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New blog - a tailored line

2007-08-04T00:48:00.000-07:00

It's been hard keeping 2 blogs going, so for now all of my new work and updates can be found at: http://atailoredline.blogspot.com/

Please come and visit, I'd love for you to drop by!

WIP Update & Published!

2007-06-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

Published!!! Just received my complimentary copy this week with my artwork in it! The layout is superb I think with my piece in the middle of the page - it really stands out as the other pieces are a bit darker in tone. The photographers at Somerset did a fantastic job as always displaying everyone's work. I did scan the page w/ my piece on it so I'd have a digi copy too, but because I don't have the other artist's permission to post their artwork here, you'll have to check out this issue yourself to see my piece :)

Also I just put the finishing touches on my canvas /vintage pins project as seen in my previous post from an article in Better Homes & Gardens mag. I added my own personal touches to the original instructions: a watercolor wash around the pins and a mock jewelry rack to display them. I'm still debating on how I want to hang this, I thought of mounting it into an empty white-washed frame as it's quite sturdy being canvas covered board, but I also love the idea of a soft cream or pink ribbon to hang it with - maybe I'll do both!

For mounting the pins themselves I pierced the canvas and slid the pins in then closed them up to secure (you could also use E-6000 glue to mount the pins if they weren't vintage/pricey for a more permanent hold) Behind the piece is a swatch of some wonderful fabric from a stash that I've had for some time but recently rediscovered!! :D

Vintage Finds, Latest Project & News

2007-05-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

EDIT 06/08/07: For Kathleen as promised! My Doulton dolls - and actually I do have another one not shown in this pic, she has the flower for March on her skirt (for my daughter) also signed and same size as the smaller one shown here at the left. I love the large one to the right as she also has the 'Lavender Rose' pattern but in a more fuller version. The doll behind those two is in the collection because of her name, 'Laura' :)

Okay so it''s been a few weeks since I posted here (where did the time get to?!) so I wanted to share some things before I get wrapped up in the holiday weekend!

First off: a few of my finds from a day of thrifting during my Art & Soul trip, shown with some treasured items and a small WIP. The WIP is the canvas with the 2 brooches sitting on top. I came across this really cool idea in BHG (not Romantic Homes as pictured but I just LOVE that magazine for it's great ideas too!) Anyhow, the teacup and swirl brooch were my grandmother's and the crown pin was an estate sale find from a few years back. And actually I had a serendipitous moment when I realized that the pin is in the form of a "C" for crown :) I still have to add the detailing around the brooches then attach them to the canvas. To display it, I'm thinking of adding a length of vintage ribbon for hanging.

Second: the crocheted and embroidered linens are just amazing in handiwork don't you think?! I've always been in awe of those who can crochet! (that would be my Mom, she amazes me how she just spins those things up - she made me a few of the blue & white crocheted cloths below, they have a wonderful waffle-weave texture and are made from a wonderfully thick, sumptuous cotton)

Third: I got an email yesterday with the subject line: Congratulations Somerset Artist! I have to tell you I thought it was some kind of spam (lol) cause I've never had any work accepted for publication in Somerset Studio Magazine before - and well actually I've never been brave enough to send any of my work in!!! I'm thrilled they accepted it as this was my first submission so I wasn't sure what to expect. It's going to be in the July/August issue and was submitted for the *Nature Preserved* call for art.

EDIT: I took a quick pic of it but it's not great as it was taken w/ my old dinosaur 2 megapixel camera but hehe got an 8 megapix now so I'll retake the pic and post it again as my artwork just came back from the magazine.

Have a great Memorial day-kick off to summer- weekend everyone!

Art & Soul 2007 - 1st Class: PLASTER

2007-05-14T10:37:00.000-07:00

TOTALLY PLASTERED
Yes that was the name of this class and what fun it was getting plastered (couldn't resist that one!) This was my first class at the retreat and Stephanie Lee made it a wonderful experience. She is an AMAZING teacher and shared her techniques and tips so openly!! She did a few demos then told us to just go for it. Working with plaster is a bit of trial & error and experimenting on your own as some key factors figure into this medium:

1. drying times vary because of moisture levels in your studio and where you live
2. how you mix the actual plaster as it's mostly by eye measuring
3. items you're casting, as larger pieces and 2-sided sculptures require more time

Although I started the concept of this piece in class (see 3rd pic down off to the right), the final work below ended up being quite different in that I didn't use any paper images in it. I wanted a totally sculpted & painterly fresco look to this and I think I achieved it. We started by adding a plaster surface to our substrate - plywood as it seems to resist warping best. The antique key and doorknob were from a closet door at home and they were cast separately then added on. The bricks and door were molded by hand with the design drawn/etched in right on the piece and finally I went in with layers of glazing paints to create the mood.

