Stamping and a New Art Journal

My current art journal is nearly full, so while a recent page was drying I went through my stash of used books and  chose a new one. I think I showed you a couple of pages that I'd begun last week. Over the weekend I decided this one was going to be a Faces book. I haven't drawn faces in quite a long time and am losing my touch. Here is the outside of the book.

I haven't decided whether to use watercolor ground or gesso to get a background that I can do some artwork on in order to have the cover reflect what is inside.

And here are the first few pages. 

I also found some time yesterday evening to carve a couple of stamps. I still need to carve a better face stamp, but so far am working on other things. Here is a window stamp that I enjoyed carving.

And I am trying to use up the pieces of rubber I've cut off my earlier stamps. The first one is a tall, skinny house. I really like this one.

And the next one was just a freehand shape that I see is grasses. I was just trying for a random pattern that would look good as background.

Yesterday afternoon after Miss Z was picked up by her Daddy, the hubster and I drove into town for a walk. On the way we stopped at DD's house to drop off the Sunday paper and see the girls for a little visit. And then we took a stroll along the River Walk in downtown Jackson. We parked at the Toy House and walked a couple of blocks up to the Armory Arts Project where the path actually begins. I took a few pix on the way that I thought you might enjoy.

This morning I am going to my conditioning class followed by floor core work and then I am planning to come home and make some kind of soup with the produce I got at the farm on Friday. I am hoping to get a bit of house cleaning done and then play for awhile in my art room (which desperately needs a pick up and sweep itself).

What about you? What do you have planned for the day? Can you believe it is October??? Are you going to be able to have some time to play? Will you be making art? Do share.....

xoxo

Exercise, Tennis and Faces Sketch

The exercise class was different yesterday. My friend, Nancy, was there with her friend, Julia; and there was some talking at the beginning (good stuff, but it lessened the actual exercise time), which seriously altered the amount of exercising to be done. I know I'd get in trouble if I said this in class, but I really wish it lasted an hour and a half. It sure was nice to work out with Nancy and Julia, though. I hope they come again. I am hoping to get to this class three times a week.


There is tennis being played in Key Biscayne, Florida, and I caught some of it yesterday. I felt so sorry for Cibulkova, who was seriously beating up on Azarenka, but ended up losing. And it was sad to see Ivanovic lose to Venus (it was great to see Venus playing again, but Ana was playing much better than I've seen her play in a long time). I didn't see the Roddick/Federer match, but was pleased to learn that Roddick won. I'd like to watch the Na Li/Sharapova today. I just wish Maria would stop with the screeching so I didn't have to turn the sound down so much. At least she is not playing a person who also screeches - the match between Maria and Victoria Azarenko earlier was sure to ruin eardrums.


While watching the tennis and during commercials I spent a bit of time sketching faces from a magazine. The man is supposed to be Dr. Oz - the face is not long and thin enough. The other two are anonymous women in ads.

I am going to Menard's later with the hubster and then walking with my daughter. We will walk Miss M to preschool and then spend about an hour in the neighborhoods around school. We usually get about 3 miles in - a good workout and so much more fun than walking the treadmill.

I am going to try to get some tennis sketching in again later today and hope to have something to share tomorrow. It feels so good to be back blogging again.

Before I get in the shower and go off for the day, I need to open Google Reader and look at all your beautiful offerings. You who reside in my Reader really enrich my life.

xoxo

Drawing Faces

I subscribe to many artists' blogs; some of them are painters, some are journalers, some concentrate on nature, some are following the EDM list. Many of them are working on faces, predominantly girl faces. I notice their faces are nearly always young adult faces and a couple of them are trying to draw younger faces. I find drawing a face that is obviously a youngster is very difficult, but I keep trying. Here is my latest attempt:

This is supposed to be my 6 year old granddaughter. I think you can tell this is a youngster face, but I'm not sure anyone would look at it and say, "That's Katie!" I definitely need more work. I mustn't forget the 3 Ps - practice, practice, practice.

