Reno Retreat, April 2012

This year's Reno Retreat with the incomparable teaching team of Jean Bernard and Sherry Goshon featured what was (for me at least) their most challenging project yet.  "Diary of a Mad Artist" is a doll built upon an altered book.  You can see the class prototype here.

I confess, at the end of 3 exhilerating and exhausting days, I was a little worried about my book.    It was unfinished, but I was also unhappy with the way I had constructed the interior compartments - there was just WAY too much empty space in there, and the whole thing looked like a craft project from a beach community senior center.   I took it home and set to work.

4 weeks later, I *think* she is finished.

Here is the finished book, closed.  The "porthole" is inset with a layer of mica and sealed with Envirotec.

The real complexity of the piece is revealed once the book is opened.  Assemblage is new to me, so I wanted to stick with a defined theme.  I am a Pisces and have always loved the water, so I chose to go with an ocean theme.  The whole box is stuffed with shells, coral, crystals,  pearls, and lots and lots of drippy things.  It took a looooooooooong time to get those drips done to my satisfaction, but I am so happy with the way it all turned out that I don't care.

I forgot to take a photo of the inside cover and you really can't see it very well here, but it features a drawing of a seahorse done by my daughter Lydia.  

The doll itself posed her own set of challenges. I covered the face with a layer of japanese lace paper, which reacted very unexpectedly with the Inktense water soluble pencils I used to color in her features. I suppose I could have filled in more features with acrylic paint instead, but I like the "rain on the window" feeling that the bleeding inks created. I LOVE accidents when they have such happy results!


I'm only sorry I couldn't get a good detail photo of her crown.  It's my favorite part, but I just can't capture the detail.  One of these days I am going to sit down and figure out how to photograph sparkly things...

The details in the interior of the book made for an overwhelming photograph, so I separated the upper and lower portions into 2 views.  The "waterfall" down the inside spine of the book was created with Envirotec and cling wrap.  I learned the hard way that the Envoritec is best applied in smaller amounts, letting the layers build up slowly - I'm afraid I got a little carried away when I first began on that part and actually overflowed the space to the point where the book wouldn't close.  I was able to rescue it with my Dremel and a cutting blade, but I was worried there for a while.  


The little face sculpted into a shell is a piece I have had lying around for a while now.  I never knew what to do with it, but I am so happy he has finally found a home.

The upper portion of the interior features a photograph printed on transparency of me as a little girl.  The bird skull was a gift from a friend and is very special to me.  The "drips" are built on a base of angelina fibers coated with Envirotec and absolutely slathered with glitter and microbeads.  SO much fun to do!!

I can't wait 'til next year!

"Rooted and Grounded"

Hello again! I know I have been neglecting this poor little blog, but I have been learning to use Facebook and reconnecting with far-flung family; it feels so good to be interacting again.  I love knowing what my nieces and nephews are up to, as well as my cousins whom I haven't seen in years and years.  I love having family again!  


However, just because I haven't been posting  doesn't mean I haven't been creating. I have several finished pieces to share in time, but one is a challenge entry and the other is a gift so they must remain under wraps for the time being.   I'll be back! 

"Rooted and Grounded" by Judith Atsma.  Commissioned by and on display at
New Hope  Foursquare Church in  Salem, OR

This piece was commissioned by my church to coincide with a "40 Days in the Word" sermon series, which started yesterday. I was given a phrase ("Live the Word") and complete artistic freedom of expression within the confines of the space available. My original plan was to display this piece as 3 separate canvases hung side by side, but in the end I decided to take pity on the ones who had to install the artworks and joined the canvases together with spacers. 

 I built up the colors in this work using very thin glazes - I believe there are nearly 80 layers of color throughout. The tree itself is not black, but layer upon layer of 4 different colors. Each leaf has 4 colors also. The black text was created with rubber stamps from my collection - I finally got to use them! - and the white cursive text was written free-hand using a mix of Golden's pouring medium and paint applied with a needle-nose squeeze bottle. I am definitely going to use that technique again!

