Zentangles

This weeks challenge comes from Laura McHugh West.......

Draw a new Zentangle and post it. What inspired you? What materials did you use? 

I never heard of Zentangles before Laura McHugh West....

I saw something she posted on her face book page...it was an interesting design and I had to ask her about it...She said it was a Zentangle and it is a new art form, google it... and check it out...... so I did, and I am addicted, and so are my art students in  my school...


the art of the controlled doodle.....


here are my examples of Zentangles....

I saw some one post a picture of a Zentangle on a tape dispenser and thought that would make a great gift so I purchased a bunch of them at Staples...they just happened to come in these  bright colors.....this one sits on some fabric that I hand painted and doodled on the fabric......

I took my black sharpie markers and started doodling.....all around the dispenser....

this is a pink metal tin found at the dollar store just in time for Valentines day.....

had fun Zentangling the lid and sides again with black sharpie markers.....

added some white with a paint marker...now I just have to fill this tin up with some sweet Valentine candies....

here are some examples of my middle school art students Zentangles...they loved this project and so will you....

Thanks Laura McHugh West for introducing me to the world of Zentangles...I love it and so do the students I have shared this with....they are now Zentangling items in my class such as  a skate board, jeans, notebook binders, cell phone cases, plastic garbage cans, and even their X-Box controllers.....would love to see what interesting items you can Zentangle!

West Coast Zentangles

This week's challenge, picked by me, was to do a Zentangle. What's a zentangle you ask? Here's a link - it's all the rage these days. Beautiful, delicate, rhythmic designs made with fine-tipped black pens on lovely paper. Sometimes, embellished with color. Ok, I knew the drill, but despite the best of intentions, my zentangle was a giant fail! Not for lack of trying.


I was so excited to take some postcards that are going to go into a collection at Art in Action for their multi-year fundraiser (Atelier d'Artistes) they are calling Visions: Art Tells a Story. I'm the chair for this year's Atlier, and wanted to make a nice card. My thought was that I could combine my zentangle challenge with making something for the Atelier event.

The problem was that the paper they chose for the postcards isn't the best surface to receive pen, ink, watercolor etc. I kinda figured that when I saw the cards. They are beautiful postcard stock but not what the Zentangle experts recommend.


So I decided to use a sharpie to make the outlines with the thought that I would spray over it all with a fixative before adding the color. That's where things went south, to my horror. 


The fixative I used (tried and true Aqua-Net hairspray), made my outlines run like a crying baby's tears. I decided to just keep going with it - in the spirit of Bad Art Night - which is where I was making this piece. I laid in blue, red and purple watercolors and added the postage stamp at up in the corner.

I love it, but it is far from the zentangles you see in the books. A zentangle pattern? Yes. Neat lines and shading, gradations, and color? Not so much.

With this challenge we have completed a month of Laura McHugh Squared.

Happy January to Laura McHugh East, my partner in this wonderful year-long art challenge. 

Next month's topic is Love/Amor/Amour, por supuesto.

George & Mikey Portraits

Laura McHugh East set the challenge this week - do a portrait of your pet.

I have two little doggie dogs: George and Mikey. They are both rescues from the local humane society. George is a Bichon Frise / Poodle mix (white). Mikey is a Papillon / Chihuahua mix (black). They adore each other and we love them lots.

I took inspiration for how to do the portrait from an artist in the Portland area - Susan Schenk.  Susan teaches workshops on doing pet portraits with collage.

I liked the idea so I found my favorite photo of each dog and used that as a base. I just printed out an 8.5x11 on regular printer paper from my color printer.

Mikey

Since the thing I found on the web is a workshop, there wasn't really any "how to" information. Just a materials list. So I gathered up the stuff and started in - using my go-to approach called "fake it 'til you make it."


The materials list said to use Yes paste. I had some in my studio and this was much better than glue-sticking the little pieces of paper on the printout.

 

Here are all the pieces of magazine and some really cool black tissue paper a top I got online came wrapped in. I just picked quickly pages from the magazine that seemed to have similar colors to the photo.

I actually did the portrait of George first. Here he is sitting with me while I was working.





Here are the finished portraits:

King George - from a photo of him watching TV wearing my reading glasses last year.

Mikey Dude - taking in the view of the Pacific from up on the roof, taken last month.
 

This was a really fun project and I think Claire will enjoy hanging the portraits of her "boys" in her room.

Pet Portrait of Shelby

This week's challenge was from me Laura McHugh East.....I know that Laura West also has pets and thought that it would be fun to share our style on a pet portrait....

"Picnik Show"

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Self-portrait using mixed media

This week it was Laura McHugh West's turn to pick the challenge and she asked that we "Create a self-portrait using mixed media. Post a photo with a short blurb about how you made it."

so I found a picture of me....

cropped it....enlarged it.....turned it into a black and white photo on copy machine

I outlined it with black Sharpie markers, pencil marked the lines on the back of photo, then transferred it on white muslin fabric using  a bone folder to rub the pencil marks onto the fabric....

painted gesso over the fabric...

I used clear so that I could still see the pencil lines....

when the fabric was dried.... I used color pencils to shade my face and hair.....

then I went to my sewing machine to quilt the muslin to wonder under batting....

I used black thread to outline just as I would use a sharpie marker to outline a sketch or painting.....

I cut out my face....and now to decide on a background....should it be a wild print???

