Blog Give Away!

I've been cleaning out my art room/office, and have way more stuff than I can ever use. So I decided, since it's 1-11-11, that I'd host a give away to one of my blog followers. I'll pick a winner on January 23 (1+11+11) and send the lucky person a package filled with fun papers, collage goodies and vintage items.The only qualification is that you're one of my blog followers. Good luck!

P.S. Here's a a few of the goodies that will be in the package.

PPS. I'm still cleaning so who knows what fun things will get added as I go. :)

Visual Journal Class

I'm taking the visual journal class by Strathmore, and in Workshop 1 we're creating a page in "lessons". Here is from the first lesson, using images from journal pages I'd done before and some scrap paper. 

The second lesson we added color, gesso washed and added more color. I used water soluble oil pastels since I don't have plain oil pastels, and they didn't resist. The gesso wash took out the featured from the lady, and I'm disappointed in how it's working out. bleh!

Perhaps the third lesson will save this mess. I plan to create a couple more pages using these techniques, so perhaps I'll end up with one I actually like how it's going. :)
These are also part of Project 365.

Love Birds

4 x 6 Gothic Arch created using the January Collage Challenge sheet from Green Paper. This is the first time I've entered, although I've been following it the past few months.

It is also part of the Project 365, and the swap I'm hosting on atcsforall.com.

Hood Canal

Spent a long New Years weekend on Hood Canal with Julie and Phil. Didn't get as many pictures as I intended, but I did get these two which are part of the Project 365 challenge.

The cormorants stayed on this piling a good part of the morning, fluttering their wings to dry them.

There were a few clouds on the horizon one morning... which blocked the sun a bit and made this lovely light. This picture includes a couple of the ducks that stayed around the dock most of the morning.
There is something incredibly relaxing just sitting in the quiet and watching the water and the birds. Very good for the soul.

This is another piece included in Project 365 - 4x6 Gothic Arch collaged with paper napkins and Cavallini images.

Challenges for 2011

I've signed up for a few art challenges this year... first one is the 2011 Project 365. The challenge is to do some type of art every day for the year, the goal of creating an art habit. So far so good. :)

 

 

The second is the Sketchbook Challenge, where a theme is chosen for the month and you incorporate it into your journal/sketchbook. January's theme is "Highly Prized"...more to come on it as I get caught up from being away for a long weekend.

Thought for the New Year

Happy New Year, everyone!

Hope

I received this card from a friend after my daughter died. Found it in the sorting of the art room/office this week, and thought it was a timely message for the coming new year.

Hope IS always there, although lately I've been buttoning it up tightly and pulling the collar around my chin.

This piece by Sheryl Petrie. Here are the words, in case they are too small to read.

"Tell us about hope" they asked.    
She said  "Every morning hope is waiting on a hangar in  my closet. Some days hope fits me just right.

Some days it's a tight fit. 
Some days I don't get dressed until the afternoon. 

And some days I need to fasten all the buttons and pull the collar up around my chin."