The eyes have it

The eyes have it, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

It is amazing how a change in the eyes can soften the look.

Watercolor crayon painting

Watercolor crayon painting, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

I am trying to master color and shading. Using acrylic I have to find comfort with the paint and how much to use. Sooooo, I colored this with water color crayons. I have more control and I likey.

Have to work on my proportions.

I like drawing faces, but my passion is color, painting paper. Making beautiful and intricate backgrounds.

Painted background

Painted background , a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

I have been taking an online e course, Expressions, taught be Regina Lord of Creative Kismet, since April 1st. It was a 30 day class, but the site will be up until December to review video lessons.

This portrait was painted on a cardboard packaging insert. I gessoed both sides to make it strong, painted a background using oranges, greens and yellow, then I drew the portrait and painted with wash of white..

After I completed the portrait I looked at in disbelief.....this talent, this side of me has been buried for so long. Though it is a long story that I may someday tell I realize in burying pain, I buried who I really am and what I can do.

There.is so much about me I need to discover. Maybe through art I will find me again.

Face practiceimage

Face practiceimage, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

Practice removes fear. Two weeks into the expressions class, getting more comfortable. I still need a lighter touch with the pencil. I drew this portrait while sitting at the bus stop. I keep my journal with me at all times now.

American geisha

American geisha, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

Week 15 of Lifebook, portrait in black, white and rose. I am just learning how to draw faces. I have been also learning to paint then. Need a lot more practice as I find my own unique style.

Side view image 1

Side view image 1, a photo by momoo50 on Flickr.

Practice with side drawing

Creating Fun

I have been spending the first three months of this year participating in on-line courses.  I used to say taking courses, but it much more than that.  I am participating in the creative process and it is really fun. The part that has been missing is recording the experience here in my blog.

Participating in these courses is truly a Pilgrimmage.  I am learning so much about the process and myself.  My fears are slowly but surely eroding.  I have to say that I am most happy about that aspect of the journey.  The classes I have on my plate are 365 days of Journal Fodder (need to catch up), Lifebook 2013, Expressions E-Course, Getting Started with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer, Joy Journal (so far behind, but I am determined to get started) and 21 Secrets.  Is that enough?  I think so.  I really need to sit down and prioritize, but that is another project.

What have I done?  Well let's see,

 Heart Connections-Lifebook 2013

Stumpification project - Lifebook 2013

Colorful page from 365 days of Journal Fodder

There is a lesson here and it is to try.  Try to do the best you can with what you have.  Try to keep an open mind and be willing to be attempt things you though you never could do.  Be willing to laugh at yourself and believe me I have laughed a lot over these past few weeks, but I have enjoyed the process and that is what is most important.  So, over the next few months, I will be showing Works in Progress, completed works and commenting on the overall experience.

Take care and blessings.

A voice bursting forth

The pictures below are of work I painted at An Artful Journey.  I learned a lot about myself on this retreat, things I will be sorting out for quite a while.  Self doubt has been my constant companion for years.  As hard as I have tried to overcome it, the nagging feelings stayed just below the surface.  Now, now I know what was missing.  Intention.  When we set out to do anything, we must first clearly understand what the real intention is for the actions we are about to execute.

Last weekend I clearly understood what I wanted to accomplish.  I love making backgrounds to use in books and on cards.  Manipulating paper, discovering color really make me happy.  I am not a binder of complicated books, the more simple the better.  I am a designer of greeting cards and I love it.  So, that is what I looked for during class, how could the paper I painted become the basis for a card?  Below are two pictured so paper I painted and made into accordion books (told you simple).  

I will be writing and posting more over the next few weeks, so stay tuned.

Allowing Myself To Play

This picture is a Impressionist rendering of a picture I took on Sunday Nov. 4th at the Mt. Charleston Resort.  I had neglected to take any pictures and rushed out Sunday during a 15 minute break to shoot some pictures will my cell phone.

 

After the break we saw a film by Dewitt Jones called For the Love of It.  The essence of this film was doing something for the love of it, not just in some mundane way.  I have to admit that I was in a hurry as I snapped some shots, but when I looked at the finished product I was pleased.  This photo was taken into the sun, but what I captured were the rays beaming down and I loved it.

 

Dewitt Jones indicated that he does not really stage his shots (he is a professional photographer) ; rather, he chases them and finds just the right angle as it calls to him.  Hmm, I thought, I guess that is what I was doing and did not kow it. 

