2/27/10 I'm a Girl - I can Multi-Task

I finished the Venetian Fans this week for Alphastamps - here they are.  Some are totally different than the samples I posted last week, but it gave me a good place to start.  Most were accented with markers, stamp pad along the edges and two have gold German scrap along the edges.

I worked on a challenge from ArtChix Studio called "I Love......" Twinchies Game Art Swap.   (Twinchies are 2" square collages) Here are the six that I made.

I also finished a challenge through Paper Whimsy - a Tag Triptych.  The format was a center tag with two side tags that were shorter than the center.  

In the next posting I'm going to review the sites I use most that offer swaps / challenges.   

2/21/10 Fan Plan

Here are the first layouts for the Venetian Fan Swap.  I cut out the template for the fan pages and used it as a mat to get a sense of the layout.  All the images had to be cropped in some way and this makes it easy to see where pieces should be.  Using the color copies** helps to see how the colors/patterns work together.  I think I like where these are going so the next step is to us the actual collage sheets and then start embellishing them - with German Scrap, ribbon, glitter, etc.

*** color copies are for planning only - NOT to be used in actual work

2/19/10 BEGIN Again

I bought a sketch book the other day - not that I need another one - but the color was beautiful and it said "Begin" - I couldn't resist.

There are times when an inspirational word or quote just makes me roll my eyes - are people really moved by this stuff?   Do we really need to be slapped in the face by the obvious even if it is adorned with flowers and scrolls and ethereal colors?  Well, yes.  Because there are days like the one where I found this sketchbook titled "Begin" that it spoke to me.  I didn't roll my eyes or shake my head - at that moment it just made sense.  

This blog started out with the realization that I was done making excuses and just had to begin it.  Of course now I need a schedule and have to make sure I have work to show on a weekly basis.  I'd also like to show process sometimes.  I have five sisters who have all said if they could draw like me, they would do it every day.  So, that's what this sketchbook will be used for - an image a day - a sketch, a photo or a collage.  And there's an added bonus for me - now I can blame my sisters if this doesn't work out!

www.alphastamps.com has a challenge I'm working on- the Venetian Fan-Shaped Book Swap.  There are a lot of Venetian and carnival themed collage sheets and embellishments to chose from - I made color copies of the sheets I bought and cut out the template for the fans.  (I'm using The Secret, Pierrette, Windows of Venice, Masked, Botanicabella Collection sheets, and Brocade collage sheets/papers).  Sometimes I find it easier to use the color copies to find combinations that might work - to get a sense of the background and a few elements.  I've always felt that if the start or foundation isn't good then it makes the rest a lot harder.   Embellishments are nice, but they have to be on something solid.  So tomorrow I'll' be making some initial combinations and posting them.  We'll see what happens.

2/13/10 Work of the Week

I just finished Lenna's New Lotto Theme: Women, Words and .....?  It's an ATC with an image of a woman, a quote and embellished with Stickles as the third element.  The collage images are from ArtChix Studio.  The cool thing about the lotto is that a winner is chosen and they get ATC's from everyone who entered.  Here's hoping.....
The other challenge I worked on this week was from Helga's Blog Art Challenge and it was to make three "twinchies" (2" x 2" squares)  These are titled "Women in Red".

These include paper and images from ArtChix Studio and braided trim.  I also uploaded some photos of murals, sketches and books that I did awhile ago.

2/6/10 Goals

My goals for this blog are to post a minimum of once a week,  document  process and offer information and resources.   The collage above is called the Power of Three and was part of a challenge on Helga's blog. Make a piece of art that has 3 of something in it - that was the requirement. It's a 6" square of lightweight "cardboard" that I covered with 3 sheets of paper, then embellished with 3 tickets, 3 buttons, 3 tags, 3 clocks, 3 squares with brads and 3 number 3's.  Most elements were shaded with gold and blue stamp ink to alter their color to fit the scheme.

2/3/10 The Beginning

About 9 months ago I decided to start a blog as a place to show my artwork.  This is my first posting because it's taken me this long to get up the nerve to start it.  Thinking about this has been both exciting and terrifying - but I couldn't drag it out any longer.  I knew I had to put up or shut up.  So here it begins.

This is a series of inchies (1" squares) that were done for Helga's Art Challenge at myartisticlife.typepad.com.  There was no particular theme this week - just to use the 1" square format.  I've found that deadlines really help motivate me, so these weekly challenges are a good way to keep working.  Artists post photos of their work on her site and it's really inspiring to see the variety of work.