A Nature Study

Last Friday, I had a little time to create one of Carla Sonheim’s assignments from the year long online class I’m taking from her.

We were to collect some items from nature and arrange them in a pleasing manner:

I collected the above items from my yard.  🙂

Next, I drew them quickly with pencil:

I added oil pastels to my pencil sketch by starting with a light color and layering a darker color on top.  I added details by scratching into the oil pastels with a wooden pencil.

I wasn’t totally liking the oil pastels so I scraped white acrylic paint over it:

I like the muted look better… I’d like to try my nature study in watercolor too!

Happy Monday!  I hope your day is blossoming into a good week…

Cheers! 🙂

We Grow Old…

I was experimenting in drawing and collage yesterday.   When I remembered this quote:

I used my non-dominant hand to write it:  “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw

I like how my scribbly handwriting adds to the playfulness of my collage.

How do you keep playing to stay young?

Cheers! 🙂

Painter’s Tape?

Many of you know how much I enjoy experimenting in art.  Sometimes I just need an idea that sparks my creativity.

Blue tape, recently sparked my imagination.  The tape is also called “Painters Tape” as it’s used to cover up baseboards and such when painting your house.

Carla Sonheim has demonstrated this method in several of her online classes but I decided to take it a step further last weekend.  I thought you might enjoy seeing my steps of exploration!!  Maybe it will spark a creative experiment of your own!  🙂

My first step was to tear the tape into uneven pieces and place them on my paper – I used 140 lb hot press watercolor paper (good quality paper helps to remove the tape without tearing the paper).

I created my face from my imagination.  I had drawn 29 faces for 29 days (Actually I have drawn MANY more faces but I only posted that many on Instagram at the time).

Next, I added oil pastels and some pan pastels:

I removed the tape to reveal my face:

It reminded me of a mask so I decided to add a few doodles to fill in the spaces:

I added watercolor over the doodles because it just seemed like it needed a little something!

Here is a beginning and end photo next to each other:

Super fun to play with negative and positive shapes!

Cheers! 🙂

Picasso Inspired Face

I was inspired by Picasso to create this face:

I studied several photos of Picasso before I drew a sketch in pencil.  I colored my sections with oil pastels, using two different colors on top of each other.  Next, I scratched into the oil pastels with the end of a mechanical pencil to create the patterns.

I finished it by cutting out the face with scissors.  Oil pastels are a bit messy but I had fun experimenting!

It reminds me of one of my doodles…

Cheers! 🙂

Make Marks

Sometimes I just like to “play” with my art supplies and make marks!  I don’t have a plan or outcome in mind.  I just like to see what happens!

I created this piece in my handmade art journal on Khadi – 140 lb cold press 100% cotton rag paper:

I started with random mark making with oil pastels and then added a layer of watercolor.  Let dry.  Added more watercolor and finished with oil pastels. I like how the oil pastels resist the paint.

My next “experiment” I started with a piece 140 lb cold press watercolor paper in the same manner.  The only difference was I added a layer of glue resist with a glue stick after my first few layers.  I also added watercolor and scrapped it across my paper with a plastic scrapper (an old credit card):

I don’t know if these experiments are finished… But I know I had fun!!  I encourage you to give it a try!

How do you like to experiment with your art supplies to create marks?  I’d love to hear from you!

Cheers!! 🙂

Big Bold Blooms #2!

I just finished my second, big,  24 x 30 inch flower painting from Lynn Whipple’s Big Bold Bloom Painting class that I’m taking online.  I just LOVE Lynn’s enthusiasm!  🙂

I know how much you enjoyed seeing my process photos from my last big painting so here are some more for you!

The beginning:

More additions with drips and splatters:

 

Painted the background a dark blue and added an orange table top:

 

Added pastels – here are some close-up images:

After I sprayed my piece with a varnish, I lost some of my pastels so I added some oil pastels on top.

My finished piece on a shelf in my dining room:

All this from a beautiful flower bouquet – my inspiration:

Happy Spring!  🙂

 

 

 

 

The Eckhouts

Have you ever created an imaginary family tree?

I was creating this watercolor tree for another project but thought it fit well in this post.

Here is the Eckhout family:

I made up their names and could probably write a story about them – BUT!  I thought it would be more FUN to have YOU tell me about them!   :-)))

Hope you join in the fun and share your humorous stories in the comment section.

Happy Storytelling!  🙂

I Need to Pare Down

OK, I’m back to pears… here is a red and yellow one:

I decided to draw them with a black pen and color them in primary colors – with water soluble OIL pastels:

I over emphasized the shadows this time (thanks Charlie for the tip!) which helped give them shape.

As I was picking up my house today, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the “stuff” I have accumulated.  I really need to “pare” down!  🙂

So I decided to help motivate myself, I need to make it fun – like the laundry post I did last week, which you can see here.  My goal is to write a weekly post about my progress in a creative way.  Maybe you will have some creative solutions to share too!

Happy Creating!  🙂

Random Shapes

I started playing with scrap paper in random shapes recently to learn about shape and form as part of my abstract class.  I made the one below by gluing various scraps of paper to a piece of hard-press 140 lb watercolor paper with a glue stick:

I then outlined my shapes with oil pastel and rubbed it with a paper towel to smear it.  The outlining gives my shapes form.  It looks like the purple ring is a magnet and the other objects are drawn to it.

I found that limiting my time to about 15 minutes, helped me not to fuss over it.

The next one I outlined with pencil after I glued the shapes:

I then smeared the pencil with a blending stump to add definition to my shapes.  It reminded me a little of blending Zentangles with a pencil to give them a 3-D appearance.

I found this exercise to be very relaxing.  And the results don’t look too bad. What do you think?

Happy Creating!  🙂