Entries Tagged as: collage
Fun on a Gray Day
March 28th, 2008, Comments (11)
I had the funniest bit of synchronicity yesterday. I was doodling on a scrap of paper and started drawing a series of owls. As I drew, I got an email saying that a piece had sold off my website. I went to go see what it was and hehe, it was the Purple Owl painting! I packed it up this morning and sent it off. I had grown a little attached to that piece, so I was a little sad to see it go, but since I was already drawing more owls, I suppose, I'll be painting some more. I'm feeling the urge to paint BIG and teeny tiny. Go figure. There was a fun bit of synchronicity for the person who bought the owl painting too, a neat way in which she found my art. And oh my, I love when that happens.
I had picked today to drive up to Nahcotta to pick up the art pieces that didn't sell in the last show. I'll be putting those Subway Stories pieces up on my website for sale shortly. Of course, I paid no attention to the weather reports this week (I never do. I like to be surprised I guess. heh) and so I ended up making the drive north in a little snow storm. Doh! It ended up being fine. And by the time I got up to Portsmouth, the snow had stopped and I puddle-jumped my way to the gallery. I got to see Deb, which is always a treat, I stopped in a shoe store briefly and then hopped right back in my car. The streets were too slushy for walking around, but that was fine since I wanted to get home before the early rush hour of Friday afternoon. The ride home was a breeze and I enjoyed singing loudly with the radio and some car dancing. 
Last night, I was thinking about Artfest and the trades people do there. I've never made a traditional artist trading card in the proper size and such, but I'd read that people use playing cards as the base sometimes and so I pulled out a deck and started painting and collaging on some for fun. I may do some to bring to Artfest, but some of them, I just want to stick on my wall. I love the little snow owl and the chair with snails. Along the top are some random papers, a couple old prints and a gelatin print that I glued onto the cards and cut to size. They'll make a great background for further collage or paint or drawing. I can see why these get addictive. They're so satisfying to hold, such a great size, they truly do feel like trading cards or some kind of art game, and they're quick and easy to make...and if you screw one up, who cares! I did a quick search on ACEO's (artist cards editions and originals), which I think are the same as ATC's (Artist trading cards), and found this neat site of etsy artists that sell ACEO's. So many fun ways to approach these.
I've also done another drawing of Red Riding Hood and now I'm feeling more ready to do it up bigger. I hope your weekend is a wonderfully creative one!
Art Making All Over the Place!
March 22nd, 2008, Comments (12)
So, I showed you the before...and once again it was a treat to see what you guys saw!
I thought it looked like 2 cowgirl mermaids, a large crab and a heart. Hehe.
Today, I had my first private art lesson and it went so well! I was working with a mom and her two children (10 and 8). I was a bit nervous at first, but then I relaxed as we went along. They were all so sweet and I loved seeing the kids' imagination at work. We started out doing some quickie collages on old postcards. I brought a bunch of collage supplies and I showed them how to make the collages. And then, I brought some pre-made larger inkblots (on colorful letter sized paper) and let them choose their favorite. I showed them some of the little inkblots I'd done in my journal and how you look for shapes and creatures within the inkblot and then I let them use markers, pens and colored pencils to create what they were seeing in the inkblots. They did such a great job with those! And then we used the mini collages we made earlier to do little paintings. I showed them how you can cover parts of the collage with paint, partly cover it so some of it shows through, and so on. I thought the inkblots would be a good transition from seeing things in odd shapes like an inkblot, to seeing forms in their collages. They did great with this too. I spent two hours with them and I've got another appointment set with them for in a few weeks. At the end the little girl brought me a picture of a rose with a little thank you note attached that said, "Thank you, Leah. I *heart* you!" All together now...awwww. So sweet.
I was super prepared with stuff in folders and baggies and a plan in mind. And I'm so glad I did it that way. Of course, I had to be flexible and switch it up a little bit. And I thought we'd be doing all we did in two hours in one hour! My idea of timing was way off. So, it was a good learning experience in that way too.
I got home and found that my moo cards and stickers had arrived in the mail. This is my first moo card purchase and I have to say, they are so cute!! I'm bringing them with me to Artfest for trading. I'm not sure I'll bring other trades. The idea of making and bringing so many things overwhelms me a bit.
