birch bark |

Welcome to the world of Rex Ray~ Great name. Great work.

Have a watch..

After watching this video I just wanted to climb right up there beside him on the desk and have a heart to heart chat about his journey, his experiences and generally what makes him tick. I believe we all need a mentor to help guide us on our journey. I have decided I want him to be mine.

Rex…just text me! ( because it doesn’t hurt to put it out there..)

I love everything about this video ~ his work, his attitude and how he represents himself. What struck a chord with me was his daily collage work.. Oddly, I stumbled upon this video just a few days after I had made the decision to try to create a daily collage.

Serendipitous?? ..I am taking it as a sign from above..

As you may know, I love paper. I may even have a paper problem. I have stacks of it. I have been known to secretly retrieve it from the recycling.

There are moments when I am not so proud of my artistically afflicted ways…..

I have been spending the majority of my creative time these days working on my intuitive painting skills.Very enjoyable, but I do find that I often need to step away from it every so often just to give my canvas a chance to rest, recuperate and regenerate.

Collage, especially with a limited palette, is a breath of fresh air. I dont struggle as much with it. Right now I am sticking to homemeade papers, pen and thread… but I know I wont be able to resist adding some paint in time.

Playing with textures and composition. The theme for this group is “Out of the Woods”. I have incorporated a lot of my homemade woodlike paper and birch bark from my very own birch tree.

One of my goals for this year is to actually build up a body of work. Instead of flitting around from project to project, my goal is to concentrate on working within a theme/subject. Spend some time thinking about the subject at hand and finding different ways to represent the same subject. I have been trying to work on this concept with my poppy paintings. Why not do the same with my paper projects?

A small part of my brain also thought it may be beneficial for my upcoming surface pattern design course… Well it seems that Rex also thought it would be beneficial and who am I to argue with his success.

So my friends I leave you with this..

Source: tabletonic.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

Every time I question the what and why of this whole creative journey, I come back to this ~ I love all the possibility. I love the zen like feeling and the a’ha moments I have when creating. I may never reach my ultimate destination, but what entertainment it has been along the way.

Day 3~ Blogtoberfest

For Illustration Friday~ Hibernate

Illustration Friday is a weekly creative outlet/participatory art exhibit for illustrators and artists of all skill levels. It was designed to challenge participants creatively. We believe that every person has a little creative bone in their body. Illustration Friday just gives a no-pressure, fun excuse to use it.

Growing up in Ontario, Birch trees were everywhere. I was always quite fascinated by their peeling layers of bark and beautiful color. To this day they still remind me of winter in Ontario.The unbelievable colors , beautiful texture and detail..Unfortunately, I dont get to see them as much as I would like living here in B.C. So now I paint them…..
I am fortunate enough to have two little gems in my front yard. My husband had them planted when we landscaped our garden. They have been the site of many photo op. Below are some pictures during different seasons and time of the day. They are constantly changing…LOVE!