New Stuff!

This last year I've really been drawn to "pretty things". I suppose I needed a break from the serious art I had been doing in the last few years. I've really just allowed my self to paint light-heartedly. I think it's been a good season to explore fun, easy going, simple art. These two are a good representation of what I've been doing recently.

Title: A Page from my Book



I removed a page from an old gardening book, put a little paint on it and glued it down to a sturdy piece of card stock. Then I drew the flower from one of the pictures in the book. I used black ink for the flower, and I took an artists friends advise, He told me once "That I should practice drawing in pin, even sketches, without using pencil first. This way you only have one chance to get it right." It's a good skill to have, so I gave it a try and I think it turned out pretty great.

Titled: Pink Flowers



I had been sketching a lot of geometric shaped flowers in the past months. So I decided to turn them into a painting and this is what I came up with. I cut out some of the flower shapes out of a page from an old book. I used acrylics for the flowers and back ground and I embellished the abstracted flowers and swirls with permanent black ink.

Happy Valentine's Day!

123 Fine Arts Newsletter

February 2011

This months Creative Project
Valentine’s Day Art

What you’ll need: A small piece of poster board, scrap papers, pages of text (old books), magazines, scissors, glue, Fine-tip markers, fabric scraps, acrylic paints, brushes, cup of water, stamps, and a stamp pad.

1. First cut a piece of board (I made mine about 6x8 inches). Glue pages of text (old book) to board and paint over it with a light layer, so that you can still see the text under the paint.

2. Cut out shapes and objects that you like out of magazines and scrap paper I used a woman, flowers and a butterfly. Glue them down. Use your paint to embellish your objects.
You can use stamps to embellish, also, after paint is dry.

3. I also covered the skirt portion of her dress with text from an old book. I used strips that were about 0.5-1 inches long, and started gluing them from the bottom up.

4. Than I cut out a small piece of fabric for the top of her dress. I also added some half-pearl embellishments.
To finish I wrote “Happy Valentine's Day” in ink and wrote a personal message on the back of my board.
And Val-La! Something beautiful and personal for your loved one. A little piece art just for them! And of course any time is a good time to make a mini collage, not only for Valentine's, but any occasion!

Food for thought
A Poem “Love”

“When love beckons to you, follow him, Though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you yield to him, Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the North lays waste the garden. For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in they're clinging to the earth....
All of these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life’s heart....”

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran on Love

Have a great Valentine's Day everyone! Find a way for you and the love of your life (or you and some good friends) to spread the love this February. Maybe get together and make Valentine's cards for the people in your life who could use some encouragement. Make someone else feel loved this Valentine's Day.

Peace be with you.

Winter News Letter

January 2011

Start the New Year off Right!

Felt houses Project

Happy New Year Everyone! I thought I’d start off the new year by giving a small
piece of advice.
Every year about this time I re-read all of my journal entries from the past year. Then I make a list of the goals I’ve accomplished, the ways I’ve grown spiritually, emotionally, relationally, etc. And if you don’t journal, take some time to remember and write these things out, as an act of gratitude.
I also make a list of things I want to grow in for the new year; I try to keep it simple. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself, but think about maybe 5 things you can work on this year. And make a list of practical ways to act on these things, and share it with someone who will help you with this stuff.

Felt houses project
A fantastically simple way to create personalized art work for your home. I am using houses because they’re easy to make, but you can personalize that project by cutting out felt trees, cats, tea cups; pretty much anything goes. Be creative!
What you’ll
need:
A couple of felt squares, Tacky glue, scissors, small piece of fabric (preferably with a pattern), thread, needle, scrap board (watercolor, bristol, back of wedding invite, i.e., something white that won’t wrinkle if it gets wet), water-color pencils, black pen and small frame.

1. Pick small frame first. I recommend finding one at a thrift store. Measure your scrap board to fit the frame perfectly.

2. Then sketch a scene on the board, e.g., draw hills with grass, clouds and sun. Then color your background drawing with you water-colored pencils.

3. Next cut out felt house and tree shapes (the trees can be made from a felt silhouette of a tree, then embellished with another color of thread). Then cut out a roof using the fabric--sow fabric onto felt, letting your stitch show! It’s part of the charm. Use the thread to sow in little windows and a door. And make sure when your planning to cut the felt to make it a reasonable size, so your house doesn’t take over the entire scene.

4. By now your pencil will be dry, so take your black pen (use a craft pen, i.e., something that works a bit like a small tipped sharpie) and trace your background objects.

5. And finally glue your house onto your board, put your picture in the frame and Voila! your own personalized piece!

Tips: Use some fun embellishments, like cutting cloud shapes out of patterned scrap paper or scrap book paper or you can cut out some words or phrases you find interesting and glue them onto your scene.

If you’ve enjoyed this newsletter, please pass it along to your friends!
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You can Contact me at 123finearts@gmail.com