I've decided to jump in to the "Challenge Craze" out there in blogland! I've chosen 4X4 Friday's challenge for my first time out!!! The theme for this week is Favorite Color. I have several favorite colors, but have decided to go with Green for this project.
Image from the Paper Imagery Design Collection
This morning I attended the monthly meeting of the Collage Sisthars Collaborative (the first meeting that I have attended in a really long time). The project demonstrated for this month was Shrine making (inspired by Michael DeMeng style) and this is what I came up with....
I need to look at it for a while and do some tweaking, but for all intents and purposes, it is complete, finished, a wrap---a "miracle"!!! It is a miracle, for those of you who don't know me too well, because I never, ever, ever start a project and finish it the same day!!
I spent Sunday afternoon visiting with my son Dan who lives in the "Wrigleyville" area of Chicago (also known as the Lakeview Area and the home of the Chicago Cubbies!). His place is about two blocks from Wrigley Field. It is a lovely refurbished Brownstone building on a charming street. Most of the buildings in the area are lovely old Brownstones with the most fabulous doors and windows. I just LOVE doors and windows!!! They inspire my art and I use them often in many of my pieces. We went for a walk and I took lots of pix. This is just one of them---if you'd like to see more, check out my flickr site. The link is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26088419@N00/ . I've got more to say about my weekend, but that will have to wait until later.
The February/March Issue of Stamper's Sampler is now available at your local Book Seller!!! I picked up my copy at Barnes & Nobles earlier this afternoon. I submitted this piece in October 2007 after teaching a class at the Peoples Resource Center of Dupage County based on the magazine's "Tempting Template" Challenge. As a class we each created a Mixed Media Crown---after all each of us is a Princess (or QUEEN)!!! I submitted all of the finished Crowns created by the following participants in the class---Rosie Dixon, Rita Moon Kain, Yolanda Robsertson, Carol Thomas, Mary Warner and myself. I included class notes/instructions and a little bit about how each individual Crown was created. I was notified by the magazine in late November that my Crown had been selected for publication. I immediately contacted the magazine to find out if all of the Crowns were to be included---because they all were so lovely. They told me that my Crown was the only one being published in this issue, but they were going to keep the other Crowns to be considered for another of their publications, The Stamper's Sampler "Catch Up" Issue. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they all will get chosen to be published in the upcoming Catch Up Issue! I would post pix of all of the submitted Crowns, but one of the magazine's submission guidelines is that they can't have been previously published in either a magazine or on the internet. I will keep you updated as to what happens to the "Queen's Court"!!!
This is my final contribution to the Calendar Girlz 2007 Calendar Journal Round Robin. These are the pages I created in Joanne Thieme Huffman's Journal. The Calendar theme was "Library of Congress - Women Who Dare". My apologies to Joanne for the delay in finishing her pages and for being slow throughout the year. I learned two very important things during this Round Robin---I am not cut out to participate in long term projects, and having to create art within a specific time frame is a problem for me. My life gets very complicated at times and to quote John Lennon, "Life is what happens while we are busy making other plans". Completing this project ends ALL of my past collaborative/swap commitments. I have mentioned this before, but I will say it again---in the future I will not be participating in any collaborative projects or swaps. I will only be doing personal art exchanges on a one by one basis with a few of my "art friends". I plan on focusing more on creating art for myself and teaching. I'd also like to dabble in exhibiting and possibly selling some of my work. So with that said, here is my work...
It has been forever (almost forever---before Christmas 2007) since I last blogged. I will be back later today to catch-up with what I've been doing/done since Christmas. I will leave you with a little tease for now....
(above original art created by Saray-Viola)
(above original art created by Saray-Viola)
(above original art created by Saray-Viola)
Here are the pix of the artwork that I created in Vale McFadden's October 2007 Calendar Journal. This journal was the second to the last journal I will be working in this year. It is now on it's way to Joanne Huffman in Michigan. I will begin working in Joanne's journal later this week---the final one!!! At the end of November this year long collaboration will come to an end. Joanne's journal will return home to her and my journal will make it's way home to me. As always, thanks for looking and commenting!
Here are the pix of my contribution (23 pages) to the "Skinny Book Swap" hosted by Chrysti Hydeck. They are 4"x8" mixed media original art. I am happy to say that (besides one more month of a Calendar Journal Round Robin) the completion of this project marks the end of my current swap commitments.
