Peonies!

While I can't seem to grow Peonies in our garden, I can create using their image. This 4x4 piece is new in my Etsy shop, and was just featured in this Etsy treasury by Laurie!  Cool beans!

A bit of other happy-to-me news: I sold the piece I listed earlier this week, which was featured in my weekly HuMp DaY Haiku challenge, and I just sold another small easel. Plus, my Vintage Gypsy ACEO was also included in this new Etsy Treasury.

It's been a good couple of weeks in my Etsy shop! Thank you Universe. And thank YOU for your tolerance of my happy dancing! :)

Three Birds

Creating all over the board this week. A bit of playing with beeswax, tissue, napkins resulted in this Three Birds 4x4 piece. I think it needs more, but we'll see what happens. 

I also made some attempts at decorating tiles, not so successfully, but I'm learning what NOT to do!

As it's Friday, I am linking again with Paint Party Friday, hosted by Eva and Kristin. If you have the time, do check out what the other PPF artists have created this week! They are sure to inspire you!

 

I'm also linking to Show and Tell Saturday with Artists in Blogland

HuMp DaY Haiku - Blending

Wine Grape Harvest

Blending with beeswax.

When heated, melded layers

forms a new art piece.

This piece was created during a class I taught last week at ArtforAll in Portland. It was delightful showing others how I create the layers, and how sometimes they work better than we imagine. Everyone had fun and the room smelled heavenly!

While I know similar effects can be achieved digitally, I prefer creating art the old fashioned way with my hands and layers of papers, tissues and beeswax. This piece is now available in my Etsy shop.

I started doing Hump Day Haiku with Carla Sonheim's Silly classes...  and decided as a challenge for myself, I'd continue.  In this process, I have found that creating a haiku (non rhyming poem with 5 - 7 - 5 syllables per line) feeds my soul. I especially like creating them to go with my photos and art. 

Would you like to share a haiku you have written? 

You may include a haiku in the comments, OR you may copy your blog post url (featuring a haiku) and add a link to your blog using Mr. Linky. And consider visiting other contributors blogs to see what they've created and say hello. 

Raindrops

In our continuous rainy weather, there is always the moment it stops for a bit and the skies brighten. Taking quick advantage of the break, I venture out to the garden to discover magical scenes created by the raindrops. 

This is of one of the hostas my husband loves, with a host of jewel-like drops glistening in our slightly brighter morning. 

The rains return, leaving memories of the magical in-between. 

Sharing today with Straight out of the Camera

Magical Monday hosted by Carol at A Creative Harbor, 

Lisa's Chaos Macro Monday and 

Mellow Yellow Monday

Let's do it again!

Joyful memories!

Creating art; new-old friends.

Let's do it again! 

Group shot of the ArtforAll attendees in Portland this past week on a beautiful sunny day! It's so delightful meeting folks I've traded with online, some who have become good friends. 

The Washington folks who trade at atcsforall.com are already planning a local-to-us gathering next Spring in the Seattle area, now dubbed SeARTtle.

Even if you don't trade at atcsforall, or if you do and live north, south, east of Washington, you're welcome to come create art with us. More details coming as plans develop.

Happy Friday everyone! 

Linking today to Haiku My Heart Friday, where Rebecca is celebrating the second "birthday" of this wonderful gathering of bloggers. 

Junk Mail Journal

As many of you know, this past week I was in Portland at the ArtforAll 2012 Event, sponsored by atcsforall.com. I was very involved in the planning process, coordinated the workshops and helped make sure things went smoothly during the event.

Along with teaching two classes, I also took a couple of journaling classes from the amazing Amy Sargent. Her focus was that journals don’t need to be expensive!

One of the key thoughts that stayed with me was that my personal journal is for ME… it doesn’t have to be perfect. It can end up ugly, and it doesn’t matter. It’s just for me. I loved that! Very freeing!

Her first class was how to create a journal from materials you already have on hand. What better way to recycle/re-purpose things?

I constructed two quick journals in this class; one from old post cards, local art announcements, junk mail, paint chips, envelopes and book rings.

The other used the cup wrap I had on my to-go tea cup from breakfast, and paper from the “free” table, where folks put assorted supplies and ephemera to share with other artists. (One person’s junk is another’s treasure…)

Amy’s second class had us working on a journal page, using some of the ideas she gave us. 

One of the ways she starts a page is to glue random scraps of paper and pictures onto the page, and then cover with a light coat of cheap acrylic paint as the “gesso”. She told us the “dollar or less” paints have a high chalk content, dries more quickly than gesso, and is very inexpensive to use. Great for traveling! So that’s how I started. Torn pages and a layer of cream paint. 

I actually completed the page below in class using materials I gleaned from the “free” table, or that were shared by friends during the class. Amy also  suggested that if writing over the whole page is daunting, make a circle and just write in that. *light bulb* I can do that!

Amy’s classes really inspired me. Quick, easy and inexpensive journals! I can so do that! Funny how sometimes it just takes a new perspective to give you a jump start.

While it’s not a “painting”, I did paint in my new junk mail journal this week, and am linking to Paint Party Friday, hosted by Eva and Kristin. I urge you to check out what the other PPF artists have created this week! 

Given with heart

During our final day of workshops at the ArtforAll conference I helped coordinate this past week, I received this lovely bouquet of flowers. The card thanked me, on behalf of those attending, for my tireless work on making the event successful. It totally surprised and overwhelmed me.