The pics below show Stephanie (being shy so I pointed her out, hehe!) and some of the artists w/ their pieces. Most artists finished their pieces there, some wanted to finish them back in their studios. I still can't believe how everyone's work was so different and all the many pieces that were created, such beautiful and varied work and so very inspiring!

Special note: i didn't get the artists' names for these so if anyone sees their piece pictured here, I'd be happy to put your name & a link, just let me know :)

Art & Soul - Recap, Charms & Trades

2007-05-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

Okay so this is my first official post since coming back from A&S. I will be covering the classes I took individually and posting the art that I made in each so stay tuned for that. I still don't feel like my feet have touched the ground and actually find myself still unpacking supplies and getting reorganized :)

Overall I would have to say that the retreat was a very positive experience for me - I met so many wonderfully talented & creative souls in one place - the atmosphere was quite magical and soooo inspiring!!! I only completed one (1) of my pieces there but I learned a lot of different techniques and processes, as well as which products to use for optimum results to finish them in my studio.

There was quite a mix of new and seasoned mixed media artists at this retreat which was great, but I came away from it feeling like the organizers should have in some way - either through a beginner's class or stating in class descriptions that a prerequisite was required for certain classes - addressed the issue of anyone new to this medium or mixed media retreats in general. From what I learned by talking with others, new and experienced, they expressed concern that it didn't get covered either. So.....Glenny or any of the others heading Art & Soul, if this info ever reaches you, please take note!! Actually I will most likely send in my feedback, suggestions etc. as I think this will help them make the whole retreat experience positive for everyone :)

CHARM SWAP
Someone mentioned that Old Navy had cool necklaces to put the charms on so I was thrilled (and also very lucky as this was the last one there!) and couldn't believe how well the bead colors and heart charms fit with the swap charms!

TRADES
Trading was HUGE there and I only had a handful of charms to trade but I got some really cool ones in exchange. I heard "Are you trading?" everywhere for the first couple of days at the retreat - in elevators, at the lounge, going to & at classes etc. etc.

Some of the trades below were from the following artists: Amber Coffey of Amber Art Studio (my charm swap hostess) ATC, bottom left; Mary Ford charm swap participant - ATC upper left; Sally Canzineri - "whatever" mini-book; Jill Beninato (shared a table w/her at one of my classes, she's also a very talented photographer too) - "Love Bird" ATC; Jill Die - pincushion bracelet; Brenda Bliss Delaney also in the charm swap - paper & fiber earrings. Thanks ladies!!!

I'm back!!!

2007-05-09T05:27:00.000-07:00

mixed media collage, fabriano, 11x15

Finally home and much to share - will post pics and details as soon as I come back down to earth! :)

Illustration Fri. - "Remember" / Art & Soul Bound

2007-04-30T00:12:00.000-07:00

5x5, hand*book journal, pitt pen, watercolors

I thought this illustration was very fitting for this week's IF topic as I get ready to leave for Art & Soul and trying to remember everything I need!

And I have to tell you, I'll need a vacation after all this packing and getting my house in order before I go - whew! I honestly think that at this point it would have been easier to just move there, then I'd only have to unpack ONCE!

Anyhow, I wanted a smallish sketchbook for this trip and love the format of this one at 5" square. Here's a peek at some things I'm taking - as I piled these last few items onto the trunk, the light and angle caught my eye, if only everything was going to stay this organized =)

I head out tomorrow (Tuesday) and hope to post pics when I get there, so stop by if you get the chance. Take care all and see you in about a week or so!!

Artwords Topic #50 - "Woman" / Charm Swap

2007-04-26T22:57:00.000-07:00

"JUST CHARMING" CHARM SWAP

I joined a swap a few weeks ago as a way of exchanging some art for my upcoming trip to Art and Soul in Virginia as I really didn't think I'd get to making anything to bring for trading. Both the charm swap and the mixed media art retreat are a first for me as are soooo many things this year and as with everything else I've taken on so far, I'm keeping an open mind =)

The idea of making 26 charms and then getting 25 different ones in exchange intrigued me enough to just go for it and jump in! The theme for this retreat is At Home with Art and Soul and I wanted my charms to connect with that somewhat. The spark was a recent find - a Cosmetology textbook from a 1950's beauty academy containing all the essentials for a"professional beautician". The connection to home clicked for me because a woman from that era was usually a stay-at-home mom who would take regular trips to the "beauty parlor" and maybe to save some money would get together with her girfriends and give each other home perms (I can only imagine how bad some of those 'do's must have turned out!).

I loved the pen & ink illustrations in this book and each charm has an original, unique image. I also used text from the book to compose a different message or thought for each such as "know and grow", "find sunshine", "try", "be you" and "follow your heart". Each of the charming ladies was also *dressed* in a vintage pattern swatch and a light vanilla scent.

EDM #3 - Purse

2007-04-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

micron pen, watercolors, 5x8.5 journal

A few months ago when I joined the EDM group and read the list of challenges I knew that this was the purse that I would do for it when I felt I could do it some justice! So much color s0 a simple pencil sketch would not have done it for me =) I recently started doing watercolor & pen work so decided to give it a go.

It's a very special gift from my globe-trotting brother who sends me gifts and post cards from all over the world. I've always loved the mystery and history of ancient Egypt and would love to get there some day to see everything in person.

Daffodils - part two

2007-04-11T21:31:00.000-07:00

5x8.5, handbook journal, prismacolor pencils

A single daff this time and with a little bit better results. I found the shading the most difficult to achieve accurately but didn't want to do too much blending as this sketchbook doesn't have the surface for it. Moving on...

Artwords Topic #48 - "Chair" (also IF "Green")

2007-04-10T11:21:00.000-07:00

collage: vintage wallpaper/fabric, watercolor, pen, custom papers, 8x10, portrait

This is a special piece I just completed and perfect I think for this week's theme word *chair* as not only does it have a big, comfy chair in it, it also features a wonderfully inspiring and talented online friend, the curator of Artwords herself, Susan Tuttle.

Susan's warmth and generous spirit shines through in her work and also through the many "chats" we've had, so I was totally inspired to create this for her. She's also been redoing her studio in many creative ways recently and updating us as she goes plus we both share a love of Claudine Hellmuth's wonderful collage work so that really helped pull all the elements together for this.

Susan - look for this piece with a few little goodies tucked in coming your way very soon!

Edit: I also decided to post this at Illustration Friday as this piece has some wonderful *green* shades in it: chartreuse, pea and mint!

Artwords Topic #47 - "Yellow"

2007-04-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

5x8.5, hand*book journal, colored pencil

It's Spring.....somewhere! The only signs of Spring here are the flowers set out for Easter as we just got our final insult from old man Winter and some nice fresh SNOW, bleccck! Anyway, my first detailed flower sketch - not happy with it but oh well, I've moved on, lol. Actually I moved on to another daffs sketch, see how that one fares. Until then, I leave you with this fitting and enchanting poem:

"I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils,

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze."

- William Wordsworth

Illustration Friday - Snap

2007-03-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

sketch journal, 5x8.5

My simple offering for "snap" in my new hand*book journal - can't wait to fill it up.

Have a great weekend, get out there and enjoy that Spring weather!

WIP - Call for Art, Bridges theme

2007-03-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

A local call for art and the urging of my drawing teacher prompted this work in progress. It's my quirky interpretation of a *bridge*, I came up with other ideas too but decided on this one. Hopefully I can meet the deadline, although I'm late starting it. I am going to finish this even if I miss out on entering it. I find lately I've been leaving a lot of work unfinished - does everyone do that as a beginner?? I've got lots of great ideas that I want to see come to life but my technical & application skills are lacking so I'm hoping with lots of work and patience (who said that?!) that I can get past this phase and just get some *good* art done! My teacher actually told me that it's standard to just draw for at least one year, sometimes 2 years depending on your schooling and/or field experience before getting into paints so......here we go =)

This is a life painting, no photographs used and also a totally new medium for me - acrylic paint. I'm using fluid acrylics as I don't like the way tube ones dry out so quickly plus I love the looseness of this paint and the extended drying time for blending. I'm not sure how to display this just yet ie. mount onto matboard, type of frame/ no frame etc. Any suggestions or tips are welcome!

acrylic on heavyweight Daler-Rowney canvas paper

Step 2 - Added details and shading to the bananas, started on the vintage sundae glasses. The distortions of the bananas inside the glasses were very cool and caught my eye enough initially to give this a go. Will continue on to finish the glasses and add the draping background....