Would you believe that the most difficult part for me was keeping my fingers OUT of the sparkly embellishments I love so much?  There is not a microbead or a speck of glitter anywhere.  Not even Pearl-Ex, LOL.

P.S.  It *isn't* crooked in real life - everything is level and square except the way I held my camera when I snapped the pic.

A Steamfae is born - Meet Phinaes

This little guy is the result of an online class with Dawn Schiller at Doll Street's Creative College.
He is a real dandy, and a little bit of a flirt to boot.  

Meet Phinaes, a Steampunk Elf. (Dawn uses "Steamfae" to describe these little guys, but I don't want to steal her charming term.)

 

It was a lot of fun to do a character piece for a change, but the more I try to branch out, the more I find that I really prefer to create Pretty Things.

Iowa Retreat 2011 Finished Doll - "Rise of the Evening Star"

Can it really be months and months since I have finished *anything*? Sigh... Unfortunately, yes indeed, it can.  Thank goodness for the inspiration of my annual trip to Marshalltown, IA for Jean Bernard and Sherry Goshon's Dollmaker's Retreat!


This year's retreat  was every bit as stimulating as I have come to expect. Sherry and  Jean  are generous teachers who do not hold anything back, and have the gift of dragging the creativity (kicking and screaming if necessary) out of every participant.  

Everyone started with the same type of gourd as a base, though each individual gourd had slightly different shapes. Some were tall and straight, while the one I chose was a marvelously swoopy curvy one with lots of potential for implied movement. After basecoating the gourds with layer of acrylic paint,  we then completely covered them with alcohol inks. I used yellow, several shades of red, purple, gold, and just a little green here and there. Because the inks dry almost immediately, you have to work quickly and spontaneously - my favorite way! It was a real rush to watch the colors do their thing. Almost like magic.

Her cape started life as a sushi mat. (Another new thing for me - I had never heard of one before. Perhaps I need to get out more?) I stained the mat with thinned down acrylic paints and attached it to the doll's torso with apoxie sculpt. The feathers softened the outer edge but didn't blend well into the mat, so I blurred that edge with several layers of Jean Bernard's signature "Bling Soup" - a mixture of micromarbles and glitter suspended in DG3 glue and smeared on with a toothpick (or in my case, my fingers.)  I really don't know what posessed me to do it, but I also added approximately 150 flat back crystals.  It took me most of an entire morning, but I am happy with the result.

Because the underside of the cape is so visible, I think I will go in and add some bling mix to this side as well. I just don't like the abrupt line at the base of the feathers.

The face is a resin cast of Jean's new "Scarlet" mold which I colored with Sherry's watercolor pencil techniques. Didn't Jean create a beautiful sculpt? Such a lovely, delicate expression.


Jake says she is one of the best things I have ever done.  I am pretty happy with her myself.  

Too Creepy/Weird?

This is my first attempt at a Frowning Francis pattern.  She was a LOT of fun to make, but I am glad she is going to a new home soon. I'm not sure I can take her staring at me like that!

This is the "Embellished Bird" pattern from the website. I also have the mermaid and zombie elephant patterns to play with. It is a nice little creative vacation to turn off the brain and just follow instructions for a change.

Grilled Pizza

When Jake bought me my grill last year, one of the first things I tried was Grilled Pizza, just because it sounded like so much fun.  I was right - it IS fun, and we loved it so much that I have been making it regularly ever since.  I have been asked several times for the recipe, but I haven't been able to come up with a good response because what I do is a mishmash of researching many many recipes in books and on the internet.  (Why yes, I do read cookbooks for fun, LOL.)

Anyway, I am going to take a stab at writing it down.  Feel free to e-mail me with questions!

