Phantom Petals

I haven’t had much time for arting the past few days.  I finished this piece last weekend.  The collage pieces are cut from painted phone book pages.  After gluing the pieces down, I used a brush with black India ink to outline everything.  Then I decided that was too stark and softened it with watercolor crayons and oil pastels.

Today in the mail, I  received the sewn journal I won a few weeks ago.  It traveled all the way from Norway to Arkansas.  I can’t make out the spelling of her first name but you can visit her website: ( http://www.scrowlscrowl.blogspot.com/) . 

She has a video on her site of a current journal that she is working on…go check it out.  Here are some of my favorites pages from the journal: 

The cover (above) plus two of the pages:

 

 

Lattice Flower

I started this post this morning and it now late afternoon.  We are having our house painted so there have been several interruptions.  Here is another of my phone book collages.  I love doing these.   I glued down the black and white background, cut out the shapes from painted phone book pages and here you have it.  This morning, I signed up for Suzi’s new class: Piety & Passion…can’t wait to get started on that. 

 

Cut Flowers

I used painted phone book papers on this piece.  I glued painted paper pieces onto a piece of watercolor paper.  I painted over the entire piece with a light layer of  acrylic paints.  Then I cut the flower and leaf shapes from more painted phone book pages.  I used Caran d’Ache crayons to add more color and outlined all the shapes with  black crayon and a black Stabilo pencil.

GPP Street Team

This is my first time to enter a creativity challenge over at Green Pepper Press (http://michelleward.typepad.com/how_cool_is_that/2010/03/crusade-no-38.html).  This is Crusade No. 38 and is hosted by Michelle Ward.   The challenge is to create a collage from painted tissue paper.  I used white tissue paper which I painted with acrylic paints and inks.  I forgot to use gesso as suggested. I’ll have to try that on another collage. It was my first time using tissue paper in collage…it’s a little tricky to use with but I really liked the effect.  This is in my “old book” journal.

Post Cards – Old and New

I found this old Irish themed post card. It says nothing about Saint Patrick but has other Irish symbols on it.  I am showing the back of the card so you can see the pretty handwriting.  Handwriting used to be an art.  I’m thinking this was mailed in the early 1900’s. The postmark doesn’t show the rest of the date because the card is heavily embossed.

 

Here are some post cards I traded for…first is Kitty’s card

http://slovoni.blogspot.com/

Second, is one from Amy over at Gauche Alchemy 

Third one from Joyce in Washington state

 A big thank you to all who traded with me, I still have some cards  to trade if anyone else is interested.  If you are, send your mailing address to my email at the top of the sidebar.

Journal – #13

We went to see Shutter Island yesterday. It’s a well made movie but I kept waiting for another twist at the end…I was thinking, it’s not really going to end like this, is it? But it did. Leonardo DiCaprio is the main star and was brilliant, as usual.

Here’s another quick journal page.  It needs something more in the background; however,  I do like the way the face turned out.  It looks a little wonky but I like that.  I was going for hair like my friend Diane (My Art Journal) paints on her girls…but I didn’t really achieve the look I wanted.   

I do want to mention something that I found this weekend. Some of you are familiar with the sketchbook project that several online artists participated in and  then blogged about it on their blogs. Sharon made a wonderful sketchbook she entitled the TimeKeepers Diary. (http://allnorahsart.blogspot.com/search/label/Sketchbook%20Project )   The Art House Coop has many other ongoing projects.  This one caught my eye..it’s called “Mail Me Something.”  I have signed up to participate.   It  involves making post card size art (4 x 6) and mailing it off to them.  Read about this project and many other projects at their website: 

http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/mailmesomething

Winners

The two winners of the Post Card art are Lisa over at Lucky Dip  (link to her website is over on the sidebar). The other winner is Rosie at Altered Art and Stuff (http://alteredartandstuff.wordpress.com/) Rosie lives in the UK.  I’ll get your cards sent out really soon, hopefully, on Monday.  I appreciate everyone who participated…I’ll have to do this again very soon…thanks!

 

NOTE:  There is another giveaway over at scrowlscrowl:  http://www.scrowlscrowl.blogspot.com/   Check it out, it ends Monday! She  is giving away a handmade junk journal.

Journal Page & Blue Lady

Reminder: Leave a comment in the post below this one and I’ll send out the art post cards to two winners…ends Friday afternoon (March 12).  I’m not getting a lot a spring cleaning done.  We have had rain this week which has slowed down any outside work and I haven’t been motivated yet to start on the inside.  Plus, I had my dermatologist appointment yesterday so that blew that day as far as getting anything accomplished.  I  am running out of excuses:) 

I have managed to do some quick art pieces…the journal page was completed in stages.  I glued phone book painted pages first. I used Caran D’Ache crayons and a light layer of white gesso.  Then I used more crayons along with some paint.  I used my black marking pencil to accent some of the lines.  The blue lady was done on a small piece of watercolor paper.  After painting the background, I draw a light sketch of the face and used a brush to paint the face. I used lots of white, blue ink, and Payne’s Gray.  Click on the piece to have a close up view.

 

Post Card Giveaway

Spring is really here…oh my!  It’s absolutely gorgeous weather here today…about 66 degrees.   That can change but I’ll take it for the time being. 

Here are  two more Post Cards that I finished Friday.  I’m going to send them to two different people who leave a comment on this post by the end of the week. (March 12).  With your comment, leave a link to your blog or if you do not have one leave an email address where you can be reached.  I will draw two names and notify the winners.  I’ll try and contact the winners sometime Friday evening.

I may not be posting this week because we need to get caught up on some outside yard chores as well as inside..you know…the dreaded spring cleaning.  At least, it is dreaded to me.  I’ll have to see how it goes, maybe it won’t take long or maybe it won’t get done at all 🙂 However, there are a few things that can’t be put off any longer.

 

 

My Post Cards

I finished two post cards today and started two more.  I think I have about four to send out right now.  I really am enjoying making these small pieces of art. I am painting with acrylics on phone book pages.  After painting on the pages, I tear them up and collage the pieces on a base.  I like to use  phone book paper because it is really thin and glues down nicely. For the base, I use cereal and tea boxes, or heavy watercolor paper.   I use Golden’s regular gel medium as a glue.  When I finish a card, I use Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish all over the piece.  I read on someone’s blog a while back that this product is the only one you need.  I can’t find the artist’s blog again who wrote that.  I haven’t used it as a glue or glaze because I have a lot of gel mediums to use up…thought I’d pass that along.  If it works like that, it would save money. However,  if you don’t like a glossy finish, then  you probably wouldn’t like it.  Here are two of my finished cards: