Monday, August 29, 2016

Rat Rod


WC 15 x 18"

Don't you wonder why I can't just paint a bouquet of flowers like normal people?  Rusty Rat Rods just make my paint brush quiver.

I have no idea who this belongs to (I changed the license plate number to protect privacy) but just saw this beauty one day in a parking lot.  I didn't even know WHAT it was until hubby said oh that's a Rat Rod (which is I think means a street drivable hot rod).  Perhaps even hand built?  It had a roll bar on it which a left out.

I had the drawing done a long time ago, but never seemed to find the time to actually paint it.  Why today I am not sure…I am a little under the weather actually with some sinus issues and didn't sleep well last night.  I cleaned the bathroom, did a load of laundry, ran the dishwasher, baked my grandson's favorite cake, and then spent several hours helping hubby install a window on the porch.  And we didn't eat breakfast until 10 am.  How I found the time to paint this I'll never know.  

Quin Scarlet was my favorite color on this one.  I did a lot of masking and almost "poured" the first glaze.  So it had to be bone dry before the next glaze and so on.  

I'll live with it awhile and decide if it needs an "environment". 
What do you think?  I did originally draw in a horizon line (high on the paper) but then the actual fun of painting the car took over.
I kind of like the stark white which makes it look like a botanical!  :-)  Painting other cars in the background?  Hmmmm.  Somehow that just doesn't grab me.  

Incidentally my hubby is all bent out of shape because we says the way have the front wheels aligned is off.  It is actually exactly that way in the photo.  AND it doesn't bother me at all.  Too late to change it now anyway.  

Sunday, August 28, 2016

Gelli Plate Greeting Cards AND a Journal entry just for me!

These are all Gelli plate printed cards…done on paper and then cut and glued to the front of the card with YES glue.  I have a favorite stencil at the time as you can see.  I printed several layers of color and texture and laid a stencil over the dry paint and used a foam roller and black paint to allow only the texture to show through.  I like the effect.


This is a journal entry (without a prompt for a change).  I like this quote and decided that I also like the background for this page and they would go nicely together.  It started with purple brayer rub off and then some print making and stencils.  When dry I added the printing and then added a few subtle Zentangles with ink and colored pencil.  The idea of having a "prompt group" is to get yourself to the point where you don't need many prompts.  

I like collecting inspirational quotes.  They are often my prompt.
If you have a few quotes you'd like to share just put them in the comments…I might create a page for yours too!  

I am in the middle of a watercolor now.  I've been promising it for some time but this afternoon is lovely…after church and brunch out with friends I threw open the studio window and pulled out the drawing (already on wc paper) and gave it start.  It's sort of experimental so am not sure about it.  The first glaze is drying and the paper was very wet so it'll be a bit before I'm ready for the next glaze.  Stay tuned.

We are supposed to get a big storm here tonight but right now it's cleared off and is lovely.  Maybe it went north?  

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

The Diva Challenge is Ing


The Diva's challenge this week is the tangle "Ing".
It was introduced at CZT 15.  Laura was there as a featured guest!

Ing is the tangle at the bottom right with all the triangles.
The Challenge for the Shading Tangles Facebook group is also included and it's called "Viaduct" and is the tangle right above Ing with the orange shading.  

This calendar (believe it or not) is also for a calendar tangle Facebook group but we all work on ours as the mood hits us.  I know you've seen these on this blog many times before and this still unfinished one is May 2017.  (I know, I'm nuts.)



Tuesday, August 23, 2016

How to Make a 15 cent folder look like a million bucks


This is a 5 x 7 cloth covered sketchbook with two Gelli Plate prints on it and some random Fine Liner Faux script as a back ground to Ben's name.  



These are four 15 cent WalMart school folders which I put on the Gelli plate a few times yesterday just to brighten them up. I added a few embellishments with stencils, fine liners, stamps and paint pens.  

