"Transitions" - Light and Dark

One of my online groups chose the theme challenge for the month of June - Light and Dark.  It had me for a while. Couldn't get inspired.

I had previously done a piece on white paper with black printing ink, white paint and Pigma pen called "Directions."  This piece was inspired by that artwork but in the opposite.  I used black fabric, white molding paste (which gave it some texture), Pigma pen and white paint (just for the white dots). The title of this piece is....

Transitions

Directions

(the piece that inspired the art above)

And the Snow Tree is done!

FINISHED!! Have to say...this is one of my favorites. The theme for this challenge was Snow.  After receiving a foot of the beautiful white stuff. I was inspired both for the technique (snow dyeing) and the subject matter.

I cut the tree out of a white-on-black commercial fabric, I had a stone fabric which made a perfect wall. The snow is cut from all black-on-white commercial fabric. Each piece is individually applied to the background as raw edge applique.  I love the feel of a cold gray day the background gives, with big clumps of wet snow clinging where it can.  I also like how the wavy cut of the woven fabric background gives a feel of the cold winds of winter in the frozen northland.

The front fabric is folded to the back and stitched instead of a usual binding.  I didn't want to break up the tree or distract from it.

SNOW  TREE

12" X 12"

When Inspiration Hits!

The latest challenge for the 12 X 12 pieces is the theme - OPPOSITES. You might think that would be an easy one, right? Perhaps so. However, I struggled with it for weeks now and was just not coming up with something that excited me.


Until today. At my wit's end, I decided to google OPPOSITES just to see what might show up....maybe an idea to work from...or maybe even inspiration! One of the first selections was a list of opposites. Well....that sounded promising!! And sure enough, the light dawned, birds sang, euphoria filled the studio!!!

I decided to use a few of the opposites in one art piece!! Well....when I started looking and thinking, I came up with more than a few.

So here it is...I had a black and white piece I did for a project a couple of years ago. I started with that (the Picasso-esque man and woman in the woven textile background. Then I cut and added the strips for the left side and top.

FOURTEEN OPPOSITES

Yep...you read it correctly!!! There are actually 14 opposites in this one piece. Can you find all of them? I'll get you started....one of them is Black/White. The other 13 are up to you to find. That's why I put it on this post as a large photo. Some of the opposites are perhaps not as easily seen as others. A couple of them are a bit subtle. But they are all visible!! One I ditched (natural/synthetic) because it would not be discernable in a photo.

Good luck! I'll publish the list on November 1 so you can check your list!

Directions

Funny, when I dropped by today to post one of my latest art pieces I realized I must be on a Black and White theme lately!  (see previous post) Hadn't noticed really.

Anyway, I was in one of my "I wonder what would happen if...." moods recently and felt inspired to try something similar to a piece I saw somewhere (can't remember where at the moment - it was just in passing). So I got out my black printing ink, black pigma pen, white ink and a credit card (art is about the best use for one I think!)  And here is what I ended up with. The title is "Directions". Some of the directions of the ink smears seemed headed in all different directions so I just extended them. Then the texture of the swiped ink needed extensions of the black lines or even new directions of their own. I'm very happy with the results. Only problem....printing ink when applied in this manner takes FOREVER to dry completely!! And those of you who know me are familiar with just how much patience is NOT one of my sterling virtues! But I managed...this time!

DIRECTIONS



Journal January 2011 - Day 11

Yes it's been two weeks!  This cough/cold has really hit hard and long.  Day 18 and no relief in sight.  But life and creativity must go on!!!  So, I'm getting back into the studio and working on my Journal January 2011 art journal.  Needless to say...too far behind now to ever even dream of catching up but I just want to keep doing the journal for now and see how it goes.

This is day 11 and is across from day 10. The edge you see on the left of this photo is where I carried over day 10 - just cuz I wanted to.  Back to mostly black and white for the Crossword Puzzle page. This is the first time I've played with my Pentel Aquash brush.  I think there is more of a learning curve than I anticipated. But I did get better by the end of this page and THINK I know a bit more what I'm doing with it. So, here it is -- Day 11.

