goodbye 2011.

a lot has happened over the past year and i hope you have taken the time to reflect on the memories whether they were good or bad because they are all a part of you. i always hate to see a year go but always look forward to the unlimited possibilities a new one brings. i celebrate many milestones with 2011. starting this new blog gives me the chance to explore art without limitations. for finding my creative mojo and allowing myself to believe once again in my artistic abilities. being inspired by everyday things to give me a burst of energy for artwork. to all of you for your willingness to share in my daily adventures - thank you! so as you raise your glass to the new year, i hope you will think fondly on the past and excitedly towards the future - happy new year one and all!

red inspiration.

it all started with a crate & barrel holiday catalog. colorful layouts filled with fonts unimaginable and gorgeous photos of holiday wonderment. so, what does this have to do with anything? well, it lead me to several canvases of inspiration. one of red, one of brown and several neutrals just waiting for creativity to strike. this one has found a home in ohio with a dear friend and the others, well, they are filling my studio this festive season. be safe, kind and have a great holiday with family and friends - merry christmas!

comfort zone.

i am trying to work out of my comfort zone a little each week just to stretch my abilities in creativity. after finding a magazine page of white, grey and pink, i knew this would be a stellar challenge. not only did it feel very girly and feminine but the thought of pink well, makes me think of princesses and barbie dolls. so while trying to rough it up just a bit i found the black circus fabric and the great twisted paper stems. crumpling everything and making it look just a bit messy made me feel better about the color scheme and added a bit of me to the piece. so i hope you'll be willing to step out of the box every now and then, you never know where the possibilities will take you.

favorite quote.

here's another view with the quote as the focal point. it has to be one of my favorite quotes of all time. thank you tim holtz for putting it into a rubber stamp for all of us artists to use! i have been creative my entire life, just ask my mom. from coloring day and night, to copying comics every sunday, to art classes throughout my school time and finally to studying art in college. each life possibility has given me the courage to imagine art as my life and as a career. how great is that! i'm just so grateful and i hope you are doing what you are meant to do in your life. after all, we only have one to live so you better do it to the fullest, each day, every day. have the courage, find the possibilities and imagine what it will feel like to be in that life you have always dreamed about :D

a tilted view.

same piece of artwork as yesterday but a new off kilter view showing just a bit more of its entirety. you will now see that the birdcage is actually made into a skirt on a dress form. the ribbon tied at the waist as a sash and well, the bird, just added for sparkle. when working with dimension i have a hard time building up the layers i just love to discover so adding buttons and the clip holding the quote are two ways to do it subtly yet effectively. i'm continually learning and trying to make each layer important and meaningful but sometimes i just want them there without a lot of hoopla, just as a dimensional element. i guess that's why it is called mixed media because it doesn't always have to make sense.

irony.

i love irony. its definition - the use of words to express the opposite of what one really means. i'm not using words here but a visual reference. a bird outside of the cage, irony. a pretty ribbon adhered with a rusty safety pin, irony. a patinaed cage and a gilded bird, irony. so fun yet so ironic, love that and it made me smile :D

today.

my thoughts today are on 2012, my goals, my artistic direction, my plan to succeed in this creative endeavor i call art. i've done a lot of stumbling this year and see a path that is inviting, intriguing and creates butterflies in my belly - it's been a while for that and i love the inspirational energy it is giving me. i can't wait for the new year to bring me a fresh start, unexplored discoveries and an artistic journey that holds no boundaries. so, what were you thinking today?

button details.

i fell in love with creating sewing pattern flowers of all sizes and shapes on this piece. i also added a plethora of vintage buttons throughout the artwork. a smear of modeling paste secured the row at the top left making sure there was not one out of place. tack nails held the flowers center in place adding a rustic element to such a feminine piece. i outlined the flower with a charcoal pencil giving it nice rough lines of black and also a crudeness of a childs piece of art - love those additions!

what a dress.

this multi dimensional art piece let my creative instincts run wild. taught by sue pelletier at create, we used paris craft to form the dress or any shape we wanted. being the overachiever that i am, i made a coordinated outfit of shirt and pants. while the class was a lot of fun, i did not like the mess. it is an artform that desperately needs an outdoor area with plenty of ventilation and easy clean up. while it was fun sculpting the various clothing pieces i really enjoyed the finishing part. adding texture and other embellishments made it stand out from others giving it a lot of individuality amongst a whole class. the paper butterflies are scattered on both pieces and give them such whimsical flight that it was perfect support for the title "playtime".