Step 1 - After transferring my pencil sketch, I laid in the base colors and started on the bananas as I read somewhere that you should always do your perishables in a still life first - makes sense to me as the bananas ripened very quickly, overnight it seemed =)

EDM #111 - draw a bowl

2007-03-22T22:48:00.000-07:00

5x8, prismacolor pencils on white Bienfang drawing paper

A bowl, upside down and metallic - with reflections everywhere. I love a challenge, did I mention that before?!!

I decided on a loose, sketchy interpretation for this and it went fairly quick - for me. I started to draw this from life and then I snapped a digital (that would be me just behind my daughter in the sketch with my camera) . She said there was no way she could hold her hands on the bowl longer than 15 minutes - no matter how cool her reflection looked!!! =)

Overall, great fun with this one!

Time: approx. 1-1/2 hours

Illustration Friday - Total

2007-03-17T03:49:00.000-07:00

"Out of the Bowl" - 9x12, colored pencil on Strathmore light blue paper

At first I thought total was a tough one because all that came to my mind was math for some reason or maybe it's because I've been super busy with stationery orders these past few weeks and keep thinking how much I've been typing "the total on your order is...."

Anyway, here's my offering and I decided to post this as a work in progress as it's more interesting that way (well not really but I got a late start on it yesterday and most likely won't get to finish it this weekend!). Most of the main work is done but needs some refining and of course the base needs to be completed.

There's also some total trivia to go with this: What is the TOTAL number of gumballs in this piece? (hint: remember to add in the ones you can't see at the bottom of the bowl). Will post the finished piece early next week so come back and check it out, you can see how close you came on the gumballs too =)

P.S. - Happy St. Patrick's Day!

EDIT: March 21, 2007

Although I didn't finish this piece yet, here's the update on How Many GUMBALLS? One person came very, very close on it - it was none other than Tony LaRocca whose guess was better than bad at 22 as there are 23 TOTAL gumballs in this piece. Thanks for playing along everyone!

Artwords Topic #44 - "Paper"

2007-03-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

"Paper Dreams", journal, mixed media collage 12x12

An idea that I hastily jotted down earlier this week when I seen the topic for this week paper, came to life this morning in my journal. It's been a while since I felt like *playing* in it and it was so fun & quick to do, everything flowed intuitively which doesn't happen all the time for me. What made me think of a paper plane? I have no idea - but I do know that they're fun, whimsical, easy to make and who doesn't want to fly one now & then? =)

Also, I've been thinking a lot about dreams lately, how things manifest themselves in our lives and how powerful our thoughts and words are. At the beginning of this year when I started on my artistic journey, I came across this quote and it resonated with me very much - I thought of it as I finished this piece:

"Imagination is stronger than knowledge. Myth is more potent than history. Dreams are more powerful than fact. Hope always triumphs over experience. Love is stronger than death. It’s been said that each of us can influence up to 250 people in our lifetimes. How will you be influential? Be bold, and mighty unseen forces will come to your aid.” -- Robert Fulgham

Illustration Friday - Wired

2007-03-10T03:20:00.000-08:00

"Wired Basket" 5x8, colored pencils on white strathmore paper

This piece for "Wired" was inspired by a photograph (except for the spool of yarn that I had in front of me!) that I seen a fews weeks ago on the blog of a wonderful artist, great girl and new online friend, Susan Tuttle at The Purple Studio

She was sharing her thrifty finds of a wired basket and some vintage items which I adored but all I could think of when I saw this pic was, "Wow! I wanna draw that!!"

Thanks so much for the inspiration Susan and I hope this makes up for my lack of entries at Artwords these past few weeks!

EDM # 1, 12, 15, 17, 22 & 39 - Vignettes, Series 1

2007-03-07T18:16:00.000-08:00

I've decided that if I ever want to get through the list of past challenges and start on the new weekly ones that I would take on some of them as vignettes and group them together. I tend to be very detail-oriented and large sketches of one subject are too easy for me to get lost in and nitpick at so......

