Paint but mostly paper

OK now that I have your undivided attention. As I told you a few weeks ago I wanted to get an early jump on my fall painting for craft shows. Well I had good intentions and I have been painting a bit but I got a little sidetracked. Sometimes I can't  help myself and I am drawn back to either paper or mixed media.

So here I will show you what I have been up to and will explain along the way. 

First up, another sign with houses on it for sale this fall, think I will do a few more of these and try to put the word Welcome along the bottom. This was a fun and quick pattern to do. I love these signs from the Dollar store although they were 2 dollars but hey, saves buying, cutting and sanding. Price of wood these days this is a good deal as far as I am concerned.

This picture looks a bit bright so you can't see the shading around the edges of the wood and I  shade a lot. Some patterns do not call for shading and if I see something I want to shade, I go for it. I love shading and detail. Just the artist in me I guess.

  Next up is a chunky ATC. I have seen these around blog land and on sites but never tried one. We all know that the standard paper size for ATC's is, 2 1/2x 3 1/2, which this is, but ,it is made out of a cut 2x4. I am not sure why they call them 2x4's because they really aren't if you happen to measure them, which I did ,and, to my luck it was only 3 1/2 inches in width. Anyways I covered the wood block with torn dictionary pages. Painted with washes  of acrylic paint. I stamped some designs using Stazon and added some white gel pen accents. This angel is a recent mini drawing I did. I painted her mostly with watercolours but her face is done with Prismacolour pencil crayons the Suzi Blu way. I have a lot of drawings in my sketch book, some are favourable for art some are not but it is all a learning process for me. I have found if I trace these drawings onto regular white paper as described in Suzi's book, Mixed Media Girls, I lose some of the proportions so I am scanning the images then colouring them. It is still my original drawing but the fun part is I can also make them any size I want. This Chunky ATC is still a WIP but I wanted to show you my progression. 

 And another one of my sketches, I applied to a canvas board background using a faux batik technique I found on Pinterest. You put glue onto the canvas, let it dry. Paint using a minimal number of colours, I chose my fav summer colours this year, lime green and turquoise and the white is the original canvas colour. Then when paint has dried peel up the glue. I added dots with my stylus and white acrylic paint. The large dots are glue and the smaller dots are stylus. This was fun. I just love the background, you should try this. And I did the same thing with the girl except I found in my stash come nice paper for her dress, real lace for the collar cut to fit. Grunge letters I coloured with complimentary colours. I may still bling them up with Stickles, not sure yet. This girl is going somewhere, but I can't say to whom or where yet....it is a secret.

 Another canvas board skinny. I painted her hair with watercolour and just dropped in a tiny bit of blue here and there. This is computer paper I did the girl on so I couldn't soak the paper like w/c paper but I got the job done. I used stencils, acrylic paint, marker, paper, pencil crayons, texture paste so this is truly mixed media and I have so enjoyed it. I found the word "Fraulein"in the dictionary, it jumped out at me,  so,I cut it out and put it on her dress. Rubbed some metallic paint over it to tone down the white paper then traced around it with white gel pen. So much fun. I am in a trade with a girl from Eastern Canada and she got Suzi's book but has not done much drawing yet so I hope I can inspire her to do some more. Once you let go and say I can do this....you will be amazed at what you can accomplish. I know I did. This is not part of our trade just an added something. 

 And I am also into these ATC easel cards. I made a few of them and just can't stop. Mona is printed on canvas paper to give it a more artistic feel. I cut out a frame from black c/s and ran through my Cuttlebug, then I inked it with gold ink heavily. then I made the easel and thought more about what to do. 

See that mini paint brush...I made that. I used a round tooth pic, cut a bit off one end, I cut a tiny piece of foil  duct tape for around the ferrule, then I cut an old paint brush and use the hairs, the brush was toast anyways and I reused the bristles, added some glue then wrapped the tape tightly around and the hairs are in there good. I found some paper gears, and then I looked for a hand charm and glued that on to make it look like Divinci just completed Mona. Behind Mona is a dictionary quote. Oh love how this turned out. Someone is getting this and if she comes by for a visit don't look Amy......

 and here is a close up of the bottom. This took some thinking but I pulled it off and I am so pleased. 

Oh and a bit of news...I was called this week from the librarian of our small local library which I frequent every 3 weeks and have been asked to be their artist of the month. Now this came about because the library organizes the craft show in the community and I left my name, blog addy to check out my work. 

