Weird Bird Vacation

Hello Friends!

I hope ALL of you who celebrate Christmas had a wonderful day!  I sure did…

I decided to take a little weird bird vacation…

Please check out my categories on the right of  screen under “Weird Bird Wednesday,” if you are in need smile! 🙂

Cheers! 🙂

P.S.  I’d love to hear about your Christmas or Holiday… I hope you will share it with me!

Fishing – Part 2

I wanted to share my process and tools I used to “catch” my fish from yesterday!

I started by selecting a background and decided to use this hot-press watercolor paper that I had painted with acrylics.  I like the variegated colors:

I folded the paper into a simple journal and painted both sides so I have six different squares in a variety of background colors:

I cut simple shapes from my gelli-printed paper and glued them to the paper with Liquitex Matte Medium:

At this point, they look more like fall leaves than fish!  So I added details with an Uni-ball Signo white gel pen and black micron pen:

Next, I added more details with Uni Posca paint pens – I just LOVE these opaque water based markers!! ❤️  I recently purchase a set of 15 colors with a medium tip from Amazon.  They come in different sized tips and are sold in sets on Amazon or individually from Dick Blick (another item to add to that wish list!!)

I finished my page by adding some Prismacolor pencils – the Posca paint pens drew on top of color pencil too:

I predict I will be drawing more fish into my creative net with these Posca paint markers!  I love that they are odorless, fade proof and bleed proof and can be used on almost any surface!

Have you ever experimented with these markers?  I hope you share it with me!

Happy Fishing!  🙂

 

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!  🙂

The Aim Of Art

“The aim of art,” according to Aristotle, “is to represent not the outward appearance of things but their inward significance.”

I used a melon baller, seed pod and seashells for my inspiration in these imaginary flowers:

I started with watercolor.   Next, I added layers of paper collage with matte gel medium, watercolor, and white gel pen.  I finished my piece with the quote from Aristotle:

What is the aim of art for you?

I think my aim for art is to create it!  I just love to explore new materials and discover how I can create it into something new for me – and maybe you too!

Cheers!  🙂

Just Leaf It

We are having a really late Spring this year.  So I have been doodling leaves in my sketchbook, dreaming of warmer weather:

Perhaps you remember me starting this as a watercolor on a previous post?  If not, you can find it here.

It was a fun “branching out” and trying things in a different order.  However, I like creating the doodle first and then adding color, what do you think?

Cheers!  🙂

‘Tis The Season

‘Tis the season…when elves start appearing!  🙂

Fun to play in my art journal today…drawing a face of an elf from my imagination.  And adding a little glitter for magic!

I think everyone that has freckles wishes they could look like this!  😉

I didn’t get my doodle painted from yesterday as I cleaned my art room and my house!  It is rare that I’m in the mooood!  Lol!

Cheers!  🙂

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!  🙂

Painting Pods Progress

I am still working on my Lupine seedpod painting from Tuesday…

I added Golden fluid acrylics to some of the background in Cobalt Turquois and stenciled some dots with Transparent Red Iron Oxide.  I also added doodles with a white gel pen.

Next, I softened the black outlines with water:

I plan on adding some collage papers next.  Hopefully, I can complete it this weekend!

Happy Creating!  🙂

Oaxacan Inspired

I was inspired by the colors in Oaxaca, Mexico to create this doodle:

And by the amazing hand-painted patterns on wood – such as these Mexican whisks called Molinillos which are used to add froth to hot chocolate or milky coffee:

I will show you more about this fantastic art in my next post!  🙂

Salute!  (Cheers in Spanish!)

Mr. Red Head

I haven’t drawn or painted a bird in awhile.  So when I saw a photo of a Red-bellied Woodpecker on Kathy’s blog:

http://backyardbirdnerd.com/2015/12/26/more-fierce-than-festive/

I decided to give it a try!  I started with a quick pencil sketch in my art journal:

I tried to pay attention to the negative space around my bird so I could get the angles drawn correctly.

Next, I made a copy of my bird onto tissue paper so I could transfer it to watercolor paper.  I painted a light base in watercolor:

I added details with Prismacolor pencils and a white gel pen to complete it:

I learned online that a Red-bellied Woodpecker was named for the unique pinkish tinge on the belly, common to both genders.

I hope you check out Kathy’s blog!  She takes AMAZING bird photos!  And I like her sense of humor too.

Happy Bird Watching!  🙂