Desired Thingz...

Something I played with today - Just for fun and for a Challenge.

Recently I've been spending some time on Facebook. It took me forever to finally set up an account - and now that I have one I've found an amazing tool there - GROUPS.

I've joined a number of Facebook artists groups. and they are SO MUCH fun!! The challenges are uplifting and very enjoyable.

This week it seems that two groups I'm in are hosting challenges having to do with sketching. While I don't have any charcoal at the moment - I pulled out my artists graphite pencils and gave it a whirl. It was very interesting because I've never done sketching before. The most sketching i've done is a light pencil outline ala Suzi Blu or Ady Almanza.

The sketch took me about 45 minutes initially. It looked like this:


While I was fairly happy with this first effort - the wonkiness of her facial structure bothered me. It looked like someone had hit er in the face or something to me. LOL

Later today I played with it a bit more, did a bit more shading, erased some lines... here she is now:



I like her! I'm now wanting to add a bit of paint - but with it being so graphite heavy I know it'll smear and get icky. I think I'll leave well enough alone!

Greetings,

So we decided to use some additional prompts in our Points of Two Project to add a layer of depth to our art journaling and keep it interesting. In that vein we've begun using prompts from the amazing 52 pages . I admit that I really love these prompts. Because I tend to look at the world through the lens of Spirituality and combine that with my Relationship focus - having prompts that easily relate to "Woo" works for me.

This weeks prompt was "Acknowledge" - i love the depth of meaning in that one little word. To Acknowledge something is to accept the existence or truth of something, to recognize the importance or quality of a thing. To confirm gratitude for something and to greet with words or gestures. When I really began to contemplate and meander on it I realized that to Acknowledge my LIFE is a great asset. I live a life that is frankly amazing even to me - the depth and beauty and love that is resonant is profound. This spread is about that Acknowledgement - placed on the page as a written incantation - and so it is!
Mimi's Take on this prompt can be found here when she posts it!

Greetings,

Our week two take on the PoT project is using the theme of bubblewrap! Thankfully I didn't pop all of the bubble wrap that I had from all of our wedding gifts (I resisted the temptation!) and I still had some left over to play with in an art journal spread. LOL

Mimi's Take of this theme is here: A Flutter of Wings

My take on the theme was to use some of the paper towels I colored some months back over random graffiti words- however I found that unless you use the VERY thin (read: cheap) paper towels you will not get the transparency you need to see behind them. They still made a rather pretty background though. The only word that really showed up was "Laughter" which is very apropos as a descriptor to the joy i feel as i go through Life. i chose a magazine image of a girl laying down and added gesso and some water soluble crayons over it, then a used sand paper over that. I liked the roughness of the texture. Over allIi just let it flow without any real "plan" to this piece. It was fun and good to try out new techniques!

Greetings,

A close friend - Euphaeidae, and I have decided to embark on this fabulous project together called "Points of Two" This project was originally started by RobinMarie and Kira over here

While I found out about it far after it was over, Mimi and I thought it would be awesome to work on this together as our art styles are pretty different.

This weeks prompt used the Story Spinner Online . Our task was to use it to create a story within 10 minutes and then use the story in our Art Journal pages. Such fun!!

Euphaeidae's take on this same prompt can be found here.

My prompt:

Setting: On a deck
Starting Phrase: I remember biting into...
4 Words that must be used: wingtips, swiss cheese, drop out, forever more

Since the way my Journal Page is constructed does not allow for the story to be read here it is:

"I remember biting into a piece of fruit, juicy and sweet as I sat on the deck of the yacht observing those around me. sometimes the stillness of observation brings it's own meditative state. The pretentious gentleman standing not far from me with greasy hair and wingtips on his feet, the blue haired lady noisily snacking on swiss cheese and crackers, the teens looking bored and jaded (already?) discussing the merits of being a drop out. All of these souls surround me their karma and auras briefly brushing past one another and yet not every truly touching, and I a inspired forever more to pay attention - to touch - to feel to smell and taste - and so I do, taking another exquisite bite of fruit with my eyes closed and my heart wide open. I am spell bound, mesmerized by the intensity of taste. I allow myself to be transported without seeking to control the experience- I am in Love, inside of it and every molecule of flavor within the succulence of this fruit gives testimony to the joy and ecstasy of True Love as it melts on my tongue. Each taste bude a note in the song my mouth sings, the enrapture of something so simple and yet so sublime being a present expression of what it is to consume love - Literally"

Greetings!!

So a friend of mine recently reminded me about the Creative Everyday challenge! I'm very excited about these monthly themes and the gentle way that the challenge works. Even though it's the last day on January I'm going to work on this months theme "The Cosmos"

Then tomorrow will start on Feb. Theme - Passion!!

Will post pictures too!!! Stay tuned!

So, i live here in TX - there's no snow here right now. In fact we had a high of 72 yesterday.

Don't hate me...lol

But I am a native NY'er, where it gets cold cold and so because i was feeling VERY festive and wanted a little Holiday weather

And because i needed to practice a doll in Adriana's style

AND... because Willowing's art challange this month is "Girl and dear" (Thanks darling q for giving me a heads up!)


