Documenting Color

When a set of water colors was passed down, it seemed to me like complete treasure. Yet, I felt charged with a great responsibility to use the color wisely and to I arry on where Grandma left off. I know I've written about being present at her Palette Club and I want to share a few more things.

Upon going through the palette itself, I discovered something amazing colors. I've been particularly drawn to the quinacridone violet and opera rose. Nearly every painting I've made in the past month Becaushas those two colors included, somehow.

And I love the white!

While working tonight, I discovered I needed more white on the palette and finally read the label- it's an official gouache! The gouache set I bought a few weeks ago is really cheap, but not Grandma's. This white is so awesome. It is opaque and mixes very nicely with the watercolors. I love painting white over some really bright colors and seeing it change the whole piece.

Grandma left two palettes: one is portable and the other is large with a lid. She used to bring the large one to Palette Club and I was reminded of the time she asked to borrow some of my orange. I remember being sort of embarrassed because I had no idea how good or bad the watercolors would prove to be. I had a different set of cheap watercolors, but that didn't seem to matter to her. I'm glad she used the orange in her palette because such a simple thing brought sweet memories to me today and because it is still there.

It makes me sad to know that the watercolors are going to have to be replaced after I use them up, but on the other hand, I know how happy Grandma would have been to know that I putting her supplies to good use.

The picture is for a Daisy Yellow prompt on documenting colorful art materials. Mostly, this type of information sits in my head, so I'm glad to have it on paper. I haven't decided how I'm going to keep these strips of paper, but I think I could maybe see them in a bunting. The thought of it makes me smile.

I am so grateful for these supplies and the courage to put them to use. I am also thankful for a reprieve from the heat. I hope to get some sleep tonight.

Have a great day!

Circle Thinking

Watercolor has become one of my true favorite media for creating art. I love it even more now that I use the paints Grandma left to me.

I'm using the good stuff! Some of the tubes have dried up, but the great thing about watercolor is you can break the tube and still use them! My friend LeeAnna taught me that and I'll be forever grateful.

I got started on this painting tonight and it is so hot in the house, I can hardly think straight. I've decided to only post part one tonight and will complete the post- writing too, in the morning.

I pray it gets cooler.

More ATCs

Finally.

"Create Elsewhere" happened today.

To start, I took two bags of aluminum cans to the California recycle peeps and got about ten bucks! Waiting in the heat waShe'dt fun, but I got paid! AND- took myself out to lunch.

There are plenty of open-air tables around here, but I wanted a.c. Besides, next week my free parking is back in Laguna Beach! I digress....

Panera won, hands down, for a.c., a nice salad, iced coffee, and just chill-itude. I was on my phone too much, browsing and trying to get internet to work because their wifi was probably jammed with so many on it. Eventually, I took out the cards I made the other day and my trusty Pitt pen.

Only one Pitt pen made the trip today because I actually wanted to have no choices. Things are flowing lately, it is easy to get overwhelmed and just stop creating, so, no choice.

It worked.

There was a 'drip' on the card which I turned into a tree. I'm still not sure of the name, but I do know I an intrigued by the gestures it's achieved by time and climate.

I used "Slow Journaling" to write the sentiment on this card. It reads, "The summer heat is enough. It has touched my last nerve." And it has.

Tonight, I created two more cards with the same watercolor paper. The white gelli inked card reads, "Love is the center of the universe in which I live." And the other reads, "even in the desert, the rain is hot."

Well, journaling is good. It takes my mind off of the heat for a little while and it makes me happy.

Ugh. It's hot.
smiles!
And hope your day is wonderful!

Four ATC for August

Okay, I've tried posting 2 times already and my patience is running thin. I had the proper references for you to click through the links, but I would come back to this page and POOF! Ideas gone.

Anyway.

Here is some information on ATC.

I've been posting the "Daily Paper Prompts" from 'Daisy Yellow' up until the 25th. The prompt for that day was to create art elsewhere.

I just didn't go anywhere.

I have been creating but haven't been following the prompts this week, well, in complete order, anyway. I decided to go with prompt 26, or ATC.

