Art at the desk

Yesterday, with my little art-to-go-bag and a little extra time at my desk in town, I enjoyed some fun techniques that Katie is presenting in her online class, Layered Impressions.   By the way, Katie has a book coming out by the same name,  Layered Impressions: A Mixed-Media Approach to Painting and Poetry.
I betcha, it will be just as good as her class.  
♥ Sharon

Art-to-go-bag

Look here.  My little art to go bag holds everything I needed today for some art-at-the-desk.  It has paint, collage papers, mediums, brushes, palette knife, palette, journal, rags, Stabilo pencil.....like I said. 


Everything.

Practice makes me happy

I'm having a wonderful Mother's Day. One reason is that I "dared" to paint in this little journal. And I "dared" to use brush strokes and try to not blend. I love to practice like that.

Another reason is because my sweet daughter will be here for lunch. He is doing the steaks; I am doing the salad; she is doing the bread and baked beans. We will have a great afternoon.

And another reason is I ask my random number generator to give me a number between 1 and 41 and He said 36. So Happy Mother's Day Pat who said...

"Well, now, Sharon...there's another book I MUST go and buy!!! You know I don't want to miss 'the story.' And, a giveaway..wow...two good things!! Can't wait to read all about you...take care, pat
May 07, 2010 10:14 PM"
I'm wishing for all of you the best day ever. And from the bottom of my heart, I'm thanking all of you for your visits and comments. I wish I could send you all something. Sharon

Dare Book

My friend Zorana sent me her "I Dare You" book. You know that's the one where we have matching books and we swap back and forth and play ART in each one.

Before sending it, she played ART on the above page and then dared me to play ART on the same page. Actually, what she dared me to do was exercise. Notice the words she deliberately left showing on the page.

Oh, it was a wonderful page to play on. Especially when I turned it sideways and saw that nose and eye. Maybe you'll want to go back and look closely and even click on the picture for a much better look. During my morning ART session, I did very little to bring out the story on this page and what a fun way to start the day. Makes me happy.

And by the way, the girls from the previous post have been identified. Turns out Laura knows them, Jessie and Jane Johnson and their story. She told me about them in her comment. And you were all right. It is a compelling page. It's just that I didn't enjoy painting it. But I do now enjoy staring at it and the mystery of it. I know I don't say it enough but I do Thank You all for sharing your comments with me. It means so much.

Expect ART time,

Sharon

Creatures of the night

I dared to look for creatures in the below background.

I just knew they were lurking there.

On a day like to day, why not.

Just for fun.

don't miss this one.

After spotting them I just used Paynes Gray liquid acrylic to add the night around them.

Makes them pop.

Expect pop,

Sharon

Day Three continued

After:

One day of flying,

Two days creating,

A morning meeting face to face over coffee,

An afternoon of fine food,

then

We went to the Lagoon for a most peaceful walk.

We watched these beautiful birds in the treetops.

We met this princess.
We took pictures.

We saw agapantha.
And then,

we returned to the little studio to continue our tradition.
We exchange our I Dare You books by mail.

But we also have a tradition (two times makes a tradition) of painting together in each others book when we are together.

So Fun!!!

I painted this page in Zorana's book.

Zorana painted this page in my book.

We were still very excited about our Day Journeys and wanted to paint on that high.

Then

after a full day of flying home,

and resting,

and resting,

I dared to paint another page in my book.

I dared to try again a face with Claudine Hellmuth paints.

I'll see you later in the weekend.

Expect it,

Sharon

We Dare

By now she (my bbff Zorana) has this little book back in her hands,

because I delivered it.

So I will show a little of my play ART in it.

I know you recognize her pretty girl on the left side above. My page is on the right.

You know I had to put some Love Potions in her book.


And one more page of a pressed Four O'clock blossom from my gardens.

Be expectful,

Sharon

Mail and Me

My BBFF is not blogging at the moment but let me tell you, she is alive and well. I have the proof. I know you will recognize the ART on this artful mail I received yesterday.


Here is a clue. Her name starts with "Z". We are involved in a journal swap and she sent me her book so I can Play ART in it. You know I'll show when I do. And then, in July, I will take it to her.
Thought you might want to see the short hair "me". Unfortunately, all the sagging is still there.


Also, I have listed a new Castle Tower print that is now available. ........and

......don't forget this

*******

here ye.

here ye.

I have a special this week.

It is my own Etsy hide and seek game.

One of my listed prints is available with free shipping.

