OP is for Orange Poppies

Okay, yesterday was O day - and though I did not have time to post, I did have time to create a
salad of bright orange carrots, and one of orzo. Today, I teach a painting class - so I guess P is covered too. In honor of both my busy schedule and my commitment to being creative everyday (playing with letters and fudging a commitment is creative right?) I offer (or present) Orange Poppies. This is in preparation for next weeks classes - florals are always popular.

This is a drawing done in color pencil and then tweaked in my digital tools.

I is for Irreverant

Or maybe irrelevant - after all, my mother always  told me that it is not polite to make faces. Yet here I am on a dreary Saturday, experimenting with special effects in a new digital editing program.






It is TOO much fun - so much fun that I could not stop at just one face.

 So, here they are … Three Faces of I -  
all based off a one-line face drawing I created last year - using Caran D'ache water-soluble crayons to achieve the vibrant color I love.

A is for Art Everyday 2019 (AGAIN)

My Christmas cactus is blooming early (awfully early) this year. I have several - and all are in bloom. This is a treat to see as winter closes in around us.

I can't resist photographing the beautiful shapes - both hard and soft - and then experimenting with a variety of digital editing software.

No matter how much art I create by hand, I am always attracted to the astounding array of art options I find within my technology.

Its nice to be back once again.  Art on!

E is for Exploration

Today's image is a drawing - typical of my style with drawing flowers - that I then worked on in Photoshop - exploring each of the available filters and combining some to create the eventual result - which I love.

Over the years, one of my favorite aspects of the everyday challenge is giving myself time to play with images to create something new. I have always loved my digital tools - and the freedom they allow me to create wild and beautiful new images from something I have created by hand.

Y is for Yellow again

These holiday flowers were too lovely to ignore. So today, this photo said - YES - share sunshine and keep it fresh. But first, experiment with a few filters to make me even lovelier.

Now the flowers are talking to me ...

WX is for What neXt

Its been a busy and delicious few days - lots to be thankful for this year - but little time for art.

This piece started in Art Rage on my phone and moved into Photoshop for a (photo) finish.

Its just something so that I will not feel guilty about not posting anything, and the colors are nice.

H is for Half and Half

Half drawing half digital that is.

I have spent the better part of this afternoon using color pencil to design these flowers - and there are still plenty more of them on the full drawing to go. Color pencil is slow ....too slow for me I think - but they are fun in their own way, and I am discovering interesting things as I build the colors and add in lines. I am especially interested in the transparency that allows one layer to show through another.

The other half of this project is digital - trying out different filters on my IPhone is my reward for patiently futzing around with these flowers when markers or Caran D'ache or anything would be faster. Still I persist.

I cropped these flowers from the bouquet and filtered around til I came to this.  I love the way the colors are working.

N is for November

In November, as the days get shorter and darker, and the weather gets cold and damp, I begin to long for warm weather, sunshine and bare feet. In other words, I am ready to head to California for the winter.

However, the time is not yet right to leave, so I find myself revisiting photos I have taken while traveling to warm places.

This one is a favorite - showing exactly what I love to do, stand at the water's edge and take photos of the sunset.

Once I have the pics, and especially while on the road and away from my full collection of art supplies, I love to experiment with the digital apps I have on my phone and tablet. Here is the result of today's experiment - looking forward to winter, ocean and places where it looks and feels
like summer.

M is for Matisse

More to the point, M is for manipulating a Matisse style paper cut I created for a summer class.

With the ability to view the gorgeous Matisse exhibits at distant museums this summer, I have been once again moved and inspired by the gorgeous paper cuts he created. I used this technique in classes I took this summer, and often in classes I teach.

This morning I revisited a favorite pear inspired collage in the style of Matisse and played with it in several digital modes. This version - so bright and sunny feels like the perfect post for a dreary day.

