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

I'm An Artist

I'm fairly new to believing I'm an artist.  I made a commitment to myself several months ago do something creative everyday.  Most of the time I work in my art journal or my altered book.  I'm very comfortable doing that.  I've worked consistently for several months now and that work is paying off for me.

I've wanted to do a canvas for a while but I'm afraid. I don't know why a canvas is scary.  It just a flat surface and I can gesso over it if I really screw it up.  Today, I decided I wanted to do something a little larger than a book page.  I really wanted to work on canvas but chickened out in the end.  This is done in a "book" I recycled from a job years ago. I worked on it  "as if"  it was a canvas.  

I began by painted the page with gesso.  Then I used a light purple paint over the gesso  leaving some white peaking through.  I cut the vase from a page I'd taken out of my altered book.  I folded the paper in half so that I could get my vase to be the same on both sides.  I lightly painted the vase with a shade darker purple than my background.  I gave it a couple coats.  Finally I finger painted the stripes with a darker purple.

The flowers are cut from two Sizzix dies using chipboard.  I gessoed them and then painted them with craft paints.  After they were dry I peeled one of the chip board layers off the back of the flowers so they would not be too bulky in my book.   I used a round brush to paint the greenery and stems and then arranged the flowers.  Scotch Quick Dry Glue was used to attach the flowers.  I used a Hero Arts background stamp for the text background in a purple and then in white.  I used a black Stabilo Pencil around one side of the vase for a tiny shadow.  The final touch was to outline the flowers with a white water based Sharpie Paint Marker.

I am amazed that I did this piece. I'm so pleased with my progress.  I now believe that I can do a canvas.  Thanks to all of you who visit my blog and encourage me. I treasure your comments.  I appreciate your encouragement so much.

Link :  Artist Play Room, A Year in the Life of An Art Journal , Creative Everyday

Three Birds

I started this page with a paper napkin for the background.  I thought I wanted the flowers to really show but they were too bright so I started adding layers.  I added watered down green paint, then watered down gesso.  Next I added a swirl background using a Clearsnap stamp. It was a little too dark so I added some tiny white lines and dots.  Then I added the white circles using one of my favorite new toy... the toilet paper roll.  

I can tell how I'm growing as an artist because it was evident that the circle were not part of the background but on top of the background.  I've heard other people say that and now I see it in my own work.  The circles were too white so I added a little green paint to the white gesso and finger painted over the white circles.  It sent them to the back a bit.  Last of all I added a Hero Arts script stamp for a bit more texture. The birds are from a stamp set by Fiskars stamped with Stazon and Archival Inks.

Link to: Artist Play Room , Orange You Glad It's Friday, Creative Everyday

Purple, Aqua, Orange and Teal

                       
Amber and Lynn requested Owl Tags, also.  Aqua and purple for Amber and Orange and Teal for Lynn.  I'm disappointed that the Orange and Teal one didn't scan true to color.  This was the best I could get the scan to do.  In person or tagson the owls are a nice rich teal.  My Stampin Up owl punch has been very popular this week.  The orange tag is made from a paint sample.

Link to:  Creative Everyday and APR (lots of eyes and toes in this one.), Orange You Glad It's Friday