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.