Offerings for the Ninth Week of Making

I met with a friend this past weekend who commented that the ladies created here over the weeks of this challenge have one thing in common. Aside from the wonky proportions of my style, she wondered at their absence of happy expressions. I explained that I'd been working so hard at shape and proportion of facial elements that any expression at all seemed incidental. Truth be told, I've  been pleased if my efforts were recognized as faces at all!

If a person wants to become accomplished at anything, she must be willing to be a beginner every day. And a person must be willing to be bad at something in order to become good at the same thing. How many skills have I chosen NOT to attempt simply because I have been unwilling to expose my ineptitude? More than I'd like to admit, certainly.

I knew a child once who would climb up his new 2-wheeled bicycle and say he knew how to ride it. I believe he thought that he was supposed to know how to do it before ever learning the skill. He'd sit on the bike, kickstand down, and insist he could ride. How many of us approach skills with this same attitude. How many of us are willing to save those ugly, ungainly first attempts? Whether the skill be riding a bike or dancing or shooting a 3-pointer or drawing?
 

 

Micron Pens

Micron pens, Derwent Inktense pencils

 

Derwent Inktense pencils, Sharpie paint pens, Micron pens

Loved this quote found on Pinterest.

Micron pens, Derwent Inktense pencils, Sharpie paint pens.

 

This one is called: SOMETIMES GOD IS SILENT

Micron pens, Derwent Inktense pencils. 

Acrylic paint brayered background, gesso, stencils,

Micron pens, Derwent Inktense pencils, markers.

Princess Be-Right-Back told me about a song by Sara Groves she thought went well with these last two ladies. She was right. You can listen to it here.

So this week's ladies are all works in progress, like we all are. Let's all dare to be beginners this week. And hold our first, tottering attempts at the new skills as precious. Because they are. And so are you.

Love you. Bunches.

Tutorial Thursday: The Decorated Journal Cover

Today's photo-heavy post will explain how to remove and replace the covers of your wire-bound journal after embellishing them. By now your art journals are probably beginning to fill with gorgeous thoughts, images and text. If not, today's tutorial will jump start a brand new journal for you. Let's get to it!

Begin with a wire-bound journal of any size. 

Open it to the inside back cover where the flat ends of the wire binding meet the "arm" ends of the binding. Carefully spread the "arm" ends away from the flat ends. The goal here is to try to keep the "arm" ends spread evenly all the way down the spine.

Remove the wire binding and set aside along with the paper.

Now to the fun part. I applied gesso to my covers with a brush. I then stamped into the gesso while it was still wet to create a bit of texture. (You know how I love texture.)

Next I brushed on a little paint (Liquitex Teal, Golden Permanent Green Light and Zinc White Fluid Acrylics) and laid a piece of drawing paper over each side, burnishing gently with my hand before lifting the paper. I love this technique for creating texture, but it also created the paper that will become the inside front and back covers.

While those were drying, I mixed  a little Golden Cyan Fluid Acrylic paint into a small amount of Golden Molding Paste on my palette. You can use a paper plate or piece of waxed paper as a substitute. You might also try this same technique with joint compound from the home improvement store with good result.

Then using a palette knife I spread the colored Molding Paste through a stencil onto the dried front cover. When the stencil is lifted, you have a lovely raised pattern on your cover. Repeat this process onto the back cover.

Once the covers are embellished the way you'd like, let the whole thing dry. Or if you are impatient as I was, use your heat tool or blow dryer to speed up the process. 

Now get the binding and paper. Insert the binding first through all the paper.  Bring the flat end of the binding snug against the paper so that the "arm" ends are long. 

Next place the front cover onto the binding. Here's the final trick:  place the back cover onto the binding face down on the front cover. This will insure that your embellished side will be on the outside rather than the inside.

And lastly, bend the "arms" back to the flat ends of the binding. I've found this most easily done by keeping the flat part of the binding flat on the paper. This seems to retain the curve of the binding better. Flip over the back cover and you have your beautiful new journal!

Have lots of fun playing in your journal. I'd love to see some of your creations, too. Send me photos! Because, guess what?

I love you. Bunches.

No Time Like the Present

Time passes so quickly, like it or not. But truly, we only have this present moment in which to really experience life. How I live this minute is what counts. What I choose to use this current moment for is what is important. Do I always remember this? Absolutely not! But looking back at the past 2 months,  I am astounded at what using 20 minutes or so daily to create a woman has done for me.

First, I have established a new habit. My day doesn't feel complete if I don't draw. And, believe me, I have never been one to draw. Second, I have created a body of work that I can use for future projects. And third, I have made some improvement with this daily practice.

So here are this week's ladies:

Copied from magazine ad - pencil and pen

Pencil and pen

Pencil and pen

I worked on this one at the studio during Art Walk last Friday night. Collaged purchased paper,  sheet music, iron-on inkjet photo transfer, packing tape transfer of a book page and acrylic paint.

Same as above with the addition of stenciled birds, more acrylic paint and china marker wax pencil.

Ball point pen and roller ball pen.

Time will continue to fly by. That is a given. But by simply snatching 20 minutes or so from your present, you could be making a new habit. Or making a simple change. Or making an improvement in a current habit. Two months from now you could be looking back at a new body of work. There is no time BUT the present. 

And I'll be here cheering for you. Really. Because I love you. Bunches.

Week 7 of 100 Days of Making

Happy Monday, dear ones! And since another week has gone roaring past, I am posting the women I created. I had a few days of slump this week where I refused to continue. I was tired, frustrated and decided to give this ridiculous task up. I allowed one of those unhelpful, negative, destructive statements ("What's the use of this? You'll never be a real artist.") overcome me for a couple of days. But only for a couple of days. 

I returned to the task on Tuesday with this lady. She is looking back at the past and letting it go.

 (Derwent Inktense pencils over acrylic paint)

( Graphite pencil, Derwent Inktense pencils)

 The background of this page had been used for notes and then splashed with acrylic paint. I wasn't sure there was even enough space to create a lady.  But low and behold, a carefree couple of girls showed up. I call this one Dancing in the Garden.

 I found a magazine with loads of large female faces selling various makeup products and decided to try my hand at copying which I haven't attempted very often. This is one of those done over acrylic paint and writing.

 Sundays usually find me taking notes during a church service. I use both images and words to help me both stay focused and remember what has been said. So this one is one of those.

Finally, this morning I tried another magazine copy. I call her Wonky-face. The point of all this is to simply do the work. Honestly, I can see where most of these can be improved upon. However, when I look back to the first week, I see improvement. Progress, not perfection.

So, you precious and beautiful soul, keep on doing what you are doing. Don't give up before the end of the race. I believe in you!

Because I love you. Bunches.