Wednesday, January 02, 2008

Ninth Day of Christmas

On the Ninth Day of Christmas

I give to you......

Hands and

Mini file pockets


First about "hands": In addition to taking pictures of hands, I like to clip all the hands from the slick department store advertisements included with the newspaper.


I use them as a model for sketching a hand on a painting.


Sometimes, I use them in the collage.


Here is an important tip: use glue stick to glue them down rather than gel medium. After the glue stick is dry, then paint over the hand with a gel medium. For this I prefer Soft Gel Gloss. Then proceed to paint over the hand if you like. I have found that attaching this colored newsprint with gel medium causes it to wrinkle and not adhere smoothly.


I also use the hand as a template or pattern to trace around on my canvas and then paint.


So clip those hands.


...... then what to do with them?????


Making these little mini file pockets is an exercise I do when I'm between inspiration and inspiration.

You've been there. I know you have.

I reuse old file folders from my office to make these.

I cut them down and then play with all the left over bits and pieces of wallpaper, candy wrappers, tissue, and anything else floating around on the work surface. I glue. I stamp. I write. I paint. I stencil.

All the while, Norah'S just smiling and thinking and dancing and singing and dreaming and ......

then,
I have the neatest little pocket to keep my hands and fun stuff in.

And

a fresh new surge of inspiration.


I would show you where I keep these but you know I cleaned off my big work table and it looks really good and so ready for fun ART. But when I turned around and looked at my other work area on the cabinet, where I keep these file pockets handy and where I do my painting, lo and behold it is piled high with stuff and I don't know how that happened.

More later,

Sharon

12 comments:

  1. I can hardly stand it, this stuff you are posting just gets better and better! I've linked you on my blog 'cause I don't want anyone to miss all this goodness you are giving away.

    Darla

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  2. Your folders are beautiful and a great use for all those bits and pieces. I can see why Norah's smiling! I don't throw anything out that can be used artistically and my house is beginning to burst at the seams because of it! I have visions of being buried alive one day!

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  3. Love what you do with the folders.
    Love all your inspirational posts.
    Alison

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  4. My, you're keeping busy this Christmas! So many ideas and tips to start the year! Thank you for all this inspiration!
    Happy New Year!

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  5. Oh, that's a tip I'll definitely use. Hands are so difficult for me to draw. I mess them up every time!

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  6. Those folders are a fantastic idea! And I know what you mean about gluing down magazine cutouts with gel medium... it just isn't a marriage made in collage-heaven!

    Hey, I left a little something for you on my blog.

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  7. How inspiring...I have so many cut out things that I like (not nec. for art) but I file them in a 2 pocket folder. I should get some files and make some for my cut out! Very awesome thing you do! Funny you mention you would take a picture of your working surface- I was thinking that while reading!

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  8. I was searching for hands yesterday and couldn't find them... Now I know why. I don't have a cool hand folder! It's on my "to do" list!

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  9. You are my hero!! I swear.
    I save hands......arms with hands, legs.....and where are they??
    over here..some there...in a cigar box...in an envelope. stuck to the bottom of my own foot (a story in and of itself)so when I need one I CAN NEVER FIND ONE. And the tip about using the glue stick instead of gel medium...i had forgotten that disaster. Thank you for your 12 days of Christmas. Who knew we would all have so much fun AFTER Christmas. Every day is like opening a prezzie when I come here.

    xo Rella

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  10. This is SUCH a cool series of posts. I can't wait to see what you come up with each day. Thank you so much for sharing so generously.

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  11. The file folders are such a great idea. A splendid idea for those creative wastelands that happen from time to time. And thanks for the hint about using glue, I've never done that.

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  12. Sharon - I'm resting from a whirlwind week. I've had three days of non-stop, then this evening a bit of quiet so I thought I'd spend time reading your blog. The next two days will be even MORE whirlwind - and then it will be over...

    This folder is a fantastic idea - you inspire me in so many ways!

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