Art Supplies for Christmas!!!

 

New acrylic brushes... let me be very honest... I don't take great care of brushes. Most days I leave them in water for days or I forget to clean and they dry. So, I'm going to try very hard to take good care of these.

 

 

I'm in love with Golden fluid acrylics!!! They are truly unlike any other. They really aren't in my budget. That's why they were on my Christmas list.

 

 

And these are brand new to me... I have never used them before. They are Neocolor II which are water soluble pastels. You can color with them like crayons or oil pastels and then go over them with water to create a painted effect. I can't wait to try them out and post a review.

Painting Scarf >>> Part One

 

First, I ironed the fabric smoothing out the big creases.

 

 

Then, I dunked the fabric in water. Doing this allows the dye to spread when applied giving a watercolor effect. Ooooh!!! I wonder what would happen if I added salt. I'll have to experiment. Next, I stretched the fabric on the stretcher my husband built a few winters back.

 

 

Now, I was out of dye resist and really didn't want to drive 30 miles to get some, so I improvised. I used good ole' Elmer's glue to add stylized trees that were sketched in my "well" this summer. I have used glue as a resist with my students before... why wouldn't it work now.

 

 

I let the glue dry completely, with a little help from my hair dryer. Once it was dry I had to spray the fabric down with water, again, being careful not to saturate the glue. Finally, I painted the scarf with sponges carefully mixing the blues, yellows, and greens. I wanted to make sure the colors were spread evenly and that the colors weren't just all mixed together.

 

 

Stay tuned for part two >>> I plan to layer more imagery and colors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the FLOW!!!

I really wasn't sure how I would respond to having a blog. Would I get completely stressed out and quit? Would I end up mostly writing because, either, I don't want to share my work or I'm afraid even to do the work? Or would I plan all these posts and projects and never finish them?

I never thought it would inspire such a flow of creativity. A flow that wakes you up at night with visions and words in Technicolor. I'm ALLOWING myself to really create without judgment or attachment. I really think the freedom to paint has come from working in my mixed - media sketchbook. Working on canvas in the past, I've always thought this is my one and only shot to get it right. But, the sketchbook  really has given me room to experiment with color, imagery, patterns, and composition. And in the sketchbook if I screw up I can push the limits until it's right or really wrong. Then, turn the page.

My plan then is to try reproducing the ones I love onto canvas. Today's paintings I really can't wait to paint on canvas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leftover Fabric Repurposed into Bracelets

I don't want to let anything go to waste. So, I wanted to transform the fabric that I did some experimental dyeing on last week. Though the painting didn't turn out the way I wanted, it still had some really nice colors.

 

I first began by cutting the fabric into about 1 inch strips. I already had some old wooden bracelets that I picked up who knows where for pennies. I simply wrapped the fabric strips around the bracelets, overlapping the fabric so no wood was exposed. Then, tied off the ends leaving some fabric to dangle. I, also, finger crocheted a small portion of a strip of fabric for a bracelet.

 

 

I added them with some gold bangles and WAALAA!!!

 

There is still fabric leftover for future.. scarves, headbands, necklaces, baskets, flowers, collage elements for future paintings, and whatever else necessity can invent.

 

Filling the Well this Christmas Morning

 

 

                                                                                                                    

 

 

 

 

 

Lotus Painting -- Merry Christmas Eve

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas Monday!!!

 

 

 

First, I filled in the background limiting my color palette to white, crimson red, yellow ochre. I added splatters with red ink and some stamping in white. I let that first layer dry. Then, I was very brave doing some stream of consciousness writing and doodles in black.

 

 

Next, I stamped with bubble wrap in bright aqua green and filled in a few areas with turquoise green. After that dried, I printed with yellow ochre over the turquoise green areas. Once those areas were dry, I added some crimson trees.

 

 

To make the trees POP, I highlighted them with yellow ochre.

 

 

I added gold leaves that I traced around with sharpie to create contrast. And finally, I added some more stream of consciousness writing with sharpie in the negative spaces.

 

Love...

the crimson and ochre trees against the turquoise green

gold leaves with black sharpie

the color palette

 

Not sure about...

some of the white/negative spaces???

the small stream of consciousness writing??? Do I need it??? Do I need more???



What I Know for Sure...

Do you ever feel something so passionately that words cannot even begin to express the magnitude of the emotions? I do. And I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out the extreme power that art has in my life. After reading piles of books, taking classes, and listening to hours of podcasts I know these three things for sure.

