This studio is so colourful...

...that my head is near exploding.  As I went through the scrap box for bits and pieces to add to some journal pages, I found a TON of accidental artworks, all 3" x 4"  and down to much smaller bits.  I thought you'd like to take a peek:

We (that's me, my students, friends, art buddies and studio visitors) use this scrap box for a host of things - tags, greeting cards, bookmarks, art journaling and more.  It's rather like digging for buried treasure.

And just in case you thought I'd been spending too much time drooling instead of playing, here are a few of the current in-progress pieces.

The plastic wrap from last week is now sporting some foil - more (something) to come, no doubt!

Love is not what the mind thinks, but what the heart feels.  Greg Evans, Cartoonist

If there ever comes a day when we can't be together,
keep me in your heart; I'll stay there forever.
Winnie the Pooh,  A. A. Milne

...and a whimsical journal spread

 While I'm working on another video technique, it's not going to be ready until some major editing gets done, and the editing elves are on holiday this week.  Check in next week to see whether their vacation is over!

What's happening in your studio this week?  Journals/cards/paintings/etc., or resting?  Keep me posted in the comments below!

Colour drooling...

 is always part of my day, and it was a constant over the weekend.  With Alice Saltiel and Meg Nicks (along with their hubbies) in situ, I got my fill.

We got a foil demo from Meg as she worked on this piece

Meg's foil demo

Foil demo close-up

 and I turned my test blobs into flowers. 

Alice's request to start with (before Meg and Paul arrived) was a spate of paper painting.  I somehow missed getting photos of any of hers, so I took one of mine.  We were going to do this every evening as we finished for the day, but that plan flew south with the geese.

After long days in the studio, it was time for a glass or two!

Meg starts happy hour

Meg is the queen of texture as you can see from this work in progress.

I (again) neglected to get a photo of this lovely plastic wrap background when finished, but it was awesome.

A too-pale combination background of cobweb and plastic wrap begged for a redo, so I slathered on some paint and did a plastic wrap of my own.  I wonder what will happen with this background...

We leaf printed up a storm (Bill included),

Alice and Bill are leaf printing

Lear printing on top left - first print on the gel plate
Top right direct printing with painty leaves
Bottom centre - ghost or haunt print from gel plate

Had I been the least bit on the ball, I would have dozens of photos; the production was prodigious and the experimentation wild.  I'll be testing techniques for months as I integrate all that learning!

And on another note, I get to tell you that the winner of the draw on September 15 was Angela!  Given she's halfway around the world, I suspect that one of the 8.5. x 11" pieces will be on the way to her soon!  Thank you all for playing along, and feel free to send any more love quotes you find; they will come to a good end, I suspect!

Happy week all you artsy people - feel free to drop a comment and let me know what's up in your art world! 

Artist madness...

strikes frequently in this house, giving rise to crazy projects like a pink horse, dryer sheet curtains, a crazy head, and more.  My most recent madness centred around some patio furniture...the cushions (red and turquoise) didn't match the chairs (dark brown and gold tones), the walls (peach) or the floors (rusty).  In fact nothing matched at all.

It was time to get out a  hand cut house wrap stencil and get to play.

It seemed like it would be relatively simple to pounce some paint through the stencil onto the cushions,

but by the time I did a couple of test pieces,

pinned and pounced a variety of colours,

on soft, squishy cushions six times over,

I was beyond crazed.  Did I say squishy?  They were slippery, elusive, recalcitrant, difficult and downright sneaky.

Four days, six cushions, seven colours, and a tortuously bent back later, the patio is looking pretty Boho.  I can only hope I will be able to find a tablecloth for the table that matches at least one of the colours.

And me?  I can be found muttering to myself in the back corner of the studio, multi-coloured sponges in hand, and a paint-thickened stencil standing on its own next to me as I cower from the paint tubes that seem to be on the attack.  I'm afraid of what might come next.

How about you?  What did your Muse get you up to this week?  I'd love to hear in the comments below!

I am...

...at the 'I AM' series again, and making every effort to incorporate gel prints,

 quilted collages,

 experimental papers

 and tangled drawings.

And of course I couldn't let the week go by without a little love...

Some people are tough to love; practice loving them anyway...  Wingdings

because your quotes keep coming in and they are outstanding.  

Love is in the air       song by George Young and Harry Vanda

There are just ten days left to get your quotes in - each quote gives you an opportunity to win either a class registration or one of these paintings if you're too far away to come and play with me.  I'm specifically looking for quotes by artists (visual, musical, writers, philosophers, etc.) that are related to love and/or hearts.  Bring 'em on, my friends!