Art Beneath the Cottonwoods

Mixed Media Postcards

2012-02-02T10:21:00.008-05:00

Mixed media postcards
from recycled cardboard,
fabric scraps, and
watercolor with pen.

Mixed media postcards
and collage can be
created with almost
anything, and I
decided to use
some bright orange
masking tape in this
collage. I drew on it
with Sharpie pen.

Hearts were sewn
together before gluing to
the postcard, as was
the decorative stitching
with floss. Because the
watercolor papers
will run if gotten wet,
I will probably mail in
an envelope instead of
sending as a postcard.

Several pieces of fabric were stitched

together to make a rectangle, and then

the heart was cut out by folding in half

and cutting free-form. Once I had

several hearts made, I glued

background fabric to 4" x 6" cardboard.

Then I arranged the fabric and paper

elements for the final collage.

I have seen beautiful fabric

postcards made with an assortment

of fabrics, fibers and stiffeners,

all stitched together on the machine.

My love of fabric makes these

fabric collages a joy to create

and to send!

To see more of my
mixed media postcards,
go HERE.

Art Journal Faces and Folk Art

2012-01-22T13:04:00.003-05:00

Art journal pages created with

scraps of lined paper and maps

as the background for drawings and

an Artchix paper doll.

Collage made from

more scraps and the paper doll,

with magazine text and a

vintage advertising image.

Art journal page:

Scraps of one of my ink drawings that

was photocopied and cut up. The

image of the girl may be from

Artchix, but I am not sure...

You can use almost anything in
your art journal pages...

Magazine images and paper scraps

with my drawing/watercolor.

Subdued shades of watercolor

inspired by a vintage photo.

Collage using

more scraps of drawings and watercolors,

this time brightly colored doodles...

A sketch:

I've told myself that I need to do

more sketching this year. Toddlers are

a challenging subject as they don't

stand still much! Caught this pose

while she was watching tv.

When I want to do a quick

journal page, a folk art flower

and a quick quote or thought

make a satisfying exercise...

Many of Emily Dickinson's poems

are quite sad, but this excerpt

speaks to me of brighter moments.

Listen for the song of hope

in your heart, and in your art!

Art Journal Faces

2012-01-14T20:58:00.000-05:00

Watercolor, pen, and collage in

my mixed media art journal.

Sometimes song lyrics are a

springboard for creating pages.

A quote from John Powell's book

"Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am?"

about insights into personal growth

is featured on this page.

We all have many faces, or

"many hats." I try to remember that

a person is much more than the role in which

I see them, or simply their outward appearance.

Some days I feel like I am trying to keep up

with too many roles at once...

A constant source of material

for my artwork is art of ancient civilizations,

and almost every art movement of the past.

Well, probably not minimalist, but most

everything else. This page features an

Alaskan mask, to which I added wings.

What subject or medium inspires you?

Medieval Fragments--Revised

2011-12-31T16:27:00.001-05:00

Black and white line drawings are a favorite

technique of mine, but these just didn't seem finished

without color. Watercolor added in

my purchased Mixed Media Art Journal.

(Canson multi-media paper)

It seems odd to know that sculptures of the

Early Middle Ages were probably brightly

painted. We are used to seeing the

worn sculpture surfaces without color,

the texture of the stone and the shadows

created by the shapes creating subdued

but striking compositions.

I am thankful that in our time, art can be

created and enjoyed by all, and is not

found only in churches and museums.

The packaging of your morning cereal

is art, and even the billboard down the road.

(though some more so than others!)

Where did you see art today?

Stitching Roses

2011-12-25T07:01:00.001-05:00

Christmas gifts stitched for someone

whose Christmas tree is decorated in

white crocheted ornaments, with

accents of mauve and light pink.

Cross-stitch on cream Aida

with organza ribbon and white cord trim.

Rose patterns from a book by Leisure Arts

I used portions of larger patterns to

create the ornaments.

Medieval Fragments

2011-12-23T20:43:00.000-05:00

Art of the Middle Ages, though it seems

primitive to us in many ways,

fascinates me in its richness of

design, pattern and symbolism.

Above, drawing done in my art journal

after a twelfth century sculpture.

(photo in Art of the Early Middle Ages

by Souchal, 1968)

Mary seems melancholy, but

the child Jesus looks happy to

be in his mother's arms.

Above drawing in my art journal

inspired by a stone relief called

Adoration of the Magi, Mid-twelfth century,

Church of Sainte-Croix.

I chose to draw only Mary and Jesus.

Jesus' head is missing in the photo

of the relief, so I improvised.

Regardless of the stiff pose of

the figures, it still has a charm

all its own, and this particular relief

is "evidence of the vigorous art being

done at the time of transition from Romanesque

to the new Gothic style," according to the author.

Peace and Blessings to you all.

Rust and White Pages

2011-12-15T12:42:00.003-05:00

"Farewell to Age"

8.5" x 11" collage on watercolor paper

for Elizabeth's themed book "Rust."

Images from a vintage book.

The woman is an Elizabeth Arden

advertisement. Lace and

metal embellishment above,

acrylic and watercolor background.

Fabric, buttons, and vintage metal key;

collage on watercolor paper. Acrylic paint

and watercolor background.

Embroidery, felt, and paper combined

to create the round embellishment.

Click on the image for enlargement.

Assorted papers, fabric, and rusted metal

on painted watercolor paper. Thanks to Halle

for the Citrisolve papers! They were a nice

rusty brown color perfect for this page.

The unbleached muslin fabric was quilted

before stitching rusted metal piece onto

the surface. All rusted metal was coated with

gloss acrylic medium to stabilize.

Fabric pockets with unbleached muslin strip
gathered with a running stitch,

and a tattered stitched rose.

Lace and embroidery accents.

Tags for the pockets, with my swap

information on the back. A bit

of brown paper bag on the tag at right

is from the paper covering my work table.

Lots of paint from other projects,

and a spattering of gold spray.

It's always a fun challenge to work

with colors that I don't often choose.

Now back to Christmas stitching...

have a creative day!

Journal Pages: All Sorts

2011-12-02T20:12:00.000-05:00

Journal page resulting from

a tempera paint session with

the grandchildren, ages 2 and 6.

They really enjoyed it, and so did I!

Combined my painted doodles with

magazine images, fabric

and pen work.

Some of my pages are for sketches

or notes. Above, some ideas for

necklace 'beads' and wrist cuffs.

Ethiopian prayer box beads are

made of metal, but I think

a fabric version with beads and

quilting could be quite interesting...

Notes from a book from the library.

You can click on the image to enlarge and

read the notes. Sometimes I find that books

for 'young people' make the concepts

much more understandable, and

therefore more enjoyable.

Above, another sketch from a library book.

I believe it was about Irish art.

This portrays a book shrine, in which

manuscripts were housed. Some were

wood covered with metal. Stylized motifs

of spirals, trumpet patterns, crosses,

winged beings, people and birds

decorated these shrines. Icons and

saints were often portrayed.

