Happy Groovy New Year and...Happy Groovy New Art !!!

Not only is it a New Year...

but a New Decade and...

1/1/11


!!!

It's been a hundred years since that happened.

I went to look up the significance of the numbers and got lost for awhile surfing the web. I googled '1-1-11 calendar' if you want to take a look-see. Or check these out...


www.courierpostonline.com/.../Digitally-calendar-coincidence-is-1-for-the-books

http://www.philly.com/phillynews/20110101_1_1_11_carries_heavy_import_for_many.html

http://mayandailyinsights.com/2010/12/reading-the-signs-the-mayan-calendar-and-1111/

Pretty interesting stuff.

ANYwho...

I'm thrilled, excited, chomping-at-the-bit motivated about art! 

There are a lot of wonderful things going on in my life right now and art is way up there at the top so...this post will be about what I've accomplished since the last time I blogged about it! 

For starters, I'm participating in an online project called the Sketchbook Challenge which encourages it's participants to fill their sketchbooks using a monthly theme. 

I've placed a badge on my blog which will take you to their website with lots of information and tutorials if you're interested.

Now, I have several sketch books and most of them have a few sketches in them but I've been wanting to begin an Art Journal for awhile now and this was just what I needed to get me going.

The theme for January, Highly Prized, comes from the art of a nun, Sister Corita Kent, who did some really awesome graphic art in the 60s and 70s.    


When I saw the theme this morning...I couldn't wait to get to work (so I didn't) because it's right in line with the Spiritual growth spurt I've been experiencing for the last few months.

And did I mention I'm super excited about art?!? 


Among other things.


I pulled an old sketchbook down off of the shelf that I'd bought at a yard sale last winter, tore out all two of the sketches I'd done in it, and began by painting the cover.

  
Not only did I want to make the cover interesting and pretty, but the previous owner had their "to-do" list written on the top corner and it was distracting.

So I wanted to cover it.


I know, it's a bad pun.


Of course, while I had the paint out, I also painted the first two pages (I think they call it a spread). 

Because I'd flipped open the cover while I was painting the inside, some paint got on my drop cloth - which is what it's there for...but I couldn't let all that wonderful color go to one spot...so I quick got out my bag of "book pages" and laid one down under the wet cover and brayered paint onto it.

You have to understand that I use the term "book pages" loosely. Included in this bag are bits and pieces of art that used to be in a frame or hoop - such as the pineapple above (which my sister cross-stitched for me way back in 88)- or techniques I've tried but never completed...or samples that I began / used while teaching or simply stuff that just needs more...umpfh.


Eventually - all of these bits and pieces will be used in either a book, an art quilt or a mixed media piece. Mostly, they're just too precious to toss.


So...I ended up with what I think are much more fascinating pieces. Some of them already had a little extra surface design done on them but 

this one for instance...

See the picture below where the netting and stitching left an impression on the journal paper.

just looks so much better with the added color!


I think they all do...

Remember Artex? I did this WAY back in 73!!!

This is one - my niece, Tami, did for me in the early 90s. I've always loved and treasured it. Hope you don't mind that it's red now Tami!!!

More about that peace sign later.

This is a close up (detail) of the page from the sketchbook... 

I was delighted to see that the stitching (hearts mostly) that I'd done on the fabric piece - which was covered with netting from a fruit bag - left an impression on the paper. 

Happy surprise!

OK - so now it was time to add a stencil or two. 

I usually grab whatever is handy and there was a piece of chair caning -just waiting on my table for me to notice it - that I took out of someone's trash while Jerry and I were exploring the city last week . 


YES!!!


I did the Barranquilla equivalent of dumpster diving!!!


I'd been at the dentist - beading my contact cards while I waited - so when we walked by on the way home I was able to whip out my little scissors and cut a nice little chunk of the woven caning right off the top of the trash. 


If I'd only had a bigger bag.


It didn't work so great for this though (stenciling) because by that time I'd really just about scrubbed the paint out of the brush onto the fabric (with what little paint was left on it) but I did get a great impression of it in my note-notebook. 

And then my eye fell on the top stencil in my little drawer of stencils and it was the blue peace sign you see above (laying on Tami's piece) and the chair cane was forgotten. 


Darn it all.


I wanted a little contrast on the journal pages so I pulled out my aqua paint and started adding peace signs to the journal.

After laying it on the journal cover and dabbing paint on and around it for a negative image - I couldn't waste the paint on the 'back' side...so I flipped it over and laid it on Tami's piece for a positive image.


And on...and on...until my blue paint was just about history.

OK - I have plenty more paint where that came from but it takes time for me to use up a quarter sized puddle of it so that's pretty much all I'll ever pour out of a jar...unless I just NEED more.

For those of you that know me - you know I don't waste ANYTHING 

and once I'd finished using the blue drop above - to stencil - I sprayed the now messy release paper with water, lay it on a new journal page (or two or three) and brayered it until there was NO more paint on the paper or in the brush.

And while the above journal page isn't gorgeous YET...it's a great beginning.

Just to make sure I'd gotten all of the paint out of the brush, I sprayed it a couple more times with water and painted around the corner of the clown. 

It's faint and you probably think I'm ridiculous with this BUT, I think that 


LAYER, LAYER, LAYER


ING


makes beautiful art.

Next, I added a little yellow paint to my Art Journal...

Used the following mark makers...

And finished up with a cover that may or may not be finished..

But I love it! 

I feel like an old hippie!


Really I feel like a young one. :)

And...my first page - which also may or may not be finished...

But either way...I'm pickled tink!


And here I thought I was going to tell you about all the art I'd made since the last project I showed you! 

That may take several more blogs.

Maybe I'm a little too wordy but I can't help it! 

It's like art - 

I've got to get it out!!!


Groovey - huh ?!?

CREATE YOUR LIFE...

annie!