"I curled closer to May, comforted by her warmth."
-- Kiera Cass
Hi there! I've missed you so.
The last several weeks have been a whirlwind around here, and I'm happy to have found time to play a bit. Actually, it was a few tweens that got me back into the studio! I assist in an art journaling class for kids every Friday, and last week I brought - along with several other collage materials - some colored copies of my old work. I hoped they would like the bright colors and perhaps some of the images, but what I didn't expect was how much they liked the idea of using old art in new ways and, moreover, how much I would learn from them in the process! They completely inspired me to try new things and to look at my own art in a different way. Sooooo, I decided to see what I could do with one of the same copies I'd given them and filmed the process.
In the end, I used copies of one old collage (wayyyyyy back from the first Summer of Color!) and created two new pieces with them: both a loose art journal page & an altered brie box.
Loose art journal page
Altered brie box
Wanna see the process? It's all here, and below, and all under 10 minutes . . .
Thanks for popping by. Happy May & happy creating from our crazy house to yours.
" I love the rebelliousness of snail mail, and I love anything that can arrive with a postage stamp. There's something about that person's breath and hands on the letter."
- Diane Lane
I love deli paper. There's something so magical about drawing something on a translucent surface which can later be altered by adding it to something busy, colorful - and in my case lately - incredibly bright. My friend and fellow lover of the stuff recently (well okay, like a year ago) sent me a huge stash from her own collection so that I could play, play, play. Thank you Linda for sharing it with me, I've been having fun with it ever since!
As a matter of fact, I've recently decided to create a series of mail art using deli paper as the base. Wanna see what I came up with?? Okay then, here we go. . . .
Deli paper sketch with pencil, Micron black & Sakura white pens
As she appears on top of her altered Priority Mail envelope
(Alpha stickers played a part here)
Little Blue Girl on a small Priority Mail Box
(Back view)
And in case you wanna how I did it, here's the exact, technical-ish process:
I first collected several US Priority Mail boxes and envelopes in various sizes. Once I decided which combination of materials I wanted to work with, I began by painting both the front and back of each substrate with gesso. Once dry, I began playing with a variety of supplies and mark making materials including spray inks, homemade stencils, oil pastels, charcoal and pencil.
In order to bring something different to the now colorful backgrounds, I decided to draw several quick sketches on translucent Deil paper to place on top. The sketches were first created in pencil and then brought to life with black ink and pops of white for definition. Once complete, I then tore around the images and glued them on to each box or envelope.
Further details were then added with bits of collage including bubble gum wrappers, pieces of decorative napkins and other bits of dried paint on deli paper from a past project in which I used deli paper as my palette. Lastly, I added white paint over stickers that were removed once dry to create the “Somerset” and Zip on the pink envelope (so okay, for those of you paying real close attention, you now know where they're headed ;) and added stamped lines on the fronts of each piece to represent the addresses.
Oh yeah, I also did a simple black and white pen & ink drawing on a large Priority Mail box to send the whole lot off.
And there you have it: Deli Paper Mail Art!
Until we meet again, I wish you creative days & colorful kisses!
But somehow (where has the time gone?!) we've already reached our last week of The Summer of Color. And I must say - like so many of you have already - this year's installment has been one for the books! I love seeing which hues you choose each week, love seeing all the gorgeous, drool-worthy work you've created and, on a personal note, have loved playing right along with you this year. Thank you once again for sharing your time and talents with us all!
Although It's Our Last Week:
I hope you'll still consider joining us if you haven't done so already. You can read all about the event here, join our Facebook group for more SOC fun and check out our Flickr pool to see all five years of color palettes in one place. As for the rest of social media, you can find us everywhere else using the hashtag #TheSummerofColor5.
This Week:
We'll be working on our sixth - of six - weekly color palettes. It's bright, bold and possibly the palette that best represents the colors of Summer. Again, we're double dipping here, so if you're up for the challenge, I encourage you to choose different hues for this palette than you may have used in weeks past. So, are you ready for it? Okay then, here goes! Our last palette for SOC 5 is:
1 Orange + 1 Orange + 1 Blue
And remember, what you do with the prompt is all up to you! The only stipulation being that you work with the colors provided above and here below:
Well, I um, created a boat of sorts. It's a little different but hey, that's part of the fun, right? So, without further adieu, here's my latest YouTube video on the subject:
What About Our Last Giveaway?
Oh, it's a good one! There's a lot of my favorites in there, including a couple of the Montana paint pens (that blue is a new color in the line!) that you've seen me play with throughout the Summer.
