Fall Fearless and Fly - Third Challenge

Fall Fearless and Fly with Jane Davies! 

playing with circles in black and white

Headline Prompt:  Triumphs and Defeats:  What do you see as your greatest triumphs or defeats?  What have they taught you?  Which have you learned more from?
Color Prompt:  Black and white
Quote Prompt: Not in the clamor of the crowded street, not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng, but in ourselves, are triumph and defeat.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

Welcome  Jane Davies!  Thank you Jane for sharing your experiments with us! 
Jane: Color as been a central component of my work throughout my art career - from brightly painted pottery, to licensed designs to abstract collage paintings, it is part of the subject of my art.  Getting colors to work on each other, draw attention, resist attention, advance forward, sit back, express emotions and moods - this is a large measure of what drives me.  

paint, wash, collage

So what happens when I take color out of the mix and work in black and white and shades of gray?   Am I leaning on color like a crutch?  Am I ignoring, or failing to explore, the expressive potential of other elements?  

Playing with squares

It turns out that I LOVE working in black and white!  What a fun opportunity to focus on line, edge, texture, volume, solidity, pattern, atmosphere, and lots of other things.  I'm finding that working without color, or without strong color, has made me more sensitive to these other aspects of art, and has helped me use color more judiciously.  

oil pastel study

Jane Davies is a full time artist working in collage, painting, mixed media, and encaustics. She offers workshops at her studio in Vermont and nationwide, focusing on helping people to find a personal and playful approach to creating.

Author of Adventures in Mixed Media and Collage Journeys, Jane's new dvd - Scribble Collage with Handpainted Paper, can be ordered here.  Jane believes that making art is a journey with very few hand-holds and only a general road map. Each participant has to find his or her own way, while at the same time remain open to learning from others. While Jane may teach a multitude of techniques, her focus is on the back-and-forth play of spontaneity and intention that characterizes the creative process. She offers great tutorials and has beautiful galleries of her work, and has her extensive teaching schedule on her website and blog.

Thank you Jane, for your beautiful and insightful take on this challenge!  
Everyone who links up their take on challenge #3 by Sunday, November 11 will be entered to win 6 Dylusions spray inks.  Thank you Ranger!  

What will you do in response to the third challenge?  Here are the rules:

• You may participate in one or all of the challenges.
• Use one, two or all of the prompts.
• Use any media -- art journal, scrapbook, canvas, watercolor, quilting, you name it!  This is "Anything Goes" as far as your creativity is concerned.
• Link up by Sunday, November 11 to be eligible to win 6 Dylusions Spray Inks!
• You may link up to 2 times, but please only link up to work prepared for this challenge.  If not, we will remove your link. Please post the url of your blog post or flickr page that's specific to this challenge, rather than a general blog address.  And please tell us how your work relates to the challenge!
• Each time you participate, visit at least 3 other links and leave loving words!
• All challenge participants are welcome to join our private Facebook group as a place to talk about your journey and whatever is coming up for you as you work on the challenges.   As it is private, just request to join and we'll give you access. 

To recap, here is the 3rd challenge:

Headline Prompt:  Triumphs and Defeats:  What do you see as your greatest triumphs or defeats?  What have they taught you?  Which have you learned more from?
Color Prompt:  Black and white
Quote Prompt: Not in the clamor of the crowded street, not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng, but in ourselves, are triumph and defeat.  Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Congratulations to  Susan Being Snippy- the lucky winner of our Fall Fearless & Fly challenge #2, chosen by the random generator at Random.org!   Please email your address to acolorfuljourney at gmail dot com for your prize!

And on Monday, November 12, check in for Challenge #4 and the winner of this challenge!

Looking forward to seeing your wonderful work!
Carolyn Dube and Jessica Sporn

Wow, 400 Followers and Happy Halloween!

Thank you to everyone who has participated in Artists in Blogland.  Thank you also to Jessica and Carolyn for putting together the wonderful Fall Fearless and Fly challenge!

Happy Halloween to all of our members.  I know lots of artsy bloggers have been posting fun art projects, costume and food ideas and decorations for Halloween.  I thought it would be fun to share our Halloween blog posts.  Add yours to the link below!

Creatively Featured: Michelle Mathey

For this edition of Creatively Featured, we welcome Michelle Mathey to tell us about her creative life. Her beautiful faces are the results of her experiments with painting and art journaling!

Michelle Mathey

www.msmathey.blogspot.com

1. Tell us about blogging and how it's worked for you.

I was an instructor for a rubber stamp company and started my blog 4 years ago to promote my cardmaking/papercrafting classes at a local store.  For a long time my blog was strictly stamping and I enjoyed playing in several of the challenges found in the “blog world”.  While I was comfortable with the “crafty” moniker, I never ever considered myself to be “artsy”.  In fact one of my mottoes was: Those who cannot draw – stamp!  

