Hello, Hello, Hello Happy 2017

I'd like to start by wishing everyone a very HAPPY and HEALTHY 2017.

I didn't do much blogging in 2016 - I have no excuses only that I didn't have the mojo or inclination to do anything much.  I'm hoping to get back into making and selling my jewellery again this year and make my website live (it's been sitting dormant for the last 12 months).

So I'm going to start today with joining in with the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge which is run by Leslie Saeta every year.  It's really interesting to see what others create.

For Day #1 - ATC mushroom in oil pastels. I thought this challenge would be a good idea to try mediums I don't use but have wanted to have a go at. I bought the Caran d'Ache and Sennelier brands last year but haven't had time to play with them much. This one is done using Sennelier. 

Hope to see you soon.

Anita

Junker Jane Style Artwork

I think I'm hooked on this style of work which is quite different to the style I usually go for.  I think the attraction is that anything goes and that it has a grungy "creepy cute" look.  I didn't know about the Junker Jane style of work until one of my friends from ATCsforAll started a swap and invited me to join.  To date I have made 7 ATC's and a paper (I used watercolour paper) art doll.  There is another trade happening as well on ATCsforAll which involves making cloth dolls in this style.  That is my weekend project.

These are the first 6 that I made.  4 are headed over for trading.  The 7th one isn't quite finished yet.

Artists Trading Cards.

Art doll.

Create Art Everyday November Day 3

I haven't worked on my painting today as I've been busy making and writing up a blog post for Oak House Studio where I'm one of the design team members - this is my last month and the theme is winter.  I can't show you the design until after it's been posted on the Oak House Studio blog.

What I have made today that I can share with you is this little pumpkin guy.  This is an ATC (artist trading card) which will be swapped out as part of a trade.  He is made on water colour paper and is painted with acrylics.  The background is made with a rubber stamp - I've randomly coloured in some of the bubbles with acrylic paint.  He'll be off to a new home tomorrow.

I'm linking up with 

Handmade Harbour for Handmade Monday

Claire Justine for Creative Mondays 

and of course Create Art Every Day November 

Please do pop over to the above blogs as they have some amazing artists who are willing to share their work in blogger land and beyond.

Anita

What's On Your Work Desk? Wednesday #282

On my work desk this morning is a big box of embroidery threads with which I have started to stitch my textile artist trading card with.  I need to get this finished for the end of this week so I can send it off to it's new home.  I host an ATC - artist trading card swap every month for the gallery I volunteer at Art With A Heart and one of the players Ottilia-Bogdan Cormos this month has made an ATC on perspex and I loved it so much that I asked for a personal trade and she very kindly agreed and sent me this totally gorgeous ATC - the theme for the swap was Halloween or autumn.

Here is the ATC that Ottilia sent to me - isn't it gorgeous?  The colours are so vibrant.

And here is my desk as it stands today.

Want to know more about What's on your work desk Wednesday?  Then pop over to Julia's blog The Stamping Ground for the details and to see what the other artists are sharing on their desks.

Anita

#blogtoberfest14 day 29

I'm also linking up with Claire Justine for the Wednesday blog hop

It's Time for WOYWW 281

Or as it's also known as What's on your work desk? Wednesday - find out more at the Stamping Ground.

I've been playing with my gelli print again.  This time trying out the dark over light technique.  This involves allowing the paints to dry before adding the final dark colour prior to pulling the print.  I have to say I love this technique - I like being in control of the design and laying the design precisely as I want it.  on the desk there is scrap piece of thick tracing type paper which I salvaged from an envelope and I'm using to practice some designs and colour combinations.  You can also see perched on top of my pencils a fabric ATC (artist trading card) waiting to be finished off.

This is one of the prints I made using the dark over light technique.

These prints are just some normal prints  - the above 2 are on glossy card  which I've been told NOT to use as it will affect the gelli plate - lesson learnt.

These 2 were a couple of messing about prints just on copy paper which isn't ideal as it's too thin and goes wrinkly but that's okay they will get used in another project.

That's me for this Wednesdays WOYWW.  Do pop over to the Stamping Ground to see what everyone else has been up to.

Thank you to everyone who visits and leaves a comment on my posts.

Anita

I'm also linking up with Claire Justine for Wednesday Blog Hop 

#blogtoberfest14 day 22

Time For Tea

It's coming up to that time of the year when the masks come off and the broomsticks come out.  Of course I'm talking about Halloween whether you embrace it or not it seems to be getting bigger every year.  I'm all for having a good time..................or should that be a ghoul time hahahaha. 

A member over on one of the artist trading card sites where I'm a member is hosting a trade/swap named "Odd Ball Ornaments".  The aim is to make unusual ornaments which can then be hung on your Christmas tree or around the house............really wherever your heart pleases.  I've had several ideas including altered skeletons, eyeballs etc.  One of them includes altering foam ghoul shapes.  I found some in a local pound shop they are light weight and having a blank canvas to work on is great.

