Free Artist Workshops

Strathmore offers free workshops.  They are really good.  The current class is by Tracy Bautista, teaching doodling and mixed media techniques.  She is a wonderful artist and has written several books.

This is the link to the website:

http://www.strathmoreartist.com/blog-reader/items/strathmore-2012-online-workshop-series.html

This is a journal page I created using Traci's techniques.

I took the "Sketchbook Challenge"

The Sketchbook Challenge for February, was to draw and paint a close-up and personal picture.  I took the challenge and created this fish. 

You must checkout the Sketchbook Challenge blog. I love it. There are so many great artists sharing ideas and techniques on this blog.

http://sketchbookchallenge.blogspot.com/

More Mixed Media Imaginary Creatures

These creatures emerged from a water marking technique that didn't work.  The instructions were to paint card stock using a medium shade of acrylic paint and let it dry.  Next dilute a lighter shade of acrylic paint with water and paint over the first layer.  Then, while the paint is still wet, splash or drop alcohol over the paper.  Allow to dry.  The alcohol was supposed to dissolve some of the top layer paint and allow the other to show through.  Well, I tried it three times and nothing happened to the paint.  I started adding some acrylic inks and more alcohol and started to get some interesting stuff happening.  When dry I looked at the papers and because of Carla Sonheim's creature class, I started to see creature shapes.  These were the results.   This is so much fun.

I named this creature

 "Foaming mouth"

Big Mouth

Stand up bird

Mixed Media Fun

I taught a class last Friday doing mixed media on a canvas.  These are some of my examples.  I forgot to take photos of the artwork created in the class.  They were fabulous, would have liked to share them.

Journal Page Tutorial

As I was creating this journal page, I decided to take photos of each step and make a tutorial to share.

I have selected my background papers which I will collage onto my page.  I am using a Watercolor Strathmore Journal.  This paper allows for several layers without breaking down.  Mod podge is my choice for gluing items to my page.  Sometimes I use matt medium, but find I need to use gloves with it because it doesn't wash off the hands very well.

After gluing my collage papers to my page, I add some paint using a sponge.  I like to use light colors here.  I start with buttermilk and some off white mixed together with a little water to give it a light wash, then I added some light blue, yellow and a red tone.  All applied lightly so the background shows through.

This is where I start adding stenciling. to my page.

More stencils and stamping here. 

Now for a focal point.  I cut the image out of a magazine.  Cut a dress out of scrap paper, and a bandanna to cover her hair.

This is where the fun starts.  Doodling, adding details.  Drawing leaves and stems for the flowers. I painted her face and body parts with a light paint.

Here is the completed page. I have added rub ons, more stamping, some decorative tape.

Carla Sonheim's online class "Imaginary Creatures" Post 2

I finished my class and here are my creatures.  It was so much fun working on these and then I messed them up at the finish.  The finishing spray was clogged and I didn't check it, so I have lots of spots all over my creatures.  I liked them better before I sprayed them.

Bird

Cat

Goat

Rodent

Journal cover

This is a cover I made for my Sketchbook. 

I used clear contact shelf liner. I cut a piece to fit my journal, plus an extra couple of inches on each side to allow for a pocket for the cover to slide into. I layed the contact on my table with the sticky side up, then started sticking scrap papers to it.  I used a glue stick for any overlapping edges that needed to be secured. When contact liner was covered, I placed another piece of contact paper over the scrap papers to sandwich them together. Using my sewing machine I did some freehand stitching all over the cover, to hold everything together since the contact paper isn't really sticky.  I trimmed the edges to fit the height of my journal/sketchbook and stitched around the edges of the cover. Finally I folded in the sides about 2 inches and stitched the edges to make pockets to slide my journal covers into.

 

Before going on my cruise, I decided that I needed a pouch to carry my sketchbook and a few supplies that would be easy to grab and go.

This is the pouch I made.  I painted the fabric and sewed it together.  It only just holds my sketchbook, watercolors, a pen, pencil and eraser.