{Two Dylusions Ink Sprays in London Blue and Pure Sunshine, three rolls of adorable washi tape in oranges and blue, two blue floral embellishments, two large Faber-Castell Big Brush Pitt artist pens in Phthalo Blue and Orange Glaze, two Montana Acrylic Paint pens in neon orange and light blue, one Poppin leather-bound notebook in a gorgeous teal, two bottles of Liquid Pearls in Pumpkin and Royal Blue, one Dr. Ph. Martin's bottle of Bombay India Ink in Orange, one (it's my last ;) decorative napkin for collage and, last but not least, several iridescent confetti stars}
And Last Week's Winner?
I've got it right here! Last week's giveaway was randomly chosen to go live with . . . .
(please note: all winners will be selected at random via a Random Number Generator.
The photos / proof of each week's winners will be on file and happily sent to anyone who would like to see them.)
Congratulations Linda! Please email your address to Kdvanvalkenburgh@msn.com and I'll send your pretty, pretty things right off.
Ready To Play?
Please link your Week Six pieces to the widget below. To qualify for the oranges n' blue giveaway, simply copy and paste the direct link (from your blog, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram - or any other feed that can be linked here) to the widget below. You have until this Sunday (10:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time) to do so. Only one link per person, please.
Have Fun!!
Enjoy your last week and we'll see you back here next Monday, July 20th for our Closing Week as we reveal:
* The winner of our oranges n' blue giveaway
* Your 2015 participatory Artist Badge and. . .
* More information about the SOC.
* Oh, and to finish our Anniversary Year in style, this time, I have a little something extra for you as well.
"If people want to make war, they should make a color war,
and paint each others' cities up in the night in pinks and greens."
- Yoko Ono
Now That's Cool!
Even on a holiday week with our most difficult palette of the Summer, we still had an absolute ton of ever-so-shinny & undeniably gorgeous submissions for last week's Reds n' Metallic challenge. I loved seeing what you created and am continually floored by all the talent and passion our group possesses. Thank you for sharing your art and heart with us all!
I Say It Every Week:
But if you're reading this for the first time, please know that you're more than welcome to join the party! It's a lotta fun around here and I promise you'll be glad that you did. Pop over here to read all about the SOC, over here to join our Facebook group and over here to peruse our our Flickr pool. Our hashtag for all social media is #TheSummerofColor5.
This Week:
We'll be working on our fifth - of six - weekly color palettes. It's pretty, preppy, and I hope you'll agree, really, really fun. I loved working with this combination and can't wait to see how you tackle it! So you ready?! Okay then, our color palette for Week Five of The SOC 5 is . . . .
1 Green + 1 Green + 1 Pink
Now, you may notice that we're double-dipping for the first time. Since there are only so many basic colors to choose from, both this week and next will contain hues from previous palettes. Of course you can continue to work with anything you wish, but if you'd really like to challenge yourself, I encourage you to try different versions of the colors you used before. As an example, although I used pale pink and neon pink in my piece from Week Two, this week, I decided to use a medium pink to go with my greens. Again, it's all up to you and as always, you can create anything you'd like, as long as your work is based upon this week's colors:
This has been my favorite palette to work with thus far. The video is a bit buggy, but that'll make more sense as you watch. If you'd like, you can check it out here and of course, below:
And This Week's Giveaway?
Isn't she pretty?! Your giveaway for the greens n' pink challenge is . . .
{One Dylusions ink spray in Fresh Lime, one Delta brand Crackle Medium, three - it's true! - Tim Holtz Distress Inks in Picked Raspberry, Crushed Olive and Mowed Lawn, two green washi tape rolls, four Caran D'Ache Neocolor 11 water soluble wax crayons in greens and pink, three pink straws for assemblage or collage, one Poppin leather-bound notebook, two Daler Rowney FW ink / liquid acrylics, one bottle of Liquid Pearls in Avocado, a couple pieces of Blick decorative paper (with bugs, you'll really want some ;) and a sprinkling of iridescent confetti stars}
And Last Week's Winnner?
The random number generator did it's job, and this time selected none other than . . .
(please note: all winners will be selected at random via a Random Number Generator.
The photos / proof of each week's winners will be on file and happily sent to anyone who would like to see them.)
Congratulations Susan! Please email your address to Kdvanvalkenburgh@msn.com and I'll send your package right off.
