand slam this week!

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 🙂

Pattern and Color Play

Sometimes I make art for classes that are just for practice but I dislike wasting good art paper.

Yesterday, I decided to add pattern and color to two of such papers.

My first experiment were repetitive triangle shapes on 90 lb hot press paper.  I added more pattern and color with water soluble crayons and then softened them with water:

Next, I mixed a tiny bit of transparent orange acrylic paint with matte medium and brushed it onto my paper.  I added more pattern on top with a plastic tool by Plaid.

My second experiment was adding to shapes I had done with sumi ink and water soluble crayons to create a feeling of rhythm.  I added additional pattern and color similar to my first experiment.

I mixed a tiny bit of transparent red with matte medium but got a little too much red so I softened it with more matte medium for the second half on the left.

I used the end of my acrylic brush to make marks into the wet paint on this one.

Orignally, I was going to use both papers for collage material but I’m not sure I will cut up the first one!  I like it too much.  It reminds me of sailboats and summer.

I encourage you to experiment with pattern and color play over some artwork you’d like to repurpose.  You may surprise yourself!

Cheers! 🙂

Petal Punch

I discovered this super FANTASTIC flower punch at Hobby Lobby before my hip surgery:

 

I love that I can use both the positive and negative of each petal punch!

Below are some examples of handmade cards I recently made using this punch:

 

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

Cheers! 🙂

An Inside View

Thank you all for your kind words of support for my hip surgery.  I am doing amazingly well.  I still get tired but am able to walk without any support and have very little pain.  I get my stitches out this Friday and hope that I will be given the green light for driving!

I have a little something different for today’s weird bird…

Birdhouses!

Our snow is finally melting and it looks like Spring is on its way!  This makes me think about birdhouses.  Plus, I have been making mini house collages in Carla Sonheim’s 2019 Year of the Collage class.

I created these eccentric birdhouses in my sketchbook recently.  I limited myself to using a circle and 2 other collage scraps for each one.  I randomly glued them into a square and then went back and added details with a pencil.

One of them looked like it had an inside view.

This inspired me to create this collage from a variety of magazines:

An Inside View of a Birdhouse

What kind of weird bird do you think lives here?  I know it is a bird with extremely good taste as the framed chicken is from a Klimt calendar!

Happy weird bird Wednesday!  

Cheers! 🙂

A Sunny Smile

I am taking a short blogging break.  This morning I am having laproscopic surgery on my right hip to repair a labral tear.

I have been trying to prepare for surgery the best I can.  The freezer is full of food, the house has been cleaned and I have lots to read and art videos to watch!

I know that whatever clouds may send…

There’s a sunny smile waiting for me from you, my friends!

May you give away a sunny smile to someone who needs it today! 🙂

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 🙂

Plain Vs. Peanut

Plain vs. peanut?  

M&M chocolate candies of course!

And two weird birds:

Plain Vs. Peanut

I wonder which one is Mars and which one is Murrie?

According to Mentalfloss.com M&M stands for Forrest Mars, son of the Mars candy founder, who invented, patented and began manufacturing the candy coated plain variety in a factory in New Jersey in 1941.

Mars talked to Bruce Murrie, son of Hershey’s company president about going into business together.  Their sweet deal melted like chocolate in a hot car in 1949 when Mars bought out Murrie’s share for 1 million.

Q:  What were the 5 original colors?

A:  Red, orange, yellow, green and violet

The signature “M” wasn’t stamped on the candies until 1950, in black rather than white.

Peanut M&M’s were introduced in 1954 in a tan color… It wasn’t until 1960 that they came out in colors like the plain variety.

Mars was allergic to peanuts so he never got to enjoy a handful of his creation…

I recently purchased a bag of the peanut M&M’s that inspired me for today’s weird birds!

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 🙂

PS. May your day be extra sweet! 

Inspired by Place

I started a mixed media class last week with Lendon Noe, hosted by Carla Sonheim.  The online class is called, “Inspired by Place.”

I find it an intriguing subject.

Is place a home, perhaps a memory such as a childhood home?  Is place a feeling, a sense of calm from being with nature?  Or is place from your imagination?  There are many other possibilities!

I was inspired to create this collaged landscape of a place I hold dear to my heart in my art journal:

It is a view of Chimney Rock at Priest Lake, Idaho.

I love this place!  It holds a special memory where I have been spending my summers since childhood.  It brings me a feeling of peace when I see it in person and from photographs such as this one:

And it is a place that I sometimes go in my imagination when I need to relax.

What place inspires you?  I hope you share it with me!

Cheers! 🙂

“When you leave a beautiful place, you carry it with you wherever you go.” – Alexandra Stoddard