The challenge for me with these 2-1/2 " square vigettes is that each one has to be done in 15 minutes start to finish and also that they have to be real subjects set up in front of me - no working from memory or imagination allowed to help keep things in proper perspective, so to speak. Also I think keeping them small and working within a time limit forces me to work more accurately and make quick decisions.

I'm hoping that working in this manner at least for now, will satisfy my curious and detailed muse's eye and at the same time appease my goal-oriented left brain that is constantly tracking my progress and looking for results!

EDM #33 - draw an eye

2007-03-04T20:51:00.000-08:00

pastels & colored pencils on strathmore natural white paper

Draw an eye (my eye) and sans makeup as i wanted a fresh look plus it helped to see all the details and coloring better. Point taken from my drawing class that just finished was to take up a full page when sketching so this is fairly large for an eye sketch as it's about the whole page of a 9x12 sheet! More practice is needed as some parts of this could be better and it doesn't have the realism look that I prefer but I'm developing my techniques steadily. I'm at the 3 month mark of daily drawing now so as they say - onwards and upwards!

Illustration Friday - Hide

2007-03-02T13:03:00.000-08:00

colored pencil & pastels on paper

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1 -- Ready or not you must be caught!"

A couple ideas came to mind when I seen this week's IF theme word Hide, but what stood out the most to me was the game of Hide and Seek the popular childhood tag game. I also found out that it is a professional game with tournaments in many countries (who knew?!)

Let your inner child out and play a game this weekend with your kids or grandkids - weather permitting or.... play it in the snow if you've had the *pleasure* of March's in like a lion wrath recently like us here =)

Shown below is the original line drawing for this illo (my sweet daughter was my model - again - and actually no one stays in one spot for too long around my place anymore, especially when they see me with sketchbook in hand!!)

EDM #26 - draw anything you like

2007-02-28T09:28:00.000-08:00

5x7, dry pastels on bristol vellum

I decided to try out some new chalk pastels as I've only worked in oil pastels to date. Normally I do a light sketch before laying down any of the medium but I wanted to achieve a loose, impressionist style to portray this beautiful Kalanchoe plant. It was a quick & relaxing sketch and a wonderful reminder that Spring is on the way =)

Illustration Friday - Communication

2007-02-24T09:22:00.000-08:00

9x12 - prismacolor pencils on smooth 100lb bristol

There were a lot of ways to go with this because there are lots of ways to communicate. =)

However, I went with the obvious (or not) form of communication - through art. As artists we strive to get our messages, thoughts, feelings, opinions, whatever - out into the world via our medium of choice. And if you're a parent as well, you're also communicating to your child/ren how important art is - in your life and others by sharing your work with them, making art together or taking them to exhibits, galleries or museums. (Also I think that Americans for the Arts commercial "Art - ask for more" sends a very cool message to kids and parents)

Still-life sketch - "oranges in red netting" (cont'd)

2007-02-23T03:24:00.000-08:00

Continuing on with my sketch to show how it finished up. The netting took the longest to work in and although I could have added in shading for it as well, I decided to leave it as is for now. Quick mention: it really helped to have my red pencil super sharp at all times when doing the netting - electric pencil sharpeners are the only way to go!

Step 3 - netting almost complete and shading started....

Step 4 - finished piece: netting completed, shadows deepened, highlights brightened

Still-life sketch - "oranges in red netting"

2007-02-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

I've seen a few artists post works in progress and always find their process interesting, plus I think it's very cool to see something "come to life". Therefore I thought I would share a current sketch step by step (well mostly, I regret that I didn't scan the initial graphite sketch and/or the process of shading of at least one of the oranges, next time...)

This is a fairly simple still-life but it has a lot of detail...

Step 1 - shows the oranges completed and a faint outline sketch of the netting that two of them are wrapped in

Step 2 - you can see how I've started the netting and am working my way across...

After I finish the netting, I'll work on the shading and with some tweaking, it's done! Will post the final steps and of course the finished piece, so check back if you want to see how it all comes together....

Illustration Friday - Gravity

2007-02-17T00:34:00.000-08:00

9x12 prismacolor pencils on Rives BFK 120 lb paper

My offering for this weeks theme: Gravity - or rather a "lack of"....it was fun & interesting to concept out a fantasy surreal type illo, first one for me =)

Happy IF and have a great weekend!

