“Who Me? seems to be the expression on this chickadee collage made entirely from Citra Solv papers as an example for a two part Citra Solv workshop at Dillon Nature Center the last couple of weeks.
First the class made Citra Solv altered papers, then used them to create a bird collage of their own. I think they all did a fabulous job… we had roosters, sparrows, owls, robins, cardinals, and crows! Quite a flock of artwork!
“Painting” with only paper can be a fun change of pace, and is a good exercise in really having to pay attention to color values. I often like to throw in a little extra challenge and fun by adding images here and there for the viewer to discover. In this collage, “Tea Time Discovery”, there are a dozen images hidden in the piece… I Spy style! Can you find them?
Happy hunting!
If you would like to purchase this piece, find it in my etsy shop here!
If you would like to make your own paper painting, I am holding a workshop this week at Tessera Fine Art Gallery, and I would love to see you there!
Participants will make their own 8 x 10 collage on a stretched canvas. I look forward to seeing what everyone comes up with!
Several months ago I visited the Red Barn Studio in Lindsborg, Kansas, home of artist Lester Raymer. I was very inspired by his eclectic body of work. One thing that especially attracted me were his shadowboxes.
In these he used a variety of 2D and 3D items as symbols and representations to tell a story. I found them so intriguing as I pondered his chosen elements. It made me feel a connection to the artist I have never met.
It gave me the idea to create a two dimensional “shadowbox” style story of my own life.
We all have a story to tell, and what a great way to connect our story to our families, and to all who take time to look at it. There are so many ways that this can be implemented!
Hope you can join me as I explore the possibilities in the upcoming Collage Your Story workshop at Tessera Fine Art Gallery. Saturday, Feb. 11, 1-4pm. Cost is $35, all supplies provided. If you want to bring small scale photo copies of any special mementos, or would like to work in your art journal instead, feel free to bring them! Call (316) 262-2435 to sign up!
I completed faces 8 through 14 this week, these are my three favorites; a pen and ink, a watercolor, and an acrylic. I am trying to spend just a wee bit more time on these, and I am liking the results better. One of my goals for 2017 is to build in a little more S L O W time. This may be a good place to practice getting out of rush mode!
I also did a lot of workshop prep this week, for an Art Journaling 101 workshop as well as an upcoming art journal workshop and next months paper collaging workshops. Here is a workshop example that my daughter/helper made for me.
These ladies did a great job on their art journal 101 pages! (and have some beautiful smiles too!)
I don’t have a picture to share… but I also got all caught up on my 2016 accounting using my new Quick Books software. Pretty proud of myself on that one since bookkeeping is my nemesis!
Today’s workshop has been postponed to next week because of the threat of icy weather. Maybe we will luck out and have a nice beautiful snow instead!
Painting papers and binding them into journals was one of the funnest things we did this week.
The January Art Parts packs went out in the mail this week to those who are ART PARTS subscribers. They are also available at Tessera Fine Art Gallery, and will soon be in my etsy shop as well.
I also got to deliver a commissioned piece of art, and see it in its new home, as well as taking a load of new art to Tessera Fine Art Gallery. I will post photos when my new wall is up!
On a personal note, while hanging out and shopping with my daughter, I found these fabulous doors that are just what we were looking for to enclose a porch on our old house. So exciting!
While there I really enjoyed seeing this little vintage pink toy kitchen set that is just like one I had as a kid!
We also had enjoyable time with crowds of our family. With eight grown children, their spouses and 9 grandchildren, family usually arrives in crowds… but noisy homes full of talking and laughing are a blessing. Just ran across this family photo from about six years ago…makes me laugh all over again!
So that was pretty much my week… how was yours?
For a few years now I have been studying different approaches to creating junk journals. I have watched videos, taken a few classes, read books on binding books, and done my own experimenting. What I have ended up with is a compilation of my favorite bits from all the different resources. Take a tour of this “blank” hand bound journal ready and waiting to be used.
The pages themselves are made from book pages, painted papers, calendars, junk mail, old artwork, and all kinds of fun paper treasures from my stash.
