Adult Art Camp

Last month I held a week of camp in my home studio. I called it, "House of Cards".

We used a variety of mediums, some neat techniques and laughed a lot.

Masked Alcohol Ink Technique

Vonnie's Whimsical Work

We created a game with the week's "scraps". It was patterned after Eames' House of Cards Game.

 Here, I used aluminum cans to create embossed metal playing cards, using Tim Holtz' embossing folders. Colored with alcohol ink. Recycled boxes from Birchbox beauty samples.

My Nickelback is a friendly Maine Coon. He just loves art class!

So much for drying our pieces on this table!

Next year?  Maybe...you never know what a year will bring in the meantime!

Happy 4th!

Time Just Keeps on Moving

Hello Everyone!

I know, I know...this blog has been napping, and I am about to wake it up!

So much art has happened in the last year, I can hardly believe it. 

The picture above is a pastel I did this past winter at an art retreat I attended. It actually won

"Best of Show" at our local art festival.

Gelatin Print Collage

So much art...so many mediums. The ideas are just swimming around in my head of what to do next...ever have that happen to you?

So I hope my blog will inspire you with the snippets of my life as a creative that I share here...
Remember: we are all creative, we just need to find our unique voice.

Tomorrow I will begin to update you on what I have been doing for the last year, as well as what is happening now. If you are interested in any of the techniques you see, please leave me a comment. I will do my best to answer your questions.

See you tomorrow,

All That Glitters

Aren't these cute?  This is the craft for November in

Scarlett O'Hara's Craft Room!

 

These 3 adorable buildings are actually created from

cereal boxes. They can be sent in their envelope to a special friend

or relative, then set up on a tabletop with a battery operated tea light beneath.

 

OR

 

They can be hung on the tree!

 

The windows are vellum, to let the light shine through. Since these buildings are not actually decorated for the holidays, they can be enjoyed all winter long.

 

These are entirely covered in fine glitter, even the darling little trees.

The inside is "wall papered" with Victorian style paper.

 

Add a little note on the back with the date

 to turn these into keepsakes to last a lifetime!

 

Class is November 1st in the Manor. If you live in the area, you are invited to sign up.

 

$20 includes everything you need to create these beauties.

 

Hope to see you there,

 

 

Reference Photo 2 Ways

While on a field trip with our local pastel group,

I took some photo references. I was hoping

 to get at least one I would love...and I did!

It turned out that I had a couple of opportunities to

put this picture to use. I don't know...I guess it's 

that one big flower that got me.

First, I did an alcohol marker drawing.

 I drew the Coreopsis with a fine tipped marker.

I then began the process of coloring it 

with Spectrum Noir alcohol markers, 

using my favorite shading and texturing techniques.

 Here is the final piece.

THEN

I needed to finish a piece for the upcoming pastel show, "Wings and Wildflowers". 

Using the same reference, I did a 13 x 23 inch piece on pastel paper. 

I began with the basic background and lights,

using some of my harder soft pastels... 

then, when I added some darks, the lights began to pop.

My finished piece.

Thanks for looking...now go create something that makes YOU happy:

A drawing

A painting

A cake

A pot of soup...

and Enjoy the process.

My Word for 2015



As usual, time is flying by.

 

January usually ends before I begin to organize my thoughts for the year.

 

One thing I DID manage to do was decide on a WORD for the year...

 

 

Reach

 

 

 

Reach is a great word for me this year. 

 

I feel it will motivate me.

 

Here is my Reach quote for today:

 

 

What is your word?

 

Leave a comment below to share.

 



Doodly Doo

A bevvy of beautiful women joined me for a, Touch of ZIA class in our community.

 

Taking doodles we created to music,

 

 

I took them through several steps to create a unique piece of art.

 

This is my sample.

 

 And here are the ladies, with their results.

 

There were 16 women in all.

 

We had so much fun. 

 

 I plan on taking them through class two,

where we will go on a picture taking hunt,

 and return with inspiration photos to create more art.

Art Sparks, "Touch of ZIA" class

My first class of 2015

 

 

A Touch of ZIA

 

I will take you back before, "Zentangle", which I feel can start to all look alike.

 

Why not take your own original doodling and turn it into something you can truly call your own?

 

 

This is the plan, Dan.

 

 

Happy New Year!