Inspire Me Thursday - Heart Art

2007-02-11T04:39:00.000-08:00

Fresh paint for my first Inspire Me Thursday submission- not because it's hearts which are a fave of mine and always seem to find their way into my work - but because I finally got around to it! I've seen links to IMT all over the place and went there a few times and thought "I have to get back here and look around..." It's an inspiring, purposeful and creative place with a zen-like atmosphere where you can connect with other mixed media artists and are encouraged to play to your hearts content - love it, I'll be going back for more =)

"From this, the treasure secretly gathered in your heart will become evident through your creative work." - Albrecht Dürer, German artist

EDM #48 - resolution: aromatherapy & art

2007-02-08T20:42:00.000-08:00

"draw something that represents your new year's resolution or goal"

I accomplished capturing 2 of my resolutions for 2007 in this sketch: take more time to relax & meditate and to draw daily. This candle was a christmas gift, Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy in Lavender, my fave - very soothing and aromatic.

This sketch was my first attempt at depicting glass and reflections, I didn't achieve the full effects or shading properly but I think I have a good grasp to try it again. I had a hard time with some parts of the candle as it was lit and glowing while I sketched it. The grey used for the candle's darker tones was not quite right for it - maybe a shade with a hint of brown would have been more suitable, have made a note to get some new colors to add to my growing stash of prismacolors.

Artwords Topic #39 - "Breath"

2007-02-06T23:24:00.000-08:00

10x10, watercolor, ink, graphite, color pencil

A moody, somewhat dark (for me) interpretation for breath.

Most of my work tends to be "fluff and flowers" so this was unexpected and even though I wasn't feeling particularly somber, it just sort of came out. I think it had to do with how many things lie sleeping right now under all the snow of winter (at least where I am), slumbering through a short "death", waiting to be reborn in spring. This brought me to thinking of life: living, breathing and death: dying, taking a last breath, and the birds associated with death and dying: crows/ravens.

The image I drew & then painted, was brought about from memory, the unsnowy (sp?) view from a back window, where crows can be seen during summer months. Even though I don't believe in superstitions much or the rhymes or folklore that go with them, I always draw a short breath when I spot these ominous birds and automatically play the rhyme out in my head:

One for sorrow, two for mirth,
Three for a wedding, four for a birth,
Five for silver, six for gold,
Seven for a secret not to be told.

or this one:

One for sadness, two for mirth;
Three for marriage, four for birth;
Five for laughing, six for crying;
Seven for sickness, eight for dying;
Nine for silver, ten for gold;
Eleven a secret that will never be told.

At least the piece finished up on a positive note as I realized when I was done, that there were 5 crows =)

Illustration Friday - Sprout

2007-02-02T23:08:00.000-08:00

Mixed media - watercolor & color pencil

"Never give up on your hopes and dreams for they sprout from the seeds in your soul. Even the smallest sprout can thrive with persistance and determination. " - Laura Taylor Mark

I went with the plant interpretation of sprout for this, needed some practice in watercolor and wanted to try some landscape backgrounds (I'll have to wait a bit for the snow to go here locally, but hey the groundhog didn't see his shadow - yay!)

Anyhow, this is my humble offering - happy illustration friday & have a great weekend!

EDM #24 - draw a piece of fruit

2007-02-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

I love apples, so it was easy to decide which fruit I wanted to draw. plus the winter season brings an abundance of my fave the "braeburn" variety our way without having to buy the whole orchard (wink)

I kept the palette muted & soft with the apple getting all of my attention for the most part. The olive green cloth peaked my interest here and there but all the textures just didn't do anything for me. I'm finding that the more I draw, the more selective I am, ie. as in what i'm willing to invest time in to explore

EDM #10 - draw your hand

2007-01-31T14:58:00.000-08:00

Continued work with the structured block-in method, I like the discipline it involves and hope that with more practice it will be easier and more natural to work like this (old habits die hard!).

All the great painters were also superb draftsmen who employed the concept of breaking subjects down to shapes & stacking them together like building blocks. It's also training your eyes to draw what they see as opposed to what they know - we all have embedded symbols of objects into our brains but when we try to draw one sitting in front of us, our eyes want to retrieve that image from our *file* and draw that, and that's where the resistance comes in. Once I pass the resistance stage, I thoroughly embrace that shift into right-brain mode, it's such a wonderful zen-like zone to be in! I believe we all have inventive, intuitive, imaginative powers that we can tap into when we're *there*.