Through the Artfest mailing list, I was led to the blog of Karan who was showing what she will be bringing for trades. I looked around a little and read about a cool new art challenge called, creative Therapy. Actually they call the challenges, catalysts, with the idea that each catalyst will inspire you to do some therapeutic art making, perhaps in an art journal or whatever medium you choose. There are a group of mixed-media artists and scrapbookers who are going to take turns leading the group and you can comment with a link to whatever you make. This blog is brand new and the first challenge is up. Go check it out!
Now back to Karan for a second, I thought this was the coolest story of dreams coming true that I've heard in awhile. Goes to show that it's important to give voice to your dreams. You never know where it could lead you!
And with that I'll say toodalooo for now. Hope your weekend is a wonderfully creative one!!
In the Garden and some Love and Light
March 12th, 2008, Comments (16)
I was thinking about Illustration Friday's theme of "Garden" when I sketched out the idea for this piece, "In the Garden", which is 8"x10" with rice paper, acrylic, and colored pencil on panel. I used damp rice paper that I had wrinkled up into a ball, then unfolded and glued to the panel to make interesting texture. I let that dry overnight and then started into it with layers of paint and colored pencil. I think I was also influenced by Eckhart Tolle's book "A New Earth" (see my sidebar for a link) which is helping me reconnect with my body and everyday moments. I've listened to the first two webcasts on the book and I'm enjoying the dialog. The discussion makes the information sink in a bit more and clarifies a lot of the muddy areas.
My poor laptop is in the computer hospital and hopefully it will return soon. In the meantime, I'm using my old iMac which is really slow and I'm unable to upload the pictures from my camera for some odd reason, but thankfully, it works, so I can still check my email even though I'm not on the computer quite as much without the laptop (which maybe is a good thing!)
I do have a minor build-up of linkage to share!!
- Design*Sponge held a DIY contest and the 20 finalists are now on display. There are some super cool projects to see! I think my favorite is the tree mural with the painting of the owl with glow-in-the-dark eyes. But I have a thing for trees and owls, so there you go.
- The hubster sent me the link to this story today about a super cool dolphin that saved 2 whales who were stranded on a beach in New Zealand. It's nice to read some good news type stories isn't it?
- Speaking of good news types of stories, if you haven't heard of hopeREVO yet, definitely check it out. The idea, started by Krystyn Heide, is to leave messages of hope in public places. Love that. There's a flickr group for this movement here. The idea reminds me a bit of the guerilla art of Keri Smith and the found art project (Found Art Tuesday) that Rosa Murillo runs.
- Lia of Art Junk Girl recorded her first live blog radio show today, all about art journaling. I didn't hear about it in time to listen live, but you can listen to it anytime here. I think Lia plans to make this a regular thing. Way to go, Lia. I really enjoyed your first show!
I feel spring in the air (and in my step.) How bout you?
Art Cards and Artful Arranging
February 28th, 2008, Comments (15)
Above is a set of 6 art cards, each is 4"x6", that I'll be sending off to the very patient recipients of the giveaway I did back in early December in honor of my 200th post on this blog. Eeks! I'm not sure why it took so long. I wasn't sure what I wanted to give away and probably doing a giveaway right before Christmas wasn't a great idea. But, bottom line, I figured out what I wanted to do and had some fun being playful with them. I collaged the cards last month then put them under some heavy books to get them extra flat. I then got caught up prepping for some art shows and didn't take them out again until this week.
Yesterday, I looked at each piece individually and let my intuition guide me as to what to paint. In one of them, I'd already used a part of a print of a painting and then I collaged some definitions (for the words light and guide) on top of that. So I didn't do much to that one except to embellish it with paint and some sparkly bits. I rarely add sparkly doo-dads to my art, but since I was experimenting I took out a little box of sparkly goodies I got in a swap last year and played with adding three dimensional items to each piece. In the peacock one, I added sparkly sequins to its tail; in the all red one, I added a piece of an old watch; to the dancing figure, I added a sparkly flower to the end of her necklace; and to the pale girl, I added a small metal piece that says "Artist" on it to complete the sentence "You Are An Artist." These were so much fun to do! I finished them up today and they're drying now and I'll send them off to their owners soon.
