week 39 (part 1) of 365/2

Sep 22-28

Here's what I've been playing at lately:

#265 - practicing some lettering in my moleskin

#266 & 267 - more of my 4x6 lettering play/practice

#268-270 - I have a plan - a Christmas gift plan - to make a gratitude journal for a few family members.  I thought of it in the spring but, of course, I'm only just now starting. In order to finish it in time, I've had to simplify my plan a bit.... I'll share progress now and then....here are some border pages drawn on bristol - think I'll be adding some journaling lines.

Have you started thinking about making holiday gifts yet?  Only 12 weeks to go.....

week 12 for 365-2 (part 2)

Mar 17-23

#80 - another piece of zentangle (poke leaf pattern) for MMSA swap.

#81 -  some gelli/deli postcards to send out.  Gelli print and deli paper for translucent layers (tissue paper birds).  the text is from a copy of Griffin and Sabine (remember those books?) that I bought at a yard sale to cut up. It's a little tough because they're such beautiful books, but they have such fun art and text to use!

#82 - took some time today for a little more gelli play.....used sheet music for my paper.

We're starting to see a few signs of spring around here (Seattle).  Still rainy, but we're getting a few more sunny days sprinkled in but more noticeably, the cherry trees are in full bloom and the garden bed is starting to sprout and show new signs of life.  AND, Dan had to mow the grass for the first time last weekend.  Sigh. I know some of you are still buried in winter and probably would be glad to have to mow your yard!

Make time to be creative this week - try something new and see where it takes you!  Thank you all for your nice, encouraging comments as I plug along on my 365 days of exploration. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to know you're out there cheering me on! :)

week 11 for 365-2 (part 1)

The year moves on (so darn quickly!) and my artsy efforts for this week, March 10-16, are shared below:

#69 - finished the last installment of my round robin zine swap.  This one has tons of transparent layers - tissue, vellum, etc. and all with a springy theme (it's not too early to wish for spring, is it?!) The bird is on a little pocket of goodies for Dori.

#70 - some more birdy sketches - from my imagination and reference photos.....

#71 - zentangle mail art for MMSA theme

#72 - playing in my art journal which I promised myself I would do more of - the base is a gelli print from my art day last week, then painted the negative space leaving my "lotus" flower.  So fun....think I need to add a quote somewhere though.

Check back in on Monday for the completion of this week's artsy projects.

AEDM #4

Watching TV is the perfect time to doodle - these might end up on mail art pieces......

icad #20-22

Here's the next few days of ICAD (index card a day).

#20  - this one took over an hour of doodling while I watched the NBA finals.

#21  - this one took about 5 minutes using scraps after cleaning off my work table!

#22 - who doesn't love a good stripe?

Tomorrow I'll have this week's collage efforts for the 365 collages.....

APR and IA share the art

Amazingly I was able to combine two of my favorite challenges - APR (artists playroom) and IA (inspiration avenue).  Jenn (APR) challenged us to illustrate a word.  I mulled all week on what word and how I'd illustrate it...summer, sunshine - nope, been there, done that.  Peace, Love, Happy - nope, no illustration inspiration.  Then I checked on IA and found their challenge is "if you could be anywhere".  W-E-L-L......  I considered my first choices:  home, w/ Dan, tropical beach - nope.  Then, it popped into my brain.

If I could be anywhere (with Dan), we'd be on a Baltic cruise....we've wanted to go for several years and keep planning it and then having to postpone (they're kind of pricey).  So, my simplistic illustration of a word is BALTIC!

I used my spritz color wash colors to evoke the feeling of the Baltic sea (though I imagine it's a darker blue rather than the bright teal of the Caribbean) and then tangled my letters.  Join us aboard ship anyone?

put the lime in the coconut

Well, I can't quite manage drawing a coconut, but I can use the color lime and pair it with turquoise to make Jenn happy.  Her favorite color combo, turquoise/lime, is the theme for this week's challenge at APR#21.

My first attempts were to make some mail art - I'll use it someday soon since I have much to return.  The first is a recycled oversize ad postcard and the second a recycled greeting card with paint and collage (the butterfly shape was cut from a quilt book I have).

