Creating Small Art When The Muse is Sleepy

I hope everyone has had a safe and sunburn-free summer so far. We've had horrible heat and humidity here in Bucks County, PA and I've stayed inside in a room cool enough for a sweater. I know I'm blessed and lucky about that! For those of you who have known me for years, remember I used to live in an attic not so long ago where heat was a part of life even with an air conditioner. In other words, no sweater was needed there in the summer but in winter a few sweaters came in handy. And I survived it which is probably the most important part of this little story. I was grateful for the space and created a lot of really beautiful art; mosaic and doodles, paintings and other fun things I experimented with in that room. And so the lesson I learned was that no matter the conditions, if the muse is willing, you can create something. I'm also grateful for that lesson because now that life is different and I'm still creating, I know for certain artists can adapt to their surroundings and still be happy making art.

Right now, this past week, it hasn't been very productive as far as art making. I did a lot of things around the house helping my daughter and doing small projects in between. More productive in that way and what I often call "prep work". It makes it possible to go smoothly when art wants to happen.

Still doing the daily squares and am up to #30 of 100 days (actually 200 days - I realized I should add the number correctly in this second book - I'll do that as soon as this is scheduled for publishing). I feel I'm heading in a new direction with my collage and I do believe I have this daily practice to thank.

  

I managed a few art pages but honestly, they were hard to work on which means I needed a small break. But, I painted a few pages using light magenta and some blue shimmer watercolor spray I made. Wow, I have to say this is really a beautiful combination.

 

Using some old fuzzy, faded photos from one of children's birthday parties in the 90's, I did a summer themed page. I love the umbrella probably the most. It's hard to see the colors used but they were a ultramarine blue watercolor and parchment paper acrylic paint. Makes a great ocean inspired page!

Recently I purchased 4 x 4 wooden panels again for collage and painting. When I put them in the Purple Palace where all wood pieces similar are kept, I found a few coasters to use for collage. I grabbed them and did one that same day. You can see samples in the header of this blog as to how I use them for collage. The beautiful blue table perpetually changes with art pieces but this is where they almost always go for a while on display.

A less than beloved piece of a painted paper in green and black, with a most loved piece of medical exam paper with watercolor sprays. A little gold paint pen and a few simple words were added.

 

Here's a peak at the "Groovy" wall. Still filled with lots of art. It's a vibe I like. How about you?

Enjoy your week!

Cindy,  EarthMotherMosaics - Mixed Media Art

Instagram: @artbyearthmothermosaics 

Stay Peaceful and Enjoy the Journey

At the Art Table

Another great week although not quite as prolific. I had an eye doctor appointment checking in for my Glaucoma. Everything is good so far and I won't have to go back until the end of the year. Yay.

Meanwhile, I did do some art. I like to work in a few different art journals each week and when I feel the pull, I like to work on small cards too using my painted papers mostly but also once in a while a piece from a magazine and almost always words are added.

Art journal page with many layers in paper and paint: "if you're lucky enough to be different, never change"

 

Large grid work this week. The left one is hard to see but I've cut out shapes in similar colored paper and didn't mark on it at all although I was tempted. I wanted the colors to blend along with the shapes. The one on the right is a mess but all of this is a learning process. I took a small card and glued it down because under it was a big paint splotch (I dropped the paint brush LOL).

 

Side A of some recently created art cards. These measure 5-1/2 x 3 inches. 

Side B

Doodling still happens.

Art journal using my cut out doodles, painted papers and stickers

Continuation - second page of the journal above

Still doing the 100 days journaling (2nd 100 days journal) using small squares for collage work. This shows #19-22.

Using the printout shown in a larger size, I glued it down to the page and did a collage over it. I love using my handmade ink shimmer sprays and paint sprays I mixed recently. They're used here on medical exam paper (my new all-time favorite paper to use for collage).

 

I think my only criticism is I still don't have his eyes quite right. That only means more practice which I'm fine with. I love to practice!

The same photo as the one I used above. This time I used carbon paper for the outlines. Done in watercolor and ink.

Even on less than enthusiastic days due to physical pain, I will do something. I have been working a lot with magazines, cutting out things I will use in collage. That's a more relaxing thing to do in the evening but there are days when I just want to find fodder without too much effort. Magazines provide that.

Magazine pieces sorted by patterns, illustrations, foods and words. I've started gathering magazine pieces in colors as well for collage.

 Every so often I stop and admire the view around here. There are still lots of mosaics to appreciate.

The bathroom window on a cloudy day.

 

 

Enjoy your week!

Cindy,  EarthMotherMosaics - Mixed Media Art

Instagram: @artbyearthmothermosaics 

Stay Peaceful and Enjoy the Journey

Another Creative Week

Some weeks are so prolific at the art tables, I am just blown away by the end of the week.

No mosaic work this past week but other than that, there was a lot going on at the art table. Take a look!

Watercolor taken from a photo I took years ago.

