Happy Easter

I searched my photos for a shot of a lily or other spring flower to share with you on this Blessed day, but couldn't locate one.  So I decided to share these two backgrounds from my online class with Wyanne instead.... and a quilt I finally finished binding....sort of spring like, huh?

Todays work

Have you ever had the sort of day that you can't wait to get into the studio, only to be at a loss of what to create once you arrive?  That was the way my day began.  The past several days have been rather dreary weather wise, which has always affected my moods.  ( I could never live in the Pacific NW).  Anyway, I awoke this morning to sunshine and the urge to go down to the studio. My studio is in our basement, and although it has windows, and a lot of overhead lighting, it can still feel dark to me if the weather is dreary.

I watched a bit of TV as I puttered around trying to decide what to create.  I ran across an article by Misty Mawn in an old Cloth Paper Scissors magazine, where she is sharing her background techniques among other things.  So that is how I spent my morning, making backgrounds.  It was a lot of fun and now that they are dry, I am looking at them to see what they are showing me.  In the blue one, I see a womans body, and in the mauve one I see two large birds.  Not sure what the others are saying, but I guess I know what I will be drawing tomorrow.....weather permitting! lol

Things I'm working on....

What I am sharing today is a painting I did that taught me to never give up.  I started the painting as 12 x9 as opposed to 9 x 12.  I painted several trees and blotted on paint to add the spring buddings.   It very fast turned into a hot mess. lol.  Instead of throwing the canvas out, as I would have in the past, I decided to try to make lemonade out of lemons.  I added with stamped pattern pieces, paper napkins, paint, and painted on a face.  It is not my favorite painting, but it taught me to keep at it and see what can happen.

What I found......

As spring is arriving, so is my need to clean out my studio.  I am a firm believer in getting rid of anything I have not used in a year or so.  When it comes to art, I feel some what the same.  I say some what because I have purchased things and not used them for years, only to find a use for them much later.  I am thinking about having a spring cleaning sale on Ebay in a week.  I considered my Etsy site, but I haven't had much luck there in the past year.
Okay, so while cleaning and re-arranging my studio, I found two 5x5 stampbord boxes.  Since I have fallen in love with Zentangles, I decided to use my doodles on the lid.  Check it out...

Like perhaps many of you, I have a few unfinished art pieces.  I came across this painting and am in the process of finishing it.  I am struggling with the angelic wings, and need to find a way to make them pop.  I also plan to add a saying or word using my newly learned calligraphy.  The painting is done on a wood panel.

Calligraphy and Zentangles

As mentioned in my previous post, I am taking an on-line calligraphy class; and I also purchased a Zentangles kit on ETSY.  Here are photos of my first three Zentangle tiles, and calligraphy lettering.  I enjoy both of these art forms... they are really relaxing.  As I get better with the calligraphy, I think it will be fun to use in my paintings.

I'm still here...

Oddly enough, I have not felt much like blogging lately.  Not in a bad mood or anything, just not much to say or share art wise.
I have been taking a few new on-line classes, Brush calligraphy, Itallic Calligraphy, Shades of Gray, and probably another that I can't think of right now.  All great classes and instructors.
I  am looking into classes being offered by the Art League here in the DC area.  My thought is that I might benefit from having a teacher in the room who will critique and provide guidance.  I have the need to learn my own process and not re-create someone else's style.   This is my second year of painting with acrylics and I am still a bit in awe of them.  My drawing has improved, but I still don't know where I want to go with my painting.
My husband and I are going to visit the facility this weekend to get a feel for the location and to view the artists studios.  I really hope I will be inspired.....
I have also started Zentagles.  This is really a fun and relaxing art form.  I'll post pictures in s day or so.

Snow Again!

We have yet another blizzard today with 40 mph winds.  Not the weather we are accustomed to in the DC area.  Too nasty outside to take a picture to show you, but imagine 6-10 inches on top of 26 inches already on the ground.  Oh well back to working on taxes...

