365 /3 this week

Here's what I've been up to this week for my continuing 365 creative-every-day projects:

#19 - wrapped a gift (yes, that counts - creativity takes many forms, right?)

#20 - made a card and envelope for the gift (a bridal shower)

A little computer help for the inside words and stitching added

#21 - finished DLP page (created by the talented, creative ladies at Art to the 5th):  monthly theme is 'cover a blank page', weekly theme is "color wheel", inspirational quote from Georgia O'keeffe.  Of course I used flowers on my page....how could I not?  I made this week's page as a tip-in so I could have the double page center and used a blotting paper generated by my work in Jane Davies' class. Added a few squares of transparent paint, doodled the flowers - done.

#22 thru #26 - class work for Lesson 3 of Jane Davies 100 Drawings on Cheap Paper class.....

Paint, gelli, stencils, collage, layers and layers.  Some I like, some not-so-much.  But the class is so inspiring and the process of making lots of pieces focused on a particular process or theme is really helpful.  Hopefully after doing this for 10 weeks, it'll be more of a habit and I can continue making volumes of work!

Have a creative week!

365 /3 continues

I'm happily working along in the Jane Davies 100 Drawings class and learning lots.  That's probably going to be the bulk of my 365 project work for the duration of the class since each lesson takes such a time commitment. My other commitment to myself is to continue the Documented Life project.  You can see it here as well as on instagram (#dlp2015).

#15 - DLP - prompt is to use gesso to cover a blank page - I chose to use my black and fill in (to reinforce!) some of my goals for this year

#16-18 - lesson 2 of Jane's class....continuing instruction in the use of line and layers.  She shares many of these techniques with quick videos on her blog - and her layering tips are so very helpful.  I made a dozen paintings - here are my 6 faves though I don't necessarily love them all..... (all done on 9x12 80# Blick cheap drawing paper using acrylic paint and various black marking tools)

Though the 2 above started life as verticals, they soon pulled me to horizontal.

The one on the right is my fave of the dozen I painted.  I feel like it's the most successful use of layering and line, interesting without being boring or too busy.

I think both of these have possibilities and I may rework them a bit to see if I can pull something more finished from them.

That brings me up to date for now.......hope you find time to make this a creative week!

365-3 keeping busy

Trying to keep up with my daily art practice.....

#6 - documented life journal pages for this week -use a book page:

#7-12  - some of my efforts from lesson one of the Jane Davies class I'm taking.  I was lucky enough to win a drawing for a spot in her popular (and fills quickly) class 100 Drawings on Cheap Paper. My goal with this class is to get in the habit of producing art - somewhat in a series - but more that I create in volume. I want to "get over myself" and paint with the idea of learning, practicing, developing, improving......and that happens best with volume.  So here I go......  Line & Layering

My tools: acrylic paint, calligraphy ink, sharpie, graphite stick and crayons, oil pastel, paint markers in black and white, micron pen, graphite pencils, brayer & brushes.

Looking forward to what next week's class will bring and wondering if I'll find time for other artsy endeavors.......  Have a creative week!

365 year 3

Here I go again - 365 artsy endeavors- one for each day......for the third time. Last year wrapped up with completing four gratitude journals that I gifted though I didn't show all the pages.  This year is starting off with another couple of journals.  We're going on a European vacation later in the year with some friends so I embellished a travel journal for each of them as a gift.

#1 and 2 - journal pages with washi embellishments and pockets for collecting 'stuff'

#3 and 4 - I got off track last year and didn't finish my Documented Life (DLP) project but I'm rededicating myself for this year...... They've changed it up a bit and are offering a monthly "theme" with weekly inspiration.  The January theme is "goals" with the first week to use book pages in some way.

I made a background with smooshed inktense coloring, painted a bunch of book pages and cut petals.
I tipped in a page to keep a list of art goals.

#5 - wip mixed media piece......just started.  I taped off the edges but realized I did it backwards and should have done a first layer of paint all around, THEN taped off edges....now I have to figure out what to do with those white edges.  Ooops (as Carolyn Dube would say!)

And so my artsy year begins........  Hope yours is off to a great start!

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!

major catch up

Aug 11-17
Oh my - when I opened this to edit and saw this date......well - I'm a little behind.  Somehow I haven't been motivated to blog, but I have been puttering at staying creative and working on my 365 days of creativity.....It'll take a few posts to catch up, but there's no better place to start than where I left off:

#223 - worked on a bit of my fanciful lettering to send off my gelli print swap pieces.....obscured her address but it was a bit artsy too. It's on a manila envelope, consequently the yellow background.

#224 - worked some doodles in my documented life journal so I could try out all the new Inktense colors I got.  I do love those pencils!

Played a bit with blending the colors and will definitely do that more - loved the results.....

#225 - spent time updating my Documented Life journal - week 32; use a fortune cookie.  I made up a couple cookie fortunes for myself.....

Detail of journal page

#226 - DLP week 33: use some of your under-painting-paper (I have lots!)

#227 - DLP week 34: use numbers from your week - I wanted to use my calligraphy pen and that ink bleeds through so I added this yellow hand made paper and stenciled over it

#228 - DLP week 35: add a pocket - my pocket of hope has a tag with my biggest hopes for this year written on the back.  I didn't notice the circle quote has a scrap laying on it, obscuring part of the quote - it says:  Put your troubles in a bubble and blow them away. Dharma & Greg

#229 - DLP week 36:  draw, doodle, alter a face  - oh my, my doodled face makes me look a bit devilish!  :)

And that catches me up to the current week of DLP.......more artsy endeavors coming soon.