However, with time, I started discovering many amazing artists from all over the globe that generously share their art online AND their process as well.  My visits to Julie Fei-Fan Balzer’s blog introduced me to the concept of an art journal and the importance of nourishing your creative self every day!

 2. How did you discover your favorite art medium?

As of yet I don’t have a favorite art medium.  I am still in the learning phase and seem to be tickled with just about all mediums.  Simply using a graphite pencil with a stump for shading still gives me thrills - acrylic paint and Neocolor crayons cause me spasms of joy as well. . and markers, colored pencils – yup, I seem to love them all!

3. What inspires or influences you artistically?

Right now I spend a great deal of time being inspired by bloggers and Pinterest.  In fact, if I am not careful all my time is spent looking at “stuff” instead of creating “stuff”.  

  

4. Which aspect of your art do you enjoy most? 

Since I’ve started my artsy endeavors I have been attracted to faces.  Although most people seem to think that they are difficult I find that a face is one of the hardest things to “mess up”.  Even if it isn’t a good face it is still recognizable as such and that seems to give me the courage to keep at it.  Participating in the 29 Faces in September Challenge at Ayala Art cemented my love of portraits whether detailed or quite simple and in all styles and mediums.

5. How do you manage your time? Between my motherly/wifely/home duties and work I don’t have much time to devote to artistic endeavors so working in an art journal is ideal for me. I can finish a page or sketch at one sitting and it never fails to calm my busy mind when I am stressed. 

 6. Have you exhibited work or taught classes?

I was thrilled to have one of my first canvas pieces accepted this summer as part of an art exhibit at our Blick Art Supplies store.  Another highlight was getting an art journal spread published in Cloth Paper Scissors PAGES (Volume 2).

 7. Is/was there a significant turning point or defining moment in your style of work? 

My whole life I’ve mistakenly thought that a person either “had it” or didn’t artistically.  I was never a kid that sketched or drew or took art in school.  I now realize that art can be a learned skill and that with practice and experience comes better work.  The pages I create now are MUCH better than when I started less than two years ago and will continue to get better if I do the work and put in the time to improve.  There was only one Michelangelo but I’ve found that focusing on enjoying the process instead of critiquing the flaws helps tremendously!

 8. What artistic plans do you have for the coming year? 

My plans are to continue learning and experimenting!  I hope that with time my little creations will develop a “look” of their own that reflects my growth and that someday I can feel as artsy as I feel craftsy!

 

Thanks, Michelle for sharing your artwork with us!  If you would like to be a Creatively Featured member, email Marcia.

Fall Fearless and Fly - Second Challenge!

Fall Fearless and Fly with Ronda Palazzari!

Headline Prompt:  Taking a Chance:  When did you take a chance or a leap of faith?  How did it turn out?  What did you learn?
Color Prompt:  What color do you like least? Use it!
Quote Prompt:  "Don't refuse to go on an occasional wild goose chase -- that's what wild geese are for." Anonymous

Welcome to Ronda Palazzari!  We sent her the prompts and she WOW'd us with what she created!
 
Ronda:  As I have gotten older, it seems to me that it seems less of taking a leap and more like not letting fear decide my fate.  There are many times when I worry or am fearful of the outcome, but if I let those emotions consume me I would never get anything done.  Instead I take the “no’s” and “mistakes” as opportunities to learn and grow.  To build my wings and fly.

I took on the color prompt as well as the headline prompt.  I love color but there are ones I always gravitate towards and ones I tend to use less.  Purple is my challenge this go around.  I have a hard time with purple.  Turns out I have a hard time with tints of purple!  I found that if I stick to more of the reddish hues of purple, then I can work well with it.  I also pair it with some of my favorite colors and give it that pop by complementing it with yellow.

On this page you will find layers of color as well as layers of gelatin prints.  I used a variety of stencils on the background along with some splatters & stamps.  I highlighted a few of the stenciled hearts by outlining them with a black pen.  The wings of my potty girl had to be bold.  Insert more purple since I had lots of yellow in the background.  

I love the staggered title, especially with the words “Fear” & “Fate” larger and in the grey color.  I borrowed the title from the song “Kill your heroes” by Awolnation since it resonated my exact sentiments.

Thank you Ronda, for your beautiful and heartfelt take on this challenge and a fabulous prize!   Everyone who links up their take on challenge #2 by October 28th will be entered to win Ronda's stunning book, Art of Layers.  If you haven't read it yet you are in for a real treat.  It is full of gorgeous photos showing you finished projects and techniques with clear step-by-step directions.

Ronda designs with Maya Road, Sizzix, Antiquated Collection, and Purple Onion Stamps.  She has published in Artful Blogging, Creating Keepsakes, Memory Makers, Scrapbook Trends, and Somerset Magazines, among others.  With Ronda, you never know if she will be sewing or getting messy with paints; her craft changes day-to-day.  She continues to teach worldwide as well as providing inspiration and telling her dorky stories on her blog HelpMeRonda.


