Playing catch up

Oh my, I'm way behind in posting much here and I glanced around and found some things I'd like to share here.    Some are things I made, some are people I know and places I've been.     

This first pic is my granddaughter and her creation.     she cut up a red t shirt and pinned in the red white and blue ties as straps.    My job was to stitch it for her.    She'd better wash it by hand, it will never hold up in washing machine, but the look is cute.   

 This pic was taken of friend Charlene who did a demo of transfer techniques for photographs at the Stockton Art Leage this month.  there was a good turnout as usual, and I was totally surprised by how many artists didn't know anything about transfers.     They were very interested and appreciative.    Mixed media gals use transfers all the time, but for watercolorists, oil painters and photographers, this was unexplored territory.    

 these next two pics are from a trip to visit Pat and Char at Pat's house in Folsom.  The little plants are lantanas.   The colors look so good together I had to take a snap.

 Here's just part of the group that got together to make altered vintage tags at Pat's house.    I didn't get my camera out in time to catch the rest before they drove off.     Thanks to Rosemary our chauffeur for hauling us around and all our stuff.    It was a good time to visit in the car.   We took a road I had not been on in decades, so that was fun too.      Foothills are so lovely regardless of the time of year.  Right now they are golden.

 the post cards I swapped out with the Carving Consortium were done on the opposite side of recycled cards.  I just thought I'd show the address side of one.   these were all from my aunt's stash of cards from friends.    My art is on the other side.  I showed them earlier.

 this is a stitched face on an old napkin.      It's large enough I'm using it as a cover for my sewing machine which is always set up.  And it usually has red thread in it.    LOL    My favorite color for stitching on paper or fabrics.   

 this is a picture of the shoulder/arm area of one of my favorite blouses.  I bought it years ago at the White Pines Flea Market.  I bought it because I loved the linen print.  Seems to be made of tea towels.  Everyone is wild about it when I wear it.      My friend Rosemary made  me another one from a vintage tablecloth, but I loaned it to Pat so she can make one for herself.    I particularly like the splash of yellow under the arms.      

the next pic is me modeling and  taking a "selfie" for Rosemary, who plans to teach her sewing group how to make these shirts.   it looks pretty cute over a turtle neck also, but this one has such sweet summery/springy colors I just slip into it.   Looks really good with white pants or white skirt.

BTW it took ages for me to crop around this pic - the background was such a mess I didn't want it to distract.    I need to get out the pad and pen for doing this work instead of using the cursor to move the photoshop elements tools around.       I have not tried them with  my  new computer set up.       

summer post card swaps

One of my personal pleasures is checking the mail to see if something fun has come from Amazon, from Ebay, or even better, Mail Art.    The California Art Girls are still sending summer swap cards.    Here are a few of the new ones that came in recently.

This first one, the athletes are from Terri.    

 Near the sea is from Margaret.









Splash is from Maria.

Our Summer home is from Terrie.





Have a happy mail day at your house.    BTW I did order the larger size gelli plate from Amazon.    I am going to break it in soon.     

post cards coming and going

here are some of the delightful post cards I've received lately.     

The beach scene done in watercolor is by Debbie for the California Art Girl summer swap.     it's delicate and precious with the tiny little footprints behind the people.






This charming bicycle post card was stamped over a map and then hand colored by Beth.   The addition of the stamps makes it pop.  

 You may recognize this next one from Roberta, who painted the face over a piece of something recycled.  some paint, some scribbles with pencils and crayons, and here it is.     i suspect it is on a grocery shopping bag.     Good for you, girl.  

The armadillo is from Suzanne Denker from the Carving Consortium summer swap.    The only parameter is to use a hand carved rubber stamp.     I love her little armadillo.   Using it in a repeat pattern makes such a good design. 

These next two are ones I've done to send for the Carving consortium summer swap, and the second one is for the Mail Me Some Art monoprint swap.    We were asked to use the gelli plate if we have one, or any other printing surface.    I have the 6 x 6 inch gelli plate which works well for post cards.     I pressed my chicken stamp into the paint on the surface of the gelli plate and then pressed it onto a recycled post card.     On the right side, I used a stencil and three colors of paint on the gelli plate.    Printed several layers.