Shrines were also made to house relics

reputed to be associated with a saint

or religious person. I just admire the

beauty and devotion which these

pieces represent...perhaps

inspiration for a 'shrine' to house

an art journal?

Blue Swap Pages

2011-11-22T19:57:00.000-05:00

I belatedly realized that I had not posted

the swap pages that I had made for Halle.

Her color-theme was blue. Above,

A bluebird in watercolor and

Sharpie pen with spattered background.

A quote and some fabric bits

on acrylic, watercolor background

with chalk pastel accents.

Two tags in a fabric pocket,and

a doodle border in watercolor.

Above, little boy image from a collage sheet

on a background of fabric. I used a circle-punch

to create the scalloped border with fabric and paper.

Blue is one of my favorites, so I had lots of

paper and fabric to choose from!

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week in the U.S.

I wish everyone a wonderful holiday.

May we remember to be truly thankful.

"The most important things in life

are not things."

~Helen Keller

Art Journal Pages

2011-11-20T20:52:00.000-05:00

The Scrappy Green Journal is almost finished.

Showing a few more pages...

Elizabeth had placed the opera figures on the

left page with the blue and rust background,

and the colored bars with the numbers

at the bottom. I added the pen work, the

strip of blue polka dot fabric, and the

Listerine ad. Just couldn't resist...

The page on the right with the cartoon

is a flap that opens up

so I got to add images and writing beneath the flap too.

The '$1000 Beer' is courtesy of Elizabeth,

and it made me smile.

I also added the black & white striped

fabric at the top, and a 'tab' of

painted watercolor paper.

Here, Elizabeth had painted the left page with purple

and added the giraffe sticker.(which is also sparkly)

I added blue watercolor paint, stickers,

book and magazine images, and bits of

leftover papers. Those bathing beauties on

the left are from a vintage book, describing them

as being arrested for indecency in those

'skimpy' bathing suits!

On the right, Elizabeth had sewn the green paper

with many zig-zag stitches, and the iris image.

I added the woman image and the building. (a flap)

Beneath the flap I created a 'found poem'

from words gleaned in a book.

On the back side of the flap, I did a

mini collage with some pieces of the

'Collage fodder' page that I showed in

a previous post. Yes, I started

cutting it up already. Only the first

snip is the hardest.

This has been such a fun journey...

alas, there is just one more page to go,

as seen above. Not only was the

journal a generous gift, but has

'kept on giving' as they say, through many

hours of wonderful art-collage-fun!

Thank you dear E.

Swap Pages

2011-11-14T13:02:00.000-05:00

Here are swap pages that I received

from Rikae. I had requested colors

in red, pink, and yellow...

They are simply beautiful!

The paper beads surrounding this

page are so happy and colorful.

Live, Love, Laugh...

butterflies for transformation...

and most have figured out by now

that I am a fan of almost any type of fabric.

This is a wonderful combination of

color and texture.

Thank you Rikae!

May you and your beloved

receive healing, hope, peace,

and blessings...

Collage Fodder

2011-11-01T20:38:00.000-04:00

I decided I needed some new painted papers

for collage. I did some shapes, patterns

and doodles in watercolors.

When the watercolors had dried,

I added some stamping, outlining,

doodling and drawing. These will

probably be cut or torn into pieces

and used in collages.

Sometimes it's hard to make the first

tear or cut, but after that it's ok. I do

like it as it is, but it is destined to be

torn to bits as the need arises. Usually

I tear off each piece as I need it so

I can gauge what will make a nice contrast.

Have a colorful day!

Mixed Media Greeting

2011-10-31T07:24:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Art Journal Pages

2011-10-28T10:28:00.003-04:00

More pages from the

Scrappy Green Journal.

Above, drawing and collage.

The flap with writing opens up

to reveal the drawing of a face.

The notes about drawing a face

tell how I approach the process.

On the left, 'found poetry' from

a book about art of the early middle ages.

Click on any image for

a closer view.

This Scrappy Green Journal was a

gift from Elizabeth. She sewed two signatures

of pages into a book with a green fabric cover.

The pages are a wonderful assortment

of scrap papers and recycled images.

Flaps and pockets abound.

The yellow Post-It note was a flap,

so naturally I had to add images underneath it.

Quotes and doodles...

Paper and fabric scraps...

The ice cafe package is sewn on

to make a little pocket

that holds a tag.

Notes on 'shading' are written on

a piece of paper from a

vintage-style popcorn bag,

which I glued onto the page,

along with the fabric scraps.

It has been a lovely journey in this book...

and an incredibly generous gift from

Elizabeth. Only about 5 more pages

are left to go, which is sad in a way.

But I have many more journals

so there will be no lack of opportunity

to keep making art!

I have signed up for

Mary Ann Moss' on-line class

"Full Tilt Boogie," so be looking

for the results of my 'studies' here...

I am going to be making more journals

and plan to reveal them here!

What is your favorite journal?

Did you make it or purchase it, and what

do you put in it? I love to receive comments,

so share your insights!

Have a colorful day...

Color Inspires Me

2011-10-22T14:21:00.002-04:00

A quilted art journal cover

made similar to Teesha Moore's technique~

making little 'pillows' and then sewing

them together in an

unplanned composition.

You can see video of Teesha's

Fabric Journal Workshop here.

As a traditional quilter, it was hard to

avoid carefully planning it all out,

especially the crazy haphazard non-matchy

stitching to connect the pillows together.

But I do like the colors and the beads

and the texture of the quilting...

Click on any image to see more detail.

The back of the cover is one piece, and I

just started quilting with the contrasting

colors of floss in circular patterns,

without marking the pattern ahead of time.

I will put watercolor pages inside, probably

one or two signatures with a pamphlet stitch binding.

Above, a collage in my 9" x 12" art journal.

I am trying to use up scraps I've saved.

I generally don't use magazine images,

but the intricate scroll work in this gate

was just too good to pass up.

Acrylic on cardstock, collage & magazine images,

white gel pen on black cardstock.

Have a colorful day!

Art Journal Pages

2011-10-15T12:42:00.003-04:00

Art Journal pages

in the 9" x 12" journal.

Above, background of craft acrylics,

phone book pages and

gesso, with watercolor drawing

added last.
Click on any image to
view enlargement.

Above: Random magazine clippings,

painted papers, a map

and collage images combined

to create this page.

Above: The word 'signs' came first.

It was from a poster that I had made

for a talk that I gave. I tried to think

of as many phrases as I could

with that word in it ...

Craft acrylic background, scrapbook papers,

phone book clippings, watercolor and

acrylic painted papers, and

Sharpie pen.

What signs do you look for?

Pink, Red and Yellow

2011-10-09T10:46:00.001-04:00

Pages in my little pink journal, above:

gesso, craft acrylic paint, Sharpie pen,

and hot pink gel pen on pink paper.

