Stay Curious

For the second day running it is raining here, yesterday I got soaking wet doing the grocery shopping this morning I am sitting in my craft room listen to the rain and the washing machine. Today I thought I would share with you some mini canvas panels that I have been working on.

All three I started on retreat, one I actually finished there, the second one I finished last week while I was completely something else and the third one is still not finished but thought I would share it with you any way.

The panels (pack of 5) were purchased a couple of years ago and they have sitting there waiting for the right time. I took them away with me on retreat because they are little (10.2 x 10.2 cm) and were easy to drop in with all the other stuff I took away with me.

This panel is from a combination of a couple of the classes I took on retreat The Way Things Fall (which I haven't shared with you yet) and Fear Nothing.

products used: canvas panel, book pages, artbasics heavy gesso - white, dylusions paint - melted chocolate, kaisercraft stamp, tim holtz idea-ology - small talk.

This panel was one that I was just playing with, no plan what so ever, then again nothing of mine is ever planned.

products used: canvas panel, lindy's stamp gang spray flat Fabio - pop rock purple, orange creamsicle and ruby red slipper, artbasics heavy gesso - white, book pages, the crafters workshop stencil - 12x12 butterfly collage, donna downey signature stencils - mini number repeat, texture paste, tim holtz idea-ology - small talk, archival ink - jet black, cardstock - black, stampin up' dies - butterflies thinlits, dina wakley media heavy body acrylic paint - tangerine, dylusions paint - black marble.

 The third and final panel that I have been working on is incomplete, not sure where this one is going. Love the background, it reminds me of moss.

products used: canvas panel, book pages, artbasics heavy gesso - white, lindy's stamp gang spray flat Fabio - merry-go-round green, lindy's stamp gang spray starburst - black orchid silver & sea grass green, the crafter workshop stencil - mini tiny circles, artbasics texture paste - white crackle.

Happy Creating

Fear Nothing

I cannot believe it was a fortnight ago I was attending retreat, the time has just flown and I have not created anything new in that time. I have finished a couple of things off but that's all.

One of those things that I finished was a mixed media layout from a class that I attended by Michelle Logan of M Logan Design  To create the layout we had to get messy, which is my type of fun. There was paint, chipboard, paper, different fun items to make texture in our background and stencils. Thank you Michelle for such a fun afternoon.

Normally it takes me ages to pick out a photo but before class started I pulled out this photo of my little man (although he's not so little now) and two of my dusty attic paints, I was armed and dangerous.

The process was lots of fun and I have a finished layout.

products used: dusty attic acrylic paint - denim & oceania, white gesso, acrylic paint - raw umber & black, chipboard - scrapfx, prima marketing paper - salvage district collection

Happy Creating

Wildflower Meadow

The last class last Sunday was another one with Fiona from Pastiche Scrapbook Studio The class involved using water colours, not the traditional way but Fiona's way. I don't think I have ever been in a more relaxed class. All the participants were in their zone including me and the time just flew, I could have sat there all day.

I didn't finish my canvas in class but today I did. I wasn't sure which way it was going to hang, as I loved it upside and the right way up, but in the end it is the way it was intended with an added touch from me. Thank you Fiona x

products used for the butterflies: indigo blue mega-flake autumn blaze, black cardstock

 Happy Creating

New Stencil - WooHoo

While on retreat I was lucky enough to attend a class by Michelle Logan (blog) and during her class she was having give aways. Michelle could not have picked a better give away for me, it was a stencil, thank you Michelle. Do I love stencils yes I do, do I have an addiction to them hmmmm maybe, ok yes I do.

The stencil that I received was from ScrapFX. Well I just learnt something new I knew that ScrapFx were Australian but what I did not know was that they are a based in Victoria.

Until I received this one I didn't own a ScrapFX stencil, it is called Day Dreamer. They are made from a transparent plastic. It is thicker than other stencils that I own and it gives a really clear outline that adds dimension and texture to you art.

The background is made up off all sorts. It is in my journal where I put the little bits of lefts overs so nothing gets wasted. The day before the orange went on and the black. The black lines are actually put there by one of my retreat buddies. She was using black paint and some sort of medium from golden and asked if I wanted to use it up. I open my journal to this page and said go for it and walked away, not sure where I was going but when I came back the black lines were there.

Happy Creating

Artsy Layout

Artsy I can do but combine that with a sketch and photo panic stations set in. This was another class from the weekend. The description of the class was "for anyone wanting to explore their love of scrapbooking with their desire to make art". Just reading that I knew I had to do this class by Fiona (blog), it sounded fun and messy, but I knew I would learn something. Maybe get over my fear of sketches.

Before class I actually found a photo that I thought I might like to use, in the end I didn't use it, but at least I had one. You have to go into Fiona's classes with an open mind, you cannot have preconceived ideas of what you will create. For me that's lucky because I never know what I am going to create I just wing it.

On entering the classroom we were given an artist board, a double sided page of abstract (love abstract) sketches and a sheet of different pencil grips. How you hold your pencil makes a difference to the marks you make. I was having so much fun making marks.

At the front of the class Fiona demonstrated how she goes about starting a sketch and then sent us on our way. She doesn't tell us what to do but shows us techniques and that way we all created totally individual pieces of art. The sketch I chose to use and my finished piece don't resemble each other at all but is was a place to start.

And this is what I finished with

Products used - gesso, paynes grey paint, grey lead pencil, donna downey stencil - scribble script

Happy Creating

Mixed Media Magic Retreat

Two days ago I came home from a long weekend (4 days) filled with creativity. Thursday afternoon I arrived and from then on the weekend was jam packed with creating, laughter, food and friendship (new and old).

The retreat was organised by Cindy from A Scrappe Tiger , thanks Cindy. Now on retreat you can do as much or as little as you like, we had options of doing classes, and I did 6. Four extremely talented artists took the time out of their schedule to come and share their talent, knowledge and creativity with us and they were Fiona Paltridge (blog), Louise Nelson (blog), Michelle Logan (blog) and Cindy Porter (blog).

I am not going to share with you today any of my class work that's for another day. Please bare with me as I need to tell a little story behind my art work before I share.

When the class list came out, there was a couple of classes that I decided not to do and one of them was by Fiona and it was called "The Way Things Fall", after reading the description it still didn't really tickle my fancy. Then I gave myself a kick up the bum and a talking too. Fiona is one of my most favourite artists (which I am lucky enough to be able to call a friend) so why would I not do her class. So I did and I have to say oh my I LOVED that class.

When looking at the class requirements is said that we could bring special trinkets or findings that we had stashed away. I knew I had plenty of those, who doesn't.

 

Are you wondering what it is, it does look a bit strange. It is a piece of paper that has cotton string wrapped around and inside it. Then they have been put into a rust bath. When I was talking to Fiona about these pieces of paper (I had two) I worked out that they have to be at least 13 years old. I have been married 11 yrs this year and I know that I created this before I met my husband. They have gone through 5 moves and finally I was able to use one of them.

Hope you are still with me to actually see my art work.

I thought it needed something else but I didn't want to add anything else to it, and two very wise women told me, "if I think it's finished then it is". "Its your art work, doesn't matter what others think", "Now you just need to sign it" which I am yet to do

A close up of some of that yummy texture

products used: art basics heavy gesso - white, paper, cotton string.

Happy Creating