My goals for the day:

To get all the collaborative book pages in addressed envelopes ready to go.
To get the napkins for a swap into an addressed envelope ready to go.
To get my inchies in an addressed envelope ready to go.

If I can accomplish these things early enough, I will drive to the post office and send them on their way. Otherwise that will be tomorrow's task.

I also still need to get my tax info organized; make an appointment for a pedicure (I got a gift certificate as a Christmas gift); go through my Spring clothes and decide which ones will accompany me on my road trip to the south; make vegetable beef soup; clean house (Gee, I HATE cleaning house); work on the Noah's ark collage/painting I am making as a baby gift (the baby was born on Sunday).

Sounds like a very busy day - I'd better get it in gear!

I hope to see you tomorrow.

xoxo

Sketching and Painting

I have been doing a bit more sketching in my "faces" journal and I am afraid I made quite a mess of these ones. I had forgotten to keep my hands off of the already sketched part and ended up with quite a bit of smearing. One of my "resolutions" is going to be to do more sketching and try to learn to do gesture sketching. The scan isn't very good, but I think you can see the idea. Actually the one on the right is not a face, but more a back of the head.

I've also been working on putting a bit of color onto the face that I showed in my last post. Here is what I have so far:

I had a lot of fun playing with the background.

I'm pretty sure this is what is called the "awkward" stage.

I feel pretty good that I didn't put this in a corner somewhere in disgust at this point. That is what I would have done in the past because I would have thought that the hideous color of the hair was impossible to recover from. Not this time; here is the next step:

Still not loving it, but definitely better.

I have colored some of the flowers with yellow petals and orange centers, but realize the flowers are just a blob at this point so am planning to make something going off into the top left and maybe adding some text.

Here is my picture with notes about possible additions/changes. I'd love some input.

On another topic, I have finished the art journal that I began on January 1, 2009 and have ordered another blank one from Dick Blick. I never thought I would finish one let alone be anxious to begin another. It is amazing the changes I have undergone in just one year. I am sure it is in part from being a member of such a caring and supportive online community. Without you I am pretty sure my inner critic would have become much larger instead of retreating a bit as she has.

It has been a wonderful year and I am so looking forward to another. Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season.

Hope to see you tomorrow!

Christmas Eve

Good morning! Hope you are snug and warm and at the destination where you are spending the holidays. Southern Michigan is under a weather advisory for freezing rain and sleet this morning and then a bit more intensely overnight tonight. There is also a storm coming across the country from the Southwest. Be safe.

The hubster just left to pick up two of the grandgirls to spend the day with us while their Mom is working at Toys R Us. She will join us along with her brother and his daughter later today for our Christmas celebration.

We have to keep the girls occupied today as the presents under the tree will just keep calling to them all day. I found a cool project for making angels out of empty toilet paper rolls that I will do with the first grader. She loves doing art.

Meanwhile, last evening I was working on a creative lettering lesson and had the urge to draw a face. I haven't been drawing faces lately so didn't know what to expect, but I am quite pleased with her. I really have to learn how to add color, though. I haven't decided if I will try with pencils or acrylics or water colors, but I am determined to take my time and layer and layer to see if I can get something that I like.

It is bound to be a busy, busy day, but loads of fun. I'd better get it in gear as the girls will be hear soon.

Merry, merry Christmas (Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Holidays) to all of you!

A Day Off and CED2009

I have the afternoon off and decided this was a good time to mix up my paints for the face I am working on. My medium skin tone is much lighter than Paulette's in the video, but then I am of Irish descent and my skin is very fair. I am not sure I am satisfied with the shadows and highlights, but then the colors looked so different on my palette than they do on the face.



I began my day with a banana and then did an hour with Cathe and my 5# weights, followed by 30 minutes of walking uphill on the treadmill. I am feeling really good with this regimen. I don't weigh and measure for another 12 days and am feeling that if I can keep up this every other day 90 minute workout, I am sure to see results. Now I have to continue to watch portion size and not get in the mind set that since I work out I can eat more. It kind of defeats the purpose.

I am going to spend another hour or so working on swaps I am working on and then try to get outdoors. It is not going to be nearly as warm as it has been the past couple of days, but it is sunny and in the high 40s. If I stay out of the wind, it might be just right with a hoodie on.

