Seeds Planted

Mixed media artwork in progress. Layering tissue paper, painted pages, metallic acrylic paint,  Japanese handmade paper, doodle transfers on wood. Now I start to add details with micron 01 ink pen.

Play Time

Playing with handpainted papers.

Giveaway! Art By Manon



http://manonpopjes-manonpopjes.blogspot.com/



Here is just one of the three little prints Manon is giving away in September, check out her blog to view the other two prints and directions for how to win one! Thanks to Diane for posting about the giveaway on her blog. You must also stop by Diane's blog to view her "Recycling My Roosters" artwork. Super amazing work!

This is what I love about blogging - so much to see, learn, and share...you have until Sept 11 to enter this giveaway so pass it on and bring a smile to someone you love. Thanks ladies for being such inspirations to me and happy art making. 

My entries for ATC Creative Swaps - August Theme "I AM"

For my second art challenge I registered for the Creative Swaps ATC - August theme "I AM". This is my first ATC swap and I am so excited!! I think I am finished with my entries (see image below). I figure I'll let it sit on my art table until Friday and if it calls to be altered or edited I will do so if not it will be mailed out as is so I can make the Sept. 3rd deadline.

 Mixed-media ATCs for Creative Swaps (August - "I AM") 2.5 x 3.5 inches.

The August theme is "I AM". I started off exploring what I had to use in my stash and scraps bags/boxes where I found the cute chipboard letters, and text. For my background I used old library index cards (purchased at the Lancaster Creative Reuse) cut down to size, stamped different winged animal images (humming bird, owl, and butterfly) using archival black ink, then just started playing with my ink pads and finished off by adding pink chalked heart rubber stamps all over.


Exploring design ideas for my ATC cards for the August swap.



I allowed the ATCs to sit like that for a couple of days before I added the chipboard letters and corresponding small text underneath. I then added the "I AM" on the top using rub-on letters, allowed them to sit again for  some days and then tonight I found some small images that helped me finish off the ATCs.



Each ATC color scheme was inspired by the small color image above it.



The small images above each ATC were there to help me with the color scheme and harmony so I had some direction. You can see what type of color mood I was aiming for within each ATC. What do you think - did I match the ATC to the small inspiration image? I finished off by adding the words "be yourself" on top of the "I AM" as a subtitle to the main theme. It fit for me since that's what I aim for - to be myself; whatever that happens to be;-) 

I think they are finished but like I said I'll keep them on my work table and wait until Friday to mail them out for the swap - just in case I find something that MUST be ADDED to each ATC before mailing... although I like how they are I don't want to overload them with too much stuff. What do you think?

Enjoy,

Sandra

FYI: Starting tomorrow, August 15th, I will be starting a new art challenge - the Big Idea Festival (check it out) at Big Picture Classes website. It's FREE and self paced ;-) Of course I'll share and post my progress along the way. Let me know if you sign up and I'll follow your progress too;-) Can't wait!



PS
I can finally post the ATC card I made especially for Lenna. Thanks Lenna for your personal emails and comments on my blog site.

"I am on a journey"
ATC 2.5 x 3.5 inches mixed media

Taking mixed-media to a new level.

If you've been following my blog since the first day (thanks for your interest) you will recognize these two images as the cover and pages 1-2 from my Teesha Moore inspired art journal.  You will notice some changes since their first initial posting - I have finally taken the big step to add text to the images. Originally I wanted to add handwritten text to the pages but since I'm not yet comfortable with my skills I decided to try something different (adding digital text using Photoshop CS3).

Cover Page - "Process of Becoming" mixed-media art journal.

Pages 1 and 2 of "Process of Becoming" mixed-media art journal.



 I have to admit that I am LOVING the digital text! I'm a computer nerd as it goes so it was a no brainer when I started to play in Photoshop CS3 that I was going to be hooked ;-) Yet another journey in the development of my personal style for creating art.

Enjoy,

Sandra

stars in the air

I found myself with an unexpected burst of energy this evening to revisit a drawing in my moleskin journal done over a year ago. That's how it goes with me sometimes - I will draw some interesting images but for whatever reason I will not work on them for long periods of time. I think partly it's the fear of "messing up" the drawing with paint. But after exploring video after video of how to paint lovely ladies on YouTube I finally find myself more comfortable to take the next step with these drawings. This art project is still a work in progress but I am happy with where I am with it. I have numbered the images so you can follow along with the process.

Stars In The Air - Mixed media in moleskin journal.

Enjoy,
Sandra

Change is good.

So I finally finished the mixed media on wood art project I started back on day 21 of my 30 DAYS challenge.

Change - Mixed-Media on wood panel 8 x 8 inches.

This was a lot of fun adding paint with my fingers, practicing my handwriting skills, and just exploring all the different techniques I've acquired through the years. The butterfly is a cut-out I made using a template to which I added some personal journaling. I used my $1 mini stamp set to add the word "change" along with some decorative stickers from the AMERICAN CRAFTS remarks accent set (black).   

Up close details of my personal journaling and stamped word "change".

You can also see the detail of the circle pattern I transferred onto the wood using Golden soft gel medium matte. I printed the pattern using my Kodak ink jet printer on cheap copy paper. I then tore the sheet by hand to create a soft organic feel before adhering it to the pre-painted background. When doing this transfer technique it is very important to apply gel medium on both the image and the canvas you are transferring on to. I also then apply gel medium on top of the image and allow for it to fully dry before I use my fingers (wet) to rub off the paper pulp to reveal the transferred image.

Circle pattern transferred onto wood canvas using gel medium.



