Week 20--Documented Life Project

I had trouble thinking of a different way to use stamps which was the challenge this week.  I think I have done it all! So I carved a star, colored it with a Tombow and spritzed it--which is always fun to stamp that way. It makes it look like watercolor.  And I always love to use my carved alphabet stamps. So, this was another fun challenge for our journals!

Happy New Year!

Well, here we go into another year! Goodness, they are going by fast. As I said above I usually don't make resolutions because I either break them--or forget what they were...but I do want to go into this year with a new and renewed excitement for my art journey. I want to paint for the enjoyment of painting with no expectations other than the fact that with every painting I am learning and getting better. Good or bad, agony or ecstasy, I am moving forward to becoming the best oil painter I can be. I know that it's going to take years but I am in it for the long haul. Next year if I remember, I am going to post my first painting of 2013 and my last one of 2013 and compare to see the improvement.

So, here we go... hello 2013!

Dream Graffiti on Wood

This is on a 24 x 24 piece of Birch wood. I have always wanted to work larger and this is the largest graffiti-like painting that I have done. It really was fun and it actually took several hours to create the layers. You have to walk away and look and think --or just walk away completely for a while. As you might notice on the top picture I decided to put that great quote by Thoreau since I already had the word,"DREAM". I am thinking that I might put this into an upcoming show in July called "Art-rageous." I think this would classify as artrageous. I am planning to paint another one and I have some crackle paste drying on that one. We'll see how it turns out. You never know until it's finished. And Bucky did his pose for you. He likes his summer hair cut.

Transforming Background

This started out as a nice little background that had some yellows and greens that I had painted several weeks ago. I had painted a little head and a face and was proceeding to paint her hair when the wind suddenly blew her hair across her face and ruined her completely. The wind was actually me trying to blow her hair across her face in a natural manner which turned out like she had a mustache in the most unattractive manner. I just couldn't fix her so I got frustrated and painted black gesso all across her and covered the whole thing up. I was mad---but not to be defeated. So I just started putting down colors and as you see--not much black left-- although I intended for a little more to show through. So I think this little $2 canvas panel was saved for now. I will post the finished painting tomorrow---if it works.

Donna Downey $5 Journal

Donna Downey has a great little journal download for $5 and it was fun to do. It wasn't hard but it sure took me a long time to fill these pages ---and--- I think I had fun. The problem with me and these types of visual art journal pages is this: for 25 years I have been striving for a beautifully layed-out and designed, hand- lettered calligraphic art piece. Calligraphy is an ancient art form and although some calligraphers are artists---some are not. There are some very talented calligraphy and lettering artists in this world that I greatly admire. Some use mixed media but they don't call themselves a mixed-media artist--they call themselves a lettering artist. Charles Pearce and John Stevens are two of my most admired lettering artists. I took a class with Charles Pearce.

So, all that being said, this type of journaling goes against the very core of my calligraphic training that I have been striving for for 25 years and it is very hard to free myself up and journal this way. BUT, all the wonderful artists and teachers like Pam Carriker, and Pam Garrison and Teesha Moore among others who teach this type of journaling are just as much an artist themselves as the calligraphers that I admire. I just need to give myself permission to do it.

Jump on out of that box, Martha!!!

Backgrounds for...something

I enjoy making backgrounds---when they turn out. I actually like these but then, I have been watching people do great backgrounds on Youtube for several days so this might have helped. The top image is on a a 9 x 12 canvas and the square ones are 8x8 canvas panel. I am really trying to just create intuitively and not think or plan too much. I also have a girl that has been in progress that I will post tomorrow.

THE SIGHT OF STARS

This piece is 16 x 20 and she is part of a series that I am starting to gather for my upcoming show at ReddiArts, our arts supply store that has a gallery. I am very excited about doing this because it is great exposure.

She had a very bad hair day so a head band had to be painted. I just couldn't get her hair to work. So when all else fails---put a headband I guess. She is collaged and painted and stamps and other stuff were added. I started her several days ago and finished her up late this afternoon. I painted the sides of the canvas brown.

I have digitally (in Photoshop) put the quote in for layout purposes to see how it will look. I do this alot. After thinking about this quote though, I don't think I will use it because it was by Vincent Van Gogh and I don'tthink he was a particularly religious man. For me, I do know many things that are certain (the whole Bible!) so I have decided to pick another quote. Don't know what it will be yet but the layout should look like this when finished.

Tomorrow I will be doing paste paper with the calligraphy students at my studio. I will blog some of my papers if they turn out. I like to paint faces on the paste paper. It makes the faces much smoother.