Turning my hand from baby blankets to bookmarks tonight. Chris wants to play bookmark swap and so I've rattled up a few to stick in in the post tomorrow.
Not sure how these 3D earthly things will translate for iPad users, but since I am a died in the wool, hard back, flip the pages kind of gal, I really don't care..... I suppose I could always do a digital version - how would that work I wonder????
Well they are done! 13 lovely 8x10 collages are winging their way to New Zealand! I just hope the "postie" has his running shoes on and gets them there in a hurry!
I've put the finished pieces into a Photo Album in the sidebar if you are interested in having a look.
I'm hoping that the coming week sees a cessation in the rain and would it be too much to hope for a little sunshine? Even though my "To Do List" offers plenty of opportunities for hiding out indoors, I'd LOVE to get outside for a bit and enjoy some fresh air without coming back in looking like a drenched cat (of which we have plenty!)!!!!
I've nearly completed my 13 collages for the next ICE exchange. A little behind the 8'ball but with any luck they should be all wrapped up and in the mail tomorrow.
This year, as with last, there will be a mixture of straight digital collages, digital collages printed onto mixed media substrates and then a few of the 'traditional' torn paper goop and glue kind. When they are all done I'll stick them in a folder in the sidebar for you to take a sticky beak at.
It's been nice to stretch the artistic brain at both ends of the spectrum (pixels to paint). I've been so caught up in Podcast/Video and Publication technology these past few weeks I had forgotten how much pleasure I get from just getting in the zone and 'creating' ART!
** Windswept & Light have been created using my own photos manipulated in photoshop - with the happy addition of some homegrown coffee cup stains and scans of odds and sods.
"Windswept" has been printed on some textured upholstery material that I found at a non profit recycling center.
"Light" has been printed on some intriguing materials that I found at the local hardware store in the sheet rock department!
ciao for now.....
Tonight however I decided to put into practice some of Misty's good instructions and had a play with my paints (kind of grungy and dried up as they were!), collaged a little, made marks and generally had a bit of fun!
Yesterday was a great Mail day - I had a surprise treat from a blog buddy, Pat! Her envelope contained a lovely piece of work, sent to me as part of her "Pay It Forward fun from her blog.
Thanks Pat.....this piece is quite delicious!
Next I received a box from my friend Chris, over at Prism Trail. We have been cooking up a little mischief lately and decided to work on a woven paper project and it had to consist of re-cycled magazine pages. It is most interesting to see how differently we interpreted the challenge - and I will leave it to Chris to post pics of what I sent her. These are some images of her wonderful creation - totally amazing and such a sculptural piece.
And last but not least are the pics of my finished book from Lynne Perella's class. After I got home and it had dried a bit more I attacked it with the sewing machine and free-motion stitched all over the canvas to give it just a BIT more texture....ha ha! (It's quite tall, measuring 12inches x 6 inches when folded into the book format.)
I had this long and intriguing post half written and then Windows decided it needed to update me (oh really - can it do wrinkles too?) ...and in the two minutes it took me to take the dog out for her bed-time walk, the darned computer had 'conveniently' shutdown and restarted itself...not very charming at all!
So..for now you just have to make do with the picture and tomorrow the words will follow....
Nighty night!
Ever since I fell in love with using Photoshop (oh so many years ago) I've struggled with the kind of sticky up nosey in the air attitude of people who don't really consider digital art to be "ORIGINAL".
Fortunately in the intervening years I've managed to find a lot of other professional and non-professional digital artists to work and exhibit with, so I know I am not a lone practitioner of pixel passion! And if one can judge by the number of magazines dedicated to the digital format hanging about in the local bookstores these days...then hopefully the tide is turning!
Still, having started out my 'art-life' in the mixed media environment I continually try to find ways to incorporate my digital creations into and along with some of the other more traditional art formats.
"Light" is mostly paint and paper with a few pixels thrown in for good measure....and when the recipient gets it, she can tell you whether or not it 'feels' original :-)
Good news is that I've managed to move the tissue box to at least 6" away from my nose and only resorted to taking 'snuffle' killing pills once in the last 12hrs and I am starting to feel 'almost' human again!
Yesterday, despite falling snow and freezing temps, I headed out to session #2 of a Printmaking Class I am taking locally. Last week I only managed to stay an hour before heading back to bed. This week I managed 2+ hrs out of 4, which was an achievement of no mean sorts!
I had high hopes for the class. The teacher is a great gal, but laid back to the point where you garner more instruction from the other class members than from the teacher herself. Not that she is unwilling to show you what to do, but you kind of have to know what you want to DO before she can show you....and I guess that's OK if you know how to 'drypoint' or 'engrave' or etch...but I don;t and I had rather hoped to learn how! Oh well....
The lady sitting next to me was creating some interesting pieces using a technique called 'Chine Colle". After picking her brains for a bit, it seemed like the technique was largely about printing over collaged elements. Given that I had nothing with me but an old etched plate that I'd made before, I experimented some using just what was at hand......her glue and some old newspapers.
Next week I shall go a little better prepared. Take my own goop, some pre-prepared transparencies and a few of my own collage elements. Stay tuned for that one!
It seems such a long time since I was able to sit myself down at the desk, fire up the Photoshop and just get lost in my pictures and work away.....
I'm pleased to say though, that I'm almost there! The house is FINALLY back to where it was before we were inundated with guests - well more or less! The animals have all calmed down and crawled out from under our bed and are once again littering my studio or the vacant arm chairs in the front room.
Loads of sheets and towels have been duly washed and stowed away in the linen closet, the house has been "de-chritsmased" AND my darling and ever so patient Husband is once again back at the office!
In conjunction with restoring domestic status quo I took the opportunity to re-organise my Studio and am pleased with the extra space I have managed to engineer and who knows...it may now get put to use!
As I've submissions for another book due in a couple of weeks I've passed the last two nights messing around with some different digital ideas. I will no doubt fiddle away a lot more before the deadline arrives...but for now with a large coating of snowy white stuff sitting outside my door, "Reaching for the Sky" and "Spring's Dream" seem quite appealing!
ciao for now
