Altered Art Book

These are some of the pages I have been working on in an old geometry book.
I sewed the pages of the one above together.
It was a cool old book with lots of diagrams in it but I have found I have to be careful as the pages are very frail.
I used at least a dozen pages per picture to make it sturdy enough to paint on.
It may tell a "story" when I am done with it.

What's On my Mind??

My latest art pieces. They are painted in acrylics and are just images that came to my mind, which makes my husband wonder where my mind is at lately. lol. the second one of the lily, is a card I painted and gave to my daughter for her first wedding anniversary. I am working on my first altered book, which has been fun. Autumn seems to be closing in fast so must turn my attentions to my gardens. Would be happy to hear anyone's opinion on what the first and third paintings look like to you.

art past and present

Oil painting of ginko leaves

The seasons of a tree
Oval oil abstract
Bottle oil painting
Card I made for my niece.

Right now I am working on learning how to make paper mache bowls.
When they are done then I will paint them.
I like the fact that it is recycling the fun way.
I am also working on 3 paintings, at the same time. They are all coming along pretty well.
Enjoying this lovely cool summer we are having and being in the garden every day.

Ink & Watercolor

I've painted over some of my abstract paintings, just letting a little color show thru.
Then I took some green ink and a small brush and made a design. Using watercolors and silk paint I added some colors. I really like how it turned out. I started a second one that isn't finished yet. Working on two at the same time, helps me not to over do it on one each, as I find my thrifty soul wants to use up all the paint on my palette. I was inspired by a fashion magazine layout, where the background looked like ink drawings with just parts of it colored in.

This road is cooler

My daughter came to dinner tonight and I showed her this, as I value her opinion. She thought it looked best upside down. So am posting this version of it. This way the form in the upper right hand corner looks like a person to her, that is playing the violin and it takes on a kinda of African art feel. I love it when others see images in my art!

One More For The Road

The inspiration. I usually don't sketch it first but this got me going!

The bottom layers using Paper Perfect for texture and acrylic glazes.

The middle layer of collaged pictures and mulberry paper.

The end result. Sketching out an idea really worked this time! I usually just start right in and let the picture lead me. And then I usually get stuck somewhere towards the end

I am calling this One More For The Road. The name has nothing to do with anything in the picture. It is just that I must very soon, start looking for and working at a new job.

After having been in a slump with art work for so long, the thought that soon I wouldn't have all the free time to paint whenever I wanted really motivated me! Which is why I was running up to work on it tonight whenever I had 10 minutes free.

My hubbie very nicely let me keep painting even after he went to sleep, which is why the photo isn't very bright. He appreciates that when the creative mood strikes me I just need to keep going. And he knows that going back to work after more than 4 years is going to be a challenge for me. So, I felt like a child trying to get the most out of the last days of summer. I was happy the whole time I was working on it. I now know, that I can still paint. And that though my life may be changing, I will still have the evenings and weekends to look forward to!

New Beginnings with my Art

Watercolor I made for my Mom as a Christmas present.
IBook page where I was playing around with angles.
IBook page of images that I really liked by themselves. Love clear glass ornaments.


I made this to try out the little needle top applicator I found at the art store.
It looks more like a spider web than stained glass but it is my first try.

I was reading a blog of a woman who wrote that she has caps for her paints that allow her to make thin lines. I liked the effect so went hunting for the caps, the bottle was all they had.
I was able to make my own mixture of gel medium, water and 3 colors of acrylic paints. It worked well though holding a small bottle does not give you that sweeping arm movement that I like as when using long-handled brushes.

The little pieces of paper were from an EBay auction I recently won that had a variety of stuff.
I love getting a mix of items that other artists use that allow me to try out new things. They are like new toys for me so I was as excited as a child when they came.

I really, really need to make some time just to practice my artwork. Am thinking of finding a little sketch book and at least a couple of times a week making little design drawings in it.
By using colored pencils and markers I could add some color combinations. I am not the type to do a bunch of little drawings before I start a new painting and this gets me into trouble sometimes. I still want the spontaneity but when I get stuck in the middle I can have the designs I drew to help me along to the next level.


On the home front, we have spent the last couple of days keeping an eye on our basement.
The yard is filled with water and the creek over-flowed once again and we were all prepared for another flood. ( just had a major one 3 months ago) We really hadn't done anything to the basement since then, other than to rip out walls and tile so we weren't as worried because there wasn't much the water could hurt, except for the new furnace. Amazingly we only had huge puddles in places. The bummer was that it kept us from going to Wisconsin to celebrate Christmas with my family. We are hoping to get up there in the next couple of days and have a belated celebration with my Mom and sister.

I hope my Mom likes the painting I made for her. She lives on a lake with lots of trees in her yard and the birches are one of her favorites. I made the trees by ripping up some strips of painting tape and putting it on the paper first and then doing watercolor washes over it.
I then added some black ink to outline them.

Trying to get on canvas what I imagine in my mind, is one of the biggest struggles I have when I am creating. Sometimes there are happy surprises and I go with it. Other times I realize that I am just out of practice..... then there are times when I just want to yell argggg and grab a match!

I remember my collage teacher telling me that you should expect one out of every 10 pieces to come out like you wanted and the others are just practice. I admit to impatience. I want my pieces to look good from the beginning. I have to remind myself that the good ones are often made in steps or layers and are not the finished product. I want instant art satisfaction!!

So one of my resolutions for the new year is to practice more and with that I hope to gain some patience and with that the confidence I need to go on. There is something about the new year that gives you a nice feeling of being able to just start over fresh. I like that a lot!!