Monday, December 10, 2018

What's been happening

Well all my best laid plans to be more consistent with my posts has certainly failed. I tried but my life took a turn and I changed jobs and now as a framer I am working long days and it is very physical work which leaves me tired at the end of the day. The blog certainly took a back seat with most of my posts on Facebook and Instagram as I could do that quickly - photos with very little writing. I miss the writing though and when I came back to my blog I was shocked that it had been so long. I guess all I can do is some catch up posts and hope that I do better next year.

The Infinite Sketch Project 
In September I sent off my entry to the Brooklyn Art Library's Infinite Sketch Project. The theme was Cosmos & Connections and my prompt was REDUCED, so naturally I went with a bee motif. The sketches are going to be joined to create one very very long sketch. I used Distress Inks, TCW stencils and Seth Apter Baked Textures embossing powders.


The Apron Project
This year's theme for the Apron Project "Strength is her Superpower" led me to create two very different aprons. The first has been created using negative painting and my inspiration - the words from a song "this magnificent tree appeared in my mind, even without leaves its strength was divine"






With the second apron I took the whole superhero thing a bit literally and went POP art:


I think that's enough for now....more catch up to come.

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

The Canvas Project 2018

I am seriously enjoying all the creating I've been doing lately and finding inspiration in the weirdest things.

I joined the Brooklyn Art Library's canvas Project, where we were given a word (mine was Brannigan) and a 4" x 4" canvas on which to create and send back. The canvases will be compiled in an encyclopedia and the canvases distributed to the participants. So I get someone else's - how exciing.

Now Brannigan is not a word I was instantly familiar with and imagine my surprise when I looked it up:

brannigan

 (ˈbrænɪɡən)
n
1. noisy quarrel
2. slang US a drinking spree

I decided on a bright layered background (over dictionary paper) using stencils and Dina Wakley Heavy Body paints... and then I got a bit stuck. Inspiration came in the form of the Deep Red Rubber stamp "Doc Martens" which I coloured with Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks and created cracks with a glaze.

It is now on it's way to the Library and I can't wait to see what is returned.








Saturday, July 21, 2018

A Book of Moments - Flip through




Let me tell you a story... about a Book of Moments

One glorious Winter weekend in Sydney recently, I got to attend the brilliant "Book of Moments" class taught by Seth Apter for Eat Cake and Create. It was held in the Studio Artes building in Hornsby (a great creating space)and we are very grateful to them for allowing us the use of their facility.

The two day class took us through using the front & back covers of a book, showing us a binding technique, embedding techniques, creating the inner pages and expressing ourselves. It was just amazing to see the variety of colours and themes produced. Some were deeply personal and some beautifully artistic , but all were stunning in their own way.

Seth also let us play with his new line of embossing powders "Baked Texture", so they also feature in the book.

Now my story....

When packing for this class, I randomly threw in flotsam & jetsam (as Seth calls it)- all those papers, tags, bits and bobs that I've accumulated over the last 18 years of paper crafting with no particular plan in mind.

So while going through the papers to use as the base, one of them was music paper "Loves Confession" and I joked with those at the table about how "I don't DO love", but went ok I will use it...then came across an old wedding photo (unknown), then a nursery rhyme, then an old school photo (unknown), the photo of an old man, a photo of an old lady, a postcard of mother & child (with a hilarious letter on the back)and text on another book page about love....so can you see where this was leading...

I turned all these beautiful bits into a narrative of travel, falling in love, raising a child, growing old, a tragedy and going back to the place it all started (France). 

So now apparently now "I DO Love" ....one thing is for sure, I LOVED this class and the end result:


The lock has been set into the front cover 





and some of the hidden treasures within





Saturday, June 23, 2018

Strength and support

A friend told me of another of her friend's who was going through a daunting time and had put it out to everyone she knew if they would make a card and send it to this friend to lift her spirits. As I don't personally know this woman I asked "would she be offended if I made her a bra card? No. Great." Because the last thing I would want to do is make a tough time worse.

So I sat down to create and I knew kinda what I wanted it to look like and the feeling of strength I wanted to instill in it...but it was a card, so let's not get too carried away - hahaha, this is me talking.