play, often.

this is part of a mixed media panel and it is important because of the message to play. as artists i suspect others suppose we play often. however deadlines and opportunities to make our rent usually cloud our judgment so playtime is always pushed aside to make room for the real jobs. i have recently been struggling with the freedom to just have a good time while making art and this little corner serves as a charming reminder to play.

listen.

although this art journal entry is small in size, the message is larger than life. when was the last time you laughed until your sides hurt? me, just about everyday and it is usually something little that makes me bust out laughing. when creating art, texture is so important to me that i find many ways to incorporate different ones. the raffia tie, the metal charm, the little staple, a found tag - they all add up to loveliness in my book. i love all the elements and the mood they create and well, the message just can't be beat. go out, listen and laugh out loud!

ruby red.

here's the whole rose showing all it's gloriously rich ruby red hues. the subtle greenery brightened by the orange monarch are such a contrast that the interest is already established for the viewer. the flower and leaf values are separated by a metallic bronze giving you a shiny outline as the light hits it just right. the hint of shadow surrounding the flower gives it just enough dimension to make you wonder if its real or painted. i love to use trompe l'oeil which means fool the eye when painting because it adds an element of surprise and who doesn't love that?

an altered angle.

the alphabet paper was the first thing chosen for this piece because of my love for letters and all the endless possibilities they represent. the rose, buds and leaves are painted on. the butterfly is part of the scrapbook paper i chose for this piece but the placement was all mine. i wanted it close to the flower to bring a lot of attention to it. did you happen to notice the subtle shading of the flower stems? love when that can happen. i added the love notes sticker for depth and dimension. all in all i'm pretty happy with the progression of this little framed piece and the way everything is coming together so nicely. isn't it great when a plan works so well?

promises.

this is part of a round piece of altered art that is done on scrapbook papers using a lot of scrapbook accessories as well. the medallion was cut out of one paper and glued on another. the promise piece puzzle assembly is a sticker that came all together making my job as a artist quite easy. i loved the fact that the key and word promise are together because after all, you hold the key to all of your desires, don't you? my wish for everyone to be creative in any way it will make your heart sing. find the joy and explore it every way possible!

courage to imagine.

this whole canvas is only 6x6 but is packed full of charming ideas and new products to try. i love tim holtz' stamp and that was the start of this whole artful piece. i knew it needed a place of honor so i gave it a circle stage to command the attention of any viewer. all the other elements are supporting cast members just there to frame the star. which is your favorite?

representation of me.

this ink bottle and the large circle behind it is made from art parts by wendy vecchi. i had to include it because i am so drawn to the bottle shape and remember my days in art school using ink and nibs to create many assignments. i added die cut grungeboard wings to remind me to reach, try new things and most of all have a little fun soaring to new heights. i am fascinated by numbers and wanted the stamped label to look as if it were coming off the bottle. this image represents the artist in me - willing to learn, loves to take chances, and a little off center :D

layers demystified.

discovering the possi-bilities of layering has added a whole new dimension to my artwork. not only am i intrigued as the artist, but i love it as a viewer as well. there is so much going on in this little corner of the larger canvas that i thought i would run you through the process. i die cut the flower sections first, the bottom out of grungeboard, the top out of the clear modeling film. i stamped and painted then glued them together adding a fabric gauze rose for the center. i stamped pen nibs and words onto neutral papers then ripped or cut them into the shapes i needed. i found the charming muse tag among my stash and knew it would be a perfect addition and an added texture for the canvas. i figured out what i wanted on top then started assembling. i love the way it turned out and can't wait to make another one. maybe a winter piece with a white rose, hummm...

butterfly flight.

