A Quiet Night of Art

I had a friend over on Saturday evening and we explored our arty side letting the muse have control.  We both had no idea what we were going to end up with.  It was freeing to start with no end goal in mind.  Her artwork came out beautiful but sadly I have no picture of it.  Here I posted mine and will explain the process.

I started out with a piece of watercolor paper and covered it with a mix of bronze/gold acrylic.  I then took a blend of red acrylic and covered the entire piece.  I tried the alcohol affect of dripping it on the paper and letting that marblize, but that had no effect whatsoever.  I did manage to spill the bottle and have it eat away at the finish of my table though.  Ah well, the sacrifice that art demands sometimes have to be met with a willing heart.  Since it didn’t work, I took a wet paper towel and wiped off the red giving the finish underneath a burnished look. 

I then tried another technique that I’ve seen but it didn’t work.  I tried the magazine transfer effect with gel medium.  Perhaps I didn’t wait long enough?  But it gave the background an aged effect.  I ran with it and painted what little I could see of the woman I tried to transfer.  Clearly, she was waiting to be transformed into what I can only surmise is a water sprite or goddess. 

Then I cut out the poem, honestly because I liked the frame.  I started to paint the frame, staying in the lines like a good girl.  Screw that!  I went wild with the flowers and vines and beaded gel.  Love it.

Magical Fishies

Next, I did the water effect with the heavy gel medium and added the swirls with the wood end of a paint brush.  I washed the water with watercolor.  I then felt that the water needed to show life.  I added the two magical fish.  Of course, there can’t be one magical fish…all magical fishies need friends.

I then added a fading red stamp effect at the top from the right side of the poem.  I finished it off by using fiber paste and making the water fall from the Lady’s hand into the water and painted that with watercolor to blend.

Much Love and Enjoy!

Fear of Success

We’re working on our current fears on a group I’m involved in…it took me a while to really dig at what I’m currently afraid of and I was shocked at what I found.   Success means you have further to fall and more people are watching.  Here is what I drew in my art journal…

Mandalas…

I’ve been creating mandalas thanks to a site that I’m involved in.  They are lopsided and I still love them. 

So fun to create!

Happiness is kitties…

I’ve been having a sucky week.   Clumsy has moved in and is having a hard time realizing it’s not welcome.   What’s been happenning:  I spilled a wax pot all over the floor, my scanner is broken, dropped the camera, spilled brush water.  On top of it all, my determination to finally finish a long-term project got a kabosh when the Round Robin love letter got changed…must I go on?  I was frustrated, a little depressed, and wanted to curl up and hope the ceiling didn’t fall in on me.  Then I looked down at my art drawers and saw kitty happiness.  It cures everything…

A Love Letter Trade

I’m involved with a Round Robin Love Letter Trade with other artists.  It’s my first trade I’ve been involved with and I still nervous that the other artists will be secretly scoffing at my work. Yes, the insecurity monster is hovering over my shoulder whispering bad nothings in my ear. 

The first one I did was for a lady named Laura.  They are all going to follow a theme:  flower, nature scene and lady-spirit of the flower and that person’s named best attributes.

Casually Forgotten

Have you ever been to a place and wondered about the people who were there before?  My husband and I went to Ireland in 2002 for our honeymoon (though we were married in 2000).  I’ve been going through some of our pictures and I don’t know if I have a talent for taking pictures or if it’s just such a beautiful place that anyone could snap their camera and viola! instant beauty.  Anyway, I was looking through them again and wasn’t just curious about the people themselves but I had these thoughts going through my mind….

Someone was lonely here.

 

Someone was expectant here.

 

Someone was longing here.

 

Someone cried here.

 

Someone was forgotten.

Desiderata

This is one of my favorite prayers, inspirations, poems, call it what you will.

The Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble,
it’s a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy

To My Sister: Love & Hugs

I’ve been working on this piece for a while now.   I wanted to give it to Jacquee (my sis) so she knew that I thought about her often.  I really think it’s cute and could be used as the front of a card if I wanted to print it that way. 

It scanned a little washed out where the sun is and I think I will go back later and work on it in photoshop to see if I can fix it. 

Right now that will have to wait.  I’m working on an art exchange…my first one!   I need to make 10 art pieces.  I have 10 weeks left….I’m really nervous and excited!!!!

Elemental Love

There she stood.

Down her back
Swept long, dull hair.

Turning round
Clumsy & odd.

Our eyes met.
Then I saw her soul.

There she stood.
And I graceless in my awe.

Remember the FREE course…

This is an art journal page from the course Art, Heart and Healing by Tam.  I just completed the first week and it was incredibly healing, fun and meditative.  I enjoyed it immensely and can’t wait to start the next week.  I highly encourage anyone to participate.  The first part isn’t really something you can sit down and do with a friend or loved one because it’s really baring your soul.   Perhaps there are some who can do that but I found it very personal.  The rest of it, however, can be done with or without another person.  I don’t mind either way.  I find that time just flies by when I’m working on art.  LOVE IT!