A Bibliopole Bird

Today’s weird bird is collaged with old books.

So I thought a fitting title is a Bibliopole bird:

The dictionary definition for Bibliopole (bib-lee-uh-pohl) – a bookseller, especially a dealer in rare or used books.

I enjoy reading during summer…

Have you read any good books lately?

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 🙂

Windows Into Time…

My husband’s mother has dementia and her memory is declining quickly.

It is difficult to visit her at the facility where she lives but she is always happy to see us.

I did this grid in my art journal using some of the blue-toned printed paper I showed you yesterday:

And as I was photographing the pieces of paper where I had punched out my squares, they reminded me of windows:

The book page I gelli-printed on and used in my grid was about flowering plants from an old botany book. My MIL loved planting flowers.

I wrote this haiku with her on my mind –

Windows into time…

Squares of golden moments shine,

Fading with memory.

Cheers! 🙂

Ancient Teachings

I finished another collage using paper back books over the weekend, like the one I posted previously:  By The Book

Except this time, I included these “other materials”:  a postage stamp, text, images from an old book on Botany, image of a man from a hardback book cover on yoga for women, hand stitching, gauze-like material from the binding of a hardback book and some of my own Gelli-plate prints!

I found this mosaic format a fun challenge.  I tried to balance color, texture, line and shape without making it too busy.  I also tried to create a story with a little mystery.

This style is a bit of a stretch for me… but I’m enjoying the process!

I’d love to hear what you think!

Cheers! 🙂

By The Book

I have been taking an online class with Melinda Tidwell, hosted by Carla Sonheim, called, “The Fine Art of Collage.”

It’s not my typical collage making… I prefer a more colorful, whimsical style.  However, I am enjoying the process of creating by the book:

You see, we are using the “actual book!”  I used several paperback books for my above collage.  The inside cover of a book is used as the “backbone.”

I am surprised how interesting book covers can be!  Below is my color wheel of covers.  I am cutting around the titles for the most part which gives interesting shapes:

I found a great secondhand bookstore with paperback books for .50 cents and hardbacks for $1.00!

I am enjoying the hunt for the right book cover colors and titles to add to my stash!  I even found a book on birds… I can see you are surprised! 😉

The class ended today with its last chapter but I am just beginning my exploration!

Next, I will experiment with hardback cloth covers.  They take a bit more strength to remove from the book…

I think we are never too old to learn from books!  Happy creating!

Cheers! 🙂

Two Love Birds…

Love was in the air recently when I was at the lake…

These two love birds were inspired by several hummingbirds that were “pursuing” each other during “Happy Hour” when I had gathered to share an appetizer and a glass of wine with several friends.  The hummingbirds had their own “Party Punch,” otherwise known as sugar water (nectar) to dine on…

And the hummers zipped and dipped and buzzed by us with glee!  It was quite the love affair. Lol!

Wishing you a happy weird bird Wednesday…

Cheers! 🙂

A Wild Quacker…

There is a saying, “If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck.”

Apparently, this person never heard of Weird Bird Wednesday…

This is a wild Quacker, like a wild card, uh, I mean duck!

YOU get to name it!

That is if you want to play along…

Happy Wild Duck Wednesday!  hehe

Cheers! 🙂

P.S.  No “fowl” language…haha

The Spring Sandwich Puff

Since Mother’s Day is this weekend, I decided to create today’s weird bird in memory of ALL mothers – birds and humans! 😉

Lunches and Brunches…

Recipes old and new,

I “cooked” up this bird…

In memory of you! ❤️

Happy Mother’s Day!

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! 🙂

Nancy Drew And Dapper Dan

I decided to add a little mystery to my post today…

I was at a thrift store yesterday, buying old books for a collage class I’m taking…

I’ll share more about the online class in Thursday’s post! 😉

I found several old Nancy Drew books, like this one:

I remember reading the book series as a young girl.  How about you?

This book was only $1.00 so I bought it, thinking it might be fun to read again!  😃  And possibly, include a page or two into one of my weird birds!

Which brings me to today’s post… Dapper Dan:

Dapper Dan almost turned into Dapper Damn when I was creating the hand lettering for his name and messed up!  Ugh! 😬

Thank goodness for white pens (much like white-out!)

Apparently, the “Old Maid” card game was subconsciously on my mind… Do you remember these cards?

Funny how one memory leads to another one…

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

May it bring you happy memories of your childhood…

Cheers!  🙂