I have a confession. I am not tireless. It took SO much energy to make sure everyone was having a good time, and any little bumps not felt by our wonderful art friends. I simply wore myself out. However, the thank you's we received, the enthusiasm from those taking classes, the camaraderie in the 24 hour art room, all made our combined efforts worthwhile.

A couple more days of rest, and I'll be back to my normal "tireless" self. *grin*.


Joining today with Guest Heart Thursday, hosted by Clytie at Random Hearts.

You do see the hearts on the ribbon, don't you? 

HuMp DaY Haiku - Cheerful

Bits of pink and white

Cheerful blossoms brighten day

filled with chilly rain.

I started doing Hump Day Haiku with Carla Sonheim's Silly classes...  and decided as a challenge for myself, I'd continue.  In this process, I have found that creating a haiku (non rhyming poem with 5 - 7 - 5 syllables per line) feeds my soul. I especially like creating them to go with my photos and art. 

Would you like to share a haiku you have written? 

You may include a haiku in the comments, OR you may copy your blog post url (featuring a haiku) and add a link to your blog using Mr. Linky. And consider visiting other contributors blogs to see what they've created and say hello. 

Owl dolls

Today at ArtforAll 2012 in Portland, my friend Pam McVay hosted a "make and take" demo on shrink plastic dolls. I decided to create an owl, based on the "drawing an owl" technique I learned last Sunday at our local art group. Danielle's class was adapted from Juliette Crane’s “How to Paint an Owl” class at Art Fest 2012.

This is is the after picture: 

This is the before: 

Drawn using Prisma color pencils... and it was amazing how deep they became once they were "shrunk" in the craft oven. 

I also created this little owl. Did not allow for shrinkage when placing the holes for the wings, and cannot add the brads to hold the wings. I'll tie them on later. 

And then I started this owl, which will be "shrunk" tomorrow:

These owls are so much fun to draw that I'll be making more of them!

Linking to Paint Party Friday. Make sure to check out what the fabulous artists have been creating this week. 

Also linking with Artists in Blogland Show and Tell Saturday

Heart-filled Welcome

This morning, after a good night sleep, I stepped out on the deck of the hotel room to view the river. And look what I saw in the clouds, welcoming me to the day. 

Today the other planners for our ArtforAll 2012 conference will begin arriving, and the craziness will begin. I'm envisioning a peaceful conference where all are blessed and satisfied. With this group... it may be a challenge, but that's the way it will be. A peace filled joyful arty conference. So be it! 

I'm linking this to Guest Heart Thursday

HuMp DaY Haiku - News!

Autumn Mountain
Helen Campbell ©2012 

Now the rush is on!

How much art can I create

by mid-November?

I wanted to share a little bit of news (BIG to me!) I was chosen to display (to sell) my art at the Allied Arts Holiday Arts Festival. I am so excited!  I will be focusing my attention on creating pieces for the show for the time being... after I return from an art conference in Portland.

As you read this, I'm driving to Portland for the ArtforAll 2012 Conference. I've been very active in planning the event, and will also be teaching two classes during the weekend. I'll have fun stories for you, I'm sure, when I return on June 18. 

In the meantime, have a wonderful week! 

I started doing Hump Day Haiku with Carla Sonheim's Silly classes...  and decided as a challenge for myself, I'd continue.  In this process, I have found that creating a haiku (non rhyming poem with 5 - 7 - 5 syllables per line) feeds my soul. I especially like creating them to go with my photos and art. 

Would you like to share a haiku you have written? 

You may include a haiku in the comments, OR you may copy your blog post url (featuring a haiku) and add a link to your blog using Mr. Linky. And consider visiting other contributors blogs to see what they've created and say hello. 

Beeswax Collage

I've been working on class samples for the upcoming ArtForAll 2012 in Portland next week, where I'm teaching two classes. This event is hosted through atcsforall.com, my favorite mail art trading site.

One of my classes shares techniques with beeswax, tissue and paper napkins, showing the different effects you can achieve by how they are layered. I love how everything blends together when the beeswax is added. 

Here are a few of the 4x4 pieces I've created:

I'm linking up my "painting with papers" images to Paint Party Friday, where a variety of fabulous artists share their work each week. Thank you Eva and Kristin for hosting! 

HuMp DaY Haiku - Hummingbird Magnet

Sweet honeysuckle

growing lush along the fence

Hummingbird magnet

If you look closely at the top left of this shot, you'll see a little hummingbird who just had to have a sip of the honeysuckle nectar even though I was standing right there. It's not the best picture, (one must be quick with these little guys), but I did manage to capture his silhouette. 

I started doing Hump Day Haiku with Carla Sonheim's Silly classes...  and decided as a challenge for myself, I'd continue.  In this process, I have found that creating a haiku (non rhyming poem with 5 - 7 - 5 syllables per line) feeds my soul. I especially like creating them to go with my photos and art. 

Would you like to share a haiku you have written? 

You may include a haiku in the comments, OR you may copy your blog post url (featuring a haiku) and add a link to your blog using Mr. Linky. And consider visiting other contributors blogs to see what they've created and say hello. 

Apron art

I've started a new part time job at our local art and craft store, and was given a blank apron to decorate as I wished. The only requirement was to include my name on it somehow. A blank canvas! O.o

I decided I wanted it to reflect my love for nature, and this is the almost completed project:

I used Lumiere paints, watered down to give a more water color effect for the grasses and sky. These were not the flowers I intended, however a blop had to be corrected and this is what evolved. My name tag will be a bird... I decided not to paint it on the apron, at this point anyway.

Jumping in late with Paint Party Friday, hosted by Kristin and Eva. Do visit to see what the other fabulous artists have created.