Happy New Year! Welcome 2011!!

 Here's hoping your holidays were everything you wanted them to be.  Ours was very enjoyable, and we have one more visit to make tomorrow to complete the holiday celebration.

Very little art work has been done during the holidays, but I did manage to make two small journals, which I used my Rubicoil machine to bind .  The cover paper is made with paste paper and one is adorned with beads and charms.

 

I gifted myself with a Pink Bind It All Zutter machine for the new journals I want to make.  I like the idea of the professional looking binding, and I don't want to do any sewing of signatures.  I've made quite a few covers with some really pretty papers I found at the Paper Source, but am still a bit timid to use the machine.   Hope to give it a try next week.

Happy Holidays!

We are enjoying the holiday season and hope you and yours are as well.  No school planned for next semester, so the intention is to have more studio time.   I took this year off from my business to learn new techniques and take as many classes as possible, and I have learned a lot.  So I plan to be back in the business mode in 2011 with lots of new things to share and sell to my wonderful customers.

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

Busy getting ready for the Holidays and getting close to the end of the fall semester.  I enjoyed the drawing class, but am not sad that it is coming to an end in a few weeks.
 I purchased the most recent copy of Cloth Paper Scissors' Studios a few days ago, and was inspired to rearrange the sewing part of my studio.  I threw out two large bags of fabric scraps accumulated over the past nine years of quilting.  I saved the larger pieces or small scraps of fabrics I loved, but it felt so good to get rid of a rather large basket full of scraps.  (When I first started quilting I saved all scraps thinking I would use them so day...obviously not, the basket's content just kept growing).

After all that work, I thought I would be inspired to rearrange/purge the mixed media part of the studio, but instead I did this.....

Happy Thanksgiving!

I promised to show more of my paintings, so here is another one...
Worked on this one quite a bit and wasn't sure how I felt about it until I added some Shiva sticks to give it more punch.

Okay Pat! Get with the program!!

It's as if I have forgotten that I have a blog.  I have been busy since school started in August, and this class has a lot of homework after each class each week.  Another month to go and Drawing 1 is over for me!  I have decided to take the winter session off so that I can paint.  I have enjoyed the class and am amazed at the talent of a lot of my young classmates.  Here is one of the drawings I have completed in class...  done with charcoal.

But I must say the most fun I have had over the past few weeks is painting in my studio.  I try to paint something or at least do something in the studio every day.  Here are a few things I've done....  There are quite a few other paintings to share later.

Cool Weather!

Wow, am I enjoying the cool weather that has arrived here in the DC area.  We have had a LOT of rain in the past few days, so it has been a great time to hunker down and create art.  I purchased a class from Paulette Insall (love her portraits) and have been working on making the back grounds for some new faces.  I also decided to work on some the pieces I started this summer and never finished.  Here's one of them.....
I never thought much of doing abstract painting, but I like the way this one turned out.  I worked on it for several days, layering a lot of color until I found what I like.  I think I will try this again soon.

Hey Y'all!

Thought I would blog today to show I am still around, just very busy.  I am taking a drawing class this semester at the community college.  I initially planned to take painting as well, but dropped it because I didn't want to buy all the huge tubes of oil paints.  I know cheapo Pat, but there it is.
Really enjoying the drawing class and interacting with the young adults in the class.  I was concerned about my drawing level, but it looks like my skill level fits right in..phew!
I am still painting,  taking Sharon and Deryn's online class, and the Chaos and Calm class with Chris Cozen and Julie Pritchard.  Sharon and Deryn's class is so fun, this picture is one of the collages I did for the class.  I haven't made my bezels yet (want to do that this weekend with my girlfriend) because I'm sort of nervous about the butane torch.   So I'm off again, hope to post again soon...

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...

Hello Tuesday!

Hope you all had a great holiday weekend.  I spent mine being very productive.  My DH was out on his Harley paying tribute to the fallen, and since I don't ride (too scared) I stayed home and did some piecework.  I have three quilts that need to be quilted, and since I refuse to tackle a bed sized quilt anymore: I spent Memorial Day preparing them to send to the quilter.  Phew, so glad that's done.  
Working on the piecework made me realize how much I miss piecing a quilt top, so I think the next week or so will be spent in the sewing room.  Perhaps my fabric stash will go down a bit...one can hope! 8-)
Today I have no art to share, so I decided to share a bit of mother nature's beauty from our backyard.  Photo was taken a copy of weeks ago, but I plan to use it as inspiration for a watercolor painting some time soon.  Until next time....

