Woops!

I seemed to have missed creating a post last week, and at this point I'm unsure whether I actually did anything in the studio given I was out and about while John was in respite.  I have been in there this past week, though, while I started on a unicorn project for a granddaughter' 5th birthday,

tore up some of those papers I was making,

worked in a sketch book on some collages with them,

and even made some progress on three.

With any luck, I might even finish them all this week.  It's such a treat to have play time in the studio that I'm putting it on my wish list for every artist in the world for the coming week, and everyone is an artist in one form or another.  Here's to us all getting our art on!! 

Learning curve indeed...

 ...is the name of the game.

Before I finished the first nine collages, I was quite happy with one of them.  Testing a new-to-me technique, though, had me wanting to tear my hair out. I can see that adding the 'stencil on tissue paper' is a technique that will take a ton of practice.  It may be that I'll go back to my tried and true asemic writing and learn that one next lifetime. 🤣

I did enjoy the last three of the warm colour collages coming to life, though.

And now I'm in the midst of the cool colour paper-making.  I'll show you some results of those next week.  In the meantime, I've got another bee in my bonnet and I'm getting prepped for spring!

Hope your week has been fabulous - I'm heading off to see what you've been up to!!  

Every week it seems...

 ...to be a day later than I suspect.  Summers are just like that, aren't they?

I did manage to do some work on some small collages, and will just keep at it (forever?).  It's  so fascinating to see what bits of scraps can do when they play together.

Here's to endless experimentation with bits of paper and a wide range of colours. . . 

It's wild in the studio...

 ...and a wee bit earthy (or at least as earthy as I ever get), with the latest lesson in Tracy Verdugo's Abstract Mojo.  The assignment was to create a raft of organic-looking marks on both white printer paper and kraft paper using bits and pieces of things gathered from the outside.  Naturally, the day I was doing this, it snowed.  I improvised by using some of my dried greenery for mark-making, some of my hand-crafted stencils, and a great deal of imagination.  It was, of course, near-impossible to stop, 'cause you know how much I love to make paper!  

Step two was to paint a background for the papers on a sheet of watercolour paper, another fun playtime.

In the demo, Tracy then collaged the papers over the entire piece before cutting into three pieces.  I did the reverse, and either way is fine.

I lay the torn bits of paper out before applying liquid medium to stick 'em down.

I did some additional mark-making in both the background and on the torn pieces to create some push-pull.

Although well out of my normal colour comfort zone (I am in major experimental model with both colour and technique), I think they make interesting strata pieces.

And during some play with the camera, I found this 'Noir' mode, which I like as well.  

I will play with these some more, adding more layers, and no doubt pushing them well beyond acceptability - what could be more fun?!

Hope you've had a lot of creative dance in your week - tell me what you're doing in the comments below, please?!!!

Studio mayhem...

...has struck again, with a host of projects on the go.

I'm in steampunk mode, making gears from fun foam (and yes, I did fussy cut these).

I gave them a heavy coat of black gesso, and then tore into them with three or four colours of  Inka Gold.  I think they're starting to get that steampunky look, don't you?  The largest is about 8" in diameter and I will not tell you how long it took to cut them.

I've got a lot more to cut, gesso and gild before there's enough for a 47" diameter clock created by Bart Bjorkman of Puffin Design.  The clock itself he's repurposed from an old table top:

I think the combination will be a knock-out, if I can just get the scissors and time to cooperate; I've been calling this 'The Impossible Clock' for so long I'm afraid the moniker will stick.

I'm also working on a couple of large floral paintings/collages for an upcoming show in Kimberley. The flowers, leaves and stems are all Gelli prints.  In this photo, I'm working on placement of flowers and flies on the background...somewhere in my studio chaos are some stems and leaves to add to the mix.

The second large floral has an entirely different colour scheme as you can see in this sneak peak...it's more my usual subtle colour style don't you think? 

I also finished a felted piece, my first ever, last night at Carmen's workshop.  What an amazing experience that was.  I somehow managed to forget my camera, although with water dripping from every part of my body throughout the night, it certainly wouldn't have accomplished much anyway. Suffice it to say that wet felting is just as colouricious as any other visual art form (although very much wetter, I must say).

All in all I feel progress is being made and I fully expect you will see some completed pieces here in the next while.  I hope your creative life is going gangbusters too.

Back at TAPS...

...and loving it.  The theme this week was Crazy Creston, and it was another afternoon of laughter and fun.

I particularly enjoyed the camaraderie around the table as some of the participants worked together to create these wild and wacky collages.

It was obvious that they enjoyed not only the process but the results.

So many of them likened the experience of collage as a 'return to kindergarten', and they certainly looked like a bunch of happy children as they finished.

How this delightful woman managed to work upside down as her partner across the table gave her directions is beyond me!

 I'm loving that multi-storied building in this young woman's collage!

 Each collage had their own style and flavour,

and some of them generated a whole lot of monkey business.  See the two nearly nude men in this one?

It was a delight to watch them work and see their final results.  Unfortunately, I seem to have missed a few participants and their work in the photo-taking department.  Fire the photographer, I say!

I can see there's a strong possibility of repeat action on collaging - they all took to it like the proverbial ducks to water.

Naturally, I'm now (again) hooked on collage, and will be adding that to some of my journals over the next while.  It's such an ongoing inspiration to play with others, isn't it?

There is...

,,,an amazing package for seniors here in Creston - the Therapeutic Action Program for Seniors (TAPS).  Enabling seniors to stay in their homes for as long as possible, there are a range of activities and services provided.

Last week, I had an opportunity to engage some of the group  (sixteen or so) in a collage fest, and we had a blast. An inter-generational program, the participants ranged in age from 'nearly seven' to goodness knows what.  We cut and tore strips and circles and outrageous shapes into a garden that could have rivalled Eden, I suspect.

Can you tell this happened on St. Patrick's Day?

 The pieces were outstanding,

and everyone who participated had their own unique take on things.

 I was so impressed with this munchkin and her brother (below).  Naturals!

 We used Gelli prints and National Geographic magazines (heresy, I know),

 and the results were beyond colourful!

 The best part is, we get to do it all again this week...

this time with houses.  We're thinking the results will be Crazy Creston.