(Click on the image for a larger view)

Beautiful pages received from Jan

at Dandelionanddaisy

for the Color Swap.

The colors I chose were red, pink,

and yellow. Lovely interpretation!

Relief prints have a unique look

that I love,

and the paintings and collages

are full of texture.

Another great print on the tag,

this one in several colors.

Thank you Jan!

Color Swap

2011-10-05T10:04:00.001-04:00

Color swap pages for Jan at

Dandelion and Daisy.

The colors she chose were

pink and orange.

Couldn't resist using my stash of

fabrics, and embellishing them

with embroidery for texture.

Photo images are from a

collage sheet. (unknown source)

Dresden plate quilt pieces

showed up on this page...

I enjoy the combination of

fabric and paper, and stitching

through both. Some of the stitching

is drawn on in Sharpie pen.

The tag for the pocket

used a tag from the office supply store

painted and collaged.

Sharpie pen 'stitching'

around the edges.

I hope your day

is filled with color!

Collage and Quotes

2011-10-04T14:41:00.001-04:00

I realized that my desire to

fill my journal with complex

two-page spreads was

leaving my art journal a bit empty.

So I've been working backwards

in the journal and doing quick collages

and quotes on the back side

of some of the pages.

You may remember the monsters

from the Index Card a Day challenge...

I thought of them when I wrote down

this quote and glued the card

into my art journal.

A piece of art made years ago

when I was trying out

rubber stamping as a medium.

There are lots of drawings

and doodles too...

This was torn from a drawing pad/sketchbook

and collaged into my journal.

Art at Random

2011-09-28T07:35:00.003-04:00

Sketch of a 2 year-old...

they don't sit still much!

Pencil in my pink journal...

(double click on any image for enlargement)

Day of the Dead postcard.

Mixed media: fabric, watercolor and pen.

Notes from my visit to the art museum

(before they made me stop sketching

in the exhibit). Pen on index card.

Watercolor added when I returned home.

What random art did you make today?

Stacks of Art Journals and Books

2011-09-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

Seth at the Altered Page

invited his readers to post about their

"stacks."

Shown above are a couple of art journals

that I made myself.

The blue one is from watercolor paper,

modeled on Teesha Moore's fabulous journals.

The journal on the right is the one

with the pink pages that I've been working in recently.

It is small enough to fit into my purse,

and I've been taking it everywhere to

draw in when I have some time.

On the left, a fabric covered art journal

with watercolor pages. It's pieced, painted,

collaged, sewn and heavily embellished.

I haven't started working

in this one yet. On the right, a fabric and

paper journal, in scrappy-sewn-painted-

collaged-abundance. The cover fabric

was an upholstery remnant that was very

abstract and painterly.

Some older art journals and sketchbooks.

In college, a sketchbook was a place for

preliminary drawings and plans for larger

projects. That concept has evolved somewhat!

The black ring binder on top holds pages made from

recycled cardboard that are

gessoed, painted and collaged.

Another view of a stack of art journals.

The green cover is the Scrappy Green Journal

that Elizabeth made, and that I

have delighted in filling up with even more stuff.

The blue hardback was a purchased journal

with flimsy pages...not really intended for

mixed media. But I filled it up anyway

and it's really my favorite so far.

My journals tend to be scattered about,
so this is a selection of favorites,
rather than a
comprehensive documentation.

I added a self-tie closure to this journal cover.

These journals are often displayed in my living room

on the bookcase, along with the many books and

magazines that I use for inspiration. You can see

the stack of index cards on top from the

Index Card a Day challenge, this summer.

"The Book of Knowledge" is an ongoing project. I have

two more spreads to do, but somehow they haven't

happened yet. I removed the cover from the book, and

am making accordion style pages. The Book of Ornament

is a terrific source for decorative motifs.

Several hand-made books, and

collaborative books are also shown.

Another view of some collaborative books,

made from swap pages.

I didn't include any photos of my

altered books this time. I will

save that for another post.

Visit Seth's blog to see other

bloggers' "stacks."

Sewing Projects

2011-09-18T12:23:00.002-04:00

Inspired by some photos tagged on Pinterest,

I decided I had been neglecting my needlework.

(I have been working on a baby quilt, but as the

baby isn't due until several months from now,

the surprise musn't be spoiled by showing

the finished quilt too soon.)

Some adorable 'pinkeeps' which I have

always called pincushions, are showing up

on blogs, and I really love them. This one

was created from a traditional border pattern

found in The Complet Book of Cross Stitch

by Eleanor Van Zandt. I've used this pattern

many times to make bookmarks. It's fast and easy,

so I decided to try my hand at this

'drum' shaped pincushion.

It's taller and thinner than the examples I saw,

but turned out well, I think. Stuffed within an inch

of its' life to make it stand up! (weighted with a couple

of nickels inside the bottom to make it stable!)

The cross-stitched bookmarks are stiffened

with fabric glue on the end of large paper clips.

They have cotton fabric for backing.

I made a dozen of these in one evening.

Let dry overnight, and then trim close to stitching.

A diversion from my paper arts...

but will be returning to that soon.

Must get my Halloween swaps ready!

Art Journal Pages

2011-09-16T08:55:00.003-04:00

Pages from the Pink Journal...

Whenever I hear the rock song "Barracuda"

I think of drawing something like this.

I finally tried it.

Not sure it is finished, as there

is still room at the bottom of the page!

I was tempted to draw an image

of the auto, Barracuda,

but cars are not something I like

to draw...we'll see.

What do you think? Does it need

something more?

Facing page of the Barracudas...

a medieval inspired dragon

and motifs.

Pages in the Scrappy Green Journal

that Elizabeth made, in which I am

creating art.

It has become heavily embellished

with texture, color, drawings,

and ephemera. It's getting quite fat,

so spaces between signatures

is a good thing to help compensate!

Vintage fabric in

the spread on the right is from a

dress of my grandmother's.

Another spread in the scrappy green journal,

the yarn on the right side is from another page,

but I just left it in the scan. Drawings from

Vogue magazine. Not sure why these shoes

fascinate me. Perhaps it's because I don't

know how anyone can walk in them. The boot

in the 'foreground' was on the page

that Elizabeth created.

Elizabeth included two pages in this journal

of a line drawing of a Campbell's soup can.

I don't know if it was intentional or not,

but I love them! Andy Warhol art is

always entertaining, so I enjoyed searching

for appropriate quotes and

coloring the pages. Above, soup can

number two.

Soup can number one, shown in a

previous post.

Seth Aptor is going to feature

"Stacks" on his blog next week.

On Wednesday, September 21, 2011,

visit The Altered Page to see stacks

of journals, sketchbooks,

hand-made books, altered books,

and book art. Seth will have

links to participating artists' sites.

I will be featuring photos of

my stacks of journals on this blog,
so plan to visit me!

Art Journal Pages in Pink

2011-09-07T10:43:00.001-04:00

Flower 'body' on the left image

inspired by Folk Art flowers.