I wish I had taken photos of the many stages of the card, but I was too in the zone....it morphed into a piece of art. The elements were too heavy for the front of a card so I stuck the card front onto boxboard and went from there.

The background is book paper, stamps, and lots of layers of Distress Oxide inks and paint. There are of course paint splats and edging with black marker and white marker.


The bra is die cut from cardstock (using an old Die-namics die)and then I went to town on it with Distress Oxide inks (they ended up being covered entirely) and the awesome new Baked Textures embossing powders from Emerald Creek/Seth Apter. The ones used on the bra are: Patina Oxide, Chunky Rust and Ancient Amber.



I put texture paste through a chevron stencil and added Emerald Creek Fractured glass ep and heated. It's such a cool technique and I really love the end result.


The bra needed to be grounded, so in my stash I happened to have this really cool hanger (no idea where it came from), TH chain and of course I have this very appropriate stamp set from Darkroom Door to finish it off (which I put out of order when I cut it up - oops).

I hope this "card" gives strength to its recipient at a very trying time, so she knows she is loved and supported and that she is stronger than the disease.




Monday, May 14, 2018

Breaking the white page

I mentioned in my last post the dreaded white page and how it can sometimes paralyze my creativity.

I was inspired by Birgit Koopsen and a video showing a mini art journal made from Gelli prints...so I thought "why not make one and have a jumping off point for my art journaling".

I got out one of my larger gelli plates, brayer, paints and stencils and got busy just putting colour on the watercolour paper.
I then folded each page in half and stuck them together and bound them, then added a bit of stamping. I cut one of the pages in half and used on the outer covers. I had planned on leaving the covers and collaging on them, but started putting some of my new washi tape on and got a bit carried away and covered them completely - but I like it.

So no fear of the white page, because the pages are not white! Just a great start. I will post the finished pages as I do them, but for now - here is my handmade A5 journal:













Monday, April 30, 2018

The Sketchbook Project 2018

So last year I saw the Brooklyn Art Library post about their annual sketchbook project and thought "why not". I love a creative challenge ...or so I thought.

I started out in my head thinking about the theme that appealed to me the most - Texture. It' something I use in every art journal or mixed media item that I do. I love texture in my everyday life: fabrics, stone, nature in general...basically the feel of things. Touch & smell are mt two favourite senses, but I especially love that texture is something that can been seen as well as felt.

So to start with, I signed up for a sketchbook and eagerly awaited its arrival. It did not disappoint in it's snazzy little envelope and all those lovey clean white pages. And then I started and my original thoughts went flying out the window as I played and created some lovely pages. Now the pages, to be fair are made for sketching on and not really up to the heavy duty task of mixed media, so there were a few issues, but nothing that couldn't be overcome. 

Until, that is, I thought I was finished and started to flick through my book....only to find that one of the pages had been created upside down. Crushed, frustrated and just downright kicking myself, I removed the pages. Nothing could save it, so I decided to start afresh and substitute watercolour paper, so I had a stronger background to work on. I also decided to work on the pages before putting them back in the cover in case my head turned upside down again.

The deadline had been extended (thank goodness)and I thought - yes, I can do this. But then self doubt crept in and I got stuck with my narrative - stuck on blank white pages, even so far as to tell my friend on Saturday (28th April) that I wouldn't be sending it in as I couldn't finish it. On Saturday night I thought :don't be stupid - you know what you want to do, just do it"....so I did it. 

And off to the post office it went today - winging it's way across the ocean to Brooklyn, where I hope, my little book of texture finds a happy home among other works of art.










  










Monday, March 5, 2018

strength, blessings, together

It's been such a long time since my last blog - woeful. I have been posting what I've been up to on Facebook and Intagram, but seem to have neglected my poor little blog once again. She seems to draw the short straw each time....almost an afterthought.
So I decided to share the steps I've taken in creating this special piece for a special friend...
dress pattern paper on 5x5 canvas

added postage stamp & ticket

a layer of white gesso, Seth Apter stamps with Stazon inks

Seth Apter stamp embossed with Patina Oxide Embossing powder

edges embossed with Rocky Road embossing powder

photo, TH stickers and more Seth Apter stamps

a layer of Vintage Beeswax embossing powder over whole canvas

and another layer of Vintage Beeswax embossing powder 

 and the finished article