Going with the Flow - My Mother Goddess ATC

I was preparing a large piece of paper with modeling paste a couple of weeks ago and hada large gob left over on my knife, so I swiped it off on an ATC base and scratched a quick doodle into it. I didn't think much more about it at the time, but I ran across it the other day and decided to do something with it for an upcoming swap. I decided to paint it with several thin layers of Golden liquid acrylics. I basically just placed colors in general areas and let them go where the wished. I then rubbed it in with my fingers (my favorite painting tools!) in some area and rubbed out ares with paper towel in other. After several layers of paint, this is what I had come up with. I didn't really have anything in mind when I started her, but I think she turned out beautifully. As with any painting I do, there are areas that I almost wish I could do over, but I've learned from experience that that rarely works out for the better. It always looks like all the life is taken out of the painting even if it is technically a "better" painting. There's just something missing. Going with the creative flow always gives me results that I'm much happier with.

A New Feltie

Meet Mooshie the Magic Mushroom! The kids and I have been stuck in the house all week because my son has chicken pox, and we’ve had the best time! We have been making up chicken pox songs and playing connect the pox with body paint. LOL I’d share pics of the body art but my son’s idea of Heaven is wearing nothing but his underwear all day everyday and nobody really wants to see that.

Anyway, I got bored with “just” painting and doodling yesterday, so I pulled out our box of craft felt and Mooshie was the result. I didn't use a pattern or anything. I just started cutting and sewing and he just happened. I’m pretty darned pleased with the way he turned out, but my son is totally in love with him. Of course he now has plans for an entire Mario felt playset to go with him. LOL

Anger - in two parts

This is a set of two ATCs depicting anger at the "point of explosion". They were done with tar gel and liquid acrylics. I taped down the cards and spread clear tar gel over the entire surface then dripped the liquid acrylics into the gel. I used a palette knife to smear and blend the paints into the gel until I liked the results. I wish you could see the luminous quality of these cards. It's difficult to see, but the white of the paper really *glows*. The only problem with this set is that the artist's tape that I used tore the paper. I hate it when that happens. I'll probably cut the paintings out and re-mount them on new cards.

I also made several abstracts in a similar manner but without any paper backing. They are pure tar gel and liquid acrylic. They are still drying though. I'll post those when they are dry and cut into ATCs...if my cat will stop walking across them!

Melted Crayon Doodles

Yay! Blogger is letting my upload pics again! I tried to post to my blog several times lately and couldn't get my pics to show up. What's an art blog without pics I ask you?

These are two of the many, many melted crayon doodles I made one day this week. I had so much fun with this! I covered a small hot plate with aluminum foil and laid my ATCs right on top of the foil then doodled to my heart's content. It was a wonderfully freeing exercise. I have a huge stack of these because I spent a good couple of hours just doing one after another.

I hope the leaves ATC needs no explanation. The other is part of my ongoing exploration of trying to give anger a visual representation. I've had such good results from arting out my depression and other "negative" emotions that I thought I'd try to do the same with anger. So far so good!