The Summer of Color!

"Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with it's many chords. The artist is the hand that, by touching this or that key, sets the soul vibrating automatically."

- Wassily Kandinsky

Welcome to The Summer of Color, a 10-week blog party celebrating art in all it hues! 

Beginning today - and every Monday throughout the event - we will focus on and create art based upon the beautiful, bold and luscious colors of the rainbow. We will work in our preferred medium exploring color and share what we produce here. We will link our work using the widget on the bottom of each Summer of Color post and, for those who participate, leave a comment to be entered in a weekly giveaway. The purpose of the event is to emerge ourselves into the world of color: playing, experimenting and learning from one another throughout the lazy days of Summer . . . 

Let's get going!

There are so many ways to participate in The Summer of Color. You can create anything you'd like, as long as it's based upon the color of the week. You may choose to develop a body of work using the same materials each week, or mix it up and work with different mediums and/or products throughout the event. It's up to you. 

What kinds of things will we be seeing?

Glad you asked. I have taken the liberty of linking to some beautiful images of the following art forms:

Altered Books

Art Jewelry

Art Journals

Assemblage Art

Artist Trading Cards

Canvas Work

Digital Art

Greeting Cards

Inchies

Moo Cards

Photography

Poetry

Postcard Art

Scrapbooking

Of course, there may be things you'd like to do that I haven't thought about. The thing is, if you have an art form you love, go for it. Create it in color and share it here. If you have an art form that you've been wanting to try, now's the time. We will learn and explore together. And hopefully make some new arty friends along the way  . . .

So, what about the colors?

We will create new art each week based upon a specific color that I disclose here. In other words, we will all be working on the same color in the same week. Now, a note about the colors themselves: after much thought, I have decided to make each week's color nonspecific. As much as I want us to create in the mediums we prefer, I also want us to create in the hues within each color that we prefer. Should the first week's color be blue (just as an example ;), I would want you to create in the blues you love. 

And how will this work?

Each week, I will provide a color prompt here. You then will have a week to complete your piece based upon that color. When you are done, simply post about it and link it here (in a widget like the one below) from the following Monday on. Of course, you can also share your work through Flikr. Each week the color will change and we will get started on another piece. There will also be a giveaway each week for the participants of the challenge. Just leave a comment to be considered for the random drawing. The winner will be announced the following week. 

Whew, so in the end, it goes like this: 

* Come here every Monday to find out what color we are working on

* Create art based upon that color

* Come back here the following Monday (or within that week) to link your work and enter the giveaway

* Discover what the next week's color will be

Okay, that's better. Anything else?

Um hm. Just a few things to note. There may be some weeks in which there is a bonus challenge. In that case, should you complete the bonus, you may be entered into the drawing twice. Also, this is meant to be fun. No pressure. If you are away or can't participate every single week, don't worry about it. But you can always check in to see what others have created in your absence. Having said that, only those who participate may enter that week's drawing. That seems fair, right? 

Yep. And what about the stuff on your sidebar?

There has been a Flickr group and a Facebook page (thanks again Trisha ;) created specifically for the event. Check in there for more Summer of Color fun. 

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Okay? Okay! On with week one . . .

This week, your challenge is simple. Just tell us what you're going to do or create during the event. Will you be working with inchies or moo cards? Will you be creating a Summer of Color journal or scrapbook? Will you be making an altered book or be doing some canvas work? Please share it with us here. Simply post a picture in Flickr or on your blog along with your thoughts about your project. Please also include a link back to Twinkle, Twinkle so that anyone else who wants to join in can find us. Then attach your post using the linking widget below. When you're done, leave a comment in the comment section to be entered into the random weekly drawing.

This is what I am going to be working with . . .

Strathmore 8 x 10 Ready Cut Watercolor papers

I have decided to participate (yes, I will be working and sharing alongside you ;) by creating a lose-leaf art journal. I love the idea of making a journal that I can work on one page at a time and am thrilled to be creating a series based upon color. In the end, I hope to find some creative way to bind the pages for a complete book about our journey together. Wish me luck. 

Will there be a giveaway this week?

Naturally! And it's a good one - I know these art supplies would get my wheels turning (and my heart beating) . . . You wanna win this?

Artist Loft 6 piece acrylic set, Strathmore watercolor postcards, Visual mixed-media journal, and (like me) a pad of ready-cut 8 x 10 watercolor paper. Bristol ATC cards, a Blick notepad and 8 colored pencils, an 18 x 18' piece of primed canvas material and a sprinkling of Swarovski crystals.

Again, all you need to do to enter is post about your participation in the event, link that post here and then leave a comment in the comment section. You will have until the end of this week (Sunday, June 12th) to do so. The winner will be announced next Monday. 

AND - what is next week's color? 

Beautiful, beautiful Blue!

"There are connoisseurs of blue just as there are connoisseurs of wine."

- Colette

You may link your artwork inspired by the color BLUE as of next Monday, June 13th.

Thanks for joining me: I look so forward to hearing what you are planning to do this week!

{Update: Thank you for all of your excitement! It looks like we're headed towards a great Summer of creativity and connection. I've been asked a few questions that I wanted to share with you so that I can be sure that we are all comfortable with how this will work. First; this is an international event. Should your name be selected for a drawing, I will happily to mail it to you at no cost. Second; This week's challenge is to post about what you plan to create and link that direct post in the link widget here. This week's giveaway will be drawn from the pool of those who have posted about their participation in the event. Third; we will post our blue pieces as of next week, from Monday the 13th on. That will be the first time to share our artwork with one another. Thanks again! xo}

Kristin xo