Somehow these didn't feel like 'enough' but I was struggling for a topic.  Then I realized that Jenn also was the host over at Inspiration Avenue and set this week's challenge as something using Zentangle.  Inspiration struck and I combined the two challenges:

My scanner doesn't scan full bed so clipped the right edge about an inch, but you get the idea.  Watercolor background with sprays, drips and splashes then doodled following the shapes that showed up.  The sentiment seemed appropriate for summer - something I know many of us wish we had more time for.

ALAW wrap up

Here's the end of my first ALAW (a letter a week) alphabet following the 'dotty' theme Fiona set up.

The second alpha of the year is artist choice and I have no idea what to do.....we're still to keep the format of a 3" square as a base.  If the idea of working with letters and forms intrigues you, you can join in any time and if you make a letter a week, now's the perfect time to start because you have 6 months to finish an alphabet.  It's hard to believe the year is almost half over - holy moly!

The last part of this alpha project is to figure out how to display the letters.  I started off thinking the letters would go into a simple concertina booklet of some sort and they were designed to connect in a linear way.  I'm toying with a couple other possibilities, but can't quite settle.  Might work on it a bit this long weekend.

Hope everyone (in the US) enjoys their long Memorial Day weekend - relax, create, smile and hug someone you love!

journal work & flowers

I've been keeping up with working in my art journal every day and some days I love what I make, others, not so much.  Par for the course I guess.  I've been keeping in mind Lori's floral challenge for May and while not all my pages have a flower, many do.  Here's a few of my recent pages.

Remember the restraint journal?  It's my inspiration book, my quick and dirty collage book, my instant art gratification place, no paint, no markers, just inspiration photos/catalog pgs/online art and random papers to clean up my desktop.

 A reminder to work on a single topic, in a series.

 I love flowers in my clothing too!  (flowers #17)

LOVE this vase - a scrap from a failed painting at the bottom and the gray piece to the right of the vase is actually a shiny silver paper from a gum wrapper.

Art Journal:
Flowers #18, 19, 20

Added some beads for fun and dimension.

Found some long unused colored pens so tried them out in a simple drawing.....

Flowers #21 & 22 - a little zentangle....

That catches me up for the flower/day challenge.  And, for the first time, I'm joining Marcia's Just Journals week long sharing of journal pages.

may flowers #3

Feeling like a little Zentangling for my floral contribution today.

Shared on Lori Moon's May flowers challenge.

ED:  I'm also linking to Jenn's Artist Playroom for the light and dark theme.  The black and white flowers are a mild version, but I think this silhouette is better.  I took this at Alki Beach, Seattle.

alaw for april

My letters for April are done (one alpha letter/week) for my dotty alphabet (remember the paint drips/spots).

I'm using the black ribbon to visually connect all the letters but also having a design overflow to an adjoining card every once in a while.  Remember, these cards are 3" square then mounted on colored cardstock with about a 1/8" edge.  (I thought they were all perfectly centered til I see them here - the teal one is clearly off center...will have to redo that one!)

Visit ALAW to see more amazingly creative alphabets.....computerized, stitched, beaded, cut from wood, etc.

zentangle: spiral paradox

I love paradox though it usually takes me a while to find my rhythm with it.  But I've never used a spiral string and this very angular tangle didn't seem to want to fill the string easily.  None-the-less, I managed to find a way.  The first one is very literal and without much fanfare or interest.  The second one was a little braver and more interesting I think (looks like tumbling paradoxes).

Visit Laura at I am the Diva to see more variations of this theme.

alaw -3

I finished up my 4 letters for March (actually early for a change) for the A Letter A Week project.

As a reminder for those just finding me and this project, the 'rules' are to make the equivalent of a letter a week - drawn, painted, stitched, beaded, carved....whatever medium you choose - on a surface that's no bigger than 3" square and then to be mounted, framed, booked, displayed in some way.  At the end of the year I'll have two completed alphabets.  One of the two alphas should have a "spotty" theme and thus the splatters of watercolor paint on my drawings. I've drawn the alphabet, kind of adapted from some font on my computer, then tangled away......hoping the letters don't get lost in the designs.  The black ribbon will wander through all the squares, tying them together even more.  Watch the progress of everyone over at the website...

zentangle: golven

The Diva challenge #61 by Laura this week was to use Golven, the tangle designed by Mariet.

My two efforts:  Top one uses golven, ennies, apiary, jetties and coil while the bottom uses golven, shattuck and a couple no-name (arches and the dandelion type flowers).