365 /3 classwork and more

Here's what I've been up to:

Still loving Jane Davies' class 100 Drawings on Cheap Paper - highly recommend it if you can find a space - her classes fill up and with good reason.  There's lots of info and feedback there.

#37 - this week's lesson is all about exploring color - how it interacts with adjacent colors, etc.  here are some of my explorations.  These are done on 80# drawing paper 9x12 primarily with acrylic and overlaid with stencils and oil pastels.

#38

#39

#40 - next couple days of pattern play with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer - #28patterns   for February - done on 4x6 index cards.

Hope your week is off to a creative start.

365 /3 - pattern

Working on 2 challenges this month - keeping up with my 365 creative efforts for the year and working on pattern-a-day for the month of February with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer.  You can see lots of cool patterns via Instagram, #28patterns.

#35 - I'm making my pattern explorations on 4x6 index cards.....they've become a favorite go-to size for experimenting thanks to Daisy Yellow and her ICAD project.  Now I always have index cards sitting around to doodle/scribble/write/experiment on!  The last few days I've found myself drawn to exploring grid layouts.

#36 - a little collage and more grid explorations (below)

You can follow me on Instagram - tpurk13

pinterest love: trees & leaves

I forgot my plan to share some of my pinterest finds until a couple days ago, so now I'm back on track.  There's just so much inspiration out there, I love sharing what I've seen so that I might be able to introduce you to a new artist or inspire you to try something new......

Here are a few from my Art: Trees & Leaves board:


Surrender to Evening by Ford Smith


Above my Head by Ellen Dittebrandt  - I love the use of color but also the unusual perspective


Paula Zinsmeister  - printmaking  - this style totally inspires me to use my own photos more (a long time goal)

    I have a ton of gathered fall leaves - I need to try this!


Great doodled, painted leaves by Shelley Malone via Flickr.


Isn't this an amazing watercolor tree?  No link to a site or artist.....let me know if you recognize it. [ed: thanks to Michelle A for recognizing the artist, Brian Payne.]


I love interpretations of birch tress - this is simple and elegant; again with no artist info/link.


Cardboard, photo transfer and crochet by Ines Seidel on flickr


A veritable explosion of leaves!  No artist info.



Soon by Eva Magill-Oliver



Berry Farm Studios - Laurie


Deep Roots by Ruth Palmer


Finally, a medium close to my heart: collage. I love the complexity created by using various pieces of text.  by Noli Novak (she also does amazing stipple portraits)

Hope you find a bit of inspiration - you can see more of my tree pins here.

365 /3 new this week

Here's what I've been up to this week:

#27 - Documented Life:  art challenge: writing; journal prompt: friends - these couple of prompts led me immediately to my pages of quotes and an opportunity to use some of my faves.  Background made with acrylic paints, washi, stamped lid & pencil eraser circles, inktense colored pencils.

#28 - 33  more Jane Davies classwork - lesson 4; challenging for me in many ways but I'm learning SO much.

#34 - Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is holding another month-long challenge - this one about pattern making. Simple, complex, drawn, painted, doodled, stitched.....whatever you want. I've seem several pattern challenges on instagram but didn't get around to joining. Julie's runs the month of Feb - so 28 days.  I'm thinking using my 4x6 index cards is perfect! Use instagram tag #28patterns to share.

Have a creative week!

wordless wednesday

Inspired by Carlene Taylor Simmons.  Thanks!

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!