Here We Go Again:
Please link your Week Five pieces to the widget below. To qualify for the greens n' pink giveaway, simply copy and paste the direct link (from your blog, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram - or any other feed that can be linked here) to the widget below. You have until this Sunday (10:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time) to do so. Only one link per person, please.
Thank You!
I hope you enjoy playing with this combination, and we'll see you back here next Monday, July 13th for Week Six's Palette, Giveaway, PDF, Video and this week's Randomly Drawn Winner.
"The setting sun burned the sky pink and orange in the same bright hues
as surfers' bathing suits."
- Michael Connelly, The Black Echo
That Was Pretty Fabulous!
Well now, it looks like this little party of ours has hit the ground running. I've been a-ma-zed at all the bold, ethereal, glittery & altogether gorgeous blues n' green pieces that came pouring in here and in our Facebook group last week, and am genuinely honored to be the host of such a beautiful group of kind, helpful andnot to mention incredibly talented people. You make a mama proud!!
Now, If You're Just Joining Us. . .
No worries! Each week stands on it's own, so like any other party, just come when you can. If you want to learn more about the event, pop over here for all the details. Also, I've loved hearing the stories of those who've wanted to play over the years, but had not done so until now. Please, if you're reading this and have ever considered jumping in, make this your time. I promise, promise, promise that you'll be glad you did.
This Week:
We'll be working on our second - of six - weekly color palettes. And, it should be said, it also happens to be one of the most popular combinations we've played with. Ready for it? Okay then, our palette for Week Two of the SOC 5 is . . . .
1 Pink + 1 Pink + 1 Orange
Wheeeeeeeeee! Remember, which particular pinks n' orange you choose is entirely up to you but I for one, can't wait to see what you do with it! Did you like the little PDF? Okay then, here's this week's installment:
Another textural piece on black canvas. Check out my adventure into pinks n' orange on YouTube and below:
And The Next Giveaway?
Here it is, all dressed up for the party!
{Two Jumbo Bistro Chalk Markers, two Gel Xtreme Pastel Rollers in pink and orange, one package of rosette ribbon in a gorgeous pink, one bright orange burlap flower, three rose embellishments, two Caran D' Ache Neocolor 1 (water-soluble wax pastel) crayons, two Caran D' Ache Neopastel oil pastels, two leather-bound Poppin mini notebooks, two Gouache Acrylics in Pink and Orange Yellow, one (love this!) Golden High Flow acrylic in Fluorescent Pink, two Lumiere metallic acrylics in Pearl Magenta and Halo Pink Gold and lastly, a couple pages of vintage children's word mastery lists, several pink decorative napkins for collage and a sprinkling of iridescent confetti stars.}
Hey. Who Won Last Week's Prize?
Oh yeah, that! Last Week's prize is going international! Please help me in congratulating. . . .
(please note: all winners will be selected at random via a Random Number Generator.
The photos / proof of each week's winners will be on file and happily sent to anyone who would like to see them.)
Congratulations Ulrike! Please email your street address to Kdvanvalkenburgh@msn.com and I'll get your goodies right out!
Now, Let's Get Going!
You may link your 1 Pink + 1 Pink + 1 Orange creations to the widget below. To qualify for the pinks n' orange giveaway, simply copy and paste the direct link (from your blog, Facebook, Flickr, Instagram - or any other feed that can be linked here) to the widget below. You have until this Sunday (10:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time) to do so. Only one link per person, please.
Ready, Steady, Go!
We'll see you back here next Monday, June 22nd for Week Three's pretty, pretty Palette, Giveaway, PDF, Video and Randomly Drawn Winner. Until then, have fun, good luck and get your arting on!
"We could all learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box."
- Robert Fulghum
Eeeeeeeep!
We have just two, teeny-tiny weeks to go before all is revealed for The Summer of Color 5! And let me tell you, this is one year not to be missed. Sooooo, whether you're finding us for the first time or are chomping at the bit for another go, I promise you a Summer full drippy, colorful fun!
BUT, since we do have to wait a bit, why not try our hand at a color quiz? Can YOU name all the colors? (hint: I could not. humph.)
"Your paintings are staggeringly beautiful. Did I ever tell you that, or was I just too concerned that you weren't going to earn a living? I know the answer . . . I worried that the paint was so thickly applied that it might snap off and ruin someone's carpet, rather than realizing that you'd made color itself tactile."
