30 Minute Challenge- Art Journal Cafe

Ok, so I think I'm on a roll..... I ran across this challenge at Art Journal Cafe and it seemed like fun. What a messy fun time I had. I created a journal page in 30 minutes. (well, a little over by the time I got the batteries changed on the camera) I got to use one of my all time favorite stamps- The Scorekeeper by Stampers Anonymous. I figured it would be appropriate since I was on a time crunch and he would keep score if I went over time!



 



Compendium of Curiosities 2, Challenge 19

Since I just recently started blogging again, I hadn't realized that Studio L3 was doing another Compendium of Curiosities challenge. I happened to run across their post for this week and was so excited, because OF COURSE, I had the kraft resist paper, and (of course) had never once done anything with it other than to look at it. Initially I was going to ink up the papers, and use the Sissix to cut out Tim's Hanging Sign or Hardware Findings and make something from them. But I was working on a canvas at the same time....and needed some collage papers.....and anyway here's how it ended up instead....
 (this was also posted below in Dina's Out of the Journal challenge post)

 

Here's a closer look at the butterfly....

 

 

And now for a picture of the the papers all inked up with distress ink, before tearing and collaging onto the canvas-

 

 

Also, a quick sneaky peeky of an upcoming journal page... my little one was getting all jealous of my gluey fun, so I let her glue down some strips onto a prepared journal page. Looking promising!

 



 

 

Hop on over, look at everyone's work and join in on the fun working through the techniques. I'm planning on trying to do this now that Dina's challenge is over for the month of August.

Out of the Journal Week 5

Hello there. I am really enjoying this challenge, but am finding it hard to post because I want to go back in and tweak my canvases. (for any other geeks out there, I am starting to sympathize with George Lucas a wee bit) But, if I do that, I will never post anything, so here goes.

This week, my daughter wanted to paint my gessoed canvas, so I thought 'why not, I'm just going to paint over it'.  Here's how it came out... if you look in the top right you can (barely) make out a butterfly shape flying towards the square whitish area.

 

 

Here's a closer look....still a bit murky....

 

 

 

 

I wanted to build a collage around the butterfly to get rid of the sea of purple and then pretty much leave it as is. However, the more paper I added, the more the poor butterfly was pushed to the background, so I tore up some of the Tim Holtz craft resist paper that I was using into the same shapes as the original rather difficult to see image and collaged them on also. Here's a close up of the butterfly as it looks now.

 

 

See? There's the butterfly, and the window is exactly the same as originally painted by my daughter -just added a glaze and outlined it with a bit of marker. Here's the whole canvas.

 

 

Like I said, I'll probably fool with it and add some paint here and there, but for now, its done. Please head on over to Dina's blog and check out everybody else's work!

Also, I want to thank Studio L3 for hosting the Compendium of Curiosities challenge. Otherwise, I would have forgotten I had these awesome papers and would have missed out on some serious fun. 









Out of the Journal- Week Four

Close up of bee image!

 

 



So, here it is, week four of the 'Out of the Journal' challenge on Dina's blog. I panicked, because I had been packing for a weekend away with my hubby and didn't get a chance to do anything but lay down a layer of paint on my canvas. Which wasn't even dry by the time we had everything in the car and were on our way. What to do? All I had with me was my trusty moleskin, some collage images, gesso, adhesive and a few markers. I decided to use the back of my journal for the canvas- I slapped down some paper with text and a strip of images with bees, moths, etc. and then scribbled over it with my enitire collection of Copics (five in all!). I had bought a few last year in my favorite colors, and then never really knew what to do with them. I drew in the image of the man with my black Copic (not easy- that brush end is all woggly, and the other end was too wide) because my permanent black fine tip was rebelling on me and refused to work. The image is based on the flying man image I used on the front here-

 

 

All in all, I think it came out fine, and I was proud of myself for throwing something together just using what I had available. Please be sure to check out everybody's else work here. 

Treasures at the Grange Fair

We went to the Grange Fair yesterday, and saw all the regulars- cows, bunnys, pigs, etc. And then, all of a sudden, I heard something that I had to just investigate- and look what I stumbled upon! Old farm machines, dating from the very early 1900's. Here's a couple of shots- aren't they cool?

Out of the Journal Week Three

Here's my canvas for this week. I couldn't find a suitable canvas, so I dug through my
'stuff' and found this smallish 6 x 6 unprimed canvas that I had inked with some distress inks and misted with water. And then promptly forgot. About five years ago. Erm...
  It was all a bit of a rust color. Wasn't sure what to do next so I cut a vintage photo that I had been eyeying up off of a journal and plopped in down with some gel medium ...I didn't like the page but I love the photo. Tada! Much better. It's a beach scene, so I needed some turquoise, right? or something...... so I stenciled with my favorite stencil (that has also been used on the last two canvases, although you can't really tell) and some sequin waste, and kind of just fooled with over -stenciling with different colors until I liked it. Fun! I really feel it needs some text ...maybe a quote? but I'm leaving it breathe for now. Thank you for tuning in....make sure you check out everybody's work over at Dina's blog.

Out of the Journal- week 2

Here's my journal page canvas for this week I don't know if it's obvious- but that big pink  and orange thing on the right is supposed to be a Swing- the kind that you find at amusement parks, and the lumpy black thing at the bottom is a silhouette of a roller coaster.
 I have to say that this is really hard- I mean, a journal is a place for me to just fool around, not necessarily make finished looking pieces, you know? (although sometimes they turn out good, in which case I post them, haha) But not only am I making a journal page NOT in a journal, but on a CANVAS- the pressure! So this is why I decided to name this one 'Play' - to remind myself that its all about playing ....I'm actually supposed to be *gasp* enjoying myself! It's not about perfection. I guess if it was I wouldn't have named my blog 'An Artful Passage' but rather 'I've Arrived- and have no need to learn anything more' (or IAAHNNTLAM) It's all about the journey, right?. And in this case, for me, its all about practicing, practicing practicing. I started this blog to make myself make art, and not just think about it and read books about making art.

Be sure to check out everybody's pages over at Dina's blog.

I'm including a little bonus photo- a picture of the journal page that my four year old daughter was working on while I worked on my canvas. I discovered it when I went to upload these pics..... she took the pictures herself while I went to get something! :)



So, here's a quick post on how I made my "Out of the Journal" page. First, I layered random papers, tissue and Tim Holtz die cuts on a piece of very heavy watercolor paper. (since I didn't have a canvas laying around) I gessoed the whole thing and added color with acrylic paints, sprays and oil pastels.

 Then I got all of my stuff out and picked elements to adhere to the page. I wanted a bird drawing, and usually I will just draw an image if I don't have one, but this time I asked my son to draw one for me. He's so talented! I added pen and ink and Neocolors to the original graphite drawing and then cut it out.

Next I glued everything down with matte gel medium ala Finnabair's instructions.  I dabbed on a bit of gesso. (I think I'll skip the gesso next go, as I didn't love the effect with the dark sprays I chose.)



I actually kind of like it here. This is a softer, more romantic look. But I wanted to try to work with some black, so the next thing I did was spray. I used some Tattered Angels sprays along with some sprays I made using waterproof drawing ink and water mixed into a little spray bottle. I used shades of pink, yellow, teal and black. The black spray was made with an old Tattered Angels spray that was way too light to show up and an old black Ancient Page reinker that I had laying around. I added some charcoal around the edges and wherever I felt it needed some black.

I had so much fun making this, and Ive already started making my Out of the Page canvas for next week. 



Out of the Journal

 

 

Here's my journal page..... I went a little crazy since I didn't have to make it flattish to fit in a journal. I've been dying to try some new things and have especially inspired by Finnabair. I'm in a rush now, but I will follow with a longer post on how I made this. Take a look at everybody's pages over at Dina Stamps.

It's been a while.....

I won't comment on what's been happening in my life for the past year or so, but suffice it so say that I'm grateful to be able to post again. I have made a few things during my absence, and I will post them at some point, but for now I want to tell you what I've been up to for the past few days.

I decided to participate in a swap for Art-Is-You . Each participant was required to make six 4x6 inch pages that would be swapped internationally and bound into books. I have so many projects that were half completed lying around so I decided to cut up some of them up and give them new life by transforming them - some I collaged together, some I gave new backgrounds to or added new details, etc.  In the end I had six completely original works that I am very happy with. I hope you like! Glad to be back!!!