Art Rocks

Letting Go

I have to be honest to state that this spread isn't one of my favorites I've ever done.  However; the process was if that makes any sense.  I had such fun layering and layering with this.  In fact; I actually ended up covering a couple of layers that I fell in love with ya know?  But - I guess it was an exercise in letting go.  Has this ever happened to you?  Sometimes it's just about the journey :)

Hoping your week is a safe one and thanks, so much, for visiting me here.  Your friendships, supportive feedback, and art keep me inspired and flying! Thank you!

Much love......Marilyn xxoo

PS  Video tutorial coming soon....."Me and my Woodies" :)

 

Lost in a Dream

Frankly, I don't know where this spread came from :)   I mean it has a winter feel to it yet she's holding daisies.  Maybe I'm still amazed at how mild our winter has been and seeing daffodil bulbs popping up and hearing birds chirping early in the morning.  Or perhaps someone gave her daisies but then she'd be happy?  She's very sad for certain isn't she?  Maybe she is just lost in a dream...............what do you think?

I'm wishing you all a happy weekend ahead.

Love much.....................Marilyn xxoo

 

Day Dream

This was a sketch that got a little away from me.  I used an image of a glamour model from a magazine to sketch as 3/4 portraits are very hard for me.  I thought it would make for good practice. Well; I think the position of "her/his face" is okay but the sketch turned out nothing like the glamour model!   However, that being said - I just kept working it and this is what I ended up with.  I did give this person shorter hair than the model had and I think it kind of takes on a bit of a masculine look - it reminds me of a rock star kind of figure. :)

The right-hand side of the spread began with a transfer of a copy of a postcard I have in my collection.  The setting is in London.

All the coloring was done with my new Stabilo Woody water-soluable pencils.  They are thick, chunky, waxy, and wonderful!   I just scribbled some color and went in with some gesso and voila.  You can also use water but I have this love affair with gesso :)

I hope you all had a great weekend.  We actually look a bit like winter today with just a dusting of snow. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!      

Love to all and speaking of love - Happy Valentine's Day for your tomorrow!  -Marilyn

Daffodils?

Our weather, here, for most of winter season, so far, has been more spring like. We are enjoying it although a mild winter, like this, comes with its consequences.

The other day, my next-door-neighbor came over and wanted me to see something in her back yard.   What she so anxiously wanted to share was her daffodil bulbs peeking up from the ground!  Yikes!  I mean they offered hope but concern at the same time.   She quickly got some burlap and some pine brush to cover them up.  I'm also hearing people saying apple trees are getting tiny buds on them!  Most people who know me, know I am a very early riser.   I've had my window open in my bedroom for the longest time for the night air and in early morning I can hear the birds singing!  It has a very surreal feel to it. 

My journal spread, here, which is mixed media with collage, sketching and painting, reflects the daffodil bulbs my neighbor shared with me as well as my thoughts and feelings on this mild winter we are experiencing.

I am sending all of you happy, peaceful and artistic thoughts for your upcoming weekend.   Enjoy!

Love - Marilyn xxoo

Meadow Walk

You may have seen this journal spread,briefly, during my video tutorial. I thought I would share it, here, as it is the one I discovered using the stamped tissue paper for collage.  The image of the woman is from an old ephemera book I have and I just love her!  I copied the image and gel-transferred it to the page and it was probably one of my most successful transfers although I don't mind the imperfect ones.  I added pencils and pastels to her once the transfer dried.

If you will notice the basket of flowers she is carrying, the flowers are a 3-D touch using a product called Flower Soft.  I don't even know if this product is still out there.  I was going through my art stash and found it.  I know I've had it for a very long time - from my early, beginning stamping days.  The product is a bit funky and spongie and the bits are very tiny.  I adhered them with Diamond Glaze; they are great for tiny floral accents. 

A note regarding my Valentine's post below.  I stated I could not remember the artist that inspired me with stamping the hearts with the cupcake mold.  Thanks to a couple of my followers, who commented, they led me to the artist's name.  Tracy Bunker is the one who had a video tutorial on the technique. :)

Hope you all are having a good start to your week. 

