Comfort Cottage

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,

 

Feloons

This one was inspired by my sister's cat, Gus. He's a huge orange tabby that looks like a balloon with four paws. I just couldn't help myself :)

 

Feloons

18 x 24

Mixed media on 140lb Cold Pressed Paper

Materials: DaVinci watercolors, Caran D'Ache Neocolor IIs, Portfolio Oil Pastels; Decoart Americana Acrylics, Speedball Super-Pigmented Black Ink, Bic Wite-Out Correction Pen, Watercolor brushes round, size 8 and flat size 10, liner size 2, bubble wrap, hand-carved rubber stamps

 

Until next time,

 

Making My Mark

Today I'm sharing my first piece of art for Week 2 of Traci Bautista's online workshop, Doodles Unleashed.  This week we're working BIG.  The idea is to explore making marks with different water media and stamps.  The finished piece will be cut apart later in the workshop, and used for other art.  I worked it on Strathmore 400 series 140lb cold pressed watercolor paper.  I photographed my process in order to give you a closer look at how my work evolves.

I'll begin with the scene of the crime:

 

For this project, I'll be using two brushes:  a one-inch flat, and a size 8 round.  I worked at my easel so the paint could roll freely down the paper.  Watercolor paper has two sides to it-a smooth side, and a more textured side.  To enhance and speed the dripping, I used the smooth side.  I kept a spray bottle filled with water handy in case the drips didn't roll far enough down the page. 

 

 

Using my flat brush, I loosely painted lines and squiggles.  I mostly use DaVinci Tube Watercolors.  They are a professional grade product, which means that they have a very high concentration of pigment and very little filler.

 

 

Next, I added thinner lines with the round brush and some affirmation words.  I used a limited color palette.  It's important not to mix colors with their complements (Complementary colors are those that are positioned opposite one another on the color wheel).  If you do, you'll get mud!

This project gave me the chance to use my own hand-carved rubber stamps.

 

 

A few were derived from Dover images, but most are my own hand-drawn designs.  I chose two of my own designs to use for my painting.

 

At this point, I switched to using Caran D'Ache Neocolor II water-soluble crayons.  I experimented with getting a good coating of color onto the stamp.  I found that the strongest images were produced when I swiped the stamp with a damp flat brush, and then rubbed the crayon over the stamp until there was a generous coating of color on it. 

 

 

After stamping, I used Derwent watercolor pencils to enhance the images.  I kept a small cup of water close, and dipped the pencils directly into the water as I worked.

 

 

It's time to step back and assess my progress!

 

 

Now, it's time to pull it all together.  I used Portfolio Water-Soluble Oil Pastels and Caran D'ache Neocolor II crayons to add in blocks of color and accents.

 

 

 

 

After I shot this photo, I noticed the curious effect of the light filtering through the blinds.  I think that it would be interesting when printed out and incorporated into a collage.

 

 

My Neocolor IIs are my favorite art supplies!

 

 

I decided to use my alphabet stencils at the end so I could choose small parts of them and place them where they would be visible.  I sprayed watered down watercolor paint over them.  I love the look of splattered paint.  I had a Neocolor II crayon in my hand, so I tried dipping it in the water and flinging it over the paper.  It worked great!  A word of caution if you have bad aim:  cover the wall behind your easel.  Fortunately, I painted my walls with scrubbable paint.  Dark blue splatters were not what I had in mind when I decorated the room!

 

 

 

 

I hope you've enjoyed this time in my studio.  Let me know what you think of the post.  If the response is positive, I'll plan more posts like it in the future.  Happy painting!

 

Until next time,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pastels and Pattern

I took a day off from Christmas decorating to finish a new drawing.   I wanted to try accenting with pastel pencils on a colored background.  I liked the the effect.  I used Photoshop CS5 to create the basic skeleton.  After that, it was a creative, hand-drawn  free-for-all! 

 

Majandra

12" x 12"

Pastel Pencils and Pen and Ink on Canson Mi-Tientes Paper

 

I had fun creating the larger motifs.  The smaller patterning helped tie the whole thing together.  I used the pastel pencils primarily to accent, rather than fill in.

I hope you are having a good week.  God bless you!

