AEDM6 and the Fat (Obese) Book

I had the most wonderful delivery by the postal service today. It was the fat book that I participated in with 119 other artists. Each of us made 120 4 x 4 pages with an example of a technique on one side and the instructions on the other. Can you imagine what a book with 120 techniques with examples and instructions would cost???
I am in awe and can't wait to try some of them. There were too many to try to bind them, so I borrowed an idea from another member of the swap and put them in an 8 x 8 scrapbook with 8 in each page protector - 4 on each side back to back.


I also did a little bit of drawing today. I tried my hand at making a picture ala Brenda of The Crafty Chook. I am not totally happy with it, but I think it is not bad. I think I will try coloring it with my new Neocolor IIs and see how I like them. I have been thinking about a technique I read about online somewhere (sorry it was a long time ago) in which you cut a picture out of a magazine and gesso lightly over it so the features still show a bit through and then use pens or colored pencils or acrylics or watercolors to do your own rendering of the photo. I may have to try that sometime as a change of pace.



We had another beautiful day in the low 70s today. The weatherman predicts that this is the last one for a very long time. We are expecting 50s tomorrow and then 40s and rain for a couple of days after that. I knew it couldn't last forever.

I have blood work, a mammogram and a dexascan (bone density) in the morning, so need to get settled for the night.

I'll say tata for now and don't forget to live in the moment.

I've Been Tagged

I've had this blog for a little over a month and I've already been tagged. The fun thing is that I am being tagged by a very new friend from Australia. Thanks, Brenda. The first time I visited her site, I realized that we are friends in more ways than one. We both belong to the Yahoo! group, arttechniques, and both participated in a fat book with 120 people total. We also have both taken a class with Paulette Insall.

I have to post the rules and list 6 things about myself that you don't know, which shouldn't be that hard as most of you probably know nothing about me. But how to choose six things:

1. In my youth I won trophies in pool (billiards), bowling and golf.

2. I once made my living pumping gas (back in the day before self service).

3. I am addicted to apples with peanut butter (The apples have to be crisp and slightly tart and the peanut butter has to be creamy Jif.)

4. I once lived on a private island with a very wealthy family as a governess to their two young children.

5. When I was young, I went to school to be a welder. Unfortunately, the school was in Florida and with all that leather on, I passed out all the time and couldn't finish the class.

6. I lived in Phoenix for a short time (I got married there.) with a car that had no air and a black interior. I kept oven mitts in my glove box and sometimes had to wear them to drive home from work.

Now I am supposed to tag six people. I subscribe to 165 blogs, so this is going to be very difficult. So here they are:

1. Julie, at The Land of Lost Luggage.
2. Patricia, at The Unfinished Flower.
3. Suzanne, at Studio Suzanne.
4. Lia, at Art Junk Girl.
5. Karen, at Beelieve.
6. Missy, at In a Shabby Kind of Way.

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person or persons who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

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.