Looking forward....

I am in the mood to paint and create. I went through a creative funk recently and had a hard time getting going; perhaps it was the long, rainy winter finally settling into my bones. Now that the sun and warmth as returned, the days aren't long enough for me.

I am...

working on the 2018 calendar (one of two or three I hope to produce this year if I can maintain this level of ambition, that is) called Baby Boomer Toys. Oh boy !  That is quite fun. Everything is at the draft stage, but here's a preview of one month.

Be sure to get on the mailing list at the website if you would like notice of its arrival. 

starting another series similar to the Pears series I did here.  My friend Carol asked if I had ever done apples, so..why not? Just the first steps (painting a coat of red bas a base, painting and blending the local color):

I will be selling these (finished, of course!) in prints, cards, and other forms in my new website shop come late June. 

And I have also started a series i call "Family" using old family photos to paint a little collection. i like to think of myself as a watercolor artist, but I gotta tell you, I am enjoying the magic of painting over mistakes or changing one 's mind midstream ...easy to do with acrylic paints, almost nonexistent with watercolor.

Here's a snatch of the first one:

Still a work in progress but getting there.

Finally, my long-delayed Megazine will be revised and updated of for publishing soon, and i am doing my best to keep  up with Carla Sonheim's 365 every day. Well, at least I'm looking at the videos and prompts and thinking about them. That counts a little.

So my funk seems to be over for now, energy returning...now if only my Cubbies could get out of their losing funk lately...

Too. Much. Fun.

Breaking News:
Girlfriends meet up for art retreat in the One Red Chair Studio. Location different this year but
she found her way, Chelan to Bonney Lake, piece o' cake.

We managed to fit in a few games and o yes maybe a wee bit of shopping, too, (yes, wee...) but we really did do a lot of art!

Diane and Carol in the Red Chair Studio, Bonney Lake edition. 

Painting Patterns

One of my favorite things to do....painting patterns in random, loose fashion.  Using as backgrounds, manipulating digitally, cutting up for postcards and collage. So far, using acrylic and ink...will bring out some stamps and maybe the gelli plate for more layers. I love to work on old calendars, especially those big, matte, screen-printed designs from Snow Graham, Paper Source, etc. And catalogs with lovely paper from Anthropologie are quite nice (except they sent a glossy one the last time...ugh.) But really anything will do. Then more playing with close-ups and filters for lots of design surprises.

Serving up pink today

Today's entry in Carla Sonheim's 365 Class.

It snowed last night! Actually, lots of it, sometime in the space of 4-5 hours while we all slept. The neighbors built a snowman in the middle of our cul-de-sac to celebrate. 

Me, I kept busy inside still trying to find places and spaces for my art things. 

One thing I am certain of:

I have too many rubberstamps and I better start using them. I've whittled down my inventory somewhat, still have some to go, and am unmounting them all. For Carla's class, I am making a rule to use a stamp image somehow on every page. And I shall continue to downsize. 

Like patterns? Love colors?

Well, then take a gander at this artist. Leaves me breathless.

http://www.bicocacolors.com/2012/11/bicocacolors-shop.html

Her name is Elena Nuez from Spain. I found this on Pinterest and am in love.

Elena Nuez

Elena Nuez

Elena Nuez

Elena Nuez

From Alisa Burke: 3 favorite toddler art activities

I am a fan of Alisa Burke, as  many artists are. Her online classes are informal and informative, her blog is generously filled with samples, tutorials, and colorful days and very focused on art. Recent posts have shown ideas for making little pinch pots, plant stakes, and rope tote bags. I have no toddlers in my life right now but still enjoyed this post for the pleasure that art brings to kids of every age. I recommend a visit there for anyone with a toddler to entertain!    I"m sharing her whole series of art with kids here

I have been painting patterns for Mary Ann's SEWN class. Next up, the book.

It apPEARS

I'm late for my May postcard exchange. Wherever did May go?



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Catching up...#2 in series

...wherein I see what the women and men in my own sweet blogroll are up to.

4

Aimee at artsyville has posted the story of these bright and cheery painted cork tiles. This is her photo from her blog.

5

Amanda Kavanaugh is a sketchbook artist and painter. Among other things, she paints the most amazing clouds. She posts her travel and daily sketchbooks in their entirety and they insire me. Here's a page from one of her travel sketchbooks: They look like crop quilts so that's what I'll call them!  Simple idea made fanciful. 

                                        

Paint the World

This is a cool idea. It's a "Virtual Paintout." Hosted and started by Bill Guffy, Virtual Paintout use Google street views as a resource for painting or drawing a scene. Photos provided by Google aren't allowed; one must put the little yellow man on the street and find a view to paint. This has been going on for a few years; how did I miss it?! Each month is a new location. This month it's Lido di Jeloso, the island off Venice. Paintings submitted each month are plentiful and of such a variety. Very fun to spend time looking at them. I'm going to do this. I've picked a few possible spots, but I'm not quite there yet. Meanwhile, have a look.

Hometown Journeys. Labor of Love.

Label by Mary Ann Moss

I sent my travel journal to Sketchbook Project today. This is the cover. You can see the inside pages on the side and on Flickr. I'm really happy with it and hate to see it go forever. It will be part of the Sketchbook Project library that travels around the country for a year, then it will go into their permanent library in Brooklyn. Someday I will travel there and spend the day looking at dozens of sketchbooks. Meanwhile, i enjoy looking at some on their web site where they digitize them. I was an unhappy camper with my digital version. They took on more than they can chew and needed to make deadline, but they only scanned in one side of the book and skipped the cover entirely. 

My entry for the 2013 Sketchbook Project....had to work doubletime to complete it. I missed last year's deadline so really wanted to make this one!

A few pages: 

The whole shebang on Flickr here.

Paris Umbrella Dance

This little girl was playfully dancing outside the cafe where we first landed upon our arrival in Paris on a Seattle-like rainy Sunday afternoon. She was skipping all around dancing and singing a tune to herself. A moment I will remember.

#76 - Draw some flowers.

Just one flower this time. A watercolor I did last summer. We have the most periwinkle of blue hudrangeas in our back yard and their bloom in July is a sight to behold. I took a garden journal class from a favorite watercolor artist of mine, Molly Hashimoto, and was inspired to paint this. The scan isn't as good as the real painting which isn't as good as the real flower. There's lots to be said for real life: digital is fine and dandy, but real is life's eye candy.

Everyday Matters #162. Draw your breakfast.

The grapefruit was much more appealing than this painting gives it credit for. I had it, but then overworked it. I always overwork watercolor, even when I'm telling myself, "Don't do this. Leave it be." It's amazing how just one teeny thing can send it over the edge. Oh, well; I'll try again. I brought the handpainted bowls back from Chianti region in Italy. Time for me go to back to get some more! (This June, as a matter of fact!)