Artist Trading Cards are small pieces of art people make and the measurements of the card are two and a half inches by three and a half inches. This is the same size as a regular playing card, which has given me some ideas for the future. Wikipedia has more information on the movement and how it began (and I tried to post it, but then the post part disappeared! Ugh).

The two bluish cards are collages that I made with my own paper and paintings. The more reddish cards are the ones I cut from my own watercolor painting. I know there are a lot of hearts, but I really do love hearts. I really don't know what I will do with these ATC.s, but they won't be sold.

I'm really happy the gold pen showed through in the photograph. I like how these turned out, but I would like to experiment some more. In fact I created an entire watercolor piece tonight that will be cut into smaller cards for this purpose.

Have you ever used ATC's?
Would you like to trade?

Hot.

Dog days of summer.

Extreme heat in the Midwest.

Monsoons in the desert.

Call it whatever- it is hot everywhere.

August is nearly over and he is leaving an indelible, yet expected, impression. Yes, it is a man, because August was named after the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, when the calendar was expanded to include about sixty more days. I'm not sure why he chose this time of year because in Rome it is super hot there. Hmmmm....

Regardless, I had a very happy day! It started right off with my first Etsy sale this year. The buyer is a friend I've known since the sixth grade and one whom I wouldn't have expected to be the first. He bought the 'knotty' earrings for his wife. That makes me so happy to know!

Next, another friend, who is close to another childhood friend, sponsored me for the TEAM CARRIE walk on September 7, this year. When I checked the site, she had pledged $100! What a start to the day!

Then, I checked up on my Funkycaine page and I am absolutely thrilled at the number of people who have responded to the invite to the page. Thank you so much to the Facebook world and my friends from everywhere!

I have fallen only slightly behind on the Daisy Yellow prompts, but it is my full intention to go "somewhere"and create art tomorrow. Preferably someplace cool...with coffee...and good food...hmmm....

The painting is simply an intuitive watercolor style, as nothing seemed to come to me tonight. I looked through a lot of jewelry supplies today and all of my daydreaming soaked up my paint Mojo.
But, I just kept going until I liked it.

Hope you like it, too!

Have a great day!

Posting Hope

In many parts of this country, kids went back to school today. Teachers greeted their new "residents" and new worlds opened in the hearts and minds of so many others.

I have a few friends who watched their babies go to their first day of kindergarten and another who felt like the first day of twelfth grade would never appear for her child. So many milestones were met today, and some new ones were found.

As for me, it is sad not having classes to call my own. I am investigating some tutoring jobs and other ways to put my credential to work, but it is still hard not being able to have a "first day".

But I did.

It was a first for me to start a new page on Facebook for my art. My first day!
I plan on posting from my blog, listing sale items, and maybe even posting some technique videos for anyone interested. It's exciting for me and fulfilling.

My Etsy site actually has five items posted, as well. I used the computer, uploaded a few pics, and wrote some silly descriptions. I have posted more than things. I've posted hope.

More to come!
Thanks for being here for the ride :)

Snowflake

Yes, I am dreaming of snow. Don't get me wrong, it can stay in water form for a long time, but I was thinking "cool" thoughts today because it seems to be hot everywhere.

Also, this might be one of the snowflakes in my card series, being posted tomorrow. Too early for snow? Nah. It can snow in my heart and I still won't have to shovel.

Cheers!

Painting With a Debit Card

Again, I tried something new today. If nothing else, I will have a cumulative plenty of new ideas to use from Daisy Yellow! I owe her a huge debt of gratitude.

Today's prompt was "plastic card". The paint was only supposed to be applied with the plastic card and it was fun. It was easy to cover a lot of territory in a short period of time.

I'll use the picture to help explain my process. It is broken into frames so I will use directions.

Months ago, I gessoed a cereal box, front and back, by smooshing gesso between the two. This helped create texture on the finished. The name of the cereal is visible through the gesso (center) and left of that is the un-useable debit card. Next, I globbed on acrylic paint (upper right). I had lots of paint left over, so I put some on a canvas (upper left) and created another piece of mail art next to the actual finished piece. (bottom) phew! Any questions? Lol...

Someday, I'll be able to label the pictures again. Until then, the frames are fine.