 

I wanted to get the film so I looked him up and found out that the film ( a training film for business) was waaaaayyy more than I wanted to pay.  So I looked him up on Amazon to see if he had other films and I found an ebook on Iphoneography that he had written.  In the book that houses 50 of his photos, he worked with several inexpensive apps suited for iPhone and iPad.  Two were Iris Suites and ArtisticaOil.  I immediately downloaded them and began to play.  Pay special attention to the word Play because that is not something I often allow myself to do. 

 

I took a photo and altered it in Iris and was able to add my name as a copyright.  I had been trying to figure that one out for weeks and there it was on the first thing I looked at in Iris.  I went back and forth between my photos and his book and realized that he took a picture of his feet while he was walking, altered it in Iris saved it and then called it up in Artistica and turned it into an oil painting.  That was just too cool for me.

 

And so today we have the picture above and I love it for several reasons:

1.  it looks pretty good

2.  I was willing to try and use unfamiliar tools without a major freak out

3.  it opens another dimension to my artistic process

4. It looks really good and I am proud

 

So my dear pilgrims, please take some time to play, some time to try new things and what ever you do in life, do it for the love of it.

 

Peace on the journey.....

pilgrim

Breast Pocket part 2

I am getting ready to mail more breast pockets so I thought I would post them prior to mailing.  I did remember to take pictures of them all this time.

I have had scraps of fleece from the blankets and bears project at church for 2 years.  We did not want to throw them out, so I took them.  Last night it hit me that I could use them for breast pockets so here is my first attempt.

The top two are made from Japanese Kimono Fabric and the bottom one is made from vellum scrapbook page I received for participating in a breast cancer project.

Butter fly fabric, can't remember where I got it from but I just liked the fluidity of it.  The green is from a Japanese Kimono it can really double as a breast pocket OR a smart phone holder, how is that for versatility.

More Kimono fabric, purchased it from Katie Kendrick.  I love supporting other artists and after I got the fabric, knowing that I am not much of a fabric artist, I wondered what I would do with it all.  Problem solved in a grand fashion.

Repost of the knitted pocket.  I scanned it the first time (not a good idea).

Why am I doing this?  My great-grandmother Fannie Jane Cole, grandmother, Zelma Lee Young and mother, Glennie Mae Barber all had breast cancer twice.  They were courageous women and set an excellent example for me on how to deal with any type of adversity.  So each wobbly stitch that I sew is for them.  Plus, I have just had a darn good time.

Breast Pocket Project

This year has been a year of firsts for me and the one I am currently most proud of is making Breast Pockets.  As a breast cancer warrior (I kinda like this better than survivor).  I participate in anything project that will bring awareness to the need to be mindful of each person that has been impacted by this disease.

Melanie Testa is the originator of this project, which is intended to give courage and support to women who have had mastectomies and decided not to have reconstructive surgery.

I did not have a mastectomy, I opted for double lumpectomy since I had early stage cancer in both breasts.  I did however have to have 3 surgeries on my right breast inorder to get clear margins as a result I am a little lopsided but who cares, I am healthy and so far cancer free.

Anyhoo, I have pictures of a couple of the pockets I made.

One I have mailed (I forgot to photograph the other two in the envelope) and one I will be mailing within the next couple of days. 

Melanie is a great inspiration to me, we are email and facebook friends and I will always cherish her friendship and encouragement.

Handsown breast pocket

 

Knitted breast pocket.  I wanted to try and see if I could knit a pocket and I did.  Woohoo

 

This has been a fun time for me.  Melanie, thanks for the opportunity

 

 



 

 

 

A Preview of Things to Come - My Italian Adventure

It occured to me that I do not have to wait until I have everything just right inorder to begin to post about my trip to Italy.  Blog posts do not have to have 5 million words.  It is 2 am Pacific time and I am up, it will take a few days for my body to adjust.  I fell asleep at 5 pm and slept until 11:30 pm, now I am wide awake so here we are:

Snippets of my trip in Pictures:


Rustic Tower in Orvieto



Painted Cactus one of the pictures I used during class. I loved it.

Scrumptions dinner in Rome, hand made sausage and Pasta with
Meat Sauce - Yum

Teacher and Friend, Tracie Huskampf, such a kind spirit.

 

I will never be the same after this trip.  More on that later/

Suffice it to say, I had a lot of fun.