Mail

Look here. I needed something that Sally T had. She sent it to me in this very cool mail art envelope.

I do believe that Sally is the queen of mail art.

She included a little extra extra stuff. Sorry, I didn't show what's inside. But you know me and how I love to glue it down so as not to be caught up in that hoarding thing. I hope I get a chance to do that tonight. If I do, I'll sure enough show....and tell.

I'm bursting with inspiration at the moment and frankly, they are stacking up in my head. I hope Norah's keeping track because this week end, I'm thinking we will be having an art party making valentines and paper dolls and painting and oh my ..... I can't wait.

More later,

Sharon

Let's Talk

Let's talk while I show you what I've done.
Last Tuesday morning I bounced out of bed with a new mission in mind. Instead of doing my 30 minute morning wiggle in bed while dear husband was in the shower, I decided enough bed time.
I pulled on the pants and shirt that I had peeled out of the night before and in my bare feet, started walking the path right here in my house.
I walked around and around and around for 30 minutes. I have walked every day since and tomorrow will be seven days straight.
The layout of my home is such that I can go around and around without disturbing anyone. I found it to be much more interesting than walking the treadmill at my office. I will continue.

I was thinking that I needed to go and buy some alphabet letter for our "words". But I realized that I just didn't have "enough" money at one dollar each for wooden letters. Then, I remembered that I had some chipboard letters and thought surely I should have "enough" art supplies on hand without buying more.

This is going to work for me. I can already tell. Oh yes, Tim remembered his word. It is "Passion". Melissa's is "Peace".

While I was on my walk today, I noticed the stale bread, one dinner roll, and a square of cornbread sitting on the corner of the cabinet waiting to be fed to the chickens. I don't know who designated this spot for such but it is.

Another trip around and I noticed the Christmas Goose and Santa Cookie jar still hadn't been put away. These things had been out long "enough" so when I finished my walk, I put them away. They were gifted to me this year and I don't have "enough" storage space for such so I had to look for some.

I also thought the bread for the Chickens had sat there long "enough" so I took that out too. It's amazing all the things you can find to do while going around and around. Had I been on the treadmill, I would have never accomplished these chores.

It wasn't planned but I think using the sunflower napkin on my "enough" project is an interesting choice. I feed my wild birds sunflower seeds. My one resolution for 2008 is to feed the birds. They just can't seem to get "enough".

The first word has been hung on the icicle tree. See I told you that I put the icicles away.

I'm working on a canvas that I may finish tonight. But I tell you, while watching TV last night I saw something that registered with Norah'S brain. Now I can't stop thinking about it. I don't have a clue what we saw but in my minds eye I can see a painting with a glowing sliver of a profile of a pretty girl surrounded with darkness.

Oh yes, I didn't find a napkin with big white flowers yesterday. I'm still looking.

Enough talk.

More later,

Sharon

Enough

I confess that I have a lot of stuff rambling around in the attic at the moment. Therefore, this will probably be very disjointed but that's OK. It's Friday and I'm counting down.

I mentioned in my last post something about my "word" for the year. I'm still working on "balance" left over form last year as I never accomplished it. So that will be one of "our" words. Remember I told you also that I was going to invite the family to join in with a word.

So at the dinner table a couple of nights ago we had a discussion. I had already talked to Tim about a "word". He "gets it" and was going to decide on his word. So at the table, I give my spiel and Ashley knows immediately that her words is "happiness". A super word. I ask Tim if he had his word yet and he says he did but forgot what it was and that he wants a real good word so he will keep trying to remember it. He knew it started with a "p" or and "s". We tried to guess a few.

We are going to get wooden letters to make these words and have them on display someway in the house as a reminder of our intent for the year, I ask Ashley, "do you think happy would be just as good as happiness, since it is a shorter word?" Without hesitation she pronounced, "no, I want happiness".

So then, I said to dear husband (grandfather to Ash and Tim), "what is your word going to be?" With the same swiftness and lack of hesitation as Ashley he said, "Silence". I think he "gets it" too.

So far, that is our words: Balance, Happiness, and Silence. Oh yes, I forgot to tell you my new word for 2008 is "Enough". If you think about it, "enough" is a pretty good word. I'm always thinking I don't have enough time for ART. But I will apply the word more consciously while at the table to remind myself that I have had enough.