EDM #103 - exercise/stay fit

2007-01-28T23:09:00.000-08:00

Slightly challenging (and i suggested it, what was I thinking?) but worth it as I got to combine it with a homework assignment from drawing class - the structured drawing method. This method is based on how to recognize the quality of a shape by examining the tilt of its constituent line segments. Sounds a bit complicated but basically if you block-in your subject with lines, you can compare the angles & tilts that you see to the horizontal and vertical axes on a compass rose. The lines stay sketchy and angular until you have established that all tilts and angles are correct, then you begin the inside drawing.

The block-in method is explored further in the book "The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing" by artist & teacher Anthony Ryder

EDM - Challenge #102

2007-01-22T00:04:00.000-08:00

Draw a plug - this one is plugged in as I thought it would be easier to sketch, I was wrong =) Actually it was only a a bit of a challenge at first and I'm happy with the way it turned out for the most part. I am loving this recycled paper journal but do want to add a watercolor or heavyweight white paper journal that I can switch back and forth with as I go along for variety and to use different mediums.

Illustration Friday - Super Hero

2007-01-20T03:47:00.000-08:00

When I read the theme for this week, the first thing that came to mind were Marvel comic book characters, then I thought of all the real people out there who perform *heroic* deeds every day - everyone from the kind stranger who stops to help someone in need to the busy parent juggling a job (or two) and family life.

I ended up going with something unexpected, super heroes of a sort - all the items that talented craftspeople created long ago with great pride and craftsmanship. This antique chest has been passed down in our family for at least 4 generations - it once held infant clothing, today it holds my antique linens & small keepsakes. The handles fall off regularly and the original skeleton keys for each drawer are long gone but the little details and strength of it are quite amazing. Some say it needs to be refinished, I like it flaws and all. It has great character, it doesn't quit and it gets the job done - sounds like a super hero to me.

Everyday Matters - Challenge #4

2007-01-18T18:31:00.000-08:00

Finally joined in on the challenges at the Everyday Matters group and started my EDM sketch journal- yay! Actually, I just finished reading Danny Gregory's Everyday Matters book (now in paperback) - what a wonderful, inspiring story behind his awesome work. Thank you Danny for having the courage to tell your story with such honesty, know that you have touched many of us and made a difference in how we look at everyday life.

Artwords Topic #36 -"Latte"

2007-01-14T21:52:00.000-08:00

5x7, bristol vellum, oil pastels, prismacolor pencils

mmmm, i love coffee and this week's theme word and the fabulous pics from tonx's collection of latte art had my mind brewing with ideas, but in the end i decided to go for a realistic-looking piece to help with my new year's resolution to draw or sketch daily (so far so good!)

and actually i just created a small coffee painting last week with the theme word "buzz" (caffeine buzz) you can view that here

some coffee quotes:

"Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee." ~ Stephanie Piro
"I have measured out my life with coffee spoons." ~ T.S. Eliot
"Actually, this seems to be the basic need of the human heart in nearly every great crisis - a good hot cup of coffee." ~ Alexander King
"Deja Brew: The feeling that you've had this coffee before." ~ unknown
"Be a coffee-drinking individual - espresso yourself!" ~ unknown

and can you believe this one?!!

"Coffee leads men to trifle away their time, scald their chops, and spend their money, all for a little base, black, thick, nasty, bitter, stinking, nauseous puddlewater."
~ The Women's Petition Against Coffee, 1674

Illustration Friday - 80's

2007-01-12T15:20:00.000-08:00

my totally original artwork from the '80's on a 100% cotton tee.

drawn by hand with tubes of what else? slick black & hot pink puff paints. love that rhinestone beauty mark =)

also if you look down at the bottom right corner you'll see that only the "T" in my sig survived (and actually now that i think about it, thankfully most things from that era didn't!)

Illustration Friday - Buzz

2007-01-06T03:48:00.000-08:00

As in Caffeine BUZZ - my day doesn't start until i have a cup (or 2) of this eye opening, brain cell boosting, heart pumping brew that has me BUZZing around in no time =)

oil pastels on bristol vellum, 5x7*
*this new size & format is the start of a series of small pieces for 2007 for all the different mediums i like to work with, i'm hoping this *limitation* will bring more structure to my work and ideally result in a collection suitable for greeting cards and/or to use as prototypes for larger pieces

Illustration Friday - Phoenix

2006-12-30T03:00:00.000-08:00

9x12 - oil pastels, colored pencils, watercolor, charcoal

I have always been intrigued by the story of the Phoenix, a mythical bird that never dies, representative of death and rebirth, and tears that could heal. I had a general idea of the story but I had no idea of the many versions and variations of the myth that surrounds this legendary bird!

