Pattern of the Week

Field of Greens

Please visit my Sketchbook Project on my website here.

Global Talent Search: Little Terrarium

Update!! I came in the top 50 of 999 entries!!! I'm thrilled and honored to have
been chosen.Now off to work on round #2.
 My final terrarium piece for the Global Talent Search! I wanted to create a
magical world, of plants and birds and insects and flowers. A place I could stare
at all day and feel inspired.I did alot of painting, somehow I can see the vision
in paint more clearly than a pencil or pen line. I can draw in paint so its comfortable
for me.
I started here: (as I posted the other day...)

I really felt I needed to see the image clearly and not get too busy and I loved the big
jar the best. and I tried 2 side by side but it is way too busy.

I painted a single jar with a better top and more considered elements.

But the background, although I like I really felt was competing with the detail in the
terrarium. I think maybe the detailed technique and the rough style in background felt
really unsettling to me.
So I tried one with a more even background with texture.

It still didn't feel grounded to me so I do what I do alot in my paintings and put the
image on a table. I felt like I could breathe now when I looked at it. I also painted
the bird and butterfly more beautifully and added a caterpillar, a ladybug, a bee and
some more butterflies. My change I would make now would be to do the lettering
more like the ones in the first versions... Oh well. I learn something from every piece of art I do.

DIYRocks

Summer is here and I'm happily growing herbs in the garden and even happier to be using them 

in some fresh delicious food. I've been painting herb markers on rocks for the last few years, 

I have a thing about collecting rocks and painting is my love so these are right up my alley. 

Here is how I do them:

1. It's best to find rocks that are fairly smooth, in texture and color. River rocks are great.

2. Clean them with soap and water so there is no dirt left, and wait till they are dry.

3. Gather your materials. I use White Acrylic Ink by Daler Rowney, a thin brush with 

a good point. A white Stabilo pencil, some tracing paper, a gel pen, a ruler and your rocks.

I usually do these by eye but it's a good idea to draw out your design first so you aren't 

unsure of what to do half way through. I make all the letters in capitals and keep them 

the same height. It looks cute that way. Don't worry about being perfect, when they are 

off and a little wobbly it gives them character.

3. For practice you could take a ruler and make 2 parallel lines about 3/4" apart and 

do a practice alphabet.

4. Trace the outline of your rock so you have the general size of it. 

5. Write the name of the herb you are using in the middle of the rock.

6. Draw your design around the word. A circle and then scallops, vines, little flowers.

7. I haven't found a great way to transfer the actual design onto the rock, but now 

you have a clear idea of where to place your drawing.

8. Take the white Stabilo pen and very lightly draw the word and just the circle or 

stem of the design. It's better not to draw it all on there because it starts to look heavy with it.

9. Pour a bit of the ink out onto a pallet or even on leftover tracing paper. It's good 

to load your brush with ink but first paint some lines on a piece of paper until you are 

getting a smooth line that isn't blobby.

10. Paint the word, then the circle or vines and finally the details, following the design 

you drew earlier.

11. When ink is dry it's best to spray rock with a clear sealer. Krylon works well.
Your rocks will be in the dirt, water and sun and this way they will last for the summer!

I also make inspirational rocks.. They make a nice gift! Enjoy!

New Things

Week 3 of #Make Art That Sells class is children's books. We had to illustrate the cover of this fable by Aesop. I haven't done too much character development and it was fun working on this fox. Of course the
decorative stuff always comes into my work.  I paint all the icons separately and scan them in and do the background in photoshop.

Week 4 is Wall Art. I don't have much to say about this one, It's not the direction I want to be going so
even though I like it I will be moving on from here.
Thank you for voting for me in the ecojot cover contest, I came in 2nd place!!!
Jen

Ecojot Cover Contest

Yay, I've been shortlisted for the ecojot cover contest. They make journals and cards on
recycled paper and give notebooks to impoverished kids to help them get an education
and make their way out of poverty. The theme for this cover is celebrating Earth Day.
Now it's gone to public voting so if you're on facebook would you mind giving me a vote?
The one with the most likes gets their art on a cover for a year. I'd love to win!!!
Here is a link to the vote and Thanks so much!
VOTE HERE!  

Succulents

This week at #makeartthatsells we worked on painting and drawing succulents for the mini.
I love them and even bought a few recently, what great shapes. Then we made them into
designs for plates. I restrained myself from using too much color this time. I love colorful
ceramics but I just felt like this is what I would want to set my table with right now.
I did one that is in color and I like it as well so I'll be making it into another group of 4.
Yay, I got 2 pieces out of this weeks class.

A friend from class has featured me on her blog today and she will be giving
away a print of one of my sketchbook pages if you comment.
Giveaway and Interview Here

IF-Creature

I know it's Halloween this week and illustrating the word creature
should maybe be a monster of some sort but it's just not my thing..
So here's a sweet creature in a magical environment.
It's done with gouache, acrylic, collage and metallic paint.