So now I have to get Melissa's word and see if Tim has remembered his great word and I will be all set to get these new power words of intent up for display.

Here is something that excites me. Oh wait first, you will need to look here. Just a quick refresher of the page...not the words but the picture. Then go here and take a look at the bottom of this cover. I'm squealing ....can you hear me? I don't know exactly what is on the inside but there I am. So proud. So happy. Can't wait to get it in my hands.

Now about the paper napkin above. Isn't' this a gorgeous one. A friend here in town gifted me with this one and I'm pretty sure you will be seeing it in my next little piece of ART. But a favor I wish to ask of you is, "do any of you have a white floral napkin?" I'm on the look out for big white flowers. I will trade some of mine for a white floral. Thanking you.

More later,

Sharon

Excuses

I was trying to get a better picture of the finished "Night Letter". I'm still not capturing the true color of the flesh tones but this one is better. Then I thought I would like to see the unfinished side by side with the finished so that maybe I could see where my Mother went.

The strangest thing happens to me when I have finished a painting. Especially one that has given the the pleasure of being "in the zone" as this one did. It is no secret that I am a real Chatty Kathy most of the time. I Can't help it that I do go on and on. Well kinda like right now.

So here is the weird thing, at these moments right after the signature on the painting, I just want to show and am not comfortable telling anything. I really did have so much more to tell about this painting. But now, I'm done.


Last night I watched a great movie. Sorry I can't tell you the name of it or what it was about because that is just the way I watch movies. Entertained "in the moment". But while the movie was going on, I am so proud to say that I disassembled Christmas and put it away. I really did like the tree sitting there with those words, "angel", "joy", "peace", "noel", "snow", and "merry". Right there in the middle of the room it didn't seem intrusive at all. I was real tempted to leave it up; however, if I did, I knew there was a huge chance that it would still be right there come next Thanksgiving. Just like the icicles that were left up from three years ago and the stocking hangers left up since last year. I put them all away. So, I am either way ahead of last year or way behind next year. I don't know.

I do believe I am going to make some more words and find a place to hang them in my house. Isn't that a good idea. You know how a lot of you are using a single word in lieu of a resolution. I wasn't going to do that. I'm having second thoughts now.

Last year, my words were focus and balance. I think I did focus on my art, but I'm a real failure on the balance part. So maybe this year I should repeat "balance" and I'm going to think of some more words to make and hang. Or maybe I will ask each person in the house to give me a word. That way if they are hanging out there where we all see them, we will all enjoy the benefit. Or maybe we will each "get" each other.

Well, OK I didn't mean to go on and on. I just wanted the side-by-side up there for me. Some of you have noticed that when your work is on the screen, you see more than in real life. Me too.

Again, I wish to thank you for commenting. It means the world to me. Truth is, I wouldn't get half as much done art wise if you weren't out there feeding my addiction to comments.
More later,
Sharon

Night Letter

"Night Letter"

Here she is. I'm going to just say it.

I'm thrilled with her.

Sorry about the glare, I'm not patient enough to wait until tomorrow to take a picture.

I didn't take any more pictures between the last one in the last post and this finished one.

Ooops.

Well anyway, you can see where I started and where I finished and all the rawness in between.

Can I also say, I love using napkins.

I have enjoyed hearing from all of you who stopped by to watch and hear and listen and see.

Your comments mean the world to me.

We are adjourned.

Thank you,

Sharon

Not Finished

I'm not finished but thought I would show a few shots along the way.

Enjoy

Days of Christmas Twelfth

On the Twelfth Night of Christmas

I give to you....

a plain paper ink jet print transfer demo

OK, by request and certainly not because I am any kind of expert at this, I am showing how I transfer an image onto canvas.

Here is what you need:

A canvas

An image printed on plain paper with and ink jet printer (my mother).

Golden Soft Gel (matte)

Also, note that you can do this same process using a photocopy from a copy machine that uses powder type toner.

Here I have cut out the part of the image that I want to transfer. Notice I have laid the image face down where I want to transfer it and drawn around it. This is so I will know where to put it once the medium is on it.