Helen Keller quote on the right...she was

a courageous person, and

I felt it went with the

'soaring' image.

craft acrylic, watercolors,

and Sharpie pen on

pink drawing paper.

Vintage Halloween Inspiration

2011-09-04T12:11:00.002-04:00

Watercolor and pen~

inspired by images on Flickr

of vintage Halloween collectables...
paper lanterns and candy containers.
The ghost was a candle...

I can almost hear the

Trick-or-Treaters approaching!

Index Card Finale

2011-09-01T11:08:00.001-04:00

A little drawing every day....

keeps the monsters at bay.

Remember...

what is your story?

Asian Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art

2011-08-30T12:08:00.004-04:00

I had the pleasure of re-discovering

The Cleveland Museum of Art this summer.

Admission to the museum is free!

(Parking in the garage is not, but if you arrive

early, parking on the street for free may be possible)

I was pleased to discover that

on the day we would be visiting,

there was an exhibition of Asian art,

one of my favorites.

The exhibit was called

"The Lure of Painted Poetry."

Click on any image to enlarge.

Above, the listing of other exhibits...

I didn't have time to see them all as

carefully as I would like.

The Asian exhibit was breathtaking. The lighting

in the gallery was very low in order to avoid damage

to the fragile paintings on silk and paper.

Most of the work was quite faded, in muted

tones of black, brown, and sometimes a little color.

But after all, some of the work was dated

as early as 1470, during the Ming dynasty!

The economy of line in these inked scrolls

was impressive, suggesting so much

with just enough line, form and space.

Postcard- 'Old Pine Tree'

One of my favorite motifs is the somewhat

scraggly trees clinging to the sides of mountains.

I seem to remember from my college art history classes

that these represent the 'spirit of tenacity'

in both nature and mankind...

surviving life's storms with dignity.

Post card - 'One of Eight Views of Xiao and Xiang Rivers, 1788

I had my index cards with me and took a few notes,

and made a few tiny sketches. As I began to sketch

a tree from one of the scrolls, a museum guard came over

and said, "Ma'am, we've been instructed not to permit

sketching in the exhibit. I'm sorry."

How embarrassing. No photographs I understand.

But no sketching? Seriously?

I guess they wanted to sell more exhibition books

in their gallery shop. I was quite nonplussed.

Post card- One of Eight Views of Xiao and Xiang Rivers, 1788

I had earlier seen a mother and two elementary-aged

daughters in the same exhibit, sketching in little journals

and thought how wonderful that the mother was encouraging

such an appreciation for art. I wonder
if they got 'caught' too? Sketching was permitted
throughout the rest of the museum. I even saw
one gentleman doing a small painting of the

landscape painting in front of him.
I can only guess how long it had

taken him, but he was doing quite well, and

was almost finished when I saw his work.

One of my favorite scrolls was quite a large piece,

which portrayed a "Painting Party." Of course I

can't find my notes on it now...but it was a lively

portrayal of calligraphy and landscape painters who

had gotten together to paint, view and evaluate

each other's work. Brilliant! Sounds like

an event that I would love to attend.

Maybe something like a workshop, though I

suspect there was no monetary charge...

In Asian art, carrying on the traditions of

generations of artists was an important aspect

of their art. Perhaps that will be a post

for another day...

I also thoroughly enjoyed viewing Picasso,

Van Gogh, Braque, Matisse and Warhol. It is quite

an excellent museum. Just remember to ask a guard if

sketching is permitted, before you whip out your

art journal and pen!

Pages in Pink

2011-08-27T18:47:00.002-04:00

You know that swap I was talkin' about
in the last post?

I got pages in the mail today from

Halle, of Halle's Hobbies.
She forgot to take pictures before
she sent them off, so intent was she
to get them to me quickly...
so here they are. Must share
the color fun...

I chose my colors to be

Hot Pink! and red, and

whatever other bright colors

the artist chose...

I know hot pink isn't everone's

cup of tea, but I am very fond of it!

The cutest house...and the

'music'...

"Feel the rhythm of home."

Superb.

Thank you Halle.

Asian Art Swap Pages

2011-08-26T12:38:00.002-04:00

My friend Elizabeth, of Altered Book Lover fame,

organized a swap with a few folks to trade pages

with the theme to be chosen by each artist

for the pages they will receive. Rikae

has received her pages in the mail,

so I can show them to you without

spoiling any surprises...

Rikae chose Asian art as her theme,

using the color Jade, with touches of

red and blue. Since there are many

shades of Jade, I just kind of winged it!

The image above was inspired by

art work that I saw at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

It is supposed to be a bird with its head

tucked beneath its wing. The silhouette of

bamboo is a classic oriental theme, as is

the image of plum blossoms.

This quote seemed appropriate,

and the decorations are from a wonderful

book called "The Grammar of Ornament"

by Owen Jones. I frequently use it for

design inspiration!

The pocket, above, was made from some fabric

with an oriental-style design. The leaves are

detailed in gold thread.

The tag shows a design from a

Columbus Museum of Art porcelain

piece, that is featured in a booklet I

brought home from one of my visits.
The quote is from the Cleveland exhibit.

My bookcase is fairly overflowing with booklets,

free postcards, and books from my visits to

exhibits! But they are a great resource...

The back of the tag explains the inspiration

sources for each of the pages

What themes are favorites

for your art inspiration?

American Folk Art Index Cards

2011-08-26T10:41:00.002-04:00

This week I had trouble doing one

index card each day...

so I did several in one day.

Not the idea of the challenge, I know,

but made me feel like I was

still staying on track.

All of these index cards were inspired

by folk art.

I bought a book at our local library sale

called "American Folk Decoration" by Jean Lipman.

The first copyright date was 1951!. My book is

a reprint from 1972. Most of the images

in the book were black and white, however,

with one color plate in the front giving

recommendations for authentic colors to be

used in the designs.

I've given them my own 'twist.' One thing I

really like about folk art is that the artists tended to

load up several leaf and flower designs on one stem.

And flowing curlicues abound on some of the designs.

Many folk art designs are symmetrical, which

means that the design would have a central motif

with the designs on either side of it being a

mirror of each other. But I personally prefer

asymmetrical designs.

'Lady Washington.' This is inspired

by a historic sampler which showed both

Lady and General Washington. I

"prettied her up" a bit, as the original

looked a bit like a man wearing a dress!

The head-dress and sleeves are

quite high style for the times

I suppose...

Another folk art flower...

the top and bottom flowers are

designs that have developed over

years of making these.

I often try to incorporate as many

shapes and curlicues as possible

into one flower!

Hope your day blooms with art!

Visit the 'DaisyYellow' blog to see

more index card art.

Stack O' Cards - Index Card a Day

2011-08-24T21:24:00.003-04:00

Here are a few photos of

my stack of "Index Card a Day" cards.

