You have to plant a flower if you want it to bloom

I'm not know for my ability to doodle.  You would think anyone could doodle, wouldn't you?  What I've found is that some people put marks on paper and some people DOODLE.  My friends, Jana and Denise are very talented in the Doodle department.  

My flowers are my latest doodle attempt.  I used a page from a book to give them some added texture. I   spritzed some paint on the page first and then added the doodle.  I tore around each flower instead of cutting this time.  

The grass was done by running the edge a credit card through green paint and then dragging the credit card down the journal page. This is my favorite way to make grass because it doesn't look so neat. 

This page was done for the Colors of Summer Challenge: Orange & Hot Pink.  My pink now looks purple.  Not sure what happened with that.

I added the word bloom because I'm wanting my muse to bloom.  I was away over the weekend and I don't have much of an urge to paint since I returned.  I know that the only way to get over that is to paint anyway.  This is not my favorite piece but it is my effort on a day when I would rather have taken a nap.  If your muse is not whispering in your ear today, put some paint or ink on paper anyway.  It will get the juices flowing.  Thanks for stopping by and visiting.

Link: Colors of Summer, Mandarin Orange Monday, Creative Everyday, Artist Play Room, Glue It Tuesday

Celebrate

Do you ever watch the show Sunday Morning? They show photos, painting, sculptures and every other kind of art of the sun every week. It is amazing how many different ways there are to decorate the sun.  That tv show inspired me to try my hand at the sun. 

I've been practicing faces and I'm getting better at the eyes but when I get to hair and cheeks... they go down hill fast.  I was practicing today and every time I looked at the face I had drawn it reminded me of a sun painting.... so I went with it.  

The sun is a gelli print using yellow and orange.  I free handed a ray and then just traced it around the face.   Then I stamp the script with pumpkin Stazon. I also stamped the rays with a swirl from Clear Snap.  I wanted it to be shiny so I got out my Perfect Pearls which have been in a drawer for at least 5 years. It fun to use things I've had forever.  

The blue background is also a gelli print.  Jet's Pizza puts plastic coated corrugated cardboard under their pizza.  I have no shame.... I asked for a clean piece and they gladly gave it to me.  I love it... It makes wonderful stripes.  The word Celebrate is a Hero Arts stamps and the other words are again from Clear Snap. The dancing person is an ERA stamp.   

Link to Glue it Tuesday, APR, Creative Everyday, June Gelli Party

Just Do It. Don't let fear rule you.

SOLD - June 8, 2013

Just Do It.  Don't let fear rule you.  That was my thought as I began my very first canvas.  It's very similar to an art journal page I did a few weeks ago.  I was comfortable with the design so I thought I'd give it a try.   

What changed in a few weeks?  My friends encouraged me and a person I do not know commented on my blog.  Robin Mead left me this comment... 

It is really fantastic...Thanks for stopping by y blog too...Thanks so much for your encouraging words...we all thrive from that....about the canvas..instead of trying to do an image, or drawing on the canvas...just use it for backgrounds...play around with drippng...spraying..scraping...stamping...etc to get a nice bunch of color and texture...dont worry yourself with getting a perfect composition or image..just play with color and texture...for sure that will free you up to experiment on canvas..believe me we have all had those fears...but this is what helped me to over come that obstacle..maybe you too..!

I went to Robin's blog and her work is fantastic.  I really like her use of color and her style.  Her work speaks to me.  I've been mulling her words over in my head for days now.  So I did what she suggested.... well kind of.... I started with a "cereal box canvas".  I look a cereal box, cut it to canvas size, gessoed it, made some homemade spray acrylic paints and started spraying colors on it.  I sprayed water on them and let them drip.  Then the "canvas" sat there for several days.  Every time I looked at it, I had a happy feeling.  I don't know if I'll do anything else to it or not.  I just know that Robin's words and that "canvas" gave me courage to move on to a real canvas.  

This is a safe piece.  I'd done one similar so it felt safe. I had a friend who told me she would buy my art journal one if it was on canvas so I did a similar one and maybe she will like it too.  I added a few things & changed the colors a bit because I just can't do the same one twice.  Each has to be an original.  I learned things from the first one and added my knowledge to this one.  They could be companion pieces.   

The flowers are cut from chipboard using sizzix dies and it was painted with craft acrylic paints.  

I want to thank Robin Mead and my M3 buddies for all your encouragement.  We never know how a few words of support will affect someone else.  I grow daily, in part, from your comments and gentle support.

Link to:  APR, Creative Everyday, Glue It Tuesday, A Year in the Life of An Art Journal, Paint Party Friday

Geller? Is that What You Call a Person Who Makes Gelli Print?

Like any Gelli Plate owner, I have a lot of Gelli Prints.  I have been wanting to do some fun girls and these Gelli prints gave me the perfect opportunity.  The back ground on the left is a Gelli Print.  I added a little stamping to added texture.  The background on the right is paint.  Two shades of purple and some hot pink. I used my new stamp to get that cool texture on the back ground.  The inclusion is also covered with a Gelli Print.

Two of the girls started out as a print of crown.  I bought a kid's crown made of craft foam at the $Tree and when printed they reminded me of people.  I cut and trimmed them until I liked their shape.  I continue to work on faces.  Someday mine will look like real people.  Until then.. characters will have to do.

So, the question is: What do you call a person who makes Gelli Prints?  A Geller?  Gartist? Grinter?   One of the odd questions running around in my head.  LOL.

Link to:  Gelli Arts , A Colorful Journey May Gelli Party, Creative Everyday, Glue It Tuesday, Artist Play Room

Free Bird

The challenge this week in The Mail Artist Corner is your favorite song.  I don't know that I have a favorite song.  Truth is I don't listen to music much these days.  I really like the quiet.  There seems to be a lot of noise in the rest of my life so when I'm home... I love the quiet.

I wanted to use this bird and the two blue backgrounds so I made the page and then googled bird songs until I found one I liked.  I'm not a big fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd but I do like this song.

This blue backgrounds are both Gelli prints. I'm not sure what stencils were     used for the blue background on the right. Probably more than one.  The left one is a saw blade that I cut myself using a picture from the internet.  I'll never, ever cut another stencil like that one.  The bird is also a gelli print.  The background of the left page was done with another stencil I cut myself.  I did the lettering elf with a black marker and then outlines the letters with my favorite White Signo Gel Pen.  I added some Washi tape for interest.

Link to:  The Mail Art Corner,  The Sketchbook Challenge, Creative Everyday, Glue It Tuesday