Tuesday, August 30, 2011

the week in pictures

had to go see the Chihuly myself - still up & mostly intact, thank goodness!

art time with my dudes - it was a fun afternoon!

Some recycled silk sari strips hanging in my studio

fly WIP 4x4 canvas panel - mixed media, acrylics, inks, vintage & new papers, rub ons

Another "I am completely spoiled in this country" moment.  Asked if my frozen yogurt was to go.  Packed in a bag with a block of ice.  I may never get this kind of service again!

New art supplies - perfect pearls sprays - iridescent & right up my alley!

Starting up the bead crochet necklaces again.  Love this color combo - she may be a keeper!  how embarrassing that I have to reteach myself how to crochet.  Perhaps I've stayed away too long.


Technically these are photos from last week!  I am completely falling in love with my iPhone.  I have it with me all the time & I can always take pictures at a moments notice.  I also love instagram - cute square photos, funky filters & "polaroid" frame - I look like a genius!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Keeping Myself Occupied

My hubby was traveling & I was lonely so I did some retail therapy.  I bought myself into a new class Inscribed by the uber talented Traci Bautista.  Her book Collage Unleashed was one of the first mixed media books I purchased for my library.  By the way, there is a new one coming out the first of the year, Doodles Unleashed, & I can't own this one soon enough.

My inspiration board with color palette & damask pattern on Colourlovers My actual piece bottom left: 4x6 flat canvas panel WIP.  Bottom right: another WIP 8x10 flat canvas panel

The class is a art journaling workshop & I'm not much of a journaler.  I keep notebooks & journals, but they are not pretty, artsy, fancy ones.  I'm pretty much a list maker & that's what you'll see in the notebooks.  I sketch a bit, but not very often, & when I do, it's normal pencil or black ink quick sketches.  I was so drawn to this class by the preview video.  I wanted to learn her techniques & transfer them to my canvas craze.  It should be interesting to see where this takes me between Christy's Classes & Traci's.


Beginnings of the background

Ink doodles detail

Current WIP picture of piece

Saturday, August 13, 2011

So Many Canvases, So Few Complete...

Sometimes I have a million ideas in my head & I start getting them all out.  Or I have a background or color idea then the inspiration stops there.  All I know is, I gotta whole lotta canvases going on at the same time.  Actually, I'm perfectly happy with that!

WIP You Inspire Me to Soar 4x6 canvas flat panel: Just started this as a gift for a sweet someone.  I'll be adding a quote.

WIP Untitled 8x10 canvas flat panel: Part of my Americana phase.  I also have a 4x12 with the same pattern in the works.

So I have lots of canvases I've started.  Sometimes the backgrounds will sit there for weeks.  Either I get majorly inspired & complete the canvas.  Or I get an idea, work on it for a bit then come back another day & another day & another day... one day it's complete


WIP Fashion Plate 4x6 flat canvas panel: LOVE the colors on this one.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  There are 3 shades of aqua - light to dark, a white damask stamp on the right edge & a lime green dress form stamp.  Not sure where I'm going next but it's one of my faves.

Inspiration for the piece below

WIP Untitled 4x6 flat canvas panel: I started with lilac & light blue acrylic paint.  The rest of the design will be hand drawn doodles & lettering.  Not sure how I'll add color - maybe acrylics & my pitt pens - may add some patterned paper.  




I do have a few new pieces done, just need to photograph them, maybe I'll get them posted this week.  Just finished another class with Christy Tomlinson Creative Color Workshop.  It's a quick 1 week workshop on color but it's jam packed with lots of good info about searching for color inspiration & transposing that onto an art piece.  I'm also in the middle of the Three Hearts class.  I'm still watching the techniques portion of the class & have not even gotten into the journaling yet.  Christy shares so much in these videos that it makes it easy to go off & experiment.  As you can see from above, I'm not holding back after that She Art class!  Wow, the places my art has gone this year all because of Christy!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

I Have Lost My Marbles (make that my expensive Toho seed beads)

FB update a few days ago & I'm still running!

I'm completely in over my head, but I have 7 months to train.  I've run 2 10k's in the past year & have yet to fully complete a training program.  I don't know what makes me think I'm gonna do it this time.  I do have definite goals though:
  • First & Foremost: do NOT let the wagon of shame pick me up.  If you're running under 16 minutes miles & yes, I can fit in that category at the moment, the paddy wagon is gonna pick you up off the course.
  • Must complete the race - no completion, no hardware - Must Have Medal!
  • Get some of this excess weight off me - get out of my large clothes & into some of my mediums &, dare I dream, smalls - I'm not even 5'2", yes I should be in a small!
  • Completely rock the tiara & tutu!
How lucky am I that my hubby is going to run my first half marathon with me?  Also extending my luck, all my immediate family members live in FL & are coming to cheer me on.  

what every marathoner needs, deodorant in marathon fresh scent - a complete impulse buy at Target - hee hee marathon fresh scent - hilarious!

So the hubby suggested I blog about my runs to help keep me accountable.  I found a program I like that works with my schedule.  For awhile I was kinda flailing trying this & that.  What a mess!  And, my shin on my left leg is Killing Me!  I may be in for some shoe shopping but I'm going to have to do that via the internet - which is absolutely Crazy!  So this week is my first full week of the training program & I'm sticking to it.  I'll let you know how it goes next week. 

So if you're wondering I'm running this gem of a half marathon.  I'd say perfect for this she-she frou-frou pink glitter tiara kinda gal.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

All About the Red, White & Blue

I took this anklet class from my friends at LB J'Zazz

Land of the Free - 4x6 flat panel mixed media canvas

Hero WIP

Hero Detail - 8x10 flat panel canvas


These last few months I've been inspired & drawn in different directions than my usual path.  As an artist, that's okay with me!  I'm known for my glitter & pink but have been finding tangents; different color combinations & themes for me.  It's been red, white & blue & Americana lately.  I don't know if it was because I was feeling a bit homesick or part of the trip home to the US, but I am enjoying it!  I have more to show including the finished "Hero girl".  She was inspired by something my sweet sis told me - boy am I lucky!