The black spiral book is a pad of cards

that I've done from 2006 up to 2011.

A few every so often.

If you want to see some of the previous index cards
you can see them here, and here.

The stack in front is what I've done

this June, July and August, 2011!

Adds up to a lot when you do one

every day...

Here's the whole stack in one pile,

next to a bottle of water

to give you an idea of the size.

If you look closely in the photos,

you'll see that this Friday's post

for ICAD will feature index cards

inspired by American Folk Art Decoration.

Stop by again to see the close-ups!

Index Card A Day (ICAD) Update

2011-08-19T08:04:00.000-04:00

"Ticket"

mixed media collage

"Color Burst"

watercolor and Sharpie pen

"Crazy Cake"

Sharpie pen and watercolor

"Smile"

Sharpie pen

"Pink Lady"

mixed media collage

"Silhouettes"

Sharpie pen, scrapbook paper, ribbon

"Antiques"

in Sharpie pen...

I should have taken photos too, but

failed to do so. Sketch of the many

vintage things to be found in an

antique mall.

Art Journal Pages in Pink

2011-08-17T17:39:00.001-04:00

Bought some

Canson Mi Tientes paper

on sale at our local

Art supply/craft store. They were a real bargain

and I couldn't resist a few sheets.

It made beautiful little art journals,

though working on colored backgrounds

is a bit different for me...

A 'doodle' drawn on the back of

a bit of paper, then combined into

a collage with painted paper.

Enjoy your last bit of summer!

Index Card A Day (ICAD)

2011-08-13T17:10:00.002-04:00

"Movement"

watercolor and Sharpie pen

(above)

"Three Children"

collage with fabric and painted paper

(above)

"Broken Heart 2"

collage with painted papers

(above)

"Zebra Pen"

drawn in ball point pen &

with Sharpie marker

(above)

"Broken Heart 1"

collage with painted & stamped papers

(above)

"Questions"

watercolor and assorted papers

(below)

Make an appointment with yourself

to be creative every day!

A Week of Pink Index Cards

2011-08-05T18:50:00.002-04:00

"Roses and Leaf" (above)

As I was scanning my

'Index Card a Day' art work

I realized there was a lot

of pink. Not a bad thing,

but not intentional.

"Pink Moon and Spiral" (above)

The scraps that were on my table

were from the 'pink assortment.'

And I just went with what

was at hand.

"Self-Portrait" (above)

I am out of practice...

eyes are too close together

and the glasses are too small.

But there is a resemblance...

"Pink Circles" (above)

Painted papers, scrapbook papers,

watercolor.

"Pink and Green" (above)

Acrylic on fabric, painted papers,

and Sharpie pen.

"Dress Sketch"

Sharpie pen

"Grass Silhouette"

Painted papers and

card stock scraps.

"Collage with Heads"

Fabric, stitching, stamping,

painted paper, and a

commercial collage sheet image.

(sorry, don't know the source, it was a gift)

"Cultivate Community"

Sharpie pen, striped fabric,

collage paper, magazine clipping.

I filled up the spiral index card pad,

and these are loose cards. They definitely

are easier to scan. Still haven't tired

of the challenge and am enjoying getting

in a quick art exercise each day!

Thanks to DaisyYellow for

the challenge and the prompts!

Another Art Journal

2011-08-03T20:53:00.002-04:00

As I've mentioned before, I have several

art journals going at once...

this one was given to me by a dear friend

who saw it at a yard sale, and thought

it would be perfect for me.

So I am enjoying this little journal,

which is roughly 8" x 5."

The pages above utilize photocopies

of some drawings I did several

years ago, along with pen drawings

direct to page.

I tore out a few pages to make extra

room for collage pages,

which can get bulky after a few

accumulate in the journal.

The paper is rather like manilla paper,

so is probably not acid-free,

but I'm enjoying it anyway!

Not everything we do has to be archival...

pages above, watercolor and

Sharpie pen. Below, collage with

assorted papers, watercolor,

fabric and Sharpie pen.

What will you be when you grow up?

Some of us are still considering...

Index Cards for the End of July

2011-07-29T10:33:00.003-04:00

Cover created for my spiral

index card pad

of index card art. (above)

"Zodiac"

"Chinese Porcelain Ornament"

Various motifs combined in

one design.

"Brussel Sprouts"

"Milk Glass"

"Forty-six"

"Bb"

"Chair"

"Inspire"

Visit DaisyYellow to see more

index card art.

A New Book of Inspiration

2011-07-28T14:27:00.001-04:00

Christine Clemmensen had a give-away over

at her Blog a while back...

and I was the lucky winner!!

I received the US version of the book

Scraps, that she has co-authored with

Elsbeth Gynther. It is full of fun

and inspiration, and I love it!

It is not one of those step-by-step,

"make it my way" books, but a book that helps us

realize that collage is about "making choices."

The materials that you choose to create a collage

will determine the mood of the final outcome.

To quote some comments on the back cover:

"Scraps" is an enchanting book that illustrates

the transformative nature of collage."

~~Jenny Doh

"Scraps" is overflowing with visual eye candy, inspiration,

tips, and tricks you can use in your collages right away!

A perfect addition to any paper artist's library."

~~Claudine Hellmuth

I especially liked the fact that the authors included

a section in the book that gives a simple explanation

of composition, and some ideas for how to organize

your collage. To quote: "Viewers attain a certain calm

when their eyes are led around the composition."

Little sketches of the composition, or 'recipes' if you

are familiar with the scrapbooking term,

accompany several of the collages, so you

can see how the composition translates into

the actual art piece.

A wide variety of materials is shown in this book:

quirky and fun, exotic or vintage.

It is "An Inspirational Field Guide to Collage"

and an encouragement to trust your own abilities!

Both beginning and experienced mixed media artists

will find this book from Lark Books a delightful resource.

Christine also included some of her lovely postcards

and other ephemera in my prize package. Thank you

so much Christine! Please visit Christine's blog,

to view her gorgeous photos, and updates

on her creative pursuits.

Index Card Art

2011-07-22T21:50:00.005-04:00

I was having issues with Blogger last night...

or my computer is not happy in this heat!

Or all of the above, as I wasn't able to

add any text to my blog post, or even see the scan

on this post. Had to 'publish'

first and it was there on the blog, even though it didn't

show up on my Compose screen. Creepy.

The black and white background is a photocopy of

a drawing that I did several years ago, using Sharpie

markers. I cut up the photocopy and used portions

for this card. The berries were a scrap that I saved that

is acrylic on black card stock, hand-painted similar

to some medieval designs. The yellow & orange patterns

are origami paper. The flower is from patterned

tissue paper gift wrap. The bit of muslin was painted

with acrylics, and there is pink card stock behind it.

The bird came from on-line, but I apologize that I

don't know the source. These were all scraps that

I've saved and recently organized into zip lock

baggies by color.

Went to the Cleveland Museum of Art

this week and thoroughly enjoyed myself!

