Practicing Faces

I am really enjoying the online workshops I am taking from Jane Davenport (www.janedavenport.com).  As a result I have been practicing faces like crazy.  Here is one in progression.

Doodle time.

Here's what I did with that test page for the marker bottles filled with watercolor paint.  I used a black gellyroll pen.  I think I might go over it with watercolor pencil, too.

Using Empty Marker Bottles for Art Journaling

Art journaling may well be addictive.  Luckily, except for the cost of my ever growing art supply collection, it is a positive addiction that has long-term mental health benefits.  At long last, I think I may have found a way to keep up with my need to create things, even when I’m swamped with kids and housework and my job.  There is something about this kind of journaling that takes some of the pressure off to be perfect.  It’s also something that can be done in spurts, which, when things are crazy-busy, is über-important.  

Like anything else, though, it helps to be organized.  It’s possible to spend hours on journal pages, but it doesn’t have to, as long as you have supplies arranged in a way to be easily accessible when you have a few spare minutes. 

I bought these empty marker bottles from Dick Blick because it came up as a useful tool in the Mermaid Circus class I am taking (which is awesome, by the way).  I first used it to put a mix of cheapie acrylic craft paint and water.  It works like a charm.  Then I had this brilliant idea (not so brilliant, as it turned out, since it’s mentioned as a use in the product description) to put some of my watercolors in it.  The result—completely awesome!  I can now keep these little bottles at hand and add watercolor any time I want to without having to dig out my paints, palette, brushes and water.  They lend towards portability, too, so I can take them out with me without having to haul all those supplies.

So here’s what I did:

1.      I put a tiny bit of water in the bottles so that when I added the paint, it wouldn’t stick to the bottom.

2.      I added about a pea size bit of paint and then filled up the bottle just under the first divot mark.  It’s easier to add water than add paint. 

3.      I put the top on (the part with the porous surface) and then the cap.

4.      I shook the bottles until the paint dissolved into the water.  Even my oldest, most solid watercolor paint dissolved just fine. 

Here’s what I tested the bottles on.

Now I have watercolors to go, whether I’m trying to prep a page in between steps in getting dinner ready or heading to the local coffee shop (or pub) to get some me time.

The following are some useful links for you:

Mermaid Circus Online Workshop

The Mermaid Circus is starting another round in September.  It is well worth the money and an excellent way to recharge artistically.  I have done more artwork in the last three months than the previous year all together.  Jane Davenport and Teesha Moore are fabulous teachers and stupendous artists.

Dick Blick

Dick Blick is my go-to place for art supplies.  I usually wait for sales and buy online.  This link goes straight to the empty marker bottles.

 Daniel Smith

My watercolor paints are from Daniel Smith, an art store here in the Seattle area.  The Daniel Smith brand of watercolors are my favorite. 

Sunny Days Are Awesome

If you are at all familiar with the Pacific Northwest, you know that our winters and springs are not known for their sunny days.  So when that elusive orb finally comes out, it makes the whole day a little bit brighter.  I took advantage of the beautiful (if still chilly) conditions to photograph my latest peg doll creations.  I'm having fun learning new embroidery stitches and these little guys are the perfect size to try something new.  I like how the middle (pointy hat) gnome turned out; I think I might have to try my hand at applying dye to wool felt more often this spring.

 

 

 

New Easter Peg Doll

I came up with a new design for my peg dolls, just in time for Easter.  Meet the Easter gnome, who loves Easter so much she dresses up like the Easter bunny.
I needle felted the nest and eggs from roving and I have been trying out new embroidery stitches.  Recently, I went to the library and checked out about 10 books on embroidery and crewel.  Generally, what I found is there is a short basic set of stitches with a lot of variations to make them look different. 

 

 

Lastly, here is a photo of one of my lovebug peg dolls.  The heart felt is from an experiment with alcohol inks. 

