Messing around

 

Making a mess again! So much fun! I'm trying out new techniques from the art workshop I took. I can't really make any sense of this piece, but it sure has been fun to work on!

Monoprint - Collage

More experimenting! I love workshops because they break me out of my usual routines and make me try new things. (Plus I got to spend 6 hours doing nothing but art! That is a total luxury!)

Monoprint experiment

In this monoprint I was trying to be looser and experiment more. I set a deadline for myself to finish it. If I don't do that, I can take forever to finish a piece. I wanted to keep the process fast and fresh.

detail from image

Monoprint Workshop!

 

I just took a monoprint workshop that was so much fun!! I forgot how much I love the look of printed ink on rich BFK paper. So dreamy!!

detail from image

Happy Holidays!

Every year I make a holiday card, and this year I wanted to try one without the usual Christmas themes and colors-- something different and untraditional.  Happy Holidays!

Work in Progress - very slow progress...

This is a new picture I'm working on when I can squeeze in a few free moments.

I love reading old painting instruction books because the authors are always so opinionated and serious. Here's my latest favorite quote:   There is a big difference between "pretty art" and beautiful art. Pretty art is usually not profound, not truly studied or true to the beauty of nature. It usually consists of pretty colors...but they do not belong in the category of art. To be profound-- and beautiful-- a work of art must be based on truth with little, if any, compromise. - Andrew Loomis 

I totally disagree!

She Found Joy

 Here she is, searching for joy. She found it.

 This painting is tiny - 4 x 4 inches. I wanted to try to fill a very small space with a lot of little, special things. 

Work in Progress - Going Big

I'm trying to paint in a new size for me: BIG! 

This board is 18 x 24 inches, much bigger than I usually would use. This is in a very early stage, still playing around, but I can already tell it is going to be a very different experience. There's so much space and freedom.

Your Adventure is Waiting ... Set Sail

I think I made this to inspire me to go on more adventures. It's been a long time since I've had a good, solid adventure! Life these days is more P.T.A. meetings, laundry, and spreadsheets.

I need to keep the spirit of adventure alive throughout the day-to-day chores.

A New Direction

I painted over some parts of this painting that were really bugging me. This still has a long way to go, but now I know what direction it's going in at least.

I take so long to do every stage of my art. I feel bad when I read quotes in art books like this: "Painting a picture should be effortless and simple. If you work at a picture a long time, the picture may appear labored, lacking freshness and spontaneity." 

Oooops. I try to keep it fresh, but I would never use the words "effortless and simple" to describe my process. Oh well. Different (brush)strokes for different folks, I guess.

Illustration Friday - Tribute

This image is a tribute to our big, beautiful world.

I'm glad I live here. Home Sweet Home.

detail from image

 

There are a lot of crazy things going on in the world these days, so I made this image to remind me about all the beautiful, amazing things I love about our world. There's a lot to love!

Work in Progress - Big Beautiful World

Work in Progress- Scraps are everywhere!

This piece has had many phases, and as I try to do the final steps on it, I am reminded of a quote by painter Edward Betts: "Finishing the painting does not mean killing it."  Wish me luck.

In a Far-Away Land - Final Layer

This is a land I dream of -- flowers, stars, tiny homes.

I added the final layer to my painting. It's only 7 x 7 inches so there's a lot packed in there. 

It's been a hard week, with a tragedy in my hometown, so I wanted to create a new little world, sweet and peaceful.

The Second Layer

The second layer of my painting-- now it's getting really busy. This is when my art teacher says it's time to paint over the whole thing in white...We'll see how that goes.

The First Layer

In a new art class I'm taking, we are supposed to make paintings with many, many layers.

This is my first layer, and honestly, it already seems so packed in that I can't imagine how to put another layer on top of it without it becoming a total mess.

But I guess that's what I'll learn in class next week...

Happy New Year!

I always love the beginning of a new year! Things are bright and hopeful, and it seems like all dreams can come true. Happy 2013!

Stretch your Boundaries, Explore New Worlds

"When a mystery is too overpowering, one dare not disobey." 
                                                               - The Little Prince

This girl is my female version of The Little Prince on the journey to new worlds.

Illustration Friday - Sight

A sight to not see: Diana, the Goddess of wild animals and woodlands, bathing in the forest. When she caught Actaeon watching her bathe, she was so angry that she turned him into a stag and set his hunting dogs on him.

So, if you're out in the woods and happen to spot her bathing: Look away, quick!

Illustration Friday - Jump

She jumped on her wolf, and set off to see the world...

This painting was inspired by the quote: "Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths" - Joseph Campbell

(This continues my experimentation-smorgasbord-of-techniques-and-materials. I figure that if I try everything, I'm bound to have a breakthrough eventually.)

(details from image)

Illustration Friday - Heights

Sometimes you have to go to great heights to get away from it all.

This painting is almost as tall as I am. I'm trying to experiment with new sizes and materials. I don't always like the results of the experiments, but I always learn something new.

 (details from image)