Stay tuned for some sketches, notes,

and information about my visit.

Color Swap

2011-07-17T23:10:00.003-04:00

Color swap pages for Cath in Cyprus.

Her color theme was yellow and black,

which made me think of sunflowers.

The face (above) is drawn in Sharpie

on a vintage piece of fabric, which had been

cut for a Dresden Plate quilt. The

yellow tag, below, fits in the pocket.
The sunflower is also done in Sharpie,
hand-drawn after a Kate Greenaway
illustration. The flower & leaf motif is
a hand-carved stamp from an eraser.

Halfway

2011-07-16T11:53:00.001-04:00

Celebrating the Half Way point

in the "Index Card a Day" challenge!

Index Card A Day (ICAD) Update

2011-07-15T08:42:00.003-04:00

'Pocket Change'

'Black and White'

'Documentation'

'Earrings'

'Lilies: Past Their Prime'

'In My Head'

Visit DaisyYellow to see

links to the other participant's

art work. Make some art today!

Collage and Drawing on Index Cards

2011-07-08T09:22:00.004-04:00

My index cards for June 30 through July 7, 2011

Stop by DaisyYellow's blog to see other participant's

index cards, or to join the challenge!

I have found that it is easier for me to

do several cards in a sitting, rather than

one per day. But I am trying to stick to 'one a day'

in order to make art every day.

Index cards are a great 'warm up' exercise.

Then I often move on to another project or

my art journal pages...

Trouble

2011-07-06T15:27:00.005-04:00

A new Art Journal spread,

watercolor, hand-carved and commercial stamps,

crayon-watercolor resist,

and Sharpie marker.

This spread was indirectly inspired

by visiting my friend Marlynn's blog,

Honeysuckle Breeze. She has been organizing,

straightening, and purging in her studio.

She mentioned watching the TV show

'Hoarders,' which I don't receive on my TV,

but after watching an episode on-line,

I really got motivated to start cleaning!

This spread was completed

after sorting through a stash of scraps

and magazine clippings.

I find it difficult to discard even the tiniest

piece of painted paper, because of the potential

that I see in it! The above tiny collage measures

1 1/2 inches x 1 1/2 inches, and is

located on the bottom left of the spread.

I did, however, throw away a lot of

magazine clippings, as I have resolved

to use my own drawings, images, and prints

as much as possible in my collages. I still have

a long way to go, but feel as though

I made a little progress!

Quilt Stars

2011-07-04T12:50:00.003-04:00

Index Card A Day

for the

4th of July
~Happy Birthday USA~

Watercolor and Sharpie marker

Traditional quilt star patterns:

Top left - Blazing Star; Top right - Ohio Star

Bottom left - Rising Star (simplified); Bottom right - Starry Paths

Index Card A Day (ICAD) -- Catching Up

2011-07-01T09:00:00.104-04:00

'Alphabet'

Collage with painted papers

and markers.

'Blues'

Collage with painted papers,

fabric, and marker.

'Pink and White'

Collage

'Yellow and White'

Collage

'Coffee (and thin bagel)'

Zig pigment pen

'Simple Pleasures'

Watercolor background,

markers and pens.

(I doodled this while listening to

a podcast of Teesha and Tracy Moore)

'Jeans'

Collage with fabric,

label and stamp

'Pink Sky'

Collage with painted fabric

and painted papers

'Rust'

Gel pen and chalk pastels

'Stitch'

Acrylic background, marker,

embroidery and fabric collage

'Watercolor Rose'

Sketched in pencil,

watercolor applied, let dry;

Pigma pen outlines

'Spring Flowers'

Watercolor, crayon,

and assorted pens

Since I started this challenge late,

I did two cards each of the six days this week,

so now I am caught up. Be sure

to visit Daisy Yellow to get the links to see

the work of the other challenge participants!

Art Journal Pages

2011-06-29T22:00:00.001-04:00

Remembrances of my grandmothers...

Watercolor background, scraps

of painted papers and scrapbook papers

in borders, with some pen work.

Click on any image to enlarge

Notes from an art textbook, below.

Couldn't resist adding some sketches...

This art journal seems to be filling

up with more writing than the previous journal.

For me, it's usually more about the art than

the writing. But I do like to get

information down in a place where I

can locate it again, and that's my

art journal!

Index Card A Day (ICAD)

2011-06-24T11:56:00.003-04:00

Elizabeth at Altered Book Lover blog

told me that there was an

Index Card A Day challenge going on

for the summer. I found it at

DaisyYellow's blog.

Card above, 'acrylics' prompt.

Circles

(Crayon and watercolor resist)

Scissors

(Zig permanent marker and watercolors)

Masking Tape

(Collage, Orange painter's masking tape)

Magic Marker

(Sharpie & Sanford Colorific Markers)

Collage

(Fabric, painted papers, scrapbook papers,

Inchie image from a collage sheet)

Collage and Drawing

2011-06-21T12:44:00.001-04:00

Mixed media collage on a 4 x 6 index card.

I buy them in a spiral pad so I can take

them with me. I can work on them

while on vacation or while waiting

for someone to get done with

an appointment. More fun than

looking at outdated magazines...

A drawing on ledger paper, with some

stamping, purchased tags, and

triangular banners of scrapbook paper,

and painted card stock.

A sketch for some canvases I am thinking

of painting. 3 tall skinny canvases, but

grouped together as one composition.

Colored pencil in my visual art journal.

The right hand larger circle is a light blue.

On my monitor it is too pale...

trying to use mauve, browns & tans

with accents of blue & purple.

Yesterday's post gave me some trouble,

and I don't know if it was Blogger or

operator error. It will disappear and

this takes its place.

A bit of a dry spell right now,

but hoping to make progress

and get into more drawing!

Rainbows in Ohio

2011-06-12T14:37:00.001-04:00

After the thunder, lightening, and

tornado warnings...

(no enhancements)

click on any image to enlarge.

Visual Journal Pages

2011-06-04T22:38:00.002-04:00

Watercolor and Sharpie marker

in my Art Journal.

Images inspired by Vogue magazine

fashion layouts, and

Kandinsky type motifs.

Love and an Editorial

2011-05-25T14:01:00.000-04:00

I think that we over use the word "love."

We say that we "love a color," or that we "love

a piece of art," when we really

mean that we take pleasure in it.

It is not a 'strong affection due to kinship'

or 'attraction based on sexual desire.'

It could be affection based on admiration,

benevolence or common interests,

as in "I love the work of

Teesha Moore." I don't think it's

"warm attachment, enthusiasm or devotion--

as in love of the sea "-- but it could be

I suppose...It's not Godly love or

brotherly love, or a love affair.

Definitely NOT a score of zero in

tennis. To hold dear, or cherish?

To thrive in? As in 'a rose thrives

in sunlight?'

I thrive as long as I can

make art.

(definitions from Webster's

collegiate dictionary)

Visual Art Journal Pages

2011-05-16T01:25:00.004-04:00

Above

A page in my spiral bound

visual art journal. Watercolor and pen.

A folk-art style drawing.
Click on any image to enlarge.

Pages from the Scrappy Green Journal.

Background inked and written over

in pen. White gel pen on

magazine illustration.

Bits of ephemera collaged on also.

Fun stitching provided by Elizabeth,

creating spaces to write...

Also in the Scrappy Green Journal:

Count your shoes...

the one with the most, wins!

"Fashion fades, only style

remains the same." ~Coco Chanel

Draw something today...

as the top page says, don't think about

what the thing that you are drawing is.

Just look at the shapes and spaces

in relationship to each other.

Draw from real life.

Practice. A lot.

It gets easier.

And more fun!

Fifties Fashion Tribute

2011-05-09T00:31:00.003-04:00


copyright A. Janet Burggraf Bishop

Drawings by my mother,

when she was in high school.

Pen and ink on paper,

with crayons or colored pencils.

Another post of my mom's
drawings is shown at right
in Popular Posts sidebar:
"Fifties Fashion."

Drawn from magazines or

dress patterns.

Click on any image to enlarge.

You can see the quality of the

lines. She used a pen nib

dipped in India ink.

Even in the fifties, it appears

that the models were extremely thin.

My mom always supported my desire

to make art. I drew paper dolls

and 'girls' when I was growing up too.

Thanks Mom!

Graffiti Art

2011-05-01T20:36:00.004-04:00

Graffiti artists create a 'Tag Name'
for themselves,
a sort of self-invention. Like other artists,
they want their name to be 'out there'~~
to make their name and their art
widely known and recognizable.

'Tag' to fit in a business-sized envelope. (above)

Used graffiti style lettering and images.

Craft acrylic paint, Zig pen,

and white gel pen. Inspired by
a graffiti wall with many layers of paint...

Back of tag.

Origami paper, scrapbook paper,

crayon resist & acrylic,

Zig pen & white gel pen.

The tag is to be removed

from the painted/stenciled

envelope below.

Letters stenciled directly onto

envelope painted with acrylics,

and also onto other pieces of

cardstock, then glued on.

Crayon and pen markings

added to background.

These are all part of the Scrappy Green Journal.

Elizabeth had included the yellow

Police Line tape, and I thought

"Why not Graffiti?"

I drew the little 'cartoon kid',

applied watercolor, then inked in.

Petroglyphs: Journal of Antiquities

2011-04-28T11:04:00.004-04:00


Petroglyph: Petro-combined form, meaning rock or stone; Glyphs-a shallow vertical channel or carved fluting. (Greek- glyphein: to carve)

After a recent movie night, where I watched
the DVD of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,
I decided that a Journal of Antiquities
would be a fun project. Indie's dad, Henry Sr.,
had spent years creating

a research journal of all the clues

to finding the Holy Grail. Of course it was
chased all the way through the movie
and passes through many hands,
both villain and hero...

cryptic clues, diagrams and

drawings make it pretty cool...

I purchased a small journal with
pages 3 1/2" x 5 1/2 ".

I began my search for treasure in a
reference book in our local library.
Amazing diagrams, photos,

maps and explanations fill the book...

Native Americans taking the time to
carve these in stone with
primitive tools must have been

a labor of love, or perhaps
a search for power...

The author of the book didn't claim to know

what these human figures represented.

I have to say it looks to me like there

is some hanky-panky going on!

