So I made one for my spouse. He doesn't read my blog or Facebook so he won't see it until it's time.
Helen's Art Studio
Musings of an artist who enjoys playing with several different media. Currently my focus is collage but every now and then I go to something different. My aim is to post once a week.
Friday, February 7, 2025
It's The Month For Hearts
Friday, January 31, 2025
Fun With A Pot That Wasn't
Friday, January 24, 2025
Collage Papers Fun and a Warm Up
This warm up is too busy for my taste but I did have fun making it. Then I went back to making more collage papers. I was especially enjoying making bubble papers once I finally figured out how best to do it.
Friday, January 17, 2025
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 27th 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…
Saturday, January 11, 2025
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 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.
Saturday, November 9, 2024
A New Challenge
Sunday, October 13, 2024
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.