Back Track

Back tracking..........
Here is "Red Sparkle" and she made her way to Suze just fine.
I made a mini version of my paper doll by reducing it.
Making a mini was Suze's inspiration.....I copied her.
She is attached to the red ATC. You know I had to share just in case you missed it on Suze's blog.
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Maybe you noticed the paper doll sheet at my Etsy. It is not the mini but the full size original.
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Maybe you also noticed that I have started listing some prints made from my canvases.
More about that later.


Last Friday when I started "The Sisters Reunion" painting and did my Friday show and tell, I was just so excited about what was bouncing around inside of me that I assumed that you were in there too and would know or remember where the little images that I was leveraging came from. So, back tracking a little, here is a picture from last December. I painted angels on these little wooden scraps and then I sold them on my Etsy. Before letting them go I had so much fun playing with them and stacking them and rearranging them and in various rows. Then I thought to scan them in groups.

No telling how long I will be playing with these. I think it is becoming a "Sisters" series or collection. Because many dance in my head doing all sorts of things.

I received a new canvas order today. Only had one 12 X 12 on hand.

I'm wondering if you would like a little challenge for the weekend. I'll be finishing up another "sisters" painting and if you are stumped about what do do next, here it is. Take your camera outside and find something in your yard, park or cemetery that inspires you. Photograph it and then incorporate it your next work of art. Earlier this week I noticed this cute little rabbit right outside my kitchen window. I can tell you that it is already on the canvas.

Hope to be showing you tomorrow. But for now....
Enough said

Oh oh oh, one more thing. Did you notice my new banner? And did you notice my bbff tweaked it a little for me cause she is the bestest and I was out of time.

Now Enough

Twin Sisters

Twin Sisters

6 X 8 canvas

I imagined that "the sisters" decided to have a reunion. It took some doings to get them all together as they had scattered all over the world. When they left home, each took a little piece of the "big house" with them. You know, the way you take your memories with you where ever you go. Well anyway, they made big plans to all gather on a special summer day. They would meet early in the morning down near the the garden while the sunflowers were all looking east.

They decided it would be so much fun to wear their yellow dresses. The one their Mother had so lovingly made for each of them for their journey into the world.

And one more thing, they would all bring their butters.

The twins didn't make it to the sunflower garden. They wore their yellow dresses but while all the other sisters met in the garden, they were in the attic playing dress up.

Enough for now,

Sharon

Sister Groups

Sisters' Reunion

a better daylight photo

and

cropped groups so you can see the details better

Enough for now,

Sharon

Loving Sisters

Sisters' Reunion

24 X 8 canvas

Now I will go to the couch and stare at it.

It's the truth.

I thought I could stay up all night because I still have sisters dancing in my head.

I can't.

For today, I have painted enough.

Tomorrow, I will paint some more.......sisters.

Enough,

Sharon

Sisters at play

Had to stop and have lunch.

(an hour early)

Anyway thought you would like to see progress.

This is 24 X 8 canvas and is hard to photograph.

Can you tell I'm working right on top of a mess.

No time to.

Don't care.

Enough for now,

Sharon

Sisters Reunion

My ART Play Station Saturday Morning

My ART Progress
shortly after dinner Friday evening

My ART Counter Friday Afternoon

shortly after arriving home

Enough for now,
Sharon

Leverage

My Desk on Friday

at lunch.

I have that "balloon about to burst" feeling.

I tell you I've had enough of this desk and I'm counting the hours for the Weekend to commence.

How about another weekend challenge?

Leverage your art.

Make it new again.

Select something that you have done before and use it anyway you like in a new piece of art.

That's what I'm excited about.

The inspiration didn't start with that thought but when Norah'S around...

well she grabs it and runs and I can feel her inside me

inside my stomach

inside my heart

inside my head

inside my fingers

OK

Enough for now,

Sharon

Make My Day

Let me share some makin my day goodness. I have received this wonderful assortment fun stuff.
My friend Susan, made my Valentine Day with this sassy paper doll that she made. She used a stamp for her face and cut the arms and legs from a discarded pattern book. Now, that really reminds me of when I was a kid cutting out and making my own paper dolls from Sears catalogue.

Cindy in Carolina made my day when she sent me a little collection of paper napkins. Don't you love this one. Norah'S thrilled but I don't yet know when we will be playing with it. Probably when least expected. Cindy, I am so embarrassed. I have some to send you......wonder why I haven't. The only excuse I can think of is when I learned I had company coming, I went brain dead.

Darla in California made my day with a bit of wallpaper border. I already know that I will be making a template or stencil and then....paint.
Suze in Oklahoma made my day. We decided to swap ATCs. And look what she made for me using a reduced copy of her paper doll, Rose. She is laying on the front of the way cool mail art envelope. I love her Suze. Thank you. The ATC on the bottom is made with a sample of Suze's paper towel/mod podge paper. It's amazing. You can't really tell with a blog picture. That's why she sent me the ATC so I could see I-R-L.