See ya later......

St Patrick's Day

Each day on St. Patrick's Day, I again resolve to visit Ireland some time soon. I hope to go there within the next 10 years. I want to go to Bagenalstown in County Carlow, which is where my Dad's father's family emigrated from. His grandparents were Edward Fenlon and Mary Murphy. When I was teaching, there was free access to genealogy websites through the library and I thought that it would be a simple thing to find these two. Alas, in that town in the 1880s there were a bazillion Fenlons and Murphys. So far I can trace no further back. I have been much more fortunate on my Dad's mother's side and can trace her father's family back to the late 1500s. At one time, I was totally absorbed in the puzzle of my forbears, and have my family on Geni. If you are not aware of the Geni website, you should check it out. It is a free family tree site online in which you can input your tree and invite living members to join and add their information. One of the members of my Dad's mother's side of the family has the first name Eliphalet. When I first saw this, I thought he would be easy to find - I mean how many Eliphalets could there be. Honestly, in the late 1700s there were a large number of men with this first name. Go figure!!

I am diligently working on my third assignment for the Faces class. I am not totally happy with the eyes yet, but each time I put on another layer and reinforce them, they are getting better.



Today I will mix up my skin tones and begin the underlayer with shadows and highlights. I am a little nervous about this, but plan to take my time and do my best. I have two older canvases with faces on them, both of which really need some shading. Hopefully, I will be able to improve them with my new knowledge.

It is supposed to be in the 60s today and partly sunny. I am hoping to spend some time out of doors, perhaps finishing my novel. I need to do a bit of a workout. I am a little sore from Cathe's muscle max from the day before yesterday. I think I will go through it again today, but just use my body and not my weights. That way I will still get some stretching and reinforcement, but not hurt my already sore muscles. I will also do my uphill walk on the treadmill. I can't wait to weigh in and measure again at the end of the month. I sure hope I see more progress.

I've got a lot to do today, so better get started........

Background for my Faces class

After watching the second video for my Faces class, I made a background on which to draw a face as my focal point. I am a bit anxious about drawing on it, but feel sure Paulette will explain it in terms that I can deal with.

I almost made my background with teal and purple (my absolute favorite color combo), but instead was thinking Spring and decided green and mauve was the way to go. At first I thought it was a bit too busy, but have decided that I like it and I think my face will be covering much of it anyway.



I think that sometime today I will get the backgrounds prepped on the ATCs for swaps that I am participating in that have deadlines in mid-April. One is to be 3 hand-drawn art supplies and the other is to be yellow pages themed.

I will post them as I get them started.

I am not feeling very well today. My head is full, my throat is sore and I am feeling overall wimpy. I think I just need to stay focused on something other than how I feel - or maybe after I do a little bit of art, I will take a nap.

See you later....

AEDM4 and More ATCs

It is finally November 4th and I voted first thing this morning. I will be so happy to see an end to the political ads and the phone calls. Hopefully we will vote in the change this country so desperately needs. I am quite hopeful, yet afraid of being disappointed for the third time in a row. I am staying away from the media coverage because it just makes me anxious. I will wait for the official word tomorrow, which may mean a sleepless night.

I spent quite a bit of time on art today. I drew some new faces - more like doll faces than the realistic ones I've been trying lately. I'm not sure I am pleased with them, but the practice is always good. I think the one on the right looks something like Loretta Swit (Hot Lips on MASH). I think it is the lips.


I've also made a few more ATCs today - at least I've made some progress on them. I am not sure any of them are done.


I know the elephants need more work. I think maybe "Art Doll" is done, but may need to put something in the bottom right corner. But then again, maybe not. I am not at all afraid of "white" space. The "Art Doll" was just for fun.






The elephants are part of a 3/3 swap I am participating in. They are not due for a couple of weeks, so I have time to fine tune them before I am satisfied.

The hubster and I actually got a walk in this evening after DD got home from work. It felt quite good. We are just going to have to make time for this necessary pleasure. We might have to walk in the morning some days, but that would suit me just fine.

