Friday, May 31, 2019

paint party Friday... learning, trying new things, expressing myself

The love affair with paint continues... I am painting every day. I try new ways to approach it in my sketchbook, using new to me supplies like the white gel pen, and these tombow watercolor pens...

which do blend with water but lay down a sort of harsh line on paper, so blend immediately.

I am learning from videos too, as well as looking for sketchbook prompts. Yesterday was draw animals in clothes

Loving words, I chose alliteration... bird in bathing suit, poodle in pants and seal in a sweater

I liked the lessons by Jay Lee and am combining those with some song lyrics or quotes I printed then tore out.

I choose different fonts and sizes so even that's a fun exercise. I have saved a list of quotes to use in future. Sometimes I run the side of the tombow pen along the torn edge to accent it.
Jay Lee demonstrated trees one day, so I tried it too

When my inner critic comes out, and says "you draw and paint like a 4 year old!" I have to remember it's all learning, and experiencing, not about comparing myself to others.

I was struck by the bare branches of our tree out back, with black birds on it. I had just purchased a new KOI travel paint box, with metallic paint so I tried it out. It makes a wonderful effect but the light has to hit it just right to see it. The magic lamp at the bottom is awesome in person. I used the tombow brown marker for the tree, then went over it with a wet brush to soften the lines.
I also enjoyed a bit of pentangle doodling to make an edge.

I suppose this is on it's way to being mixed media. A torn painted (by Sonja) coffee filter, a magazine cut-out in poodle shape, and song lyrics. Then since my sketchbook and journal writing are both a part of me, I combined them, writing around the images my words for the day. I like how they formed a kind of decorative border in aqua uni-ball ink.
Whether painting on paper or fabric, beading, writing or other media, it's all good. All expressing myself and learning what works for me. Artists must be brave, to show who they are so openly.

Linking to:
Pink Saturday!
off the wall Fridays
https://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

Thursday, May 30, 2019

I Like Thursday #143

hey, where's the best place to find some poodle art???

Welcome to this week's list of likes!
We went to two craft festivals last weekend in Stapleton near Denver. It was a pretty day and all three of us enjoyed being together.

I asked this guy to let me take a pic of his shirt... quilters... can you relate?

While Milo was checking out the critter art, I spied a flamingo...
and a cow

teapot being held by a tin man. Cows and flamingos what could be better?

I met many very interesting artists, and it was intriguing how many were engineers or had been! DH could relate to them easily.

How about I show you some of what we saw?

I liked this Michigan artist for his circles... the eternal shape, and also loved by quilters...

Andy Carter of the Crookedstick.biz was very knowledgeable about varieties of trees, and how time changes the look of the rings. The colors were so pretty in person, organic, swirly, like watercolors.

He does mail order, this is his card...

Whew! Glad Mama trimmed my hairs, it was hot in the sun. I had to take a little rest while she looked and had a bottle of water. Then I chewed the lid off the bottle and was ready to meet some more people and dogs. I liked most all of them, look at this little dingo-dude chilling under a tree.

I really liked being petted by this lady, so I laid down and let her get at my back.

My advice at craft shows? Never ever turn down an ear scratch or a back rub!
This lady said I was a really good boy! Hear that Daddy?
a GOOD boy!

We all enjoyed a visit with this stained glass artist, and I did a mini-interview with her while basking in the color!

Barb has been working with glass since the '70's. She worked as an engineer but one day decided to make glass art full time. She works out of her home, dedicating a spare bedroom for "clean" work, and using the garage for the "dirtier" work of glass cutting. I always want to know about studio space.

I asked how she handles roadblocks. She said she usually has 4 or 5 pieces going at once (quilters... you can relate right?) and when she hits a difficult spot, she walks away for a bit, or works on another piece.
Her companion said, sometimes she even comes over to visit her for a day or two before returning to solve a design problem. She said rarely does she scrape it all off but she has done that to start over.

