A Button Tree?

Carla Sonheim’s assignment for her online 365-day video class was to plant something other than a seed… and describe what would grow!

So I wrote a sweet poem and created A Button Tree:

Maybe it could be a song for a child’s book like this one?

I found this joyful “Thanksgiving” song in it that you may enjoy:

I like that last line, “Happy hearts and thankful…” may this give you the reason why.

Cheers! 🙂

That’s Nonsense!

I think creating from my imagination is the most fun!  I hope you enjoy my ridiculous creatures:

I started each creature with a scrap of gelli-printed paper and then made up the rest of my animal, adding details with a black pen and color pencils.

And yesterday I created this silly Martian and told his story with this Limerick:

May it inspire the child in you to have fun and play in your art!

Cheers!  🙂

Happy Easter!

Did you color Easter eggs as a child?  I remember dipping them in colors of the rainbow!  This doodle I did recently reminded me of painting eggs.

I enjoyed drawing these imaginary flowers and coloring them with Tombow markers and color pencils:

I then drew lines in between my flowers so I could color in the background:

It amazes me how color can change how we see things – even every day things like eggs!

Wishing you a color filled Easter!  🙂

One Dozen

I am always so inspired by YOU!  Each one of you inspire me in a DOZEN or more ways every day so THANK YOU!

Jodi at Life In Between and Laura at Create Art Everyday inspired me to pull out the art supplies and play yesterday!  Sometimes it is FUN to just get the hands moving!

I created this piece with Neocolor II Water soluble crayons and Inktense Blocks:

This free experimentation led me to create one dozen roses:

I started this piece with a dip pen in black ink.  I colored the flowers with Neocolor II crayons and then added water:

I finished my “bouquet” by adding two colors of blue and softening it with water.

It was so FUN to play!  Thank you Jodi and Laura for inspiring me with your creativity!

Happy Coloring!  🙂

Little Me – Painting BIG

I have been working on a large acrylic painting of me as a child playing in the sand on the beach – here is the completed painting:

I started my painting by covering a 20 x 30 inch illustration board with gesso.  After it dried, I sketched my image from an old photograph with vine charcoal:

As part of the online class, “Year of the Spark,” Carla Sonheim instructed us to try sketching ourselves from a photograph in several different ways – one of them being eyes closed!  Eeek!

After choosing a favorite sketch, (with my eyes open), I started dry brushing Liquitex Heavy Body Acrylics by filling in sections of my painting with different colors.  Much like coloring as a child:

I wasn’t really happy with the colors I chose, so I let my painting sit for about a week.

Yesterday, I decided to add some Golden Fluid acrylic paint with my 5 x 7 inch Gelli Plate.  Using my Gelli plate like a large stamp, I stamped colors and patterns over my painting:

I started liking my painting better.  I then added more layers of acrylics with a dry brush – adding details to little me and bringing a cohesive feeling to my background:

I added the beach ball – even though it wasn’t in my photo!

I wasn’t almost done but after taking a photo of it, I realized I needed to ground myself in the painting.  So I added some rocks by stamping a sponge and bubble wrap in paint:

I was happy to get it done.  I’m not sure it really looks like me:

But that’s OK.  I learned that painting BIG is a lot of work!  Not sure it’s my thing.  Creating is a process of filtering out what I enjoy and don’t in art.  This one is definitely in the later category!  LOL!

Happy Creating!  🙂