Creative Manifesto

Over at 14 Secrets the theme for the week is "What Is Your Creative Manifesto". The challenge is to visually express your creative manifesto rather than write down your objectives. (Is this reinventing the old "artist statement"?) To me that means just keep plugging along. I can't quit my day job. I'm not kidding myself into thinking I could make a living with my art. I am a fishmonger and a wannabe florist. That's it. However, I wouldn't mind having my work in a few magazines. That's more of an attainable goal. For me that's the dot in the middle of the labyrinth. The twists and turns on the way to publication are: finding a sense of style and using brighter colors. My work is too bland and monochromatic.

Enter The Labyrinth 

(click image for a larger view)

A good part of the journey is learning something new whenever you work on a piece. The history of labyrinths is interesting and I learned how to draw this one from here. I would love to put one on a floor canvas and have it to walk on as a form of meditation. After I drew the labyrinth on parchment paper, I penciled in guidelines for the calligraphy. The Tolkien quote is in Italic and was completed using calligraphy markers in different sizes and colors. The drawing and calligraphy left large areas of white space. The page was torn and creased, stained and spotted with coffee, and edged with a Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink pad. Once I had decided what I was doing the whole piece took about an hour.  

Substance and Shadow

Yes... I know... it's been awhile. During my web wanderings last night I came across Sketchbook Challenge. This month's theme is Opposites. I drew a pile of smooth stones that sits upon my table. They are solid, have form, substance... they are something you can touch. Granted you can move them around for a different view but they are still the same damn rocks. Whereas shadows are elusive. You try to touch them and behold your own shadow melds with them creating something else altogether. You change the lighting and shadows move instantly as if afraid they'll disappear completely. Makes me want to read Peter Pan again.

Fakin' It

This "journal page" (click on the image for a larger view)  was originally for this week's Favorite Flowers theme over at One Powerful Hour but it also fits several other challenge themes. At Mixed Media Monday it's all about "Past Loves". I'm interpreting that rather literally... I like to create pieces that have a Medieval/Renaissance/Victorian look to them. (One seems to emulate the other.) Then over at Gingersnap Creations the Spicy Supply Challenge is still Markers. I used Martha Stewart calligraphy markers from a set I found at Walmart. Yes, I admit it. At Theme Thursday the challenge this week is "Words". I definitely used several of them. Some in Latin no less. At Illustration Friday the theme is "Artificial". (I don't think there is a static link. If there is, someone correct me please.) This is the 13th page of a non-existent botanical journal and it's artificially aged. However the pressed flowers are real. Quite a paradox. Last but not least I'm taking "The Scenic Route" at Lots to Do. Lolly-gagging on an imaginary country lane picking wildflowers is certainly not traveling the straight and narrow path. Except for pressing the flowers, this probably took under an hour. I used fake parchment paper. Placed the flowers. Drew some pencil guidelines for the calligraphy. Moved the flowers aside. Wrote the calligraphy with the brown, red and black markers. Tore and creased the paper. Used a Tim Holtz "Linen" Distress Ink pad to "age" the paper. Glued the flowers down and that was it! I did scan the finished piece with black cardstock behind it to bring out the tearing and creasing.

P.S. Wednesday August 4, 2010 Fakin' It is in the Favorite Flowers Sampler at One Powerful Hour! Thanks!

P.S. Tuesday August 10, 2010 Fakin' It was awarded a Ginger Gem badge from Gingersnap Creations! The badge is proudly displayed in the right sidebar. Thank you! Wow... I have to get to work on a challenge!

Mail Art

The current theme at The Three Muses Challenge is Mail Art. I'm reading the Harry Potter books again so that heavily influenced both the style (the American hardcover edition jackets) and the address format (the first envelope from Hogwarts). This envelope (click on the image for a larger view) fits a few other challenges too: Envelope Art at One Powerful Hour, Spicy Supply Challenge - Markers at Gingersnap Creations and Anything Goes at the Stamp Man Challenge. The postage stamps were made in Paint Shop Pro Photo 11 from images found online. The wing and partial heart are colored with Zig Brushables. The calligraphy was done with a Y&C 2mm calligraphy marker. The rubber stamps are from Inque Boutique and Pixie Press plus a third unknown company. I also used a regular date stamp. The envelope was aged with a Tim Holtz Linen color Distress Ink pad. I had a lot of fun with this and it makes a great first post on my new blog!


P.S. Wednesday August 4, 2010 My mailart is jn the Envelope Art Sampler at One Powerful Hour! Thanks!