i wanted to share my latest discovery, a wonderful product called clearly for art modeling film. it comes in clear, white and black and can be stamped, painted or die cut. the great thing about this is that you heat it with your heat gun and mold it anyway you want as i did with the charming butter yellow butterfly you see here. i stamped the butterfly shape, painted it a soft yellow, stamped on the dots, shaded it with a golden brown then cut it out. once dry, i molded it to give it flight and added the pen nib for the body element. placed it upon a stamped tag, added a tiny leaf and voila, instant creative possibilities! don't you just love new adventures with great products?

transparency.

using a childs deck of cards to create my ending booklet, this is one of the projects i created for the prompt waterworks of 52 pages at http://www.art-and-sole.blogspot.com/. i knew the background should be an aqua blue and that it give the feeling of water. so, i gessoed my playing card and did a wash of color, while wet i laid a paper towel into it giving you this great dotted texture. i then spattered with another, duller blue for added drips. the faucet is out of sewing pattern paper and i've shaded here and there to give it dimension. the handle is painted on as well as the drip from the tap. i am really pleased with the whole effect and although simplistic in style, it had a lot of technique to it and was a great learning experiment.

dance.

while doing the mundane task of laundry, this little dryer sheet came tumbling out with just a bit too much flair. when it landing on the floor, i knew it had to be converted into a dress of some sort. then i remembered a wonderful stamp i had that would be perfect for it. so i gathered the stamp, sewing needle and thread and went about fitting the skirt to the image. it only took a couple of minutes but the effect will last a long time. the simplicity, elegance plus a touch of creativity - perfection in my book!

the emergence.

this is the main focus for the page and i wanted to include the wonderful scrapbook paper filled with inspira-tional words. i knew it would make great wings and add another interesting texture without having to do too much work. the words i chose to focus on were dream, celebrate, live, explore, go for it, life - i can't think of anything more appropriate for any life we are leading. dreams are the possibilities we give our self to live the life we want. i hope you have grabbed on to what makes you the happiest, after all, we only have one.

emerge tag.

developing layers in a mixed media way is some-thing i have been trying to improve. many artists make it look so easy some even with-out thinking about the final image. unfortunately, that's not how my art works. i need to have a reason for adding all those glorious textures and layers to help the main focus stand out in my art. that's how i was taught, that's how i think. nothing wrong with either way. it's just as an artist, you have to find which way works best for your creativity. this is just a small piece of an art journal page that centralized around my creative side emerging once again. i am very pleased with the progress and all the texture i achieved. now, can i remember how i did it all, hummmm.

burlap and clay.

this is the full view of yesterdays post details. i wanted to show you the whole canvas just so you could see how playful it was. the class title was "burlap and paper clay" and that is just what we used to develop our little piece of art. paint, gesso, book pages, sewing patterns and burlap were adhered to the background as layers upon layers of inspiration. i loved the book title i received "the pasteboard box" and knew it would look great on this creation as a stand out element. it was my favorite piece of the mixed media retreat and i can't really explain why. the colors, the textures, the playing, the new adventure - all of that contributes to it i'm sure. it could just be that i was arting without purpose, truly enjoying the experience of learning something new. when was the last time you had this much fun?

paper clay flowers.

i went to my first mixed media retreat this fall, create in chicago, and had a blast. not only did i challenge myself to take as many classes as the budget would allow but also, no two mediums were to be alike. sue pelletier taught me many things that week - there are no rules in art, experiment, play and most of all, enjoy yourself. i enjoyed her classes immensely because she showed us her technique then left us alone so we could discover our own artistic way. this was my first time working with paper clay and let me tell you, i love it. not only was it so soft and pliable but it dried pretty quick as well. once dry, you can paint it, collage on it, stamp, stencil, you name it, it works - love that! i also loved the added dimensional quality it gave this canvas. i will be arting with this product again, i guarantee it, because the possibilities are endless. do you have a bag of it yet :D

selfish, you bet.

this is an artist trading card (atc) i made to trade with another artist belonging to the kelly rae roberts flying lessons e-course. the only problem, i loved it so much i wanted to keep it for the studio and myself. selfish, yes, but it is also a little piece of me that celebrates my creative spirit, artistic eye and soaring possibilities hence the "no limits" banner along the bottom edge. it has been a while since i have felt the freedom to just create, enjoy and experiment with playful abandonment - so selfish, yes, but with great satisfaction! anyone want to trade?

