digital photo
This is another gourd photo I took yesterday. I love the texture and colors of this one especially.
november 7
digital photo
I was going to go outside this morning and take some photos to share this weekend, but I had just showered and thought better of going out in the brisk temperatures with wet hair. But, we bought some small gourds at the farmers market last weekend that were sitting out on the porch table. I took several close-up photos of these interesting gourds and this is one. (I zoomed in even closer on the computer, but didn’t use any filters.)
november 6
6×6″ marker, acrylic, collage
This is rather spare for me, but toning it down now and then never hurt anyone. I drew shapes and lines with marker and filled in with marker and acrylic. And collaged on a couple of pieces of old painting. And no, I cannot draw all of those shapes that perfectly; I used a stencil for many of them. The secret is out!
november 5
8×6″ acrylic, collage
This began with the paper snippet of writing, part of a collage pack I bought from another artist. At first I thought the paper was just a way to suggest a diary or letter (I cut this from a larger piece)—I didn’t think the writing was legible. But as I looked closer, I could make out the sentence that forms the title for the piece, and it just cracked me up! So, after collaging it onto the page, I did some block printing and brushwork and toolwork with acrylic. And there you have it.
november 4
8.5×5.5″ acrylic, collage
This is a scraped painting on watercolor paper. I collaged on top of that some painted rectangles of paper here and there from an earlier painting. Then I brushed on some transparent yellow around the edges for a colorful background. I could do more to it, but not today!
november 3
9.5×7.5″ acrylic on matboard
Another scraped painting on matboard. The colors are slightly different in person (probably because I took the photo when it was still cloudy earlier). I did two separate scraping passes while the paint was still wet, and I like what happened.
november 2
9.5×7.5″ acrylic on matboard
This is a scraped painting. No added embellishments. No brushed on painted background. No words. Just acrylic paint scraped on matboard. I was content to just let this one be. (At least for now!)
november 1
8×6″ collage on paper
Now for something really different! This collage uses some things I have had for a few decades and some things I have had only for several years. Finally put to use! The paper with the words on it appears to be computer-generated long ago (I’m reading it from the bottom up). I obtained it in a package of collage materials I bought from another local artist, Peggy Johnston. The image of the rabbit I literally have had since I was in high school. And I have more little cut-out images like it. How can someone hold on to such things for so many years? I have no idea. Maybe I can use them all up in the next two months?!
october 31
digital photo
I took this photo this summer in Glacier National Park, but it fit the quote so much (at least the last part), that I wanted to share it on here. The words are from an interview with Iowa photographer Jill J. Jensen.
And that brings to an end the “Just Make Art” series for the month of October! Happy Halloween! (And don’t forget to set your clocks back before you go to bed!)
october 30
8.5×5.5″ acrylic, ink on watercolor paper
This was an evolution! It began with a scrape or two that didn’t turn out how I wanted. I added some background brush work, then I used a sponge to “print” different colors on. I did a lot of sponge work, actually. Until you have what you see (after adding the lettering).
Today’s quote is from artist and UNI art professor Crit Streed, whom I interviewed for both the Iowa Women Artists Oral History Project and the Beyond 9-11 project. Follow the links to learn more about her and her work in these two projects.