Say YES to 2014!

Happy New Year to all my friends near and far!

I have a few minutes peace here. An hour, maybe two if I am lucky, to just sit, sip tea and think about the holidays.This is a rare moment right now. Our home and life here in Whistler is alive with the hustle and bustle of happy times. Amidst it all, I am finding a spare moment to reflect and set a few goals for the upcoming year. The chaos will continue for weeks to come, but if I can find a small sliver of quiet time daily all will be good.

At this time of year I can’t help but feel melancholic. I am so grateful for the health and happiness that we are  surrounded by right now. I am grateful to have my friends and family together.I am grateful for the supportive and positive community that I have surrounded myself with this past year.

My creative journey has been such a large part of my life these past two years. This blog and everything within – stories and work from fellow creatives, the trials and tribulations of creating,accomplishments (and a fair share of rejection too). All of these stories help make help make up the fabric of my life right now and it all makes me smile. It’s just awesome!

Thank you to each and every one of you!

Sharing my intentions for 2014! I am hoping you will all hold me accountable. I am a bit of a dreamer as you can probably tell as I doodle my way off into 2014.

Thinking of lots great things…for me and you!

If you are interested in creating your very own intentions for 2014 I really enjoyed Do What You Love’s   New Years Revolution. It is very well thought out and a great planner for the year. (it’s free!) I am a believer in pen to paper for all intentions. It has a bit of sticking power and great to review monthly. Have a go!

Wishing you all the best throughout the holidays and into 2014!

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Inspired by…making mistakes.

My brain is fried. You know that feeling..eyes strained, mind foggy, head woozy…

Paint fumes? I wish!

No, I have been sitting in front of a computer for 4 hours… I know for some of you that is nothing, but for a gal like me that spends maybe a couple of hours a day max, flipping through tabs, surfing pinterest,catching up on the latest blog…  todays mental thought process was exhausting.

Welcome to my new life in the surface pattern design world….Today,I was digi deep into Illustrator and Photoshop.I had two computers, a camera and a scanner on the go. I felt like quite the techie. I also felt way out of my element with many a thought about the futility of it all….

My happy place…

I am 3 weeks in to The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design. I have been sketching, stitching, sticking and stamping up a storm. I have been deep into discovery playing with different mediums and marks. I  have been very happy covered in glue and paint.

But, who’s kidding who. This is just a form of procrastination for what I really should be doing now. Tackling Photoshop and Illustrator…the digi world that I have felt lurking in the background.

I need to get all of this hands on goodness into the computer…

Wouldnt he just look so much better full of color?

Our ABSPD Flicker pool is becoming full of digital goodness.I have been quite a good contributor, posting all of my sketching and such, but at week 3 we are a little beyond that now. As a  perpetual student I don’t like to fall behind.. I like to be at the front of the class, hand waving in the air.

So here are my first attempts at digital. For prosperity sake…

Ta da! My first ever digital pattern. I am laughing now as I could have at least scattered them around…but then, I didnt know how…I do now! Practice

A little color…..

My first ever color palette..on photoshop.. made from one of my photos. Ok, I know I have done something wrong as the colors are way too bright. I think I am suppose to change them to RGB for the web.Patience

See what I mean?  Hours of learning to be had…Perseverance

I have so many colorful ideas going on in my head…now to get them into this world.

Practice~ Patience~ Perseverance

Keep reminding me…..

Inspired by…the Sketchbook Project 2012

Signed, sealed and delivered. Just in the nick of time!

My sketchbook is on its way to the  Brooklyn Art Library. If I can’t be in NYC, at least a little part of me can.

So, the good news..  there is still plenty of time to sign up for this years Sketchbook Project. I would highly suggest it. A very fun and inspiring community to be a part of.

This year for the first time you also have the option of joining “The Limited Edition” group! Not only does your sketchbook 2012 get to live in NYC at the Brooklyn Art Library, but it will also be published!

I want to be published!

Every contributor to the Sketchbook Project Limited Edition Vol. 1 will be included in a series of art books documenting the project. Together, the series will provide insight into the imagination and process of each artist participating in the project. Bound by the Brooklyn Art Library Press and hand-finished in our Brooklyn workshop, the book series will be published in the fall of 2012.