I hope this pretty envelope makes Suze's day. It flew out today. It's my ATC trade with her, but I'm not showing cause then she wouldn't be surprised.

Love getting this nice little award. The lovely Deryn Mentock and the lovely e.beck both passed this on to me yesterday. I'm just saying, it is such a great feeling to know when someone really enjoys reading my blog. Thank you both. I love reading your blogs too.

I'm going to pass it on to Kal Barteski, Shona Cole (another Texas blogger) and Kathy Wasilewski. I think you will really enjoy a visit to their blogs.

OK

Enough,

Sharon

Challenge

Butterfly Garden

6 x 12 Canvas

Leave us a link if you tried the weekend challenge. Here's mine.

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Told you so.

I knew there would be at least one

under-the-bed-looker cousin.

and

I caught her.

Isn't she cute? Thank you Becky for coming. We had a good time.





More later,


Sharon

Friday Post

Before I really get busy here at the desk with some real desk work, I just thought I would pitch out a little Weekend Challenge.
Here you go: 1. Find a photo in your local newspaper that inspires you. Like I did with the photo of a girl gardening. The thing that inspired me with this photo was that she was looking down and also the way the photo was cropped. It spoke to me instantly and I went home and did a sketch on this canvas.

That was maybe a couple or more weeks ago. Then I heard about "the Cousins" reunion AT OUR HOUSE...TOMORROW.

When I received the generous packet from Rosemary this week and saw the napkin, again I knew instantly where it would go.

So that is the second part to the challenge. 2. Find a paper napkin or tissue paper that you can incorporate in your painting.

If you scroll down to the post with the scan of stuff that Rosemary sent me, you will see the card of Fort Payne Depot. I wanted to use it too; so, I scanned the card and printed on plain paper and did a plain paper transfer with it. You know where you use soft gel medium like you are going to glue the picture face down on the canvas and then rub rub rub a layer of paper off and the ink transfers to the canvas. That's what I did.

If you would like a third part to the challenge: 3. Add a plain paper transfer to your composition.

There you have it a weekend challenge. Here is a suggestion, if you find a newspaper picture that you really like but don't want to do a sketch. Then scan it and use it as your plain paper transfer and paint it as if it is the sketch.

I won't be able to get back to mine until late Saturday or Sunday because I will be enjoying the visit with "the Cousins". They are really cool cousins and they always bring really wonderful pot luck dishes.

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Hear ye Hear ye

Commentors

One and All

Oh how I have enjoyed all the nice messages you have left for me.

I'm afraid with all the window washing and under-the-bed cleaning, I haven't properly been around to thank you all.

Please know that I'm overjoyed with your visits and wish you could just come tomorrow too and look under my bed.

More later,

Sharon

For soem reaosn, spel chk things I know how to sepll. That's the onyl reaosn I can thnk of why it does'nt wrk. Pleze fergiv my erors.

Be Mine

Sharing

...with you what has been shared with me.
I received this lushious package from Fiona. We swaped ATC Valentine Paperdolls. Isn't her little dancer so sweet. She put on her skirt and twirled all the way from Scotland in a package of goodness and fun. I managed this one photo with dead camera batteries.

So I had to scan this wonderful stack. This came from Rosemary. You remember Rosemary who won the "Retro Pinkie" drawing. My word! I never expected her to send me anything. And I'm sorry you can't see all in this scan. But you will definitely be seeing these beautiful bits in my future ART pieces.

Which brings me to tell you that I am having some kind of withdrawal and I hope to satisfy my ART addition tonight. The paintings are stacking up in my head causing such a commotion that I'm finding it hard to do desk work. Know what I mean?

I have cleaned "enough" for the weekend company. I think.

More later,

Sharon

Company

Here is what is going on.
Tuesday I learned that dh's cousins are gathering for a reunion next weekend. AT OUR HOUSE!!!

I shouldn't have to tell you that I have done nothing except ART for about a year and a half.

I tried real hard to be mad at him because it seems that he has known of this date since last fall.

It took me just a few minutes to remember "that nothing ever happens until it is time". And I guess it was time I know.

The first thing I did yesterday was attack our bedroom. Sounds strange but our bedroom is like grand central station and happens to connect to the kitchen, den, and studio. Like I said grand central station.

I stripped the bed because it was the day that I wash sheets...not because I have company coming to sleep with.

You know how I always say, one thing leads to another? It did.

Do you ever buy those bed-in-a-bag sets? If you do, then you know that the skirt ruffle is sewn onto paper stuff. WHY? I don't know. Makes no sense. Anyway, little by little the ruffle tears off until it is hanging by a few threads hear and there. If you are really having fun playing ART all the time....who cares? Right? OK, now I care because I have company coming. So I get Tim to help me remove the top mattress and proceed to fetch an old 45 year old white wedding gift double bed flat sheet to use to reattach the ruffle to. I've done this before. So I did it.

