W.I.P.

Just can't seem to leave the yupo alone.

This one was initially painted with Createx gold and quinocredone gold.  I smushed

a dry cleaning bag around on it to get some good texture, left it for about five minutes and 

pulled the bag off.  When all was dry, I gave it a coat of matte medium.

Then I mixed up some alizarin crimson water color and a tad bit of cobalt blue

and used a large brush to cover the entire sheet.  I got some interesting bubbles this time.

I traced my giraffe onto the dry red surface and began the lift using a small scrub brush

and water.  I love, love, love watching the subject emerge.
As you can see, I have left the most tedious, detailed part for last...
not a good idea!

Remember him?  He was done on plain white yupo with the same water color wash.

This color wash was crimson and orange sort of mixed on the surface.

And this will be an elephant if I can ever settle on the elephant sketch I want to use.

I used grey acrylic craft paint, silver and fuchsia Createx and smushed it

with crumpled up wax paper to get the texture I wanted.

I am thinking I will use a dark, dark purple for the watercolor wash.

That's what is sitting on my desk.  What about you??

Happy PPF

and here comes February!

A peek in my Journal

I am making more of an effort this year to put something, anything in my art journal

on a regular basis.

The white clean pages always seem to stop me dead in my tracks so I have decided

to start each year with...the year.

Done!  

And then there was a lousy, boring day at work so out came the journal

I sketched it out and already felt better thinking that when I got home I would

have fun coloring it in.  The growly mood lifted.

When in a quandary about just what you want to put on the paper,

the word of the year is always fun to do and a gentle reminder of what that word was!

If all else fails, my little four legged boss is a ready, willing. able subject.

So-o-o-o-o, I have NO excuse!  More journal work this year.

Happy PPF

Water color lift on acrylic

This is another one of the "dumps" using Createx acrylic paint as the base
on yupo paper.

Then I covered it all with antwerp blue water color.

I traced my fish on the blue and then lifted the watercolor revealing

the colorful dump.

This is the original before the watercolor.

Great fun!  I love doing lifts.

Happy PPF!

It's curtains for 2013

As the curtain falls on 2013, and

we look forward to 2014 let us hope we have learned something from 2013.

Who is the world doesn't desire a peaceful coexistence with their neighbors?

At times it feels like we are moving further away from this common dream

and yet we all desire it.

How does that happen?  Are we making our desires known?  Are we being heard?

Are we open to ideas other than our own?

We are eternal optimists and so we hope that 2014 will be better.

Let's do our part to make it better!

Happy New Year and thank you all for your visits to my blog.  

I have loved visiting yours although I don't always leave a note.

I am reminded with each visit how small our precious world is and how much

we share.

See you next year!!!

Happy "arting"

Word of the year

Never quite finished this one

Part of my way of welcoming the New Year is to pick a 

Word of the Year

That word replaces any resolutions but is in fact a sort of a resolution in itself.

For 2013 I selected "stretch."

I wanted to expand my mind, try new things, go different places,

just s-t-r-e-t-c-h.

I found that even on the wrong side of 70, I could welcome new experiences

and try new things with my word of the year in mind. 

So this year?

Well 2014 isn't here yet but my front runner is 

OPEN

Being of that certain age, it is important to keep your mind open to new ideas.

I want to open new doors in my life.

I want my eyes open to art inspiration

and my heart open to all.

As I write this, it is sounding like a resolution isn't it?

So be it.  

My word of the year is also my inspiration when the 

dreaded white sheet threatens me

So bring on 2014!

I think I'm ready.

Ho-Ho-Ho, Merry Christmas!

Happy Paint Party Friday, Tracey
Wish this guy was on a tea cup!

Things are very slow at work right now, so I keep a sketch book handy.

Yesterday, Father Christmas appeared.

I thought I would share him with you with sincere wishes for a very happy Holiday Season.

I know you look forward to putting 2013 behind you and my wish for you
is a stellar 2014.
Keep on keeping on.  We are cheering every step.

Greeting Cards

The past couple of years I have been sketching cards for different events

in my grandchildren's lives.

With the Holidays upon us, I decided to do a card for each of them.

There are nine and time's a wasting.

Laurie May at "Draw your awesome Life" posted a snowman on Facebook that

was this year's inspiration.  Thank you Laurie!
A few more to go and they will be in the mail!
Happy PPF