Comfort Cottage

Be Kind To Your Dreams

This is a special post in honor of the fourth anniversary of Pink Saturday.  For the past four years, Beverly at How Sweet The Sound has been bringing hundreds of sweet and creative bloggers together in a celebration of all things pink.  I've come to believe that our weekly virtual gatherings  have far more to offer than a love of pink.  They are a celebration of life and friendship.  Each person who participates brings to the table his or her own special corner of the world.  It is here that we learn both how we are different, and how we are the same.  To all of the friends I've made, from every corner of the globe,  Happy Pink Saturday!!!

Over the years, we've shared so much.  I've come to view my world from a completely different perspective.  Everything I see and do becomes something I want to share with all of you.  My latest piece of art and the message it brings is for you.

 

 

Be Kind To Your Dreams

10" x 10"

Mixed Media on Canvas

 

To join our birthday celebration, just click on the Pink Saturday icon in my right sidebar.  I hope you have a lovely weekend!

 

Until next time,

 

The Whisper

It seems as if everywhere we turn, there is someone telling us what we should do, who we should be, where we should go.  Some of these voices will be well-meaning, but some will have their own agenda.  It can be really easy to lose our way in all of the noise.  Before we know it, we are doing things and going places we never intended.  One day, if we are lucky, we wake up and wonder just whose life it is we are living.   We really need to keep listening for the whisper from within...the one that comes from the most authentic part of ourselves.  What is your soul trying to tell you?

 

 

The Whisper

10" x 10"

Mixed Media on Canvas

 

I prepared my canvas by collaging it with various vintage printed materials.  They were adhered with matte gel medium.  I added layers of painted, sponged and splattered  texture with Liquitex heavy-bodied acrylics.  I lightly sketched in the face before painting it.  I enhanced edges with Derwent Tinted Charcoal pencils.  I sketched in the vine, painted it and enhanced edges with a Sakura Pigma Micron pen and a white gel pen.  The rose, bird, mariner's compass and words were printed out from my computer and adhered with gel medium.  I added finishing touches of paint and sealed the surface with a matte acrylic spray.

 

I'm hoping to have more to show you before the end of the week.  There may also be another quilt/fabric adventure with my sister/partner-in-crime.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

 

Until next time,

 

Rise

I have a new mixed-media painting to show you, and I'm very excited about it.  Those of you who have become familiar with my art have probably noticed that there is not a face to be found in all of my works (At least, not a human one).  To quote Emerson, "Unless you have tried to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow."   Today, it was time to grow.

 

Rise

11" x 14"

Mixed Media on Canvas

 

I used gel medium to adhere various vintage ephemera to the canvas.  This was followed by sponging/tapping/splattering acrylic gouache.  I lightly penciled in the face before I painted it.  I added the bird, vines, flowers and my own words.  I printed out the words and the bird from my computer and adhered them with gel medium.  I used Derwent Tinted Charcoal pencils,  a Sakura Micron pen, and oil pastels to enhance edges.  After the paint is fully cured, I'll spray with an acrylic matte varnish.  The edges of the canvas are painted black.

May we have the courage to pick ourselves up...one more time.

 

Until next time,

 

Finished Pages

Yesterday I shared the beginnings of two new art journal pages.  Today was a productive day in the studio.  I finished both pages!

 

 

 

How was your weekend?  I hope the weather where you are was as delightful as it was here.  Tomorrow, I'm off to New Jersey to see my niece's new Bernese mountain dog puppy, Moses.  I'll try to get lots of pictures!  See you again soon.

 

Until next time,

 

Art Journal Fun And A Gift For You

When reading a book I purchased recently, I came face to face with the art of Teesha Moore, who is well known for her beautiful art journal pages, amongst many other things.  The book is Creative Wildfire by L. K. Ludwig.  Teesha is one of the featured artists. 

 

 

Creative Wildfire is packed with ideas on approaches to art journaling, beginning to advanced techniques and interviews with many artists.  It will truly set a fire under the aspiring journal artist, and if you haven't started that journal yet, you will want to after reading this!

Being a fan of Teesha's art, I, of course, had to check out her website.  Wow!  It is an amazing and inspiring place.  She has wonderful videos to watch, including a fabulous series on art journaling.  If you have been curious about what an art journal is, or how to go about creating one, this is the video to see.  I've watched the first part of the series (It's free!)  and I've begun creating my pages.

 

 

The first step is simple and it gets you past "blank page syndrome".  You know the symptoms: vacant stare, eyes glazed over, mind empty.  It's easy to treat.  Just add color!  Simple craft paints will do.  Watercolors are great too.

 

 

Next, I added some borders.  Journal fodder can be found anywhere: old magazines, junk mail, scrapbooking papers, gardening catalogues, the phone bill (You might want to pay it first.)  Just don't think too hard about it - work from your heart.  No one has to see it but you.  It's your personal art laboratory where you can cause the kind of explosion that won't bring the bomb squad to your door:  a color explosion.

 

 

There is another source of collage material that's probably the most satisfying.  Grab some old collages or paintings you've done, or even some of your childrens' art.  Try scanning or photographing them and zooming in on small areas on your computer.  You might be surprised at what you discover.  There are probably dozens of interesting things within a single composition.  Enlarge isolated areas and print them out on regular paper.  You can cut them up and use them in your journal pages.  Your journal will begin to reflect your own heart.

 

 

 

I used parts of some of the work I did for Strathmore's Online Workshop, and some parts of existing journal pages.  I also used some of the free offerings I found on Flicker.com.  I would like to reach the point where I am using even more of my own art: which brings me to the gift part of this post.  I used watercolors, water-soluble crayons, markers, and gel pens to make something I can cut up and use in my pages.  I would like to offer you the use of this page for your personal use in your own journals.  Just click on the image to get the largest size and then right-click on it and choose the "save image as" option.  Be patient, it's a full-size page.

