Forced to paint

This morning around 4am the motor on the central a/c unit for the second floor of our house died.  My DH and I both woke up about the same time and realized we were a lot warmer than usual.  Luckily for us, we were able to get a repair person out this morning and he was able to locate the part so the system can be repaired tomorrow.  Thankfully there is another system that cools the first floor and basement so we are not totally without relief from August in the DC area.   Since our master bedroom has cathedral ceilings, it gets hot in there rather fast, so by afternoon, I was forced to abandon my office on the second floor and retreat to the basement where it is cool.  Anyway, since I was down there, I decided to work on a piece I started a few weeks ago.  I am not sure if I am finished with it, but decided to share where it is so far....   I put in on an easel to take the picture, that is why you see the wrought iron at the bottom.  I love painting Angels!  Her wings are cut from textured wall paper, and her robe is a combination of a painted security envelope and a piece of decorator paper.  Still need to work on her face a bit, but I'm liking where she is going....

Wow, Where IS she?

Hi everyone,
Yep I'm still around, just took a break from blogging,  possibly one of many breaks when classes resume in two weeks.  Can't recall if I mentioned that I am taking painting and drawing in the fall semester.  Some say that drawing is the cornerstone of art, and if that is true, I need to learn the basics and learn more about proportion in my drawing.   We did a bit of drawing in the watercolor class, and I realized the need for proportion when painting the face and body.   I am a little intimidated to be taking a class with college kids who probably started drawing and painting in grade school , especially since my work will looks like a toddler did it. 8-)  Well not really, but you know what I mean....

In the down time until class starts, I am taking another online class from Julie Pritchard and Chris Cozen on The Land of Lost Luggage network.  I have only done two of the assignments so far, but it is an interesting class.

I don't have any art to share this time, but I have placed some art DVD's in my Etsy shop that may be of interest to acrylic painters, so check it out.   Link is on the right of this page.  The Ann Baldwin class/DVD is outstanding as is the one with Jacqueline Sullivan.

New Items in my Etsy Shop

I spent a part of my morning in my sewing studio getting very overwhelmed by all the fabrics that have been neglected over the past few months.  I decided to make a few fat quarter bundles and place them out in my Etsy shop at a very reasonable price, to share with others, as well as to start clearing out a lot of the fabrics that I may never get to use.  Some of the fabrics I purchased in yardage and have already used several times in quilts, so it feels like time to move on to different fabrics.  If you are at all interested in fabrics, keep a look out, I'll be posting more to sell.

Embrace your ART

I am working in a new journal and wanted to try some background techniques on several pages.  I love this Golden color of blue and painted it on the page with a big brush planning to try something else.  Before the paint had a chance to dry, I got the idea to stamp into it with clean stamps to see how I liked it.  I liked the effect, and then stamped the flowers with Staz-on blue, and stamped art with Staz-on white.  Quick and simple!  Wrote on the page with  a white Sharpie paint pen.

Finally done!

I tend to work on several things at a time when I am creating.  Lately I have wanted to paint more than do anything else, but while doing some spring cleaning I found this quilt top that I made last year for our bed.  When I was picking the fabrics, I looked for happy fabrics, and had fun piecing it and deciding on the block placement.  I sent it off to be quilted and got it back a few weeks ago, so I sat about binding it.  It is now all done and gracing our bed.  I used an organic bamboo batting, so the quilt is lightweight.  So glad it is finally done!

Watercolor class

Promised to let you guys know how I like the watercolor class I am taking at the local community college. Well, the first day I wanted to quit! lol, and one of the students did just that.  The class starts at 8am (this body doesn't want to get out of bed before 9am) and it runs five weeks- four days a week.  Not sure what I expected from the class, but it appears that all we do is paint each day for a week (sometimes the same thing as the day before).  The first week started with eggs and progressed to books, boxes, and statues.  Most of the folk in the class have taken the class before and know each other.  They are all very friendly and fun.   I guess I am whining because I am so accustomed to working in my studio in my pjs, with my acrylics.  Watercolor is hard and un-forgiving.   I thought I would learn technique, how to paint with the different brushes,  and go on field trips.  That may be coming, but so far,  I just want to be home in my studio painting with acrylics.  BTW, they do not offer acrylic painting classes, only oil painting.  I skipped class today because I have an appointment this morning.  I am going to stick it out, but there will be no watercolor II in my future, I don't think.   I think next semester, I will take drawing I.  Here is one of the pieces I have done so far.....  Okay whine over, back to work!