That's all I have for now, so I'll say goodbye and don't forget to live in the moment.

Expect the Unexpected Part 2

I drove into town yesterday to go to Discount Tire to have my tires rotated and balanced. However, I had three (yes, three!) bald tires. So instead of a free service that I would wait patiently for while listening to random songs on my iPod, I spent nearly $400 on tires. Yes, I have a small car and the tires are small. I suppose it could be worse. BUT, I can't help but think of how many and what kind of art supplies I could have purchased for that amount of money.

I did draw another face yesterday while the baby napped. It is not exactly like the one I used as a model, but I like how it turned out. This is modeled after a rather famous picture, a print of which is hanging in the basement bathroom of my husband's brother's house in Maple City. I don't think I captured the slant of the head quite right, but it is more practice which is just what I need. I am thinking that I may print one of these faces out (enlarging it in Photoshop first) and try to transfer it to a canvas with transfer paper so that I could make a large collaged and painted version. I really need some free time to try all the things I want to do, but that isn't happening right now, so I have to use the time I have now and be happy with what I can get done.

I also tried the Saran Wrap background technique for a swap I am involved in. I am supposed to make ten 6 x 8 pieces. I was all ready to try it last evening when I discovered I had used up all of my good watercolor paper on my 120 4 x 4s for the Fat (Obese) Book swap I was involved in earlier. I did have some 6 x 6 watercolor paper so I tried it on that just to get a sample. I just love it. For now it is my favorite background technique and it is so simple. For complete instructions and a look at some really fabulous examples visit Susan Chong's blog. She also did a stamp on hers, but it is fabulous even without that last step.

Time Flies.....

Do you have those times in your life where suddenly you realize that it is much later in the year than it seems it should be? It is already past the middle of October and I still have the September desktop that I made in late August on my computer as my wallpaper. What's up with that?

Today is my first day off to spend in my art room in 12 days and I hardly know where to begin. I have sketched the face for the day and am quite happy with it. I think I am getting better. I know that sketching is messy, and so I have to figure out how to get the outlines of these pieces onto my canvases so that I can make them come to life with paints and collage. I am thinking I can maybe do a graphite transfer and just draw over the important lines before painting them. Guess the only way I will know if this will work is to try it. Maybe later in the week.

So far today besides drawing a face, I have done my part on the two round robin ATCs that I have to mail out tomorrow. I won't show them now in case either of the others reads my blog, but I will take pictures and show them when I know they have received them.

I have also made my ATC for a swap with the theme of "metal" and am quite happy about how it turned out. Now I just have to finish the whimsy houses, the elephants, the people, and 25 pages for a winter-themed skinny book. But before I finish those, I have to do ten 6 x 8 saran wrap techniques for a swap that is due November 6.

I have also found a good use for the "antique" box I found at a garage sale this past summer. It is a great place to store my paints, and I think I can rearrange it (take out some of the paints and add some gel medium and brushes, etc.) and just take it along when I go to play with other artists.

Meanwhile I am planning a trip to the far north (St. Ignace) for my Mom's 84th birthday next weekend. While I don't especially enjoy the drive (4 hours on the expressway), I am planning to go up on Sunday morning when most of the traffic should be on the southbound lanes. My visit will surely be pleasant with lots of cribbage, laughter, crossword puzzles, good food, and Yahtzee.

Bye for now and don't forget to live in the moment.

Class Results

I had a great experience in the collage class and the second day was as interesting as the first. I really learned a lot, not only from the instructor, but from the others in the class. I shared a table with Juanita Bitonti, an extraordinarily talented silversmith. She crafts beautiful jewelry and is featured in several area galleries. She is also a very talented artist. Her collages were really well thought out and were not at all at a beginner level.

She and I shared a table with Jack and Ann (also in the collage class) and had a bowl of rice topped with an egg, vegetables and teriyaki chicken for lunch today. YUMMY!

I left early because the baby had been up frequently overnight and Papa was alone with her for the day. She is 1 year old and is really busy.