Now that I have tried out several different techniques, I am excited to share my favorites in a workshop where we will each make our own junk journal full of our own hand selected and hand painted papers.
If you can’t attend all day, it is possible to take only the morning (paper painting) or afternoon (book binding) sessions as space permits.
Last Saturday I had a couple of fun workshops in the theme of PLAY. In the first, Paint Like a Child, we had fun going through the developmental stages of children’s art, putting them into practice as we created a couple of pieces of art on our “playgrounds”.
In the next workshop, A Touch of Whimsy, we talked about the elements that can be tweaked to create whimsy in our artwork.
Everyone did such a great job, even when it was a new to them technique!
Next month at Tessera Gallery….
Tis’ the season for some great workshops coming up in December! We will start off with painting an assortment of ornaments on Thursday, Dec. 8 from 6 to 9. We will paper mache and paint, use re-purposed materials, and make paper doll style creatures. Any or all will look great on your tree, or make a great, one of a kind, gift.
Next will be a class to learn about all kinds of ways stencils can be used beyond what we normally think of. In the process we will make a whole collection of decorated tags that will be handy to use in a multitude of ways.
The workshop trio will end up with “Smash it All” a class on how to use smash books… and each participant will put together a custom smash book to take home!
Hope to see you there!
I am pretty excited about the lineup of workshops coming up at Tessera Fine Arts Gallery!
Next week there will be three different workshops, all with the theme of PLAY! On Thursday will be the “Paint Like a Child” workshop where we will look at, and use the developmental stages that children go through in their artwork. The goal is to try to restore a childlike joy in the process and expel crippling “adult” perfectionism! We will approach our canvas as a playground, and loosen up! Some of the products we will be trying out are the Stabilo pencil, NeoColor II crayons, and oil pastels.
Participants are welcome to work in their art journal, or on the provided canvas.
A few of my own examples using this technique…
I have had so much fun with this I can’t stop! Several little nativity’s…
Next up on Saturday morning will be “Oodles of Doodles” which has become my wonderfully relaxing bedtime routine/art making! We will doodle up some papers to use in our pieces, and then layer them on our surface. We will also create an imaginary creature or character wearing some doodles, and then finish the entire piece with doodles that will be an amazing transformation! Some pages of funky cutouts will help us with our creature creations. Paint pens will be the featured tool in this workshop.
Work in your art journal, or on the provided “doodle board”.
I have been going doodle crazy in my art journals….
Saturday afternoon will wind up the trio of play workshops with “A Touch of Whimsy” which will look at four elements of creating whimsical art. Once you know the elements, you can control just how much, or how little whimsy there is! We will be creating a character with a whimsical face in a whimsical place either on an art journal page or on the provided canvas board.
If you would like to join me in any of these playful romps, check out the information below and call Tessera Gallery at (316) 262-2435.
Have a great weekend!
“Lucy” is my “Paint Like a Child” version of one of my favorite subjects… an elephant! I painted her as a sample for my upcoming workshop using some of the techniques we will be learning to help us return to the childlike wonder and freedom and joy in our art.
We will be looking at, and using, the five stages of development in children’s art. The goal is not to abandon our adult interests and abilities, but to regain the influence of that art child. Seems strange to have to learn to paint like a child doesn’t it? Picasso said that it took him four years to learn to paint like Raphael, and a lifetime to learn to paint like a child! We better get started!
Here are some in progress photos as this piece and a few others in the series were made.
In the workshop we will learn how to incorporate childlike scribbles, shapes, and more into our “adult” artwork. It is such a fun and free way to create and a good exercise for those who struggle, as I do, to be looser in our painting.
Hope you can come!
I have been taking a Video Production class at City Arts on Wednesdays, and have been enjoying what a nice facility this is. One of the fun things is the art related quotes that are all over the walls. I especially like this one. “Creativity takes Courage” by Henri Matisse. I couldn’t agree more! Here are a few of the scary things that I encounter as an artist:
But as Eleanor Roosevelt advised, I try to do at least one thing each day that scares me! Otherwise, I won’t stay creative.
What would you add to the list?
from victory road 