What will you do in response to the second challenge?  Here are the rules:

• You may participate in one or all of the challenges.
• Use one, two or all of the prompts.
• Use any media -- art journal, scrapbook, canvas, watercolor, quilting, you name it!  This is "Anything Goes" as far as your creativity is concerned.
• Link up by October 28 to be eligible to win Ronda Palazzari's book: "Art of Layers."
• You may link up to 2 times, but please only link up to work prepared for this challenge.  Please post the url of your blog post or flickr page that's specific to this challenge, rather than a general blog address.  And please tell us how your work relates to the challenge!
• Each time you participate, visit at least 3 other links and leave loving words!
• All challenge participants are welcome to join our private Facebook group as a place to talk about your journey and whatever is coming up for you as you work on the challenges.   As it is private, just request to join and we'll give you access. 

To recap, here is the 2nd challenge:

Headline Prompt:  Taking a Chance:  When did you take a chance or a leap of faith?  How did it turn out?  What did you learn?
Color Prompt:  What color do you like least? Use it!
Quote Prompt:  "Don't refuse to go on an occasional wild goose chase -- that's what wild geese are for." Anonymous

Congratulations to  Jenny Grant - the lucky winner of our first Fall Fearless & Fly challenge, chosen by the random generator at Random.org!   Please email your address to Jessica at corspokoli (at) gmail (dot) com and we will get your Crafters Workshop stencils, decorative flag and stickers by Jessica right out to you! 

Check out Carolyn's and Jessica's response pieces in the linky list below.  
And on Monday, October 29, check in for Challenge #3 and the winner of this challenge!

Looking forward to seeing your wonderful work!
Carolyn Dube and Jessica Sporn

First Fall Fearless and Fly Challenge Deadline

You have only a few more hours to enter the first challenge!  Wow, I am blown away at the participation.  Sixty artists entered the challenge.  If you missed entering this prompt, there are more to come.  Be sure to check out some of the awesome entries.

Show and Tell Saturday #27

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Show and Tell Saturday Rules

Add your link!
Please visit at least 3 other artists and put a link back to Artists in Blogland, so other people can find us. If you are reading from a blog reader, you will have to pop on over to the actual blog post to add your link.  


Thanks for participating! Are you doing anything exciting? Hosting a challenge? Conducting a workshop? Tell me about it and I will write a post to put on Artists in Blogland. Grab a button for your page:




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Creatively Featured: Nora MacPhail

For this edition of Creatively Featured, we welcome Nora MacPhail!  Nora's watercolors paintings are refreshing and beautiful!

ARTISTS IN BLOGLAND INTERVIEW
Nora MacPhail

Tell us about blogging and how it's worked for you.

I started my art blog over one year ago and it has really encouraged me and my dedication to my artwork. I made a commitment to paint regularly, to incorporate it into my daily life, and blogging is a wonderful tool that keeps me on track. It is also a great way to document my artwork and my weekly progress. Also, the support from my fellow blogging artists has been overwhelming and constant which has made the process even more enriching.

How did you discover your favorite art medium? 

 

I discovered my favourite art medium, watercolour, by fluke. A friend and I decided to take an art class together and although I thought acrylics would be fun, she insisted on watercolour. So we signed up. After one class she had to drop out due to her work schedule and I was there alone taking watercolour. However, I carried on and took to it immediately. I was quickly thrilled with the class and the medium.

Which aspect of your art do you enjoy most?

The aspect of my watercolour work that I enjoy the most is drawing. It is a wonderful and satisfying activity and as my skills develop, I find the activity is more and more satisfying. Watercolour demands an ability to draw and since I love the look of lines and making lines, I was quickly drawn to it (no pun intended!).

How do you see your future work and style developing?

My goal for my future work is to continue with a sense of playfulness combined with solid technique. It is important to me that the paintings are well crafted and skillfully painted but with a dash of playfulness. I plan to continue with an emphasis on contour line drawings with spots of bright watercolour.

Have you exhibited work or taught classes?

I have exhibited my art in juried watercolour shows and many group shows for the past 10 years. It's always wonderful, and eye opening, to see all of my work on display in a professional setting and to hear the public's response. Also, the support from fellow artists, as well as their constructive feedback, is very valuable and inspiring.


What have you done this past year?
For the past year I have been working with the theme of cityscapes. It is a complex subject and since I like working directly on location, it has been a difficult challenge. It is an ongoing search to find a way to present what I see in life onto paper with pen and watercolour but I am determined to see it through and discover what is next in store for me.

To see more of Nora's artwork visit her blog:  

Nora MacPhail

http://www.noramacphail.blogspot.com