The most important element of this process is a good crust.  The tastiest recipes call for a long cold rise, so you need to put the dough together at least 24 hours before firing up the grill.  I like Alton Brown's recipe.  Don't be fooled by the 1 star reviews - the people who deemed it inedibly salty obviously used regular salt instead of kosher.  (By the way, if you haven't switched to kosher salt yet, I recommend you do so.  Yummy!)

On the other hand, if you're like me and don't always plan your menus ahead of time, I have a fabulous 2 hour dough recipe from Eating Well magazine that comes together effortlessly in my food processor.  It isn't as tasty as the 2-day variety, but is definitely good enough, especially when one is craving pizza *today*, LOL.

After your dough has finished rising, punch it down and divide it into 4 equal pieces.  (8 pieces, if you're using Alton's recipe.)  Cut four 10" pieces of parchment paper, spray well with nonstick spray and dust lightly with flour.  Put one piece of dough on each piece of parchment and, using just your fingers, spread the dough out into a disk about 1/4" thick and don't stress about the shape.  Brush with a light coat of olive oil, then repeat with the remaining dough pieces and let them rest while you assemble your toppings.

Grilled pizza goes fast, so it is important to have everything ready before you start cooking.   Anything goes when it comes to choosing your toppings - my favorite combination is grilled red pepper, grilled zucchini, and grilled onion topped with mozzarella and parmesan.  I am still searching for the perfect sauce recipe...

So, your dough is shaped and rested, your sauce is ready, the toppings are set out, and the cheeses are grated?  Good.  Let's grill!

To start with, make sure your grill grate is pristinely clean and well oiled.  Fire it up and crank the heat to medium-high.  (I like to maintain a temperature around 450 degrees.)    When the grill is ready, put your crusts on the grate paper side up.  Leave the papers on.  Close the lid and DON'T GO ANYWHERE.  After 3 minutes, open the lid, remove the papers and check the underside of the crusts.  If they're a nice golden brown, they're ready.

Remove the crusts from the grill.  (I have my own pizza peel for this.  If you make a lot of pizza, a peel is worth the investment in money and storage space.)  Close the lid.  Lightly coat the "raw" side of the crusts with olive oil, then TURN THEM OVER.  (I forgot to turn them over once.  Don't repeat my mistake.)  Put a light coating of sauce on the toasted side of the crusts, add the toppings of your choice, then top with cheese.

Please note:  It isn't a good idea to pile on a huge mound of everything the way they do in most pizza parlors.  Go easy with the sauce, you should be able to see the crust through the toppings, and a single layer of each cheese is plenty.  Moderation is the key to a perfect Grilled Pizza.

OK, sermon over.  It's time to put the pizzas back on the grill with the lid closed.  After another 3 minutes, check to see if the undersides are nice and brown and the cheese is melted.  If not, leave them on for another minute.  If they're ready, take the pizzas off the grill, let them sit for a minute or 2 for the cheeses to set up, then serve.  Enjoy!

Not White-on-White

This lady doesn't have a name yet, but I am so happy with how she turned out that I am going to share her anyway. She is the product of yet another online class with the incredible Sherry Goshon, this time from the Crafty College at Doll Street.  Her body is wrapped wire, plaster cloth, and paper clay, while her arms and hands are cloth.  Her face is from Sherry's "Krystal" pressmold, and her hair is tibetan lamb.

The shining star of this piece though, is her wings, don't you agree?

These wings were custom made for me by Judy Serreseque from OOAK Artist Emporium, and a believe me they are worth every penny - I actually gasped when I opened the package when they arrived.  This doll was *supposed* to be a white-on-white piece, but I needed to add quite a lot of color to her to live up to those glorious wings.  The subtle texture is amazingly realistic.  The beads and glitter give it just the right amount of bling without being too much, while the Swarovski crystals are the perfect finishing touch.

I have tried and tried to create a white-on-white project, but I have never yet managed to do it.  Oh well, there is always next time!

