Wild Horses…

I created this wild horse using a masking tape technique recently.  I scribbled copic markers inside the tape as my first layer before adding watercolor.

I hadn’t planned on creating a horse but after I removed the masking tape, he appeared! Lol! 😉   I added pan pastels and watercolor splashes to soften the image.

The masking tape was EXTRA sticky so I tried my next animal creature using washi tape.  Below is a before and after photo:

I learned this technique from Carla Sonheim. I think it would be a super fun activity to do with children.  (The washi tape was much less sticky and worked better than the masking tape for me.)

When I took this photo at the lake Saturday evening, I saw a horse head in the storm clouds afterwards:

Do you see it?  I must have had horses on my mind!

Hope your Monday starts out in a slow trot and not a fast gallop!

Cheers! 🙂

Just Words?!

I’ve been drawing my own patterns lately for collage papers.

I got the idea from Kara Kramer’s online class, hosted by Carla Sonheim.  You can check out her class at Improv collage

She got me thinking about words…

So I started cutting out JUST words that “spoke to me” from old magazines and junk mail:

It helped to think about words I like AND different lettering “styles.”

Then I created a page of words that I can copy and use in my own artwork:

What WORDS speak to you to write and doodle on a page?!

I have to say that YOU inspire me every day in your art, poetry, photography, blog posts and encouraging comments.  Thank you!

Cheers! 🙂

New Collage Paper Series

Paper collage is one of my FAVORITE art mediums!!

I thought it would be fun to show you how I create some of my own papers AND ways YOU can use collage in your art.

I hope you join in the fun each Thursday! 

Today’s collage paper is a random pattern I created with markers on a 9 x 12 inch sheet of 90 lb paper.  I used Uni Posca pens in this design:

Next, I copied my design on my HP All-In-One Printer that I recently purchased on sale for only $200! It is a HP 8720 – I have to say, very EASY to use AND it makes awesome color copies!

Can you tell which is the original and the copy?

I think the copy is on the right! Lol! 😉

Making color copies of my own artwork is one of my favorite ways to create collage material.  It seems so easy and it is!!

Next Thursday, I will show an example of how I used this copy of my patterned paper in my artwork.

I hope you join me!

Cheers!  🙂

 

A Colorful Doodle Fish

I had planned to create more than fish this week but life has gotten in the way!  So here is my doodle fish I drew with a black Micron pen earlier this week:

Last night I colored it with markers and color pencils – very fun! And colorful!

What do you think about coloring books for adults? Have you purchased them?

I find doodling and coloring to be very calming… how about you?

Cheers! 🙂

Fishing

I remember fishing with my family as a young child.  When we went in my dad’s boat on the lake, we would sit for hours (or so it seemed) without the fish taking a bite… talk about BORING!!  🙄

When I was a teenager, we started creek fishing which was much more EXCITING!  😃  We could actually SEE the fish swimming in the creek water.  And we caught fish!  Hooray!!  I recall how wonderful they tasted knowing I caught them! 👍

Two of my sweet friends from Germany and I are going on our own CREATIVE, fishing expedition starting September 1st and you are welcome to join us if you’d like!  🐡

My goal is to create 50 mixed media fish and post mainly on Instagram.  However, a fish or two may swim onto a blog post! 😮

I started experimenting with materials and here is a fish appetizer for you:

I will show you my fish finding tools on Friday.  I hope you join me!

Cheers!  🙂

Face It

OK, it was not easy to come up with a title for today’s post… if I must “face it!”

How do I describe these silly faces?!

They were created from my faces I did on Tuesday and then cut them up and mixed them up to create these new wacky faces!

It kind of reminded me of a meeting I had yesterday with a group of people where I felt totally out of place…  Not because they made me feel this way but because I realized that I didn’t fit into this group.  Have you ever felt this way?

They were all “left brains” and I’m more of a “right brain” thinker…

I realized that it was OK that we are different – we don’t have to ALL think alike…

Or look alike!

Or create art alike!!

Cheers to being different!  🙂

Bird Sox

Weird Bird Wednesday meets Bird Brain Inventions…

Don’t be out on a limb without your bird sox!  Lol!

I hope you have a happy day, whatever socks you like to wear!  🙂

Hot Pink Hippos

I loved the hot pink Bougainvillea growing in Oaxaca!  And I found a bright pink wall too…

Hot Pink!  What comes to your mind when you think of this color?  I’d love to hear from you!

As far as hot pink hippos… one of our drawing assignments was to draw a contour of a stuffed animal in Oaxaca.  I kind of fell in love with the hot pink hippo:

Carla Sonheim taught us how to take our drawings a step further and create a colorful animal – a fun way to doodle!  Here is my hippo:

Hip Hip Hoorah, it’s Saturday!  🙂

Enjoy your day!

A Mixed Media Experiment

I remember when I was a young girl, I tried to make soap.  It didn’t exactly turn out but it was so fun to explore the possibilities!  😉

Now I enjoy experimenting with different art materials – even if it doesn’t turn out exactly as planned.

I like painting my own papers for collage yet I wanted to try different materials.  For this yellow fellow below, I glued scraps of my Gelli-printed papers to a 9×12 inch sheet of 90 lb hot press paper.  I added yellow marker and color pencils.  It was very meditative to do while watching TV.  I am going to try scanning it and make copies from it.

For “In the Loop,” below – I used Canson 9×12 inch gray toned pastel paper.  I drew the loops with a white gel pen and added color and patterns with Prismacolor pencils.  I got out an orange crayon and created a resist with a mint green Tombow marker.  So fun!

I can’t wait to add these two experiments to my collages!

Happy Experimenting!  🙂

A Happy Celebration

I started this still life a few days ago hoping to add some collage papers to it:

It looked too symmetrical so I decided to add some orange marker:

I like it better now.  It reminds me of the day after a party like on New Year’s.

Do you have plans to bring in the New Year?  I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Celebrating!  🙂