Frida Collage

I was going through my art journal

and came across a face I'd drawn

in colored pencil. 

No neck, no ears, and a nonexistent chin, 

but I liked her. 

I decided to throw caution to the wind

and make a mixed media collage. 

I didn't think about rules,

or what was accurate or not,

I just did it. 

"Just do it!" 

I'm kind of liking her

and that's what matters, right? 

The freedom to "go for it"

was fun.

I want more artistic 

experiences like that.  

Hope you have a great weekend! 

Distracted Drawing

I drawing a little Japanese

girl for a mixed media piece

on wood that I'm planning. 

You can get a glimpse of my messy

work space in the picture. 

Quite often I jump around from project to project

and it doesn't take long for my art space to clutter up. 

It's strange though, because I don't like clutter. 

Before long, I have to straighten things up.

I was like that as a little girl too. 

My bedroom would get messy and stay 

that way for a while, and then I'd get so

sick of it and have to clean it up. 

While my problem was maintaining 

a clean organized space, my husband has

always been a "clean as you go" type.

I'm trying to be more like him in that regard, 

and would say I'm 80% there. 

The following is a picture of my

dear sweet son-in-law and daughter. 

This is the reason for my distraction today. 

My son-in-law starts radiation treatment 

for his 4th bout with cancer

in the past 7 years. 

Yesterday he posted on his Instagram;

Tomorrow starts day 1 of my 18 day

radiation treatment. I've got my mental

boxing gloves on and I'm ready to begin.

Cancer has no power over me or my outlook

on life! I am blessed. 

This young man has been

a true hero and inspiration

to me and all who know him. 

If you're a person of prayer, please

remember Evan and his wife Shawna. 

It's so tough as parents having to

see your kids go through such hard things

at a young age. 

Parents are wired to want to take away 

and prevent pain and hurt for our kids. 

Sometimes, all we can do is be

there for them and pray. 

That's what we do. 

Mini Mixed Media

This was a little diversion

piece I made while taking

a break from a larger piece

I was working on. 

I've found for myself, it's good

for me to have a few things I'm working

on at once. 

This way my mind and brain 

is refreshed by something new,

without having to stop creating art

(which would be so sad). 

I finger painted the background of an ATC card. 

While that was drying, I drew my subject with 

colored pencils on a piece of Bristol paper. 

She was brushed with a light coating of matte

medium and then allowed to dry before

collaging her to the card. 

I added some designs with pitt pens and 

a few cross stitches with some bright DMC thread. 

I like her "milky' appearance, and it's kind of making

me want to go in the direction of a geisha. 

She almost has that look about her. 

*****

Thank you for visiting!

Mixed Media Drawing

I have a love hate relationship

with this drawing. 

I'm happy with the face, 

the basic design and the balance

of the drawing as a whole. 

The headdress is so flat

though. It bugs me. 

Even if I tried shading it, it 

wouldn't help. That part of 

the drawing is off. 

I call it Mardi Gras, because that's

what it reminds me of. 

Not that I've ever been, but it's what I'd

imagine seeing someone in a Mardi Gras

parade looking like. 

Well, I guess it's back to the "drawing" table for me.

Have a wonderful day.

Thanks for stopping by. 

Terri

Bird Love Drawing

I drew this lady when I was first 

experimenting with colored pencils. 

Obviously I used markers and pens as

well, but her face is colored pencil. 

I'm thinking of remaking it now that I've

learned a little more about blending

and using colored pencils. 

I say remake it, because I don't have 

the actual piece anymore.

Another mistake I mistake I made was using

more of a textured watercolor paper instead

of a smooth Bristol Paper.

There're a lot of elements to the 

design that I do like, and some I'll leave out. 

Just talking about it is stirring up  

motivation to get started.

That said, I can't get sidelined!

I have to finish my current project first.

(More on that later). 

The one thing I don't want is a room full 

of partially finished pieces.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hope you have a wonderful day. 

Terri

Mixed Media~ "Aloha"

I had so much fun creating this piece. 

I've been dreaming of an island

getaway lately since our temperatures

have exceeded 105 this past week. 

I used texture, jewel embellishment, 

decoupage, paint, ink, pencils,

you name it. 

Today I'm working on another bird

house that my husband made last week. 

I'll post pictures of that when I'm finished. 

I'm feeling a little rushed today with

all I want to accomplish. 

Better get to it!

Happy creating and thanks for visiting. 

Terri

Mixed Media Failure

My first time experimenting 

with this genre of mixed media ended

up in a failure. 

There were some things I wanted to change

as the project progressed, but I kept pressing

forward, wanting to get my first piece completed.

I made her head too big, messed up the neck area,

the outlining was not subtle enough, . . and on and on . . .

All of that I thought I could live with until

it came to the fiasco with the hot wax.

Apparently I didn't get enough coverage on

her face with the colored pencils before

I poured the hot wax.

Gray spots rose up from underneath. Ugh. 

The point of no return. 

I'm not going to let it get me down.

I've learned a lot and will carry that knew

found knowledge in to my next piece.

No one starts out as an expert in anything. 

As my Dad used to say, "Repetition is the Mother of skill."

Wishing you peace, love and joy.

Terri