2011 Reno Retreat

After a long dry spell, I am once again creating. It seems that our dark and wet winters have a dampening effect on both my creativity and my energy level. And while spring isn't here quite yet, but this year's Retreat gave me the kick start I sorely needed to find some joy in my studio again.

This year's doll features a cloth body, a cloth-over-resin face painted with watercolor pencils, and a base of carved and embellished floral foam.

The front of the base has a niche carved into it, closed by a gate of twisted wire. The embellishments are vintage locks and skeleton keys, metallic and interference paints, and my favorite glitters and microbeads. I haven't thought of anything to display inside the niche yet -- anybody have any ideas??

The back is embellished with more locks and keys, as well as a cricket that came in my goodie bag. Can you spot it in the lower right of this photo?

Perhaps this photo will give you a better look...

Her hat is my favorite part - gosh, it was fun to make! The basic form is made of cardboard pieces cut from a cereal box and held together with masking tape. The whole thing was sealed with acrylic medium, painted gold, and covered with black net fabric. The bmbellishments are lots and lots of tulle, another little lock and key, tiny watch gears, and of course, glitter and microbeads.

Can't wait until next year!

The Green Woman makes her Debut

It took all week and 2 minor heart attacks, but my tree lady is painted. As you can see, she has changed a lot! She went off in a completely different direction as I painted her, morphing from a tree spirit into a Green Woman. 

I hadn't intended for her to be as dark as this, but as I kept adding wash upon wash of color (I just counted... there are 18 colors of paint on her) the darker she got, the more I liked it.  Oh well, when the must speaks, it is best to just go with it.

I can only stare at her in wonder -- WHERE did she come from? I don't know...

I argued with myself quite a bit before deciding to add the micromarble embellishments - sometimes more is just too much - but I couldn't resist. I'm glad I didn't. :-)

She is 19" tall from root to tallest branch, and quite heavy.  It will be fun deciding on just the right spot to display her.

I have an idea now for another tree woman in an entirely different style. I even have another head in my stash ready to go.

Tree WIP - Ready to Paint?

I spent a good part of yesterday finishing the sculpting portion of my Tree Lady and adding some texture elements to give her skin more of a bark-like texture.  Tonight I plan on adding tiny touches of apoxie here and there to flesh out her hands and cover up some flaws in her branches, but other than that, I think he is ready for her first coat of paint!

I am just really REALLY relieved that I don't have to twist up any more leaf clusters.  I estimate that I used about 10 strands of chips, both gem and glass, as well as 2 spools of 26 gauge wire.  If I had known what I was letting myself in for when I started, I probably wouldn't have given her leaves, LOL.

This girl is BIG, about 19" from bottom to the tip of the tallest branch.

I think I am going to add a few more leaf cascades around her face, but I want to see what she looks like painted first. 

I love the way her root system turned out, especially once I added the banana silk fibers to tone down the "sculpted" look of the clay.  The effect is subtle, but it really made her come alive.

A few years ago I would have been too paralyzed by the fear of ruining her to touch her with a paintbrush, but I have learned that layers are the way to go, and if all else fails, there is always starting over, LOL.


Wish me luck!

Photo Transparency over Collage: A Quickie Tutorial

  Photo-Transparency over Collage
(words only)

 

Materials:

• Photo, either digital, or scanned to digital format

• Ready-to-paint canvas, 8”x10” (Note: it is possible to tile more than one sheet of Lazertran to make a larger collage, but for the sake of simplicity and brevity, I will use 8”x10” for these instructions.)

• Lazertran Inkjet (If your canvas is larger than 8”x10”, you will need more than one sheet.)

• Collage papers – I like old book and magazine pages, light-weight scrapbooking papers, vintage sheet music, etc. It is important to limit your paper choices to pale colors and non-busy patterns. Avoid solids, shiny surfaces, and anything with a raised texture.

• Collage medium – I like Golden’s Soft Gel Matte, but Mod Podge Matte is acceptable.

