Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Once Upon a Piece of Paper (Part 3)


I have done a few more exercises from Once Upon a Piece of Paper.   These first two pictures (3 mini compositions) are warm ups.


The next picture shows an exercise about repetition and one about shape and form using soft composition.


My friend, Janice, has ordered this book so it will be interesting to see what she does with the same exercises!





Saturday, January 28, 2017

Silly Scraps Saturday



I'm still enjoying the inspirational exercises in the new book Once Upon a Piece of Paper.  In this one, I play with scale.



And grids are always a favorite of mine!



Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Garbage Stamp


I still want to carve a few more stamps from leftover rubber.  This one is a perfect triangle, so creates a pattern when stamped four times.


Monday, January 23, 2017

Rediscovering Peel-Offs


I've been playing with Magenta Peel-Off stickers lately.  These are watercolored with Inktense Pencils on watercolor paper.


Sentiment Stamp by Studio G


They make a nice addition to the mosaic bookmarks I've been making lately.  These will all get given away.



I made these two from a gift of scrapbook scraps.  I'll give them back to the sweet gift givers.



Saturday, January 14, 2017

Silly Scraps Saturday


I'm borrowing from one of my favorite stamp (and mixed media) artists today, Stamping Mathilda.  (Not only is she a talented artist, but she is a great photographer too.)

I love her Sunday Scraps series, in which she creates something out of scraps.  I have a lot of watercolored scraps that could have gone in the garbage bin years ago, but for some reason I couldn't bring myself to throw them away.

To make a few bookmarks I cut a larger watercolored piece into 2" strips and drew on them with a black Stabilo pencil.  Then, I applied more paint to the backgrounds only.

This worked so well that I made some Artist Trading Cards for tomorrow's swap.  Here are a couple of those too:



Next time I'll try and remember to take a picture of the scraps before I turn them into something else.


Thursday, January 12, 2017

Once Upon a Piece of Paper

is a beautiful new book by Andrea D'Aqino.  I pounced on the offer of a review copy and I'm glad I did!


Collage need not be difficult or complicated.  Included with the book you get 50 yummy double-sided collage papers - grab your glue, scissors and art journal or other support and you're all set!

The book provides straight forward, sometimes humorous collage instructions and prompts, while still incorporating some good art principles.  Here is a sample of these:



If you'd like to dip your toe into collage but don't have the collection of pictures and papers that you feel you need, this is a good option for you.  The paper pad included is not just another pad of scrapbook paper; here are a few pictures to give you the idea:








I evaluate art books very simply.  Does it make me want to grab a pen, some paint or glue stick and get started?  This one gets a resounding yes.  I got started immediately, although those papers were so yummy they were difficult to cut into.

I'll post some collages shortly.

Monday, January 9, 2017

What's My Line?

Thick and dark, evidently.


Brush Pen and Watercolor

I was fiddling with a mechanical pencil in my sketchbook recently, doing some small drawings as I read Daniel Donaldson's Creative Girl.  (The mechanical pencil is her drawing tool of choice.)  She talks in her book about "visual tension", and how her particular line is part of her recognizable style.  She challenges us to find our own style of line.

I'm enjoying reading her book, and I love looking at her bright, light drawings.  "Luminescent", my observant sister calls them.  What I didn't enjoy was doing the drawing.  I realized that what I love using is a bold pen, so I turned the page in my sketchbook and did this quick drawing of some flowers with a brush pen.  That was fun!

What's your line?



Saturday, January 7, 2017

They Do Get Better


One thing I have relearned by taking Watercolor Sketching is that the sketches do get better if you repeat them.  Compare the one above to the one I posted last week:


Better paper helps too, of course.  The first was only 90 lb; the second, 140 lb.  Such a lot to learn!


Sunday, January 1, 2017

Better Paintings with Watercolor Sketching


Happy New Year!  It snowed all day yesterday here in Vancouver and I was sketching Maui scenes.😊

My sweet sister gave me a Craftsy class for my birthday,  Better Paintings with Watercolor Sketching with Angela Fehr.  I chose this class for two main reasons:
  • Some of this class focuses on how to choose the right photo for translating into painting.  I work mostly from photos in my home office/studio.  (I've tried being a location/urban sketcher but it really isn't my natural inclination.  I'm a homebody. LOL  Is it safe to admit this?  Urban Sketching is all the rage!) 
  • Angela's painting style is free and fluid and involves lots of water.  This is totally up my alley!



Will I ever make it past the sketching phase and move to the painting phase?  I have no idea, but for now I'm having a ball.  And that's what it is all about for me.