THE WORLD IS STRANGE - MAKE STRANGE ART #1

 What do these two photos have in common?  

A LITTLE MORE FROM THE SLOW-DRAWING JOURNAL

A JOURNAL VISIT

 These pages are not in order but you get the idea - double pages in a Strathmore watercolor journal, mostly gluing items inside.  Have a few more pages to go.

ONE DAY AT A TIME

 Bits and pieces of things.  I am still struggling with learning how to master gouache (and not succeeding yet but am trying not to think I should have it all down in a few weeks!).  Did like the portrait of the Japanese artist.

When I get stressed, I am glad I have Amy Maricle’s Mindful Art freebies every Wednesday to do and slow down, calm down, relax, etc.

AND NOW WHAT…INDEED!

 Well, that happened.  I guess I am in the minority and I was deluding myself that a woman, a biracial woman, an intelligent, educated woman could win an election against whatever DJT is.  

Sad, anxious, fearful for the next 4-8 years.  I say 8 because I truly believe that once his group takes control, they will not give it up so we’ll have the Hillbilly JD next :(

This is going to take some time before I feel like creating much…but I could be wrong.

AND NOW WHAT…?

 I seem to be all over the place with art - but that’s okay.  Perhaps I will, eventually, become a mixed media artist because I want to try everything!

Used a feather stencil I had to make a few more prints, changing the color a little at a time and getting some good ghost prints.

Since I was on a feather kick, I made some little feathers in watercolor on small paper, adding hanging (really, for gluing into a sketchbook) - based on Amy Maricle’s Mindful Art group inspirations…and then back to printmaking.  I am mailing some of these prints (and others I found in my little art room) to my friend in Asheville who lost so much of her work and collage papers in the flood from Hurricane Helene.  They are still digging out - to me it seems like it’s been so long and I imagine to those in the area it seems like even longer to be without and have your town look so battered but they are cleaning and rebuilding (but 90 people still missing from those hill towns in North Carolina :(  

WHEN I NEED A BREAK FROM PRINTMAKING AND COLLAGE…

 I return to watercolor, my all time favorite thing…

I NEED A BIGGER ART ROOM!

 Just to find places to store all these printed papers I’m making - but it is addictive!!

GEL PRINTERS SESSION 2024 IS ON

 It’s hard to keep up with all the great printmaking/collage artists in the sessions (2 full weeks!!) and I need a bigger art room! Ha ha

This first one was done by drizzling fluid acrylic over canvas I had lying around and never used.  I let that dry and began sorting the paper out to make my painting (did draw the image on freehand to give me a bit of a guide).  Rough going and tearing printed paper into bits with glue (matte medium can be used but I’m using PVA Glue which is used in bookbinding) to fit into the drawing shapes, then added a bit of lighter colored paper here and there and white Posca pen (acrylic).  This technique was taught by Leanne Daquino on day one and she had us print a lot on tissue paper (the paper that comes with gifts - white, thin, and not expensive at all).

Whew!  These take a long time to get it right and I think mine looks pretty rough and beginner-ish but that’s okay.  And I’m glad I put that green-yellow drizzled background in first on the canvas or it would look even more rough!

FROM MY SKETCHBOOK REVIVAL 2024 SESSIONS

 Just a few from the 2 week’s of lessons - Karen Abend gets together a great group of artists to share their knowledge with us about all kinds of media.

WHAT I HAVE BEEN UP TO LATELY

 Well, I participated in the Gel Printing Session Kickoff (free learning how to use the gel plate and get some neat things from various teachers); then did the Sketchbook Revival 2024 lessons; and now I’m in the Gel Printing Sessions 2024 lessons!  Whew!  I am working working working, watching videos, learning, trying new things and old things and making lots of stuff.  And I think it is because it keeps me from sitting watching the weather channel and Facebook pages of friends who got hit HARD by Hurricane Helene and then Hurricane Milton.  Going into my little art room away from the t.v. And internet has been helpful.  I even sent a bunch of my prints to my artist friend whose galleries both were demolished in Asheville, North Carolina.  She went 8 days without power and water at her home even though she didn’t get flooded.  And lost so many pieces of art she’d made.  So it felt good to send her some of these prints I’d made (I mean, what am I going to do with them all?!? Ha ha)

Some of the prints are on rice paper or thin printing paper, some are on watercolor blank cards and some are on printing paper (a bit more absorbent than watercolor paper).

And these are the ones I kept - sent Li this many and more because I had made prints before and just stacked them in an envelope I found.  I hope she can use them to make her torn collage pieces.  (If you want to look her up, look up Li Newton and see her work - I bought here 2024 calendar full of very creative critters inspired by artists).