Find the listing and you will know which one.

It is the only listing with zero shipping.

It's a deal

And

If you want a second item,

I will refund the shipping after paypal confirmation.

recap: I chose the first item (you can find it) and you choose the second item (if you want it)

Thanks and expect,

Sharon

Glorious Saturday

As I often do on weekends,

I jumped out of bed just after five O this morning.

I had wiggled my allotted time and had to jump.

I wasn't up too long and found myself cutting these fun little stamps.

I'll be using them today, I'm sure.

When I noticed the time, I ran to the back door window.

Yes, there she was on the nest. It was 6:25.

Again, we quietly watched each other.

Then, at 6:35 she flew.

Glorious!

Here is the journal page I told you about starting in this post. As you can see, I broke up the symmetry well enough. I wanted to show since I was "just telling" the other day.

Isn't it the craziest thing, I have so much to blog about and am energized to do it. I'll be back because I'm just dying to show you the painting I finished. You're gonna love it.

Expect a glorious weekend,

Sharon

More Houses

JOURNAL

inside front cover

art-on-the-couch

collage and doodle

fun

Sidetracked.

Must make houses.

I stopped other ART today to take a little nap-on-the-couch.

But took collage papers and my little journal with me.

and

Made Art-on-the-couch instead.

Hope to show other projects tomorrow.

Hope to get back to my painting too.

Expect it,

Sharon

Home Love Look See Door

Journal Page

started at the desk

finished on the couch

Don't you love short weeks?

I do.

I popped out of bed early this morning knowing it was Friday and all that.

I just Love being at Home.

So, today I will be thinking about what I shall enjoy this weekend.

I will finish my painting from last week.

I will clean the studio a little.

I will show you what I'm doing.

And

I will Dare to take a nap or two.

Expect it,

Sharon

Gardens

I haven't played in this journal in a while. I confess I started out doing a little napkin video for you; but, dang if I didn't do the first segment and then discovered that I was just talking to myself and the camera wasn't rolling. It's happened before. So anyway just imagine what I was saying. It would have been good because it was about layering napkins. That's all. I wasn't going to show you how to paint profiles because I just haven't managed that yet.

Now I have to go to my gardens to work. I promised. Myself.
Expect
Sharon

PS I realized when this was nearly finished that I had been influenced by something that has fascinated me this last week. Can you guess what?

Lemon Tree Ceremony

...................in California .................................I'm back and

it is very hard to start again.

But only because there are so many things to share.
So I shall start with the Lemon Tree Ceremony which happened just after my arrival in

Zorana Land, California.

The ceremony was to initiate and embrace my friend's new backyard.

The flag is a reminder to "Balance Life and Lemon Trees".

For more of the ceremony, please do visit Zorana's post.

we dared
Zorana's gift to me was a promise fulfilled.

She promised if I ever came to visit, she would show me here Rose painting technique.

She gifted me with a Roses DVD from Marjorie Harris

and then we shared in our I Dare You journals.

Zorana shared the technique and I tried very hard.

With practice, I do believe I will be able to paint roses.

And I shared with her one of my face painting techniques.

And we shared......

to you my friend

.....and to an art filled 2009

(clink)

With my new red ink and dip pen I added a little journaling.

There is so much more to share...and I will. I am still filled with the thrill of wonder and joy and amazement for the ARTfull ending of my 2008 year. Thank you my bbff for showing me Zorana Land, California.

Expect great things in 2009,

Sharon

My Sister Story

Meeting in the Moon Garden
January/February 2009, Somerset Studio, Black & White, Volume 13 Issue 1
Very early this year the Somerset Studio call for "Black & White" art went out.

You know my "sisters" had to go.

I am thrilled and honored to be included in this beautiful issue.

Oh how exciting it is to have a little corner on the contents page.

And then, on another corner among page after page of beautiful black and white art.

It is all so very exciting, but that is not the story I was going to tell you about.

This story is about a blogging sister family.

It's about one blogging sister who dared another blogging sister.

And they each took the dare.

Two books.

Two blogging Sisters.

Two Artist.

Meeting face to face.

A page in my I Dare You book by Zorana.
(See this page in her book here.)
She returned my book with this beautiful page finished. I hope I have time to do another page in my book before I take it back to her to swap again.
Friday the 26th.
Two blogging sisters
meet
in
California and finish the year of 2008 making ART together.

You know we will show and tell.
Expect beautiful art next year,
Sharon