SheArt Workshop...

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm taking an online course and I have to say that is is one of the best I have ever taken. It is hosted by the very talented and creative, Christy Tomlinson and it's called the SheArt Workshop. Still in week one, here's what I've done...

I covered several canvases with vintage papers, sewing pattern pieces and patterned papers.

You can see the sewing pattern pieces behind the paint. I then began adding layers of paint.

Here it is with more paint, some rub ons and a stenciled bird.

Fast forward several hours and more paint, rub ons and a girl...

She made today count...

Okay, so I'm totally crazy about this entire process and have a second girl in the works and another that I'm starting today. Love this workshop!

On my table...

and spread all over the kitchen are half a dozen canvas pieces I'm working on.

Thought I would share a few bits & pieces...

I'm taking an online workshop with my friend, Jean and we are working on backgrounds. I'll be posting more from the workshop over the next several weeks. Hope you enjoy the sneak peek. Have a great evening!

Three Wise Women...

Artist Trading Cards - Series of 3

Images courtesy of Kim at Paper & Digital Art.
I cut a background I had painted into small pieces, added gold tissue paper and images.

Inspired by three of my favorite women, very wise women, Helen Keller, Maya Angelou & Eleanor Roosevelt.

Enjoy!

From small beginnings...

From small beginnings come great things. -Proverb

Happy Monday, hope you had a great weekend.

Mine was great, spent time with Tyler, our oldest grandson, watched a bit of football and had many hours of creative time. Lots to share.

There is still time to comment here to win my "alphabet" giveaway.

Here's to a great week!

Go...

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart. -Confucius

10 x 8 on watercolor paper

One of my new pieces, very bright! My favorite process, layers and layers of paints, oil pastels and ink.

Hope you have a fantastic weekend!

Life's a beach...

I would love to be at the beach right now but it will be another 24 weeks before we head to the Outer Banks. Our first vacation in 7 years and so looking forward to it.

Life's a beach is one of the current tag challenge themes at PDA...

Let's go for a swim

Creating faux sand is easy. Apply matte medium to the area you want sand and sprinkle with a light colored, course glitter. Once dry, paint with sand colored acrylic, I used a craft acrylic in peach. It looks like the real thing.

Have a wonderful evening, off to create.

Texture, Part 2...

There are many ways to create texture in your art and if you have been following my blog for a while, you know I love experimenting. Every time I sit at my worktable, I try something new, always experimenting.

Here is another process I like for creating texture and dimension...

I used a border strip from K&Co...

I cut the strip into pieces to fit my tag and then adhered with gel medium.

I then applied layers of acrylics and oil pastels in shades of red and yellows...

Embellished with a piece of scrap copper, a bead, ribbon and a Pentel Slicci pen.

Easy and fun, the way it should be.

Make sure you get entered for my giveaway, drawing will be done on February 1st.

All you have to do is comment on this post.

Hope you are having a great week.

Texture...

Texture is the theme for one of the current tag challenges at PDA.

There a many ways to bring texture to your art.

Here is one of my favorites...

I adhered a piece of a vintage sewing pattern to my tag using matte medium.

Once dry, I applied dimentional paint using a stencil.

Next, I applied two coats of acrylic paint, for this piece I used red and then blue.

Once the paint had dried, I applied a layer of gold. Sanded lightly, once dry, to expose the first two layers of paint.

She sang a little tune

Several tags and ATC's created this past weekend, it was a productive 2 days in the studio.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend, have a great week.

A giveaway...

The Artistic Alpha Challenge at PDA is going to be active for 2012 and I am so excited to be moderating. You can read all the details here.

To celebrate, I am giving away a box (a medium Priority Mail) filled with alphabet sets, stickers, chipboard, rub-ons, stencils, vintage dictionary pages and much more.

Here's a peek...

To enter to win, leave a comment on this post. The challenge at PDA begins on February 1st and I'll draw a winner then. This is a 10 month project and we would love to have you join us but that's not a requirement to win this giveaway, only a comment here is necessary.

Best of luck!

Live Simply...

Several weeks ago, I received 3 of these from a fellow artist...

She had issued a challenge at PDA to use them in our art.

I tried a few things, nothing was working, so I put them away.

Several days later, I was working on an ATC and was stuck. I wanted to add a stick pin and could not come up with a way to attach it and I thought about the "thingies" I had received. My original idea for the stick pin didn't pan out and then I had another thought...I cut off the black cord and used the silver piece as a little bucket. Added a few flowers (actually beads) and here it is...

Live Simply

Artist Trading Card

The image was a gift from Lee Weber.

Some things work better when taken apart.

Have a great weekend.

Dream...

10 x 8 on watercolor paper

layers upon layers of paints, pastels and paper.

Hope you are having a great week...dream!

Art...

Light tomorrow with today.

5 x 7 on watercolor paper

Image courtesy of Dover Publishing

I've been lucky to have so much time the last week or so to spend in my studio, it's been quite productive. A few more hours this morning and then it's back to work, have a few orders for Photography Art. Here's to a great day, hope yours is fabulous!

Dream of Paris...

Artist Trading Card

Just for fun of it!

Hope you have had a wonderful week, have a great weekend!

Dance...

10 x 8 on canvas

I've always been fond of this quote, it was one of Debbie's favorites and she lived by it.

paper from old books, acrylics & ink, vintage image: digital imagery plus

We've postponed our day at the market until all their maintenance is complete. An extra day to work on inventory is much needed so we'll clean and rearrange early next week and it's off to work for me.

Have a fantastic day and dance as if no one were watching.

Finding treasure...

Thrift stores are one of favorite places to wander, the perfect cure for cabin fever.

Here are a few baubles I picked up on Saturday at our Goodwill...

I've already taken the watch and earrings apart. Nothing of value in the sense of jewelry but what a treasure for me.

Here's what I did with one of the pieces...

She holds the key

Artist Trading Card

The red bead also came from a thrift store find, more on that in another post.

Getting back on track after the holidays...off to the market tomorrow for cleaning and rearranging, making new for the New Year.

Hope you have a wonderful day.

Happy New Year!

2011 ended and 2012 begin in a flurry of paint, paper and whatever else I could get my hands on. I celebrated by spending a full 3 days in my studio, it was wonderful and quite productive.

Here are a couple of tags I created for challenges at PDA...

International Tag...I chose Italy, a country I hope to visit someday.

Round Tag

Image is from an old mail order catalog.

With the holiday season behind us, things will begin to get back to normal. A long list of goals for this new year and I'm ready to get started.

Hope your new year is a great one!