• Colored pencils – NOT watercolor pencils! These are optional, but nice for adding color to a specific area of

• Paint Brush – I like a 1” soft bristle flat brush. This should not be one of your good brushes!

• Paper scissors

• Solvent-based polyurethane, either spray or brush-on. (Look for mineral spirits on the ingredient list)

• Embellishments to coordinate with your photo

 

Step One: Edit and Print your photo

 

I will demonstrate my editing steps on this photo of my granddaughter; I use Photoshop Elements 6. Open your photo in the editing software of your choice. Make a duplicate of the image (File,  Duplicate), then close the original.

 Optional Step: Straighten the image. Most people hold their cameras at a slight tilt when they snap a photo, so I always level the horizon line. In Elements, the button for this tool is the one that looks like 2 overlapping rectangles about half way down the tool menu. This photo is pretty straight already, so I will leave it alone.

Crop the photo to fit your canvas. The click on the crop button, which looks like 2 overlapping L-squares with a diagonal line through them, a little less than half way down the tool menu bar. In the width box type 8, in the height box, type 10.

Convert your photo to black and white. (Alt+Ctrl+B, or Enhance, Convert to Black and White, Portrait; Enter.)

Adjust the levels of your image. I like to really tighten up the value range, so I use a somewhat extreme approach with the levels command. Open the Levels Command dialog box. (Ctrl +L, or Enhance, Adjust Lighting, Levels). The box with the mountain shapes at the bottom is called a histogram, and under it you will see 3 triangles, a black one on the left, a grey one in the center, and a white one on the right. Click and hold on the black triangle and drag it toward the center of the histogram – see how the blacks get blacker? Drag the white triangle toward the center from the other side and see the image brighten back up again. Now play with the grey triangle, dragging it one way then the other, until you reclaim the details in the middle value ranges of the image and you like the way your photo looks. If you *don’t* like the way your photo looks, click on “reset” and start over.

See the difference? These darker darks and lighter lights will show up well when applied over your collage.

Make a test print. I find that what I see on my monitor is almost never what comes out of my printer, so I print my photo out on plain paper to see if it is really what I want, then make adjustments until I like what comes out of my printer. Then and ONLY then do I print my image onto a sheet of Lazertran Inkjet.

It can be difficult to determine with is the correct side to print on the Lazertran. Hold the paper up to natural daylight – the printable side is a creamy eggshell color, while the wrong side has a slightly blue-ish tint.

Print your photo onto the Lazertran and set aside at least overnight. The manufacturer says half an hour is enough, but I experienced significant ink bleeding if I tried to apply the transfer too soon.

Step 2: Plan and Create the Collage

Trim your printed Lazertran to fit your canvas, (I have tried letting the edges fold over the canvas, but to me it looked very sloppy that way) then lay the photo over the canvas. Notice where your center of interest (usually your subject’s face) is located, then lift up a corner of the photo and lightly indicate with a pencil where that focal point falls on the canvas. This is where you want to use your lightest most subtly designed papers so as not to detract from your image.

(Of course you may choose to obliterate your subject’s face for artistic reasons, in which case you can use any paper you want to create your effect.)

Cut your chosen papers to fit your canvas. For an 8”x10” canvas, I suggest using 8-12 pieces cut to fit. You may also choose to tear and layers your papers, but be aware that overlapping the papers will leave a visible ridge in the finished project and will also make it harder to avoid air bubbles when applying the Lazertran.

Apply your collage medium to your canvas AND to the back of your papers. (If you are using vintage papers, use a generous amount of medium and allow it to absorb for a moment. Sometimes those old papers are so dried out that they literally drink in the medium.) Apply the paper to the canvas, smooth it down thoroughly with something like a brayer or a bone folder, and then add another coat of medium over the top of the paper. Repeat this process with all the papers you cut. Make sure the canvas is entirely covered, as any bare spots will show.

 

Step 3: Add color. Or not.

If you choose to add some color with colored pencils to emphasize details in your photo, now is the time to do so. Use a light touch, as it is easy to damage the print.

