Thursday, September 29, 2016

Finishing Recent Backgrounds

Here are some pieces finished off today with rubber stamps, embossing powder, oil paint crayon,  and stickers:








Gelli Prints & Deli Wax Paper Project Backgrounds

A very good session in the art room involved the Gelli printing plate, card stock and some deli wax paper.  Many possible post card backgrounds were the result:



And then, some became one-fold envelopes:

Combed-through paint on printing plate

"Smooshed" watered-down paint on printing plate

Rubber washers used to remove paint from printing plate

Combed-through paint on printing plate

And whole sheets may serve as stationery, or post-a-letters:

Doesn't this resemble a world map of some sort with its strange land masses and oceans?



This was made by putting torn strips over the painted surface of the Gelli printing plate, then using the strips to make a grid over another (background) pattern on the paper.

Gelli Prints & Deli Wax Paper ATC's

Sheets of painted or collaged 8+1/2" x 11" card stock, trimmed for post card pieces yielded enough extra paper to make into ATC backgrounds.













Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Cemetery Wanderings

Today I brought my camera when I took the car in for a check-up.  It was lovely, sunny and cool (for a "rainy day"). While walking the country road I entered a well-groomed cemetery.  At first I thought the subjects for snapshots would be the surrounding woods and fields, but instead my attention drifted toward the section with many old monuments.  Here are a few that seemed interesting to me:

This time-worn cherub stands guard in the early morning sunlight which was glaring off the polished marble.

 Whenever I see a little lamb monument I think about the family who lost an infant and forever grieved their loss.  My maternal grandmother lost a child at birth, and my paternal grandmother lost a newborn infant as well.  An aunt and an uncle I have never met.  Perhaps someday they will come up to me and say, "Here we are!" in joyous greeting.

This man from Ireland lived a long life, passing on about 126 years ago.  I wonder what stories he might have told of coming from the Olde Country, the contrasts he found in this place, his new home, and why he left the Emerald Isle to cross the ocean.

Almost completely crusted with lichen,  much of this inscription is still readable.  I was tempted to scrape it off, but it wasn't mine to do so.


No identifying letters or dates, no name indicating for whom it was erected, this monument appears to have broken off a long time ago.  Only a cross endures the harsh eraser of time.  Someone's passing was noted, even if he or she remains a mystery to this present generation.

Here was a grave of yet another native of Ireland.  I found it interesting that the person's county of origin was noted.

Cemetery Design Details

What interest me as much as the dates, names and sentiments etched on the monuments are the carved designs:  lilies, fleurs de lis, sheaves of wheat, meandering vines...  wreathes, flourishes, borders and frames... This would be a great place to transfer images by crayon, pencil or charcoal rubbing onto paper.





















Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Three New Collage Pieces

Yes, I actually did make five Time for Tea-themed pieces.  Here are two more:

This card has a packaging tape magazine transfer background and a real tea tag.

Roller stamp over acrylic paint background, shaving creme marbleized doily, and real tea tag. Collecting tea cup images almost made me wish I could start collecting the real things.  So lovely...

An ATC with painted deli waxed paper background, collage and stickers.

Sunday, September 25, 2016

Avoidance Art - Collage Post Cards 1

Today's art session was supposed to yield 2 - 4 Tea Time group swap collage post cards.  While surveying the ever-shrinking area of usable work space on the table, the nagging thought came to me that I really must either file away, stash or dispose of the various piles of  accumulated paper snippets so that I can clear a larger area.

All of a sudden, I started finding long-lost elements and things that went with other things.   Instead of clearing off the table, I ended up making  2 envelopes, 12 Artist's Trading Card's, 9 Post Cards's and 3 big collage cards.  Who says creativity can not come forth from chaos?









As you might guess, I did not get around to making any Tea Time- themed post cards during the hours spent in the art room.  Progress of a different sort?