Perhaps a fertility drawing?

~~~

My antiquities 'research' will continue as

I am fond of ancient cultures and their art:

Egyptian, Mayan, Native American.

There may be some European religious Icons to

be drawn and admired.

Take the journey with me...

Scrappy Journal

2011-04-20T10:00:00.019-04:00

Looking back, moving forward...

Well said, Vincent...

Graffiti Dragon

2011-04-15T13:30:00.003-04:00

Highlighter and marker in

Trying out "Graffiti style" lettering

and drawing. I was thinking of

'Puff the Magic Dragon'

but realized there could be

other unintentional connotations...

I'm not a tobacco (or otherwise) smoker,

so just think of this as fire-breathing

dragon smoke.

Very reminiscent of my art work

when I worked for a Tee-shirt

transfer company.

Not exactly like graffiti, but a fun experiment.

I wouldn't be fast enough to actually

paint a 'tag' on anything

without getting caught...not into

danger, vandalism, or gang signs,

but definitely intrigued by street art.

I often wonder what it would be like

to put my work over one of those

ugly billboards beside the freeway?

Art Journal Collage

2011-04-07T16:34:00.001-04:00

More pages in the

Scrappy Green Journal created by

Elizabeth of Altered Book Lover.

I enjoy getting to work

on the substrates that she

made as they are often

unexpected and stretch my

skills in new ways.

The square with bird & Tweet is

a pocket which can hold

tags or other bits of

ephemera. I don't "Tweet"

but couldn't resist the

word and the bird together...

I've never outgrown paper dolls.

These are a couple that I just

did this week. Maybe it's silly

but it's "my party, and I'll make

paper dolls if I want to."

This one has a fashion magazine

face, drawn over with marker.

I drew the face on this one--

it has a watercolor background,

stamping, drawing, and a

wallpaper scrap glued on.

In other news, I got a small journal in which

to start making mysterious drawings

and diagrams, ala Henry Jones.

(Indiana Jones dad)

I am going to start with diagrams of

Native American glyphs from

the Ohio river area...

who knows what treasures will

be uncovered?

Jokers and Jesters for April Fool's Day

2011-03-31T13:27:00.001-04:00

Drawing in my index card book.

Sharpie marker, extra fine point.

Page of an altered book spread in

a book of seasons and holidays.

Gesso over scrapbook paper, Sharpie

marker drawing, and some

clippings of architecture from an

art history book. The jester is

a photocopy of a drawing that I did,

and the arch is actually raised from

the background with pieces of

adhesive foam.

Opposite page of spread, featuring

drawings of medieval style

decoration.

The original drawing in pencil.

I photocopied, darkened with pen,

and reduced it in size for the

altered book spread.

A sketch in one of my journals

of an idea for an art doll...

haven't attempted this one yet.

May all your jokes today

be fun and funny!

Indian Art Swap Pages

2011-03-25T13:21:00.005-04:00

A watercolor that I painted

which was inspired by

some images of ancient Indian

art works shown in my old

Asian Art History textbook.

I combined ideas from

two or three works.

Sharpie extra fine point

black marker outlines the images.
I really like the texture created
by the white gel pen semicircles
in the grass...

A photocopy of the

illustration of the head of a sculpture
depicting a queen.

I colorized the photocopy with

chalk pastels, then stamped

over the pastels with watercolor,

and finally 'fixing' the pastels

with cheap hairspray as a fixative.

The atc is a color copy on cardstock

from the watercolor.(top of this post) The tag is

stamped on scrapbook paper,

and has an Indian proverb

hand-written on the front.

On the back (not shown) I wrote

information about the art I created,

and the art that inspired me.

The back page is covered in cotton fabric,

creating a pocket for both the tag

and the atc. The red pocket is a

satin-backed crepe, for which I used

the wrong side of the fabric -- because

I liked the richness of the shiny side.

Hand embroidery, purchased trim,

and metal embellishment complete

the page.

There was also another page which

was created with a greeting card that

depicted an Indian goddess, but

since I did no altering to the image

and just embellished with some gold

lace and silk flowers, I do not show it here

to avoid copyright infringement.

The rich colors of these pages
were a lot of fun for me,
and following a theme that
someone else has chosen is
a challenge that helps me grow.

Romantic Era Art: Art Journal Pages

2011-03-21T11:54:00.002-04:00

Image inspired by a

work by Johann Friedrich Overbeck

in the book

Art of the Romantic Era by M. Brion.

Watercolor and Sharpie marker.

Overbeck postulated the ideals of art,

which he termed 'The Brotherhood.'

Michelangelo represented imagination,

beauty represented by Raphael,

and nature represented by Durer

were what Overbeck termed

the 'three ways of art.'

A scene also inspired from

the same book, an illustration

of a work by Calame

called 'Mountain Landscape.'

I have been thinking that a

small visual journal with ancient

glyphs, symbols, and archiological

notes would be an interesting

project to create -- similar to

the one Indiana Jones' dad had

made in one of the movies.

Inspiration for visual art

comes from many places...

old books that someone gives you or

that you find in a library sale,

images of other artists' work,

ancient civilizations,
fashion magazines, a favorite theme,

and even the movies!

Painted Paper Collage from Scraps

2011-03-17T23:36:00.003-04:00

Collage created using painted paper

on a 4" x 6" index card.

Lines were added using

Sharpie extra fine tip marker.

Another collage on an index card.

Resist technique done by drawing

circles and swirls in crayon, then painting

over them with watercolor

or acrylics.

Wrinkled paper is a scrap from

a glimmer mist project.

Scraps can make a striking

work of art.

Inspirations for Art Journaling

2011-03-09T16:20:00.003-05:00

Inspiration for these journal pages came

from a fashion magazine, the phrase

"pear-shaped figure," and an affection for

paper dolls and interesting quotes.

I couldn't resist putting the pear-shaped

body beneath the fashion-ad inspired head,

when in the glossy magazines, they

are usually pencil-thin!

The woman's figure was painted in

watercolor on watercolor paper, then cut

out and glued onto the page.

A watercolor background was

shaded with soft pastels after

adding the text in Sharpie marker

and mauve gel pen.

The pose of the figure is not ballet...

I have been in physical therapy for a

frozen shoulder, and this is a

painful reminder of the stretches I

must do to get back my mobility!

Again, a page motivated by a fashion magazine.

I find the graphics, layouts and photography

quite inspiring, though the clothes are

often just weird. The turban is inspired

by African styles, and the flowers are

inspired by American folk-art designs.

If you've ever looked at Pennsylvania

Dutch designs or early American

birth and marriage certificates,

they can provide a wealth of ideas for

art journals and decoration.

Sunflower Swap Pages

2011-02-27T15:00:00.011-05:00

Watercolor and pen on

watercolor paper. Top image

inspired by Willem de Morgan's

sunflower tiles - 1880's.

Bottom image after Van Gogh's

Two Sunflowers - 1887.

Christmas card c. 1880 by

Georgina Koberwein Terrell;

stamp from EraGraphics.

Fabric collage using

buttons and embroidery.

Pocket with a tag

and a folding ATC.

Folding ATC inspired by Kawamura Kiho,

Sunflower 1824.

Tag includes handmade paper,

pen drawing, fabric & charm.

Quote by Vincent Van Gogh.

Art Journal Potential

2011-02-20T14:56:00.001-05:00

More pages in the scrappy

Green Journal...

A word of Potential: "If"

Crumpled paper sprayed with

Glimmer Mists. A color copy of

a drawing from a previous art journal,

and a quote from the song

"Closing Time"

by Semisonic...

Scraps of photos

left over from a scrapbook

made after last year's trip

to Panama City Beach.

Brings back memories of

the soothing sound of waves,

and the gentle colors of

sand and water...

just what I need after

all the snow of this winter!

Valentines

2011-02-13T23:02:00.001-05:00

The Princess Valentine

that I created for my granddaughter...

and the Ninja Valentine

that I created for my grandson.

Both images are original watercolors

on watercolor paper, then mounted

on a fabric background and adhered

to a plain greeting card.

Blessings to you

on Valentine's Day!

Swap Pages

2011-02-09T16:24:00.002-05:00

Here are some swap pages that I received

from a private swap that I'm in. My theme

is Mexican folk art, and these lovely

pages were created by Kathy.

Kathy doesn't have a blog of

her own, so I am showing them here.

There is also gold glitter that doesn't

show up in this scan,

and there are charms

dangling on the right side.

The fiesta page is covered with squares

of tissue paper, just like a pinata.

The tissue flower and paper 'candy'

make this a fun page!

Kathy included a

quote by Frida Kahlo:

"I paint self-portraits because

I am so often alone, and

because I am the person

I know best."

Kathy's decorated skull doodled in black pen,

and lovely black feathers with ribbon

and beads in the corner.

Thank you Kathy! These will be

wonderful additions to my book.

I plan to show the other pages I've received

when I get them put together as a book.

In the meantime, I have pages with

sunflowers to create for the

next 'round' of the swap!

New Art Journal

2011-02-04T12:31:00.002-05:00

Spread in my new art journal:

acrylic, painted papers, marker,

pastels, collage images...

watercolor, inchie collages,

hand-carved stamps,

and vintage papers.

This journal has heavier paper and

is spiral bound. It's larger in

page size than the last journal

I used, which unfortunately means

the entire page doesn't quite fit

on my scanner. I was hoping the paper

wouldn't buckle when I painted it.

It still buckles, but flattens out nicely

when weighted overnight beneath a

stack of heavy books.

I found myself hesitant to create

the first page in the new art journal...

so I made a collage on a separate

piece of paper and then glued it into

the new journal. One way of

overcoming those blank

pages and wanting

the first piece to be "good."

Art Journal Pages

2011-01-29T18:45:00.002-05:00

Continuing to work in the Green Scrappy Journal
that Elizabeth sent me.

'Plunge into Life' is created on top of

a page made from brown paper bag.

The next page shows the tags

peeking out of the paper bag opening,

and from behind the cardstock that

had been sewn to it.

One side of the larger tag is above.

The quote was torn from an old

psychology textbook.

A quote written on hand-painted paper

is on the other side of the large tag.

I made this paper while

painting with poster paints with

my grandson one day...
you can see the crayon resist
beneath the paint on the right side.

I love this quote...

Go throw some paint!