Express Your Creativity Week 11

Welcome to Express Your Creativity. Here you can share paintings, sketches, art journal pages, poetry, photography, fiber arts like knitting and weaving, favorite recipes, organizational and decorating ideas, and more. The only requirement is that it is something that you have created in some way. I hope you will join me here and please pass it on. Please make sure to list your posts url and not your blogs url. This makes it easier for any late comers to find your post. If you are unfamiliar with Mr. Linky, this is how it works. You type in your name in the first box and the url/link to your post, not your blog address about your creative efforts this week. When you return your name will already be populated, you just need to paste in the new posts link.

I have created a blog button for those participating who might want to post this on your blog. You'll find it on the sidebar to your right.

These are collages in my recycled paintings journal. I seem to be in a red period.

This one used a flyer from an exhibit I attended about Kimonos.  Did you know that kimonos un-sewn when they are washed.  Then the pieces are sewn back together to be worn. Their rectangular pieces make this relatively easily. Can you imagine doing that with all your clothes.

I created the background with a brayer and then drew the feathers on top.  I have a journal that I got as a gift that has feathers all over it.  I used it for inspiration. I use markers,, gel pens and pitt brush pens to make the feathers.  Feathers are fun to draw.  I never tire of them, they are one of my personal symbols.

Do you draw any of your personal symbols?  

Explorations In My Journals

I have been trying to make art every day this week. That can mean working on paintings or in my art journals. Yes I do have more than one. Sometimes I am called to a particular size or style to work in. I have been leaning to bigger and bigger journals. I still like to work in small ones though. Some of my journals were bought for classes I am taking, so I only work in them for the class. That is until the course is over with, but I like to continue using it with the concepts learned.  In today's post I show a few of my different journals and pages.






















This is an imaginary landscape. I used Inktense Blocks and colored pencils in the piece. I started with blocks of color which looked like a landscape scene so that is the route I took.  Colored pencils were used to highlight the river and grasses. I like the soft quality that resulted.

This Albino bird was the result of playing with colors. Napthol Red, Hansa yellow light, Titanium White and Quinacridone red.  This was an exercise where you paint for 2 minutes and cover half of it up and then repeat 4 times.  From Flora Bowley's bootcamp. It was fun to do. One I think I will explore again and again. Its a great exercise if you fear the blank page or are just feeling stuck.

In my sketchbook skool journal some crows came for a visit. Pencil, watercolor, a dip pen and acrylic ink were used. There is a new session of Sketchbook Skool starting next week. There are three different classes to choose from. I am doing Storytelling this time and I can't wait for it to begin.

I've been playing along with Connie Hozvicka's Art Journal Wisdom free e-course this week. This is my first page. I also incorporated Flora Bowley's idea of using strong contrast. It really made the image of the woman pop off the page. You can join in on Connies class here. This journal is one I made myself.  It has Fabriano paper in it and if you've ever worked with this paper you know what a dream it is to work with.

In what way are you expressing your creativity this week?

Kate

Inspire - Breath

This piece is also a part of the Spectrum class. The focus of Inspiration and particularly the breath.  I started with images and words but painted over them.  I thought of the 2 shapes on the right as being the lungs but now that I look at it again they look like knees to me.  All the other imagery seemed to connect the body and its inner workings.  Lots of cell like objects and flowing things. When I began it was like some manic painting but then I remembered that I was supposed to focus on my breath.  Was it shallow or deep, fast or slow.  When I started paying attention  to the breath the work slowed down and I felt more present.  An interesting exercise, when you slow down and are more present in your life, you can see the little details easier.

Have a great weekend.

Sunday Sketches

The hubby and I headed down to Pocatello a town an hour from here to have a Valentine lunch. We headed to McKenzie River Pizza Co.  They are building one in Idaho Falls but it taking forever to open.  So we headed south to go to the one that has just been built there. We became fans when our daughter was going to school in Montana. You can't get a good pizza around here so I was so excited when I heard they were going to build a location here.