Snow bound art

As we await yet another snow storm, I decided to share the art I have done in the past few days.... Both pieces have napkins incorporated in them.

Blizzard in the DC area

I really love snow, and since I don't have any place to go for the next few days,  I love it!  This may be more snow than I have seen in this area since 1995, or some say ever.  Great day to hunker down and browse blogs, work on painting, and do what I really should be doing...work on a baby quilt for a customer that must be ready by 2/16.  The quilt is made, I just need to do the quilting and binding ( the not so fun, hard on the back part).  But in this economy, I am thankful to have a customer, so I will work through the pain to make the quilt cute for her new bambino. 8-)

Great Find

I am taking a few online classes this month (what's new), but I think this is it for me for a while unless something really awesome comes along.   A couple of the classes have to do with drawing and painting faces, but I am also taking an awesome class in color theory, offered by Julie Pritchard andChris Cozen.

Great class and exercises to help one understand color and the color wheel.  They focus mainly on Golden products since Chris works for Golden.  They peaked my interest so much that I checked out books on the subject and found these three.

These three books are awesome.  As a woman of color I often struggle with skin tones, and have often resorted to craft paint colors in my paintings as opposed to trying to mix the colors.  I now have the confidence to try mixing my own skin tones to celebrate the many skin tones of people of color.

Portrait classes

As I have probably mentioned earlier in a post, I am taking two portrait classes this month.  One from Pam Carriker and now one from Misty Mawn.  Their drawing and painting styles are very different, and that is why I wanted to take the classes.  I have learned great stuff from both so far and my goal is to come up with a style of my own.  I really need to practice more, but I love all the information I am learning from both artists.

New Drawing

The new year has brought on more art endeavors.  I am taking a portrait class from Misty Mawn, that starts next Friday.  Thought I would try my hand at a self portrait while I wait for the class to start.  I did this drawing last night and showed it to my husband and asked him if he thought it looked like me.  He didn't think so, so I guess I am back to the drawing board soon, but thought I would share my effort anyway.

I am also taking an online class from DJ Pettit on digital art.  I must say that I feel that I am in WAY over my head in this one.  Think I will take a few hours of quiet time this weekend and try to figure it out.  My small brain just doesn't want to do digital art I guess...8-)

Happy New Year

Here's hoping everyone has a happy, healthy, prosperous, and artful 2010!
If my Muse continues to visit me in the new year, I will have a lot to share here on my little part of the net.
I am really thankful for all the online classes that are being offered by some really awesome teachers.  I love the online format over the 6-8 hour format of a class at a retreat, because it gives the student more access to the teacher and allows the teacher a chance to share more of their knowledge.  I also love the fact that you can take the class at your own speed, and sometimes even download the videos to be able to revert back to them from time to time.  Don't know about you, but often I feel rushed in a classroom setting and never do my best work.  I also often forget some of the instructions given, which makes it hard to recreate the art at a later time.

Speaking of creating, I used the instructions from my friend Serena Barton in the Dec issue of Cloth Paper Scissors to make this Wabi Sabi piece.  Great fun.

Pan Pastels Arrive

My Christmas gift card purchase form Dick Blick arrived today.  I did a little testing with them to see what they're like.  I would compare them to the creaminess of applying make-up, and very easy to apply.  I purchased additional applicators and glad I did.  The pastels are very pigment intense and only a little is needed.  Since I tend to be a bit heavy handed, I sort of ruined my first applicator..8-)  Lesson learned.  Can't wait to try them on all of my art.

New Journal Cover

I am taking an on-line class from Mary Ann Moss (Remains of the Day).  I used one of my favorite color combinations, red,black, and white fabric scraps to construct the cover.   I used novelty quilting fabric for the inside of the cover.  Now that the cover is done, later today or tomorrow, I will work on the pages for the journal.  The cover was great fun to make.