I've been looking through my plethora of photos I've taken over the years because I have a lot of landscape, still-life, animal and people photos and many can be used for art practice with painting and collage.

I worked in my biggest sketch book I have, 9 x 12 inches, making neurographica, but not really loving either the flower I started with in the bottom right corner (colors aren't my favorite - for reference I used colored pens and markers) or the mark-making embellishments I did within it. My decision to cover it with big and beautiful designs was a no-brainer. And eventually I knew I had to paint the space around these designs in black. I love it now! 

💖

A still-life from a photo

Art journal pages are becoming a habit and I am so very happy about that!

This side of the page, the blue heart, holds a printed photo of my great grandmother and my Dad as a baby. My printer was printing only blue color before it stopped working altogether and of course I kept all these pages knowing I'd find a use for them.

Using a grid is something I find quite helpful. These are painted papers of mine.

Finding shapes and midcentury modern vibes is easy but it's also hard!

Not sure the artist Rex Ray (check out his artwork!) would find these interesting but it was a great exercise to try his style (sort of) and I'll be continuing to do this.

This is a cardboard journal I made recently. The size is 9 x 11 inches. The new stamps and stencils I got are really pretty cool. Love these colors too!

Doodling has continued for a bit. My left eye gives me trouble at the end of an artful day but I find I still need to doodle a little for special Zen time. It takes longer but it's not impossible and that is a wonderful thing.

Another few pages in an art journal. These pages have a few layers of paint on them, then painted papers and magazine pieces before yet another layer of paint in parchment and yellow blend (my own). After doodles shown are glued down, if I use them all, I'll also do some mark-making.

It's been a great week at the art table! Let the fun continue!!

 

Enjoy your week!

Cindy,  EarthMotherMosaics - Mixed Media Art

Instagram: @artbyearthmothermosaics 

Stay Peaceful and Enjoy the Journey

 

Time to Reflect

Depending on where the moon is, I find there are times to be active with art and times to study what I've done, where I'd like to go and how I'd like to get there. Art has a language that I understand. I try to listen to it and follow it's lead. It's the muse that guides me and I'm okay with that.

Right now, today as I write this, I'm having a low energy day. It's a New Moon, meaning for me, a time to plant metaphorical seeds for art not yet tried, to turn inward for quiet introspection. In other words: it's time to reflect. I get a lot of low energy days around this time in the moon's cycle. Physically I'm struggling a little bit which adds to the energy ebb and flow but within the next few months that should be taken care of and I should find more energy, more often. Cross those fingers. 🤞

Meanwhile, on the days when I am filled with ideas, I try things. And almost always something surprises me. This past week was filled with surprises! Check them out below.

A new art box. 2-1/2 x 1-3/4 x 2-1/2 inches

Inside shows hand drawn cut out doodles, the door has a broken piece of a charm and the deer sticker stays on the outside. Painted papers and scrap book pieces were glued to this.

Love this broken pendant as a topper for the box.

Magazine scraps glued together, coffee stained and Plaster of Paris added.

My favorite coffee stained painted paper at the moment. It dried a softer color but it's still perfectly grungy and awesome.

Alcohol ink is a lot of fun to play with but I have a heavy hand and it requires a light touch. This is medical exam paper that I grabbed to pick up the excess. Gorgeous!

Alcohol ink test pieces. Teal is a bit overly done here but I really love the pink. Can't over do that color! 

Celery leaves from the gel plate using magenta acrylic paint. I'm on a pink kick, I think.

New stamps. These are so cool.

I had to cut the dandelion stamp to fit the mini die cut machine and then didn't use them in the machine anyway. But small additions here and there of these stamps are definitely going to be used.

Another hour spent in the Purple Palace produced another side of the mosaic vase completed.

This is an edited and cropped photo of Gaara from a few years ago. I'm planning on eventually making a collage of him using this photo but I need to work on his eye which is round.

When I picked up my Sidekick journal I found a page that had roll off paint on it. I wish I had taken a photo of it before I drew the eye because right where the eye is, there was a shape that looked a little like a cat eye and I followed it's guidance and created this.

I really love how this turned out and it was good practice. Following the random paint smears turned out to be a great exercise in finding a pattern within it. I said it was a fluke that I found it, but really, there are no accidents during times like this. It was meant to be!

Mindlessly doodling using colored ink pens, alcohol ink markers and a black fineliner pen is probably the best thing I do for my health. Being creative every day is important to me especially with Glaucoma. Precious time spent and never wasted at the art table.

The little piece on the left is a Gelli plate pull that didn't turn out too well (you can sort of see a design on it) but it's perfect for these little die cut wildflowers I made. It looks like they are in front of a pond with grass and storm clouds in the distance. All of that from one paper! And of course next to it is a random sunflower that I drew and put glue on for another piece and then decided not to use it but it had glue on it, so here is where it ended up!

Enjoy your week!

Cindy,  EarthMotherMosaics - Mixed Media Art

Instagram: @artbyearthmothermosaics 

Stay Peaceful and Enjoy the Journey