Her process involves laying out the colored glass onto clear glass, building the design as she goes intuitively. Her colors are clear and bright, with contrast. She likes all colors. People tend to return for more pieces after living with one for a bit. As we talked about the design concepts of line, repetition, movement and her use of color, I felt a real affinity with her. I told her I've been enjoying watercolor again to refresh my creativity, and she said she had been considering working with it too.

Ah, it's my opinion that working with different mediums is a good thing, all creative work adds to the whole person's artwork, right? Do you enjoy working in different mediums?

I liked talking to one acrylic artist about her process, no pictures but she uses a persian plaster over doily's to build up texture before painting, and she made some awesome chair seats with belts!

We enjoyed looking through some really modern kaleidoscopes while talking to the artist. He was an engineer too, and the exacting nature of his work showed that.
A very modern jeweler from Taos, Cristina Radu is an environmental engineer and turned us on to a movement called Long Now project. I checked it out and it's just fascinating.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Now_Foundation

waiting for Daddy to return with lunch in the park

 She is passionate about her day job and her art work both! And loves dogs too.

We met many dogs and kids that day, giving Milo a very fun outing. At one point he closed his eyes, and a little 2 year old squatted down to pet him. He opened his eyes, the boy reached into his granola sample bag and gave a handful to my pup. Then he stood up and walked off eating his cereal! Milo said, hey! What's your hurry?

I liked chatting with this couple who just adopted the doodle there. After he and Milo played a bit, they both laid down trusting each other to have their backs! If people could make friends so easily! Well, I guess we did as we enjoyed a relaxing moment chatting too. This was their first dog, the man saying he always wanted a poodle, so when they got the chance to adopt this two year old they did!

We also liked returning to the botanical gardens to see if the Iris was up yet. All of our gardens have taken a hit from deep wet snow and hail lately.

some were out in their Sunday finery, and some were still buds. I love iris, and bought some at Trader Joes after we went to the gardens. Here are a couple of pics of what I liked there this visit

this is an esplaired apple tree!

and tomorrow's paint post will include some pics of flowers. I've really loved painting again. Seeing the colors mix on the paper is soothing and exciting at the same time.

Quickly, I've loved the raspberry rugelach from Trader Joe's, the BBC show Queens of Mystery, watching numerous painting videos on youtube, eating Thai food, having DH home for the three day holiday.

Now please enjoy these fine folks also sharing their likes for the week. Let me know if you do a post, I'll add you in too.

www.sewyouquilt2.com

maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com

https://julierosequilts.blogspot.com/
http://littlepenguinquilts
craftscaviescontras

http://minousminute.blogspot.com

https://scrapatches.blogspot.com/
http://homesewnbyus

http://3poodlesandanana.blogspot.com/

https://canadianneedlenana.blogspot.com/

http://sandysnowden.blogspot.com/
http://imworkingonaproject.blogspot.com/

https://whataboutrheema.blogspot.com/
https://faithtrustandbreastcancer.blogspot.com/

https://quiltingreadersgarden.blogspot.com/
https://knittingquilter.blogspot.com/
http://sonotorganized.com/

Linking to these parties!
https://comedy-plus.com/ Awe Mondays
http://backroadstraveller.blogspot.com/
rosie and the boys nature pics
Thankful Thursdays pet parade

http://goodrandomfun.blogspot.com
http://itsasmalltownlife.blogspot.com/

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Orange inspiration

I finished my two blocks for Rainbow Scrap Challenge, using Orange scraps. There were small curved bits left after cutting the snowball blocks, so I sewed them together to make little petals.

I practiced on paper, painting one with petals for hair...

before painting a face on fabric.

It wasn't as simple as painting a watercolor face, I used prisma-color pencils to do her face on muslin, and although the pencils blend well, there's a tug on fabric's weave. I'm pretty happy with her though. I think I'll use the batik for clothing, and applique it all down. Heaven knows how I'll quilt the face and keep her young...

