MMM: Bedtime Stories

"Mother Goose"

11 x 14 Stretched Canvas

Oh, how I love this week's Mixed Media Monday prompt; Bedtime Stories! Even though I try not to (I aim for variety), I find that images of children and/or pieces of children's literature somehow sneak into most of the pieces that I create. I am especially drawn to vintage fairy tales and nursery rhymes, so I really jumped at the chance to play with a vintage book of Mother Goose that I have for this challenge.

I started with an image of two children -and their dog- that was beautifully painted by artist Jessie Willcox Smith (1863-1935). She started her career as a kindergarten teacher and later studied under Howard Pyle. She "worked most comfortably with the charcoal line, often adding watercolor washes and occasionally varnishing over the drawing to add highlights in oil." (T.J. Whitneys' Traditional Toys).

If the style looks familiar, the central image of the little girl on my blog header was also done by her, and used in an altered book I created last year. I hope to give the above piece (a tiny bit of) justice by incorporating it into a collage of acrylic paint, Mother Goose rhymes and illustrations, decorative paper, beeswax, Swarovski crystals (as "stars") and silk ribbon. The idea being that in a book, the whole world is available to you (and your imagination). . .

Thanks for checking it out! To see more pieces on Bedtime Stories (can't wait to see myself!), please log on to www.MixedMediaMonday.Wordpress.com.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kendra's Thanksgiving Artwork

(age 4)

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a wonderful day with family, friends (and food!).

"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." -- Buddha

For Your Art

Vintage Post Card

Postmarked 18-5-11; Nederland (2 1/2 cent)

Here is another image from my collection of vintage post cards that I would be happy for you to use. Just download it and have fun. If you have the desire, I would love to see what you do, but no pressure, please. Use it however you'd like . . .

MMM: Playing Cards

Card "Shark"

ATC

This week's prompt for Mixed Media Monday -- Playing Cards -- was especially fun as I just returned from a few days away in Las Vegas. We were there for a surprise wedding (a surprise to the Bride no less) and had a wonderful time being a part of such a special event.

The idea for Card "Shark" came when I saw this vintage postcard of a rather successful swine upon our return. I placed the image on the back of a playing card and used several colors of luster rub-ons (for color), rub-ons (the distressed circle and the "A"), crystals (natch), a coin and beeswax. It was finished with a bit of (yes, that one) green trim.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Bride happily, joyfully, tearfully said YES. . .

Thank for looking! To see more pieces on Playing Cards, please check out www.mixedmediamonday.wordpress.com.

For Your Art

Thank you to Diana Evans for telling me how to post and share this vintage post card with you.

I used this particular one in an ATC for last week's Mixed Media Monday prompt on Fashion. Please feel free to download it and use it however you'd like. I would love to see what you do with it, but only if you have the time. I have more to share, so if I did it correctly, let me know and I would be happy to do the same with others . . .

Napa Valley

The Silverado Resort, Napa

Ledson Winery, Sonoma

Regusci Winery, Napa

Regusci Winery, Napa

Entrance to Sterling Vineyards, Napa

I still didn't know where we were going for our anniversary when the plane landed in Sacramento ("Come On!" Dave said, "it's Sac-town! Our nation's capital!"), but I was so excited to learn that we were headed to Napa Valley, a place we have always wanted to go together. The husband had arranged a few days away (Kendra was at Grandma's) for wine tasting and amazing food.

We (okay, he) went golfing, to the spa (okay, that was me) and as many wineries as we could fit into our schedule. It was great to sleep in (of course I thought that it would be past 7:00 a.m. -what has happened to me!?), to spend the days in each other's company and to be reminded of why we liked each other so much in the first place . . .

It was a wonderful few days in Napa - right next to our nation's capital . . .

MMM: I Am Woman

"Roar"

11 x 14 Canvas

So, so late! I thought about skipping this week's Mixed Media Monday prompt altogether, but then realised that I would be giving up a 16 week "streak" of continual postings. Not wanting to break it (kinda proud of myself) I came up with the following for I Am Woman . . .

I was inspired by a beautiful framed mirror I saw while out of town that was done on wood with words cut from magazines. The one I saw featured sayings about wine and wine making, but what could be more appropriate than a women's magazine for a piece on being a woman? Everything here was taken from this month's In Style and predominately featured quotes from Reese Witherspoon such as; "I am an open book. I'm not about intimidating women or making them feel like less than what they are." I think I love her a little bit more . . .

This collage was done on a black Gesso relief background and was layered with charcoal, white acrylic stamping, glitter, crystals and fabric. The "Chick" is in the middle of all the media-driven sentiments and her only response is a quiet, "roar."

Thanks for looking! To check out more pieces on I Am Woman, please check out www.mixedmediamonday.wordpress.com.

MMM: Fashion

"I am Fashion"

MMM: ATC

My husband and I were taking a walking tour of Amsterdam a few years ago when we stumbled upon an incredible book fair / open market in the center of town. Among the goodies I had to have - including a tiny little book of Shakespeare Sonnets - was a 3-ring binder full of vintage post cards from the turn of the century. In it were treasures from all over Europe and in all styles of the time; from artist sketches to photographs made into postcards. The image I used here was taken from a 1929 postcard from the Netherlands and featured this lovely lady in what must have been a fabulous frock. When prompted to do a piece for Mixed Media Monday on Fashion, I knew I had to use this one. Included among the Gesso relief (behind image), crystals, white ink, feather and melted wax is the following quote by Coco Chanel: "I don't do fashion, I am fashion." Ah, gotta love her . . .

By the way, my sweet husband bought the whole binder full of postcards from the book fair vendor when my back was turned. I didn't know then what I would ever use them for, but I knew that I loved them. I mention this because I am happy to share them with you if you would like. All you have to do is tell me how. I am not as computer savvy as some of you, and I do not know what steps to take in order to share them through this blog. If you do, please let me know by leaving a comment and I will be happy to start posting them. Also, if I do not respond as I normally would this week, please forgive me. But that same guy who bought the book of postcards is taking me away (no clue where) for our anniversary. I'll let you know more when I get back next week . . .

Thank you for looking! To see more pieces on Fashion, please check out www.MixedMediaMonday.wordpress.com.

MMM: Opposites Attract

Come Fly with Me

8 x 8 "Kite"

Detail of "Opposites"

I would love to take full credit for the idea behind this week's piece for Mixed Media Monday, but it was actually my husband who suggested that the childhood project of putting paint on one side of a piece of paper before folding it over to create it's opposite (I'm sure there's a technical term for this) would make an interesting twist on the theme, "Opposites Attract."

Inspired by his creativity, I got to work on creating what turned out to be this 8 x 8 "kite." I used acrylic on watercolor paper that was sprinkled with glitter before being adhered to a piece of chipboard. The kite was then formed with strips of sequins and a Swarovski crystal in the center. I added the craft store butterfly to the kite strings after doing similar mirroring on it's wings with a stamps dipped in paint and glitter.

Thank you for looking! To see more pieces on Opposites Attract, please check out www.MixedMediaMonday.Wordpress.com.