Wool Felt Doll

I have finals to grade (homestretch), but I wanted to do a quick post on a felt doll I made as a gift before I completely forgot.  I bought the pattern from Gingermelon's etsy shop.  The doll is made from the pocket pixie pattern.  This is the 2nd pattern I have bought, and it is just as adorable as the first.

Except for the embroidered face, she is 100% wool felt.  The pretty glittery multicolored wool yarn I bought at Artfest 2012--sorry I don't remember the vender's name.  The hair is needle felted on, and I really liked how easy it was and how well it turned out.  I'm waiting to see how it holds up with gentle toddler play.

My Little Boos from GingerMelon's Pattern

I made these two cute little Boo's from a pattern I purchased from Gingermelon's etsy shop.  The kids love them and are asking for more.  I know I could have probably created something similar, but with a to-do list taller than me, I decided to take a break from creating my own patterns.  I have admired Shelly's dolls and creatures since first seeing them in in Stuffed magazine, so I thought it was fitting to support her creativity and give mine a break by purchasing her pattern.  Her instructions were clear and the end results speak for themselves.

I used 100% wool felt.  The only change I made was to create the eyes with felt and embroidery floss instead of using safety eyes.  I love how the arms move a bit--I will have to use the same technique on some of my other projects.

 

More Peg Dolls

 Here are some of my latest peg doll designs.  I've started using recycled sari cloth on some of my butterflies.  Just in time for the holidays, I've also created a new peg--my angel ornaments.  I love old German wood ornaments, and I tried to stay true to that feel.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Cloth Dolls

I actually finished these gals in June, but then had thoughts to send them to Prims Magazine or Stuffed to see if I could get published.  I've had a hard time letting go of these dolls, though, and the thought of them sitting in storage at the publisher's wasn't so appealing.  I'm still undecided whether to send them in.

So their bodies are made with muslin and other cotton cloth and their hair is made with wool yarn (except for the sparklies).  I hand painted their faces, a method I rather liked.  I feel like I have more control over their features than if I had embroidered them.  Let me know what you think.

Some Bunnies . . .

I am taking my first online art class.  It's a Mindy Lacefield mini-class called "Frolic" and the subject matter is the adorable bunny.  Here's a link to the class website, if you are interested: timssally.com.

This is the first time I've tried an online class.  Mindy was one of my teachers at ArtFest 2012 and she did a fabulous job.  Here are the first three paintings I have created for the class.  Enjoy!

Ideas from Pinterest: Family Calendar

I know I'm not the only one who loves Pinterest.  For me, it's a fun way to organize all the ideas I see on the Internet.  I'm a visual person, and being able to see a quick picture of what I am looking for works better for me than reading a list of web bookmarks. 

It's easy to get sucked into browsing all the lovely items people pin, so I have made a goal of at least attempting to create/do something inspired by Pinterest as least once a month (it legitimizes all that browsing, right?).

So, I decided to get organized using ideas from Pinterest.  Part of this was to meet my goal, and part of it was to prepare for the new school year.  I figure if I can be a little bit more organized, I might be able to reduce the stress of juggling teaching with home life and my need to create.

Here is a project I worked on.  I took an idea from Olive and Love that uses an old frame with glass and paint chip samples to create a dry erase calendar.


 It looks great, right?  And organized.

I put my own spin on it, deciding not to use paint chips, but instead created a watercolor wash on paper that I then cut up.  I also decided to raise the paper by using foam tape on the back to achieve more of a 3-D look.  I also made the background by cutting up pages from a book and collaging them onto cardboard.  Since I had all the materials lying around, including an old frame, it didn't cost me a thing.  So here is my version:

The Art Space . . . Organized

My wonderful husband installed pegboards for my art space . . . cave, and I finally got around to organizing my space a bit.  While I used some of the typical hooks that you can get with pegboards, I also bought a few tin pails from Target for $1 each to store my pencils and smaller tools.  If you look closely, you may find various trades from Artfest around.