Much love..................Marilyn xxoo

In the Red

Since I had a lot of red paint left over from my Sophia spread (below), I decided to go with the Valentine's them in my own way. On the left page,of my journal, I created a male silhouette using a magazine image and the woman was stamped onto white tissue paper and collaged. 

Awhile ago I was Blog hopping and for the life of me cannot recall what Blog I saw this technique or I would refer to the artist who gave me the inspiration for the right-hand page of this spread.  The artist stamped the page, in red, using a plastic heart-shape cupcake mold.  I thought it was very cool!  I felt that, someday, I might head out to find myself one of those cupcake molds.

On a recent road trip to Michael's I came across a dollar bin with all kinds of Valentine do dads and in one of the bins was a small plastic heart-shape candy mold.  I liked it better than the larger cupcake mold and knew it had my name on it :)

So; the right-hand page of this spread was stamped with the candy mold.  I simply painted over the molds making sure I picked up the edges of the hearts and stamped onto the page.  Fun, huh?   Within the hearts I collaged some words and added little touches around the spread.  It really was quick spread, too.

Wishing you all a safe and happy weekend.

Love much - Marilyn xxoo

That Face!

Tomorrow is the first day of February and thoughts turn to Valentine's Day. I'm not a gushy,mushy type when it comes to celebrating the day but I do like the feel of the day.   It just sets the day up for feelings of thinking about what and who we love. I am fortunate to have many loves, in my life, and all who know me realize that my life totally lights up with love for my granddaughter.

I created this journal spread, with Sophia in mind, as I sketched her using the Christmas card photo of her that was sent by her parents. I just loved the expression on her face and I swear that expression was the same one she wore all Christmas day :)    

While this isn't a traditional Valentine's arrangement, most of my holiday-type works are not, this is my Valentine's dedication to Sophia!   I "heart" her!

Love to all of you!                       -Marilyn xxoo

Garden Angel

First I'd like to thank everyone for the positive feedback on my video tutorial (previous post).  I can see and hear where I have a ways to go to get a bit more comfortable with a video camera :)   But it was fun and I do plan on working on some more formal video offerings in future.  Again; thank you all for your support as I couldn't do it without you!  Truly!

This is a photo of the completed journal spread.  I call this my Garden Angel.

I wish you all a good weekend and hope your weather is cooperating.  We've been experiencing one of the mildest winters on record!  We get little bits of snow, here and there, but nothing major - mostly rain and the temps are holding in the mild zone and especially for January.  I'm sure we'll get hit with a couple of major storms but we're approaching February already!  I just wonder how this will all effect our Spring. 

I'll be back in the coming week.  I'm working on a special Valentine's journal spread with a very special guest sketch :)

Love and peace to all..................Marilyn

Video Tutorial....Stamped Tissue Paper Overlay

 

Journaling with Sophia :)

Last week was our journal club gathering; Melanie and I offer this every month and this month's activity was sharing the grid technique in our journals.

I first thought, perhaps, the book that I am using was a bit too small for the grid but once I began, I could see it really fits nicely.  After all; we've worked on smaller scales than this, in the past, with 4 x 4 pages, ATC's, even inches and twinchies :)

We used watercolor for our medium, collage, stamps, drawings, etc. and I decided to dedicate my grid spread to Sophia.  I traced pictures of her onto the page using graphite paper and then added the watercolor touches, etc.   She is growing in leaps and bounds, is two already, and she attends a dance class one day a week. I had an opportunity to get pictures of her in her tutu (I even got "Sheppie" in there, and I just love her little ballet slippers. It is so special to incorporate her into my journal work.

Hope you are all having a good weekend and I wish you a safe and happy week ahead.

I might be a little quiet, here, for a bit, but I still will be able to visit your Blogs to see what you are up to.

Be back soon...........................Love to all, Marilyn xxoo