Hello all you creative people! I have been so inspired by all of your creative adventures that you've shared. Here is one of my favorites from Jenny at The Homemade Diva.
Silhouette Art by Jenny at The Homemade Diva
I love the way that she paired her papers to create the perfect amount of contrast and movement.
I've added a few of my own creations to our Flickr group. My sweet hubby took me to Michael's today where I purchased new watercolor crayons, cake watercolors, and new artist pens. I've been like a kid with new school supplies!
I can't wait to see what you're up to! And, thanks to Saraccino for noticing that the link party button pointed back to my photobucket site instead of the blog (and for telling me how to fix it). It's all fixed now, but if you do notice something hinky with it, be sure to let me know.
I have been working on several projects that have focused on my love of texture. This piece is a 16 x 20 inch acrylic painting on artist-wrapped canvas.
Fire Storm 16 X 20 acrylic on canvas (c) Jennifer Seratt
This canvas was already primed with gesso, but I wanted to add more tactile and visual texture to it, so I put another thick layer of gesso on. Then, using my paint brush and a plastic mesh screen, I stamped and pushed the gesso until I achieved the textured look that I wanted. After letting it dry for 24 hours, I started laying down the color.
I did not have an image in my mind that I wanted to paint. Instead, I knew the colors that I wanted to use. So, I started with an orange that I mixed and a fairly dry, coarse brush and brushed the paint on the canvas using strong upward strokes. I softened some of the strokes with a clean damp brush. Then, I layed in a wash of very wet blue at the top of the canvas and allowed it to run down into the orange. I loved the illusion of sky this gave.
After letting this dry overnight, I came back to the painting and immediately saw a fire storm with the flames licking the sky. With the background finished, the painting needed a foreground and a focal point. I decided to ground the painting with a strong burnt umber color and painted in charred timber.
After letting the final piece dry, I noticed something special about it. In the upper left corner was a distinct, but ghostly, figure in the fire. Do you see him?
This painting is for sale and ready to hang. Please email me at jenn_seratt@hotmail.com if you are interested in this piece or would like to commission a special piece.
Sunday Art Therapy is all about finding respite from your stress and troubles by letting go of your left brain and embracing the right brain, letting all of that frustration out on paper and letting the creative process bring you fresh ideas and a connection to something bigger than yourself. Once you get in the habit of doing this, you just might find that you really enjoy it and that your creative pieces are telling a story much like a diary or journal.
This is true art, and if you want to be even more inspired, I suggest that you check out the Dirty Footprints Studio's 21 Secrets: An Art Journal Playground. Connie Hozvicka has gathered so many great artists to provide you with videos, downloads, and mp3's to show you how to connect to your inner artist.
I'm especially excited to see Connie's class called "Get it out:Get it Down". I often have trouble getting what is in my head onto paper. I sometimes feel like my creative ideas far out shine my actual artistic abilities. Connie is going to show us how to be fearless and create our own masterpieces.
Dawn Sokol from D'Blogala will also teach how to use all those old hotel room keys, expired credit cards and insurance cards as tools and embellishments. And, Lisa Wilson of Life Unity will be teaching us just how to begin art journaling. Sometimes getting over that hump of looking at the blank page is the hardest thing. I know your creative juices will flow like rivers after watching her.
So, don't hesitate. All 21 on-line classes are available for only $59 and registration begins Monday, Sept 20.
So, it's that time again. Show off what you've done this week. I have been very busy creating but have not had a chance to get the pictures uploaded. Be on the lookout for them this coming week.
Here are the submissions to the Art Therapy Flickr group.
Submit your creations to the Flickr group and/or add your link to the party below. Can't wait to see what you've been up to!
Oh Fall, thank you for coming early to TN. We so needed the relief from the heat. My neighbors and I are already planning an Oktoberfest party and I can't wait to get all of my fall decorations down from the attic.
While browsing around blogland, I came across this awesome project by Allison at House of Hepworths. Her blog is hilarious and educational at the same time. She has made pumpkins out of dryer duct.