It's good to play. Everyone needs more play in their life. For the base of these cards I used old postcards. They're wonderfully sturdy and make a great (and free) base for collaging or painting. You could put gesso on the cards and paint or draw onto it or collage over the whole surface. You could make your own art flashcards with reminders to do things like: Play!, Be Creative Every Day, or "What are You going to do with Your one Wild and Precious Life?"
I've been expressing my creativity by moving art around the house the past couple days. I put a lot of it up at a local coffee house on Monday, which meant that I had some empty space on my own walls and so I shifted things around. I had put a couple pieces up on the wall in my studio and noticed that I had a bird theme going, so with a combination of my art and art of others I made a great little arrangement. I'm totally digging it!
The top piece is my painting, Flying South and below that from left to right is an adorable painting from Amy Ruppel, a gorgeous teacup painting (the teacup has two birds on it) from my dear friend Jessie, and another of my paintings, The Key to These Roots. It can be wonderfully inspiring to switch things up now and again. Changing the color of your bed sheets, putting fresh flowers around the house, changing the arrangement of family photos on the wall, re-arranging your furniture, changing the items on display on your mantle, or putting a bunch of bright oranges in a blue bowl out on the kitchen counter are all small ways to create inspiring sparks. Finding everyday ways to bring creativity into your life is a beautiful thing. Happy creating!
Work in Progress
February 26th, 2008, Comments (8)
I'm feeling like a serious work in progress today. I mean, we're always a work in progress are we not? But today I had to face where I'm fighting reality. I've read Byron Katie call it "trying to make a cat bark." I've struggled with depression for most of my life and yet I fight this constantly. I don't accept it. I miss taking my medication and feel awful for days. It's silly. I've come off medication in a safe way before, but I end up needing to go back to it. It's time for me to stop forgetting my medication. If I want to stop taking it, I have to address that and do it with the help of a doctor. And if I'm going to accept the chemical imbalance, then I need to stop worrying about what other people think, and start loving myself the way that I am. The winter is a tough season anyway and I'm looking forward to sunnier days.
This morning I was feeling the blues, but with a few adjustments, I found some energy in the afternoon and got back to work on a painting and did some printing for art that needs to get out to buyers. Here's a peek into my studio and some of the things I'm working on.
Inspiration Treasure Hunt
February 4th, 2008, Comments (4)
Yesterday I was feeling super tired and in need of some extra rest and I got it. Today, I'm feeling brighter and have art to share, which I think I'll spread out over a few posts. First off, the finished "Subway Stories" pieces. The first one above is "Park Street" and the one below is "Wollaston." Both are 8"x10" with collaged paper, acrylic and ink on panel. These were the last of ten pieces that I brought up to Nahcotta on Saturday.
I'd originally planned to head up to Nahcotta, which is in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Friday, but we were experiencing some yucky weather, so I put it off. It worked out well anyways because on Friday I needed to clean up a bit and then go pick up my youngest brother. My mom and step-dad had bought tickets to see Blue Man Group, but then my step-dad had to be at a conference out of town, so they asked if the hubster and I would take my brother. Of course I was more than happy to oblige! I've been to Blue Man Group twice before, but it was a long time ago, so I was excited to go again. And the hubster had never been. Our seats were awesome. I'd sat in the balcony both times I saw it before and this time we were on the floor. It was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we grabbed some dinner in the city and then got out just in time (on the way home there was a thunder and lightening storm and it poured!)
On Saturday, after dropping my brother off at home, I drove up to Portsmouth and dropped off my art at Nahcotta. And I really lucked out because it was such a gorgeous day. Especially after the nasty weather we'd had the day before, I was really grateful to be able to walk around outside and soak in some sunshine. Portsmouth has such a great downtown area and because the weather was perfect for strolling, I decided to do a little inspiration treasure hunting. It is easier to do this when you're alone and you can turn your awareness on fully. It's fun to do this in a place you don't visit often or somewhere you've never been before, but really it can be done anywhere. It simply requires that you shift your perception, open your eyes and soak in your surroundings. On my inspiration treasure hunt, I took in the sights and sounds of the bustling downtown area. I peeked in the windows of cafes, gift stores, a typewriter repair shop, and went inside some of them. I touched smooth ceramic bowls, handmade purses, and loads of books in an independent bookstore. I got lunch in a popular lunch spot and savored the tastes of a warm homemade sandwich. I smiled while watching kids (and kids at heart) get all wide-eyed in a funky toy store and scrunched up my nose at the bin of rubber cockroaches for sale. At the end of my treasure hunt, I was tired, but full of inspiration. A successful hunt!