 

Until next time,

 

Pink Art for Pink Saturday

Hello everyone!  Welcome to Pink Saturday.  Before I begin, I'd like to thank Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting Pink Saturday and giving us the wonderful opportunity to get to know one another.  Many talented people participate in our weekly pink party and if you'll click on the Pink Saturday icon on my right sidebar, you will be transported to lots more pink!

 

I had the privilege of visiting Michelle over at Rosebud Quilting this week and I can wholeheartedly recommend that you check out her lovely blog.  You will see some beautiful quilts and sewn items and your spirit will get a lift too!

 

I have a few pieces of artwork to share with you today.  The first, is a pastel painting I did.

 

 

The next one is a watercolor painting I did.  I scanned it and printed it onto canvas to give it some texture.  It's called Tea in the Garden.

 

 

Finally, a digital scrapbook page of my funny fifteen-year-old kitty.  The digital kit was a free download.

 

 

That's it for today!  I hope all of you have a lovely weekend.  God bless you until next time.

 

Pink and Proper

Happy Pink Saturday!  I hope you're all well today.  I have a few great finds for you and a new collage to share.  Before I get started, I'd like to take a moment to thank Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for hosting our weekly pink party.  Please stop by to visit her and find out just who's in the pink today!

Would you like to see a lovely blog by a very creative woman?  I just visited Candy at Rock Candy and was ushered into an artistic and romantic world.  Stop by to see her wonderful creations and beautiful accessories, such as her gorgeous teapots.  You're in for a treat!

I tried something new this week.  I stopped in to see Nancy Baumiller at Crowabout and decided to join her online art group.  Every week she provides a sheet of collage elements and each member uploads their work to her Flicker site.  My first collage piece for them definitely qualifies for Pink Saturday.  Beginning with a floral bouquet theme, I painted in the backdrop with Portfolio water-soluble oil pastels.  I left room for adding collage elements to my bouquet.  Finally I added accents with a gold paint pen.  Happy Valentine's Day!  (Okay, I know it's early, but I love everything about Valentine's Day!)

 

I hit the thrift store again this week and found some beautiful pink-edged doilies.

I can never turn down pink laces, vintage or otherwise!

 

Hiding in a corner was this cute desert plate, all faded and chippy.  It needed a home.

My best find was at the Mill Property, an antique store here in town.  Six Haviland china plates all trimmed in gold.  Isn't the shape just wonderful?

This lovely piece of fabric, originally a table throw was given to me by my friend Diane at Memory Lane.  She found it at the Good Will.

Finally, I had a little fun with an antique postcard in the public domain.  Here it is colorized, with a new caption:

That's it for today.  I hope you'll come back to visit me again.  It's so much fun to hear from you.  If you would like to receive notice via email when I publish a new post, go to the little box on the left sidebar, type in your email address and click on subscribe.  You'll get automatic updates from Comfort Cottage.  Have a beautiful week and may God watch over you until next time.

 

CREDITS

collage elements for Valentine collage courtesy of Nancy Baumiller at Crowabout

graphic for Pink Saturday banner and postcard:  courtesy of takeabreak on Flicker

Brushes - Butterflies Tails and Trails:  courtesy of:

 

Preparing for Takeoff

 As I was perusing the book section at the craft store yesterday, my eyes fell on a title that I have been seeing everywhere:  Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts - North Light Books.  I'm pleased to say I finally purchased it, and I'm very glad I did.  As soon as I began reading her bio, I knew I had found something special.  I was completely hooked after reading the first chapter.  Kelly describes the events, thoughts and feelings leading up to her entering into the creative life.  The similarities to my experiences in recent years convinced me I was onto something.  She encourages us to pay attention to the voice from within each of us that is often ignored in the interest of practicality.  It is the voice of our soul, screaming to live the life we were meant to live.  The paths we choose for our lives, i.e. marriage, practical career, etc. may be good paths, but it is in recognizing our deepest longings, the ones we just can't bury, that we will find fulfillment and our life's work.  When we are ready to face our deepest fears and begin anew, we enter a long-forgotten world of possibility.