I envision writing on some of these things with a little bit of text- especially the mail art. I will probably glue a piece of cardstock to the back of it and seal it with Mod Podge so it goes like a regular postcard.

Other than that, I'll be thinking of quotes to go on the big canvas.

Any ideas?

Mandala Sleeps

Here is an official definition of 'mandala' according to Merriam Webster online:

Main Entry: man·da·la
Pronunciation: \ˈmən-də-lə\
Function: noun
Etymology: Sanskrit maṇḍala circle
Date: 1859
1 : a Hindu or Buddhist graphic symbol of the universe ; specifically : a circle enclosing a square with a deity on each side that is used chiefly as an aid to meditation 2 : a graphic and often symbolic pattern usually in the form of a circle divided into four separate sections or bearing a multiple projection of an image
— man·dal·ic  \ˌmən-ˈda-lik\ adjective

Four sections? I suppose that makes sense. I have a tendency to make things more difficult, or complex, and my mandala is divided into six sections. Of course, if I had continued drawing, I could have morphed the six into four.

However, a funny thing happens when one sits to create a mandala- meditation and relaxation. I only used a Pitt pen and 140lb watercolor paper. Soon, I relaxed enough and got the 'sleepies' and had to stop. It is late, and I started late, so it serves me right.

The prompt for Sunday is to go elsewhere to create art....perhaps I will design a new mandala with the aid of Starbucks? My coffee machine is out of sorts, so maybe?

Until tomorrow,
Happy sleeps!

Map

There are a few personal reasons I was melancholy today and it came out on paper. The prompt was "map", and this is as close as I could come.

It is watercolor on light-blue card stock I've had a few years. I used a tiny but of white gelli own, but it's mostly watercolor.

Later today, I decided wine was the option I'd wanted, so we opened a bottle we're had around since, at least, the time I moved in at this time last year. It's a good bottle and had been a gift to my sweetie a few years ago.

Later still, I sat down and painted the glass of wine- it was THAT good! I hope everyone has a great weekend :)

Cheers!

Indefatigable, but sleepy

synonyms:
tireless - untiring - unwearying - inexhaustible

I'll not get tired of my art. Writing about it? Some days, like today, yes.

So this will be short.

The prompt for today was to stamp a mandala. I only have a few stamps, really, and you're looking at the "end" result.

I liked this prompt more than I thought I would, and I'll duo it again! What a great way to make a note of thanks!

The other is an excitement with the good watercolors and some cheap gouache. Jury is sill out on that cheap stuff.

More soon, because I am turning in.
Smiles!

Busy Blue Moon

On the night of a blue moon, you're supposed to forgive any negative thoughts and just let it go- well, that's what I heard from a friend today anyway. Still, it stuck in my mind, and I got to work cleaning the house, reading it of garbage and recyclables and anything
else that was negative clutter.

Oof! I'm tired- but I still made my arts...

I had weird dreams last night and the visions of them kept spinning all day. I wish I could remember a little bit more to play them out on paper, but all I need to remember is I saw my dad in the dream. He was complaining about the type of film that we needed for the camera and he didn't want us to waste it because it's so expensive.

Ha! We don't even use film anymore...

Anyway- on to Daily Paper Prompt #19, Mail Art. I stalled on the prompts because I had to make Mail Art and couldn't decide who to send it to, so I just got stuck- but here goes.

The picture is the one with the pinks and greens. My goodness! It is collage from my own watercolor on a 4x6 index card. Next, dictionary pieces were layered on, then I started in with some black gelato...pretty much used them all after awhile, and still didn't like it, so I went to use some acrylic paint on top.
I might even touch it up with some Pitt pen in the morning.

On to DPP#20, Blues

How appropriate to have a blue moon tonight!

After cleaning today, I went to get groceries and checked out school supplies that I really don't need. It's still fun to look anyway! I treated myself to a pack of 8 blue Crayola crayons. I liked the selection in the box, but once I got home I realized they put two cerulean blue crayons in the box. I felt gipped! Oh well.

I used watercolor paper to show the monochromatic color scheme as best I could. I started out by making small color samples and labeling them. Next, I rearranged the color samples to show a better arrangement from light to dark. From there I made the lettering sample and then moved on to the blue moon composition. Not bad for 78 cents!