You have to work pretty fast because the paper seems to soak up the medium . The above picture shows medium over the photo. I used my finger to spread it. It is pretty thick and so after I took the picture I dipped my finger into the water jug and went over it quickly for a more even spread. You may also want to try brushing the medium onto the canvas and laying the image into it. I do both. Actually, I think I may prefer to paint the medium on the canvas instead of the image. But I don't seem to remember that.

You want to get quick good contact with the canvas. Start rubbing the image all over to accomplish this.

Here you can see the image start to show through more. Actually, I wet my finger very slightly and started rubbing over the image. You want to rub off the layer of paper and leave the ink on the canvas.

Here you can see that the paper is rolling off.

I'm not real happy about the place to the left of her nose and the chin that didn't transfer.

In other word, I may have been too aggressive rubbing or who knows?

Do not expect it to be perfect. It won't be.

Anyway, Norah'S just telling me it will be a better challenge...not to worry.

I love her.

More paper rolling off. Keep gently rubbing.

All the white layer is rolled off but I'm still rubbing.

Maybe I should quit but I don't because it is not smooth.

I keep rubbing until I have actually removed a layer of paper with ink on it.

Sorry that the lighting changed here but you can see that I kept rubbing until I ended up with a smooth layer of ink on the canvas.

Now, I'm going to go paint.

While the batteries are charging, I'm going to think about what I will do next.

I have a little bit of a sketch in mind.

I will try to take a few shots along the way.

Wish me luck.

I'm nursing a head cold. And when I say nursing it, I mean I am feeding it. I can't seem to stop eating. HELP.

If all goes well, I will be back tomorrow, the day of the Epiphany, with the finished canvas.

More later,

Sharon

Eleventh Day of Christmas

On the Eleventh Day of

Christmas

I give to you......

A tip on Eyes

Where are your eyes?

Isn't is amazing how we look

but don't see.

I'm back here with my newsprint advertisement models to make a point with you about where your eyes are.

This will be quick.

I drew a line through the eyes across each face.

Then I made a circle/oval from the chin to the top crown of the head.

Isn't it amazing that our eyes are right in the middle of our head.

Plain and simple. Right in the middle.

By the way, these super models are in a studio full of lighting from all directions; therefore the difference in value on their lips is a little harder to discern. But do notice the highlights on the lips. If you isolate (look) that small area, you will see that it is almost as white as their teeth.

Sometimes, I totally lose track of the program I'm watching because I get so totally distracted with studying all this.

Now tell me, have you been looking at lips?

When you draw, sketch, or paint, maybe you will find it helpful to lay the eyes in first right in the middle of the head.

*********

When I decided to do a 12 Day of Christmas gift early in December, I didn't really know if I could do such a post every day.

Hey, I have almost made it with only one more gift to you this weekend and I hope you enjoyed it all. I know that i have enjoyed getting your comments and just know that I thank you ever so much.

I really thought it would be fun to end 2007 and begin 2008 by sharing.

That brings me to tell you that my resolution for 2008 is to feed the birds.

That's what I'm going to do.

Feed the birds.

More later,

Sharon

Days of Christmas Day Ten

On the Tenth Day of Christmas
I Give to You......

Lips

What do you see?

Do you see what you are looking at?

I don't think you see it.

So, I'm going to tell you.

If you examine each of the set of lips, you should see that the upper lip is always a darker value than the lower.

This is my mother. Notice her lips have color but the lower is a lighter value than the upper.



This is a sepia print of Ashley. When her lips are relaxed, she has a thin upper and pouty lower. She is always smiling and 99.99% of the time she is showing teeth. (I don't do teeth)

You can easily see in all of these pictures that the upper lip is darker than the lower. If you have trouble seeing that, then look at lips with squinted eyes and you will see the difference.

Of course it is all about the light source. And generally, the light is coming from above even when it is coming from an angle above. The thing is, we don't realize that our upper lip doesn't catch the light and in fact catches a shadow.

Looking at the lips in profile gives you a better understanding of how it happens that the upper lip is always a darker value than the lower. So, when you paint or sketch, try using a darker value of color.

Now here is a little homework assignment. When you are watching TV, start looking at lips. I'm really sorry that this will run you crazy and you may see nothing but lips for a while. It is how we learn through observation.
More later,
Sharon

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