D is for Digging In

I am enthralled with the  Paint Joy app on my Android tablet. It is so simple, and yet, the more I play, the deeper I dig into what the tools can do, I can't help but feel a little guilty about how easy it is to create something beautiful or interesting or in a new way. Is it really art if its so easy?

My professional life was based on my ability to use computer tools to design graphics, logos, newsletters and websites. I am an early user of CorelDraw (v. 3 anyone?)
I use Photoshop and dozens of art and photography programs to design.

But, inspite of all this highly visual and often beautiful work, I never felt like an artist until I began to paint and draw. Pastels were my gateway ... Since then (8 years) I have focused much of my creative attention on working and teaching in the real world of brush and canvas.

But - my idea of fun is to create variations of my drawings/ paintings in Photoshop or some of the cool phone apps that do awesome things as well. So - I work back and forth - what I do in one mode enhances the other.

Now I've moved from the mouse to the stylus and the game has changed. I'm in a middle place where digital art meets fine art and the results are fantastic - fun and surprising.

I did this sunny piece as a way to study the effects of adjusting the width and opacity of the sketch brush,  I worked on a dark blue background, but the bright yellow paint stays on the surface while letting some color show through.

Cool!

B is for Brushes

Sketch Long Fur

The next app I tried was Paint Joy, a "wonderful drawing program for all ages to free your imagination and inner artist. Simple, neat while full of possibility. With Paint Joy, you have full control of brush style, color, brush size, background color etc.
Paint Joy has more than 20 beautiful brushes, such as glow neon, glow, crayon, chalk, sketch etc. You can draw on a color canvas, or decorate any of your photos to make them more beautiful.

The app supports a built-in gallery which saves not only your drawing pictures, but also the drawing animation. You can play back your masterpieces like a small film anytime you want with the "Movie" feature in app."

Sketch Brush (my fav)

In many ways, this is my favorite app because the brushes are so fantastic, so easy to use, and result in such gorgeous lines and shapes. The downside to this app is that there are no layers available - more about layers later in the alphabet. However, you can save and share the image you've created and open it into another app - one that includes layering capabilities.

Web Sketch Brush

As an experiment for this blog, I created four pieces yesterday, each with a different background color (which is a great exercise in color work) and each using only one brush type. I played with the options provided for each brush, such as width, texture and opacity to create different effects. This allowed me to create stunning lines and textures. I also quickly discovered the incredible potential for creating gorgeous leaves. 

Shapes Brush

What a fun way to create four completely different works without getting my hands dirty.

A is for App

Welcome back November and Art Every Day month. This is my seventh year of participation. This year my plan is to focus on a new art form that has me intrigued. I look forward to another great month of creativity, work and sharing. So, on to the art.

I have always wanted a gadget that I could use to draw directly on the screen, something that would let me be creative while traveling in our camper. Also, I am always looking for tools that let me work in different ways.

I wanted a way to use a stylus and I need a large enough surface area so that I feel as if I am actually  drawing or painting directly.

In August my husband gave me an early birthday gift, a 10" Fire Tablet by Android. I am hooked. I am thrilled. I can't stop playing with it.

Simply by playing I am learning new approaches not only to working on the tablet, but finding ways to apply what I am learning in this digital format to my work in paint and other materials.

I am also understanding how this tablet allows me to combine my graphic and digital skills and tool knowledge with my fine art hand skills. Fascinating.

My first task, after an arduous setup process was to explore the art apps available. There are not as many as I imagined, for Android, but after reading reviews I knew that one, ArtRage is the standout. (I will be writing more about the full app in later posts.)

To give it a try, I began with ArtRage Oil, a free, limited version of the ArtRage for Android app. The website says that it was “created to allow people to try out ArtRage’s oil paints easily, and for children to use.” It doesn’t say how much pure fun it is to work with.