And lastly - because adding a bit of sparkle to a picture is a perfect way to add a bit of zing to the day...

Greetings,

So i've begun taking Adrianas class. i havent even seen the first Video but just from 2 pdf's i've gotten this far...

I'm amazed at the huge difference just from that small amount of lessons. I'm looking forward to continuing this class I think I'll learn a lot!

In Laughter and Awe,
~N

As i was looking through my photos and came across some other pics of art that i never posted here. In part because some of them were gifts and in part because i was plum forgot!

Here they are!

Goood morning...i know i know...i've been so absolutely HORRID about updating this blog! So sorry!!

i'll do better, i promise! Especially now that things have slowed down for me travel wise...

A few art related glitches have happened as well...

One: i came home and my step daughter had decided to "clean up" my art area. Yes...i can hear the collective gasps from my fellow artists out there...LOL Okay, So some of my beloved Sakura Microns are missing... i will not freak out...but i haven't found those 4 pens yet.

Two: My Prismacolor white pencil is missing as well. I'm not going to wait for that one (i can't!!) so a trip to the art store is in order!

Anywho without further ado, here is La Sirenita! she's my first attempt at a Adriana Almanza style face. i was watching a tutorial and wanted to see how far i could get with a 3 min. tutorial. Not bad for a first effort i suppose, but i am looking to sign up for her class to perfect the technique!


This is her in process.




This is her completed... what do you think?




In Laughter and Love!,

~N

Greetings!!

This is the art i've been working on in the last week. i've been doing Art Journal spreads with Willowing.org (Tam). They are a lot of fun. Here's what i've worked on last week.





Okay so my thoughts. i am enjoying working with this new (for me) medium of watercolor crayons. They work up more quickly than using pencils as i usually do. This means i can finish a piece more quickly which is wonderful for art journal pages. Besides this i can't say i've learned any new techniques. Still i'm enjoying the process ...and i plan to have some pieces on canvas board ready to have prints made soon!


SQUEE!!!

Greetings,

Work of Art was quite amazing this week! i was so excited to see that Abdi stayed but saddened that Nicole left :( (Honestly i prefered her work to Peregrines)

This weeks Challenge is in the Theme of "Nature"

Let her be your muse and use some items from nature to inspire and as actual components in your piece.

Most importantly let the work speak to your Soul, and let your Soul and connection with Self speak through your work.

Have Fun!!

In Laughter, Light and Lustiness!!

~n

Greetings,

In this weeks work of Art they took on duality and opposing concepts. I thought it might be fun for us as Artists to take on the same theme.

So if you feel inclined choose an opposing theme. Create your work of art in that theme and post a link to your blog here! Also link to this post so other artists might participate in this project!

Some potential opposing themes:

Heaven - Hell
Light - Dark
Pain - Pleasure
Master - slave
Order -Chaos
Feel free to also list those you come up with!!

i will add my work for this challenge sometime in the next week!

~n

Greetings,

I've been having issues with my ancient computer and have finally gotten it to speed up a bit so I can post some pictures of my recent work.

This is a "goddess" small piece that I did for a swap on swap-bot.

This is a covered and artistic box that I created for another swap on swap-bot. It was a great deal of fun and I look forward to having some of these on my etsy store in the near future.

This is an ATC that has been created as Part of the Nightblooming Flower Series I'm working on.
Feel free to comment!!

Greetings!!

So what have I been working on in this last month or so?

Gypsies and Goddesses!!!

I am a mixed media artist. Blending various mediums and forming one complete work in layers upon layers resonates for me. Here are two pieces I've worked on this last month. hopefully more to come!!

Greetings!!

I have begun to work on my Art Journal courtesy of Suzi Blu. If you don't know who she is - she's an absolutely PHENOMENAL artist/teacher who is quirky, charismatic, funny and adorable...in short she's fey! LOL

The Journal prompt is currently "Congratulate and Celebrate" wherein you list things that you congratulate yourself for and celebrate yourself. This one is not quite done (like most art it's a work in progress) but here is where I am with it!

I encourage you to try this exercise... recognize and honor your own Magnificence!!!

In Joy,
~n

Greetings,

This was shared on a forum I'm a member of and I thought it might be inspiring and encouraging for all of us creative folk. Tape it up somewhere to remind you to honor your Muse...honor yourself!!

Greetings,

As I've embarked on this wonderfully scrumptious creative endeavor and business I've decided to start a blog that is focused solely on my creative endeavors. This may be fabric, paper, art, body products etc; This is the blog for my bliss and my business also by the same name. http://etsy.desiredthingz.com/

Some may wonder at the title of this blog. What is meant by Desired Thingz? One of my favorite written works is the Desiderata - desiderata is Latin for "Desired Things". The work (not quite poem, or essay...work being the term that seems to fit best) is all about the creation and experience of a life of balance, one's own truth and beauty. Creativity for me is all about the manifestation of those things and the ability to inspire others and give to them a taste of Living and not merely existing.

I hope you enjoy this trip down the rabbit hole with me!!

~n