Friday, June 15, 2012

Friday-8:15am

Caroline was here before the rain.  The porch was vacuumed, chairs and tables moved, dead bodies searched out and sucked up.  :)
But we had thunderstorms and it was sopping wet out there all day yesterday--and the carpeting is still wet this morning.  
And this very morning...two moths!!  One in the porch and one in the house (because I have had the doors propped open since Caroline left, of course).  Those moths could have been hiding anywhere out there.  I don't see how any actual new ones could have gotten in?  I hope that is the last of them.  When the carpet dries out I can scrub down the metal chair and the two tables and we can enjoy the porch again!  :)
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The APR (Artist's Play Room) challenge for this week was drawing or sketching.  I did a Karma sketch from an old picture of her sitting on the back of a chair.
This is why I don't like Moleskines.  I wanted to like them, but see the bleed-through from the other side of the page?  I drew the Fargo Theater on the other side (landmark of your city EDM challenge).
I was using this Moleskine for the EDM (Everyday Matters) challenges.  It also bled through the page when I tried to use watercolors on it.  It's like trying to draw on a manila envelope.  Dry mediums with a light to medium touch only, I guess.  This was the main reason I quit doing the EDM challenges.  Sad, but true.  
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I had also purchased a Moleskine watercolor journal.  Well, it was better, but I wasn't impressed with the paper in that, either.  It buckled easily and will bleed through so that you couldn't necessarily paint on both sides.  And it has perforated pages? 
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I had heard about the Moleskines and had wanted to have one for so long.  Maybe they are good for writing in, but I was not impressed with them for drawing and painting.  I am probably too heavy handed for them.  I wondered if their writing journals can handle fountain pens, but I didn't like them enough to try buying another one.
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Anyways, I managed to finish the APR challenge this week!  :):)
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So next I decided to try the blobs of acrylic paint and the credit card.  I dripped on some blue, green, and yellow and scraped away.  I discovered that I didn't need that much paint, acrylics dry rapidly, and the dark colors really, really dominated.  
So I added more yellow and this is what I got.  Additional layers sit on top and you have to move fast. 
 I know something about watercolors and how they react and dry, but I'm such an acrylic novice that I was giggling as I was working.  Shocked at how little time I had to react and how much it felt like I had entered into a foreign land--LOL!
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The sky cleared yesterday.  It looks pretty much like this right now and going to be in the 80s again today, too.  
Thunderstorms predicted for tonight again, but that's not so bad when you have pretty days like this.  :)  Even if it does get into the mid-80s with 94% humidity.  *sigh* 
Okay--I went back to the page spread.  Decided to play with some stencils.  I've never used acrylic paint on a stencil.  Figured I would water it down a little.  LOL!  But that didn't work well at all.  You can't even tell those are squares on the top left side.  
So I added more white acrylic paint and redid them. 
I already cleaned it, of course--well, you know how OCD I am and acrylics dry so fast, right?  Anyways, I used this handy little dish Leah made me in her pottery class and a make-up sponge. 
I managed to get the white stenciling done.
Next I got out the mixed media pen and marker supplies box.  This plastic tray fit perfectly inside one of my new pretty boxes. 
When I lift it out, the paint markers and foil pens are underneath. 
I used my parallel pen with the black ink and got this far on outlining the squares.  Two sides and that was it for me--but at least I got started! 
Acrylics seem so messy to me.  I would run to the sink to clean off the stencil and my hands after each one.  Will take some getting used to.  At least the pens and markers won't mess up my hands so much.
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See?  According to popular opinion, if you aren't messy you aren't a "real" artist.  If that is the case, I never have to worry about being a real artist, I guess.  LOL!  ;)
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Unless this course changes me over the next six months??
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Hey, if I can even not immediately go wash a stencil--that would be a huge change for me.  Or--OMG!--leave paint on my hands and keep going--ROFL!!  
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Loose woman...loose woman...I'm trying to learn to become a loose woman...  ;)
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See you soon!
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"Be like the fountain that overflows, not like the cistern that merely contains."
Paulo Coelho

27 comments:

fishducky said...

Acrylics are indeed awhole 'nother animal. Have fun!!

Toriz said...

You'd so struggle if you were near me when I'm doing crafts. And if I have paint it's worse still; me and mess go hand in hand. You should see the kitchen when I bake! And I'm one of those who doesn't care... Cleanup happens when I'm done, and not before! I can just see you going behind me cleaning my messes as I make them! Still, that would save me doing it when I'm done; I hate the cleanup part! ;)

Sounds like you've been doing some experimenting though... Good for you! :)

Hope that's it for the moths now!

TexWisGirl said...

you are so creative! glad your moth bodies got cleaned up. and i love the skies!

minnemie said...

Love your sketches and stenciling! You are so versatile in your creations:-)

Megan Adamson said...

Oh acrylics dry so fast, that is why I don't like them much. I think I've only done one picture with them, and that was only three colours.
I like watercolours or pastels, but I've used oil paint too. I'm too heavy-handed!
I like what you are doing, and am looking forward to seeing more, especially what you are doing with the doilies.
Just keep going!
Hugs to you and Karma!

Queenie Jeannie said...

Really liking your pages so far!!! Keep going and have fun!

Sorry about the moths. Hopefully they're the last????

Victoria said...

Gorgeous inspiring post...a visual feast of beauty..fabulous art..love the cat...awesome ..so much inspiration....you are wonderful..and love those storm-cloud shots with the light cracking through..mesmerizing!
Wishing you a beautiful day..thanks for sharing your gorgeous art and creative adventures!
Victoria

Beth said...

You are such a 'crafty' lady. I was too when I was a lot younger. Now I don't seem to have the energy. lol

Dana said...

I wish I knew more about painting. I would love to be able to create the beautiful things that you do.

Have a wonderful weekend!

DJan said...

Love that picture of Karma! You are indeed quite talented. And I like the stencils, and all the activity lately. Those sky pictures are also pretty wonderful, especially the last batch. I look forward to hearing about your adventures in acrylic. :-)

Jenny Woolf said...

I've never been that keen on Moleskines either. I find that proper artists cartridge paper is the best, it never bleeds. Expensive but worth it. You can get it in tiny sketch books.

I like your stencilling. And the cloud photos (not the stormy ones) are beautiful!

laurak/ForestWalkArt :) said...

i always like to see your latest artsy or craftsy work!!

i don't even know what a moleskin is. isn't it some kind of animal? just kidding. i hate it when you have that bleed-through! then i just have to skip a page...

i use acrylics all the time...but i thin them out so much, they're almost like watercolors...don't dry THAT fast...but then again...i use them on bones, not paper.

c'mon porch floor...dry out!! so karma & rita can sit out there!!

have a great weekend!

Janie Junebug said...

I've never heard you have to get messy to be an artist. If I get ink on my fingers, I have to wash it off immediately. Does that mean I'm not a writer? Nah. I love the sketch of Karma. Makes me think of something The Hurricane would do.

Love,
Janie

Anonymous said...

That must be from on old picture of Karma, she looks so skinny. LOL. Actually the drawing is very good.

I too do not like Moleskins and the price of them does not make sense to me! I will just get a nice sketch pad for the same price, but I never draw on the backs of pages...unless it's just little designs, and very thick paper. Just one of my hangups. lol.

Oh my goodness to hear how you have to clean everything as you go, I am so not the clean artist. I get so mad at myself for leaving paint on something....like my palette knife, I'm so bad about leaving paint on it! But with oils and usually acrylics you can often just peel it off. Thank goodness. I remember when i was in college, I don't think I owned a piece of clothing that didn't have paint on them. the last time I was painting, a few weeks ago, I had blue on my hand for a day or so. Finally I used Lava soap and got it off. But I don't care if I have paint on my clothes, or on me...I kind of like it.
But I do wish my studio was self cleaning. I need to get in there and put things away, and get more organized and get rid of a lot!

You have a lot of supplies!
I saw you got paper making supplies. I love making paper, but I usually use recycled stuff to make the paper out of. Shredded paper from offices, shredded cotton (jeans are great!)...it's fun. I made a friend's wedding invitations once...over 100, had to make a special size mold and deckle...that was a challenge, but I got them all done! And they were beautiful.

You are such an inspiration by how much you get done. I'm envious lately.
w

Jo-Anne's Ramblings said...

I really liked the Karma sketch very good, I have seen some stencils when I have been out shopping and wondered if I should buy them and have a go at doing something artys with them after seeing what you did I might get some next week when I am out shopping.......

Jennifer McLean said...

Awww, Karma looks great! What if you added acrylic around her to white out the bleed through?? I'll see if I can skitch it out for when I post her. I'm starting acrylics, taking Dion Dior's course in silks, kinda trepidatious about it. Wish me luck! thanks for joining this week.
Best,
Jenn

SandeeNC said...

It's like anything new, you have to give it some time and relax. A couple months ago I had never used gesso before and now I'm loving the stuff! Just keep it up and then see how you feel in 3 months, would love to see what you think of them then! Love the drawing of Karma!! waving hi from the hills of North Carolina :)

AliceKay said...

Those sneaky moths! (dead moths tell no tales)

Sounds like you're learning as you go with the acrylics. Looks like you're having some fun with them.

Nice blue sky/white puffy clouds pictures. I guess we can put up with the grey skies once in awhile, as long as the blue ones come around again. :) The sun is shining outside my door this morning. Beautiful late spring day.

Time for me to finish getting ready for work. Have a great weekend!

Ritu Dua said...

Absolutely beautiful !

carol l mckenna said...

wow! look the sketches and the abstract pages ~ You go girl! ~ Loving your creation of Karma ~ fantastic! ~ thanks, hugs, CArol (A Creative Harbor)

Tracey FK said...

Moleskins are not my friend and no they don't like fountain pens.... derwent put out much better sketchbooks and notebooks, and they are watercolour and pen perfect I think... love the drawing of the teacup though!!!!
you knew I would didn't you, and you are brave entering acrylics world... I have to be in the right frame of mind, and stencils push me over the edge everytime... they never seem to come really clean...

of course you are also taunting me with all this warm and fine weather talk... and have to say thought you were well on your way to being a loose woman... they are more interesting you told me!!!!

Alice said...

haha! i'm enjoying reading your blog! i came back up to this post to leave you a comment that i was here :) i love my moleskines, but you are right, they bleed through very easily. i like the watercolor one best - i just keep a heat gun handy to dry anything wet - quickly - before it warps. just got a couple new books in the mail today :)

sounds like your weather is being about like ours has been for the past 4 weeks - rain, rain, and more rain! ugh! stay dry - and hopefuly moth-free :)

Dee said...

Dear Rita, I don't know where you find these quotations, but this one is another true keeper!

As to the art--I am fascinated as you move through each medium and tells us about it and how you work with it and what you discover.

You think you're working on being loose!!!! I'm so rigid with regard to art that I'd never even see the possibilities you must see when you order with which you plan to work. I so admire your sense of adventure.

Peace.

Far Side of Fifty said...

I like your drawing of Karma..you did real good! It even looks like her! :)

Karen Smithey said...

Two words: baby wipes.

Karen Smithey said...

Oh, and I love the part about finding the bodies-- ;)

Intense Guy said...

I always enjoy your artwork. The Fargo Theater is evocative - and of course, Karma is a winner no matter what the medium (media?)