Project by Allison @ House of Hepworths
Isn't this seriously cute?! I can't wait to raid my garage to see if we have any dryer duct. You could get this at any hardware store, but also check out your local Habitat ReStore (benefitting Habitat for Humanity) or maybe even Goodwill.
I won't be able to use cinnamon sticks thanks to my crazy allergy, but I could see twigs from my yard. I think I even still have some dried curly willow branches left from the trees my hubby cut down (sigh).
Be sure to go over to Allison's blog and let her know that you saw her here.
Also, if you like this project, also check out the rope and wire pumpkins at Someday Crafts.
It's that time again. Show off what you've created this week! All of your great photos, wall art, art journal pages, scrapbook pages, quilts, and other visual creations are welcome! Here is one of the things that I've been up to this week.
As you know, I've been working my way through Whitney Ferre's book, Creatively Fit. One of the creative workouts in the book is to make a mask. She walks the reader through the importance of masks to ceremonies of many different cultures as well as the artistic significance of their creation. They were designed to bring the attributes of the symbols to its wearer. For example, for a people about to go to war, a tribal dancer might wear a mask that might have images of eagles, gazelles, and bears, bringing out the qualities of awareness and stealth, speed, and strength. She challenges you to make a mask using scraps of paper that shows traits or strengths you wish to have. I chose a mask that brings out the qualities I want to have as a friend and a woman of God.
My journaling around the mask reads: May my eyes always be joyful and attentive. May my face always be a reflection of Christ, and may my mouth always speak words of beauty and enlightenment. May my mind always be on the word of God.
I'm still getting the hang of collage, but I do have a tip on the cool writing I used for the "hair". Take a pencil and draw pairs of "parallel" lines. Give them some shape and the lines do not have to mimic each other. Then, take your pen, maker, paint brush, or whatever else you are using and use the lines as a guide for your letters. Let the edges of the letters touch both lines, following their shape. You can erase the pencil lines when you are done.
I plan on making more of these and hopefully getting more adventurous as I go.
Now it's your turn. Link up your projects below and/or add them to our Flickr group.
I have been on this creative journey literally since my childhood, but full-time for the last three months. I have had a lot of fun with projects, art journaling, and jewelry-making, all the while sharing ideas with my wonderfully creative readers. However, I have struggled to find my niche, my muse at it were.
After reading a beautiful post by Holly Schlickbernd at So Chic Decor, I realized that I am most moved by texture. It all seemed to be so clear. Fall is my favorite season because I love all the textures of the fallen leaves, the gourds and pumpkins, the hearty comfort foods, the sweaters and coduroys. Texture is what makes me want to scrapbook, paint, and make jewelry.
This, my friends, is quite liberating! I have already been working on a painting and a journal project with my muse. Actually, I've been so excited about this that I've been working feverishly on them at the same time, switching between projects while the other dries. I can't wait until they are finished so that I can share them with you.
So, to pay homage to the beginning of fall and my muse, here are some pics to get your creative juices going.
Be sure to link up your projects on my Sunday Art Therapy linky party and Flickr Group. The link party is up from Sunday through Tuesday, but you can post to the Flickr group anytime!
I am loving my art journal. I know that my pages are not as professional looking as some of the ones that have been posted to the Art Therapy Flickr group, but I am having a lot of fun!
This week, I was able to get Whitney Ferre's book, The Artist Within, from my local library. I had to travel some this week, so I haven't gotten very far into it, but I have already learned a lot. Whitney begins by laying out the eight principles of design. They are emphasis, balance, proportion, unity, harmony, contrast, rhythm, and repetition. She makes great parallels between these design principles and areas in your life that may need attention, which is your life's untapped potential.
Whitney takes you through different creativity workouts meant to give you confidence in "making your mark." The first one was doodling non-stop for five minutes. This was my doodle.
I started with a pencil and added color later. I realize that my left brain is still trying to dominate as I struggled to doodle for the full five minutes and made marks that were very representational. I can't wait to see how my art grows as I work my way through the book.
Now, it's your turn. Let me see what you've done this week to tap into your inner muse. Click here for the rules. Click here for the Flickr group or add to the party below.
