Art Project Central

I've been busy, busy, busy!
Inspired this year to make all my Christmas cards, even though in prior years I haven't even gotten any out at all.  This year I'm feeling Christmas in my bones and wanting to savor every minute before it flies past us and turns into January. I feel as if time is flying and I can't catch it.  The urge to create this past week has been overwhelming. I wake up with plans to make art and mulling over the ideas and I go to bed with the same thoughts. It's been all-consuming. I knew I must answer the call I felt this week. So having Thursday off as a holiday anyway, I took Friday as well and I have spent four glorious days in the kitchen/studio making the most delightful creative mess you can imagine! Nothing is complete yet, but the juices are still flowing, so I hope to bring the project to fruition.

I started out by drawing a star and using it as a pattern to draw stars on this textured yellow fabric that a friend had picked up for me at Goodwill. I cut them out and painted them gold and silver (Liquitex acrylic, soft and heavy body paints). Some I stamped using needlepoint plastic that I picked up at Walmart dipped in white paint.  I don't really know what it's called, but it does make great texture, which is why I bought it.

Christmas Cards in Progress:

Step 1 - "My stars and garters!" - a phrase my mother used to say :-)



Glued background and stars on the cards with Mod Podge and hung them up to dry. I've used stamping with various objects for texture - bubble wrap, the needlepoint plastic sheet, macrame beads, you name it. I also used Modeling Paste (Liquitex flexible) for the first time.

A close up of a card awaiting text and blending with charcoal





Big sheet for cutting out backgrounds for remaining stars. I've used sheets from a music book, slinging paint, cheesecloth, modeling paste, bubble wrap, direct painting with acrylic - I've used anything to make layers of texture. It was too bright, so I painted over it with a very thin layer of white acrylic paint - very watered down.  This is a full sheet of Stonehenge paper as the support.

 

A glorious, creative MESS!

 

Almost finished cards (waiting for text) drying amid the creative mess!


Some more fun - paintings in progress:

Line drawing from my imagination

Color added but still not finished - obviously this is me surrounded by the books I love and of course a cup of coffee or tea (spiced chai I think)!



Sketching out an acrylic painting - see below for next step.

 


Step 2, the background color of what is to be a Christmas gift - acrylic on canvas