I seem to be having more and more of these---bad hair days,. I think actually it's just because I don't feel like cranking up the hot iron. So this is my solution. My friend, Cindy, showed me how to make these darling roses out of strips of fabric so I decided to put them on a headband that I covered. It's batik fabric already cut in strips that I bought at the quilt show. I think I will make some more. Cute! And makes a bad hair day...well, not so bad!
Sometimes I just feel like combining some calligraphy with a background using a little digi-power. I feel powerful! 
Yes, the porch is red too on my little red door art studio. I drew this in our drawing class and I have painted it in watercolors but I thought I would try it with Copics. I am finding lots of things to practice coloring. I even bought some coloring books just to practice. As you see, I am going Copic Crazy. I will have official Copics class this week and I am sure I will find out great information, tips and techniques. I love color and these Copics never disappoint! If you missed the tour you can click here.
This was a drawing I did quite some time ago for an online class in portraits. As I have mentioned before I am pulling out drawings that I have done and coloring them with Copic markers. Faces are a new challenge but I think I have the right colors in Copics now. I would love to do a faces class with Monica Zuniga---but when you look at her blog she has a spooky face there. It's a great spooky face but if you look at her header you will see the beautiful faces she draws. Maybe I will do that soon. I think I am getting into the face thing again. 
This is one of those 11:00 PM ditties. I forgot to buy a card for a baby shower so that means--make one yourself. I did get some new pink Copics yesterday so I decided to draw something baby-ish and use them. Still working on the blending thing. But as Copics do--it bled through to the inside. I keep forgetting that. Oh well, it guess it needs an insert anyway. That will make it more finished looking. So, if I am true to Art du Jour---then this is the Art du Jour for today!
I really am loving using these Copic markers. I think that if you have some watercolor knowledge it helps somewhat although I catch myself trying to blot it with my finger but to no avail---because it's a marker! The top picture is a photograph I took and turned it into a line drawing and then used the markers. The bottom two are sketches from my drawing class. I am planning to venture into coloring my girls with the Copics. I think I have all the face colors now. I have found that Carpe Diem Art Supplies are the lowest price I have seen so far for Copics.
Just wanted to announce that registration is in full swing over at Creative Workshops. Calligra-fun students get a discounted rate. If you have ever had any desire to pick up that calligraphy pen again or if you have never even tried it, this is the online class for you. It is a beginning class that will take you through step by step to become a calligrapher and give you the foundation to go on to other calligraphy hands. Come join us!
This is a background on a 5x7 canvas board with Studio paints, punchanella, and stamps...and the stamp says..."art for art's sake." I think that creating these types of quickie backgrounds is one of the most fun things that I create. I have gotten to the point, at least for the most part, to create these backgrounds intuitively and not think too much but just let each color and shape dictate the next. One things that helps too---my safety net---GESSO!!!
ALMOST READY!!! If you are interested, Gail at Creative Workshops will have registration open soon.
As hard as this class was to organize and teach, it was a complete joy to work intensely with my pens and practice my skills so I could bring to those of you who might be interested in learning calligraphy a good foundation so you can start a successful calligraphic journey. I have developed a step by step approach which will give you the foundation for you to be a good calligrapher. The rest is up to you! It is something that you can do the rest of you life, it never goes out of style and it goes with any style that comes around a goes around. It will make you happy and others happy. What can be better than that?
I have found that Copic markers are good therapy. Anytime I am stressed, or feel like my coping skills are dwindling which has been certainly the case lately then I bring out the Copics. So the motto for the day is,"Copics for Coping!" That must be why they are so expensive! Well now, that explains it all.
Well, ya know sometimes how life sometimes overwhelms and things crash in and stress is rampant? Well, that calls for a Purple Daisy day. It just makes me happy. Have a wonderful and blessed Sunday everyone. 
Last night was the art opening of the "From the Studio Of..." show at the Women's Center here in Jacksonville. It was very exciting to see my art up on the wall along with all the other wonderful art. There were so many different styles from great Jacksonville artists and I feel very privileged to be apart of it. AND...I sold this piece! It's always nice to sell one---even though you feel like you are selling a part of yourself. 
I have been wanting to give away a free Calligra-FUN class so here it is. I will "random. org-it" so if you think you might like a chance to will a Calligra-FUN online class just leave me a comment and on Thursday, October 1, at 8:00pm EST I will pick a winner. You will then receive an email from Gail at Creative Workshops inviting you to join the class. Thanks!!!