These are actually for hubby and me to "file" things in.  We take them to workshops for the handouts, put our trip information and hotel reservations in them, file agendas and etc.  BUT they would make wonderful gifts to grandkids for school as well.  Actually anyone would enjoy having a fun folder!  I usually brush on a final coat of Liquitex gloss varnish which makes it sturdier and gives it a great shine.  

The little sketchbook is part of a "survival kit" for our grandson Ben who will be a freshman at UW Superior come Sept 1.  

We had a little "warm up" here in the north woods and expect some mid-70s this week.  Acorns are falling and the forest is carpeted with mushrooms and fungi…all signs of the cusp of autumn in northern WI.  We expect the ducks and loons to be gone  before the end of the month.  Sumac are tinged with red now and late summer meadow flowers like black eyed Susans, mulleins, and golden rod appear on verges along the roads.  The school buses have appeared and fall/Halloween displays are in the store windows in town.  We are normally in full color by mid-Sept.  

Because spring/summer/autumn are so short here (and obviously winter is SO long) we are able to see all 3 seasons between June 1 and Oct 1.  And we "hear" that winter is very beautiful here.  I am sure it is.  People send us photos of it.  

Friday, August 19, 2016

Rain Day Zentangle®

Krazy Kalendars: for next year already!
Patterns with Turquoise and Yellow
Zentangle Wonky Houses (same houses with slight variations)

Rainy in the north woods today.
Good day to post some of my personal Zentangle fun.
As usual I am months and months ahead on the calendar…crazy.

And these Wonky houses are ones that I use in advanced Zentangle classes…so I started out using it as a demo and then finished it at home with different tangles.  Color is mostly pens but also some watercolor.  Sun on the second one is done as a ZenGem and added a TV antenna as an embellishment.

Daughter Julie is here for the weekend…we are having fun talking art and watching movies and reading and napping and just having a pleasant time.  Greg is off to set up for the Hazelhurst, WI model train show that starts tonight.  


Monday, August 15, 2016

Journal Prompt Catch-up


The prompt for the week had to do with finding a found object(s) and making up some sort of page including them.  This whole page is one big "found objects".  The little stripes on the back ground are left overs from making my own Washi Tape...the bits of paint on the wax paper between the tapes when I removed them!  The tiny 1.5" colored squares are color samples I found in a box at a garage sale (about 100 different colors).  I did some tangles on them.  And the Ace is a lost card from some long-lost deck of cards!  

 This prompt had me looking to see what phase of the moon would be in the sky on my birthday in November.  (Waning Moon phase).
And I ended up finding out some interesting things about the moon which I decided to keep in my journal!  That waning and waxing thing has always been kind of a mystery.   

Friday, August 12, 2016

Gell Arts Class in Manitowish Waters, WI

 Had a great group of 9 gals at the August 3 workshop....and we produced a lot of fun prints! 




The workshop was again "sponsored" by iStencils which provided everyone there with a free stencil as a "door prize".  Thank you iStencil!!!  Check out iStencil.com and see their great selection.  

I haven't been posting as regularly due to a ton of company up here in the North Woods.  Late July and early August are peak time for the grand kids to come as school will start soon.  School supplies are out in all the stores of course and what kills me is as soon as that is over, they start putting out Christmas!  OMGosh.  What happened to Halloween and Autumn?  

I refuse to even LOOK at Christmas things until November.  
There ought to be a law! :-)

I am behind in my journal prompts (although just two weeks) so am hoping to play catch up later next week after all the company departs!  I taught a private wc class last week and I may be teaching some Zentangle in September and am getting ready to send out the first fall newsletter for the Art Club down in Florida which starts meeting long before I get there.  

Hubby and I have begun our annual argument about our leaving date from the north woods.  Either the first or second weekend in October.  I do not want to see the snow start falling!!!  We have had snow as early as Oct 3 up here!  Not kidding.  

Have a large watercolor drawn out and would love love to start painting on it.  But I need a nice long stretch of time for that.   Hoping for some of that next week.  I'll post when I get started on it.