I decided on a vintage piece of fabric.....so I sewed my head(sounds so weird...) to the background...added some fabric for my jacket...oh yeah...I crocheted a little scarf for me to wear....like in the photo....

sewed everything down......added some vintage trims as a frame or border...

I thought that this challenge was going to be difficult.....I had so many ideas and not sure what to do....I love so many mediums and always have so many ideas that I have a problem narrowing it down........so here is what I came up with....I had so much fun trying to challenge my self...Next challenge is my idea and I decided on a pet portrait....stay tuned.....

Would love to see your portraits.....

Mixed Media Collage Self-Portrait

The idea of making a self-portrait was very daunting. I put it off all week then decided to do it at Bad Art Night to relieve the pressure of doing something perfect and "right."

I found it more fun as I got into it and used it as an opportunity to "wear" things I never would in real life.

I started with the traditional approach for self-portraits - I used a mirror to see myself and sketched my face on watercolor paper with a loose Pentel gray pen. Then I glued a piece of pink tissue paper over the whole page using a glue stick.

The sketch showed through enough to start embellishing the portrait with pastels, watercolor, glued bits of paper and small objects people at Bad Art Night kept pushing my way. 

The "badge" photo, baby sticker and sardine tin red label are from Sue Tinker in Chicago who is doing the ephemera trade with another group of friends. 

The butterfly is a beautiful embossed stamped image from a new member of Bad Art Night, Kelly, as are the little things on my cheek - suns and rosettes.

I'm not sure who handed me the fortune cookie fortune, but I like what it says:

Here are more detail shots:

My friends know I don't like to wear things in my hair, but here a large butterfly seemed to be just the thing.

I have no idea why I think putting this baby sticker on my cheek was a good idea. The tissue paper ripped while I was applying pastel, so I had to put something in there to cover it up.

My name badge, made from a photo of a woman I will never know, given to me by Sue as part of someone's photo album of a trip to the "Barbary Coast" (SF) back in the 1930s.

My Tools - Laura McHugh West

Laura East's challenge this week was to share photos of our art tools. So I'm going to share some of my recent art and then show you how I use my fave art tools to make them.

I'm a mixed-media collage artist - I work with paper mainly. Here are two examples of my work, just to give you a feel. You can see a lot more on my website here.

This piece is watercolor on watercolor paper, layered with inks from pens and bulk liquid type ink, along with stamping, use of some watercolor pencils, application of acrylic white paint, and addition of some paper elements.

This piece is a box I made using background papers I created with recycled 11x17 paper from the printer, cheapie craft paints, colored pencils and stamps. I then applied the paper to a cigar box, put some sewing pattern paper on the inside, added a focal point which was a reproduction of a vintage postcard, and some twine. I added a layer of beeswax to give it a luscious coating that also smells good!

So here are my fave tools that help me create these pieces.

My pencils.

My pens.

Watercolors. Two kinds.

 

  

A little box with erasers and glue sticks.

Pens. Pentel brush pens and some white ones.

Pastels.

What's in your tool box?

week #2 was my challenge......

It was my turn to chose a Challenge for week #2 for Getting to know us....so I  asked for us to take 5 photos of the tools and or supplies you love to create your art with and write a short blurb to why they are your favorite...

I am so thankful for my 2 hands and would have to say that they are my favorite tools for without them I would be CRAZY!

I love love love my Bernina Sewing Machine.....and I love to sew my vintage fabrics, trims and even paper with it.....it is so reliable that I couldn't live without it......

paper cutting is a breeze with this great paper trimmer...from Friskars......

couldn't live without my German jewelry tools....they make designing quick,easy and they are so comfortable......

love to see up close when I am designing my Jewelry and art work....I  love to wear my Head Loupe magnifier...has a light and many different strength lens.... amazing what you can see with the proper lens.....

and can't forget my friend......my computer which I spend many hours day and night with...... and love to edit my photos on Picnik...for my etsy shop and blogs....oops! I went over my 5 picture limit..... and have so many more tools and supplies that I love to work with but these are just a few that I love to create my art with.  What are some of your favorites????

The Challenge from Laura McHugh West.....

Take 3-5 photos of little areas around your house where you have created something - through decorating it, hanging something, or your studio where you make art. Write a short item about your photos. 


This is a few little areas around my house that I wanted to share with you. Laura McHugh East

love this little cabinet that I rescued from an estate sale.......it was down in the basement covered in spider webs and in sad condition...I knew it had nice lines and that I had the perfect spot for it...So I cleaned it up, added some well deserved paint and then mosaiced the top, the door panels and knobs...

had fun breaking tiles, chipped plates and adding glass pebbles to the top to create and interesting design..I have to thank my hubby for all the hours he helped me crack and break the items and then try to fit them like a puzzle to create this piece....love how it turned out....

this is a little section of my basement art studio....I have so many things crammed down here, but I am so happy to have this space....I am always trying to arrange and rearrange for added space...love this paint carousel, holds all my colorful paints and makes it easy to find just what you are looking for....

this little cupie doll makes me smile...someone crocheted this darling little outfit....I love seeing her peeking out from behind some of my vintage button collection in sweet little vintage glass containers....

love to collect vintage suitcases and train cases to store some of my supplies in....they look great and hide a lot of stuff that you don't want others to see.....like your hubby when you have way too much stuff.....he keeps telling me the basement is full.....but I keep finding new places to hide things....this is just a few spots around our home that I thought was colorful and creative....Laura McHugh East.....