Monday, May 30, 2016

Drawing Pinecones for Stamp Carving

 
I was inspired by Jane LaFazio to hand carve a pinecone stamp.  I used my sketchbook to gather together some previous pinecone artwork and to sketch a few different kinds of cones.  (This is just one small sample of all that I drew).  I eventually decided on a Douglas-Fir cone.  The Douglas-Fir isn't a pine and it isn't a fir either, but that's an entirely different subject, isn't it!
 
You can see the finished stamp here also.  I used this ochre color to stamp out the cone as I proceeded.  I use a light color so that I can still see the drawing on the rubber material.



Sunday, May 29, 2016

Basic Black

 
Cheap metallic watercolors - Laurentian brand
 
At last month's Westcoast Calligraphy Society meeting, we were writing on black paper.  We used pencil crayons, pastels, watercolor and gouache.  Gel pens work well too.  The results are always surprising to me - you have to try out a few different colours and see what works!
 
As usual, we are asked to do some homework to share at the next meeting, so I used black paper for a couple of my #30daysofbiblicalwriting project.

 
Twinkling H20's
Weaver Writing


Friday, May 27, 2016

Remembering

 
 
A few weeks ago I went on a bird walk in VanDusen Botanical Gardens.  We were lucky enough to catch a good view of a Barred Owl who lives in the park.
 
Another day, a friend dropped by with a flower from a Dove Tree.  The flower, drawn at actual size, filled an entire page in my 8 1/2" x 11" sketchbook!



Thursday, May 26, 2016

30 Days of Biblical Lettering

 
Watercolor
Stamp by Magenta
 
These pages are all "weaver writing".

 
Watercolor

 
Pitt Brush Pen
Shadows added with Pencil Crayon


Wednesday, May 25, 2016

"Saving" Flowers

 
I take a lot of photographs of flowers.  Then I fill a page in my sketchbook with little drawings of them.  When I want to use a flower in other artwork, I use these pages of sketches as references.  The anthurium in the photo above, for example, I used on these artist trading cards.



Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Monday, May 23, 2016

In My Sketchbook

 
Although I feel like I'm doing nothing but the #30daysofbiblicallettering project, I do have a few new pages in my sketchbook.  One day I was practicing trees with foliage.
 




Saturday, May 21, 2016

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Anthurium

 
Here are three more Artist Trading Cards made with Inktense Blocks on canvas paper.  For a detailed description of the process, please see this tutorial here.



Tuesday, May 17, 2016

30 Days of Biblical Lettering Project

 
Here are a few more days of the 30 Days of Biblical Lettering Project.  These are all Weaver Writing, most done with a Pitt Brush pen.

 
Stamp by Heart and Soul


This last one was done with a brush and watercolor.



Sunday, May 15, 2016

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Silly Scraps Saturday

 
Today we're commemorating a wonderful production of "Young Frankenstein" that I saw recently.  It was put on by the Lord Byng (High School) Theatre Company.  I've seen professional productions that weren't as good as this was!


Friday, May 13, 2016

30 Days of Biblical Lettering

 
Stamp by Just for Fun
 
This Weaver Writing is done with PITT Artist Pens.  I added stamps to jazz up the pages a bit.
 

 
Stamp by Fiskars


Thursday, May 12, 2016

Free Motion Stitching

 
Remember when I was adding layers of pencil crayon to gelli prints? Here and here?  And then I made a few Artist Trading Cards and promised free motion stitching.  Well, here it is, in blue.  If you squint you might be able to see it.  Was it worth getting out the sewing machine?
 
I'll keep practising.  Hopefully before I forget again how to set up the machine for it.  It has been two years since I first tried it, as part of the ICAD project, so I had to consult the manual again.


Wednesday, May 11, 2016

30 Days of Biblical Lettering

 
PITT Artist Pen
 
These two are done with brush pens.  The hand is called "Weaver Writing".



Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Trees

 
As my brain was processing collage and free-motion stitching I made these artist trading cards too.  Yeah, I know, no stitching yet.....



Monday, May 9, 2016

30 Days of Biblical Lettering

 
Pointed Pen and Gouache
 
Here's another few days of my biblical lettering project.  These were all done with gouache.

 
Brush Lettering With Gouache

 
Brush Lettering With Gouache


Sunday, May 8, 2016

What Was This?

 
This Artist Trading Card lived a previous life.  It didn't get traded, so I cut it into strips and made a collage from them.


Friday, May 6, 2016

Apologies to Vincent

 
These were made as little warm-up collages to a free-motion sewing project.  I haven't got to the free-motion stitching yet.  Life intruded.
 
I love collage because I get to use all that glorious paper that I can't bear to part with.  A few years ago, a friend gave me a desk calendar of Vincent Van Gogh paintings.  I cut them into ATC sizes and then into 1/2" strips.  Then I rearranged them into collages.  Last time I made them they were snapped up like hotcakes at the Vancouver Artist Trading Card swap.  There are just two for now, but there are lots more months left if these get traded.



Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Inktense Artist Trading Cards



 
I've made three artist trading cards using the technique I showed here.  I used Inktense Blocks and canvas paper.  You can see the lovely texture in the pictures.
 
Here's a picture of the scrap I painted before drawing on it.  You can see that I used my fingers to move the Inktense around.  My fingers are my favorite tool :)