This is my collage that I think is finished.

This is another that needs more work, but so far I am liking it.

I used one of the artist boards as a comparison for image transfer. I need to add a Con-tact paper transfer, a packing tape transfer, an ironed on transfer. It seems like there more, but I am at a loss just this minute. I made notes on it next to each transfer so that I will have a good comparison to see how each method works. The only difference with these ones is that in the class I only had access to liquid gel medium. I use soft gel at home. I don't think that will make much of a difference, but it should be noted. I like each of the transfers shown at the left and none of them was too difficult. However, the Elmer's Squeeze & Caulk needs more time to set than any other method I have tried.

I received the two round robin ATCs this week, so on Saturday when I have the day off, I need to do my part and get them back in the mail. I am also participating in a round robin ephemera/paper swap and am anxiously awaiting my turn.

I haven't drawn a new face for the past couple of days, but hope to get another one drawn today or tomorrow. I need to learn how to shade them so that they have more depth. That is my next skill to learn.

Treasures and Snail Mail

Today I went with my friend, Nancy, to a very interesting place called ScrapBox in Ann Arbor. There was a wide variety of "stuff" there. Much of it I didn't immediately see a use for, but maybe after some thought I would buy other things, too. The trip was somewhat of a rush job. I had to be home by 12:30 to babysit so my daughter could go to work. I spent about $10 and got lots of interesting things.

Then when I got home I found that I had received a letter from an online friend, Debbie, with some punchinella and some corrugated cardboard. So nice to get mail that isn't either a bill or addressed to resident.



I drew a face last evening and another one before I left to shop today. I am not particularly pleased with either one, but they are not totally awful either. This is after all my practice. Drawing faces is hard, but I am determined to keep at it. My 5 year old granddaughter says that maybe tomorrow after kindergarten she will pose for me so that I can try to draw her. I think that would be really good practice and a lot of fun - if she can sit still that long.

Full Face and Focal Point for Insall Class

Today's drawing attempt is a full face. According to my friend Debbie, full faces are the most difficult and I think she is right. It is difficult to get the shading right. Also the eyes always seem too big for the face, but since the eyes are the focal point of a face (at least to me), I can work with that. I think I want to try a 3/4 face tomorrow and I certainly need to work on a self portrait so that my avatar doesn't have shoulder length blonde hair. I have really short hair and it is reddish brown with a smattering of gray.

I have also gotten very brave and decided to paint a face onto my background in Paulette Insall's class. This is particularly scary because I like the background so much and I am afraid I am going to totally screw it up. I needed to remind myself that this is a learning experience and there will be many more canvases to paint and if I am ever going to get the inner critic to stop whining at me, I have to take more risks in the name of fun and learning. So far, I like what I've done, but I need more layers. I am going to try to mix a little bit darker paint today to shade the face a bit and I am planning to make her lipstick more coral.

I also need to extend her "blouse" and add the beginnings of either a skirt or pants to the bottom. I think I will do a glaze over them to bring them into the background. I must be careful not to obscure the poem too much. It is right for this pic as it talks about looking at purple skies.

Planning to put my whimsical faces ATCs in the mail today and finish my whimsical houses. I also signed up for a winter skinny book today, but the deadline isn't until January 31, which gives me lots of time to think and develop an idea for these.

For now don't forget to live in the moment and have fun!

Faces Sketchbook

I found this sketchbook at a second hand store for $.99. I bought it, but hadn't really thought about what I would use it for. I have decided to use it to practice faces in. My goal is to be able to make realistic faces. From there I think I will be more comfortable making whimsical faces. I do like the pretty, pretty girl faces and the elfin faces, but I think I need to get perspective right first before I break the rules.


Here is my first face in the book. I hadn't attempted a profile before, but wanted to be able to do one. I think this may be easier than a head-on view of the face. I don't have to worry about lining up the eyes this way. LOL

I attempted to add hair, but am not happy with it yet. My daughter thinks this is a woman of color, and I can see that may be true. Perhaps I will do her hair with some kind of flower behind her ear like an island girl. If I can get the hair to work, I will post it later.