4X4 Friday - 03/07/08 - Pets

The Friday, March 07 4X4 Friday challenge was ... pets!

How fun is that? I decided to go a more literal route for this weeks challenge. The above is composed of pictures of our very own wonder-dog, Fern. She's a pound puppy (at about 8+ years old, at this point) and since bringing her home, we've been advised that she's actually a "puggle" - mix breed of pug and beagle. Talk about a terrific little critter - everyone that meets her, loves her - she really is that great. She's sweet tempered & has a tongue that's too big for her mouth. :)

The central image is a photo that I took in 2006. I used Jasc Paint Shop to give it a weave affect and then made a copy of that and flipped the image (to achieve the mirror image). The banner of Fern at the top and bottom is the image you'll find on my blog. (I printed the images on 30lb Business Gloss paper.) Love that face! At either edge I globbed on some Liquitex Iridescent Rich Gold acrylic paint (to cover the little bit of white space that the images couldn't quite reach). The heart that surrounds the mirror image is also Liquitex acrylic paint, though it's in Quinacridone Rose with the Rich Gold dots. The whole piece was rather quick and simple, but I have to admit that I'm happy with the results.

Thank you for stopping by. Comments are most welcome. :)

4X4 Friday - 02/22/08 - Watercolor

The February 22 4X4 Friday challenge was .... Watercolor

I'm pretty sure that "watercolor" was just supposed to be an element, but I hadn't played with watercolors before, so after a lesson from the spouse (best egg around!) and a couple of tries, I ended up liking the watercolor pencils best. The above is my first (ever) watercolor ... I know that it's a really simple piece, but I was really pleased that the paper didn't end up a muddy river, that I couldn't bring myself to embelish it further ... I'm thinking that I'd like to play with watercolors a little more. :)

4X4 Friday - Doorways

4X4 Friday - "Doorways"

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I really love the idea of 4X4 Friday - brilliant, really. What a great way to keep the inspiration bank full. :) I'm really going to try to participate in as many 4X4 Friday themes as I can make myself do. It should be noted that I am great at starting things ... I tend to lack the follow through / stick-to-it gene ... I'm hoping to cultivate it, though.

This is my submission to the 4X4 Friday challenge (my first ever). The theme for February 15th was "doorways". Love, love love this theme!

Originally I had pictured a three dimensional doorway (similar to the doorway of a bedroom) with a beaded curtain ... that whole funky 60's-ish beaded curtain vibe. When you pull the curtain aside, it would reveal a girl riding a goldfish in the sky. I found the perfect goldfish, but not the perfect girl (and didn't feel comfortable creating her from scratch ... this time, at least) & my doorway looked a little pathetic. Scrap that attempt. Then I did this whole door opening to another door to another ... (we're talking 11 of the same door - I know, I know ... how original - doh!), so I got all of the doors attatched with good spacing etc., but then I just couldn't see where to go with it ... scrap idea #2 (I did save it; there is something cool about it, so I am hoping that I can use it at some point). What is pictured above is my third attempt. For a girl that has issues with collage in the first place, I ended up pretty pleased with the result.

I would love to hear what others think & am happy to answer any questions. Please feel free to leave feedback.

Modified 2/22 ... can you name all five artists included in this piece (ok, ok, I admit it ... one is me (the elephant on the left), but the other four are well known ... uh, and deceased ...

Paper airplanes, lunar eclipses and other such things

As happens every so often, I ought to be hitting the pillows, but have a brain that refuses to settle (the spouse would ask if it has anything to do with the coffee I drank tonight ... lol ... honestly, I think not). I got into a project that had been causing me serious (minor) stresses - ideas that lived better in the head than actually on paper - for some reason, this last attempt actually appeals to me. I have to wait till morning to take photo's, but in the meantime, I kind of feel like rambling ...

1) for Valentine's day I had told another homeschool mom that yes, Sadie would be bringing something to exchange with the other kids ... did I ask Sadie? uh, no. I'm pretty sure I was on auto reply (besides, I love an excuse for artsy stuff ... and hearts ... forget about it!) Anyway, slacker that I am I forgot about it till just a few days prior to V-day. When I asked Sadie what she thought, she said she didn't want to exchange anything ... she's not into pink, hearts, girly stuff at this particular junction in life ... eek. It took some creative thinking (and a lot of shot down ideas) before I came up with the perfect solution ... drumroll, please .... paper airplanes! She totally dug the idea. We made them from sheets of origami paper (satisfied my need for something on the sweet/pretty side & was cool compared to hearts, so appealed to the critter, too). It turned out that 32 kids were coming - let me tell you, you can make 32 paper airplanes in nearly no time at all ... I had to work the day of the Valentine's gathering, but from all reports, the planes were a success. It sounds like the kids actually enjoyed the "races", too. Next year, I promise to ask her before committing to doing something for happy heart day ... but I will remind her how much fun the airplanes were!

2) I have been playing around with participating in the 4x4 Friday challenge. This weeks challenge is doorways. It should be noted that (like many) I am drawn to doorways ... blue, red, coverd in vines, stone, arched, heavy wooden doorways, doorways that make you think of hidden treasures, etc., etc., etc. ... so, I thought this would be a great one to try. I told Don and Sadie about them and asked if they'd like to do a 4x4, too. Both did. Both finished theirs before mine ... and both are terrific. I struggled. Then I struggled a little more. Tonight I just started doing (without much thought) and I did get something accomplished. It's definitely a bit rough & isn't completely balanced, but as far as an novice collage project goes, it shows a little potential - gives me that little bit of hope I need to try this media again. Nice. I ought to be able to take photos of the results for all three doors sometime after work tomorrow, so will probably get them posted in the evening.

3) Tonight there was a lunar eclipse. I almost forgot about it, but Sadie reminded me to wake her up when it happens. I would have forgotten all about it if Don hadn't had to run up to the store & noticed it. All the clouds (it was really overcast earlier this evening) had gone away and the sky was clear. Don broke out the binoculars and one scope. We all got to watch the lunar eclipse ... ok, so I didn't stay for the whole thing, but it was pretty cool just the same. I am amazed at the difference just a simple pair of binoculars can make - the moon actually looked 3 dimensional and not like a flat round disk ... makes me want to go up to Edison's observatory - I've heard that it's pretty phenomenal.

A little brain draining and I'm actually feeling sleepy ... time to seek out those pillows.

Sweet dreams! ~M~