Collage of paintings

Collage of paintings

I was able to figure out how to get 25 paintings in a collage but that was it. If I fooled around it became a disaster so I just left it as it filled in automatically. It's interesting. It's from a web site called www.picmonkey.com

It was a good month, a lot of good practice and keeping on top of the artwork everyday. I probably wouldn't have done all the collage work if I hadn't taken on the 30 day challenge. It's so easy to put things off until "tomorrow". Having a goal of 30 pieces in 30 days is a great way to get into the studio every day. I thank Leslie Saeta http://lesliesaeta.blogspot.com for the challenge and I thank all the other artists that participated because that just made me want to keep at it. Check out all the neat collages of artwork on her page from a lot of the artists who participated.

DAY 3O- BE FREE

Be Free

Acrylic, 15 x 22

It's cold, rainy and dark today in SW Florida. Unusual for January but we can use the rain. As a result, the painting I did today can't be photographed, it's too big for the scanner, so I have to use the reserve painting I had for just this kind of day. It's an acrylic that I did earlier.  The idea for it came from a painting that was published in the Palette magazine from many years ago. I liked the softness of the lines and the ethereal look to it. 

Thanks for coming with me on this 30 day journey into daily creativity; it's been good to push myself to make art, even if it's small, everyday. It's been great to practice my collage making, I feel much more prepared to help teach the collage class which starts next week. 

I really appreciate those who have taken the time here and on facebook to comment about my art. Thank you! 

Day 29- Two Mini Collages

Two Mini Collages

Collage on paper each 2 X 2

This is a little exercise my co-teacher and I will be doing in the first collage class. Each student will be making a 2 X 2 collage so that they have something to take home on the first day. We have boxes of scraps for them to choose a dark, a light and an accent color. The scraps are from previous collages we have made so they are all coated and ready to fuse with a hot iron so that the class gets an idea how it all works. We have the little punches to make the interesting accents which we punch out to coated papers as well.

The class is full so we are excited to be teaching this for the first time in this area. 

Day28-Hydarangea

Hydrangea

Watercolor 8 X 8

I hope I didn't post this last year. It's one of those paintings that you keep "noodling" because it's so much fun to play around with those little individual flowers. There comes a time when you just have to stop and put it in a frame before you noodle too much. I finally did that today. It's in a nice, white 12 X 12 frame and it looks as fresh as spring. It will be offered for sale at the Annual Pine Island Art Show and Sale on Feb. 15. 

Day 27-Florida, 5 Palms

Florida, 5 Palms

Collage, acrylic on paper, 3 X 3

These little collages frame up so cute, they should sell well at our Pine Island Show and Sale on February 15 and 16. Three more days to go for our 30 day challenge. I think there may be half the artists who started out have actually have done a piece of artwork every day. I know I managed to do it last year, mostly painting in watercolor and acrylic. These collages are much more involved because they have to be coated with acrylic and then sealed with more medium and finally varnished. Fortunately, the final varnish doesn't change anything so I can scan and post them before that final step. I may finish off the challenge with a watercolor or two, just to mix it up a little. I've got one that's almost finished for tomorrow.

Day 26 Mini Collage, Bird and Heart

Mini Collage, Bird and Heart

Collage on paper with acrylic, 3 X 3

One of the exercises we will be doing in our collage class will be to do a quick collage in a small format with small scraps of paper in a timed exercise. I thought I had better practice this myself since I haven't done anything this small. The assignment in class will be 2 X 2 inches, this was 3 X 3 and I found it a challenge to keep the little pieces in place. Sometimes you have to use a little dot of medium underneath to hold them. These are fun, quick exercises. I found some small frames that will make them look really attractive.

Day 25- Anniversary Collage

Anniversary Collage

Fused paper and acrylic on canvas board 5 X 7

I put together a collage for friends who just celebrated their 25th Wedding Anniversary. The invitation to their party provided the pictures and cut out pieces to make it uniquely theirs. I fused a prepared paper background to a 5 X 7 canvas board and added the other collage pieces on top. It's a great way to make something for special friends. You could also commemorate birthdays and other occasions by making collage gifts for friends and relatives.