I hope to be back on track with the prompts now. Can't wait to find out what tomorrow brings!

Art Kit

Today held the challenge of taking a picture of all the art things I usually take with me when I travel. It wasn't so hard to prepare because everything is arranged in the little bags I already use.

The polka dot bag holds all of my pens, the zip lock bag holds the Stabilo mini pens, and the music themed bag holds all the Gelatos.

I have another bag that is not shown, but it holds index cards of all sizes and a pack of ATCs.

The art kit was from prompt number 19 and I still made a piece of art.

The rich warm colors bring on a sense of autumn for me. I don't want to rush the seasons, but I am definitely ready for fall.

Sweet falling leaves dreams, every body!

Eraser head

The prompt for today had to do with making your own travel art kit. I travel with plenty of supplies everytime I move on an airplane, so this prompt was easy, but the pictures will have to wait until tomorrow.

Art-wise, I moved ahead and created a mandala. I created it with only eraser heads and partially carved eraser heads. While I was doing this, I was also listening to an old Lisa Loeb CD that made me think of times passed. I guess that is what a mandala is for- a bit reminisce, a bit meditation...

Stay tuned for the art kit and "snail mail" tomorrow!

Chandelier

This prompt was really an issue of mind-over-matter as I seriously doubted my ability to create a chandelier. I sat down at my art desk and began drawing ovals. There were all different sizes of ovals and they started to contribute to my mind's eye vision.

Soon enough, I'd created some scrolling, drawn hanging crystals and even asked my sweetie what he saw. With these things in mind, I pasted down the doodle onto a prepared hot-yellow piece of watercolor paper. From there, I used the Sharpie a bit more to carry the chandelier onto the blank page and create a bit more interest. I connected the sketch to the artificial ceiling and began to add more color.

It was fun to cover the page with drops of color and use the dripping technique we'd used in Daisy Yellow's ICAD challenge this summer. I wanted color, but not a disturbance.

I'd I were to change anything, I'd have left the ceiling pendant out of it and just connected the chandelier to somewhere in space. My favorite party is the mix of colors.

See you tomorrow!

Dictionary Love

Since starting this 365 day art project, I have found one of my favorite things to do is use dictionary pages in my paintings. The prompt was "Dictionary Love" today, so I felt like it was really twisting my arm to make this project. (there really should be a sarcasm font...)

I see some things I really like and really did just keep going, but I am not sold on the entire composition. For now, it works.

I used a childs' dictionary from 1966 and the paper is brownish, thin, and easy to tear. It was a fine dictionary in it's day, but it is very outdated. The word "recycle" did not even exist in this edition, so what better time than now to recycle it?
This morning, I painted some hot yellow pages for use later in the day.

I actually tore and wove some pieces together and glued them on the paper with matte medium. (another new favorite thing to do!) the glue dried quickly, so I started to paint. I used watercolors and I'm not sure if I'm finished, but that's okay.

Here are some of the pictures, probably in no particular order, but you'll get the idea.
Posting from my phone takes so long, but the voice recognition software makes it easier. If only I could arrange the pictures on my blog... I know. First world problems.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to paint today!

More Than Words

Creating art every day can sometimes be a real challenge. Honestly, up until June, everything was pretty much intuitive. I had been posting on the "Creative Every Day" website every week until the first week of June this year.

Through that website, I was able to find other people who were creating every day and also found the Daisy Yellow website. Tammy Garcia runs the website and posts challenges for artists to help keep the creative juices flowing.

I completed the "Index Card a Day" challenge and have moved on to the "Daily Paper Prompts". We are given just a simple word to get things going. Today the prompt was "words".

Man, oh man.

My life is filled with words and my brain is clogged with them so they have to be dumped out every day. I have been known to keep things that have words written on them from any place I have visited. I also have a 'problem' with keeping things. It's not to a place of hoarding, it's just sometimes I have a hard time letting go when I know I could use things for another purpose.

