Back to Stones and other things

 I’ve been keeping a schedule which was one of my goals for this year.  Not perfect yet but a start. Another start is getting back to a sketch every day and stones.  Here are two small, 4x4 in, stone pieces finished. 

 

As promised, here are the two small ones from that free collage workshop I wrote about last week. These are also 4x4 in.  I didn’t realize it until I looked at the photo but the vintage paper on the right will be 100 years old on the 27^th of this month.

One concept she was teaching was pick papers you love for your collage based on what we had done in the class. Since I had picked colors that aren’t part of what I normally gravitate toward I wasn’t in love with any of them, vintage excluded, but I did like some way better than some others and I think that’s close enough and a good rule to follow. There are a couple shows coming up so I need to get busy doing more of these.

What else, daily sketching, so far I'm sticking to it..  I finally realized the for me, an art journal is part art and part journaling with the journaling being primary.  So, I’m back to doing some morning sketches and sometimes a bit of collage paper in the journal to separate out spaces to write.  At the end of a studio day I sit with that journal and write about what I did or did not do that day.  The hats are one subject.  That started with the one I posted last week.  Here are a couple more…  

  

The one on the left was very colorful.  I may do it again and take some time to add color.

Back to Sketching and a New Journal

 

Even if it’s just a quick sketch like this one, I’m back to doing it regularly.

My Mini was recalled so I had to take it to the dealer for service.  That meant a trip to Grand Rapids and Ed following to pick me up.  We decided to visit the Museum since we were in town and, being a hat lover, I had to do a quick sketch in the fashion section. I took some photos so there will be more of these in future journals.

My word for this year is JOY and I started a new sketchbook/journal with a page writing about why I picked that word.  And because it’s a word I have been concentrating on I keep finding more joy in my life… even on not so good days.  This is the spread.

Instead of what most think of as an art journal, this year mine is going to be a journal with some art.

Another January project was a free Collage Taster Workshop.  10 Days of collage lessons, most of them preparing papers.  I did learn some techniques that were new to me and some ideas for selecting papers.  I found that some of her techniques would take more practice than I wanted to take time for primarily because I already knew a way to get the same result with a gelli plate. I was also reminded of some techniques that I had totally forgotten about.  Like using marbles.  I didn’t have marbles but I did have fake pearls, they sort of worked.  I’m going to the dollar store for marbles.

I’m hoping to do two small collages tomorrow using the papers I selected from the many I made during the class.  I’ve also added some vintage just because I like vintage.  These are the papers.

I’ll post the finished pieces next week.

 

A New Challenge

 

Life is not just the passing of time. 

Life is the collection of experiences and their intensity.

It's hard to believe Christmas is right around the corner. Time just keeps going faster and as I sort and declutter I am reminded of life passing -- it's been a good one and I expect that to continue.

My latest challenge is evolving into the season, my favorite holiday.  What I started is a 30 Day Challenge, doing a drawing in the Stillman & Birn Beta Series sketchbook my husband gave me for Christmas last year.  The one above is one, here are a couple more...

 

Eventually the drawings evolved into faces.  I had been watching a Toni Burt video and tried doing one the way she did.  Since the normal sorting and purging is going on in the studio I happened to be going through many old sketchbooks and realized I had been doing faces like that for a very long time and the line she added around her drawings was the same that I had used to outline handwritten quotes many years ago.  I felt better about doing the angels once I realized I wasn't just copying Toni. 

 

Eventually the faces evolved into angels.  As Christmas approaches our card may be an angel. I've been a collector of them since I was a young girl but don't think I ever did one for a card.

  

So far I've only done watercolor with some collage in the sketchbook.  My new mantra -- "This may not work but...." I'm going to try a mixed media angel.  So far layers of collage papers, gesso and modeling past and an angel sketched on all of that.  We shall see where this leads.

A New Favorite Tool

 

 “Outside the comfort zone is where the magic happens”

So I’ve been venturing outside my comfort zone.  Among the things I’ve learned on that venture – a new favorite mark making tool – Grandpa Percy’s whisk broom

Here is an example of the marks it makes – This piece is working outside my comfort zone.  Just playing with different tools.  No way could I make marks like that any other way.

And it feels good making them.  I was only 9 months old when he died so never knew him.  However, mother always said our lives would have been so much different had he lived.  I’m thinking that was a positive because I heard from others that he approved of her, Grandma didn’t.  That whisk broom has been in my studio for years but I’ve never used it.  Now I like to think he’s in here with me helping me find my way.  Time will tell.

Here are a couple more playing with colors, stencils, sticks and other mark making tools.

 

And back in the studio after a trip to Virginia I’m doing a redo on a 16x16 cradle – this is before the do over. 