IF-Rescue

It's been a while since I participated in Illustration Friday. I'm just
squeaking it in at the last minute this week, I've missed the discipline
of it but I've been so busy this summer.
Here are some lush yet wilted garden flowers,
with the rain coming to the rescue.

Lilla's Class! week 2

We just finished up week 2 of Lilla Rogers amazing class,
Make Art that Sells. This week we focused on Home Decor
and were asked to design a plate, using pod reference. I just
drew and drew and drew. millions of flower pods and seeds.
Then I was out of town, a graduation in DC, and visiting friends
in Philadelphia. There I was, in the car, in the hotel at the restaurant,
drawing away. It felt great!

But it was really difficult trying to do a finished piece while on the road.
I ended up with so many ideas that I had to try them all out.
When I got home on Saturday afternoon I just worked into the night
and on Sunday until the project was due that afternoon.
The class is so exciting and really pushes me to try new things,
experiment and most of all Play!

Here are a few of my finished pieces. The one up top was the one I
submitted. That one just flowed and felt really right but I was very
torn as to which one to submit. Which is your favorite?

Sketching June6

I'm over the moon doing this.. It's just plain fun. The black one is
just a simple inversion in photoshop and then the shot of neon pink.
I like that it sort of looks like a blackboard.
This made me hungry for a salad.. I'm off to have lunch!

Sketching June 5

Doing a daily painting has been so rewarding for me.
I am much more creative and happy and motivated, plus I've
built up a big body of new work.
So moving forward into summer, I am going to start a new challenge
which I hope I can turn into a habit. How many days does it take
to form a new habit? Maybe 60 or so....? I'm going to sketch
at least 1 spread a day in my sketchbook. It's something I regret
not doing for so many years. Simple or complicated, whatever
I have time for. I also want to play with photoshop so I will use the daily
page to practice and play.

May Painting a Day 16. Sage

The sage in my garden is still there after the winter, very woody
and leggy with dried flower pods all over the top of them. I had
hung a branch of them to dry a few weeks ago so here is the live
plant and the dried one. I am submitting this one to Illustration
Friday too, for the word future. Maybe a bit of a stretch, maybe
more like before/after?

Cherry Tree April Paint Challenge Day 24

I was walking down Main Street in my town, when I
got underneath this tree I felt enveloped by the blossoms.
The sky was peeking through but it was mostly just
flowers. I love this time of year. And today is finally
warm!

IF-Eggs

Today is the first warmish day we've had since last fall.. I will
finally spend some time outdoors (happily, not shivering) The
farmers market will start again in a month. What a beautiful
renewal each year. Happy Easter and Passover and I hope
everyone has a beautiful spring.

IF-Wings

As I sit here in this dark, cold, gloomy, wet, wintry
afternoon, I just wanted to bring some magic and
light into the day. So here's a little magical fairy garden
bringing brightness and hope into the January day.

Breaking Old Habits

Sometimes it' is so difficult to step out of the the habits
you've set for yourself. It's easier to just stick with what
you've been doing rather than take even the small step
to try something new which may bring you to a whole
new place.
I've been painting small for a long time and just the simple
step of getting out big paper seemed like an insurmountable
problem. I thought about how for a long time, months really..
I didn't know what to paint, I didn't know what colors, I
had so many excuses..

I finally decided to pare down the issue to the basics,
I picked the paper I would use and laid it out. I gave
myself the directive of just black or white paint, big
paintbrushes, and 15 minutes a day on the timer. I went
outside and chose a few lingering plants from the garden
and made sure all of my supplies were ready to go.I put
the plan into my calendar so I had no choice.

This process of breaking it down for me was so great.. I'm
planning on continuing these for these for a while until I'm
ready to add more to the directive. The goal is to loosen up
and play more but having the boundaries makes it so much easier.

IF- Suspend

Learning to fly. They are each venturing into something new, the first
step is frightening but they will all do it well after they try.

Morran

This is a collage portrait of Morran, done for Camilla Engman"s,
Studio Morran. Some of the submissions will be chosen for a
book full of Morran and the proceeds will go to charity.
I became close to him as I was doing the collage. I feel like
I know him.

Mingling Seasons

Really. Snow before Halloween. It was a doozy of a
storm too. Tree's down, power out, wind howling.
The leaves have just begun to change colors, the
hydrangeas still have that dusty pink late fall hue. I
haven't even taken my sweaters out of hibernation...
It's warmer today though so it will all be gone by
Tuesday. I hope it doesn't come back until the real
winter.

Herb Markers

This year I've planted a veggie and herb

garden. It's all fenced in so the critters

can't get to it. The tomatoes are growing

abundantly, I have peppers and leeks

and strawberries.

My favorite part from the start though has 

been gathering fresh herbs to cook with.

Watermelon tastes so good with mint, and

fresh basil on the tomatoes!

But when I send out my husband or son,

they don't always know which is which,

And that inspired me to go out and
collect rocks 

and make them into little herb markers.

I always get what I need now!

Thanks so much for visiting!