And speaking of treasure, I received a lovely prize from Bridget over the weekend too! For a cartoon caption contest, Bridget sent me the sweetest collection of pins for my inspiration board and gorgeous magnets all featuring black and white drawings. I love them!
I hope that there was loads of inspiration to be found in your weekend adventures!
A Month of Inspiration
January 31st, 2008, Comments (15)
As promised, here are some views of my inspiration board:
Go to my the flickr pics (click on the pictures) to see all the notes about the individual items on it. Here are some details:
What I'd like to have is some bigger boards and a magnet strip to collect inspiration and hang art from. But in the meantime, I'm happy with the board I've got!
My space is filling up with "Subway Stories" art and it's just about ready to be packed up so that I can drive it up to Nahcotta tomorrow.
I spent some time this morning writing out my creative acts of the last month. Yes, it's been a month, which is wild! Great work to all you amazing creative folks out there. I really appreciate all that you are doing and sharing and trying. It's awesome. I think next month, I'll try and keep track of all my activities as I go, instead of looking back through to see what I blogged about and trying to remember the days when I didn't mention something. I know I did something every day, but trying to remember the details is not going to work. Hah. So, while I didn't record every single creative thing I did and the list doesn't account for all the fun inspiration, synchronicity, and connections; I tried to make note of what I where I focused most of my creativity on each day. Here's my list:
January 2008's Creatactivities:
- painting in my art journal
- doodling and drawing in my sketchbook
- made an Amazon widget
- made a painting/collage called "Memory Cycles"
- drawing in oil pastels
- drawing in sketchbook with suggestions by my mother-in-law
- sketching, updating website
- creative thank you notes
- writing/designing newsletter, playing games with friend's kids
- making up a recipe for the first time, collaging, writing book
- painting with the power out
- working on subway art
- more subway art
- and more subway art
- even more subway art
- opened Etsy shop, made best friend's baby laugh while best friend got her haircut
- drawing in sketchbook, subway art, wandering in library and pulling inspiring books.
- working on the subway art
- same as above
- doodling
- took pictures of my sparkly shoes and my big fuzz ball, Tabbers
- picking out flowers to decorate the house with, doodling over an old drawing
- working on subway art
- making soup and presenting it artistically. yum.
- subway art
- re-vamped my inspiration board
- subway art, mini-collages, drew in sketchbook
- subway art
- worked on book
- subway art
- subway art, bird drawing
I just love focusing on the creativity in my everyday life. And I wanted to mention that it's not too late to join in the Creative Every Day 2008 challenge! I think joining in anytime is perfectly o.k. So, if you've been thinking about jumping in, leave me a comment or shoot me an email.
Having the weekly post where people can leave a link to their creativity posts seems to be working well. Next month, I'd also like to focus some posts on what others are up to. If you have any other suggestions/ideas, feel free to let me know! Back to work for me.
More Creativity Snapshots
January 30th, 2008, Comments (11)
Today was spent finishing up last touches on work that I'll take up to Nahcotta at the end of the week. You can see two of the latest pieces in process above. I've got some other ones in progress too, but I'm going to put them up at the coffee shop where I'll be hanging art at the end of February.
I was going to write about my inspiration board for Wellness Wednesday today, but my pictures came out too dark. So, I'm going to wait and get some daylight shots of it. Last Wednesday, the hubster said to me, "Isn't it Wellness Wednesday or something?" Haha, too funny. That cracked me up.
