Seeds of Love . . . .

First Collage layer and light color

Cover with Gesso - next layer

Add Stamps and light color again

Sketch out design in pencil then go over it with black marker

Add colors and thin out with water /gesso to get color value, then add details with black  marker or white paint pen

This was a fun one to do.  I grew up with a mom who used seed pods, weeds and pine-cones in her creations so I was really used to the asymmetry of seedpods that was requested in creating this.  Trying to get the colors to go from dark to light value was a good challenge, mine in the end are mostly medium value.  I have Jacaranda pods, Milkweed, sweet-gum ball, teasel, Eucalyptus, Chinese lanterns depicted here.   I could not seem to post the black and white photo of it but that was part of the process to check and see how your balance of light/dark was going.   Good Process.  Collaged in the centers of the pods were people or places that you love or are meaningful to you!

      Well back to the work of snow removal driveway , roof and any where else. Cold here again- that is the February Mantra - deep freeze and subzero!!!  Stay warm and hoping there is sun shine wherever you are.

International Postcard Exchange the Recieved Part 1

South Carolina

Washington State

Canada

California

USA

Melbourne, Australia

These are part of the postcards that I have received. They are all different and beautiful  The postcards are mixed Media which means that more then 1-2 art supplies or techniques are used to create them. Collage, watercolor, stamping all composed together in to a miniature work of art. This si great fun to create and to send out as well as receive.

Advice from a Cardinal . . .

Stand out in a crowd.

Go out on a limb.

Be a bright spot in others lives.

Speak up.

Be home before dark.

Add color to your life.

Its ok to be a little Flashy.

Ilan Shamin  

( I could not clearly read the correct person to give credit to)

The Feather . . .

I am taking an online class with friends- called Lifebook 2015.  This is week 5 project- the only one I have been able to complete unlike my friends. I did really enjoy it and am looking forward to starting week 6- even if this is now week 7.  I do not know if I will get back to week 1-4 or not.  It is unrealistic to think that I will get them all done- my life is way to crazy busy for that.
 This was fun to do, I would have liked to have done it more all in one setting but it was piece by piece.

International Post Card Swap Jan. 2015 - the sent cards

So every year for a while I have participated in 2 different International  Mixed Media Post Card Swaps.  This one  right now is through Shannon Ganshorn from Musings on Reality    from Canada
These are the postcards that I made to send out.   I send out 10 and in return I receive 10.  I will show what I have received  so far over  the weekend.

                 It always seems that what I envision making and what I actually make are 2 very different things.  In the end what I make is similar to what I make other years-  First I start with a Masterboard, that I add base layers of paint to, maybe collage some papers onto it, add some stamps, at some point I cut it up into  4x6 size cards and then add more to them individually.   I started with acrylic paints light teal, dark teal and a salmon color.  Then later I used Pan Pastel in a mustard yellow that really brought warmth and tied it all together.  I also used some Liquid Pearls by Ranger that make a few things pop and some glitter Modge Podge which was because I could not find the plain Modge Podge.   I added a quote that spoke to me at that moment.  Then address them, write a note and stamps and out to the mailbox on the Tundra - that is what it looks like right now.   The last 2 have magazine cuttings from Swansons Broth ad/   " Why do I cook?"   So maybe you will want to try this some day, lots of fun and lots of good mail days!

Snowstorm Linus . . . . .

  With a name like Linus this storm just conjurs up images of wrapped up in quilts reading books and drinking tea or cocoa.  Although the thoughts danced through my head . . . the driveway was calling to be shoveled and the dinner made . . .  I love the night or day immediately following a big storm.  It is very quiet outside and the earth is blanketed in such thick white downy snow.  Often there are not any animal tracks yet and it is pristine.  This was definitely the case with this storm.  I only wished I had more time to be out in it but work was calling early the next morning . . .   all said and done I think we got about 18 inches, then we keep getting 2-3 inches each day on top of it.  The piles are getting pretty big.  The wood pile is bigger still though so we are in good shape.   We do not have a snow blower so we shovel the old fashioned way, a little at a time and the it is all done. 
Hoping everyone is snug and safe for a 3 dog night-  the opposite of the dog days of Summer I think .

January Sunrise's . . .

There is something special about the sunrise and sunsets of mid -winter, they are some of the best all year.  Unfortunately there are not that many due to our heavy and consistent cloud/snow-cloud cover. Also as in this case- just because there was a pretty sunrise does not mean that the sun will actually shine at all during the day. The day will be gray and white and dark.   We are in a pattern of bitter cold, snow, lake effect snow, warming to 24ish then dropping to zero or below zero and warming again to mid 20's.  Right now a day at 30 really feels oh so warm.  As long as the wood cook stove is running the house is very comfortable.   Hoping you are warm and the sun is shining wherever you are.  Happy Friday!