The bad news…last I looked there were only 700 spots left. That may sound like a lot, but considering they accept 5000, your time may be running out.

Sign up here.

Ok here is a little peek into my sketchbook. I chose the theme ~ along the line. I kept mine in black and white so I could pick it up anytime, anywhere and work on it. However, how creative you want to get with it is entirely up to you. The only restriction is size – it has to remain within the covers of the actual sketchbook.

You are lucky I didn’t show you it in its entirety!

Actually I only had a few more pages.

After discovering that the paper is a little flimsy, I tore mine apart and added my own paper. I may have missed a few pages…I am hoping no one counts.

All in all pretty pleased. I made mistakes. I made discoveries. I enjoyed the process.

I forgot to sign it…nothing…not even my web address. Still shaking my head…

I am having a bit of a hard time parting with it, but I will see it again on its world tour!
Dates for the World Tour are here.
AND trust me, I will be using it as an excuse to get to NYC very soon!

Inspired by…the curious case of the ripped canvas

A work in progress...more seeds,flowers and ink work to come.

For months now this poor canvas has been staring out at me from  behind all of my other work. Sadly I put him to rest months ago when this happened..

RIP....rest in peace

One big rip.

I am still blaming my artistic affliction for this incidence…nothing is safe in this household when I am in one of my moods.

Well in honor of Louise Gales Color Challenge this month, and some New Years resolutions that have me concentrating on wrapping up loose ends, I have decided to resurrect this baby.

Thanks all for your comments (and support) on how to fix this problem. A special thanks to Serena who even sent me a video which helped to inspire this project.

So can one fix a rather largish rip in a canvas? I definitely know so!

You will need a scrap piece of canvas (purchased by the roll at most art stores), some gel medium and heavy books.
Cut off any loose threads hanging from the rip.
Cut out a piece of canvas a little larger than the rip. Place on back of canvas over rip and place gel medium between two layers. Make sure to wipe off excess on front and back of canvas.

Place some parchment paper on front and back of canvas and lay flat on ground. I used some good old elbow grease to rub it all down and make sure all air bubbles, creases etc were out.
Place very heavy books on top. Let it rest.
I removed books after a few hours (ok I peeked once or twice) and then gave it a bit of time to air dry.
 The final product. Not pretty, but mended.

I added a number of layers of gel medium on top of rip to help level out the surface and smooth it out. Use fingers for this step.

Then I sat and stared at it wondering how on earth I produced that orangey color……
I have to remember to always write down paint colors used on back of canvas so I can remember what to mix when I go back to a piece months (or even days) later.

I had a few difficulties figuring out the colors used for this piece. The new colors may be a little off, but whatever…at least it’s not ripped.

This is an awfully long post…

Off to continue work on this canvas…Part two and more info on the color challenge to come this weekend!

Thanks for popping by. If you have any suggestions or advice on how to fix a ripped canvas, please share!

Have a great weekend.

Inspired by…my ginormous, awesome art doodle

4ft square art doodle

I am actually enjoying this crazy project. I am still stressed about my looming deadline, but I now have a plan that has helped to take some of the pressure off. …

Collaboration. The act of working together.

I have decided that I am going to submit this art doodle as part of collaborative art project for our upcoming Whistler Arts Council event~ Artrageous.

At this moment I think it’s a  brilliant idea…
Originally I was going to submit a very colorful,kind of graphic canvas. It ripped. Next I thought about a 4 foot square art doodle full of marks and images. An interesting idea, but due to time constraints a wee bit to time consuming.

This is Plan B…or is it Plan C?

I am going to supply a bunch of black sharpies, colored pencils, pencils and maybe some black ink. I am still not entirely sure how much freedom I am going to give people. That will be the hard part, but part of my process of letting go…not holding anything to dear so that I can explore further . I do know that  I am definitely restricting color to all shades of black and gray plus red and white. I think that’s a  fair deal or it could get a wee bit out of hand.

The goal…to fill this 4 ft square in its entirety.

Brilliant? Not so brilliant? Am I just plain crazy. Am I going to be sitting there by myself twiddling my thumbs or do you think people will join in?

There will be lots of music, wine and wandering. There are even some other collaborative projects going on… so I think know this is going to work.

Ok, maybe cross your fingers for me….