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Sunday, August 26, 2012

Challenges

My wonderful groups of online friends have really kept me busy with challenges. The last two challenges made me aware of some of my preferences and how it affects my creativity. One of the challenges was to create get-well cards for hospital patients. At first, I was gung ho, using clip art, some copies of my paintings and then composing them in Photoshop. I was right in my comfort zone. All I had to do next was print them out and add a little embossing and bling. Right? Wrong! One of my friends uploaded her cards for us to see and my heart sank. She had created some wonderfully simple, loving hands at home, cards. Mine looked, by comparison, like something from the Dollar Store. Needles to say they went into the collage pile and the project was back to square one. I sat at my drawing board, covered with every kind of paint, ink, pen and pencil I own and leaving very little space to work. Where do I begin? For some strange reason I was creatively blocked. I realized I did not know how let go and play unless it was some abstract design. I managed to paint a couple little watercolors and find a few happy accidents that pleased me. I added some bling and mounted them on card stock. After assembling five cards, although created from the heart and acceptable, I decided that Hallmark would never employ me and turned in my card maker badge. 
ATC # 1

The piles of scrapes have now become fodder for the next challenge, which is ATCs. This one is more my speed. I started layering with the stained tissue scraps, using some rubber stamps that have sat idle in their tray for years. Most of my inks pads have dried up so I used a sponge with bottled inks and gouache. After getting back into my zone, I realized the theme was fall! I was using the jewel tones from the scrapes of my get-well cards.

Digital ATC

In search of fall inspiration, I turned to my digital files.I found one I created a few months ago in Polyvore and cropped it to an ATC size. It has the feel of what I want. I think I will transfer it to my card like a digital rubber stamp then layer it with tissues and other handwork. I’m actually feeling playful again :O)


Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Rent It


I recently bought the latest video by Ann Bagby and unfortunately it did not live up to her other videos. Although I was fascinated watching Ann draw the portrait and preparing surfaces in her altered book, she spent a lot of time showing how to mix and apply resin coating to the covers. Maybe it is because of where I am now in my life that I was a little disappointed. Being retired I live on a tight budget and I try to spend wisely on art supplies, etc. Resin coating is not on my top must have list. It is tricky to work with and messy. A Krylon triple coat gloss spray works great for me. I discovered after I bought the video, I could have rented it for a day at Artclick.tv for only $6.95, (which is all I would need). I guess another thing that hit a nerve was that she recommended using a Wall Street Journal newspaper for words and collage fonts. Hello? I have too many free papers thrown in my driveway and I do not subscribe to the Wall Street Journal. I know I am being overly sensitive, but even what appears to be a corporate male subject, represent all of the things that upset me now. I prefer her clowns and more ornate women. Just saying
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