Just Flow With It

It's amazing how large these post. This is actually drawn on a 4" x 6" postcard. In keeping with the rule of three - tangles that is - I went with a version of hollibaugh, tipple, and a flowy thing that I think is mooka, but not entirely certain on that. Hahaha! Just having fun! Color once again brought to you by Derwent Graphitint Pencils, cause that's all I brought on this road trip with me.

Posting From Kali's

I am up north visiting Kali. I had planned to be working on a book project during this trip, but the book deal fell through. So I am kind of at a loss for what I should be working on. Some of the CZTs are getting ready for a postcard swap, so that's what I'm working on now. No more than three tangles allowed, black and white, the only color we can use is by pencil or micron. I used Derwent Graphitint Pencils for the color you see in these two.

This card was fun. These are two of my own patterns: Blox and Harlequin. You can see the step out for blox by clicking on 'My Patterns' at the top of this page. On to more postcards. I have something like 16 more to make! That should keep me busy for a day or two :).

On the Road Again

No new art work to post today. I just wanted to let you know that I am hitting the highway . . . again.  Headed back up to see my Kali-girl, can't wait! Her young man is leaving for nine weeks, headed off to a Christian bootcamp, of sorts. They will have no contact for nine weeks. Wow! We didn't want her to be lonely, so I'm on my way up for a visit. Yay!!!! Any reason, right? Well, give me a day or two to get there - cause it's 800 miles away - and I hope to get back to posting soonafter. May God bless you all.

Color Swatching With the Twinks

 I am knee-deep into Dion Dior's Mastering Twinks class and I am loving it so far! These tiny pots of beautiful, shimmery color are wonderful to look at, mix and blend, and to just wash across a page.

Color swatches. You can never have too many. Quite awhile ago, I started a color journal using a Stillman & Birn Alpha Series Sketchbook. The pages are wonderfully starke white and they hold up to plenty of water. Most of my colors involve the use of water, so that is an important element to consider.

I have color swatches of various watercolor pencils (I think I must own stock in the Derwent company!), watercolor tubs, pastels, markers, and pens. It's great to keep swatches of them all in one place, and I can flip back and forth through the pages of the various media to decide what approach I want to use on a piece of art.

I took Dion's Silks class last year, and those pots of color are very similar to these little pots. Bright and shimmery. Twinks have bits of mica infused into them, which give you gorgeous washes of sparkly, yummy color when released.

In today's swatch project, we matched up primary colors with natural colors and laid them out in two separate charts. I didn't care as long as I got to swirl, and twirl, add a little ox-gall here, and a little water there. Such fun!

I don't remember now where I saw this earlier today. One of the other students posted a photo of her storage for the pots. You have to get the twinks all wet and puddled up good before they are at the consistency they need to be. Then you have to let them dry completely before putting the lids back on. Sometimes this can take days and I just don't have the room to have little pots lined up all over the place drying out. I really liked the way this lady stores her pots in drawers. I had one of these little 3-drawer bins that I wasn't using, so I pulled it out to use. I put the primary colors in one drawer, and the natural and mono-tone colors in another drawer. I spritzed and ox-galled them right in the drawer and sat the drawer on the table top so that I could paint straight from the drawers. When I finished, I just slid the drawers back into the cabinet where they will stay until dry. Or until I use them again :). What a great idea! Another painting project tomorrow. Yay!!!!!

Diva Challenge #127, DuoTangle Time

The Diva's challenge this week was to take two tangles - cirquital and opus - to create a tile. No additional tangles, just those two. Above you can see the tile I made today. Now, let me show you step-by-step how I made it.

I wanted to lay some color down in the background and decided on this particular template/stencil because the circles mimic the shape of cirquital. 

When I was taking a gelli plate class recently, I covered the desktop with brown craft paper. I have just left it in place so I don't have to worry about making a mess. I used an apprentice tile for this challenge. I placed the tile on the desktop, angled the stencil over it making sure all the corners were covered, and used painter's tape to hold the stencil in place. I've noticed that the tile underneath doesn't move as long as the stencil is firmly in place.

I decided on two ink colors. I used the pink ink first and  . . . 

. . . just tapped a layer of color over the top of the stencil. I was going for a touch of color, not complete coverage. Then I took a paper towel and dabbed the color off the stencil.

I used a Brilliance ink pad for the second color. I just really like the shiny, sparkly look I can get with the Brilliance pads.

Then I tapped blue onto the tile through the stencil. I went for a heavier coverage with this ink. If you notice at the top left corner of the tile, you still catch glimpses of the pink underneath.

Remove the stencil and clean it. Then lift up the painter's tape and see what you've got. I really like the circular effect made by the stencil and was curious to see what it would look like once I started drawing the cirquitals.

I placed some circles on the tile, and decided to make them all double ringed. You'll notice that the center one on the left is a bit wobbly.

I noticed that as I started adding some texture to the rings, some of that wobbliness started to disappear.

Completed the cirquital tangles . . .

. . . and started the opus. What a cool name for a pattern! Opus! Reminds me of Berkeley Breathed's Bloom County comic strip. Wasn't the penguin named Opus?

Sorry. I digress.

Anyhoo! I drew a bunch of opuses :smile: and auraed everything in sight.

Then last of all, I shaded with a pencil and a tort. Cirquital and opus. What a great combination! And speaking of great combinations -

Berkeley Breathed and Opus

 That would be Opus!

 

 In case you can't read this one, it says, "I have an outty bellybutton, which means I have to be ever vigilant that it doesn't unscrew and let my butt fall off."

Did I mention that I got sidetracked and just spent fifteen minutes with google reading Opus/Bloom County comics?

 A somewhat blurry (but the best I could find) 

Opus and Bill the Cat!

 A tribute to Schroeder and Snoopy.

Peace, out!

* * * * * * 

Back to serious business, check out the Diva Challenge here to see all the awesome artwork people are posting. And, it isn't too late for you to give cirquital and opus your own rendition!

Shine, by the Newsboys

Shine (lyrics by the Newsboys)
Shine. Make 'em wonder what you've got, make 'em wish that they were not on the outside looking bored.

Shine. Let it shine before all men. Let 'em see good works, and then, let 'em glorify the Lord.

When you let it shine, you will inspire the kind of entire turnaround that would make a bouncer take ballet,

but out of the glare with nowhere to turn you ain't gonna learn it on "What's My Line?" Shine.

Make 'em wonder what you've got, make 'em wish that they were not on the outside looking bored. Shine. Let it shine before all men. Let 'em see good works, and then, let 'em glorify the Lord. Shine.
(Stillman & Birn Zeta Series Sketchbook, water colors,  Twinkling H2Os, micron, uniball pen)