Photoshop Tricks

While the baby was sleeping I took the time to finish up the free Skinny Mini ecourse class by Kim Klassen. I think she might have another freebee coming in March. I HIGHLY recommend it if you want to learn about Photoshop. You can see above what I did with a photograph I took and processed in Photoshop using what I learned in the class. Kim teaches you how to use these blending modes and really, it's not hard at all and I am so excited that I know how to do it!  It's very addicting. That's all I need, another addiction!
By the way, I removed something from the original picture. Can you find it?

Sketching and painting in the car

This was not an easy task for sure. Next time I will bring a lap desk but I used the back of a canvas painting that I was bringing to Macaulay. Of course the sippy cup was after we got here. I was having my restless hands syndrome in the car so I had to paint something. I started feeling kinda woozy so I had to stop. I wonder if knitting would help me? My mama taught me to knit years ago but I wouldn't know where to start now. I will have to think about that for these 6 hour drives in the car.

Little Quilted Pillows

This was just the thing for my "restless hands syndrome" that I suffer with. I have been wanting to do this for quite some time now and I decided that I would just go and get the thread and do it. My inspiration is Teesha Moore (she is always is inspiration to me) and her fabric journals. These little pillows are fun to do although it took me several pillows before I got the hang of it. I have done very little hand needle work except for sewing on buttons so I had to get familiar with the needle and thread. I think it will be fun embellishing them with buttons and other charms. Now for the making of the book. Well, that was another story. It was difficult for me to piece the little pillows together but after working all day--yes, all day--I finished the book. I wanted to post it but my camera was out of batteries... argggg. I hate it when that happens. So I will have to wait to post it next time. And speaking of next time...today we are traveling back up to Greenville to stay with baby Marc while his parents attend a wedding in Charleston. We are very excited to see our little guy. He is beginning to say combinations of words...his favorite right now is "no way." Not sure if his mama thinks that one is so cute.  It is amazing how they pick up these things. I will try and sketch while I am there so if I get a chance I will post but if not you know that I have my restless hands full!

On my walk today...

Bucky and I went on our walk today with a mission...to try to sketch something really fast. I have always loved fire hydrants I guess because there was a red one in my front yard when I was growing up and I was always so comforted that it was in MY front yard! I actually felt sorry for the houses that were far away from it. Those were the olden days when we would hear the fire siren and Daddy and I would jump in the car and go try to find it. It was usually a fire because there was not a 911 call back then. And this was a very small town so there was not much excitement.

  I put the border on this and then said, "oops, maybe I shouldn't have done that," so I posted it without the border also.

Ok, now for the pansies.

I debated about posting them because I didn't like them at all. Why I didn't paint the background green I don't know-- since that was the color of the actual background. Well, we learn by doing things we don't like so we can correct it the next time. I can go back out there and try again, this time without Bucky pulling me saying, "Come on, let's go!"

I am loving Alisa's class. 

Sketches du jour

I know that things look kinda wonkie but it doesn't bother me. I'm  not drawing it to be exactly like it is, I am drawing it just to see if I can get some type of facsimile that looks somewhat like it. I don't try to spend too much time erasing and redoing, I just try to go for it. The coffee cup is very wonkie but the orchid looks ok. Drawing from real life is a skill that must be developed and it is my goal to develop this skill until I feel comfortable with it. I am not there yet but I can see that if I am consistent, I will reach my goal. 
Here is one more that I did really fast. 

Grace

This is Grace and she is drawn in my Bible right before 2nd Timothy. If you look closely she has Words from the Bible from the previous page on her face. I had to flip her so it would read correctly. I will paint her at some point for for now I like how she is.

Below is Grace with some Photoshop effects. Kim Klassen has great Photoshop classes and if you aren't real good with Photoshop yet, then this is the place to learn.

Here's one more...

Thy Word

I must admit that this is what it's all about for me. Yes, I am talking about the Scripture also but in this art journey I crave those times when the moon and stars align and a piece comes together with no layout planning or stressing in about 20 minutes time. The background was one of those "hang arounds" that I just didn't quite like but hated to cut up or even worse... chunk it. It was acrylic so I didn't even know if I could even letter on it with a nib ---and I didn't practice the Foundational letterforms before I wrote it so it was certainly a fly by the seat of my pants. It's not the most beautiful piece I have ever done but for today, it did the trick.  Hence my calligraphic training, the goal of most any background piece I create whether collage, spraying with stencils, watercolor or whatever, is about where the letters might go. If it all comes together then it is a high for me--maybe even like a euphoric high from a drug or something. It will usually last for a day or so and then it wears off and I am off to find that "pusher" muse that can help me get my next fix.
Yes. I will admit, I am Martha Lever and I am an art-oholic.

Letters Mingle Souls and another Alisa page

I am thinking that maybe one of these days I will paint something on a canvas again but for now the journal is the most fun. I love letters of all kinds and in my journal I am free to explore all kinds of letterforms and not worry about straight lines and consistent angles and line widths. It really doesn't matter in a journal. That's why they are FUN!

These, just like the other page of the art supplies, were drawn quickly with pencil first then with a pen. I tried not to stress about too many of the details and just get the shape and shading. I think that this class might be just the thing to help me sketch without getting that pain in my head that I always get when I draw. No pain in my head! That a good thing!

