Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Thanksgiving to Christmas Transition





It's that awkward time when I am itching
to decorate for Christmas, but I don't want
to overlook Thanksgiving...



The result is that a few fall decorations 
still linger, but some Christmas
 things begin to appear.


Below, some old sheet music that has
seen better days. I intended to frame it
some day, but it never happened. Into
the Art Journal it went.  



Such a beautiful vintage illustration!




If you read the credits at the
bottom left of the page, you will see
that this sheet music was compliments
of a corset company!




Couldn't resist trying my hand at the
rose illustrations from the music...




Drinking my mocha from the Santa 
mug this morning...some red and white
Christmas decorations are beginning to
make their appearance.

Linking up with the T Tuesday group,
to see what's up with my Tea friends,
and to enjoy another cup...



Wishing you a Thankful week,
and much happiness!

◘  ♦  ◘


Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Painting on a Dryer Sheet



copyright Dianne Bishop Carey 2015

Painting on an unlikely surface
can be an interesting challenge...
how about a dryer sheet?

Watercolor and gouache, with
touches of white gel pen on a 
generic-brand, used dryer sheet.


copyright Dianne Bishop Carey 2015

It's a bit like trying to paint on 
Swiss cheese, as the surface is full
of holes. At first I had the dryer sheet
 on waxed paper as I painted.
When I realized how much paint (a lot!)
was ending up on the paper below it, I
just decided to glue it into my journal
and continue painting. It needed the
background surface to 'fill-in' the little
holes in the texture of the fabric.


copyright Dianne Bishop Carey 2015

This was a challenge from The
Documented Life Project~ The Journal, 2015.
Another suggestion was painting on dried
tea bags.  (Now I realize that it would have 
been perfect for tea day!) Tea bags or
dryer sheets are both free, recycled,
 translucent surfaces that can be
used for art. The texture of the finished
piece is very interesting...soft and blurry,
because the bumpy surface prevents
sharp details. The woman in this little
painting is modeled after a lovely black
and white vintage photo that I bought in
an antique shop. The hair-style was a
challenge, since I couldn't discern a lot of
detail in the old photo.  I decided to cut 
the dryer sheet into an oval shape and
make it resemble a piece of jewelry.


Dianne Bishop Carey 2015

Linking up with the T Tuesday group
over at Bleubeard and Elizabeth's blog...
sharing a beverage, and whatever
else we are experiencing
at the moment. 
Stop by for a cup!





Here is a tea cup that I bought at a local
 thrift store this week. It's quite pretty, 
  and it was inexpensive! There was no
 matching saucer, as you might be able to
 see in the photo. I just picked out a saucer 
 a little similar to the cup and went with it. 
Think, mismatched "Mad Tea Party."





Wishing you warm cups of
whatever beverage you enjoy on a 
Fall harvest pumpkin kind of day...





Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Translucent Coverage: Torn Fabric



The Documented Life Project 2015~
The Journal.  One challenge this month
was to use vellum, which I didn't have.
But fabric I do have!  I think the very
sparkly translucent fabric I used on this 
page is organza, but I'm not sure. It's very
difficult to see in the scan above. A
loose stitched 'flap' covers two layers
of fabric, adding sparkle and mystery.
There are rows of vertical hand-stitching,
but I don't think they're visible in the scan.
Click on the photo for a better look...




Above, the organza has been lifted to
reveal the cotton fabric that has been
painted with a simple floral design in
watercolor. It echoes the designs in the
printed fabric beneath it. I drew around
the flowers in permanent Sharpie marker
for more definition, since the watercolor
naturally faded and bled into the fabric.
I also quilted around the flowers a bit 
to connect it with the floral fabric beneath.




When lifting all three layers of fabric,
journaling is revealed beneath...I 
like the initial splattered and swirled
watercolor background, but it is 
difficult for me to leave it alone and
not overwork it...




The facing page:  I drew this little
flower from a bouquet my husband 
brought home to me. It is 'pen direct to
paper,' (no pencil sketch first) and I rather
like the pink background showing through
the leaves of the painting. The bouquet
survived a night in the car, as my husband
forgot to bring them in to me when he
got home from work! Since it was in the 40'sF
that night, they were a bit wilted, but 
perked up when I put them in water!
A very nice surprise...




Here's the coffee mug I am having
my morning mocha in today...
linking up with Bleubeard and Elizabeth
for T Tuesday.  Enjoying my flowers,
both real and stitched. What are you
enjoying these days?