Step 4: Apply the Lazertran Transfer to the Canvas

Fill a container large enough to fit the Lazertran with water about 1” or so deep. Immerse the Lazertran in the water. It will curl up almost immediately, but this is OK. Leave the transfer paper in the water for about 2 minutes to activate the adhesive.

While the Lazertran is soaking, apply an even coating of collage medium to the whole surface of the collage, taking care not to leave any dry spots.

Keep in mind that once the Lazertran is wet, the printed surface is fragile, so be gentle when perform the next few steps! Lift the transfer paper out of the water by the corners, letting the excess water run back into the container for a few seconds. (The transfer should slide easily on its backing paper – if it feels like it is still stuck to the backing, put it back in the water for a little bit longer.) Slip the top edge of the transfer up and off the backing paper by about ½”, and then lay that exposed edge down along the top of the canvas. Carefully slide the backing paper out from under the transfer, watching for air bubbles. If you see an air bubble form, gently lift the transfer back up and release it.

Once the backing paper is out from under the transfer, gently smooth the entire transfer with a brayer or a soft squeegee or sponge, working from the center out to eliminate any air bubbles that may have formed. Be sure to use a VERY light touch while you do this, as it is easy to damage to wet transfer at this point. It is important to clean your smoothing tool after each stroke. A mixture of water and collage medium will likely ooze out from under the edge – do not let this water get back on to the surface of the transfer or it will interfere with the finishing process.

Let the whole thing dry completely. Overnight is best.

Step 5: Creating the Transparency Effect

I prefer to use brush-on polyurethane in a satin finish for this step. It gives a great transparent effect every time. If you choose to use a spray, make sure it has mineral spirits in the ingredients list. Others don’t perform as well. Any oil based varnish will also work. Also, I prefer not to use a glossy finish as I feel this detracts from the work.

Step 6: Embellish as Desired

The sky is the limit here. Charms, ribbon, alcohol inks, beads, glitter… anything goes! Have fun, and I hope you enjoy the process as much as I do.

A Quick Update on my Tree Spirit

Now that I have finished my Retreat piece, I am motivated to get back to work on my Tree sculpt. I set up a little work space in the living room so I can work in the evenings with Jake as company. It's just a little tray table ("As Seen on TV!", LOL) but it is working out very well.


Anyway, I added her head and filled out her branches. She is a little foreshortened in this photo - her "canopy" is actually quite round and full.

I have spent the last several evenings making up leaf clusters out of gemstone chips and wire and applying them to her branches. As usual, this is taking much longer than anticipated, as what I thought was "enough" only covered about a third of her branches. Oh well, wire is cheap and I have lots of chips left.

I hope these are enough now. I want to get back to sculpting!

Reno/Iowa Retreat Project - Finished!

The annual Retreat hosted and taught by Jean Bernard and Sherry Goshon was once again a fantastic creative experience. I returned home both exhausted and exhilerated, with a mixed-media treasure that I still can't quite believe came from my own hands.
I began with this drawing by my daughter...

After 3 days of intense activity and a little more work at home, I ended up with this beautiful mixed-media sculpture.  (As always, if you wish to see mor detail, click on the photo to enlarge to full size.)

Her base is wire lace built on a frame fashioned from a tomato cage, believe it or not. Her torso is a combination of soft sculpture and paperclay.

Her face is drawn and shaded with watercolor pencils, and sealed with a coat of beeswax. Now that was fun!

The rest of her consists of whatever struck my fancy at the moment. Chains, feathers, tulle, glitter, micromarbles, metal filagree... it's all on there.

If anyone is interested, there are still a few slots left open for next year's retreats.  You will never be sorry!  http://renoiowaretreat.com/

Tree WIP - making progress

This was supposed to be a quick and fun 2-day project. You would think I would know myself better than that my now. Sheesh...