In our drawing class today we drew this apple still life and I decided to brave it and color them with Copics. Copics are very different from watercolors or acrylics and you have to really think about highlights, color blending and layering. It's extremely fun but challenging, especially since I have not had my beginning Copics class---but I have watched many Youtube videos. This one looks better in person ---and from a distance! So in viewing this---please back up! I'm learning---and Hobby Lobby is having a 30%off sale on these very expensive Copics. Unfortunately, you need lots of them and you have to understand the letter and numeric label system. If you buy any, start off with the light ones and build from there because if you just buy several random colors that you like you will be disappointed with the results. Gradations of color value is the key.
My blog friend, Gina Lee Kim, is giving this painting away! Isn't it just beautiful!? I love her work and I do hope I win this one. She will enter your name 3 times if you announce it on your blog. I wish I had two blogs! Or you can just leave her a comment.
Yesterday I had very much indecision finalizing the pieces that would go into this upcoming show at the Women's Center. The pieces that are due for delivery today were finished but... which ones should go? ...and what price?... and do I really want to sell that even if it sells (a big IF there) ...and what represents me most as an artist---and so on and so on. So I finally settled on the 10 that I thought would be the best for this show. The name of the show is;"From the Studio Of..." So anything goes. I have some calligraphy, some poppies and some girls. I think that represents at least some of me. I have several shows coming up in the next few months and two that overlap so I guess I need to produce a few more if I can. This is new for me....yikes....putting my babies out there...
For me the Copics seem easy but it's deceiving. You really have to be careful because they layer so well that if you have picked up the wrong color then your little picture is non fixable. I had that problem with the purple flower. That's why you need so many colors---gradual gradations and shades of color. Hobby Lobby 40% coupon here I come. For me, this is a good way to create a little colorful eye candy piece when you don't feel like pulling out the acrylics or watercolors or if you have a new manicure and you are in need of a quick color fix. (Like I ever get manicures!) 
I am beginning a bible study soon on prophesy with a wonderful Bible teacher here named Cindy Zeigler. She is an artist too and makes wonderful things. As I was reading about the time with the Lord will return I just wrote this calligraphy, very quickly with my Parallel Pen , scanned it and put it on this background I had. It is enhanced with some digital brushes and the calligraphy has undergone a color change from it's original red to gold. I tried white, light blue off white and settled on gold for the contrast. I haven't printed one of these digi works but I am planning to do that at some point. I hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Sunday!
Really, this is the last one I created. I think I have said all I can say about the digi-collages--they're just fun and it kinda like a creative computer game.
I have tried to resist... yes, I have... tried and tried with all my might but I guess I have given in to my weakness for trying something new---can you guess what I colored this with?? Now don't read any further...can you guess? So, before I tell you (have you read down further yet?) I wanted to first say that these are the calligraphic letterforms that I am teaching in my new upcoming online "Italic Calligraphy" class coming November 2nd. We will learn this basic letterform and a few little variations.
Well, maybe this will be the last one. I think maybe I will see what these look like printed. I think it is a really good practice for making colors, shapes and my lettering work together. Maybe this has helped me with "real" collages. I will try some like this with real paper when I get home. Have a nice Monday!
Here is the diaper cake Macaulay and I made. It was really cute. I sure some of you just might guess what those are on the top. Actually Macaulay and I decided we should take them off. It was a really nice party. A good time was had by all.
Here is another one I have created here while baby and mama are taking a little nap. When I make these collages it is totally intuitive and is a great exercise for just making things work together in a collage format. The problem is---when to stop! This one may have gone just a bit too far but I do like the colors. I have all sorts of digi-stamp brushes (I just call them digi-stamps they are really just different brushes) which I have downloaded from various sites 
Well, yes it is just a number isn't it? And I am getting where I think mine will be unlisted also. 
I made this little video today while I actually should have been filming Lesson 3 of my online class. I really did want to see how my new light and background would look. I like the green so now I will use it for the rest of the lessons. Then after I made this video and was all ready to start filming I decided that I would be really smart and organize my files that come from Movie maker in the Imovie events. Apparently you can't do that because I lost all of my editing and had to export all of the clips back in one by one and still I didn't get them all---so that required refilming of some parts. I knew things were going just a little bit too smoothly. Well, maybe tomorrow I can get to lesson three. But hey, I just thought of something, if I had filmed lesson 3 then I would have lost that one too. Actually in a strange way, God is looking after me! Of course He always is.
Lesson Two is in the can! Hopefully lesson 3 will be finished up and edited by Saturday. This is been great for me--it's made me practice which is something I need to do much more often. If you don't use it--you lose it! And that a fact! Y'all have a great day!
I am trying to use my stuff---got lots of stuff so I decided to do some monoprinting.