I also found the smallest orange pieces to make this little mug rug...

Which came out cute, so I could turn it into a little purse for treats on walks, or a checkbook cover.

I am pretty jazzed about the face... a flower person... she wouldn't have come together without the challenge to use my scraps, and the renewed painting practice. Funny how inspiration finds us!

Linking to:
off the wall Fridays
can I get a whoop whoop Fridays
https://stitchallthethings.com/ to do Tuesday
design wall Mondays at smallquiltsanddollquilts
lovelaughquilt.mondays
oh Scrap Sundays

scrap happy Saturdays

Friday, May 24, 2019

paint party Friday collage on paper and fabric

I've been inspired by the online class from Jen Blencowe (https://janblencowe.com/free-gift/)
and did the start to a mixed media piece. I took a magazine photo as inspiration for this yogi
then cut words out from the same magazine to form a message.

I used the painted coffee filters from Sonja Hageman for the pillow. So far just glued down
I'm not so good at body proportions yet but I'll improve! I loved the color of her shirt, deep blue and deep purple blended wet on the paper, which is mixed media paper.

My friend Mary in Boulder is taking a watercolor class, and painted fruit, which inspired me to paint some from HER painting, and doodle, and paint another quickest face, which of course I like better than a lot of the ones I worked at! I just love her soft features and eyes.

still needs painting and glue

Today's work with Jen B. was stone circles, and pathways. I cut out an article from the magazine, then cut out stones and laid them in a meditation spiral. She asked:

Are you ready to step on the path to a new stage of your life?

Well, that's going to take some thought.

In honor of my birthday month (and Bob Dylan's birthday) and for anyone with a soft impressionable heart, for those who seek meaning and love...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Frj2CLGldC4&list=PLknidvzcLCRGDYLYOmKz5-PB82uZb4rJk

Linking to
https://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

Thursday, May 23, 2019

I lIke Thursday #142

welcome to this week's list of likes! I still haven't talked about our trip to the Botanic Gardens, so I'll just show you some pictures here. There were many views that caught my eyes there. We got a pass so I can go back and sketch to my heart's content.
Keep in mind, I made the decisions about cropping the images, but they all pretty enough to paint

tropical building

alliums

in a lovely glass house

There were tulips and iris blooms not opened yet,

and it looked like many of the plants had not fleshed out yet but the sun was out on full blast, so shade was appreciated

Brilliant blooms dazzling me with their construction. Look at the interesting depths here, the shape in the center, the swaying pistols brilliant colors and textures

The bonsai garden had only a couple trees so far, the monet garden had freshly planted vegetables, the hard-scaping was so interesting...

this is called a "ting" there to look at and see beauty

areas to sit and contemplate

lovely pots waiting for flowers

blue and yellow

places to have a really good lunch

cool rock paths

inspirational views

sweet scents of peonies and lilacs and stunning deep colors of tulips

as well as oceans of white

views through hexagon windows

and skylights

pretty things to purchase in the gift shop

It was very sunny and very hot, then this week...

7" of heavy wet snow, for 24 hours it snowed causing stress to a certain poodle

Milo here... I like snow. I even grab a bite just before I frow-up. Hmmm wonder if eating snow makes me sick? Nah...
I don't like the ice balls in my feet and leg hair though, so I took a moment to relax after helping with the shoveling and thaw out in my new chair

Mama had just shaved off my hair because it was way hot (90F) and now I was cold so back on when my little sweater.
Don't worry, I survived!
Oh and before that we had just gone to the plant store

where I saw this weirdo plant, and got a shock when I tried to sniff it

Mama pulled me back in time, whew! and she saw this there

(you didn't think you were making it outta here without a flamingo did you?)

Stay and visit Mama's friends keeping it pawsitive too

www.sewyouquilt2.com

maryinpeoriahandmade.blogspot.com

https://julierosequilts.blogspot.com/