Flower painting

I started the background on this painting over a month ago.  I didn't care too much for the coloring so I set it aside.  Yesterday, I painted over the background several times and finally got a color I liked.  As I did in the previous post, I traced a black and white picture of a flower from a Dover clip art book, and adhered it to the substrate (wood).   After painting the flower and adding embellishments of paint, stickers, and tape, I sat it aside to dry for a few hours.  I then covered it with the leveling gel and got the result I wanted with no puckering of the paper.  This photo was taken before the gel, because it is hard to photograph with the gel because of the glare.  I'm happy with the result.

Weekend work

Hope your weekend was fun and artful.  I took a short class on Copic markers on Saturday.  The class was fun, and informative.  I haven't used Copics in the past, so it will be fun to add another medium to my art.  I did another painting, in between cleaning/reorganizing my sewing room. The canvas is 11x14, very large for me, but I wanted to get out of my comfort zone.

The birds were done by tracing them from black and white enlarged images from a Dover clip art book.  Once traced, I adhered them to the painted canvas, and then painted them using acrylic paints.  I added more collage pieces and once dry covered the piece with Goldens' self leveling gel.  You may not be able to see it from the photo, but some of the collaged papers buckled under the leveling gel....UGH!  Perhaps next time I will wait a day or so after adding collage pieces to make sure the piece is totally dry before adding the leveling gel.  I really prefer a wood surface to canvas, and will use that surface next, hoping to avoid the buckling.  BTW the piece was painted with Goldens' Violet Magenta, but the photo makes it appear reddish.

Another painting

It has been raining a lot here in Maryland for the past few days...UGH!  Well since I might melt if I go outside...lol  I spent yesterday working on this painting.  I was talking to a friend last week about how daunting a blank canvas is and we both agreed that it is best to just lay down a color on all of them and come back to them when more inspiration comes.  My plan to to do just that, but I decided to try another collage instead.  It was such fun, that I started another one this morning.  Here is yesterdays' piece and hopefully I will have something to share tomorrow.  My not happen since it is warm and sunny here today, and I am getting out of here to enjoy the first nice day in almost a week.  Hope your day is bright and sunny as well.

New Collages

I have been working on two collage paintings, one on wood and one on canvas.  I dind't start the paintings at the same time, so I was surprised to see that I had used the same color both times.  They both are a bit darker than I usually paint, but I think they came out fairly well.  These two paintings are a result of the Complex Collage class offered by Julie Pritchard and Chris Cozen on Lost Luggage Network.

Beautiful surprise from wonderful neighbors

A lot of people believe in karma, and I guess I am one of them.  While checking out of my local AC Moore yesterday, a woman in line behind me wanted to know where I got my AC Moore coupon.  I told her that it had been in the Sunday paper.  I told her that if I didn't use it (turns out all of my items were on sale) I would give it to her.  When I gave it to her she was very appreciative and said something good was going to happen to me for being so kind to her.  I smiled and said that would be nice.  Well later in the evening, our door bell rang and it was the sweet young girl from next door holding a hand full of beautiful Peonies.  She was beaming and said they were from her garden and she wanted to share some with us.  I told her she had made my day, and they were sooo beautiful!  I wanted to share the loveliness with you as well!

Zentangle Coasters

If your art stash is anything like mine, you have things you have purchased and forgot that you have.   Or worse still you have items that you have lost interest in until you have an Aha moment.  The Stampbord coasters were a"find" while I was doing some spring cleaning.  Stampbord is a great surface for Tangles!  I did a set of four coasters and I also have a Stampbord box for them.  I posted the box top several weeks ago, but held off on sharing the coasters because there were a few uh oh moments.  Once the Tangles were completed, I sprayed them with a fixative.  My error on one of them was not giving it time to dry before picking it up, thus the smear on the bottom left.  Then I decided I wanted to color them with Stampbord ink.  I tried the ink on the one that was already a bit messed up, and didn't like the color so much, so I decided to stick with the originals.
 