I must say, the creativity and connection we've made in our first colorful week together is both exciting and humbling. I'm completely awed by the sheer number of us participating, by the kindness and support flying around our Facebook page and Flickr pool, and by the art that you're all enthusiastically creating. This, for me, is what it's all about: to see artists, hobbyists and children alike come together for one common goal; to play with color and express what's on their minds and in their hearts. Thank you all for sharing your life and loves with us. You inspire me in more ways that you can imagine and for that I am incredibly grateful.
A Bit About Commenting:
Due to our ever-growing numbers, making our way around visiting everyone is a challenge in and of itself. To ensure that your work is being seen, you may want to consider (if you haven't done so already) sharing your art in the Facebook and / or Flickr groups as well as linking to the blog. This way, we can see a lot of work in one place, making it easier to drool over many pieces at once. Also, we all know that word verification is both a blessing and a curse: it's wonderful to be free of spam, but more difficult for others to get to us because of it. Should it work for you, you may want to consider eliminating word verification on your blogs during the course of our event. I think you'll find it easier to see and be seen by more of us because of it. It's totally up to you of course, but I wanted to pass that on.
This Week:
We'll be working with our second two-color combination that you choose in last week's poll. Once again, the response was tremendous, with over 165 of us voting. It was a closer race this time around, but in the end, the prompt you choose - with 21% of the votes - was . . .
To see examples of the combination of the two, click here
Now What?
Now we create! Feel free to make anything you want, as long as it's based upon our colors of the week. Remember, you have until Sunday of this week (June 23rd, 10:00 am, Pacific Daylight Time) to link to the widget below in order to qualify for the random Orange & Hot Pink drawing. Only one link per person, please.
Ready? Okay, Link!
And What Could We Win?
This beautiful collection of both vintage and new materials:
(A piece of gorgeous glittered cardstock in hot pink, several pages of vintage sheet music, two colorful vintage postcards, each stamped on the back and dated 1929, 2 rolls of washi tape in both orange polka dot and hot pink woodgrain, 2 ink pads in both orange and hot pink, 2 (4 oz) bottles of Artist's Loft acrylics, 1 bottle of Stickles glitter in bright orange, 2 Fimo bricks of soft modeling clay, and several vintage and new buttons, beads and Swarovski crystals in orange, pink and clear.)
Remember, you have until this Sunday morning (10:00 Pacific Daylight Time) to link your work to be considered for the drawing.
"Color is fun, color is just plain gorgeous, a gourmet meal for the eye, the window of the soul."
- Rachel Wolf
Are you ready for the hottest color event of the Summer? Six weeks of creating, connection & fun during the lazy days of Summer are just four little weeks away.
Wanna know more? Read all about The Summer of Colorhere. To see all the luscious artwork created in the last two events, head over here. To join The Summer of Color Facebook Group, pop over here.
"The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color."
- Hans Hofmann
I. Am. So. Looking forward to what this year has to offer. There's a sweet feeling in the air, a crisp determination, a warm fuzzy that you get in the pit of your stomach when you know something good is coming . . . I don't know how to explain it better than that, but I'm grateful to start this new year full of promise, possibilities . . . and color . . . .
Wanna know what I'm doing?
I'm starting the year on a beautiful note with Life Book. The community and camaraderie over there is amazing and I'm eager to begin the year's worth of insights and education by Tam and 15 other guest artists. I'll be there all year, and will be sharing most of what I do there with you here as well.
I'm looking forward to this year's new Our World Our Art, the next installment of the former One World One Heart focusing on art and artists. It's gonna be a great party, which usually begins in January . . . .
I'll be participating in Paint Party Friday and Sunday Postcard Art as often as possible. The weekly check-in's and communication with other artists are incredibly inspiring and so much fun.
Speaking of color, I am thrilled to be hosting another installment of The Summer of Color! This year's theme, Ice Cream Inspirations should prove to be cool and colorful . . . .
Of course, there may be other possibilities to play that I don't yet know of. I promise to take every opportunity that brings me closer to another goal of mine this year: To make something of my art. Professionally. There, I said it (gulp). . . .
And on a personal note, I am optimistic that this will be the year of babies. I want one. Still. And I'm eager to see if 2012 brings the baby that we so desperately want here in our home.
Having said that, I'd like to share with you a recent (gorgeous, sweet and loving) addition that makes "baby" on the forefront of my mind right now: Kendra's new puppy!
Brand new baby girl!
How sweet is she? We lost our family dog last year and this little one is just what we needed to bring a little light and energy back into our home. She's the first puppy Kendra and I have ever had, and I have to say, we're already in love!
So here's to new babies, new art, new adventures and a whole lot of color. I look forward to sharing it with you all . . . .
