Happy New Year!

I hope 2023 will be a good year for us all!

I’d like to start your first Wednesday of the new year with a smile 😃

May this weird bird inspire YOU to be your BEST!

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers!

A Large Handmade Journal

This summer I want to work in several art journals and a couple of other projects while I take a weird bird break.

I started this handmade journal last November when I took an online class with Pam Garrison. It is made with 140 lb hot press watercolor paper.

I thought you might enjoy seeing the pages in a video before I fill them:

The journal size measures 15.25 inches in length by 11 inches in width for each page.

As you can see in the video, I made some marks on some of my pages as a starting off point.

Here are a few pages I’ve been working on:

I used stencils with watercolor in the bottom of the first page. And the page below is shown closed over the above page with some doodles and a butterfly.

Sometimes I like experimenting with collage and adding a quote:

A fish collage using my Gelli-printed papers inspired by the artist, Clare Youngs:

I used the watercolor circles to experiment with drawings in color pencils. And I added some whimsical lettering:

The insert papers are good for experimentation also. I used a stencil for the first one and collage for the second photo.

I was inspired by a wall calendar by the artist, Caroline Simas for the page below. I liked her color choices:

I am experimenting with collage, color pencils and water soluble crayons for this page…it is a work in progress! I find circles meditative.

I hope my art journal inspires you in your own art making.

What art projects are you working on? I’d love to hear about them!

Cheers!

Squeeze The Day!

I saw some cute paper napkins with lemons at the grocery store yesterday…

It was my inspiration for today’s weird bird:

Squeeze the day!

Something silly to brighten your day!

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers! 😃

A Conundrum

Today’s weird bird is a Conundrum…

It is a bit puzzling!

Is it a fish?

Or a bird?

Perhaps I should just call it a Conundrum!

I had fun creating my weird bird today with stencils from StencilGirl Club using watercolor and make-up sponges!

Who knew this could be a great way to stencil on watercolor paint!

I do need a little different watercolor tray with larger wells so I can dip my sponge directly into the paint and use less water. (Less water means less bleeding under my stencil).

I finished my Conundrum with color pencils and a white gel pen.

Happy Weird Bird Wednesday!

Cheers!

An Amazing Day

I have been enjoying the free online art class:

“The Layered Page” with Kellee Wynne Studios! I discovered it on Instagram. You can find it at KelleeWynneStudios.com

I have been creating larger pages with acrylic paint and stencils that will become mini books. Kellee shows you how to do this in her videos.

This led to experimenting in my sketchbook with marks and bubble wrap:

And creating smaller cards that are 5.5 x 3.5 inches:

I decided to make positive affirmation cards with some of the smaller cards:

And I created my own layered pages with paper collage in my art journal:

Perhaps my art will inspire you to create art you enjoy!

I hope you have an amazing day!

Cheers! 🙂

P.S. I have decided to take a blogging break so I can focus on creating art. There are some awesome free online art classes right now that I want to take advantage of!

If you are needing some additional creative inspiration, Carla Sonheim is offering a free pdf with 22 artists sharing their ideas. You can find it at CarlaSonheim.com Great ideas for all ages!

Have fun and stay safe! 🙂

A Hand-Made Paper Wreath

Remember this “handala” mandala from last week?

Well, I finished it this week…

I used a flower stencil, a black Micron .01 pen and a new 2-inch circle punch:

Creating a Hand-made Paper Wreath:

And I used hand-painted papers for my circles…

I encourage you to try your “hand” at making a paper wreath!

Cheers! 🙂

A New Art Journal

I LOVE starting a new art journal…  Just think of the possibilities!! 😃

A friend I met in the beginning of my WordPress journey – Laura @createarteveryday – who is now posting only on Instagram, told me about this journal from Ranger/Dina Wakley:

I purchased the 8×10 inch size journal at Amazon.  It has about 3-4 different surfaces in it, one of them being burlap which I have never journaled on… I’m curious to see what happens with it!

Laura says that Dina Wakley has several mixed media art videos available on YouTube using this journal.  I look forward to checking them out!  🙂

My first page, I started with a stencil of my hand…

And before I knew it, the wheels of my imagination started turning…

I added color with Ink Tense Blocks, Neocolors, Ecoline watercolor (the pink swirls of color), Gesso on the hand and for the flowers, fluid acrylics and stencils finishing with a black Micron pen and white gel pen.  Basically, a little of this and that!  Lol! 😉

It is busy and colorful and FUN!!

I look forward to exploring MORE mixed media with this new art journal!

Cheers! 🙂

Favorite Shoes

Do you have a favorite pair of shoes?

I had fun creating these shoes, inspired by Andy Warhol’s shoe art; you can see other shoe art I did here: The Power Of A Shoe…

I started by drawing shoes from the internet, making a simple stencil.  Next, I used the shoe stencil as my pattern on my hand-painted papers.

I experimented with hand lettering from an online class I’m taking from Andrea Joseph at Sketchbook Skool.

Lastly, I used the one of the shoe stencils to create this doodle and quote from Marilyn Monroe:

I hope you have happy feet today…

Cheers! 🙂

January’s Square Project

I decided to try a color scheme for January’s Square Project.  I used the colors from the thread and brayer technique that I shared with you here; A Daily Creative Practice

The color scheme with the threads is the left photo above.  The photo on the right is copy paper that I blotted my stencils on but I liked it so I used it too.

I decided to stencil the background paper before I added my squares.  I mixed two fluid acrylic paint colors together and used a damp sponge to apply the paint:

I connected the new paper to the December piece by overlapping them and glueing them together with Matte gel medium.  I reinforced the back with paper strips too.

Next, I glued my squares with Elmer’s extra strength glue stick:

It is looking busy so I added some circles to help focus your eyes on a random pattern:

I added stenciled flowers in pink on rice paper and a snowflake rubber stamp in blue to some of the circles.

I felt the blue snowflakes were a little bright, so glued deli paper over them to soften the image.

I also added circles of the thread pattern to the pink and white circles and finished them with a small pink circle that I stamped a circular pattern on:

I’m calling this design done! 😉

I wrote notes about about it in my square journal yesterday:

I learned a lot on this one.  I think a more solid color for the squares would have been better.  It is a little busy.  I decided that not every month is going to be a success.

Now that I have gotten one month completed, I am ready to think about February.

I hope to find some insights in this book I purchased from Amazon:

Cheers! 🙂

 

 

A Yackety-Yack

I spotted a yellow, Yackety-Yack…

Who was yacking with a wild Yak…

But this silly Yak wouldn’t talk back… Can you believe that?!!

If you are feeling out of wack, I hope today’s post puts you back on track!

Or at least gives you a smile! 🙂

Happy weird bird animal Wednesday!

Cheers! 🙂