 

 

I'll show you more as I develop my pages further.  I hope all of you have a wonderful weekend.  Have fun journaling!

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Art Journal Inspiration

Yesterday, my  hubby took the day off and we all went on a little road trip.  We traveled to upstate Pennsylvania, where some of his happiest memories live.  My father-in-law, now 90, owns the land that we visited.  His family built the one-hundred-year old barn that still stands on the property today. Just two years ago, at the ripe old age of 88, Dad put a new roof on it:  by himself.   This place has seen generations of my husband's family through good times and bad.  It provided sustenance to those who farmed it, and even during the depression, they never went hungry.  As I walk the paths today, I can hear the echoes of history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed this little walk with me.  Even in winter, there is still beauty to be found.  Have a lovely weekend.

 

Until next time,

 

Paint Out Loud

I worked on another spontaneous water-media painting today.  Come on in to the studio and I'll share the process!

 

 

Initially, it looked rather ugly, but I'm learning to roll with the process.  If I let that pesky inner critic of mine get the upper hand, I'd never get past the first step!  I sprayed some watered down watercolor over some stencils.  Then, I remembered Traci, our wonderful workshop teacher suggesting that we find different ways to make marks with common objects.  I took a bamboo skewer (the kind that normal people would make shish-kabob with), dipped it into acrylic ink, and dragged it across the paper to make star shapes.

 

 

Using Davinci watercolor in Indian Yellow, I painted some shapes with a size 8 round brush.

 

 

I chose three of my hand-carved rubber stamps, and stamped patterns using Caran D'Ache Neocolor II crayons to apply color.

 

 

As I developed this painting, I started thinking about what I'm about as an artist and a person.  Mostly, what you see is what you get with me.  I'm excited about making art, enthusiastic, and I believe in letting it show.  I'm not afraid of color (can't you tell?) and I want people to be excited when they look at my art.  No snoring allowed!  I want my art to exude joy.  Life has enough of its own troubles with adding somber, sad art to the mix.  I want to lift others out of that sadness, and make their hearts skip a beat!  The affirmations I've included in this piece reflect this philosophy.  I penned them with a Sakura Brush marker.  I love the Sakura pigma pens.  Once they dry, you can get them wet or paint over them, and they absolutely will not smear or bleed!

 

 

At this point, the piece needed something to help tie it together.  Since I've used so many warm colors in it, I decided to spray a watered-down wash of DaVinci Lemon Yellow over it.  It is the cooler of the yellows, and it served to make the other elements pop out more.  I then used a Bic Wite-Out Correction pen to "find the doodle in the doodle" as Traci says.  As I stepped back, I realized that it needed some cooler dark accents.  I used a Cobalt Blue Neocolor II crayon for this.

 

 

The last step was to use a red Sharpie pen to add more linework to the red flowers.  The best, however was yet to come.  Traci told us to take close-ups of selected pieces of the finished work.  As I looked at these photos, I began seeing all sorts of possibilities.

 

 

Some of them would make fabulous original note cards.

 

 

This would make a great framed print for the studio.

 

 

This would be great printed on a coffee mug for a favorite artist friend.

 

 

And wouldn't this make a cool cover for an art journal, or sketchbook journal?

 

Well my friends, it is 11 p.m. in Morgantown, and I'm about to turn into a pumpkin!  I'll be back soon with more fun in the studio.  If you haven't checked out Traci Bautista's fabulous online workshop, Doodles Unleashed yet, please do.  And while you're at it, why not visit Traci's blog, Creativity Unleashed?  It is an artist's garden of inspiration.  I promise you, you'll have a fantastic time and you will come away on fire for making art.  God bless you all, and I'll see you again soon!

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Love Came Down At Christmas

This was supposed to be Day 4 of Twelve Days of Texture at Kim Klassen Cafe, but it's after midnight.  It's now Day 5!

 

 

I used two of my photos for this one.  Both photo layers have a drybrush filter and a colored pencil filter applied to them.  I tweaked the settings until I got the look I was after.  I also used Kim's Cosmos texture above the photo layer, inverted, set to screen with a reduced opacity.  The font is Aquiline and the quote is by Christina G. Rosetti.  To see more texture art, click here to find all the links.

 

Until next time,

 

Comfort and Joy

Comfort and joy:  that is what you give me, my friends, as we enter this special season.

 

 

I love to think about you decorating your homes and preparing for the holidays.  I wish you peace.

 

Until next time,

 

Happy Thanksgiving

Gratitude.  There is so much power in the word.  The moment it is uttered, even the staunchest complainer is silenced.   It changes the attitude in a heartbeat and washes over the spirit like a waterfall.  Is there any other word as sweet?  The list of things I thank God for gets longer each day, and my contentment grows proportionally.  I wish for all of you a refreshing shower of gratitude on this Thanksgiving Day.

 

A couple of months ago, I shared with you that I had finished my Christmas quilt.  I promised that I would unveil it at the beginning of the Christmas season.  I saw Santa arrive at the close of the Macy's parade, so I guess this is it - the official start of the Christmas season.  I found this quilt design in At Home With Thimbleberries Quilts by Lynette Jensen.  I've wanted to make it for years, but somehow the time was never right.  This year, I have a wonderful throw to display on the dining room table.

 

 

Each house has it's own theme.

 

 

 

 

 

I love the quilted design in the center.

 

 

My favorite part is the picket fence.

 

 

My heart is full as I wish for each of you the joy of gratitude and contentment.  God bless you.

 

Until next time,