Yesterday was spent working on my book about creativity. As the Creative Every Day challenge has been developing, it has been giving me all kinds of ideas, which shifts around the direction of the book. I recently picked up Eric Maisel's The Art of the Book Proposal 
Ideas, the wording of a sentence for example, often come to me soon after I turn off the light and put my head to the pillow. Fortunately, I have a collection of pens, sticky notes and a blank journal, so I can pop up, turn on the light and scribble out my ideas. I'm always glad I write it or draw a little sketch because most of the time I won't be able to remember exactly what came in a flash right before I fell asleep the night before. I didn't realize this time between sleep and wakefulness had a name until recently. I was listening to NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" and their guest for the game "Not My Job" was James Lipton of "Inside the Actor's Studio." The hosts kind of made fun of his use of the word in the first chapter of his book, Inside Inside
So, I'll make that my Wellness Wednesday tip for this week. Pay attention and see if ideas, answers to questions, or art compositions come to you in this hypnagogic state. And be sure to have some paper and writing tools tools by your bedside. If you can't turn on the light in the middle of the night, try keeping a flashlight or booklight that you can use without disturbing your bedmate. Or just write in the dark, which I do sometimes.
That's it for tonight. See you tomorrow. And happy creating!
Creativity Snapshot
January 28th, 2008, Comments (13)
Here's a look at the table I was working on today. You can see some of the "Subway Stories" pieces that I've been varnishing and painting the sides of, my sketchbook that contains a poem by Hafiz that has inspired two ideas for artwork, and a bunch of quickie collages done on gessoed postcards. I think I was starving for color after doing so many black and white pieces "Subway Stories" pieces in a row.
For the mini collages, I used scrap papers I had in my collection of random stuffs plus pieces of prints oopses. A print oops, is simply a printing mistake or experiment that happened when making my prints. Instead of just tossing the paper (which is expensive), I've saved it and today I put some into these little collages, which are 4"x6". I will probably paint, write, and or work on these collages some more, but I thought you might enjoy a little peek into what I've been up to today. I've felt in great creative spirits which is always nice.
And now, I've gotta go off and do some house chores...not exactly the most fun part of the day, but it's gotta get done. So, in the spirit of CED, I'm going to approach it with some fun and creativity in mind. It's funny how such a small shift in perspective can make it all seem like less of a chore and more of an experience. For example, I need to do some dishes. Not so exciting, I know. But if I shift my thinking, I remember my apple green dish washing gloves from Williams and Sonoma that make me smile, I consider lighting a candle, enjoying the tulips in the kitchen, listening to Yo Yo Ma as I work, and the yummy smell of soap bubbling up in warm water. Sounds lovely to me now. Ahh. Happy creating all y'alls!
Art and Picnics
January 20th, 2008, Comments (6)
Some new pieces, I've been working on. Still have a little touching up to do on these two and they need names still, but here's a sneak peek!
These two are 6"x6" and 8"x8". I did a lot of work on them last night when I experienced some night time energy again. The night owl in me enjoys making art in the evening hours. So, I stayed up late working on these and finishing up on the last one.
I started feeling much brighter in the afternoon yesterday and today the world feels much less heavy. Hooray for that! I think that the best thing to do with a low mood (if possible, it's not always possible), is to create with it. If I can turn that blueness into some thing, if I can use it as the paint in my brush, then I tend to feel better as a result. Sometimes just expressing that emotion can help to lift it away or at least lighten it.
If you're feeling low, try having what I call an "art picnic." I do this regularly and it's a wonderful practice. I'll set up on the floor and lay down old blankets and pillows and make myself comfortable. I'll put around me whatever art supplies I have: paper, glue, paint, cups of water, ephemera, old books, pencils, pastels and then I wait a moment to see what draws me in. What materials do I feel drawn to? What colors are calling my name? I let go of any expectation to create something "good" and just let myself create whatever I'd like to. I give myself permission to make "bad art." And I follow my intuition where it guides me. Very often I find my underlying emotions spilled across the page and by getting in touch with that deeper feeling within me, the one that might not be sitting on the surface, I feel more connected, grounded, and whole. Perhaps by working on the floor, I'm able to feel more grounded or perhaps by getting down low and meeting myself where I'm at, I'm better able to connect. Try it for yourself and see how it works for you! I have art picnics in every sort of mood, so you don't need to feel low to try having one!
