Week 16-Day 105 & 106

I knew it would happen eventually-time gets away and I end up trying to catch up.  But that's OK because I have been in the studio working some long hours trying to get some paintings done for the fair this year.  Yup-I haven't entered a fair in over 10 years and thought it might be time to enter some of my paintings.  Anyway, this week I thought I would share a game board I created for the first mixed media book I co-authored with Sherre, Leslie & Elizabeth: "Exploring the Latest Trends in Mixed Media Art" Volume I.  This art project didn't make it into the book, but I love the way it turned out.  My Grandkids love to play this game, as they get to make up their own rules.  I have only one rule for them and that is their playing piece must go to each color sometime during the game.  That means they have to either roll the dice or spin the wheel and move a playing piece around the board.  What else they do is up to them.  This entertains them for quite awhile and they will even play it alone.  This allows them to use their creative side and they both are gifted when it comes to art and having imaginations.   The second image was run through one of my ios apps called: Picsart.  It has some of the neatest filters and the black & white ones are terrific. 
If you haven't guessed what the word for this week is:  it's "Games". 

Day 81

Self Portrait is the theme over at PixelDust this week.  I did share earlier some other avatars, but this one is definitely my alter-ego avatar.  She is originally a canvas piece that was covered in Asian script.  A foam wig head was cut in half and applied.  Several layers of stamping, drawing, inking, etc. were done to create the patina collage.  The bulbs on her head are the ideas that are constantly floating around in my head.  While these are not light bulbs, but Christmas ornaments, they created the illusion of light bulbs for this piece.  Of course the glasses completed my look.  So this is me, or I should say, my altered me.  Frozen in time.  You may have seen her before since I use her as my on-line presence.  She's my avatar on Facebook, Pinterest, ning groups, galleries, anywhere that an avatar can be used.  Heaven forbid I would ever have to or want to change her.  Would take me all day! 

Day 80

Have you ever decided to learn something new and was overwhelmed with not only learning the ins and outs, but the practice time was also overwhelming.  That's how I feel about learning watercolor painting.  I know how to paint, I've done it all my life, but switch mediums and I feel like a fish out of water.  (Excuse the Pun.)  I originally drew this boney carp in one of my art journals, but decided to use it for a practice piece.  I don't usually do whimsical, but I did have fun with this.  Did I learn anything?  Yes, I did.  I learned that watercolor painting is all about going with the flow-the flow of the water that is.  I learned so much I won't bore anyone by listing the lessons learned.  But, not only did I learn a lot about this medium, I enjoyed it.  I've got several other paintings that I am practicing.  Some I've done 2-3 times already and each time I redo one, I learn something else.  Each one allows me to edit and perfect my control, my patience and my enjoyment. 
Are there really 23,978 bones in a carp?  Probably not.  I added the numbers and word for fun and drama.

Day 53

It's Photo Art Friday again over at Bonnies BLOG  This week her challenge is the word: Connected.  Since I posted the image earlier this week, (The Farmers Winter Field below) I will have to see what else I can come up with. 
Several weeks ago I was playing around with an assignment from Milliande's Self Exploration Workshop and this is another painting I did using some of the shapes from a doodle I made.  It says, "It takes a Village to Raise a Child".  I think it's appropriate for a challenge about being "Connected". 
This was my hubby's favorite of all the paintings I did last week.  Myself, I like the "3-Sisters", posted below. 

Day 45

Yeah, I know I am ahead of myself again. Better early than late or never.  I am surprising myself actually, that I have hung in this long!  Usually I get bored way before this and simply find something else to do.  Nope, I am really going to try to do this 365 days.  It will be quite a victory for me at the end of this challenge and the 52 word prompt challenge and Bonnie's weekly Photo Art Friday Challenges and I almost forgot the Milliande Self-Exploration Workshop.  All of it goes hand in hand, so it's fun to share the voyage with you.  I hope it inspires you to find something this year that gives you a chance to share your art, or hobby, or love, or passion. 
This image looks like Barbie-but it's actually the close up of a mannequin that may have been fashioned after the famous Barbie.  I used the photo to create a stencil of which I drew the image onto a large sheet of watercolor paper.  Once I had the image drawn, I had to decide which areas I wanted to remain white.  The white areas are what set this whole process off and make it surreal.  With a masking fluid, I painted out all the areas that were to remain white.  Then the real fun began.  Pouring watercolors!  For years I have wanted to try this technique and I will again because I love it!  It is Jean Grastorf's DVD: "Pouring Transparent Watercolor" that gave me the inspiration to try this technique.  I struggled to find just the right image that would work and I am struggling to find another one, but this worked well enough for my purposes.  After all, it was just an experiment.  I did follow up with painting in some solid black areas, which made this whole thing pop as much as the white did.  But, then I took a photo of the painting and ran it through,....that's right.....Apps!  Just a couple this time and I am very pleased with this final effect.  She's beautiful and needs to be framed.

Day 40

A mini painting I did for Millinade's group for Assignment #4.  I call it: "Three Sisters of St. Mary's".  If you haven't joined this self-exploration workshop (it's free by the way-Milliande is so generous!) you should check it out.  It's not too late to join.  It's fun and you will find new concepts to explore.  This is nothing like what I would normally paint, but I so enjoyed the process of creating it.  It brought back memories of comfort and caring.

Week 6-Day 34

The word prompt for this week is: Abstracts.  This is a painting I did awhile ago and I absolutely love it.  thought I would share it on the blog today.  Yesterday I combined it with a photo I took of a forest of quaking aspens.  You can see them in the middle of the image-they look like scratches in the photo.  I like it!  These are my signature colors too.  I'm going to be working with them a lot in the near future. 

At a Cross Road

Letting things evolve as I continue working on my series of paintings has lead me to this point.  I am at a cross-roads.   Visually they appear to be finished, but In my heart they are not.  I want to take them to another level but I have so much time invested in them that I'm afraid I will ruin them and have to start over.

So, I took pics and played with adding more layers with my digital software and photos of textures from last year.

I really like the looks of the darker image.  The person seems to be further back into the painting.  I think I'm ready to continue now and I'll just have to be brave.  If it doesn't work, oh well.  I do have gesso.

Allowing myself the freedom to proceed, even with possible failure, is going to open my mind to other possibilities.