In Love With The Process...

Hi Blog Friends!

I am so honored to be asked by Susan Carrol over at Faith Words Faith Expressions to take part in a bloghop on the creative process!

 

1.  What are you working on at the moment? 
I am currently loving working on canvas, canvas boards and gessoboard.  Seems like a giant step for the girl that was afraid---completely afraid of canvas a few months ago.  To make myself get over that fear, I challenged myself to paint on small - very non threatening 8x10 or smaller canvases, and complete a ginormous number of them....yes, ginormous, 1,032 to be exact!!!  I figured, to complete that number, I would definitely get over my fear of working on these little gems called canvas, and I would learn a lot in the process.

2.  How does your work differ from others in your genre? 
I'm not sure if my work is any different.  I absolutely adore the work of Mindy Lacefield, and Mystele.  I love their playful approach to painting, and that is exactly what I love to do....just play.

3. Why do you create? 
I simply have to.....If I don't, I am frustrated, and feel as though something is missing.  I simply adore getting my fingers covered in paint.....and attacking a surface to erase the stress and strain of the day.  I usually work very early - the wee hours of the morning are best for me.  I get up around 4am, and that is my ME time.  Everything is quiet, and I can play uninterrupted.  We have a busy household - insanely busy, so, any afternoon time in the studio is not guarenteed.  If I have had a particularly rough day at work, I come home, and steal away to my studio to let paint fly!!

4.  How does your creative process work?
I have found that I do not plan anything out.  So...lets begin:  I start by prepping my canvas/surface with random bits of paper, that I adhere to the surface to create texture.
 

I use matte medium to glue things down.

Once dry, I put a light coat of gesso over the entire surface....

Once it is completely dry, I pull out my crayons and inktense pencils, and just scribble.

Now, its time for some paint.  I will pull several colors....

Without rhyme or reason, I just put color down....

Then, I pull out a stencil, and my ink sprays.....

 

With my most favorite pencil, a Jerry'sArtarama Jumbo Jet Black pencil, I start scribbling again....  Just making marks, or adding words that come to mind.

I found a piece of paper on my table....ripped it up, and glued it down.

I added stamping...

I drew in a leaf shape.....

Then painted out all of the background around it...

 

 

Then used a stencil to come back in and wipe away wet paint in certain spots...

I had a jar lid sitting on my table, and into the paint it went to stamp circles...

 

The word that I kept randomly scribbling, was peace, so it made its way to the end...

 

I realize that this was an extremely long post....filled with way too many photos I'm sure....

So....if you are reading to this point....I would love to send you one of my absolutely favorite pencils...the Jumbo Jet Black pencil by Jerrysartarama!!!  Leave a comment, and I will select a  few winners this Thursday!!!

Thanks again so much for being a part of my creative tribe....so, to show my absolute thanks for having you all here...I will select one winner this Thursday, to win this piece!  Thanks again for being here.

Until next time,

Days Gone By...

Good morning blog friends!  Hope you all are having a great week so far.

I had an incredibly inspiring art filled weekend that went by in such a blur.

Yesterday, was my little guys 15th birthday.

If you can tell me where that time went...I would happily get it back.  I can still remember how clueless I was as a young, 30 year old mom of a 4 pound baby boy, and now, in what feels like no time at all, I am the mom of a 15 year old.  Overnight, he grew up!!

So, Friday night was the opening of my show down at Blake Street Studios in Raleigh.  I love being downtown.

The show was great!  The energy there was just amazing!!

Saturday, I attended an amazing demo/lecture on the Winsor & Newton watercolor sticks and crayons...WOW!!

Such a ton of fun...and oh so inspiring!

The rest of Saturday as well as Sunday, I demoed at Jerrys..

There is just something about playing in paint that makes my world so much better!  All of my worries get pushed to the side as I pick up a brush or get paint on my hands...every single one of them!

Enjoy your day everyone...and thanks for being here to share part of mine.

Until next time,