TA—DA!

Finished and ready to go!  Will be putting these in the mail as soon as I get my list of names and addresses from @ihannas.  This has been the most fun I’ve had getting ready for a postcard exchange.  I think it’s because I started nice and early and when other bits of life came up I didn’t end up rushing at the last minute.  Also I was able to play around with lots of mixed media when deciding how to get the effects I wanted.  Hope everyone likes the card they receive.

Now I  can’t wait until all that lovely mail starts coming my way!

The DIY Postcard Swap

Almost Postcards!

My next three steps in creating a big pile of mail art for iHanna’s diy postcard swap.  Only two more weeks before we can start mailing.

First I mixed a bright blue watercolor and painted the upper portion of my cards.  A little plastic wrap on top will give a bit more interest to the paint once dried.

Next the lower portion was sponged with a few different greens.  Background done!

Next the fun begins!

Starting to build a postcard village.  When all the rest is added I will post the finished product.  

Check out this link:

The DIY Postcard Swap

Postcard Process—Day 1

Documenting my process for iHanna’s diy postcard swap:

I began by using cereal boxes flattened and covered with gesso. Once dried I marked off the sizes (4 x 6) and cut them. Then one final gesso coat on the artwork side. Did this with a sweep of the brayer to give it an interesting texture. After that layer dried I used various stamps on the cards so that there would be some text peeking through after a paint layer.

Next step was to pull out some pages of varied text and cover with paint. I used both watercolor and thinned acrylic. This stage was just playing as I didn’t have a clear idea of the colors with which I wanted to end up. I will probably prepare some more of these so I have good selection to play glue and stick on my cards!

Watch for more posts as I work my way through building my postcards! Can you guess what I may be planning??j

Link:  (http://www.ihanna.nu/postcard-swap/)

Love them Postcards!

Joined iHanna’s postcard swap for Spring of 2018.  Who’s with me?  Best stuff ever to show up in your mailbox!  #diypostcardswap  @ihannas

Photo Phriday

Taken from a car while traveling.  Determined to get back into the blogging world this may be a good metaphor for my creative life lately—observing from a distance.  Need to relearn some things but wanting to get back in the mix.  Wish me luck!

Photo Phriday (revisited)

Here comes the sun!

Just a little morning wake up.  Still trying to figure out how to transfer pictures taken on an Android device to my iPad?  Meanwhile, I will sit on my porch, drink coffee and watch the morning bloom.

Outta My Head…

These crazy faces came right outta my head.  That’s true because I drew them with my eyes closed–no photo reference–no model in front of me–not even imagining a face I know or have seen!  (Disclaimer:  Any resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental, blah, blah, blah.)

Index cards are the substrate of choice and a Sharpie fine point for the drawing.  Mostly they are drawn in one continuous line while thinking to myself,….”side of the forehead, loop in for an eye, loop for the iris and eyebrow and back to the cheek, rounded, some curvy shapes for a mouth, down and around the chin and back up, etc., etc.”!  I’ve started at different points and don’t always do the features in the same order.  Occasionally I forget a nose and just close my eyes again and add one.  I think the faces are so much more interesting with their off-kilter wonkiness than if everything falls in the right place!!

The finishing is super fun.  For these six I used Inktense Pencils. They are water-soluble and the colors just explode when touched with a wet brush.  I may use a little ultra fine Sharpie to add a bit of detail or define a spot but really less is more with these wild Mamas and Papas.  Add a little background and a slim black border and they’re ready to face the World!

Pick a favorite and give them a name!

Backgrounds for Breakfast

Cereal boxes make great substrates for postcards and it makes me feel like Mother  Earth when I’m being green and finding a use for a throwaway!  (Actually, I would recycle but this even feels better). Plus–free art stuff!

Start by opening up the box to lay flat.  Then I put a light layer of gesso over the section I plan to use.  This is optional depending on what you’d like to put on next–if you’re going straight to paint or drawing materials you’ll probably need the toothy surface.  An all over collage works fine without the gesso.  I kind of like some of the text and design from the box to show through the layers.  Next is whatever and how much until you get to that surface that says, “I’m ready”.  Just play–paint, collage, textures, stamping, spray inks–no rules, have fun, after all, it’s just a cereal box!

I can get three postcards (about 4 x 6) from the front of a cereal box or you can use your awesome new background for any number of creative projects.  A cover for a handmade book would be an excellent choice.

Here are some of the postcard backgrounds that are good to go.  Just a few add ons to finish off each card and a postage stamp to send them out into the world!

Riding Back to My Blog

Hoping to hop on this bicycle and ride back into the blog world after being absent for a very lo-o-o-ong time.  This little contour drawing was embellished with a bit of extra marker and watercolor.  It was one of my index card a day (ICAD) from the Daisy Yellow challenge in June and July.  Although I’ve attempted this for several years this is the first year I’ve actually completed all 61 cards plus some–yea, me!!

Now to get busy re-learning how to use all the features of WordPress….and creating more art, of course!

Playing with a one liner drawing of a bicycle .

Photo Phriday #5

Afternoon Shadows

If you’re having a bad day or feeling down there’s nothing like a good walk in the woods to improve your outlook.  The rustle of the leaves, the earthy smell and the sun streaming through the branches reminds me that whatever obstacles we place in the way the light will find a way to reach us.

Get out there and go for a walk!