Postcard Swap #4 Prototype

I think that I have got my next batch of postcards are all figured out.  I made up a prototype and I think it will do just fine.  I thought that I would change it up and not use my felting technique although it is still my very favourite!

I hand stitched the two pieces of organza together.  Then, I applied some acrylic paint on to some paper and it is the backing for the hand-beaded organza ribbon strip and adhered them together with soft gel medium.

I then applied a layer of pan pastels and covered it using my homemade stamp (yes, it is the erasure that you can get from the dollar stores) with pigment ink.   I made a pattern on the other side that I have used quite a few times but had not used this side yet.  Next was a wash of thinned down gesso; not too much just enough to lighten the stamp images.  I might even have to lighten it up a bit more.  For this prototype, I think that I will just have to use different ink to but on my letters and words, my message so to speak.

There is only one problem, I don't have enough ribbon to complete the 10 postcards.  So I guess I will have to figure out something else for the last few cards. The real issue here is; I don't want to buy anything else.

The last two stages are apply purchased washi tape and my message!  

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.

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!

Play Day

My hubby had to go to town today so I thought that it was the perfect opportunity for some "play".  It has been awhile since I have brought out the paints and my mark making tools.

I watched the Doodles Unleashed workshop on the web a few days ago and today I got busy.  I didn't do a "follow along" with the video so my page is not turning out like the instructors - Traci Bautista at Strathmore Artist Papers.

http://www.strathmoreartiststudio.com/

It was fun and I used some acrylic inks with some mini misting bottle, water colour paints, acrylic paints and fluid acrylic paints, oil sticks and oil pastels.  In the beginning of the process, I used stuff from around the house to lay on the 140 lb watercolour paper (it is what I already had on hand, same with the paints and inks) to start misting the ink around on the page.  I'm glad that I had most of the materials already.  Since I didn't have enough mist bottles or fluid watercolours I used the acrylic inks that I had and just added water to the misting bottle.

 Now that I take a look at it again, I think I should have attached the key to the key fob.  What do you think?  Does it really matter since this is only stage one in the process?  In some ways, I like the picture just the way it is; I like its minimalist simplicity. 

Then I added more colour. I'm not done yet because now that I look the snaps I took, I can see that I need more "light" to contrast all of the dark.  This is much more defined in the purple, pink and blue doodle page

My red, green and blue page has some light yellow but again it is way too dark and I need to add acrylic ink to it as well as part of my doodling process. 

It has been a fun day!! I am looking forward to the next time that I have a few hours to spare so that I can complete these.  I did a couple more pages too; for something to do while the wet paint was drying (I should have gotten my hair dryer out I suppose).  Those pages are not even as far along in the process as these above so I have not taken any snaps of them.

All in all, I had a lot of fun on a very dreary, rainy, foggy day!  If I must spend a lot of time indoors then I am happy that I could spend my time making art.

I look forward to seeing how these will morph once again as I spend some quality time with them and apply the final marks on them!!

Actual Picture vs Photograph

Here is the first drawing that I did of a little bag that is so smooth to the touch.

The above is the next step using pastel to get a good base. I'm trying to actually reconstruct the little bag I got for Christmas last year that contained three lovely hand lotions. The bag is a smooth coppery bronze. It is strange how light can trick the eye. I looked at this and thought I was finished but when I got it up on iPhoto it looked "all wrong". It is suppose to look like man-made metallic material and not at all like rough "leather".

This still doesn't look metallic but at least is is getting closer to the coppery colour that I was looking for. I do like the way photographs can be used as a way of getting the look that you want. Sometimes seeing somthing in "real-time" isn't the way it actually looks. The eye of the camera is much more objective that our own.

Okay the real reason that I painted on the actual drawing in my Moleskin "sketchbook" is due to an ooops! I had coloured the page that followed with blue pastel and had "fixed" it with hairspray. I forgot to put something between the pages and the pastel that had become liquified with the hairspray had transferred on to the back of the bag drawing. As I have previously discussed, the pages are not meant to be used for pastel or anything other than pen and ink. That means the pages are transparent enough that the blue pastel could be seen thus ruining the drawing. There was no choice but to try and save the drawing by doing something to it - anything would be better that the way it was now! Luckily I had taken a photo of the drawing before I created the mess!