More Fun With Fungus!

After my exploration of collage and drawing a pair of Rosy Bonnet mushrooms on Monday, I decided to try an ink doodle with Micron pens:

Next, I made a stencil of the mushroom from my pencil drawing. I wanted to use it in my Gelli-plate printing.

I decided to make a stencil of each shape with card stock and a plastic material (it is made for creating quilt patterns but I thought it might work):

Both worked for these fungus prints but I liked the results with the card stock the best. It was less slippery on the Gelli-plate and left less lines around the stencil on the prints:

It was fun trying both positive and negative shapes on deli paper and vellum paper:

I can even use the leftover card stock stencil in my art journal…

But that is fun with fungus for another day!

I hope I inspired you to explore mixed media in a subject you enjoy.

Cheers! 🙂

Autumn Color Explorations

Sometimes it is relaxing to explore different watercolor paint combinations without creating a masterpiece!

I was inspired by the colors in a Pier 1 Autumn catalog I recently received in the mail.

Although I’m not ready for Autumn yet in temperature…

I did enjoy looking at the colors in this advertisement!

I read somewhere that magazine covers are good inspiration for exploring color combinations because the editors want you to buy their magazines. Let their research in color explorations work for you!

I especially liked the colors on this page:

I didn’t try to duplicate the colors exactly. Just experiment!

Adding plastic wrap to the wet watercolor gave it great texture:

I had fun mixing colors of paint and letting the colors mingle on my paper. It helped me to slow down and enjoy the process.

I’m not done with my exploration but I thought you might enjoy seeing my process.

Happy color explorations!

Cheers! 🙂

Two Hands

I experimented yesterday with tracing both hands with a black Micron pen:

My right hand on top of my left hand… Then adding watercolor to both:

I used watercolor paper by Daler Rowney, Langton Prestige in rough grain for my above experiment.  I love how a pinch of salt into the wet paint gives a nice texture.

I also experimented on Arches, 140 lb hot press watercolor paper with a different paint color palette:

The smooth texture doesn’t react to the salt or the watercolor in the same way as the rough grain:

Yet, it gives my two hands a different dimension.  I plan to doodle on this one as it is much easier to draw on with ink.

I like the first painting for its simplicity and the second one for its complexity of layers.  How about you?

Cheers! 🙂

Good Vibrations…

Remember this doodle from the other day… Forever Variations

Well, I finished it on Sunday:

And I added a little pencil shading yesterday:

I’m calling the finished doodle… Good Vibrations!

Cheers! 🙂

P.S. Do you like the finished doodle better before or after the pencil shading?!

A Mixed Bouquet

Perhaps you are looking for a gift for yourself or someone who loves flowers…

I recently purchased this book of creative floral inspiration, Botanica from Uppercase Magazine:

It includes a mixed bouquet of art mediums and artists who are fascinated with all things floral.  The colorful art and articles are truly inspirational! 🙂

When I give a book as a gift, I like to include a handmade bookmarker with it.

They are easy to make, like this one below:

I decorated white cardstock with a simple pattern, glued a paintchip sample from Home Depot, stamped a face from a rubber stamp onto white tissue paper and glued the tissue paper to the paint sample with a glue stick.  I finished it by punching a hole in the top, adding some colorful yarn and a wooden bead.

Bookmarkers make great gifts – with or without a book – and can be personalized with a special handwritten note on the back.

With a bookmarker, you don’t need to purchase a greeting card… It is a treasure like a good book!

Do you have a favorite book that you like to give as a gift?  Please share!

Cheers! 🙂

A First Layer

I was able to get a first layer of collage images glued to my canvas on Saturday for the online art class I’m taking from Anne Marie Grgich, that I shared with you in my last post.

The canvas is 18 x 24 inches:

This is the first of MANY layers glued with liquid matte gel medium.

I used an old credit card to smooth my papers down but still got several air bubbles…

So I decided to try a second collage on cradled wood board, this one is 11 x 14 inches:

The air bubbles still showed up but drying overnight helped many of them to disappear.  The rest of the bubbles I will need to pop with an exacto knife and add more glue and smooth with my fingers.  

I learned that the first layer of glue needs to be completely dry BEFORE adding the gel medium on top of my papers.

I did like working on the surface of the cradled wood board better than the canvas as  the surface was more even.

Someone in the class recommended “Yes” glue as it has less water in it than the gel medium.  I think I will try this in the future.

I will show you my collages as they progress…

Hope your Monday has very few wrinkles or crinkles (as in crinkly foreheads…)

Cheers! 🙂

P.S. Thank you all for your concern about my right eye.  It has almost completely healed, yay! 👀

 

 

A Poke In The Eye

Somehow I irritated my right eye…

I don’t know if I got something in it or if I scratched my eyeball.  I’m going to an eye doctor this morning to find out.

It just reminds me how wonderful it is to SEE colors and EVERYTHING!  I am so blessed.

I’m very excited about this new online class I just started, hosted by Carla Sonheim – go to CarlaSonheim.com to learn more about the online art classes she offers.

The name of this class is The College Techniques of Anne Marie Grgich.

Check out Anne Marie’s art on Pinterest  if you’d like to see her AMAZING detailed collages!

I found a few more books at a different thrift store yesterday to add to my collection and I got the Senior Discount!  Yes, there is a plus to being 55 years old and older! Lol! 🤣

I figure what images I don’t use in collage, I could use as references to paint! ☺️

Sorry to report, I did not see any Nancy Drew mystery books at this store but I did find a great book on container gardening for only $1.00 – YAY!

Anne Marie Grgich’s collages are very detailed with MANY layers of images.  One of the things that inspired me to take this class was to learn how to create more transparent layers in my own collages.  Plus, what a bonus to watch videos of another artist’s process!  I’m learning so much and the class has just started!

So back to the process of cutting and sorting images by color for this class…

It is much more fun than a poke in the eye!

Cheers! 🙂

Sea Art

I drew this Sea Urchin shell over my handwriting in the post I recently showed you here:  Your Handwriting As Art – Part 1  I used pencil, white gel pen, watercolor pencils and a black Micron pen:

This art sparked an idea to create these hearts:

I sewed them together with thread on my sewing machine.

I plan to write a short note on the back and give it to a friend.

What sparks your creativity?

Cheers! 🙂

Favorite Shoes

Do you have a favorite pair of shoes?

I had fun creating these shoes, inspired by Andy Warhol’s shoe art; you can see other shoe art I did here: The Power Of A Shoe…

I started by drawing shoes from the internet, making a simple stencil.  Next, I used the shoe stencil as my pattern on my hand-painted papers.

I experimented with hand lettering from an online class I’m taking from Andrea Joseph at Sketchbook Skool.

Lastly, I used the one of the shoe stencils to create this doodle and quote from Marilyn Monroe:

I hope you have happy feet today…

Cheers! 🙂

A Recipe for PLAY

What jumpstarts your creativity?

I signed up for Creative Jumpstart 2018 to get my creative juices flowing.  I liked this year’s theme:  Now We’re Cooking; Mixed Media Art Recipes

This online class has a 10-15 minute video each day from a different mixed-media artist throughout the month of January.  Cost is reasonable too – only $50!

If you’d like more information and a short video about the class, go to:  www.Nathaliesstudio.com

I wrote down some of my “ingredients” for PLAY above… and then collaged over it with matte medium and scraps of painted paper (and an old recipe):

One of the ways I like create an atmosphere of PLAY is to leave a project unfinished on my table.  Then I can’t wait to get back and work on it! 🙂

How about you?  Do you have a technique for jumpstarting your creativity?

I will show you my finished piece later this week.

Cheers! 🙂