February’s Square Project

Perhaps you remember, January’s Square Project?  I am adding a section of paper collaged squares and circles each month to complete a challenge I made for myself.

Well, I had to add a little stitching to January’s section with my sewing machine, not sure that it helps but it was super fun to stitch on paper:

February’s section is less busy… phew! 😉

I used two methods I learned from Carla Sonheim’s 365 class, the scraping paint technique and text collage.  I like to take her instructions as a starting point and then take them a step further to make them my own.

Below are my notes in my art journal (please excuse the chicken scratch and word misspellings):

My completed section for February:

I think it looks so pretty, how about you?

What I liked about February’s experiments:

I haven’t had much time to pursue creating fabrics with my designs… life has been busy.  I still want to do this but looks like it will be later in the year.

I am excited to see what ideas will inspire me for March.

Cheers! 🙂

Swedish Tracing Paper

I was dying tissue paper yesterday for an online class I’m taking… I will share more about the class in another post.  I was using colored India ink to create this one on tissue paper:

I decided to try this experiment using Swedish Tracing Paper.  I previously purchased a roll from Amazon for $16.07 for another online class last year.  It feels a lot like interfacing and is sewable…

I had a piece that I previously had sewed on so I experimented by spritzing it with water and adding India inks then folding it to create a pattern:

I just love the richness of this!!

It was so saturated with inks that I grabbed some sheets of deli paper to see what ink it would soak up.  And I was excited to see that it transferred the color and the stitching to the deli paper:

And I got two additional prints on deli paper:

 

I wonder what would happen if I sewed a pattern with the thread?

More experimenting ahead!!

Cheers! 🙂

100 Tropical Hearts

I was experimenting with acrylic paint and India ink yesterday….

And I created this tropical Flamingo by drawing with an ink dropper and then scraping acrylic paint over it:

Isn’t it wild?! 😉

I next experimented with some drips:

Then I cut this paper into strips and 100 tropical hearts:

 

I plan to use them in my art journals… what would you do with them?

I hope you have a LOVEly Monday!

Cheers! 🙂

Terrific Trees

I was experimenting yesterday with different art mediums to create these trees:

I masked off the background with masking tape and then used salt over Dr. Ph Martin’s India ink.  I also used Pan Pastels on them.

Not all my experiments turned out.  Like the above one on the left where I used glass bead gel and India ink.  It didn’t want to dry.  But I still kind of like it.

The one next to it, I used matte medium, masked it off and used watercolor then salt.  And finished it with the pan pastels after I rubbed off the salt.  I like its softer feel.

Speaking of trees, I am amazed how much my Red Maple tree has changed color since I posted a photo of it here, last Sunday:

Red Maple a blaze,

Dazzling like a sunset

Fall’s color display.

Wishing you a Sunny Sunday, Friends!  🙂

Birch Tree Inspired

I remember the big white Paper Birch tree that my parents planted in their front yard.  As kids, we took its lovely shade and beautiful white bark for granted.  It was a shame when it became diseased and had to be chopped down.

I planted a River Birch in my yard a few years ago.  It is supposed to be more resistant to disease.  It has a light pink bark that peels.  I love how it dances in the wind like yesterday when I snapped this photo.  It’s leaves are starting to change from green to gold and look dazzling against this brilliant blue sky:

It was my inspiration to play with patterns in one of my sketchbooks.

I started with loose sketches of leaves in Neocolors (water soluble crayons) and then painted yellow india ink over the leaves.  I also added a blue background with the india ink – using Dr. Ph. Martin’s colored ink.  I have never “painted” ink on before – how fun!

I finished it by gluing some of my Gelli-printed deli paper on top with a glue stick:

It was very relaxing to just “play” and I encourage you to give it a try!  🙂

Did you have a favorite tree when you were a child?  I’d love to hear about it!

Happy Experimenting!  🙂

Seed Pods And Sunsets

I finished my mixed media art piece that I started last week.  If you recall, I was influenced by a photo I took of a Lupine flower’s seed pods. The last progress photo that I showed you is on the left or here, next to the completed piece on the right:

I like how the added collage papers (printed on my Gelli-Plate) give it more depth.  I added a few more patterns with a white gel pen too.  I plan on framing this one!  🙂

We’ve been having some awesome sunsets which I appreciate even more because we have several wildfires burning in our area.  When we have clear skies, it is a definite reason to celebrate:

May these beautiful sunsets inspire you in your art like a simple seed pod did for me.

Cheers!  🙂

Lupine Seed Pods

Lupines have such pretty flowers but I find their seed pods interesting as well.  I recently took a photo of its seed pods.  The photo on the right is a bloom from earlier this Spring:

The seed pod was the inspiration for this mixed media painting that I started yesterday:

I started by randomly dripping three colors of Dr. Ph. Martin’s India Ink in Van Dyke Brown, Tangerine Orange and Aqua on top of my page.  The paper is 100% cotton rag, 140 lb cold press Khadi paper.  (www.khadi.com)

I dripped one color at a time and tilted my paper to allow the drips to run down the page over an old newspaper.  I sprayed some of the ink with water in a spray bottle.  This was very fun!  I did it outside since the ink stains.  🙂

After it dried, I used my photo as a reference but followed the ink lines to create shapes with a black Stabilo (All) pencil.

I will post the progress I make on this piece on Thursday, August 25 – so stay tuned!

Happy Creating!  🙂