Inspirations

I find inspiration all around me! I'm very inspired when I see other artist's work its like being a kid in a candy store getting to see everyone's art...not because I want to copy their work but because it seems to get my own creative juices flowing letting my muse soar.

Yesterday I found inspiration in paper I had, and created some unexpected backgrounds using left over sandwich paper that I use under my work area...its the paper that I spray my watercolors over and wipe my brushes on or stamp on to clean a stamp with ink or gesso and when its covered I toss it in a bin to save. I took those pieces of sandwich paper and crumpled them up then tore them in pieces. I then applied soft gel medium to some bookboard and laid the pieces of sandwich paper down not caring that they had wrinkles or that they overlapped. Once the board was covered and dried I pumped out some Krylon's silver leaving pen out onto some wax paper and rubbed a piece of penscore across the paint puddle then ran it across the bookboard hitting only the high points which were the wrinkles...I think it has a sort of stone look to it:


Here's some inspiration for you a virtual art show of some awesome artist from Taranaki, New Zealand, there's a little something for every body from Assemblage, paintings to basket weaving... http://virtual.tart.co.nz/

What will be your inspiration today?

TGTWIO

Thank Gawd The Weekend Is Over! Yes, I'm glad its over and things are back to their regularly scheduled program.

Went to see the Da Vinci Code, I liked it, of course seeing a movie after reading the book is always a bit disappointing to me. Some things were changed around and of course a lot gets left out so it was more a waterered down version. It felt more like they were speeding fast foward through the story to me. But none the less I enjoyed it.

I love Leonardo da Vinci as an artist and as an ingenius inventor, he diffinately was ahead of his time. Hubby and sons are all inventors/McGyver type creators so Da Vinci is greatly appreciated in our household.

My favorite works of Da Vinci are the Mona Lisa, Vitruvian Man, Study of the head of Leda and all the Designs for a Flying Machine.

Here are a few favorite links for Da Vinci's work you can check out:

http://www.visi.com/~reuteler/leonardo.html

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/leonardo_da_vinci.html

TGIF!

Yep I'm happy it's Friday! We don't have much planned for the holiday weekend. We usually stay close to home so we don't have to fight the traffic or crowds.

I finally finished my spring chunky pages for my local art group which means I'm ahead of schedule (Yay!) and I figured out how to embellish my colorful background I posted previously. I've had a bag of mini rubber lizards hanging around taunting me to use them...well okay I admit it I've been dying to use them on something LOL.
I glued all but 1 of the feet down plus the tails and the one foot and head holds the little pull out tag book closed. You can see a few of them I scanned below (10 total):



















Here's the page with the booklet pulled out:

What sort of artist should you be?

Just a little something fun for your viewing pleasure! Click on the link below to see what type of artist you should be ;-) Remember this is just for fun...I had to retake it the first time around it said fashion designer LOL anyone who knows me knows that's a laugh LOL

You Should Be a Painter

You have the vision, patience, and skill to bring your unique visions to canvas. And you're even tempered enough not to cut your ear off in the process!

What Sort of Artist Should You Be?

Addictions

I have a confession to make I'm addicted to the show BIG LOVE (yet another HBO series), as if being addicted to Sopranos once again isnt' enough! I've pondered why it is I like to watch Big Love and the only thing I can come up with is that its so far removed from my own lifestyle I find it facinating (yes I'm a voyeur at heart, I admit it!). I can't imagine living a lifestyle like that, it all seems far too complicated to me, as if being married to one person isn't hard enough LOL then to add in all the other dynamics Yikes! Just when I think I have things all figured out with the characters they surprise me and I see they really do care....catty they can be, but deep down they do seem to care or perhaps I just want to believe that...yeah I know its not real and is only a show LOL

Hubby thinks I'm nuts and wonders why I enjoy watching it...perhaps he's afraid I want to add 2 more husbands into the mix LOL ahh no thanks! I did tell him that just because I watch the show doesn't mean I want to live it sheesh I mean really! I watch Sopranos does that mean I want to secretly become a card carrying mob member? NOT LOL or how about my other addiction Grey's Anatomy do I have a secret desire to cut people open nah LOL a drink with Dr McDreamy perhaps ;-) Hey what can I say, I liked Patrick Dempsey even when he was a nerdy kid acting long before he was transformed into McDreamy so I figure I'm entitled right? ;-)

What art supplies am I addicted to? well not in any order but here's a quick list Gesso, Spray Watercolors, Fluid Chalks by Colorbox, Crystal Lacquer, Golden's Tar Gel and fluid acrylics, Modern Options Patinas are my recent favorites.

Below is a background I made using watercolor paper, intense spray watercolors, a chunky foam stamped with gesso and then I went back over and colored it with fluid chalks:

Challenges Are Good!

Some friends and I had a challenge to all use one particular photo and change it using our graphic's program. I like challenges I think it stretches us to go beyond what we might have gone.

Here are a few of my results:

Yikes, has it really been that long again!

I can't believe it's been since March that I've blogged!

I have found something I've become pretty addicted to as I create and work in my art studio/office and that's listen to online radio stations at http://www.live365.com/index.live I can pick whatever music I'm in the mood for and find a station to listen to. Since my music taste are pretty eclectic I like most anything except Country and most rap. I'm currently listening to 70's music I find that I get tired of anyone thing too long so this allows me to have a variety. I find music really does soothe my soul. Here are a few of my current favorite stations:

Soundtracks(I like that they throw in comedy blips between movie scores)- http://www.imagineave.com/internetradio/
Celtic- http://www.live365.com/stations/celticradiodj
70's Hits-http://www.live365.com/stations/djjandaman2


I've been creating more with my Paint Shop Pro version 9 graphic's program....I have Adobe Photoshop also, but I find myself a creature of habit and inevitably I end up using the program I'm the most familiar with which is PSP. If your looking for a inexpensive user friendly graphic's program Paint Shop Pro is the way to go, I've been using PSP off and on for the last 8 years upgrading to newer versions every so often.

Due to some major problems of people using my images and linking directly from my site I've had to add the copyright wording, I wish I didn't have to.

This particular photo is of myself and my family taken on memorial day about 1965 (I'm the one being held).














I'm hoping that with a little more finessing
I can achieve a bit more color with this particular piece:






















HEROS
This piece I layered several backgrounds along with my
fathers and nephew's picture.

This piece is dedicated to all our military men and women who have
served and most especially to those that have lost their lives to protect
and defend us, your all heros in my book!