I keep adding to her and bit by bit she is coming along. I have found that by working up from the bottom it is easier to integrate the details into the clay so that's why her upper half is so plain compared to the bottom. Apoxie can be unforgiving, so I am trying to control my impatience to get to the branches, no matter how annoying those wires get.

And a back view. The turntable has been a huge help in keeping her looking balanced and in proportion from all sides.

I probably won't finish her before I leave for Iowa, but I won't complain. Having something absorbing to work on is helping me stay focused on life here, which is good because I don't leave for another 4 days. Only 4 more days - woo hoo!

What do you do when you don't feel like doing anything??

I read.  A lot.  I suppose I probably should be exercising, or at least tidying up my studio, but nope... when it's this hot and I am this unmotivated, I read.  Don't laugh, but lately I have been rereading the "Harry Potter" series - it has been a little bit like visiting old friends.


Jake and I went to the Coast last weekend, just to get away for a few days.  I didn't expect to do much of anything, but I brought along some apoxie clay to play with anyway and for a change I actually got it out and got to work on a sculpt.  I have felt my muse coming back to life recently - I don't think she likes this heat much either, LOL.  If that's true, she must really love the ocean, because I had to force myself to stop work a few times to let the clay set up.  I'm pretty happy with what I have so far.

Because it is apoxie I am working in layers, so she is a little thin yet. I actually ran out and had to order more, but it is here now so I can get back to work on her again. There is a football game on tonight, so I think I will grab my tools and play a bit while Jake watches the game. We keep each other pretty good company.  :-)

Life is changing

Jake and I have been "Empty Nesters" for 2 weeks now - the girls have moved into an apartment together in the town where they go to college.  Lydia has a job already, and Alice is still looking, but they have a sweet little set-up for themselves and seem so happy and excited to be out on their own.  It is quiet around here, but we still text and play Facebook games, so I don't miss them *too* much.


It has been fun getting reacquainted with my husband!  AND I have been busy reclaiming newly released space in the house.  I guess you could say my creative energies are being spent on my home rather than in my studio, but it feels GREAT to have so much room to rattle around in.  I don't think I will ever amass a huge stash ever again.


In celebration (and also because it has become too hot to wear my hair down over my neck) I got a new haircut.  It was a stretch for me to dare to go this short with this much texture, but my stylist is a doll and gave me exactly what I wanted.  I LOVE it!

Considering that I haven't had long hair since I broke my arm a few years ago, I think it is probably about time that I update my profile pic, LOL.

September Iowa Retreat - Mini-class Samples

I will be teaching a mini-class at the Iowa Retreat in September -- these are photos of the class samples I have made using the transparent-image-over-collaged-background technique I worked out last spring. I hope everyone in class has as much fun with this technique as I have had!

This first one used a studio portrait from around 1912 or so of my grandmother and a neighbor boy as very young children. 

This next canvas used the exact same technique, but I created an entirely different effect by using  a different style of photo, different image editing techniques, and different collage papers.  Anything goes, really!

I am putting up this last one only to serve as a horrible example and a warning: don't let your background collage become too important!  I spent HOURS creating this background, including fussy-cutting the floral bouquet in the lower left from a vintage magazine advertisement.  Such a waste... 

Myy grandmother was such a beautiful bride, but you would never know it from this mess.

Photo of the Week - "Favorite Things"

I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth, but, now that summer is finally here, we have been scrambling to get caught up on the field work that didn't get done because it was too wet, and also enjoying the pleasant weather to the utmost. In another post, I will show you my new toy and what it can do...


In the meantime, it is time to catch up with the weekly photo challenge. This is Sprite's month to choose the themes, and this week she has asked us to share a "Favorite Thing", with a focus on a piece of work we haven't dared to share before.


OK... here goes!


I did this little sketch in July of 2000 while in church. I was bored and the little sheet of paper provided for taking notes was a convenient blank canvas. I have kept it all these years because I am fond of it, as drawing is not one of my best skills.

Bad Judi, LOL.