Well the craft show is filled up but they would like me to bring in some artwork of mine to showcase it for this month. Now this month is almost over but hey I am willing so why not. Who knows someone may want to buy or get a look at what I make. I am a little excited

Yippee Skippee dance here.

Well I have some snowmen on my table that are almost done...big BBQ on Sunday with my MIL and it is supposed to be hot and humid again. 

Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by

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SOC week 5, Wild and Reckless

Hello everyone,

wow week 5 of Summer of Colour and it will be over very soon. This has been a fun and very creative experience for me as I am working with wonderful colours and putting my sketching skills to use. I did another ice cream girl for this week. 

Look at this colour prompt Kristin chose for us to use this week...isn't it yummy?

It is called Wild and Reckless, another Baskin Robbins special.

I drew this girl in my sketch book recently and decided I would scan her then print her on script scrap paper. Well after she came out I noticed the paper was upside down, no big deal, you can't stress when things like this happen, it just makes for more interest and makes people think, why is it upside down? No reason, it just happened. So I took all these yummy colours and painted the girl and  the background in washes of acrylic paint, I more or less pounced on the colours for easier blending. into one another on the background. My lime green wasn't bright enough for my liking so I got out the watercolours and painted right over the lime green and it really made the lime green pop more. I also dripped some of my new Ditto ink sprays which have a nice shimmer . I didn't want to spray the whole background so I just took the sprayer out of the bottle and dabbed and dripped a bit here and there then smudged with a tissue. I also pounced some of the other acrylic colours on to add interest. As you can see I also had to add my homemade texture to this using a dollar store sticky back stencil. The girl's dress has scrap paper that had these same wonderful colours and I added some jewels to her neckline and painted a white flower lime green and dabbed a bit of ink on it. I really love how this one turned out. She will be going into my SOC Ice Cream inspiration mini journal. 

Thank you for stopping by. Don't forget to visit Kristin's blog for links to lovely art and creations during this very creative SOC Ice Cream Inspiration.

TTFN 

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Not sure what is going on with the white background....this has happened  before and is not intentional.

Hot Humid and sketchyl

Well the title says it all. Today is a real scorcher, almost 40 Celsius and 98 F, needless to say hot hot hot. We haven't put the window rattler in, hubs is working evenings and doesn't get up til later in the mornings So I have been trying to keep cool but it has been a little too warm from my liking.

I have been working on next weeks Summer of Colour and it is coming along quite nicely. Not sure how I am going to work a touch of cashew colour in yet but I will figure something out.

Anyways I have been doing more whimsy girl sketches and although it is nice to see them in colour, I am really enjoying the sketch stage. I found some tortillons or paper stumps to blend my sketches and I love them. They truly transform a simple flat sketch into something a little softer and more realistic.

These are just a few sketches that have come to life in the last week or so, I have a couple more but they aren't quite finished and a little less favourable. 

I am working on some characters to put on canvas boards and have so many ideas and another idea I will keep a secret til I can get at it and show you my newest idea, maybe a selling feature this fall for my craft shows.

Anyways here are 3 sketches, thanks for looking and keep cool and remember your pets too, they get heated up so make sure they stay cool and have plenty of water. 

 These girls haven't been shaded yet. They just make me smile and I hope they make you too!

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I couldn't help myself

OK so I said I was going to take a blog break and do some catch ups on other blogs.. I actually visited a few of the 29 Face participants and finally got to comment on their wonderful faces. There are a lot of talented peeps out there and so very friendly as well.

And, last night, I normally sketch before I go to bed, I again, picked up my sketch book and pencil and this is  little Gracie's sister. She appeared out of nowhere. I didn't get a chance to paint her but last night I used my stump to shade her . I really love pencil sketches and the wonderful soft look you get when you shade. I do think little Roxy needs colour and I have already got her planned out. I think she is a little more shy than Gracie is. Gracie is all packed up ready to go on this mystery trip of hers and all she said was I will be in touch soon. I guess she is leaving tomorrow and who knows where she will end up.

If anyone happens to see her please inform me as she is kind of a free spirit and tends to just wander aimlessly and forgets about time ,so I have come to find out.

Meet Roxy...

 Look at those skinny little legs and those knees...LOL isn't she the sweetest? she looks like she is a ballerina, just floats on air and whispers to herself.

.Well I finally got my hair cut, now it needs a colour and then maybe I will get to that cleaning up I said I was going to start. I better get at it...it is piling up.

Take care everyone and thanks for stopping by.