Journal January 2011 - Day 11 - Crossword Puzzle



Journal January 2011 - Day 10

I know I'm four days behind! But I had some projects that HAD to get out the door to meet deadlines! But today I'm back!

Day 10 is a Dragonfly.  There really is a Twelve Spotted (or Striped) Dragonfly!  Who knew??  With the black and white stripes it goes so well with the Zebra as a Design Element theme.  Also, I planned to have the dragonfly to be seen in the reverse view of the Stripey Window. (one of the advantages to being behind!!) 

Working on some other projects tonight and hoping to get to day 11 tomorrow! I desperately need to get two done on a couple of days to at least get CLOSE to getting caught up!

Journal January 2011- Day 10 - Dragonflly

Dragonfly seen through the reverse view of Stripey Windows

Journal January 2011 - days 3 and 4

Journaling using the zebra as a design element has proven to be very interesting.  I hope to have the link button on my blog soon.  My techie muse has vanished on this one!

Day 3 - Lino print of zebra elements

I had some lino product that I had never tried.  Just small pieces to try out so this project was perfect for that.  Let's just say that if I had used this product for my first lino cut....I would have NEVER made a second!  But I struggled through and completed the project the way I liked it.



Day 4 - Draw a face that has zebra elements

On day 3 I was thinking of how the wrinkles on my face are similar to the zebra stripes.  That lead to the inspiration for today's journal page.

This is the full page "When Did I Grow Old?"

The "old" side - The way I look on the outside

The "young" side - The way I FEEL on the inside.  I CHOOSE to live HERE!



Journal January Day 2

Still working a day behind as far as posting the journal pages on my blog.  I was working on this on into the night so it didn't get photographed and posted until today.  It will probably be the same for day 3!  LOL! These take a bit of time and I have to take breaks to work on other stuff that has deadlines looming.  Anyway, here is day 2 - The New Year brings a New Perspective.

Still working on the zebra as design inspiration.  Part one was to zendoodle a zebra mandala.  Part two was to cut up and use that mandala to design the journal pages.  I did a two page spread on this one.

Zebra Zendoodle Mandala

The New Year brings a New Perspective

Now onto day 3!!!



January Journal 2011 - Day 1

Like I need another project but this one I just couldn't pass up.  In Milliande's group she is doing a January Journal 2011.  We started with Z for zebra for the inspiration.  Each day has a new art prompt.  Haven't finished day 2 yet but here is day 1.  Will post day 2 and 3 tomorrow.

1-1-11 Z is for Zebra

Here is my first journal page.

Nuturing Creativity - Week 34 and NEW ATCs

I chose this card earlier and had planned to post it earlier but ended up with a weird week that vanished into thin air somehow!!

Anyway here it is:

Change Your Limitations

Work in another medium! Well, I think drawing experiments qualify for this one BIG TIME!  Oh, I haven't drawn my newest face yet.  BUT, I did sell some note cards so had enough to go to the art store and purchase some real sketching pencils and a pad!!  Now to get busy on that little past time!

Have completed a couple of ATCs this week and thought you might enjoy seeing them.  The first one is for the Birthday ATC swap for September birthdays and the other ones are for an Illuminated Alphabet swap.  I really enjoyed doing the research on that one. These are from historic manuscripts where they made rather ornate and interesting and larger first letters of the chapter, line, or page.  Had seen this technique before and found it very interesting but have never even THOUGHT about doing it myself.  Sounded like a fun way to get outside my comfort zone! The first swap is for A B C and D.

September is PIANO MONTH!!!  So here is the slightly blurry card for the September birthday people!!

Illuminated A, B, C and D

More Doodling

Doodles, Zendoodles, Zentangles....whatever you call them....they are fun, relaxing and addicting!! These are a few of the lateset ATCs I've done in the evenings. They are all Pigma Micron pen on fine grain watercolor paper. All of these are available for trade except the last one.

Celebration

Spin Out

Sad Puppy (can you see this little sad puppy? Poor little thing....)

OOObird in a Cage (see the two eyes and the tail and wings? The O mouth? He's a pudgey little bird!))


Itchy Itch (in inside family joke - this one is for my collection, not for trade)

Hope you enjoyed them! I'm sure there will be more to come!