Creating a Series of Art Work

I have been trying to stretch myself in my art. Working with different colors, different kinds of substrate, and trying to find some theme that would interest me enough to create a series. I have often found that I am pulled to that wild pink color (opera pink) that so many people use but I stay totally away from. Well today was my day to try it, and I was enchanted with it.

Using my art journal as my experimental journal, I found that I love getting my feeling of the day down on paper and then painting over it, smearing it, concealing it, but the decorative nature of my handwriting was a great way of adding mark making. So this was the start of my Table Top Series.

I made some rules for myself, but also knew that I needed some freedom and flexibility. Subject matter: anything that sits on a table and may include that table. Colors: adding a little pink Design: All will have some kind of hand written letters to them, smeared into them or used as mark making. Substrate: interesting rectangles on wood.

So here is the beginning of my Series, please let me know what you think. If you have made a series before, how did it go and what were your rules?

LOOK for the FREE in life.... there is so much out there

I am just finishing up on a 12 day class from Sketchbook Revival were Karen Abend got together quite a few unique artists to teach a 20 to 30 min art class on line. This was all FREE… Thank you Karen !! They started us out creating something out of a blob from Carla Sondheim . Carla said that “if you put a beak on anything it becomes a bird” … I was set out to test that theory… and guess what….. it does!!.

One of my favorite classes was on creating a wild garden, all I can say was Fun and MESSY… it was great!. Other classes included ones like “ How to Draw like an Architect” creating a “ Quirky Bird” , people made so many different ones. There were classes on expressing yourself with words, drawing words, incorporating words. We even had a class where we learned to draw cupcakes. I am still working on these classes they were so wonderful and really took my art in new directions. A great distraction while at home.

I always find creative people are so creative because they create. The more you do the more the ideas flow.

Below are just some of my attempts … I am sure you could do better

Sketchbook Revival

assorted free classes…what I came up with

Sketching Food

from Charlie O’Shields

Quirky Bird Class

by Tamara Laporte

Sometimes the Words Speak for Themself

I love to create something I don’t even know I have in me. Finding family pictures that are so unique but….everyone looks the same. What was their personality like? Would I have loved them? How old are they really?

Working with pictures and paint, adding touches and then the words.

My secret dear people is to look in horoscope books, they have the best sayings, and to take them out of context, really adds to the fun.

Enjoy these 3x3” mini pictures and try and make your own with your family.

Creating a New Quilters Series of Cards

I have been working on a fun Quilting card series.   I am friends with many quilters and I have been known to sew a quilt or two in my day.  The idea of having just fun designs for a specific group has made me energized.  It might not sell but I want to do it because....well I want to do it.   Taking these 2 designs out of the 9 I have, I thought I would show you my process.   These were done with scraps of paper, ink , glue and a little paint.    I want to find something creative to write on the front.  So I googled " quilting terms".  Do you know that quilters have the best terms?  Meeting with my friend Rebecca at the local coffee shop we went over the terms and laughed and laughed at the made up stories we could tell from these terms.. take " jelly roll" and "fat quarters"  sounds like someone hasn't been working out.   " Long Arm". "Stacked",  " Prairie points" and that isn't even counting  the names quilters have used to identify some of the designs on quilts "  Flying Geese " "Drunkards Path" " Log Cabin".  I can tell right now I am in for a lot of fun coming up with something great to put on the fronts of these. But.... I might have to keep the smutty ones to myself.