Winged beauties

Spent the afternoon painting.  This canvas is 6x6 and was as much fun as the one from yesterday.  I didn't take a shot of it but the branches and leaves wrap around the sides of the canvas.
 I start my watercolor class at the community college tomorrow, and I am really excited.  I've been told that learning watercolor techniques will help me with my acrylic painting.  Hope that is true.  I'll post how the class goes.

Happy 4th of July!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday weekend and keeping somewhat cool.  It's a bit hot here in the DC area.

I haven't posted in the past week or so, but I have been busy in my journals as well as painting on canvas.   My DH purchased a floor sized easel for me a couple of days ago, and I am so happy!  I have several table model easels (which I rarely use), but I have really enjoyed using this one so far.  It's a great place to store works in progress for contemplating what to do next, as well as allowing me to work on larger painting and collages.  This little painting is 5x5, so it wasn't done on the easel, but displaying it there gave me a better view for composition.  I have another little one in progress and will share it soon.

More Journal pages

Two more pages from my hand made journal.  Didn't get anything done in the journal today... these are from yesterday.  I really like how this is progressing, and it is really relaxing,  as well as making good use of my old collage papers.

Updated Journal Pages

I have spent a few hours each day this week working on my new hand made journal I started in class last weekend.  This is one of my pages started in class, and finished at home.   I am really enjoying the process of using scraps of paper from my stash as well as stickers  and other bits of things I have had for years.  I colored my pages with Pan Pastels, Distress Inks, or Cats eyes ink pads, and sprayed some with Glimmer Mists.

This is another page I am working on, forgot to take a shot of the before. I am also taking a journal making class online with Kelly Kilmer.  I like that she uses a lot of paper scraps for her backgrounds.  Haven't started working on the focal points yet.

In other news, I signed up for a watercolor class at the Community College, it starts in a few weeks, should be fun.  

Art Goodies and a WIP

Hope everyone is having a great weekend.  I took a journaling class at my local Art store (The Queens Ink) yesterday.  Jane Davies was a guest artist visiting the store from New England.  The class and atmosphere was wonderful, I really enjoyed being with other artists for a change as opposed to working alone in the studio.  Saw a few old friends and met some new ones.  Of course I could not leave the shop without  a few goodies...Tim Holtz's  decorative tapes, glue sticks, and some awesome papers.

My journal cover was made with paste paper purchased a few years ago from a wonderful artist, Albie Smith.  I combined her paper with another piece of decorative paper and Japanese tape.  This is a page from the journal I made, it is in the initial stage and is not bound in book yet.  I plan to add more collage items and to color the pages, either with Pan Pastels or watercolors, although I kind of like it as it is, we'll see.

Visual Journal Page

Today was one of those days when I slept too late and my day was shot from there.  My favorite TV show, "Justified' on FX, ended its season last night.  It was so good that I watched it twice before going to sleep last night.  It was well worth waking up late today because it a great episode...excellent show! 

I went into the studio, but was not inspired to do anything, so I took the afternoon off and went window shopping.  When I returned home, I decided to clean up the studio a bit.   I ran across a stack of journals that I have started but never did more than a few pages.   I sat down for a short while and ended up with this page.  Have to say I sort of like it, and at least the day wasn't totally lost.   

Collage

Today I worked on making paper flowers inspired by Tim Holtz, and several mixed media collages.  The collage I am sharing today started several weeks ago as a painting of a face.  I didn't like where the painting was going, so I gessoed over it and started a collage.  The collage is one of many techniques that I learned from Chris Cozen and Julie Pritchard on the Land of the Lost Luggage network.  This one is similar to ones I have posted recently except this one has an image transfer as opposed to a tracing.  It really became mixed media with the addition of the buttons.  I plan to place a print of this and several other collages in my Etsy Shop over the next few days.  Hope you will stop by for a visit.  www.patc9195.etsy.com

New class from Norah's Art

Check out the new class offering from Sharon Tomlinson.  Should be really cool.   www.allnorahsart.ning.com.  Her classes are funs and she shares a lot of information.  There is a button on the left of this blog that will allow you to join her network.

Cool toys arrived today!

Woo hoo!  I finally received my Copic markers I purchase well over a week ago.  I got a good price on them, but the company's practices are questionable....  Any way, I haven't decided quite how I am going to use them.  I took a class a few weeks ago using them to make greeting cards.  Not sure I will be making any greeting cards, but I plan to use them in my journal and with my watercolors.  I may use them on fabric as well.  Tell me how you use them...