August was hot, but I spent hours in the shade of our grape arbor experimenting, first with only my fingers, and then with my new stylus. I am awed by the ease of use, and the amazing way that the paints in the app react like oils in reality - moving and blending and creating dense or smooth textures. The art on this page are both finger paintings. For the one the top left, I  set the paint options to metallic, the lower right was in matte. Amazing? I think so.

And, I showed this app to my five year old grandson. He was making art in seconds - moving around in the tools seamlessly.

For this year’s challenge I will be working with, comparing and writing about the art related tools I am discovering, as well as focusing on the other (numerous) projects I am involved with. I am so glad to be back doing Art Every Day. I have lots to share.

Happy November. Art On.  

Dd is for Dark December Day

Done. This is the last day of the 2015 challenge and I have succeeded in posting something everyday.

Today, a digital image based on a photo taken on a dark day last December. In spite of the clouds and the early dark, there was intense light filtering through the clouds. I tried d to capture and enhance the intensity and contrast of the light against dark.

Taking part in this challenge has been a little bit like that - so much darkness in the world, and yet so much light in my life and in all the creative work I have seen this month.

Thanks for all who have taken part, shared their work and ideas, commented on this blog and on Facebook. As always, I have learned a lot and had a double dose of fun.

Til next year.

Z is for Zoom

It is the day before Thanksgiving and their is lots to do.

I have little time, but I am determined to be creative every day (for this challenge, cooking and decorating the table does not count.) So, last night I grabbed what was handy on my work table - pink construction paper (rough stuff) and my Caran D'ache.

 Since this is Z day, I was running Z ideas through my mind. I remembered learning to write a cursive z in 4th grade. I thought then, and still, that it was the most beautiful letter. So, I used Shaprie to write big swirling beautiful flowy Z's large and small in every direction. To add contrast, I threw in a few zig zag non cursive Z's as well. And a few more nice lines to break up the space.

I find that my favorite crayons are quite wonderful on the rough surface of this cheap paper - so I colored each shape to see what would appear. The texture really added to the effect.

This image came together so quickly that I had time to pop it into Photoshop to play. I think the abstract and vibrant results are a great way to close out the alphabet. Tomorrow, we begin again.

Y is for Yellow

Yellow is sunshine and daffodils and springtime and warmth.

Yellow flowers are all of these things and a perfect way to celebrate all the things I am thankful for on this practically pumpkin and turkey feather day.

This image started as a drawing and finished in Photoshop to push the color and contrast. I was seeking to show the light against the darkness - kind of the way I feel these days. There is so much to be grateful for, and so much that is dark and scary out there. Flowers sooth the soul.

Happy Thanksgiving - peace, joy and plenty to all.

M is for Makery

Makery is a new word to me. The idea and the word has popped up, literally in my own neighborhood and I can see it becoming a new trend. A makery is a place where tools and training are provided in a work space - for a price.

I now teach classes in a "makery" - a shop where kids and adults can learn to sew or cook or bake or embroider or knit or draw or make earrings or  sausage or ... the possibilities are endless. There is another makery around the corner from the place where I teach.

A search on the word makery includes shops and studios around the country, and include words such as artisan, unique, DYI, handcrafts, "making things from scratch" and "homesteading skills to build self-sufficiency." My daughter has a school to teach cooking.

I have noticed shop front businesses where you can go to drink wine and create an instructor led painting; shops for painting pre-poured ceramics which are then fired for you. There are jewelry making classes at the bead shop.  I found one that is suited to "inventors of all ages." There are classes to teach how to make wine and beer, ones where you can learn to make preserves, pickles and jams, even cheese from scratch.

As a long time "maker" who learned many of my skills from parents, friends and relatives, I find it interesting to see a whole new business model popping up to provide the skills that were formerly taught in school and at home.

 Now that home economics and art and shop are no longer part of the school curriculum, these shops are a way that kids (whose parents have the means to pay for classes) can to learn the pleasure of working with their hands to create something that is truly their own.

As a life long and passionate "maker" of things,  I understand the satisfaction that comes from creative work, and I love the opportunity to share my skills. But, I see these cool shops as a reflection of how our world is changing. What were once essential skills of daily living, such as cooking, baking, sewing and knitting warm clothes, are now recreation. And now, the definite favorite of almost every school kid, art, is no longer free and a regular part of the school week. These shops are wonderful - but I am aware, even as I teach my lucky students, that the skills and the pleasure are pno longer available to everyone.

For those who can afford it - no matter how we come by the skills and pleasures of making things .... its a good thing.

The art on this page is a "kitchen art" piece with a touch of photoshop to soften the edges.

Dd is for Draw First then Digital

I found the basic sketch of these leaves in a drawing pad. Every so often, especially when assessing my paper stock, I come across something I started and never finished. This was a nice leaf design and suited my mood for fall colors. I used color pencils to create layers of color, and the sense of overlapping shapes. Then I added a background pattern more in my current style - and then some lines.

I liked the image. I photographed it and then opened it in Photoshop to play. Once again I am fascinated by the variety of effects I can create from one drawing. Autumn leaves blowing in the wind feels like a good way to finish off this creative month. This image has a feeling of open space and lots of room. I feel a little like that too.

 I have worked hard to create interesting images this month. I feel I have moved forward in my work because I gave myself permission to mess up, mess around, and return to an early love, digital image design. I am excited to continue on this path.

Thanks to all for your help, support, kind words and eyes. Especially thank you Leah Piken Kolidas for organizing this event. I loved seeing all your tired Mama pictures.

Until next year.

Z is for craZy Turkey

The kids in my kids' classes this week were all about making art for Thanksgiving. They all seemed to want to make something to bring home and share with the family. Great idea.

I needed a project idea. I thought about doing a cornucopia, but somehow I wandered off to look at illustrations and photos of turkeys. This was where I found inspiration for my lesson of the week.

In my senior class last week, we had great success with patterning (snakes), not to mention that I am on a patterning tear in my own artwork. The other day I drew a big turkey on 14x17 drawing paper and let him sit on my table. I had no idea what it would become, until today, thinking about how creative my kids were, and planning for seniors tomorrow, I started to pattern, first drawing words and then filling the spaces with markers.

Since I am up to Z in my alphabet, there are many z's worked into the pattern, and a few notes on our family Thanksgiving - hiding in the feathers. As I was coloring, a name appeared - that both describes my bird and fits by blog post.

This is craZy turkey and she wishes you a great holiday.

I brought my drawing into Photoshop to smooth out the marker lines, ended up adding a filter. I love the results -

V is for Vibrant Variation

It is a cold, rainy and windy day. I need something warm and bright  - so I played with my soft landscape monotype  - inverting the image and playing with the palette - turning the lovely greens and yellows to yellows, reds and violet.

I love the vibrant crazy colors that result. They completely change the landscape image - day to night, calm to energetic - very different.
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U is for Ultramarine

Ultramarine is a deep blue color and a pigment which was originally made by grinding lapis lazuli into a powder.^[1] The name comes from the Latin ultramarinus, literally "beyond the sea", because the pigment was imported into Europe from mines in Afghanistan by Italian traders during the 14th and 15th century.

Ultramarine was the finest and most expensive blue used by Renaissance painters. It was often used for the robes of the Virgin Mary, and symbolized holiness and humility. It remained an extremely expensive pigment until a synthetic ultramarine was invented in 1826.

I was up until midnight last night trying to think of a way to incorporate U into my alphabet postings. One approach I use is to move through the alphabet, trying out each letter when placed after U. Up, ubiquitous, ugly, uncle, unite, umbrella, umbrage ... on and on. Eventually, and out of order, ultramarine arrived in my thoughts, and I slept.

Today I cropped part of one of my word/drawings and filled it with all shades of blue, including, of course, ultramarine. I love this color with connections to both the sea and jewels.