monster fun

i picked this little guy up at earth angels toys.  it is a monster bag by valerie weberpal of harvest moon designs.  he just called to me, so i bought him.

then i discovered what his real purpose was:

this monster bag is really an art journal holder!  my moleskin sketchbook fits perfectly and a pencil and waterbrush fit in the front pocket!  there was a REASON for this purchase!  YaY!

spring...

after wishing for a snow day yesterday and not receiving my wish, look what spilled into my journal:

moley entry

i belong to a fabulous art trading group called ATC's for All. within that group i have signed up for 3 different japanese moleskine book trades.  it works like this: the owner of the book picks a theme for their book.  the participants take turns putting an entry in their book.  when all entries are in, the book goes back to the owner. the result is a little tiny treasure of art from around the world.

last week i worked in a book for a group i belong to called the "lucky 7".  we consist of 10 members: 7 from all over the US (Illinois, Virginia, Texas, Minnesota, Washington and NY), 2 from Scotland and 1 from Sweden.  the book i worked in last week is owned by kristib, her theme was open media, meaning the artist could do whatever they wanted using whatever they wanted.  i played! 
it is called "free" here is the result:

fini!

transformation...finished!  i love when i finish a piece. 

such a feeling of completion! 

Transformation

Life is a transformation from the moment we are born to the moment we die.  It is a series of changes, of growth, of wisdom.  The swan symbolizes change, beauty and grace and is an emblem of the beauty and purity of light, both solar and lunar.  In this piece, the trees represent the family, both maternal and paternal.  The branches envelop the swan as she forges her path.  They are there to provide her strength and balance, day and night....always.

the lyrics are by paul simon...from father and daughter...per request of client.

created on wood with acrylics, colored pencils, paper punches, watercolor pencils, glitter paint, liquid pencil, embossing powder, stamps, distress inks, tissue paper, stencils, pearls, fresco flakes, india ink and gold leaf.

layers layers layers

my next step is to layer. i have added stamps, (sorry for the photo, but the stamping didn't show well) stencilling, paper punch outs, tissue paper, fresco flakes, and more acrylic paint. still more to go.

continuing

continuing to work on Transformation.  this is the color blocking step. i use watercolor pencils, colored pencils, liquid pencil and very very sheer acrylic paint to start blocking in colors.
much more to come...

Transformation

this is a commissioned piece i am working on.  i call it transformation because it is about the growth of a baby girl into a woman.  swans represent transformation, they are a symbol of beauty and grace. they are also an emblem of the beauty and purity of light, both solar and lunar.

step one: woodburning