I've used some spray inks, acrylics, stencils, rubber stamps, buttons and one of them even has some watch parts.  

Spray inks and stenciled designs

The one on the left is completed and the other one I need to add some words.

I'm linking up with

 Handmade Harbour for Handmade Monday

Shells In the Bush for Blogtoberfest14

Inky Dinky Doodle for Sunday Sentiment 

Claire Justine for Creative Monday

Do go and visit the above blogs as they have some fantastic artist and blog links.

Anita

Take A Hand or Two or Maybe Even Five

Do you remember when you were little and you traced around your hands and then coloured them in?  Well this is the same thing only you now have bigger hands and the art is a bit more sophisticated.

Why am I tracing and decorating my hands?  Well why not it's just another shape of paper/card on which to create art and you might as well make it unique............right?

I've made these for a swap over on ATCsforAll (Artist trading card site).  It's nice to have an alternative shape other than your basic shapes.  I think they add a different aspect and design element and also makes you think about how and where to place your designs.  I can't wait to see what I get back in return.

So what do you do with them I hear you ask?  Well you can make them into an altered book, add them onto a ring binder or even hang them up as a mobile (hence the decorated backs) or string them like you would bunting. The possibilities are endless -I've had mine on my art wall before packing them up - I'm hand delivering these to the host of the swap..................yes your eyes aren't deceiving you - I'm off to Rochester NYC in a few days for a weeks holiday and art weekend with around 20+ artists.

So here are my hands all using mixed media - acrylic paints, neo II colours, rubber stamps, etc. there are too many to list.

Even the backs have been decorated.

See you all soon.

Anita

Hearts, Hearts and more Hearts

Well all the challenges have finished and just in time for my holiday - yay Rochester NYC here I come.  I can't wait to meet up with my artist friends from AtcsforAll and iATC - both sites are related to Artist Trading Cards and other types of altered art.

The weekend will consist of making and trading art.  There is no schedule we just turn up in the art room and make art, get to know the other artists in person.  I very rarely end up making much art because I end up moving around the room chatting and having fun with everyone.  So with that in mind I make my art before I go.  One of the things we're making this time is heart art which just happens to be one of my favourite things to make.

My hearts are mixed media and are approximately 2 - 3 inches big,  I've used rubber stamps, paints, neo ll colours etc.  I've tried to make them different so that everyone gets a unique heart.

These are some of the hearts I'll be taking with me to Rochester.

A close up of some of the hearts.

This is the meetup I went to in January Mesa Arizona.

Summer Of Colour4 Week 2

So it's week 2 of the Summer of Colour 4 challenge over on Twinkle Twinkle Like A Star and this week I've made a couple of pieces both of them abstract.  One is an Artist Trading Card (ATC) and the other is a larger piece where I started out with circles which were supposed to have been abstract trees but ended up being some weird and odd looking alien birds - or at least that's what they look like to me.  

This weeks colours were Teal, Coral and a Dash, Splash or Splodge of White.  The coral colour came out rather orange on the ATC but I think I've got it a better shade on the larger piece.  The only thing I couldn't do was get the correct shade of teal to come through on the photograph.

Coral, Teal and White

Abstract ATC

Abstract Alien Birds

Day 3 of 29 Faces Challenge

Day 3 of the 29 Faces Challenge and today we have an abstract style face. I thought I'd try a different approach to the challenge as I'm sure everyone is tired, bored or both by now of the whimsy style of my work plus it's good to get out of your comfort zone every now and again.  So here it is painted with acrylic paint on watercolour paper, outlines in black pitt pen................I've just realised I've not added any white highlights to the eyes.....oooppps. 

You can see other artists work over at the 29 Faces Challenge blog.

Day 2 of 29 Faces Challenge

Here's face #2.  An ATC (artist trading card) - I've used polychromo coloured pencils, pitt black pen and white posca pen.  Pop on over the the official blog for 29 Faces and check out the other artists faces.

I'm Home!!!!

Hello Lovelies I'm back from the USA.  I can't believe how quickly the 8 days went.  I had so much fun out there visiting with my friends in Newport Beach CA first and then onto Arizona for the Artzona weekend which consisted of a total of 40 artists..........heaven.  I'm not impressed with our weather in the UK the cold and wet damp weather isn't for me.  BUT here I am until my next trip which may be not too far away - fingers crossed for August in Rochester NY with another group of artists.

So I'm keeping this post short and sweet to get me back into blogging again - I seem to lose the edge when I've been away for a while.

Here are a few pics from my travels - enjoy.

All artists together

Our dedicated art room

That's all for now I'll post more later on - I only took just over 200 pics!!

Anita