So, we're supposed to have company on Sunday, and trust me this is related. We have some major cleaning up to do and I have been working on my art supplies and crafting space for about a few weeks. However, today I used the things that I found close to me on the couch-

As an aside, I told my sweetie that I should write a tutorial about how to create art on the couch, including using a water bottle for watercolor painting and rinsing a brush. Lots of my supplies are at arms-length on the couch, but I digress...

While I have been de-stache-ing some of my junk, I've cut out words and things I might use for collage from magazines that I wish to recycle. I decided I have so many supplies that I can't stand to keep so much stuff around anymore, so I am giving these things their curtain call.

I told you it was all related- so here goes.

All that stuff I had piled up I just decided that I would put the prompt to work in a somewhat serendipitous manner... I was ready to use the words that I have collected and the prompt came at the right time.

I used some 140 pound watercolor paper and started pasting with a Smash Book pen/glue stick (best invention ever!). The words are probably the closest I really get to art journaling. My artwork resembles what a lot of people call backgrounds most of the time, and it might be a fear of writing on it, but it really is about the process and discoveries we make.

I'm really sorry I don't have pictures to show the process, but hope you'll be able to imagine what happened. I seem to have some uncanny bad luck when it comes to deciding when to record process photos.

After arranging and pasting down the words, I used the cap for a Dasani water bottle and poured a little water into it. (Yes, I really said a water bottle cap.)

Next, I added about three drops of neon pink acrylic paint. I mixed it a little bit, but didn't want it to mix completely. I really just wanted a light acrylic wash to unify the words and the composition.

At that point, I actually thought it was done.

About an hour later, I found that I wanted to use the cardboard spool for painters' tape as a sort of template for the black rings over the acrylic wash. In my mind it was sort of like seeing coffee rings, but in black. I drew the rings with the Pitt pen (M) and then created a border with a pre-cut mat by using the outer edges of the mat as a guide.

To get the melted black effect, I used a black Gelato very lightly on the inked rings. I used a nice synthetic round brush for blending the Gelatos. haha- I just realized it's the same type of brush I use for concealer on my eyes...

There's a little bit of extra color in the border where I used Gelatos again.

And that's it! I'll try to be better about taking process pictures. Let me know if you try it!

Saturated

This painting is watercolor on 140lb paper. I just started with a few splotches of color and kept going. It was fun! The prompt for Daisy Yellow was "saturated" and this was the first to cross my mind.

I'm thankful for these daily prompts and an art space in which I can create.

Grid of Peace

Yesterday, mentioned working on a project for Art Geeks. They were background papers I created that will be added to a book from other people. I should have 21 different pages.

Willing to recycle when I can, I used the edges from the pages I cut yesterday and wove  them together to create a grid for the Daisy Yellow prompt today.

I was unwilling to let it stay like it was. Oddly enough, I found my "Peace" by adding more to it. The pages already had a Faber Castell gelatos and to that I added watercolor and Pitt pen in the 'superfine' black pen.

How do you find your peace?

Round it Goes

I made some Gelato and Book Page backgrounds today for a swap on ArtGeeks.com. I guess it was only natural to make something like that for myself.

The prompt for today, on Daisy Yellow, was "round", so I made the background first and then added the circles in watercolor on top. I also added "Circle Dance" in the design from one of my favorite Bonnie Raitt songs.

Simple as that :)

Ogee 'Pom' Pattern

While walking the dogs the other day, I saw a bush that had bright red fruits on it. I thought it was really strange because apples around here seem to be golden yellow with a little red blush. So the red fruits caught my interest.

We walked a little closer and found out the fruits were pomegranates. The fruits closer to the top of the bush were starting to ripen and get really full and round, while the ones within reach were really still pretty small. I was surprised to find out that they grow at the absolute end of a branch, rather than hang from a branch like an apple. It was great to learn something new.

The pomegranate popped into my mind when I was trying to figure out something to do for the "Ogee Pattern" prompt from the Daisy Yellow Daily Paper Prompts. I'm big into patterns and I thought this would be a great idea- the pomegranates fit together perfectly for this purpose. I just couldn't wait to get started!

I used the 140lb. watercolor paper, Grandma's watercolors (You can see she wrote the color names on the edge. Always makes me smile :), a picture for the fruit and leaves from the real bush. I figured it probably wouldn't be polite to pull a pomegranate off of a tree that doesn't belong to me. The picture was just right!

