Art Every Day Month – 2014 Day 2

I have a lot of half-finished paintings and drawings and other things in my art room.  I don’t mean to abandon them.   If I don’t finish them quickly I’ll either get distracted or lose interest or something else will happen (like getting sick).  Then I won’t get back in there for a day or two and by the time I manage to visit my art room again I’m ready to work on something else.

Happens all the time.

So thinking about Art Every Day Month,  I wanted to look around for some new techniques to try.   New things that were not too involved.   Quick art projects that could be finished in a day or so.    With materials I already had.

Collage with printed background:

 

 

 

Journal Entry : “Change”

Another journal page:

Collage and lettering.   Still working in my journal.  Still love it!   Have a great day!  (wish I was wordier today)

Sometimes it pays…

to hang on to some stuff,  even when you don’t know why.

The other day,  I was hanging out in my art room and came across something that I’m sure is at least 6 years old.   I knew I wasn’t crazy about it when I made it but for some reason,  I had kept it.  I had made this collage around the time I was ‘laid off’ from my job and I remember trying to choose papers and wording that meant something to me.  Anyway, I made this collage and………. didn’t like it.

So I thought at the time “I wonder what would happen if…”.    I dug out some acrylic paint and painted hearts, and then painted the negative space around the hearts…  THEN I outlined the hearts in white paint and added the green dots with my fingers.

Then left it alone until last week  when I found a piece of white matting and a frame…

and voila!

Turns out that I like it… not exactly museum worthy but hey…

Have a great day!

 

 

 

 

 

More Gelatos!

I’m really enjoying  learning how to use gelatos!   I’m trying them out in my art journal and wondering what kind of paper I’m supposed to be using.  What paper is best to use with gelatos?

I’m going to keep watching YouTube videos and experimenting …  but in the meantime here are some more examples from my ever-present art journal! (I’m carrying that thing around and collaging and drawing and painting my heart out!).

This is my favorite so far!

My next favorite:

One of my first attempts at flowers!

More flowers!

I like this, not going to try to improve this … afraid of screwing it up.

A background using gelatos and a stamp that I carved myself.    Don’t know what to do with this one!

 

 

Gelatos/Gel Sticks

New for  me:   gelatos and/or gel sticks.      I found a pack of four gelatos at Hobby Lobby for about 9 dollars and then I ordered a pack of gel sticks on Amazon for 11.  I love Amazon.  You can find anything.  Nearly anything.  On Amazon.

Here are a couple of my first attempts:

Of course,  the examples include lettering.

And one other.  This quote comes from Maya Angelou.   This ‘not driving’ thing is getting on my nerves,  so I have to remember this.  I might re-do this one,  I love this quote and it needs to be on  a cleaner background with darker lettering:

 

My Art Journal catches everything

I am really enjoying using my art journal.    I used my 40% off coupon and that made it all the better.

It really catches all my attempts at art journaling.   I have watercolor pages,  collage pages, pencil pages and lettering pages.   Some turned out ok …. some not so much.

Try as I might,  its not going to look like the magazines!  There are some wonderful artists out there!   I’ve even found great artists on Facebook.

Here are a few examples from my art journal:   I’ll post a few pictures here and then use a few more later on.

 

 

Just do your thing, if it makes you feel better.

I’ve decided that none of my art is going to look like what I see in magazines.   My goodness,  I’m as bad as a teenager looking at a fashion magazine, wishing I could be like those on the pages within.   Well.   I’ve decided that um,  no I’m not.   I can’t create artwork like what I see (unless I have VERY SPECIFIC instructions!) in the art magazines.

I swear everything I create/paint/draw looks like I did it.

Sigh.  I want to be cool!  I want to be creative!  I want imagination!

So the heck with that.  Life is too short to covet someone else’s talent, imagination, etc.     I’ve got my own,  its all I’ve got.  The comparison game is not for me.  I need to quit it so I can enjoy what I’m doing.

I’ve started a painting for my kitchen.    Its flowers.   I like it even if it isn’t coming out like I planned.

Some work in progress pictures: