ART on Friday

The past few weeks I have been sharing some of my weekly art on Fridays, taking part in several fun challenges/memes. For a long time I had shared my art on Sundays, but I always found myself rushing late to post. Today I decided that I would begin a more formal sharing on Friday, under the heading "ART on Friday".

Journal
While searching for quotes this week for another project, I found these and knew it was meant to be. With the rainbow I saw on Wednesday, it seemed the perfect inspiration for this journal spread.

(Joy quote by Robert Wagner)

Bloom is my One Little Word this year and I felt that I needed the reminder that I really do need to bloom - it is that time of the year when flowers blossom and share their best. I have to as well.


Faces for "Show Your Face"
I have been enjoying the weekly challenge at Kim Dellow's blog to share faces on Friday.It has forced me to work on faces - whether sketching or painting. Here are 2 I sketched.

Collage Obsession
It has been a while since I participated in the challenges at Collage Obsession. Their theme this week was "Stamps". ICAD (hosted by Daisy Yellow) returns on Monday for 60 days and to warm up I created these 3 small collages - using similar materials, as well as a used stamp and stamps I carved.

Linking as well with 

Paint Party Friday

Art Journal Every Day

Express Your Creativity

Inspire Me Monday

Creative Every Day

Sunday Weekly Wrap-Up

This past week I worked on a few challenges..


Collage Obsession
Collage Obsession has switched their challenges to Fridays and by the time I worked on last week's challenge "raven", the entry was closed and the new one "Eerie" was up.
Here are the entries for both:

They are actually both in response to the tragedies of the past week in canada with the murders of two servicemen.
The theme of "monsters" was the theme at "Sunday Postcard Art" but I did not want to create a small artpiece. When I read the quote about monsters that I chose to work with, it resonated to the evil that abides in this world. It seemed eerie to me as well.

The other quote by Poe from "The Raven" struck me as what we hope for in the aftermath of the tragedies - "nevermore".

ATCS
I also worked on several ATC swaps.


Angels:

Bird APCs

Flower APCs

Photography

Here are a few photos from the past week:

(The last flower)

Linking with

Inspire Me Monday

Collage Obsession

Creative Every Day

Mixed Media Challenges

This week I started Journal 52 and the first prompt was "Up, Up and Away".

First I looked for suitable quotes and found two I liked.
I had already gessoed and painted the backgrounds, then added stars with modeling paste and the quote.

The second quote called for a butterfly and I used the paint blot technique to create it.

I am also participating in Daisy Yellow's Creative Experiments Challenge.
I used the journal pages above to:
1. use a technique I am learning (using modeling paste)
2. create something to use in my journal (the butterfly)



Calendar Challenge
I have also decided to take part in the Calendar Challenge at the Kathryn Wheel. I have tried this challenge but did not complete it. I hope to this year.
I stamped snowflakes over the blue background and used handmade pink and lt. blue rectangles for the days.

ATCs
I also completed some ATCs today for a swap and they fit the challenge at Collage Obsession:

2014 -Year of the Horse

(These horses are the Canadian stamps for Year of the Horse.)

Sunday Weekly Wrap-Up

This past week I was able to work on a few challenges. Here are a few:

Collage
I created a quick  collage of vintage faces for Inspiration Avenue (Faces) and Collage Obsession (Vintage).

Watercolour
I created a 5 x 7 autumn scene for a swap, finishing it by stamping leaves with acrylic paint.

Zen Card

Books

I have started reading "Three Day Road" by Joseph Boyden. It is quite a fascinating read, but one that you do not rush.
I plan to read a book by Alice Munro who just won the Nobel Prize for Literature.



As well, Linking up with

Creative Every Day

Inspire Me Monday

Glue It Tuesday

Books = Joy and friendship

While reflecting on the post on favourite books for "September Daily Blogging", I realized books really bring me so much joy, and are great friends.

The theme for Collage Obsession this week was "Friends" and for Inspiration Avenue it was "What brings you Joy"

I then saw the poem by Arnold Lobel (altho I left off the last 2 lines - as I don't have a beard! - altho it will be a looong time until I read all the books I want and have to read).

The collage then fell into place. I used gelli paper  for the background and the big books. I used watercolour for the small books.

Also linking with:

Paint Party Friday

Gelli Party at Carolyn Dube's

Art Journal Every Day

Sunday Weekly Wrap-Up

This week was hectic as I was preparing for my teacher yard sale. I was told that many teachers would be on holidays - and they were right. Not as much stuff went altho I made over $200.
So half of the stuff went back in the house - to wait for another Saturday. Then it will be gone for good.
Bittersweet to see it go - but the few teachers who did come were happy with the prices and what they bought.

Collage Obsession/ Daily Paper Prompt
Tammy at Daisy Yellow continues with her Daily Paper Prompt and I am already behind. Today when I looked at Day 4  and saw it was flowers, I knew I could combine this with the challenge at Collage Obsession - gardening.
Once I had the quote, the rest fell in place. The background I watercolour and the flowers are gelli papers.

Day 3 of the Daily paper challenge was "Drips" - what fun to drip paint and make a mess!

 

 

 

 

Tangle A Day

I am really enjoying the Tangle a Day challenge at Jane Monk's blog. I have been using her sting and some of her tangles. Some are very challenging and I need to keep practicing.

Here are 4 more.

 

 

ATCs
I created 2 henna hands for a swap this week - fun to do. Not your typical ATC swap.

 

I have a few swaps I still must work on the next few days.

 

Just a note - I will be taking a break from the computer for 10 days. Time to spend some time with my hubby and take some day trips and some rest and relaxation for him.

See you in 2 weeks!

 

 

 

Also linking with:

Creative Every Day

Inspire Me Monday

 

New Collages

I finished several collages today:

Inspiration Avenue:

The theme this week was "It's About Time"

I found the quote and then the pieces fell together. The background is gelli papers. The butterfly is a photo I took at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory and the other photo is me at about age 12 ( a time of great change).

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The theme of Summer at the beach

 fits for both:

Collage Obsession (Summer)

and

Opus Gluei (Don't Be such a Beach)

New Challenges

This week at Collage Obsession the theme was "A page in a Travel Journal". I had been just looking through photos from our trip to British Columbia 5 years ago and got out a bag of mementos and flyers from our trip.
I chose Vancouver Island's Victoria - a beautiful place where we toured for several days before driving north through parts of the island. I would return in a flash if I could.( Loved all the places I saw in BC for that matter.)

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The Alpha Dictionary challenge this time was "T" and after finishing the above collage, I knew that totem pole would be my choice for T. I have always had a love of native art and culture. The totem pole is unique and so significant to the culture of the Northwest Coast Natives.

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At Inspiration Avenue this week, we are asked to "Show and Tell"

There are several pieces that I hold dear to my hear for several reasons.

The first is the mixed media collage I completed on my mom and her heritage. I took a weeklong course and this was the final piece.

The first  and only oil paintings I have done were 2 of flowers. They hang in our bedroom. One is red, the other blue.

 

 

 

I took several courses at Haliburton School of Fine Arts over 10 years ago. It was the go to place with my children for many years.

I took a  watercolour course and this was my favourite:

 



The following year I took a watercolour/collage course and loved it. I was able to recycle some of my watercolours into this collage:

3 New Collages

This morning I had a block of time to just create and have fun with 3 challenges.

 

Inspiration Avenue
The Theme at Inspiration Avenue is" birthdays".
I created a collage from some cards and scrapbooking supplies. A fun challenge.

Collage Obsession

The them at Collage Obsession this week is "incongruent". I had a leftover clown from the birthday collage and I tried to image a background that would be incongruent. On a day like today (40 c + degrees with the  humidex) I thought this might work.

 

 

 

Linking as well with:

 

 

Paint Party Friday

 

Art Journal Every Day