09.14.09
Candy, or Art?
It’s a sad state of affairs when I decided to purchase a chocolate candy bar just for the art-full possibilities of using its label in some yet-to-be-defined art project.
Chocolate is an important part of my life. But in this case, the label was more important, and was the motivating factor in its purchase. What’s more – it’s imported!
© amateur-in-art, 2009
07.13.09
Soul Journal – Day 22 – Self portrait
Today’s assignment was to write a “today I feel” prompt, then go to work with finger painting! (latex glove recommended!)
I used gray gesso to start on top of my writing and it really blocked things out too much, even when I mixed it with some white to lighten it. The pictures aren’t worth posting here. Then I put on the background, using 3 colors – green, blue, and pink. I just squirted the colors right onto the page and then smeared around with my fingers. I was hoping they would not blend so easily so I could have some pretty solid bands of straight color, but it did not work out that way.
Then it was time for my “self portrait”. I cannot draw or do anything like that, so I went with the basic stick figure. In the end, I decided that was fine because stick figure is equally childlike as finger painting, so I decided it was a good match. The stick figure has a balloon in her hand although it looks like something otherwise unidentifiable. I also filled her out a little bit, giving some substance to her body, to help show that she was a grown woman, and not a child. Because it was finger painting and kids often include their pets, I added a cat on the bottom left, but he looks kinda funny. (love the fluffy tail, though!)
Then Sarah told us to add personal symbols or things that were important to us. I definitely wanted to add a cardinal, and I think he didn’t turn out too bad, considering he was finger painted. I also added a book (ha ha – the black thing that looks like a sad butterfly). At this point, I still had some black paint to use up, so I did “fingertip dots” around the edges of the pages – and I like the way that part turned out.
I’m not much for self-portraits, because I can’t draw other people, let alone myself, but I did like the finger painting aspect of this, and I esp. like my cardinal. I think this would make a great photocopy page, to reuse in the future.
I believe we’re almost coming to the end of the Soul Journal Journey, at least, the initial one with Sarah. I had no idea it would take me this long, but I have really enjoyed the trip and the things I have learned about myself, and about art and art making, along the way. I really liked following along in Sarah’s blog, Caspiana.
© amateur-in-art, 2009
06.06.09
Wreck This Journal!
Today is Day 1 of “The Next Chapter – Wreck This Journal!” led by Jamie Ridler. Even if you’re late, you can still join, and it looks like it’s going to be a lot of fun!
I’ve decided to start a new blog, just for it, so bounce on over to
Wreck This Journal – (An Amateur’s Adventures in Art) to see what’s happening!
© amateur-in-art, 2009
03.13.09
New Mandala
Oooooh!!! I’m loving these mandalas!
This is another mandala from my “Mandala Kit” I found at Barnes & Noble. I absolutely love them!
This one was very fun to color. When it started as just a blank design, it seemed simple and even a little boring. That was definitely the wrong impression!
The more I colored, the more different designs I began to see. I saw several different flowers – one, interior, sort of daisy-like, and then the larger outer one, the one you can see above with the pink petals, that I think maybe looks a little like a lotus flower.
Once it was complete, when looking at it, it seemed to just get more and more complex. I like the little knot at the center, and the overall feel of this design. This is so fun!!
Pop over to Collage Diva’s site for more truly fabulous mandalas, a heaping helping of inspiration – and an opportunity to enter a contest and ATC swap!
© amateur-in-art, 2009
03.09.09
Inspiration from Inchies!
A little while back, I came across the 1000 Squares site by ArtJunkGirl, and I perused the whole thing! It is absolutely fabulous! I started at the beginning of her site and followed her project forward in time until the end. Her goal: to create 1000 “inchies” over the course of a year. And she did it!
Besides just being interesting and inspiring artwork, in general, what was truly inspiring to me was to see her completed project. She created a mosaic using all 1000 inchies – and it is amazing to see exactly how large and how impressive that is. Each single inchie is its own work of art, created with care and attention to detail. It is stunning to see 1000 of these tiny works of art, all together in one unified work, and to think about all of the work and time and effort and dedication that went into the project.
The overall lesson I take from this: You can accomplish a HUGE project by taking small, simple steps on a diligent basis, everyday. Her project truly is inspiring, beyond “just the art” (pardon the expression). I’ve thought of this when I have to make my money stretch, work on large projects for work, or anytime I’m feeling overwhelmed (which has been a lot, lately). I think of those 1000 inchies – one inch at a time – and the impressive end result – and I gain inspiration.
Kudos to ArtJunk Girl for her project, and for sharing it on the web to inspire others! You can visit her 1000 Squares site or look at images on flickr, or visit her general blog to see what else she’s been up to.
© 2009, amateur-in-art
