Inchie Challenge (6/20)

This week's theme on Small World of Inchies is "Me and My Pet." My entry is my 3 month old black kitten - Mu Shu. He is our foster kitten from the PSPCA that didn't get adopted. He now has a home with us. I didn't want big cat Noah to feel left out, so I did another inchie featuring him. Both were done in watercolor, Pitt fine point marker and photo image.
http://smallworldofinchies.blogspot.com

Faced in Fluid Acrylics

I am in love with my fluid acrylics! I didn't know they existed until I started the round robin art journal project. Since I didn't know a whole lot about art journaling, I started doing research and watching You Tube videos on different techniques. The fluids kept coming up. After getting over the price shock, I bought a set of ten paints and have been having fun playing! They remind me of watercolors because I can alter the consistency of the paint intensity with water.

I painted these three, slightly, unrealistic faces with the fluids. The features are exaggerated and not true portrait placement (like I taught my students), but I was going for this type of look. I sketched the faces in charcoal first, then worked on blending different skin tones to give some strong shading.

Another Altered Altoid Tin

Here is another altered Altoid tin done for a swap on Altered Visions and Dreams. I did a similar fairy door for another swap earlier in the year and had started this one because I really liked it. When this swap was announced, I decided to use the tin already started, but changed the inside. My partner already received it and was very happy! I have been hung up on fairies lately and really need to work on a new theme!

Inchie Challenge (6/13)

This is my first time entry in the weekly inchie challenge on Small World of Inchies. The theme was black and white with a touch of red. The site owner lists a new challenge each Saturday. It is interesting trying to leave a comment because the instructions are in German. Not sure what I am to do with all these inchies. Maybe I will work them into a collage at some point. For now, it is challenging trying to fit a design in a 1" square.

http://smallworldofinchies.blogspot.com

June ATC Swap for 3rd Grade

Welcome to our first swap of the summer! The theme for swap one is: STARS AND STRIPES. You can interpret this any way you like and use whatever colors you like. In my examples, I was thinking patriotic. I used a rubber stamp for the stars and a paint marker and gel pen for the stripes and details. The cards will be due to me by JUNE 30. Remember to include a first class postage stamp for the cards I will be mailing back to you.




Now to recap our materials. You need a firm paper like Bristol or card stock (white or colors). You can get Bristol paper in pad form at Michaels, AC Moore and Wal Mart (craft section) for under $5. You will get over 100 cards from a pad. You can even recycle food boxes and glue computer paper on it. As for mediums, crayons, markers, colored pencils, watercolor, poster paint, acrylics, oil pastels. You can use rubber stamps, images from magazines, photos, hand drawn, scrapbook papers. You guys are all creative, so I know you will come up with some great cards. ATCs must be 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" so measure carefully!

Remember you can invite your brothers and sisters, (younger and older), cousins, friends, moms and dads and other relatives to play. The more players the better! The cool thing about ATCs is there is no age barriers! To sign up, I added an email link to my profile page to contact me or if your parents have a blogger account, you can leave your first name in the comment section under this posting saying you want to play. I look forward to seeing everyones cards!

Zentangles

I didn't know complex doodling had a name, but it does. Zentangles. I have been doing a version of this for years in notebooks, on napkins, on my church bulletin (during the message)... Now I can show it off as an art form. Here are three ATCs for an upcoming swap. All were done in super fine PITT markers. Grab a pen and try one, it is addictive!

Inchies

I decided to try some inchies - 1" x 1" mini works of art. I was actually very put off with working in such a small space. I stared these tiny pieces of paper for weeks before I made a mark. Once I started, I relaxed. I like the two circles with zentangle backgrounds. The three squares were quick, hand drawn pictures. The sea turtle and fish are mounted on a background of painted aluminum foil. I found a blog that offers an inchie challenge every Saturday. I may give it a try for a few weeks.

Art Dolls

Here are three art dolls for a swap. They were to be in a fairy theme with a flower on them. I found a template on line to start with then added yarn hair, papers from a phone book, newspaper, stamps, hand painted.... Cute.

Art Journaling

I have been playing around with art journaling. Currently I am involved in an art journal round robin. Six artists, six journals, six months, ten pages of art work/journaling each. My journal was sent off several weeks ago and I am working on one of the other participants.

I started a separate journal for me to play around with. I have been reading/looking at different blogs and have found some great technique videos on You Tube to get ideas for pages that I can then adapt to my style. The photo is one of my pages. I have rediscovered the joy of drawing in charcoal. I love how it flows across the page and smudges for shading. The background is blended oil pastel, gesso wash, liquid acrylic, and pages from a book.

Meet Mu Shu

Introducing the newest member of our family - Mu Shu. He is the foster kitten that stayed! We have had him since he was four weeks old (I bottle fed him). His brothers went to their new homes on Saturday, but he is staying with us. He is very strange looking - black/white on top and grey on his back with tabby stripes. I hope his color stays!

Our family has been fostering kittens for Philadelphia Animal Control/PSPCA for the past year. Formally know as PAWS, it has been their goal to pull the adoptable animals from the Animal Control, foster and adopt them out. Up until 2005, only 20% of the animals got out. Now it is about 60%. We are helping to raise that number!!!!!

Remember, there are plenty of good pets waiting for you at your local shelter. Check them out before you goto a breeder or pet store. Help make shelters no kill!!!!!!