BUILDING WITH WHEEL AND BARREL

9" x 12"

pastel on Canson MI-Teintes

I think the reason her book has struck a chord with me is that I am currently standing on a precipice of my own.  A few years ago, it became apparent that critical care nursing was no longer working for me.  Though it's difficult to admit, I wasted way too much time grieving over that reality.  Having hit the proverbial wall, I was convinced that there were no longer possibilities.  I thought I had exhausted my options.  In truth, I had lost my confidence.  Blessedly, the human heart is resilient, and a light still glimmered in my soul after all.  After reading several issues of Somerset Studio's Artful Blogging, a quiet insistent voice begged to be heard.  The message:  "Just begin."  Initially, I simply started working with my hands again.  I made Christmas ornaments, experimented with pen and ink drawing, made watercolor paintings in a nature journal of sorts, painted with pastels, and took my camera everywhere.  I scrapbooked, made cards, and experimented with techniques learned from the books of today's creative masters.   In a nutshell, I stitched, painted and glued my way back to life.  Somewhere amidst all this activity, I lost fifty pounds and literally ran my way back to physical health, one mile at a time. 

PRESQUE ISLE LIGHTHOUSE

8" x 10"

pigma micron pen on smooth bristol vellum

 

So, where do I go from here?  In the last month, I launched my blog (after a year of nursing my fear and trepidation!).  I began creating a series of handmade items that I will soon be offering on an Etsy Boutique.  I dusted off my forgotten business license and I even made it to the bank to open a business account last week.  Honestly, I'd forgotten what the inside of a bank looked like!  When the account manager asked me what my business was going to be, my tongue felt like it was glued to the roof of my mouth (smile).  This morning, I launched my Flicker photo stream.  Next item on the agenda:  set up a paypal account and open an Etsy Boutique.

The list after that is endless, but if there's anything I've learned, it's to keep putting one foot in front of the other.  What else can we do?

 

 

 

Into the 21st century

I'm Terri Morse.  I've been in love with art since the kindergarten teacher yelled at me for drawing a princess on my paper.  Apparently, creativity wasn't part of the curriculum :).  I didn't know it then, but that single moment would eventually tell me everything I need to know about myself.  It still speaks volumes.  I had, and still have an unquenchable desire to make art with whatever material is available and I'd rather do that than anything else.

 

My favorite medium is pastel:

 

 

                                       

           

I have to admit that two years ago, I didn't know what a blog was.  I also believed that isolation was part and parcel of an artist's life.  I've often suspected that other creative people also wrestle with the desire to have contact with fellow humans and the need for large amounts of "alone time" to pursue their passion.   Oddly, it was not this conflict that brought me, kicking and screaming into the 21st century.  No, the real impetus was all of you out there in cyberland.  You know who you are:  the ones who spend an hour photographing puddles because the relections are cool; the ones who sew over their thumbs because you stayed up until 2 a.m. to finish your latest creation;  the ones who own 3000 rubber stamps but need just one more because it is the perfect one to complete your latest work;  the ones for whom the prospect of yet another hunt for vintage buttons will get you out of bed faster than a New York cheesecake;  the ones for whom nothing else in life provides the kind of joy you experience when you are creating.  You are the reason I've arrived on the front step (or should I say, blogstep?) of my new cyberhome, Comfort Cottage.  I want to share what I love with you.

 

 

Comfort Cottage will be a place where I invite people to come in, curl up with Arthur the Studio Cat, Molly the Wonder Dog, and a cup of tea, and share in the delights (and challenges) of the creative life.  My studio, sewing station, and the goodies that come out of them will be open to all who care to visit.  I'll share my ideas, favorite haunts and experiences.  Hopefully, I'll hear from you and you can fill me in on what you've been up to.  I've been so encouraged and inspired by the members of the art blog community.  Comfort Cottage will allow me to return the favor. 

 

 

 

 

I also love watercolor.  From my nature journal:    

 

 

 

 

 

I adore needlework because it allows me to combine several things I love:  beads, embroidery, vintage buttons, fabric and charms.  I've been most inspired by the work of Judith Baker Montano, crazy quilt expert and author of several wonderful books.  From the sewing table:

 

                                      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thrift stores are a great place to find fabulous fabric.  I've lost count of how many pieces of clothing I've disassembled.  On a good day (usually Tuesday morning) I've scored as many as four prom dresses!  They're the best for harvesting satin, velvet, and antique satin.  More to come.  See you next time and thanks for visiting!