Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Summer of Color Blog Challenge

"Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with it's many chords. The artist is the hand that, by touching this or that key, sets the soul vibrating automatically."
- Wassily Kandinsky
I have to agree with the quote...if there is one thing that inspires me most, it's color.  That's why I was so excited to join the new blog challenge by Kristin of Twinkle Twinkle.  "The Color of Summer" is a 10-week color challenge...here's the info from Kristin's blog:
"Beginning today - and every Monday throughout the event - we will focus on and create art based upon the beautiful, bold and luscious colors of the rainbow. We will work in our preferred medium exploring color and share what we produce here. We will link our work using the widget on the bottom of each Summer of Color post and, for those who participate, leave a comment to be entered in a weekly giveaway.  The purpose of the event is to emerge ourselves into the world of color:  playing, experimenting, and learning from one another throughout the lazy days of summer."
 Any medium is acceptable, so you can create anything you desire!  Each week Kristin will announce the color of the week...the color for this coming week and to be posted next week Monday, is blue.
For more info about the color challenge and how to join, click on the link here:
 

Deciding how I want to participate is the most difficult decision...art journaling?  Well, as quickly as I get a page done, I'd probably get the blue challenge completed and that's it...not that I wouldn't intend to complete each challenge, but I'm so busy with school and getting an online workshop ready...uuummm...what to do, what to do...okay, the best way for me to participate is creating something I love to do and that doesn't take a great deal of time, AND is very enjoyable for me...so I will create a little art quilt each week...rather simple, and using my favorite motif...doll dresses...whenever I need a little art therapy, especially if the headache makes me wish my head would explode and be done with it already, I love to pull out some fabric and embroidery floss or perle cotton, and do some hand-stitching...like this pile waiting to be completed...



This is going to be great fun, and I can't wait to see all the different art forms that will be created during this funtastic art challenge!  Please join us!


As always, thanks for stopping by!
 
Hugs and Toodles!
 
 



Thursday, May 12, 2011

What I'm working on now...

What do these beautiful hand-dyed cotton fabrics...
 and this beautiful hand-dyed cotton scrim...
 and these beautiful hand-dyed batiks...
and this pretty face...

all have in common?  Well, they're all part of the new online doll workshop that I'm currently working on...I'm having SO much fun playing with all these pretty colors!  I'll be sharing more details soon!  Stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!

Hugs and Toodles!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Art Journal Everyday - I finally got one done!

I've been signing up for Julie Balzer's Art Journal Everyday challenge every month since the first of the year...this past week I actually did it!  Her challenge is merely to work in your art journal everyday for at least 10 minutes...up until this past week all I had managed to get done was prepping my pages with gesso...
I used my Talens watercolors in both opaque and transparent to to the backgrounds.  The images were created in Photoshop and printed on plain copy paper on a laser printer...the teapot is actually an image of Tangie Baxter's from one of the Art Journal Caravan Expedition "supply" kits...
I used green, pink, and yellow watercolors, letting each layer dry before applying another color...this is key to not getting muddy colors.
I created the flowers and tags in Photoshop...and used a black gel pen for my journaling.
I then went over my journaling with a Sakura Gelly Glaze pen so my lettering would look embossed...

Shading was added with Stabilo colored pastel pencils...they have a chalky texture which makes it easy to add and blend colors...I then "dry brushed" on white accents with gesso around the page edges and a bit on the pages themselves...

This is actually what I planned to do right after the first of the year, hence the "2011" and "my word."  My "word" for 2011 is "begin."  Sometimes I just plan and plan and plan, and my planning just takes over the actual doing...I find that if I can just begin, just start, even if I'm stuck and can't think how to proceed, I'm able to overcome that artistic block, and ideas just "begin" to take over.  I'm hoping to keep up the momentum...I've already taught two online mixed media classes this year, and have three more in the "planning" stages...hopefully I"ll get my doll patterns fine-tuned enough to start filming this coming week.  Stay tuned for more updates...

Oh...another thing...I've recently started my own Ning group!  It's for girls and women of all ages (13+)...and it's not just an art group, but rather a group for developing friendships, support, encouragement, and to share all that is wonderful about being female (in addition to being a platform for my online classes)...please join us at Just Be Yourself!!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Hugs and Toodles!