Days 23-25 Everyday in November?

Oh my goodness, what was I thinking taking up this challenge??  Very little art the last three days.
Day 23 I thought I would get a start on a few Christmas cards which turned out to be one.
On Day 24 I spend many hours with my daughter looking at color, texture and prints…unfortunately for art's sake we were shopping!


4" x 5.5" Blank card and Pen

With even less time Day 25 produced another Christmas card which is very simple.  I may have to go back into this one with some shading at a later time but I kind of like this little modern looking tree.

4" x 5.5" Blank card and Pen

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, see you after the turkey!

Days 20-22 In November

Day 20 started out with my art critique meeting.  There was thirteen of us and lots of wonderful art to look at.  It is always a great time each month.  Then that night I went to my friend, Sharla's Botanical Zentangle class.

6" x 6" Strathmore paper
Brown 01 Micron pen

It was a great fun night of playing with botanical shapes and meeting some very nice ladies.  We also played with colored papers, pens and shading. Next class is in December.  Can't wait!


3.5" x 4.5" Strathmore paper
Black 01 Micron pen

Day 21 I got to spend with my grandson and again nap time is built in art time.  I was only able to get the sketch done before nap time was over.  These are some of M's favorite things to play with.  Day 22 I applied the colors.



5" x 7" Robert Bateman Sketchbook
Pen and Watercolor

Days 17-19 in November

Day 17 was all about prep for the next day with Jessica.  I prepared some mandala patterns for us to explore and color.  I decided to tangle one of the patterns that had larger open spaces.  It was started on Day 18 and finished on Day 19.  It was really fun to watch it develop. I will do more of these.

9" x 9" Stonehenge Paper
01 Sukura Micron Pen

My other project for Jessica was collaging these tissue boxes for her parents for Christmas.  I found paper mache tissue box covers at Michaels.  Using gloss medium and hostess napkins which had been peeled down to just the top layer and torn in pieces, she collage the pieces to make these unique one of a kind boxes.

Days 14-16 Everyday

   Busy, busy, busy!  It has been a challenge these last few days to fit in my "Art Everyday in November".  But I guess that is the bottom line of a challenge.  It took me three days to do this one little page in my outings sketchbook, a little everyday.  Some things from my garden including an owl rock from Sharon and a stone angel of stacked rocks. The magnolia seed pod is from playing with my grandson.  He always wants to hold one of these whenever we see them outside.  It was fun to try and sketch this one with the open seed pods and funny angles it gets as it opens to release the seeds.

Robert Bateman 5" x 7" Sketchbook
Pen and Watercolor

Days 11, 12 and 13

Day 11 was art day with Jessica.  I had her paint a background on 1/4" foam core with acrylic craft paints and while that was drying, tear and cut shapes from magazines for the tree and borders.  Lots of sticky fingers but we thought it turned out fabulous!

About 10" x 12"

Days 12 and 13 were mostly spend on the computer and phone figuring out my new medical insurance.  My little head was ready to explode!  But nothing like working on a Zentangle to settle your nerves.  It is great when your hand overtakes your mind, such a calming effect.  This ended up looking like either a fancy warrior's helmet or a cool piñata.

5.5" hand.book

Days 9-10 in November

Day 9 landed on a Saturday so I turned my art into an outdoor session in the sunshine and worked out in the garden.

 

 Toiling in the soil, trimming back some foliage and even chasing the little buggers away from my roses has the same calming effect and is as rewarding as sitting and doing my art.

Nature is our living canvas with amazing shapes, colors, hues and light, a never ending story.  Mother Nature is a great teacher, we only have to  listen.

Day 10, Sunday, I again went in a little different art direction and finished the binding on my great nephew's quilt.  Pictured only half done here but now ready for Thanksgiving Day.

Day 8 in November

….and the last day of teaching printmaking for the fall, always a long but fun day.  Some actual printing was still going on but the big push was for "Bookmarks".  Even if you are an "e" reader you have to admire the beauty of these little art gems.

We take what I have decided to call "un-wallable prints" those that you may not want to frame and hang on the wall.  Then we add more information to the prints with rubber stamps. Some add a lot of stamps and some less.  Then the prints are cut into bookmarks and laminated.

There are always oohs and aahs when they are finished and an occasional,  "Can I have that one?" The laminating really makes the colors of the ink glow.


Sorry for the poor quality of the group shots which were taken with my cell under fluorescent lighting.

Days 6-7 Everyday

This first picture is of a monoprint I did as a class demo to show students various ways to get textures and depth into their prints.  It is fun to take these demo prints and make them into bookmarks or cut them up and give them another format.  This is an 8" x 10" print.

Here is that same print cut into 2" squares and then rearranged and glued onto an 8" x 10" piece of black bristol board.  It is a fun way to further explore my creative side and make good use of my demos.  Day 6 complete.

Day 7 was mostly used up playing with my grandson but there are build in creativity times called "naps".  I had taken along my 5" square Zentangle book and had about 45 minutes to play with some tangles.

Days 4-5 of Everyday

On Mondays, Jessica who just turned 9 comes over for art time after school.  This week we made some cool papers using wet into wet watercolors and then placed saran wrap over the wet paint to get the  pattern you see here.  Just let the colors dry and remove the wrap to see the jewel shapes that seem to magically appear.

Then we cut the papers into rounds of petals and constructed our flowers.  We did the colors on both sides of the paper so there was color everywhere.  They were lots of fun to create and Jessica took home the little bouquet.

Then today my ZenFriends group met so I took some of the papers and cut them into 3.5" squares and gave them to the ladies to play with while we chatted away.  We always have a good time sharing our Zentangles and our lives.  It is time well spent sitting, laughing, supporting, creating and yes, just breathing as the busy world goes by.  Thanks ladies, I needed you.

Day 2-3 Everyday in November

 Quiet weekend, just little stuff around the house so I got out a couple of in progress drawings to finish up.  Thought  it was a good way to complete the challenge and clear up a few unfinished items.

Saturday, I picked up this one which only had the main flower part done.  It is on a piece of 3.5" x 9" card stock done with a Micron pen.  I like playing with weighted flowing lines.

Sunday, I played with finishing this page in my 5.5" square "hand*book".  It is a great size and I really like the square format.

I wanted to play with a new Zentangle pattern called "Well". It reminded me of a plumeria flower only with less petals. Stacking four in a grid gave it a Hawaiian feel to go with my little palm tree.

Art Everyday in November

Okay, so I joined this challenge to do art everyday in the month of November.  http://creativeeveryday.com/art-every-day-month

Don't ask…it seemed like a good idea at the time.  No, no it is a good idea.  I will post a few times a week to display the fun I am going to have!

Day one: November 1st. I taught printmaking today and because I have such great students, I had a little time to play.  I made these little monoprints using 2.5" acrylic plates, file folder cut outs and smashed pill packages.  When I got home I tore mulberry paper for the long strips and glued everything down to make 3.5" x 5" greeting cards.

On this one I decided to use a darker paper for the strip.  I may go back and do something with the whiteness of the card itself but too tired tonight.  I'll have to think about.

One day down….29 more.