For a very long time now, I have envied the wonderful Acrylic Backgrounds created by my very talented fellow artist (the other Schneider!!) Belinda Schneider---see her blog "Bel's Nook" at http://belindaschneider.wordpress.com/ . She does all this fabulous artwork on these very complicated looking backgrounds and I love each and every piece she creates! I own two pieces of her art---an ATC that she sent to me some time ago so I could see an example of her backgrounds and a fabulous Gothic Arch page that I received recently as part of a Gothic Arch Collaborative project that I participated in with her and 12 other women. So, to make a long story short, I was at my favorite Barnes and Nobles several weeks ago doing what I like to do best---drinking a Starbuck's Latte and browsing the new magazines. I sat down with my stack of magazines and my latte and started to flip through the new Rubber Stamper Magazine. The first thing that caught my eye (on page 22 of the August/September issue) was an article titled "Fun With Acrylic Backgrounds" by the talented Belinda Schneider of Luxumbourg, Luxembourg!!! I don't usually purchase (I just take a peek at it while I am at the bookstore) this particular magazine anymore since Rubber Stamping is no longer the focus of my art, BUT I HAD TO HAVE THIS ONE!!!! Her article is an exceptionally well written one with lots of pictures and EASY to follow directions!!! So there you have it!! I am now fascinated with and busy making Acrylic Backgrounds to use in some of my ongoing projects!! I have quite a few more drying in my kitchen. I will post more later. I will also post some of my completed projects once they are done.
Some time ago (I don't remember when), I signed on for a 1x1 swap called "One Hundred Inchies In One Hundred Days". This project is being hosted by the wonderful Trudi Sissons (her blog---Two Dresses Studio) up in Canada. She is a terrific hostess---very low key and no "guilt trips" or pressure for delayed mailings. My dream kind of swap---where I don't feel the pressure of a rigid, looming deadline. Serious deadlines = creative block for me sometimes. Not only is Trudi a great hostess and talented artist, she has great recipes and holiday ideas to share. She celebrated Canada's Thanksgiving this past weekend and she shared her "secret plan" for the holiday. I am thinking of duplicating her plan for my family Thanksgiving next month!!! I am anxious to hear how all turned out for her so I can tweak it a bit before I put it into action!!!
Here are the scans of my Inchies for the swap and a few more that are just for my own collection!
The Audrey's and the Marilyn's are for my own collection....
In the last month or so I have gotten hooked on creating art in the Gothic Arch shape. If you scroll down a little on my blog you can see several samples of my newest obsession! I participated in a Gothic Arch Book Swap with twelve other talented artists (all overseas) and received back the most incredible pages in the swap back last week (I will scan the pages later and post them to the blog for you to see). Receiving these beautiful pages motivated me to start a Gothic Arch Art group on Flickr! This group is a place for anyone who enjoys creating (or would like to create) using the Gothic Arch shape. It will be a place to share your art and to view art from others. It will be fun to see all the different interpretations of the Gothic Arch Shape. So far there are 26 members and we are beginning to see some beautiful pieces of art added to the group page. I would like to invite all of you who are reading this to take a peek and join us if you'd like. The arch shape lends itself to any kind of art and any kind of medium. There is no limitation to size---big, small, tall, wide, skinny, whatever you would like. The only rule is that it has to curve and come to a point at the top! Here is the link to the group Gothic Arch Art on Flickr.
I will be uploading a Gothic Arch template in my next post. I posted it on the Flickr group site earlier, but there seems to be a problem with downloading it, so I will add it here and link it to the site. This is only one template for an arch---it does not mean that you need to create your arches with this template only! This is just an example for those who are not familiar with the shape.
Hope to see you there!!!
I have been in a really strange mood for the past week or so. Kinda blue and depressed. There is absolutely not a thing or reason for me to feel that way---it is just the way I am wired (weird in October---hmmm...weird/wired kind of the same???). I usually don't get very personal on my blog. I have always pretty much stuck to posting my art and very generic "fluff" stuff. Don't know what is wrong with me, but here I go again.....
NO. 1 NEW CONFESSION FOR THE EVENING (aka more than you ever really wanted to know about me):
I was mad at my husband tonight after dinner so I did my "I'm mad at you and I'm gonna disappear for the evening thing" (am I bad or what???). I left Joey and Steve to fend for themselves---poor boys! Where did I go? I went to where I always go when I disappear---to my local Barnes and Nobles!! I buy a Starbucks, Triple, Venti, Non-Fat, 3 Equal, NO FOAM Latte and then I do..........
NO. 2 CONFESSION: I sit in a comfy chair and read all of the Art Books and Art Magazines that I know I will never buy----AND I take notes on the few things that interest me. I am really bad aren't I???? And you all thought that I was a really nice person---better take another look!!! Maybe it has to do with my recent RED HAIR dye job (love my hair red!!), or the funky boho/hippy real vintage, hand tooled pocketbook I bought on ebay for $20 bucks. Maybe it is the "real"??? me coming out????? The wanna be me with a little bit of attitude??? Maybe it is the full moon earlier this week---did you see that Harvest Moon??? It was amazing!
So friends, that is what I have been up to today! Maybe the "blues" are passing. Come back for an update soon.
I've also done a bit of art the past few weeks while I wasn't blogging. I have it scanned, I just haven't taken the time to upload it. I will try to do that later tonight. Bye for now!
These are my contribution to the "Skylines and Skyscrapers" swap on the In This House Yahoo group. The instructions were to create 20 business card size (2x3-1/2) houses, skyscrapers, or buildings. I had so much fun making these that I actually made some extras to keep myself!!