♥

It's a little bit sketchy

Today weather certainly isn't the kind of spring weather we are used to having. Snow is in the forecast for areas of Ontario to the north of us but we have seen rain again today. There were a few mixed snow flakes but for the most part it is damp and dreary. What a great day to stay inside, wood stove is going and I was able to finish up a few things.

I told you I have been sketching again, sometimes I take a break from it but I am really enjoying what seems to be appearing on my pages. I have 2 full sketch books now and I am almost embarrassed by the first 2 sketches which I was so proud to show you. Like anything tho, the more you do the better you get, at least that is what we all hope and strive for.

I have been doing some whimsy faces as well but the last face I drew I couldn't believe that I sketched it. I also found while surfing around the weeb that some artists use paper stumps to help in the blending and shading of their pencil sketches. I couldn't find any so I made my own...wow this tool is wonderful. It takes makes your sketch so much softer and in some ways a bit more realistic.

 And these are my whimsy girls. I loved doing these on canvas board. I cut them to measure 5x5, layered and layered with painty layers. I used bubble wrap, container lids for large cirlces, sequin waste, homemade stencils, etc. I have about 4 layers of paint and lots of gesso. This is so much fun to do. I even painted the wings on the bottom 2 canvases (which of course are the same girl but different colours) and added Diamond Dust to their wings. Scrap paper for their dresses and a bit of painty shading around the outside of them to make them POP. Wooowee, these are fun. I am going to add a piece of ribbon at the back and then cover  it with scrap paper. These make great little swap stuffers and sure to make you smile, they made me smile and I made them.

 And this last canvas is a smaller version of my first sketch but I drew it on dictionary paper. I have seen this around the web and have been waiting to try it. I painted a think layer of gesso on the paper first for durability and so I can see my sketch lines and then I coloured the image using coloured pencils. I added the sparkly purple flower from my stash and paper for her dress and a stick on border around the collar.

Well that is it for today folks.

Thanks for stopping by and stay creative.

Anyone want to do a whimsy swap comment here and maybe we can do a small fun swap.

PS posting on Blogger has become a real chore so if this is all out of whack, it can't be helped. Maybe I need Google Chrome for it to work right. Great all I need is another browser. ACK

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A few sketches, blog candy winnings and a card

Well today was another lovely day and I was able to do some cleaning up of a few things that needed to be done outside.

We just had a very short sprinkle of rain and I say that loosely.

This afternoon I worked on a card I am making for my dear aunt in England. I used a metal stencil in the shape of a stained glass window. The stencil can be put through the Cuttlebug but it does not cut the paper. So after I ran it through the CB I then cut out all the little windows because I wanted a stained glass effect. I used some acetate with some of my own alcohol inks and a few of rangers to get the strong colours I was looking for. This isn't the usual nice church window with images done of course but more of an arty window and this is what I came up with. I really enjoyed making this and even tho the cutting was a bit tedious I had a good sharp craft knife and cutting mat and before I new it, it was done. The window is cut from black card stock then I inked it with some gold ink that is almost dried up but I wasn't going for really bold gold, I wanted an aged look and I think it turned out pretty good. I added some gold border to the card stock then placed the whole thing on a base card I had a supply of in my stash. I added a flower sticker and the top of the window has a corner filigree sticker. Most of the supplies came from a store just down the road from me called Ecstasy crafts, Dennis and the gang are exclusive distributors of card making items from the Netherlands and the prices are very good and the quality outstanding not to mention the customer service. I hope my Auntie likes this card, I know I do. LOL

Next up, I just received my blog candy from Helga over at her blog My Artistic Life, Helga also owns and operates Artchix Studio one of my favourite online art shops. Helga posted what inspires us to make art and I said I loved Victoria British Columbia, also where Helga resides, because of it's beauty and flowers etc. Bruno her cat picked my number and I won this little matchbox Helga altered with all these cute stickers. The little birds are so cute, they are very small and would look great on inchie art. I also received some washi papers as well and the envy was all decorated in Helga's Artchix sticker style. I  love winning stuff but rarely do, it's luck of the draw for me. Thanks Helga and Bruno for picking me.

 And 2 sketches, I had a few more to show you but they were very dark, I took the pics when it just finished raining and the light was on but was still a little dim so please excuse my lack of photography skills, I just aim and hope for the best. LOL.

This is a ballerina I did a few weeks back, I think so far she is my fav. I did another one with ballerina shoes beside her but I do like this one. Her features are so gentle and soft.