I love how the background colors pop as they peek through the transfer image.
I had to experiment with different gel pens when adding my personal journaling. My Sakura gel pen (black) worked best; although I did have some problems writing on top of dried acrylic craft paint. The paint was too thick and it became super elastic in texture and the pen tore through the layer to reveal the white gesso background.

Art In The Mail! For those of you who follow my blog and emailed me your home address you will be receiving a letter that looks like these in the next couple of days depending where you live. Thanks again for your support and I hope you enjoy the gift ;-)

Thank you cards mailed out to friends enclosed with a magnet of my personal artwork.

Enjoy,
Sandra

ART SAVES!

This post is being sent out to all my blogger friends. It first started as a reply to Maggie's comments from my Day 30 post but as I began to type my reply I thought it was appropriate to send it as a post so everyone can read what an impact this online art community has had on my life. For it was not just one person that made this new blog experience such a joy to me but my whole interactive blog community. Thanks ladies, God Bless!!




"ART SAVES" collage mixed-media with chipboard letters and embellishments


I made magnets out of the image and gave them to the women in my life who mean so much to me like my mom, sister, close friends and I also donated a print to one of my close friend's women's church retreat silent auction.

I cannot say this enough - ART SAVES! Thanks to Jenny Doh Jenny says it best here:

"We at CRESCENDOh believe that art is all of that and more. Art is what comes out of each of us, as we use our diverse spectrum of talent to elevate and beautify our lives. Art can be a quilt ... a collage ... a rubber stamped card ... a poem ... a musical performance ... a well-loved garden ... a delicious meal ... a warm conversation. Art is what gets us through the moment, the hour, the day, the years, the lifetime. Yes indeed, ART SAVES."

Now this is the original start of the reply I was typing to Maggie which I have copied and pasted here:

You have been such an uplift throughout this blog process and believe me it has not been easy (especially when real life concerns outside of art making kicked in during the month of July; pushing my posts into late hours of the night). That's when art making became a saving grace to me along with working on the farm to release my stress and anxiety. Maggie {blog friends}, you have made me smile with every comment you have shared. I believe that God puts the right people in your path at the right times to uplift your spirit and remind you of all the goodness in this world.

Although I LOVE my family and close friends I felt I was missing a connection with my creative spirit and finding this art community and blogging has been a saving grace for me during my job layoff. It brings me great comfort and peace along with BIG SMILES when I can share my love for anything and all things art related with others who also get a jump start from mixing paints with their fingers, squealing when they learn about a new YouTube video on how to make recycled journals and just want to make markings on any surface to see what develops (and not think it was time to call the head doctor) LOL.

This message goes to everyone who has left comments on my blog or become a follower. Although the 30 Days challenge is over my blog is not at all ending and although we might all find new art challenges to participate in our futures, my hope is that we continue to revisit each other and share in our new art discoveries and how they are transforming our lives.

I call my blog ALCHEMY - Art Memories just for that reason. I am a believer that life is to be lived honoring the changes in ourselves, our environments, and our society. Along with living my life with a CURIOUS GIRL mentality I also work very hard to put into my daily practice living my life through the process of 1. discovering 2. exploring, and 3. enjoying life. Art Memories is just one chapter in this ongoing process of becoming and I look forward to sharing with you my journey along the way.

Thanks again for all your caring and support and remember this change in art challenges is not an ending but a new beginning - let's continue to share for we are all interconnected in this thing we call life ;-)

Enjoy,
Sandra

Courage to GROW - Day 26

 I've been away for the past three days at a conference in DC. Although I took my mini journal with me I was not able to add any new artwork to the journal - my days just came and went with very little time then to wake up, attend the conference, spend time with my hosts (sister and brother-in-law), sleep and do it again. I did get a chance to take in two museum exhibits and I used my journal to take notes of some of the artwork I viewed for future research (I'm hoping to post and share at a later time).

But for today, my Day 26 I revisited a piece I blogged about earlier in this process. I actually finished this piece and you can see the results in the picture below. I would say more but I'm tired and need to head off to bed.

Hope you enjoy this one, I worked on for the better part of the evening/morning. It was a lot of fun. Check out the before pictures of this piece on blog Day 6.



"Courage to GROW" 8"x8" mixed-media collage on wood.

Enjoy,

Sandra

PS

Thanks for all your kind words and for following along. Even though I have not been able to participate every day on this challenge it is still the most art I have ever created in one month's time and the month is not even over ;-) I'll be posting something new for the following last 5 days and I can't wait to visit your blogs to see what everyone's been up to. Happy blogging.

30 Days of Get Your Art On! starts today

Okay, so I love the design style of Traci Bunkers and follow her blog to keep myself pumped to do art as much as possible. Just recently she put out the challenge of committing herself and her followers to blog "30 Days of Get Your Art On!" starting July 1st - TODAY!!

Click on her button on the right for more details - this is my first attempt at blogging and I don't want to start off long winded;-)

I am following Traci's rules see details below:

• I’ll make art every day for 30 days and post what I have done.
• I don’t have to finish what ever I’m working on that day, I just have to work on something.
• I have to work for 30 minutes, but can work longer if time permits.
• It doesn’t matter what I do for the art making, as long as I work on art.
• I won’t feel guilty for taking the time to work on art and I won’t have to justify why I’m doing it. 
• I don’t have to go into detail in my post about how I did anything or what tools, materials I used (unless I want to).

July 1, 2011 - DAY 1
This is the cover for a new art journal I am starting titled "Process of Becoming".  Collage mix media on watercolor paper 120lb cold press.
Enjoy;-)