But before putting the bed back together, I reasoned since the top mattress was off, now would be a good time to chase all those dust bunnies that I know are under there. I mean after all, what if the company looks under my bed.

As much as I hate it, I stash a few things under my bed. Like the kitchen window screens, one leaf to the dinning room table and some beautiful plates that I wish I had a wall to hang on. And oh yes, one more thing, I apparently keep one of Tim's socks, one chocolate chip, and herds of dust bunnies under there too. Gosh I sure slept good last night knowing if there is a bed-looker-under cousin in the group, mine's lookin good.

Next. Windows. Yes I did that too. Well I did the ones that bother me the most and now I can take bird picture from my chair or kitchen window. But I didn't get the screens done. I hate screens anyway. Maybe I should put them under the bed.

That's all for now, I'm going to rake leaves and rediscover the patio that I know is out there.
More later,
Sharon

Take a Peek

The first thing I did was find me.

Then, I read all of it as if I had never heard it before.

It's a crazy feeling.

I knew I wouldn't get one bit of work done until I gave this peek.

You cannot know how exciting it is to see you art and words on pages of a magazine.

This publication is full of wonderful blogs. Many of which I have visited and many that are new to me.
I'm having a hard time for words at the moment and part of that is feeling my gratitude for the blogging community. It really is mind boggeling. More than one blogging friend offered to send me the publication. You recall, my copy didn't arrive in the mailing package and I had no idea it would be hard to find in my area.

But Mo'a had already e-mailed me that she bought an extra to send. Thank you so much Mo'a. My heart is very touched today.

More later,

Sharon

wht happend to spll chck? anbode knwo?

Private Art Retreat

Sure enough, I brought my at-the-desk inspiration journal home for the weekend. Friday, sitting in a day dreaming stooper, I picked up a pencil with my left hand and watched myself draw a face. Oh dear, "I've scribbled on the bottom of a business check stub. "

No matter, I just cut off the business part and glued the ART part in my journal. Inspiration!

So, Saturday morning I woke in a party mood. I always wiggle in bed for a little bit getting my ART plan for the day all worked out.

First thing I did was gesso the top page of a 9 X 12 block of watercolor paper. Then I sat down with a pencil in my left hand and mindfully tried to sketch a face.

This is fun!

But it would be so much more fun if somebody were playing with me.

I shot off a Come As You Are ART Retreat Party invitation via e-mail to my bbff, Zorana.

The invite was not only to sketch with our non-dominant hand but to paint with it as well.

And, at various stages during the process to send each other an e-mail with a progress shot.

Why?

For me it was to try to loosen up and not do so much blending and blending. I reasoned if I was concentrating on using my left hand that maybe I would see the piece in a different way and leave it alone.

In the second photo, I have traced over some of the pencil sketch with a permanent black pen because the pencil was so faint and I didn't want to lose the sketch. I am also auditioning a napkin for the background.

Napkins are added like any collage element. For me that is with Golden Matte Medium. I brush a layer on the canvas or in this case the watercolor paper and then lay the napkin in it. I use the brush to smooth the napkin and add a layer of matte medium on top. The napkin is so bio-degradeable that you do have to do this step quickly and then stop. It almost melts away. Just to confess, I always go too far and mess up a little spot before I quit. It's another one of those lessons that I keep learning over and over.

I never just leave the napkin untouched after adding it to my composition. With this one, I traced a little haphazzerly around the white blossoms and then began to paint out the napkin background. The idea was to push the napkin background further into the background of my painting and not totally get rid of it. The haphazzered part was because my left hand knows no other way.

This is my first "finished" shot. Notice I have signed it. That means I'm finished. But......

here is my second "finished" shot. I just had to blend and blend a little more in the face. The change is very subtle but I came very close to messing it up.

This was a fun challenge and I recommend it. It felt very weird to use my non-dominant hand. Oh, I forgot to tell you that I also used different brushes. I used larger burshes and did not let myself pickup that little tiny favorite brush.

Zorana took the challenge and she is going to show you hers as well. But I'm in Texas and she is in California so she may not have it up just yet. Her painting is a wonderful piece of art and I hope she tells you how she actually writes with her right hand but paints with her left hand. Have you ever heard of such? She's my bbff.

More later,

Sharon

OH NO!

Really, I'm just checking in before the weekend.

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You know I would have shown you if I could have. I really am in the 'just out' issue of Artful Blogging. And I am so anxious to see it.

Look what happened. Today I received the empty plastic cover with the address label page that has been stamped by the post office. "Received without contents at 767[zip]". Yes, I'm disappointed and you know I will show you when I get my hands on one.

*

The other thing I'm showing is my little journal sketch for today. I think I will take her home today for my weekend inspiration.

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Have a great weekend. I'll try to check back....if I have something to show. And thank you for visiting.

More later,

Sharon