After some research, I found out that as early as 500 B.C., people believed in it. It is said that near the end of its life, the Phoenix would build a funeral pyre for itself. As it began to die, it would lay down in the wood which would burst into flames after its' death. A new Phoenix would rise up out of the ashes of the funeral pyre and live on for another 500 years (or more). Only one Phoenix was said to live at a time.

Some of the many cultural beliefs:
- it was thought to be the size of an eagle (classic Arabian Phoenix), a peacock (Chinese - named the Feng) or a heron (Egyptian - named the Bennu)
- many people think it was a bird in flames, while others thought it was a bird of shining colors
- Ancient Greeks thought it lived in Arabia, near a well
- Egyptians depicted it as a bird of brilliant shades of red, making it look like itwas wrapped in fire
- Chinese mythology depicted it as a symbol of grace, prosperity and power, a gentle creature that would eat only dewdrops

I hope you enjoyed this short read - this topic was great, interesting to research and fun to create my interpretation of it.

Wishing everyone a Phoenix-like spirit in 2007: bright, inspiring & enduring!

CRUSADE No. 3 ~ TATTOO YOU

2006-12-26T18:47:00.000-08:00

ok I'm officially a player...that is, I finally took the leap and joined in on the fun crusades with the GPP Street Team -- a *nudge-you-out-your-creative-comfort-zone* monthly challenge served up by none other than super talented artist Michelle Ward

how it went down: these are just a few sketches off the top of my head, i've been sketching flower thingies for the last few months & have pages of them, they're so fun to draw (!) I also love hearts & birds so that naturally showed up too, the ring tat was a nice surprise.

recap: it was great *inking* up on paper but i still don't think i'm ready to go under the needle anytime soon, i'm just not that brave! altho i am a firm believer in never say never =)

conclusion: if i ever did decide to commit, the thumb tat would be a definite consideration - love the idea of permanent jewelry!

thanks again for the creative stretch Michelle!

(p.s. the DOVE inspired this sketch for another weekly challenge, you can check it out here)
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Comments: via email

Laura - this is terrific! I especially love the thumbring....that would be a clever tat! Thanks for playing....and I love that you think the challenges are outside the box, never thought of it that way, but it's cool. I've added your link to the team site. I tried to leave you a comment but it's set to only accept registered bloggers, and I'm not on blogger. Thanks again for playing along!
Cheers! Michelle

*oops - thanks for letting me know Michelle!*

Illustration Friday - Peace

2006-12-22T13:30:00.000-08:00

pencil sketch (for mixed media piece in progress)

may PeAce, LoVe, jOy and HoPe fill your hearts and homes this holiday season!

Artwords Topic #33 -"Stripes"

2006-12-21T11:50:00.000-08:00

scanned closeup

"Hope is the dream of a soul awake." -- French Proverb

Artist's note: I believe hope can be very strong and powerful and that if we hold it close in our hearts, anything is possible.

Despite a super busy week, I'm glad I made time to create this piece, it provided a much needed creative break!
7x7 - acrylic paint, tissue papers, painted chipboard heart detailed w/ gold pen, metallic doilie piece for corner (doilie was also inked up and randomly stamped on bkgrd) paper text from vintage childrens' dictionary, wings made from vintage wallpaper, real candycane (!) scanned in and added to illustration for her to hold, I also painted her dress out to tone down & mute the colors, striped cardstock for crown/hat is my custom design

May Hope, Peace, Joy and Love fill your hearts and homes this holiday season,
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Illustration Friday - Thanksgiving

2006-11-18T23:31:00.000-08:00

a big pot of humble soup for giving thanks - Thanksgiving to me is a time of reflection, remembering that we are all such a small part of the big picture, that I have so much good surrounding me in my life when so many in the world do not... (pencil sketch scanned into Photoshop, text & *soup* added)

IF Comments: Here's to us self taught artists!! I wanted to post a comment on your Thanksgiving illo, but the comment thingy isn't there. I love it and the sentiment that went with it! I have no clue what I'm doing yet. We'll see! Studio Lolo

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