Month: September 2014

Create…

Mary1 Comment

“if you do what you always did, you will get what you always got”   ~attributed to Albert Einstein~

This is a collage I made a few weeks ago.  It’s a page from a book about the sea and as the chapter title denotes, it tells what to do if your boat springs a leak.  I have no qualms about tearing pages out of the book because the information in it is most likely out of date now.  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.  🙂

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I completed some more 4x4s yesterday.  This first set is all collage.  I took of photo of the piece before cutting it down into 4x4s:

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The written French notes were in an old French text book I found at a local flea market.  Most of the other collage pieces are from a fashion magazine.  This set numbers 121-124:

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This set includes oil pastels, acrylic paints, homemade stamps, Distress Inks and spray inks.  This set numbers 125-128:

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Enjoy your day and have a great weekend!….until next time…

more…

Mary2 Comments

“We need to commit to our creative path.  I don’t mean to want to do it in our hearts or to make plans to do it.  I mean to actually do it.”  ~Sue Monk Kidd~ from The Dance of the Dissident Daughter

I did manage to complete eight more 4×4’s this week.  Only 80 more to go 🙂

I have been watching some videos about doodling.  It’s a fascinating process.  I don’t like to do suggested patterns that many zentanglers draw, but prefer to let the pattern flow as I go.  That’s just me, the patterns of Zentangles are really beautiful and intricate.  The videos by Pic Candle intrigued me this week.  She does more of a cartoon style of doodling but I really like it.  I also like the little creatures that Teesha Moore  draws in some of her journals.

Here’s one of many videos on You Tube by Pic Candle:

I went off into my sketching foray but I don’t think sketching per se is my cup of tea.  I like sketching and I will sketch sometimes but to keep a daily sketch book….I don’t know if I can do that.  Collage is what I love to do most…that along with painting.  I think a  challenge for myself next year is going to be to get over my fear of painting on canvas…painting big.  That being said, I do realize that I am learning valuable techniques and experimentation from doing my 4×4 series.

Here are this week’s 4×4’s.  This first set numbers 113-116:

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The next set numbers 117-120:

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…until next time

painting and painting…

Mary1 Comment

“Creativity is

inventing,

experimenting,

growing,

taking risks,

breaking rules,

making mistakes,

and having fun.”

~Mary Lou Cook~

Here are the latest 4×4’s I have finished.  I’m up to 112 now 🙂

I felt like I needed to do something else to this first set.  I couldn’t think what, so, I’m letting them stand as they are.  It’s acrylic paint on Bristol paper.  This set numbers 101-104:

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I glued down very small squares on a painted background for this next set.  I used some scraps from painted papers and other collage scraps.  This set numbers 105-108:

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I used acrylic paint, collage pieces, black Stabilo pencil, and a handmade stencil on this set.  I like the combination of red and raw umber.  This set numbers 109-112:

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I am painting an old chest to put back into our newly refurbished bedroom.  It measures a little over five feet long. My husband remembers it being around when he was very young. I decided to paint this because I looked for a new one but couldn’t find anything as well made as this old piece.  It had a few dings and the veneer peeled off in a few areas.  I filled those with wood filler and sanded it down.  It’s a work in progress:

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This is the first coat of Kilz 2.  The drawer fronts are all  “Kilzed” too.  I plan to glue (Mod Podge) some old maps on each end.  The dresser will be painted 21st Century Blue semi-gloss by Valspar. My next decision to make about this project is:  do I keep the old drawer pulls or find something more modern.  Since I am a big believer in using what you have and recycling, I’m thinking I’ll just go with the old pulls and spray paint them with sort of faux metal paint.

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Here are the bedroom colors:

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The accent wall color is the wall behind our bed. It’s actually a Behr color(Solar Flare)  but all our paint is from our local building supply store and they carry Valspar paints. I took a chance when I picked the orange color for that wall but we both really love it!  We used the Valspar Medallion paint and primer all in one.  It covered the walls with one coat.  When I get everything back in place, I’ll post some photos of the room.

That’s all for now…