 And remember I told you I had some books out from the library and saw this exercise, running shoes??? well here they are. They were tricky but I always love a challenge. I found doing the laces really tricky, overlapping them and getting all the shading and details in. I actually like the bottom part of the one sneaker the best. Not sure why,  I got those little dimples in and they look you could touch them.

Just remember for better details, click on the pic and it will enlarge in a separate window.

Since starting to sketch late January I already see vast improvements but I still have a long way to go. I think I would like to start to do birds next. I love birds and living in the country we see all kinds and many varieties.

Well that is it for today, thanks for dropping by and I always love to read your comments. Don't be afraid to critique my work, I think we need to hear the pos and neg on things in order to improve.

Stay creative my friends,

♥

More sketches and matchboxes

Not sure what has been going on with Blogger but posting has been not very co operative so here are some things that have been piling up and while Blogger is working today, perhaps I can show you what I have been doing.

This first mixed media piece I am showing is an oriental style angel. As you know I have been sketching and I did this a couple weeks ago and decided I want to paint her. I drew her on watercolour paper then did most of her in watercolour then I painted the background in this wonderful green paint with a bit of white dripping down. I really like how it turned out but not sure I like the asian text now on the page. That might have to be painted over. I keep looking at this and wondering if I should have put it on there. I did tone it down a bit but still not sure....I might even do this whole piece over again but for now I am most pleased with how my sketches look painted. Have to do more of this. I don't own or have an art journal yet but I am thinking that maybe I should attempt one.

 And here are a few more sketches. I know these are whimsy but I plan on really expanding my sketching overall. These are just free and see what happens kind of sketches. Again good material to work with for an art journal....don't ya think???

 When I started this more rounded face, I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out but I really like it and the why my hair turned out. A little more mature looking. I call her Summer. She would look nice painted too...

 I like this one too, my faces are really turning out more proportional now thanks to looking in book and on YouTube how to draw portraits. I always erase my lines after I get the features situated. The eyes are really the hardest to get to look even, but it is coming along. I see great progress from my first 2 I posted a couple weeks ago.

 And I like this young girl. She has such innocense about her. Love that hair band....

 And last but not least....I was in a FlickR matchbox trade for the month of February and Gail chose the theme of  Love and Valentines. My partner Sherry made this lovely box and just filled it to the brim with all these goodies and if you click on the pic to make it larger there is a tiny bottle with lots of teeny hearts and love inside. Sherry made that too. I received some vintage images and a love tag and all wrapped in wonderful Valentines tissue paper. I made tissue tape out of the tissue last night for future cards and projects. Thank you Sherry, this is just wonderful. You do such great tiny work.

 And this is my matchbox for Sherry. She has already seen a pic of it on FlickR. This heart is made of acetate which has been shrunk after it was painted and stamped. I found a great source locally for acrylic and it shrinks just like the Shrinky Dinks plastic sheets you can pay a fortune for.  The rose and branches are from a dollar store necklace I saw potential in immediately. I took the necklace apart and it fit the bill nicely. Love all the little gems and colours just match the theme perfectly. The matchbox itself was gessoed, painted pale pink then I attached some pink lace, then some white fuzzy and sparkly ribbon on both ends. Really came together nicely. And of course stuffed with goodies too.

 Well that is it for now. I have been going easy lately as I am having some upper back issues and trying to watch my posture and not hunch over for hours on end. The pain has been affecting my sleep and the x rays are showing nothing so it is probably muscle and soft tissue issues which I suffer from in my shoulders. Oh well I am sure it will pass, it has to, I won't put up with it. :)

Take care and thanks as always for dropping by. I always love to read your comments.

♥



Some whimsy and more sketches

I haven't posted in a while not because I didn't want to just been on here later in the evenings and catching up on some blogs I follow. Sometimes you can't visit as often as you like and seems my Internet is better later in the evening, pages load faster and I can actually leave a comment.

Well I have been playing with watercolours and acrylics and watching vids on these whimsy faces that seem to be a big hit all over the Internet.

I have made a few designs to put on cards and then I found some mini canvases in my stash and thought I would do up a couple of those. These are fun and very addicting. Besides doing sketches in my sketch book at night I also, when in a whimsy mood, add these as well for future reference.

So here is a collection of whimsy.....

This was my first whimsy face and not sure I really like it but it's just fun to play and paint.

 This dragonfly girl is not really finished yet, I am not sure if I should leave the background, sometimes too much can... be too much...