While waiting for our food.  I drew this woman in a small notebook I carry in my purse.

Then I put some watercolor on her.

Here is the pizza I had. Alfredo sauce, spinach, fresh tomato and chicken, it was so good.

They gave us a free dessert, that is red velvet cake with creame inside.  Its too bad I had to share.

Afterwards I spent the night with an old favorite.  That's Humphrey Bogart with the Maltese Falcon.  Actually my cinema group met at my house for a showing of the 1941 classic. I love vintage films and this is one of the best. I watched this so many times as a kid with my parents, it reminded me of them so much. Good memories and fun times.

Check out Blue Chair Diary to see what others are sketching today.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway in this post

Just A Page

For Paint Party Friday I just have a journal page to share.  This started out as a gelli print.  I used the wrong kind of paint for this technique so things got muddy and messed up quickly.  Then I added oil pastels for more color and to give it some definition.  I added it to a page that had the beginnings of a background. I thought the colors worked well.

Check out what others are doing today for Paint Party Friday.

Studying Under The Masters

This little bird came out of this multi-layered background.  It was paint scrapings from a couple different palette's. So it started with acrylics but I uses Neocolor II WC crayons and gelatos on top with no water added.  I am linking to Art Every Day Month for this art journal page.

Studying Under The Masters

This past weekend I found out about this class being offered in January.  It feels like a great companion to what I have been learning in Pauline Agnew's class.

Join nine artists as we become the “apprentice”. We will share how we became a modern-day apprentice to those who came before us and those who work beside us now. Through discussion and technique videos, each artist will share their week with a “master” as if they are sitting next to them. You’ll learn who their “master” artist studied under, who influenced their work and what techniques and mediums they used.

*This is a nine week course.

*Over 60 discussion and technique videos. 
*Supply lists, prompts, book suggestions
*Weekly live chats 

*Course material will be available for one full year

The Instructors
Katie Kendrick, Stephanie Lee, Kate Thompson, Christy Tomlinson, Junelle Jacobsen, Danielle Donaldson, Teresa Sheeley, Jenny Wentworth, and Jeanne Oliver♥

To sign up for the class you can go to Jenny Wentworth's blog. There is a sign up button in her sidebar.  There is a pre sale going  on now so get in on the sale price of 48.00. I know the work of several of the artists but not all of them. I think it just might be an amazing course, so I signed up. It will be fun to start the year with this amazing class.

Possibilities and Ideas Are Endless

For Paint Party Friday I am sharing something I started last week.  A finished journal page, that I started last week. Once I added all those circles and embellishments I struggled with what to do next.  I think the struggle is the problem, let go don't worry about the outcome, just let it flow.  Sometimes I need to take my own advice.

These are Catalyst Wedges by Princeton.  After seeing them used in a video on mono printing I knew I needed some.  I only got 4 of them but after using I can see I'll be getting the 2 I didn't get before.  I can see myself using these on regular paintings too. They fit really nice in your hand. I also like that there is a short edge and a longer edge.  I really like them.

This was my first print. I love all the different marks you can make with these. The wedges are very flexible.  You can see video's of them in use at Catalyst or GelliArts

This one is a ghost print with several layers.

I love how this turned out.


On the gelli arts blog they have a new technique called  Thick and thin They do a step by step process with pictures or you can watch the video below. They are using the new catalyst contour tools that are smaller than the wedges.




They are using the new Golden High Flow Acrylics.  I noticed them on Dick Blick's site and I wondered what they were for.  They are very thin and you can use them in an airbrush, refillable markers, with a dip pen, paint brush and more.  The effect used on the gelli plate are pretty cool. I don't have any of these paints so I may try using a thinned down fluid acrylic and see if I can get the same affect.

I'm linking to Paint Party Friday, ArtJournal Everyday and August Colorful Gelli Print Party So check out all the wonderful work on these sites.