Here is the last one using only stencil and paints on another recycled card.   The gelli plate is fun to play with, cleans up easily and is a big favorite tool now with many artists.   There are all kinds of you tube demos and web sites which show videos of how to use them.  I only used craft paints and a little gesso .  I'll send them with mail labels on the other side with the postage and return address label.     soon as I get to the post office for more stamps.     

if you want to play with a gelli plate and don't want to invest in a commercial one, there are a number of good videos on you tube with recipes and demos of how to make your own.    A few of my friends tried them and had varying degrees of success.    For me, I like the commercial plate with it's container to hold it safely.    I've had it for several years.   It has not deteriorated in any way.   Some of my friends have the larger sizes which are awesome, but also quite expensive.   The small size fits my studio and the type of work I do with it.   But some day I may find I need the larger one..... you never know.          

Where did July go?

My goodness, I looked back at my blog and realized my art output has dwindled to nothingness.    Not really, just nothing to post at the moment.  I've been working on a new altered book.    It is coming along and will be ready to view in the next week or two.   It's surprising how much time it can take.

I've also been sorting the family photos and boxing them.     They were so disorganized, having come from my own stash, to some from my folks, my aunt, and some relatives that sent more.      it has been fun looking through them again.      My brother is working on a video on our Dad's time in Alaska.     I really only started digging through this mess to find three particular images.  I found two, so somewhere there is another box or bag.    

I'll be back soon with photos and more art.   

Back to faces

I've been stuck in the slow lane for a couple days, when my back went out Saturday evening after moving a heavy flower pot in the garden.   so it's been a time for a lot of sitting in the recliner with an ice pack, or walking around wincing.    If you've ever had this injury you know what it's like.       The previous elephant paintings were done during this quiet time, and now I just finished another face.  One that I had drawn in the other journal.  I just had never painted her before.     

She looks like an Amanda to me.     She is older and healther than the last time you saw her sketched.     She survived!     

Elephants - A new Kick

I was a bit tired of faces so thought I'd paint a few collected images of elephants.     I am one of those that watch the elephant documentaries.  If there was an elephant channel I'd watch it.       If you can follow this string of nearly related people, you come to one of the people that perked my interest in them.     My first husbands' first son by his second wife,  is a half brother to two of my sons - got all that?     Not really important, but he happened to run away to join a circus as a teenager and became an elephant trainer.  (side note, one of my great grandfathers ran away to join a circus! leaving behind a wife and house full of kids.)  Anyhow, to get back to my point.    One year at Christmas my so's half brother came for Christmas at son's house.   He brought a video of his performance and introduction to his elephant.      I never knew anyone who loved an elephant before, but why not?   


These are new paintings in my new art journal.








A few years ago, a group of us visited PAWS,  the elephant reserve in San Andreas, where we got to be up close to these wonderful animals, now in retirement.     You'd be amazed how they capture the love of the volunteers and how they have changed the lives of some of them.    Awesome.       

 Here are a couple of pics from our visit.

Not so Tuff...

Here's the latest portrait I painted in my journal.       This is Tuff, Rosemary and Jerry's little dog/companion.  He is such a sweetheart and a good buddy of my two girls, Nikki and Lulu.       He's also a gentleman.   When he tires of their company, he ignores them equally.    LOL  

He's a very self sufficient little fellow, plays with toys and makes up games to amuse himself.  Like dragging the bathroom mat into the living room, or dragging a sofa pillow around the house.     Or a shoe.      He doesn't chew things up, he just likes to collect them and move them about.        He gets long walks at least twice a day, rain or shine.      He may be a teensie bit spoiled.   I'm not saying.    Shhh..   He likes to greet visitors at the front door, but does not like to be picked up or held.      He also loves being groomed and struts his stuff when he is looking fine. This is his new summer hair cut.