1. Artwork = Soulwork...
Creating artwork, for me, isn't always about the end result. It's about what I learn along the way. It's about the connection to myself and something so much bigger than me. I really feel creating, particularly painting, is a form of prayer or meditation. It takes me into a zone where time stands still and nothing else matters but the task at hand.

2. Without Art there is Suffering...
Thanks to Brene' Brown for putting this into words. I've always known that creating brings me happiness. But, if you really think about it since the beginning of time humans have created for survival. It's in or DNA. All forms of art including crafts, gardening, cooking, etc. give a sense of pride, accomplishment, and fulfillment.

3. We are Born Creative...
Children express their artistic abilities freely with little inhibitions. They begin to lose confidence when people critique and compare their artwork. They start second guessing their ideas. Eventually, they begin to censor everything. This is where creativity and amazing ideas are lost.

5 Things I Learned when Experimenting with Dyes...

 

 

I picked up some cheap fabric and a really cool dye kit, with the intention to paint some scarves. I've had experience painting on fabric, but never with these dyes. And I wanted to paint on the scarves kind of like I have been in my sketch books... expressive, intuitive, with writing, and lots of patterns and texture. I had a spare 30 minutes before going to my nephew's basketball game. So, I went for it. And I learned a lot.

 

1. Stretch the fabric!!! I was in a hurry and didn't, big mistake. The fabric moves around everywhere and folds and creases. I did like some of the texture it added, but it mixed the colors too much and I was getting mud!!!

2. Let the background dry!!! Just like any other painting, let the background dry before adding designs, texture, and stamping. Again, you just get mud!!!

3. Wet the entire fabric before you begin painting!!!  The directions said to paint with water before painting with dye. I know, I can't believe I actually read the directions, so not like me. But, instead dunk in water ahead of time, less mess.

4. Iron the fabric!!! The wrinkles make it difficult to paint over.

5. Create Contrast!!! Use a resist in the beginning to create white splatters and designs.

I'm looking forward to the weekend. When I'll have time to focus on some scarves!!!

Fill the Well Wednesday

 

"Fill the Well Wednesday's" are inspired by author Julia Cameron's "artist dates" found in her book The Artist Way. Over the summer I began a Wednesday ritual of taking long intentional walks in the woods, up and down the gravel road, and in my garden with my sketch book, camera, and a basket to collect interesting found objects. I love to draw quick, expressive, representational, gestural drawings of things I find in nature. I have a true love affair with nature, flowers, trees, and all the creatures. My happy little homestead has a constant flow of magical changes with the seasons. And that is what I really document on "Fill the Well Wednesday's."

I call my sketch book the "well." As I'm painting or creating I use my sketchbook as my go to resource. I'm still working on developing this habit. But, I'm slowly finding my own visual voice. And with more consistent use I can really see this tool helping me develop my own unique style. Join me next week for "Fill the Well Wednesday."

 

 

In the Classroom

It's snowing in my classroom these day. During second quarter, I focus on painting and printmaking. Here's a little sample from this week.

 

 

 

Third graders are printing winter inspired collagraphs to use for cards. And in those miniscule minutes at the end of class they are assembling positive/negative snowflake mobiles.

 

 

Second graders just finished painting a winter scene focusing on mixing different values of colors for the background. I love projects like this because there is such a high success rate.

 

 

First graders are being inspired by the biography Snowflake Bentley and painting their own unique snowflakes. This is an amazing one day project to squeeze in before winter break.

 

 

Kindergarteners created cozy winter cabins using popsicle sticks and fabric squares. The students really enjoyed this project. And I loved it because it gave the kids a lot of practice with the glue bottle, which they need.

 

Just Playin' with Color

Sometimes color stresses me out!!! I know, I know, I know... but you're an art teacher. Yes, I know color theory, but I'm out of practice. That is why in my newest sketch book I'm dedicating a lot of pages to "just playing with color." My first entry, blue, is inspired by the frigid temps we're having here in the Midwest.

 

First, I filled in the background in with different values of blue.



 

 

 

Next, I blow dried it while Keeta supervised.

 

 

I continued to add lots of stamping, texture, patterning...

 

 

drips, splatters, and the word blue.

 

 

 After it dried, I added some doodling and journaling with sharpies in black and white.

 

 

 

 

 Creating the habit!!!

 

 

 

 

Creating for Christmas