Summer of Color Meets Book of Days...

Week three of Summer of Color was extra fun for me because it was such a challenge.  My usual colors are BRIGHT BRIGHT BRIGHT, and this scheme is pretty muted.  The colors are

Lavender, Grey and a Splash of Plum.

I decided to use these colors on this week's Book of Days workshop spread.  We are exploring the concept of home.  Here's what I came up with...

As you can see I used more than a splash of plum - ha.  Like half the page. :)   And I also broke the rules by adding a little yellow and hot pink in the house, but hey, I'm looking at it as a jumping off point more than strict rules, know what I mean?

If you want to play along, head over to the Summer of Color blog here!

Thanks so much for visiting today!  I appreciate you!

Book of Days Update - Magic Moon and More...

Having fun in my Book of Days...

The stencil is one I cut myself from a photograph of me as a kid.  I learned the technique in Judy Wise' mixed media workshop!  Clouds are done with Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's Clouds stencil and acrylic paint.

The woman on the right is a paint-over technique with a magazine image.  I have such a hard time with those!  I do much better just starting from scratch.  On the bottom left is leftover paper towel from a painting session.

Had tons of fun with this Book of Days page!  The sky is done with two shades of blue acrylic paint, and Seth Apter's Storytime Stencil. 

I hope you are having an awesome week!  Thanks so much for visiting today!

Talkin' about Coral, Teal and a Splash of White: Summer of Color Week 2...

Hey friends!  Happy weekend to you!  It's time for the second week in the Summer of Color Project, and this week's colors are:

Coral, Teal and a Splash of White

I decided to reflect them in my planner again.  Here's how it turned out...

 

(the mosaic heart was for this week's challenge at Documented Life, and the Quote was for the No Excuses challenge of focusing on lettering)

In other news, I signed up for Sketchbook Skool starting July 4, and I couldn't be more excited!  I'm taking the "Beginnings" class.  I can't wait!

Also, have I mentioned that I'm retiring?  Yes, it's true!  I am going to be a full-time artist in less than 4 months!  More on that to come...

Thanks so much for visiting today!  I really appreciate you!

One Week in my Planner: OLW, DLP, SOC, and NEA...

Hey there friends!  As I type this post, it's thunderstorming outside, and I am cozy in my studio with my cat Willie on my lap.  I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday evening.  I love the sound of the rain on the roof.

This week in my planner was extra busy!  I tackled four challenges: One Little Word, The Documented Life Project, Summer of Color Week One and No Excuses!

The first one is One Little Word, which is live today!

The word for June is LIGHT

Here's what I came up with...

 

 The background here was collaged, gelli-printed book pages.  Candle drawn on top with water-soluble pencil.  Then a layer of gesso over everything but the candle and flame.  Finally the yellow part of the flame was colored with high flow acrylic, and the quote written with  pitt pen.

"There will be a light" is a line from a song I love on my Ben Harper and the Blind Boys of Alabama CD. On the journaling page of my planner, I did a little tribute to the song, to go with my candle page...

The candle page also serves as the Documented Life Page for this week, as the challenge was to use text paper.

 Next comes week one of Summer of Color!  

Being a color enthusiast fanatic, this annual challenge is right up my alley!  The color scheme for this week was:

AQUA, YELLOW AND A SPLASH OF PINK.

Here's my planner page...

  

 and here's how the whole week looks with the flap open...

 (thanks so much to Susan Gallito for the awesome happy mail, some of which is used on this week's planner page!)

 and last but definitely not least is the No Excuses Art challenge for the week, which was to do a page inspired  by the artist Helen Frankenthaler.  Helen was known for pouring huge fields of color onto her paintings which were laid out on the floor; so I tried to pay tribute to that with my background.  Here's how it turned out...

This page was done on the front side of the tip in, as you can see here...

One thing I love about having access to all these challenges, is that each one provides an opportunity to learn something,  play and stretch my creative boundaries.  And they are all FREE!  How great is the internet???!!!

To play along with the One Little Word challenge, click here.

For more on The Documented Life Project, click here.

To find out about Summer of  Color 2014, click here.

To check out the No Excuses Art challenges, click here.

I will leave you with an acoustic version of "There Will Be a Light."  I hope you enjoy it!

Thank you so much for visiting me today!  I wish you a wonderful Sunday my friends!