I didn’t like where it was going so I sanded it all back.  Once that was done it was almost all black with spots of white so I covered it entirely with vintage papers and started over.  I had a vision of what it would be but it had other ideas.  This is where it is now and I have no clue where it will want to go next. 

I haven’t done much more in here.  We spent a week in Virginia exploring and celebrating the life of my cousin. I had mixed emotions about it – she was my first best friend and we were buddies in spite of being total opposites.  We went our separate ways as we grew older but the friendship remained.  It was the type that even apart for many years (she was a military wife) when we saw each other it was like we just parted a day or two ago. She had a good life so in spite of being sad, it was a celebration.  And it was good to see her siblings and her kids and grandkids – even greats.

Now it’s time to get back to work in the studio.  In addition to the WIP I'm still playing with stones and florals.  I've been using different media, more exploring -- some of it outside my comfort zone.  Here are a couple florals -- one with acrylic and one with oil paint sticks.  

I'm almost done with the floral and stone exploration so it's time to set up a new challenge.  Don't yet know what it's going to be but I'll post when I get it underway.

I do Love Rocks and Stones

 Rocks are nature’s reminders that even the toughest 

obstacles can be overcome

Stable and vintage -- two things that draw me in.  I've been a stone collector forever and have always been drawn to cobblestone walls, houses and streets.  I've been doing a watercolor pebbles series for over a year and decided to try some different ways of painting them.  This new series is in a concertina sketchbook so when I'm done I can see the full spread.  I may or may not continue with the pebbles series using new techniques.  

That really doesn't matter.  For now I'm having fun exploring.  Here are a couple more ,,,

I've been doing the same thing with flowers in another concertina sketchbook but didn't get to many of those this week.  It's been a busy one working at the International Society of Experimental Artists (ISEA) annual symposium that was held here in Grand Haven this year.

I did get a couple florals done -- one the way I've recently been doing them in watercolor and one totally different in acrylic ...

As with the stones, I may or may not do a series of florals, doesn't matter, I'm having fun exploring.

And if you are in the Grand Haven area do check out the ISEA exhibit at Central Park Place, it will be up until the end of October.

Some New Directions, Some On Going & Some Revived

"Perfectly Imperfect"

I don't remember where I read that but it was a comment about a painting they had done.  I like the thought that it can apply to people as well.  Yes, I am perfectly imperfect.  Well, maybe not quite but close.  I've neglected the blog so playing catch up.  This may be a long post.

I continue to do the stones.  I almost always have one going and it's a good place to sit a minute and find a few if I'm stuck somewhere else.

While I was at Spider Lake for my annual Art Retreat I played a bit with watercolor abstraction.  This is one of them.  There are a few more but they need a lot more work.

 

A new thing for me that I played with at Spider Lake -- faces.  And since I'm a believer in angels I decided to make a couple of them angels. 

"Only if there are angels in your head will you ever, possibly, see one"

Mary Oliver

My friend Annie and I spent a fun afternoon making mark makers.  These are a few of mine and some of the marks they make.

Most of you know clearing clutter is a constant battle here.  That's what I was doing when I found the Christmas piece that I hadn't finished..  That one is 12z12, the one above it is only 4x4 and it's a coaster that sides on the side table by my spot on the couch.  It's been several years since I did these.  They are based on a pattern by Jane LaFazio but there is no way to do it exactly as she did.  Christmas is coming and I have a lot of red and green fabric.  Last night I spent a couple hours adding embroidery to this one.  I have another one downstairs that needs more embroidery.  I'm thinking Christmas coasters may be something to put in the holiday show at the Gallery Uptown.

I have a lot more to add but it will have to wait.  My newsletter is due out soon, the more will be in it.  If you don't get it and would like to let me know.  I try to get it out once a month but I do miss some.  Actually I feel like it's better to miss a month than to send too many.

Time to stop, we are taking our grandson to orientation since dad is working.  Can't believe he's starting high school.

Morning Flowers and Tuesdays

I do enjoy doing these quick flowers in the morning after doing my morning journal.  Sitting on the patio listening to the birds and our gurgling fountain is a great way to start my day. Here are a few

 

 

As you can see, quick doesn't always mean good.  It really doesn't matter to me because these aren't going anywhere.  I was sending aome of my quick ones to my cousin but we lost her recently so these will stay here unless I figure out something else to do with them.

The Tuesday Painters are still painting and this summer the group decided to do some churches.  This is the one we did this week.  It's always fun to see how each painting is.  Maybe next week I can take a photo of all of them so you can see how different we all are.

That's it for now.  I have clutter and paintings in process to deal with.