Paint Party Friday: Lil' Cardboard Collages

Happy PPF!

I hope this week found you with paint under your fingernails at some point . . . Mine were definitely encrusted with acrylics, gouache, glue, gloss medium, fiber paste, varnishes and (naturally) glitter for days. It was a case of peeling fingers for sure. You know, you've been there . . . .

But I digress: this week I was influenced by the lovely (darling & delightful) Mindy Lacefield after watching several of her You Tube videos. It was this one that really got me: watching her paint several little cardboard paintings at once. So excited I was, that I cut up the next box I got my hands on and went to work. My pieces took some different turns, but I'm so grateful to have had the impetuous to try something fun and new. Thank you Love Bug, for the beautiful inspiration!

Wanna see what I came up with? Okay:

4 little cardboard collages, all lined up in a row.

(Each one measures approximately 5.5 x 11)

They were first cut, pulled to reveal texture and then gessoed

Elements such as vintage playing cards and game pieces were added

Stencils served as the base, with some molding paste mixed with paint 

to create some raised areas

This one included a face - behind chicken wire that was adhered with E600 and beeswax

And here we have a little pocket that housed vintage tickets

They are hung with decorative wire and grommets

And finished off with decorative (and painted on) trim

That's it. Thanks for letting me share and thank you to Kristin and Eva for another opportunity to play with paint.

Have a fabulous weekend,

Kristin xo

A Little Lost. . . .

"But I'm Still Here"

Altered Golden Book Cover & Canvas 

Ever been in an art funk? When your Muse not only decides to take a hike, but also seems to be giving you the Bird on the way out the door? Yep. That was Me. For what felt like an eternity . . . . So I gave it a rest. For much longer than I would like. Now, I did try to create but every time I did, well, let's just say it wasn't pretty. And yes, perfectly reasonable (and normally rational) adults can have tantrums . . . . I am living proof.

So when I read Christen Olivarez' Letter from the Editor in the latest issue of Somerset Studio, I felt as if she was talking directly to me. She discussed the idea of being paralyzed by perfection (yep) and that when we over-think things (um hum), we can stop ourselves in the process. She underlined this point with a beautiful quote from Julia Cameron: "Art is not about thinking something up. It's about getting something down." 

So I did just that. Tried to get something down. I made a little collage. And put it away. I started to scrapbook (which is another subject 'cause it's been years since I've scrapped anything for my own kid). And then threw it away. And then I eventually did what I set out to do in the first place: I played. For reals. I picked up a piece of canvas fabric ('cause it was the closest thing to me), ripped it into a small square and went to town. I didn't even seal my drawing as I normally would before painting because I couldn't be bothered . . . but in the end, I broke the curse. And my Muse is back. Although she is in trouble. Leaving me all high-and-dry like that . . . .

Okay, okay. Lesson learned. 

Have fun playing,

Kristin xo

Paint Party Friday (Week 46)

"Just do You"

8 x 10 Altered FedEx folder

I was rummaging through my box of unfinished projects (yes, a whole box. Please tell me I'm not alone in this ;) this morning when I came across a colorful background I began nearly two years ago in a class with Traci Bautista. It was created on the back of a FedEx folder using several handmade papers that we cut and collaged to the front. I love the way she suggests and works with recycled materials as a substrate and I had so much fun playing with her tools and mark-making materials to create the handmade papers you see here. Having said that, I put it in "The Box" as soon as I got home and haven't thought about it since. . . .

Until now. When all of the sudden I saw it again and realized that it could be a perfect base for the "funky" face I've been wanting to paint for a while now. I scanned it so that you could view it in it's original form and went to work. Wanna see what I came up with?

Original background created in Traci's class

Varied eyes and one earring (pierced through the folder) that reads, "Wise"

Stars cut from handmade paper (from my stash) and outlined with crayons

Finished with decorative trim on the bottom and (pink!) wire for hanging

Isn't she quirky? Thank you for the base Traci - and for the colorful lesson - you are such an inspiration!

And thank you to Eva & Kristin for hosting such a great Paint Party.

See you there,

Kristin xo

Hello, Mojo!

"Mother is Out"

6 x 8 Altered Vintage Golden Book Cover

(Images from Lisa's Altered Art)

Hello, Mojo!

Thanks for coming back. Now, will you please stop hogging all the iced coffee?

Kristin xo

SPA: White

"Whites"

6 x 4 Postcard

Detail of glass slide with dictionary definition and pearl

One of my favorite color palettes - White - is the prompt for this week's challenge at Sunday Postcard Art. I love the look of warm creams and bright whites used in combination with a lot of texture and welcomed the opportunity to play with them here.

There were actually so many products used for this tiny piece, I thought you may find it interesting if I listed them. . . Okay, here goes: cardstock, vintage ledger sheet, buff acrylic, molding paste, pearl white acrylic, stamped muslin, a glass slide with the dictionary definition of the word "white," a vintage Mother Goose image, Stickles glitter, white gel pen, ink, melted candle wax, melted white wax crayon, wire and, finally, a vintage pearl. Whew!

Thanks for your visit: I'm really looking forward to seeing your beautiful White postcards this week. . .

Kristin xo