week 32 for 365/2 (part 1 &2)

Aug 4-10 - by the way, I'm well over half the year into my 2nd consecutive 365 project and going strong. Hope you're still enjoying following along.

#216 - a couple months ago I participated in a journal page "round robin" adaptation where each participant picked a theme and then we made and sent a standardized size of folio off to each person. My theme was flowers and I received some wonderful pages, which I shared at the time.  As I've been considering how to bind it, I realized I wanted to add my own page to tie it all together.

The folios are made on watercolor paper, so I always used my watercolors on at least the center section - here I just played with splats and smooshes of watercolor then searched out the flower shapes hidden in the splats.  I'm pleased with the results here......

#217 - front and back pages:

The front fold and what will be the front of my book has the word flowers (it's punch-out letters from scrapbooking), stamps, patterned paper and my artistamp from the MMSA swap.  On the back page, keeping with the grid idea from the front, I just sketched some random flowers, added a poppy washi, and gave the details of the swap.  Now I just have to bind all the pieces together - I'll show you the result when I get that done.

#218 - I ordered 12 new colors of Inktense pencils from Dick Blick and they just arrived - I'm in heaven!  I just love doodling/drawing with a pen, coloring with Inktense, and painting with my water pen.  (drawn in my documented life journal)

#219, 220 - some gelli print play for a swap.

I made lots so I could pick 10 different, hopefully interesting, prints to send to my swap partner.....

#221, 222 - a couple more lettering "art" pieces on index cards - playing, playing......

All sorts of fun playing, experimenting, trying all sorts of things.  This is sure fun!  Take time to play!

sunset

This challenge is just begging to show off some of my photographs - Jenn, hosting APR #34, wants to see a sunset.  Have I got a sunset (or two) for you! I've never painted a sunset, but I've taken many photos of sunsets so here are just a few of my faves (actually the only ones that are tagged so I can find them! :))

Chelan, WA

Alki Beach, Seattle, WA

Hawaii

The Big Island, HI

Tahiti

Puerta Vallarta, Mexico

Orlando, FL

Isn't Mother Nature just amazing? All that rich color and beautiful texture in the sky.....I enjoyed my brief sojourn through my old photos - hope you found something in here inspiring (or at least pretty)!

Wait just a minute!  I wandered back through my artwork and did find a couple that are in sunset colors - so I'm calling them Setting Sun (collage) and Beach at Sunset (watercolor) (hey, look at that shadow!:) ).

Thanks Jenn - can't wait to check out everyone else's sunsets.

juicy dragonflies

No, not really - I'm just showing you my entries to two challenges - dragonflies for Inspiration Avenue and something juicy for Artists Playroom #26.

I haven't participated in either one for a couple weeks so it felt good to have ideas percolating around the back of my brain til I felt like I'd found the right one.  For IA, I drew my funky little dragonflies on a sheet of spattered scrap paper then doodled on them a little.  The background is an advertising postcard (8x5") that I covered with crumpled foil then painted with acrylic - then I lightly sanded the paint off the tops of the foil creases for a great, subtle shine with the bits of silver showing through (which totally does NOT come through on the scanner).  The little teal 'frame' was sent to me by a generous mail art friend.

Doesn't the foil make amazing texture?  I held it to the postcard with matte medium.

Then Jenn's juicy challenge.  I struggled more with this one because most of the juicy things I could think of, I'm unable to draw.  So I retreated to one of my faves.....the pear.  However, I did sort of try a different look....it's on watercolor paper, watercolors, oil pastels, stamp ink dots.

Join either or both of these challenges - each week they give great suggestions and such fun people join in.  To see what others have done for the challenge be sure and check out the links at each site.

artist playroom: food

Inspired by food.  Well - I'm dieting so my only relationship with food right now is denial.  :)  Actually I'm just trying to restructure how I eat - portion sizes, more fruit/vegies, etc.  But, food is on my mind a lot.  Usually what I can't have.

I do still use silverware :) and love a good juicy pear.  The silverware pieces are cut out of scraps on my workdesk and the pears are painted with watercolor - both done in my art journal.

Artist Playroom is a relatively new weekly prompt/challenge to explore.  Jenn makes it super easy and I especially like that any and all styles and mediums are welcomed and applauded.  So, go for it - check it out or join in....

inspiration ave: butterflies

Butterflies - this prompt from Inspiration Ave is broad enough (or maybe too broad) that I couldn't settle on an idea.  Then as I was working on a mixed media piece, the idea for some soft abstract-ish watercolor butterflies came to me so I took a break and painted these.

Also, as I was working on my digital art contribution to PAF, digital butterflies just seemed to fit the direction that art was headed, so here's another butterfly piece - in a totally different vein.

See them all fluttering around the 'cave' opening? :)  

Linking to Inspiration Avenue.....join in?

sketching trees

Several prompts have to do with trees this week, and I always love trying my hand at trees. It's actually something I feel like I kinda can draw.  So, here's my sketchbook page of trees....

The messy blob on the bottom is an attempt at some madrona bark....couldn't figure out how to show the dimension so it just looks like squiggle lines.  Will have to try that one again.

A year or so ago when I was watercoloring more regularly, I painted these....

Tried a new brush and new technique for this black silhouette one - did about 4 versions of it with varying success of the shadows and sunset behind...

Also experimenting with sky technique here....

This is linked to Butterfly Effect for In the Woods; Draw, Sketch, Doodle for Trees, and Everyday Matters #15: trees as well as Sketchbook Challenge.  I'll also link to Creative Every Day and Artists in Blogland.....Take a few minutes to visit a link or two at each of these great sites.

magic

Today's Mortal Muses prompt is "magic".  I was feeling the urge to get away from photography, which has certainly been my focus the last couple weeks, and use a different medium.  I got out my watercolors to try to depict a little holiday magic.

9x6" on watercolor paper

I used masking tape to create the "star" and filled it with some of the things I find magical about Christmas.

9x6 on watercolor paper

 You might recognize the composition here as one I tried for my handmade cards and filled with zentangles (template from lineweaving.com though this is hand drawn) - similar to these, though here I added some watercolor.  As I made these, I realized that I'm woefully out of practice and need to refresh myself on some control techniques.  And, I remembered how much I like working with watercolor and the surprise of where and how it moves!

Happy Holidays.