I loved making the pomegranates come alive on paper. I am so thankful to be able to share them with everyone.

Stitched in Time

My sweetie came home from Detroit today. We got groceries, came home and just hung out for a great Saturday night.

The weather here has been magnificent and we used the grill for a backyard barbecue, had some summer cocktails, and truly enjoyed each others company.

Summer nights are the greatest!

Our two dogs, Buck and Louis, were specially happy to see my sweetie come home. They jumped and barked, barked and jumped and jumped some more. Louis sounds like a monkey sometimes- he screams for us! All told, I know they were happy to have us all together.

The prompt for Daisy Yellow is "stitches" so I tried to make some fake looking stitches. Truth be told, I just need to get that machine out and start playing around with it. I know I will be addicted to it once I start... until then, Pitt pen will do. The painting is just watercolor on cardstock. I wanted to paint a picture of how I felt tonight- peaceful and happy.

And the doggies on the side? Buck is the big one (20 pounds) and Louis is the little one (10 pounds)... I'm hoping to include them a little more often in my artwork.

And speaking of Buck, he has come over while I'm typing and let me know it's time to go to bed.

So, sweet dreams everybody!

Games

"Do you have a business card?"

Oh, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that. It's so frustrating knowing I need them, but not knowing what I should use for a design. I know there are companies out there who make their living from finding designs that work for everybody, and who will deliver a product for very little money. But I'm looking for something special- I just want my business card to be special. 

As it turns out, I think the results of today's "games" prompt, from DaisyYellow, will be the new design of my business card. I didn't set out to make a design for that tonight, but as I thought about what game to represent for my drawing, I thought no further than the fabulous word game I'm completely addicted to- Scrabble! 

Well, to be completely honest, it's really Words with Friends, but the concept is the same and I've always liked the feel of those wooden tiles in my hand. I don't even want to think about a copyright issue, as I'm sure there is one, but a girl can dream right?

I used 140Lb. watercolor paper, Real watercolors (left from Grandma) and Pitt pen in Super Fine. I used pencil and a ruler to develop point-perspective for the tiles.

Funkycaine is the name I came up with to sell my jewelry and homemade art. So I guess it's only appropriate that I spelled it out with those tiles. I will just keep dreamin'.

Megalodon

This morning started with a visit to my doctor. We talked about some of my concerns and I was put at ease because the things that I thought were out of order turned out to be not so bad- and he cautioned me against trying to connect too many dots.

The doctor made an analogy about the ocean and how deep some some places in our lives can be and we just don't know what's out there. To that, I said, "yeah just like the megalodon."

For those who don't know, the megalodon is a giant pre-historic shark that has been featured on the Discovery Channel "Shark Week" this year. Currently,  it seems at least one still exists and can dives to depths greater than 5,000 feet.
Hence, my analogy.

I told the doc I had just learned about that term this week on the Discovery Channel, and he said he had watched the same show. I guess that wouldn't have been a very big deal, except the fact that he said he rarely watches television. It was just interesting that we shared the same experience about the megalodon and he really did understand my reference. The fact he listened to me in the first place is what I like about this doctor- a lot.

Doc gave me some ideas of where to turn for my next steps towards finding some answers to some really deep health questions- my very own megalodon.

The experience sat with me for the rest of the day and I contemplated how it could be represented on paper. I stopped thinking so much and just started playing with watercolor and cutting old tubes of them apart so that I could use the real stuff Grandma left behind for me.

A good thing happened-
I got lost in the deep sea of creation and really enjoyed the process of putting color on paper. The best discovery I found was the white watercolor. The Daisy Yellow prompt for the day was "fade" and white helped me fade some of the brighter colors into some really fun composition.

The Sara Bareilles song, "Brave", kept running through my mind, especially the line, "Say what you need to say- just let the words fall out." I did that today. "I want to see you be brave," was the response the doctor had for me today. It is time to figure some things out.

With that in mind, the prompt for today was "fade". I didn't want to rip off Sara Bareilles, so I worked on my own twist.

"Don't let your bravery fade."