to view my flying tribe mates blogs, check out this link http://www.kellyhoernig.blogspot.com/2011/10/flying-lessons-blog-hop.html

pieces of each other.

i wanted to repeat the etc. element but kept parts of it hidden just as a little bit of mystery. the ripped edges of the green paper represents life, the brown paper a calming effect, everything we need to succeed in this world. the bird sticker was brought forward by a real twig making it so much more important in this rectangle. the paper clay flower with the book scrap of paper and button center was a perfect touch of needed color. i cut out 3 leaf shapes and curled them as another dimensional texture. the little number 2 paper clip tells me that we all share pieces of one another and that's what life is all about right? love, et cetera.

the two of us.

this was the first section that i worked on because i liked the placement of it, right next to the red felted hanging heart. i knew it was a key piece in this tray so i made it very personal yet understated so it wouldn't command all the attention. the 2 on the playing card and the letter h both represent our lives together as one. the butterfly, my symbol for soaring creativity, is there for inspiration to enjoy life and savor every moment. the bottle cap and cardboard are there as supporting cast members but also play a huge part of this rectangles textural elements. the paper in the background was a perfect slate to bring this piece of me to life.

ah, possibilities.

this corner started with the 7 gypsies card in the background because of the birdcage surrounded by wings. immediately my mind went to creative adventures, something i seem to be quite familiar with. the looking glass on top has a stamped bird image inside along with a few strands of burlap for added texture. i used a tack nail to hold it in place making it even more dimensional. i loved the quote and while placing it, i began curling it in and out giving it a rolling effect and that seemed perfect for this space. working as an artist has a lot of hills and valleys to get through, so this revelation fits right into this little piece of me. the addition of carpet tacks finished the space, happily.

it is about today.

this graphic came off of another bo bunny line called gabrielle. the tall, erect shape was perfect for the space and seemed elegant and old world, yet came with a past. seize the day is a perfect sentiment because you never know what tomorrow will bring. i layered tissue paper behind the paper just to add texture and dimension, raising those important words a little closer to the viewer so they will remember the message. the paper clip holding the number 2 sign reminds me what is important in my life - john and i. we have been together since i was 15 so he is as much a part of me as i am myself and i like to celebrate that victory every single day!

i hold the key.

this door knob is also from 7 gypsies and i'm still looking for an old skeleton key to hang in this rectangle. i want the addition of that key because it was the actual key to the house i grew up in on garfield street, 6319 to be exact. so it's a personal element that fits the theme but is once again a little piece of me adding to the charm of this tray. i also absolutely love the foreground paper with it's coffee stain and ink spatters, not to mention all the handwritten text behind them. such a great textural element and quite the opposite to the shiny little fixture adhered in front of it. 

a bit of eccentric.

i feel in love with the etc. line by bo bunny and knew it had to be included in this little piece of me. i choose the logo and all it's roughness to give me a bit of the grunge look that i absolutely love. i added the butterfly because it has become the symbol of my creative spirit lately and the colors were perfect. the tissue paper flower still needs a center but i haven't found the right item yet, a button just won't do. i think i am going to have to find a vintage game piece so it adds more interest to that corner. the skinny paper along the edge has the word "live" circled right below the orange paper heart making me remember to do just that. the one above has just random text and that's why i've chosen not to bring attention to it by placing another item up there. for right now, it's just a place to rest with a little discovery.

pieces of me.

this black photo tray by 7 gypsies called to my creative muse the minute i saw it. not only did i know it would look great on my living room wall but i knew i wanted it to be a part of my adventuresome spirit. i will take each section one by one so you can see up close and personal what i did to it. each section is 4x6" and that's not a lot of space to work with but i made it work. to be a piece of me it is filled with nature items, words, letters, the number 2 and a lot of playfulness. did i tell you how much i love it? oh yeah, i do, really :D

the journey begins.

i am experiencing mixed media for the first time in my art journey and am totally loving it. not only is it freeing to dabble and experiment with different supplies, surfaces and options but i also get to bring along my creativity without holding anything back. it has given me new eyes, an unlimited imagination and endless possibilities to reach for and believe me, i'm up for the challenge. it is opening up a freedom to reach beyond and truly discover anything and everything all at once. can you really ask for anything more? i hardly think so.