Loving the bright explosion of colours, a nice change from my grunge.

Oooops I forgot her eyelashes, I just noticed....

 I think I know someone who might like ladybug girl....

 And the bottom 2 are mini canvases from the ole Dollar store, I think I might do a few more of these soon. I love using many layers of paint. Can you see a bit of sequin waste in the background? I used it as a stamp....

 This one below I love.....it started out with Twinkling H20's already painted background for something else. I didn't care for it so I put a layer of gesso over it first because being water soluble the Twinklers get all smudgy. So many and many layers and soft blending and slapping paint layers on and drippy paint, boy this was so much fun....a lot different than the old standard painting I am used to...
I also am having fun with coloured hair. They just make me smile.
I am thinking of making some painted pages for a dear Aunt in England who is having some health issues right now, I thought some cute whimsy faces would brighten a tough day....maybe put a smile on her face...

And remember my first sketches I showed you....well I have been at it again, and every night I put pencil to paper and I sketch before I read before I go to sleep. I can't seem to stop.

Mind you, I am showing you the better of them, there are some pretty horrendous ones in my book too but these ones I am rather proud of.

I am not going to show one I plan on painting as it is my most favourite of all, she is an " angel" of a sketch...he he...

Meet Rebbecca.....she reminds me of a good friend...you know who you are....

 This is Clarice....

 And the name has not come to me on this one yet.....I love how her hair turned out....and don't you love these luscious lips....I have been working on noses now....next hair is going to be a hard one.....seems I struggle with it but it will come in time...just have to keep sketching away. Like anything, the more you practice the better you get.

So thanks for stopping by.

I am now finished all the ATC backgrounds for Jenxo's ATC Technique book Woo hoo, I did 4 sets of 16...you do the math. It was fun. I am glad I don't have to do that many ATC's complete, but you know I would if I had to...but I don't.

Stay creative dear friends and thanks for stopping by.

♥

A lurking Muse

For many years even as a small child I always played with sketches. I struggled and struggled, gave up, tried again then gave up and this went on for well til now.  I remember one time seeing the TV Guide and they had those sketches you were to attempt to draw, send it in and they would basically tell you if you had potential. Well there was this dog and I sketched it and sent it in...and...I got a reply back saying I did have potential but that was that. I never went any further with it and being a child you never keep  things for encouragement late in life. And I never took an art class in high school or years later...hmmmm

Since getting my wireless I have been visiting YouTube quite a bit and I see some very good and creative people out there. I think my problem, and many of us say to ourselves negative things, which prevent ourselves from going any further with whatever we are tackling. I always love a challenge and as I get older I seem to be less " afraid" and I have a more I don't care what anyone else thinks attitude....good or bad that is the way I have become. So.... recently I dug out my sketchbook that I purchased months ago. I  just started with eyes first, I always think eyes are truly the window to the soul and I am becoming quite, well, good at them. But, you can't just draw eyes and that be it...you have to do a face...yikes...did I say that??? a face??? the whole thing??? well it was rather late, after midnight, and was having a bit of a time getting to sleep so I got out a regular HB pencil and my sketchbook and started just randomly drawing, letting go of negative thoughts, forgetting the challenges of the past and just being free with the pencil and this is the sketch I finished in about an hour or less. I was actually shocked that it looked as good as it does. Even the next morning when I showed hubs he asked me " Did you draw that"? you didn't draw that did you? I said yeah....now who else would be in bed drawing at that time of night (he fell asleep on the couch btw). So I realize I have a huge way to go, but, I must say for my very first attempt at a face and not really knowing what was going to turn out, I have to say, I think I did pretty good. I won't win any awards and I don't plan on doing any portraits of anyone but they say the face or human body is the hardest thing to draw. I think I had a little divine intervention as well because I felt so free and so uninhibited.

So here are 3 sketches for you to look at...if you don't mind and tell me honestly what you think? I now look at them and see things I could do different but I wont' change them as these are definitely depicting a mood I had set for myself.

Thanks for taking a look and I can't wait to show my mixed media faces I have been working on, they are whimsical and I am mastering the watercolours with white acrylic paint. I am now so excited to be able to do some of these faces that are popping up everywhere around the Internet.

Charcoal eye, I love charcoal but it takes a bit getting used to.....

 Pencil sketch first face , I have a lot of work to do on face shape as I look on here.....but at least you can tell it is a person. LOL

 2nd pencil sketch, not sure what is going on here, is the hair too big or the face too wide

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