he needs a name (since named SEEKER)

beeswax, scrapbook paper, CitraSolv paper, pattern tissue, crayon, pastel

Finally found the time, energy, inspiration and materials to do some art.  Spent Monday digging in the garage for my CitraSolv papers only to discover them in the paper slot marked, wait for it, CitraSolv Papers.  Yikes!  I was just too organized for myself!!!

I found two papers late Monday that I thought looked good together so I decided to use them together as I worked thru ideas for an upcoming beeswax workshop I'll be teaching at My Heart's Fancy in OKC later next month (I'll let you know the date when it's decided - test run is 5/25).  When I started playing with the papers  yesterday morning I discovered the ghostly, melty face of a man in the CitraSolv paper and decided to play up the eye with a bit more color and the melty effect with dripping beeswax.  Usually I do so many more layers than this but he just seems finished.

Except for the title.

In my last post I talked about having a title for a piece only to have the piece tell you later what its real name is.  I have nothing for this one.  Anyone have any suggestions?

I'm still here

I've been squeezing in some play time here & there and actually found time to journal & scribble this morning.

When I was experimenting with CitraSolv the other day, I thru some book pages into the inky puddle that had collected. That's what made the blue/purple coloring on this old journal page. Then I decided to use my white Sharpie Paint Pen becuz it writes on anything and CitraSolv paper has an interesting hand. Anyway, the paint pen worked but in a kinda faded way. Next I sketched a quick little face with pencil and added some Memento ink direct-to-paper - the greenish colors.

OH! I just realized these colors look like a bruise. ICK!! Oh well, that's not a comment on how I'm feeling - just what was nearby!

I will write more later about all my CitraSolv experiments - probably after tax season. In the meantime, I wanted to let y'all know that I am at least getting a few moments here & there in the studio ~ Sherry

ps - anyone know how to put the trademark symbol in here? I really feel like I should have them after all these name brands I listed.

Drawing Faces

I have been seeing lots of faces on lots of blogs lately and it made me want to try my hand at them again.

Not bad. Kinda long/skinny. This is done with pencil and sharpie.

Now I need to learn how to do the pretty coloring that so many others do. I've tried oil painting faces before and, quite frankly, not so good.

I noticed Martha Lever has been trying color pencils. EEEEEEK!!!! I really am not good at using those all by themselves - I don't know how to do all the blending necessary to get depth/dimension. When I have some time, maybe I'll find an online tutorial.

Someone else did some beautiful, realistic faces with acrylic paint in her journal - I'll have to hunt that one down again.

Anyway, just a little sketching while relaxing in front of the television after a day of taxes. (I also do Sudoku while watching TV but that's not all that interesting to talk about! lol)

I'll be back as soon as I can - I have another piece I finished last week that I need to photograph again and post.

Thanks for stopping by ~ Sherry

Art Journaling Again *YAY*

My studio is so close to being set up that I actually found time to journal again!! YAY!!

I started with a paper that I'd dyed, watercolored & collaged a long time ago (I have a lot of these pre-made journaling papers - it's so much fun to do that once I start, I can't stop) and used a Sharpie white poster pen, #6 pencil & regular black sharpie to do some writing. That was all I planned on doing as I was sitting in front of the TV since my desk had a K charm bracelet covering it's surface.

I didn't plan on writing anything significant - I just wanted to put pen to paper - so there was no great out-pouring of emotion, just a little letter play. But after I finished the writing, I noticed the kinda skin-tone area to the right and just had to draw the eye under the long tail on the G (I love to draw eyes) which became half a face. Then photo tape with more white poster paint and voila, a journal page. FINALLY.

I cannot tell you how happy I am to have some creative time again, not to mention a creative space (expect pictures soon). Though I know you understand if this is your "thing" too ~ Sherry

PS - Don't forget to enter the giveaway - results of the drawing will be posted tomorrow night.

Art Journal Challenge Week 3: Nonconformity

This is week 3 of the self-portrait art journaling challenge. Today I got a little carried away with drawing the picture of me and then didn't know what to say about it - it was really more of a portrait than a journal page - so I put it aside when my friend Roz came over.
After the third time she told me I was more weird than the rest of us, I pulled out one of the rubber stamps I had stolen from her and tattooed the middle of my forehead with the words

CONFORM
and be
DULL.

I have always been a little "different". And except for junior high, I've always felt pretty good about it. I know that's what Roz meant by "weird":
unique, different, one-in-a-million, special.

A few years ago, for a project, I asked my friends and non-friends to describe me. The constant themes of the answers were independent and open, accepting and non-judgmental. Of course, since only my friends answered the email, the results were nice!

Be yourself.
Accept others for being themselves.
And life will never be dull ~ Sherry

Art Journal Challenge Week 2: I used to . . .

Week #2 (tho Ellen's blog says week #3 - she's ahead of me!!) and I elected to do a full body line drawing.

I used a fine point sharpie for the sketch & writing. Then I went around it with a black glitter gel pen and wet brush to get the shadows.

This is not quite the face or body I have now (the real ones really are more "poofy" and definitely look like they're "50+") but they're not exactly what I had before either. Guess this is closer to the me in my head. And since I change my hairstyle all the time, I'm willing to bet I had this one at one time.

It is so good to be in a place in my life where I can be/do what I always wanted. Yes, there's still a "day job" or two to pay the bills but I see myself as an artist now. Life is good. God is good.

~ Sherry

ps - my legs DID look like that about half a life ago - deep sigh - and I notice that while I accept myself as an artist, I still can't accept my age - lol



linked to the Something Old Challenge at Mixed Media Monday

Art Journal Challenge Week 1: YIKES!!!

So this is week one of the challenge. And boy, was it a crazy week. Clients (not art clients). PayPal. Life in general.

In light of that, I tried to give myself a crazy look with extra wide eyes and kooky hair.

I used several different media on this journal page - watercolor background, collaged image of me, acrylic paints, gel pens, permanent markers, graphite & color pencils. I also used the new (at least to me) Golden Digital Grounds so I could print on top of the collage. There are actually lots of iridescent paints too, but those don't seem to scan well!

Ellen went a completely different direction with her page - reflecting on her native american heritage and adding images to her face. Click here to see it & read about it.

I'm going back to work on the PayPal issues on my website so wish me luck - I wouldn't want next week's journal page to reflect the same feelings as this one (might have to put tape over the mouth so bad words don't come out!!)

~ Sherry

Art Journal - Self-Portrait

Ellen came over Friday and we had a lot of fun sharing techniques and sketching. She showed me photos for Mombasa and the travel art journal she kept while there. I shared a few tips on drawing facial features. And we decided to post our journal pages every Friday for four or five weeks then get together to see what's next. She used a photo of herself and almost finished a journal page.

And I remembered something very important: While I can draw great eyes & lips and decent noses & ears, THE PEOPLE I DRAW DON'T LOOK LIKE THE PEOPLE I'M DRAWING!!!! This is a major drawback to the journal plan. So I traced a picture of myself: I don't have any hair becuz I'm going to add that when I do the actual journal pages (I did draw my head shape but it didn't show up on the scan).

Check out Sharon's self portrait. When she commented on my previous post, I wasn't sure which Sharon was writing. But as soon as I clicked on her post I knew becuz her drawing looks just like her. Great work!!

So come back next Friday to see our first journal pages. Anyone else want to join the fun? ~Sherry