Meditate on the Fruit and Alisa Homework

I am finding that going ahead and putting something on the journal pages, whether it is a collage or a word or a border, then I can come back and write something or maybe put more elements. As I said before, I like to finished up a journal page in one sitting but I am ok with working this way also. These are two journal pages that I actually did today. I added the Calligra-Fun letters on the top then I wrote on both of them. This journal is filling up. I love the deckled edges on this journal that I kept from tearing down the Canson Edition papers.

I am really enjoying Alisa's class so far. Last night about 11:45 rather than going to bed I had to try to draw something really quick and add some color like Alisa does. This was one of the many things on my desk in the art closet. I think that this class just might be the thing that unlocks my fear of drawing. Understand her philosophy about drawing and seeing her do it has been extremely helpful for me! I highly recommend this class!!!

A little bit of drawing...

 I started drawing the birdcage and realized very quickly that I way in way over my head with all the sides and bars and everything. But I pushed through. The bird was not there. I just made a bird out of a smudge from the paint. The bottom is a snippet that was already on the page. Ok, Alisa, here I go!

Purple!

 I love all colors but purple is my least favorite. I think it might be because it doesn't look good on me when I wear it. Actually, I take that back, a dark eggplant color is good for me but lavender washes me right out and I look sick. What does that have to do with this journal page. I wanted to draw a girl (they are all me really) who actually looked pretty good in purple. So actually, I guess I should say, I look pretty good in purple! She is brushing her flowing red hair back off of her face...something that I have always wanted to do since I have never had long hair since I was---

actually never.

Happy Valentines Day

Sending you some hearts and love today.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

oxoxoxoxo

Queen Esther

You might have seen Esther from a post awhile back but I decided to paint Esther and put her in my journal. I didn't think I should show the whole journal page put I thought she was the focal point anyway so here she is. I love the story of Esther and I admire her courage when she says.."if I perish, I perish." She is thinking about what she has to do. I imagine that she was very beautiful and probably very young. Her beauty surely worked in her favor but the power and protection of God was what ultimately saved her. In the journal page her crown and necklace are painted in gold but the scanner doesn't pick that up.

Sunshine

I think the drawing of faces never ceases to amaze me. Even though I draw the eyes and the nose and the mouth just about the same way every time they turn out different every time and have their own personality. Just amazes me every time! I like Sunny.

Waiting...but not bored...

This is why I love journals, I never ever get bored. Sometimes I get a little antsy but never bored. I actually finished her at home because the car was ready. The time went by fast even though a little problem turned into a bigger problem--and isn't that usually the way anyway? Well, it was all ok though because I had the new Journaling magazine with me also. I guess I could have sat there all day if I had to because I was equipped with all my "boredom buster" supplies. I also have a phone that checks my email too. So actually I can take a good time with me anywhere I go that requires a wait. I am very much like my daddy though. He would always say, "When I run into a wait, I change my plans." He was a very funny man.

More in the BIG FUN Journal

I really love this big journal with the grid because there is something really fun about it. It really doesn't take watercolor well at all but it's ok with collage and ink pads. The colors are from ink pads which doesn't warp the page but still gives a great color for the background. I think that this one is my favorite journal.

LINES--lines--I love lines

This is certainly a mish mosh journal page that came together by the hardest. I carved the lines and stamped them and decided that they were way too thick. I kept whittling away at the lines and got them as thin as I could with my apparently very dull stamp carving blade. The sunflowers are on tracing paper and I cut them out and pasted them in and painted them. The girl is a collage of a girl that I had in my file and I repainted her face.  I really don't know what the heck that border on the left is. Kinda looks like a wayward squid or something. Anyway, all journal pages are certainly an adventure for sure.

Hello Sunday---on Monday

Actually, that was last Sunday in the journal but day before yesterday "on the counter" at Macaulay's house. We had a wonderful time in Greenville. Now I think that things can calm down at bit here at home. I have finished up the envelopes as you know so I am looking forward to leisurely working in the journal and pushing myself to sketch. For me, sketching is difficult but Alisa Burke says that it gets easier. I want to get to that "gets easier" stage where I can actually enjoy it. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy it, it's just hard.

Fun at Monkey Joe's--no kidding--really!

Here we go...

Climbing..climbing...very high...

WEEEEEE...very fast and really fun. I had to do it several times it was so fun.

Now, look at itty bitty thing sliding down! He climbed up all by himself and slid down about 5 times loving every minute of it. Really, we had so much fun at Monkey Joes!
Going home tomorrow. Always sad to leave.

Happy Is Your Choice

I wanted to use my carved stamps that I carved quite some time ago. I forget to pull them out and I really love it when I use them. It took quite a while to carve them. So these two pages were fun!

I am heading up to Greenville today so I will probably not be able to post anything so I will be back next week sometimes. See you then!

I have downloaded "In the Company of Others" by Jan Karon, for my 6 hour drive up to Greenville. I just love Father Tim and I am hoping that this one lives up to her Mitford series. I actually thought the last one she wrote was rather boring but I have hight hopes for this one!

Simplify Your Life

Calligra-fun letters and a collaged girl. She lives in the composition notebook journal but I printed her out for this page. Easy, quick ---easy and...done!