See the Birdie?

I have been working on quite a few things lately, but I am trying to post every few days, so I did a few more Tangles last night and decided to share this one.  As with everything, I hope to get better with practice.

Zentangles anyone?

I wanted to share two books I purchased recently, as well as a few Tangles I created from inspiration in these two books.  Zentangle 2 by Design Originals is wonderful and a great book for a beginner.  Totally Tangles by Sandy Steen Bartholomew is also a wonderful book, but a bit much more challenging.  Zentangles are very relaxing and quite a lot of fun.  Here are a few Tangles I created recently.... I used the standard 3.5 x 3.5 size here, but I have also done a full page Tangle, and that is a lot of fun as well.

What I've neglected for Watercolor

My past few posts have been about my newfound love of watercolors.  If you have read my blog in the past, this emotion was also given to acrylic paints.  I guess you could say I am a bit fickle when it comes to art..lol  Anyway, I have spent a few hours in my sewing room the past few days, weeding out old scraps, you see I believed that I should save all scraps , no matter how small, because I could find a use for them.  Ha!  Over time I accumulated a large "stash" of scraps.  Since my taste for fabrics change almost as often as my love of art mediums, some of the fabrics made me wonder what I was thinking when I purchased them.   So the past day or so was spent purging and (gasp) throwing away bits of fabric.  Wow, did it feel good to see the trash man take away those bags of scraps, that I knew in my heart I would never use.

Well, the whole time I spent cleaning and purging my sewing room, there was something haunting me on the wall...a big UFO (unfinished object).  Can't quite remember when started this quilt, I think it was January.  I have viewed it from afar, (my art studio is adjacent to the sewing room), but it never nagged me unit a few days ago.  May have to stop painting for a day or so and get her done....or not!

Luckily for me, the blocks are not sewn together just yet, because once I took this picture, I think I want to shuffle the blocks around a little bit.   Just think, this UFO has been waiting for me on the design wall all this time while I pursued acrylics, watercolor, journals, drawing, pastels, calligraphy, and Zentangles.  How awful of me to neglect this cheery quilt!  Bad girl!  Oh well, at least it makes the room colorful and happy....

Pan Pastel Storage

Wanted to share a great new way to store your pan pastels, in case you didn't know.  The storage trays come in two sizes..storage for 10 or 20 pastel pans.  Before buying the trays, I had mine stacked on top of each other which was great for storage but not so great when it was time to use them.  With the trays, now I can see them easier.  Love these creamy pastels.  Have a great weekend everyone!

More watercolor painting

I am so in love with the watercolor book I purchased last week.  I am feeling more confident with this medium each day, although I know these are baby steps.

Watercolor Flowers

Spent part of my day yesterday painting......good times!

Great Inspiration!

Today I am sort of all over the place with ideas of things to do, and am working on several things I hope to share in the next day or so.  In the mean time, if you haven't had a chance, check out Teesha Moore's blog today with videos on a really cool journal/sewing/quilting idea.  I made a tiny purse with this method years ago and if I can find a photo of it, I will share.  I see more quilting in my future.   Good thing I have all day most days  to play because I am in idea overload!
Here is some of the beauty in found in my backyard today.......

More Watercolor

A couple of days ago I mentioned the workbook I found on watercolors.  Stayed up way too late last night reading several chapters.  I am so pleased that I found this jewel!   Anyway, I went back to this drawing I did several days ago and painted it with watercolors, also adding a few flowers that are not drawn.  What fun and how relaxing.  After I do a few chores today, I am going to try painting a few more flowers.

I am also taking several portrait classes (again) this time from Suzi Blu.  I love her teaching style as well as her painting style.  Martha Lever mentioned taking one of her classes on her blog, so I decided to check it out.  What really drew me to the class was the subject matter.  We are painting Henry the eight and his wives.  Don't know about you but I LOVE The Tudors on Showtime, and I love that era.  Hope to have some decent painting to show soon.   Well, chores are calling....