pinterest love: abstract shapes

This blog is about sharing....usually my efforts, but I have so much great inspiration on my Pinterest boards, that I'm having fun sharing some of those pieces here.  Maybe you'll find some inspiration too.....  This week it's all about art using abstract shapes..........

My board for even more ideas:  Pinterest - Art: Abstract Shapes

Rex Ray - I love his use of shapes and color.  Love.

A fabric design on Spoonflower.

Fragile by Bruno Haas.

by Kurt Nimmo - I found him on flickr years ago and continue to enjoy the evolution of his art.

Blue and Gray by Susan Finsen.

Kitty Sabatier   I love her style - lots of mark making and wonderful shapes, primarily in blacks and grays.

Anna Barne

Sandra Kelch

Last but not least, Jane Davies.....I love her style of abstraction AND she gives lots of free tutorials and videos on her site as well as an extensive class offering.  I've taken one in person (wish I could take more) and thoroughly enjoyed myself and her style of teaching.  

I have shared some of my other art boards - Stripes, Circles, Dimensional and more.....Check it out if you're interested.......

week 38 of 365/2 (part 1)

Sep 15-21

Was on vacation (to Whistler - will share some photos later) last week and took some art supplies with me so I could continue my efforts at daily practice (or at least 365 arty things for the year).  Didn't quite always make it daily, but I did some totally new-to-me things that were fun....

#258 -260  I wish I were better at remembering where I find my great ideas or inspiration.....On one of the blogs I follow (if it's you, let me know and I'll add your name here [found it: Valerie @ Visual Blessings]) she posted a video link to David Nicholls who has made a series of very clear videos on how to draw Celtic knots. I've always been intrigued so gave it a try. I LOVED it!  Who can I draw one for Christmas????

#261 - funky sketch attempts in my moleskin in the bar while waiting for the Seahawk game to start...

#262 - Playing with painting ideas, stamp ideas, doodles - I've never had a moleskin before and bought this one a couple years ago to see what all the hubbub was about.  I like the size, texture of the paper, and the cover with elastic to keep it closed.  I don't like the yellow paper color much - it doesn't have to be white, just not so yellow.  Anyway, more moleskin play....

#263 - I decorated a bunch of pages (washi, paint, etc) before leaving and then worked on the ones that appealed at the moment...

#264 - Sketch of a bend in the river w/ a log & rocks, etc., then a snippet of cairn beach below.

My 365 quest continues......hope you're finding time to keep playing and creating!

hiking the woods of Whistler

Wordless Wednesday

Inspired by Right Brain Planner

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messy art room

Seth Apter , The Altered Page, has given us all the opportunity to share our REAL art spaces.  Not cleaned up and photo-spread ready, but the way it looks when you're in a creative frenzy.

Here's my table space - it's a reclaimed door so 8' long by 3' wide.  This, unfortunately, is what it usually looks like.  My vision for this big table was that on the left by the window is all my stamping and collage stuff and on the right (near side) where all the paper is stacked, would be my painting station.  Well, I barely have enough room to make a postcard and NO room to paint!

This stack of paper (on the right side of the table) is probably 3" tall......oh my goodness I wonder what treasures are buried there?

Behind me while standing at my table is this controlled mess of paper.   I keep trying to find ways to organize it and keep it close to hand, but....well.....it gets messy.  But it IS a place to stack....and stack....and stack!

This card table is my 'sewing station' - fabric, fabric sample books, some deli paper and ribbons....all waiting for a project.

What a fun idea Seth had - I'm going to try to make plenty of time to visit lots of other art rooms....can't wait to see yours!

chelan grapes

Wordless Wednesday

Inspired by Right Brain Planner

week 37 for 365/2 (part 2)

Aug 8-14

#254 - I've been working on this off and on for a while and am finally liking the direction it's going.  It needed collage! :) And I'm liking the color contrast/use.

#255 - 257 - I've been playing major catch up in my inspiration or restraint journal (as originally inspired by Hanna at ihanna)  I can't believe how many inspiration pics I'd accumulated to put into the journal. Sheesh!

I've been looking for ways to incorporate my photos with my mixed media & so have collected a few inspiration images to get me started. (above)

Usually I use table bits and pieces to collage with my inspiration photos, but this time I used all washi - I have so much and decided it was time to USE it!

I use these restraint/inspiration journals to inspire (obviously) but also as a reminder - of something I want to try or a direction I want to go.  Sometimes I'll have a start to a painting or a card or a digital project, but get stuck.  A flip through these inspiration journals (I'm on my 3rd) often helps me resolve my lack of direction.

Stay creative - do something different this week.....try a new technique, bring something outside and make something inside.....have a blast with your art!

week 37 of 365/2

Aug 8-14

#250 - further work on my canvas.....couldn't figure out where to take it and then realized what it needs.....collage!  Now I have an idea of where to go next.

#251 - gelli printing for a swap

#252 - documented life week 36, black and white theme

#253 - sometimes my creative activity is prep work for a project.  I'm committed to making a few journals as Christmas gifts and so am getting started.  I began by pulling some of my stash of scrapbook papers and cutting.....I decided on a 6x9 size and have 4 journals to make.  Lots to do but this is a beginning.

Also this week, I went to the annual library overstock book sale.  I love that sale!  I spent 2 hours and $44 and came away with 42 books.  I have novels, non-fiction travel essays, art books, a couple to cut up for collage, and a few for gifts - a fabulous couple of hours.  I got there after it had been open about 45 minutes and there were over 1000 people there already.  I have a couple familiar authors, but most are ones I don't know and books I've never heard of.....I just picked up things that sounded different and interesting.

AND - our little local beach (Seahurst) is open again after the removal of the sea wall that took all summer, so of course Dan and I had to go spend some time.  We went after work Friday and didn't have much time because it was almost high tide....you can see we're losing our beach!