Icy sculptures

I went down to the lake yesterday to see how thick the ice might be.  It is looking pretty thin and it is moving sheets of it towards the shoreline.

I thought that the icy sculpture looked like the shape of a flower.

It was quite cold at the shore as well and the glare off of the ice was blinding!  There wasn't much colour in the sky so the lens read the scene as grey and greyer than it was in reality.  The black areas especially at the horizon really were black to the eye as well.

Mixed Media Collage and Prototypes

I  have signed up to participate in another The Sketchbook Project challenge and I can't wait to receive my 4 X 4 canvas to paint.  I haven't decided if I will actually "paint" it per se or if I will make my painting a collage.

I have a bunch of old dress patterns "from back in the day" when I sewed more.  I got the inspiration to do this from a fellow Instagramer.  She was using the packaging in her altered collaged journal pages. My IG friend Carol had some real "vintage" dress patterns from 1950's that were really cool.   Since my patterns are not old enough to be cool, I decided that I would try and use the dress pattern  tissue in a collage.

I really like the effect and I am seriously considering using the technique for the 4 X 4 painting challenge. I found some tissue tape that I had purchased at a local art supply in the sale bin.  The reason it was in the sale bin is because the glue was dry so I just tore off what I could and applied it. 

I like the idea of adding text, of having something to say in my journal page.  I have to remind myself that it is okay to play like a child.  We have to remind ourselves that children live their lives "in the NOW" all of the time.   I think we need to return to that.  I think it makes it easier for me to make art when I get myself into this "childhood memories" zone.

What I used to make these:

-recycled paper substrate (from the recycle bin at work)

-recycled dress pattern tissue applied with soft gel medium

-stencil that I had purchased some time ago and never used

-wooden puzzle piece

-magazine page cut out using paper punch from dollar store

-recycled foil gum wrapper dot applied

-Text (in a different language ) applied using Magic tape from a cookbook  to make "artist" tape

-Micron pen and coptic pen

-oil pastel for smudging

I am planning on joining another postcard swap this month with Shannon Ganshorn and I think that I will use this as part of this next swap.

Proto-types and Inktense fun!

I forgot to post the pencil drawing prototype to my perfume bottle below!  Bummer!  Afterwards, I realized that I had not measured the bottle properly;  the size of the upper glass piece and the lid size is off enough that it looks like a hat!

I still have a fondness for the glorious pencil!  There is nothing like it really: simple, easy to use, no need for a lot of expensive extra's.  The most expensive thing about this form of art is your paper or sketchbook!  At least my final coloured drawing has much better proportions.

I had time to enjoy a "play day" several days ago!  I love getting my hands dirty from using art materials.  In this case gesso and Inktense blocks.

 I really like these blocks because once the water dries the colour is permanent. It is permanent because it is "ink"!

I should have purchased the larger size but I didn't have the cash at the time!  So if you are thinking about going out to make the purchase...if you can afford it I highly recommend that you purchase the extra colours in the 24 pack.

I am using an old coffee table book purchased at a charity shop.  It is cloth-bound and has sewn signatures.  I ripped out some of the pages to make room for collage fodder.  On this page I slapped on some CHEAP gesso to cover up most of the photographs and printing on the page.  Then, I rubbed the Inktense colour blocks down randomly on the page.   As you can see, I broke some up to the size I wanted.  Once that was done that, I dipped a wide brush in water and slapped in on to spread the colour.  There was so much water that I let some of drip down the page.  

Bottom line, I had fun!  Not too sure where I am going with this yet but I do like it.

I have always been a camera bug!!

I have been spending a lot more time on Instagram and I have enjoyed it very much so far!  I joined or follow POPYACOLOUR challenge so it will make me take and post daily!  I need routine and at least all the photo's I take then have a place to be instead of being schlepped over to my external hard drive never to be seen again!

For some of the challenges, I have made some art.  Simple things but artful expression nevertheless.

I drew this with pen and then added the oil pastel afterwards.  Not sure if I like the result all that much but it is a drawing and I posted it anyway!  I find that if I don't do some sort of art for a long period of time then I get what one might call "withdrawal pains"!    It was fun to complete something in my sketchbook!

Life Changes

Life can imitate the change in weather....one day it is one thing and the next it is something altogether different.

Life can be slow-moving and very enjoyable.  Then again, it can speed up and become a whirlwind, a tornado of sorts

I am so glad that my husband is home from his heart surgery.  He is quietly watching television so I decided to take time out for myself today.  I did this drawing.  I can see now that my perspective is slightly off but it has been a dogs age since I have picked up a pencil so I will not be too hard on myself

I don't know what I was thinking when I started this because it didn't orient the drawing on the sketchbook page properly.  Regardless, it is simple 2B graphite pencil drawing with some smudging and voila...a graphite sketch of a Champs elysees eau de toilette bottle.  I love perfume bottles but find that the new minimal plainness of todays bottles very boring to draw.

I had forgotten how hard it is to make glass look like glass especially the shadow created by glass.