This is so important and also my intention. Sometimes it just slips away and lots of things clutter up our heads.

It's time to be brave.

Cheers to good health!

Too Many Leftovers

Doing my part to recycle means I have piles of clutter everywhere. I find it is a "Catch 22" because I want to help out the environment but I also want to keep a better organized house.

The prompt of "leftovers" was pretty easy for me to find ephemera to complete the project. I have started clipping things for collage and had a pretty good stockpile from which to pull bits and pieces for my composition. I am happy to finally have put some of this "junk" to good use.

When I wrote, "The ordinary can be made extraordinary", I thought I was being all prolific and everything. A Google search brought up the fact that it has been said before, in a way, by Nicholas Sparks. I guess great minds think alike after all!

Composition is made from watercolor paper, acrylic paint, gouache, tissue paper, bric a brac, glue, and white gelli pen. I also used pieces of acrylic painted dictionary pages.

Tomorrow it is time to throw out the leftovers and start anew. I will recycle what I can, but my art table is in need of a renewal. It is time to create the "main dish" again, so I can have more leftovers!

Here's to a full bin :)
Happy creating!

Certified

The honor of a certificate is given when certain accomplishment has been made. Most people put them in frames while others squirrel them away in boxes or folders.

Even though I am a certified teacher, the only actual certificate that shows I am certified is not very fancy at all. The certificate is really just a print-out of the things that I have done to become a teacher.

Diplomas and certificates of graduations are a lot more interesting. Although the days of handwriting the certificates have passed, I have always been drawn to the calligraphy and extraordinary fonts that are used to emphasize the special accomplishment.

The prompt for today was "certificate" and I took the liberty of awarding myself what the certificate of all the things I can do. It was a fun certificate to create because I used Grandma's real watercolors, Souffle gel pens and Sharpies.

The most fun about the certificate is the fact that I'm giving myself credit. Finally. I am truly satisfied with the things I can do and I am determined to continue learning new things and new ways to express myself.

Big thanks to Tammy Garcia for these prompts!
I am having so much fun :)
Namaste.

Linear Relationships

Maybe it's odd, but today I contemplated going back to the classroom. I haven't been teaching for this year and today I got a call back from a job I applied for- and that wasn't teaching.

The message was kind of funny to me, because she thought I had mistakenly applied for the job since my resume shows that I have mostly teaching experience. Regardless, it started me thinking.

I truly believe this year has been one of transition and healing. After all, if I can't take care of myself, I know I cannot take care of others and maintain some semblance of a relationship at home.

This art journey I have taken has taught me I need to keep creativity in my life. I need to take the time to express myself through color and composition, line and shape, clarity and contrast.

The size of the painting today is only a four by six index card, but it serves the purpose I needed. It's not that I have a creative block, rather, it's a time for renewal, yet I just didn't want to start on this prompt today. Honestly, I just didn't feel like making anything.

I dug out some backgrounds I created on the 4th of July and was happy I had made them on the grid paper. The linear prompt got me thinking about the relationship between art, math, music, and science, so I began with an illusion of lines that look like they are rounded. From there, I just doodled and brainstormed until it was done.

When I return to the classroom, I know there will be days when I do not feel like creating anything. But this journey has taught me that whether I feel like it or not, I really need to create. I am even prepared with ATCs and know that I will carry index cards wherever I go.

I know enough now that the quality of the day can be represented on an index card. Anything goes! It is already a challenge to create every day, but that challenge is now a necessity.

Wow.
So much reflection for such a small card-
I hope only for the best.

Have a great week!

Doodle day Flowers

The weather in Orange County has been absolutely beautiful. This morning, I took my cup of coffee outside and enjoyed the fresh air with my two dogs. Sometimes we get hummingbirds, but today we saw a butterfly.

The butterfly flew the length of the pool, back and forth, like maybe it was flying laps. It settled on one of our umbrellas and took a bath in the sunlight.

I found myself wishing I had my camera and thinking that the butterfly would just flutter-fly away, but it kept a place on the umbrella. I decided to take a chance and go for my phone.

I hoped and hoped it would still be there when I returned. Though the trip was short, I kept checking to see if it was still there, and it was! Of course, once I got the camera ready it decided to fly away.

