a little late

Better late than never, right?  Here's my September mosaic of my month of collages.

As usual, some I love, some I really don't care for and lots that are......just okay. They've all been posted here on the blog but you can also easily see them in my Flickr set here.

I'm loving this challenge, this commitment, this learning curve so  much that I'm thinking I'll continue it for another year.....hmmmm.

time for something different

I love to make mixed media and collage pieces.  I love getting all gluey and painty; I love playing with the pieces and textures and layers of colorful goodness.  BUT

I also love my computer and all the creative goodness that can be created there.  I haven't taken the time to do any digi work or collages in forever.  I miss it.....and just like painting or sewing or any creative endeavor, if you don't do it regularly you forget the steps, forget the effects, forget the shortcuts.

So, as I'm sitting here halfway watching the world series, I thought I could multi task and see what I could create.  I have PSE 9 I think (it really has been awhile!) and tons of textures and photos that I've taken specifically with the idea that they'd be good for digital backgrounds or something. And, I'm a little rusty but here's a few results:

The above image started from the wintery picture below, duplicated,turned, a texture, some bk pages, a bit of scrapbook paper for background with all sorts of adjustments I can't possibly remember.

Then I started with a bare branches tree (those gray Seattle skies make great neutral backdrops)

and turned it into this:

Here's another one using the same tree branches, reversed and a sadly copied lamppost added.

FUN! Now I remember why I enjoy this so much......I'm still playing with color and texture and layers, it's just in a different format.  How do you find/make time to play on your computer?  Or do you only use the computer to read blogs?

TERRIE

lots of pretty pages

I just got my swaps for one of my favorite MMSA (mail me some art) swaps - the notched journal.  I sent in four and got four back - each one so different and yet all are gorgeous and colorful and filled with charm and originality.  Thanks ladies!

Four GREAT journals

lovely pages from Julie Taylor

a surprising and delightful journal by Judith Hollowood filled with elephants, elephants everywhere!

Leslie's journal is of paste paper - I love the torn page edges and the color combos.

the layers and range of colors in Christie's journal makes it so much fun to look through over and over

Really, if you haven't discovered MMSA yet or have been reluctant to try - please join in. The swaps are fun and it's so rewarding to share in the creativity flying around the country.  The best part?  There's no skill level requirement......whether it's your first ever postcard or you're an old hand at making art, your efforts are equally appreciated and valued.  So go ahead, make a postcard and join in!

round robin journal

I finished my two spreads in the second journal and put it in the mail today.....Paula's theme is a woodland walk -

Instantly I knew I wanted to paint a watercolor but the second spread took a little more thinking.  I decided to use as many natural items as I could.

The second spread uses fall leaves I pressed and glued to a piece of veneer.  Then a made a tiny little notch journal and filled it with a William Blake quote.

I can't wait to get the next journal and wait for inspiration to strike! :)

365 in 2013: #278 - 286

Back again for the final in the 'catch up' edition of my year in collages......

#278 - Windy City  - this is layered rice paper over watercolor and a couple of gelli print snippets

#279 - Duality   - another watercolor, rice paper and bits of gelli print

#280 -  Subtle Power   - a larger experiment (10x10") in watercolor and textured rice paper

#281 - 5x5   -  on 5x5" lavender cardstock

#282 - In Between   - magazine image, map, tissue papers, pattern pieces

#283 - Daydream   - scrapbook paper, stamped tissue papers, pattern paper, gift paper

#284 - End of Journey   - on a 5x8 cream cardstock background, gifted coral paper, gifted game card, circle handmade paper

#285 - Sweater Weather  - gifted painted papers, text, silk fall leaf

#286 - Enchanted Song  - advertising card, text from my vintage book, bird book image, stamped tissue

That wraps up another week of collages - any favorites?

365 in 2013: #271 -277

I'm just about caught up and back on track.  Here's a weeks worth of collages in my one year commitment.....

#271 - On Fire  - cardboard, stitching, papers....

#272 - E Chord  - music & book papers as background, painted tissue in middle ground and 'E' and washi on top

#273 - Surrender  -squares/rectangles of greyed blues and greens.  I like the balance in this one....

#274 - an ATC for swapping - all novelty, textured papers

#275 - an ATC for swapping - novelty papers

#276 - Fragile  - the gold paper on the left actually is very shimmery that the scanner didn't capture. I like the contrast with the kraft paper and cardboard.  The simplicity of this one appeals to me.  (inspired by one of the lessons in Randel Plowman's book)

#277 - Fly Away Home  - magazine pics, printed tissue, map

I always check in on Hanna's weekly collages and she usually has a weekly theme for herself - a color palette, a feeling, a word, or whatever.  As I look at mine, they're so all over the place.  But, it's FUN!  This whole journey of focusing on collage for a year is a challenge (started and inspired by Hanna), but it's also been a delightful learning experience.  I'm learning more about what I like and don't like about my own efforts and what I like to work with......That's the point I guess and I'm enjoying every step. I'm glad you're along for the ride.

my new table

I'm so lucky. For the first time I have a whole room just for my creative endeavors.  It's an extra bedroom that started out with just a table and bookcase for me to paint.  Then I discovered collage and my love of paper took over the room.  Other things that were stored there have gradually been moved out and into closets, etc. while paper and paint have taken over the art room.

It started out like this...

Here's a peek into my art room now....

My newest addition is an old hollow core door bought at a salvage store - you can see it gives me about 18" more space per side!  Now I have half the table for cutting/gluing/stamping/collage and half for painty messes.  I LOVE my new table! (I just laid it on top of my old one...I like the extra height since I stand when I make art.)

I found an old overhead to an office desk for more table top area (I do tend to spread and stack a bit!) and there's that original bookcase.  I have tried many storage options for my stencils - I tend to need them out and close at hand or I don't use them so they came out of bins and my faves are hanging on a tension curtain rod in the window and the rest are hanging on a shutter I bought at a yard sale. So far this seems to be working.

 This is the 'back' side of the worktable - my sewing machine and a folding table for miscellaneous less-used supplies.

These gorilla shelves originally held all sorts of miscellaneous house stuff - now that's all moved out and paper and art stuff moved in. :)

I've tried so many ribbon storage ideas and finally found one that seems to work - these are narrow over-the-bathtub storage things.  It's easy to thread the ribbon through the slats which helps keep them in place and they don't get tangled. Plus when I empty a spool or want to take it to my worktable it just lifts out. Perfect!

Isn't it amazing how you can expand to fill all available space?????

composition challenge

I've been working on this remake of a 16x20" canvas for awhile.  I paint/collage for a layer or two and hang it, live with it for awhile, take it down and repaint an area or all of it, hang it and live with it.....  here's some of the progress steps and a semi finished canvas.

It started like this .... I wanted to try a cruciform composition so started all over....

Collaged some new color and text in place kind of outlining where the cruciform shape might be.

Beginning to define the areas.....

Revised and decided I wanted an angled shape instead of so rigidly cross-like and I wasn't loving the colors.....

It hung this way for awhile but I started to feel like it was incomplete, so........ let's flip it upside down, add more layers, change up the colors a bit.....

The current permutation hanging....still not loving it but it takes me awhile to figure out what I don't like.  I like the shapes okay and I love the layering the the large orange corner (see detail below) but somehow I feel like it's too big a void and something else should be happening there.  I'm not loving the purple in the middle and think that may need to go to a warm color to balance the orange.....or maybe I just bring out my buddy Ms. Gesso and start again.....  :) Input?  Suggestions?  I value your opinions.