I said, "Come back! Please come back!" And it did! It flew right back onto its perch on the umbrella. But just as I selected the proper setting on the camera, it flew away.

I watched as it flew peacefully back across the pool, over the trees, and into another yard. I felt blessed to have had the butterfly in my company.

I've never really been one to draw a butterfly, but I really love them. I sat down at my art desk and started doodling flowers. I used pens of all kinds and used a brush to melt the colors with some watercolor paint. I just kept adding layers upon layers of ink and paint and suddenly a butterfly emerged.

I like the composition and I really feel like I got lost while creating it. It was fun to just let go and be free, just like the butterfly.

The painting is on Canson 140lb watercolor paper. I used Pilot fine point pens, metallic Gelly pens, (good) watercolor, and Sakura Souffle pens.

Drips

It was a good day to clean out my watercolors and I had just been thinking how nice it would be to have a clean mixing tray- when I found out I could use the drips of paint for today's prompt, DPP#3, drips.

In general, I've been using Prang watercolor and just using the case for mixing. So I took the case to the sink, put a little water in the sections, and used a paintbrush to get the little nooks and crannies clean. Next, I just poured the painty water onto watercolor paper.

After getting all of those nice drip trails, I added some more solid pigment to get a more interesting composition. The paper had been a mop-up piece, so there was some muddy color already in place. I let the paper dry in the sun because I'm just that impatient.

But, then I let it sit all day, anyway.

I had some fun at my art desk creating other drippy creations because I wasn't quite satisfied with the other mess I had made. I used some "real" watercolors, left to me by my grandmother, experimented with candy wrapper collage, found out some old watercolors were gooey because they were indeed oils, but I digress....

Finally, as the day became night, I thought of a creation Grandma had made by tearing strips of "unsatisfactory" paintings she'd made and wove together. I took out my paper cutter for my experiment, cut the paper in half lengthwise, and measured half-inch strips.

The weaving was fun and really cool to plan where the orange and teal would show through. It was a really fun hands-on composition that I plan to do again for a friend's gift.

It was fun to relax and just create with this one.

Window

For the second Daily Paper Prompt, the word was "window". It was suggested we cut a window in our paper to see through to the next page.

For the most part, I used watercolor on the outside and combined that with fine tipped marker on the inside. The paper is Canson 140 lb. Watercolor paper. I used a pair of childrens' scissors to cut through the paper by scoring and gently tearing the paper. It was suggested we use an Exacto-knife, but I can't remember where mine is...but I like the look of the more "rustic" cut. Ha!

This was a really fun prompt because I had never thought of cutting paper through to another side like this. Tammy Garcia comes up with some really interesting prompts and I sort of feel like I'm an art student again in school. However, as an adult, I have more freedom for what I can create and I really only play like a kid.

it is definitely fun :)

Rainbow

Rainbow is the start of the new prompts from DaisyYellow.com. Like the index-card-a-day, she provided the prompt, but we can go at our own pace for these and they must be done in order.

I love rainbows and anytime I see when I stop and take a picture. I've even stopped on long road trips just to get a shot at one of nature's most beautiful gifts.

When I saw today's prompt was rainbow, my heart skipped a beat. As a kid, I used to draw two clouds and connect them with the rainbow. Now, I didn't really want to make a landscape, nor did I want to make the drawing of the past. I wanted something new and to somehow incorporate sunrise and sunset- because that is when you can see the full spectrum of light in the sky and it is so beautiful.

I used some 140lb watercolor paper and Derwent watercolor pencils. I put down the roy-g-biv and used a paint brush to melt the pigment. Next, and added some Prang watercolor and just kept going.

I kept reviewing and adding contrast, darkening and finding flow. The colors spoke for themselves, and soon enough, I took a break. I actually looked at Day 2's prompt for "window" and got out the Sharpie.

I started making my own windows of color. I made scapes inside of windows of all shapes and sizes. Then, I took another watercolor pencil and made some other markings balance everything out a little bit.

Finally, I used a water brush to erase the streams of watercolor between the frames. The result is a composition filled with little windows of color.

Carpe Diem!
Seize the day!