"Distortions" a class with Ardith Goodwin

I'm currently taking an online art class with Ardith Goodwin.  If you're not familiar with her work you might want to check out her site.  Many of my favorite artists are students of hers.  Her work is very abstract and fractured and I adore it!  Not to mention the fact that Ardith is an amazing teacher.  I can share some of my progress from the class but of course not the process.  Hopefully I won't be a slouch about posting work in progress.  I hope you won't judge it too harshly, just remember it is not even close to being finished, there are 5 weeks to go in this class.

Title suggestions are very welcome.


I wish you all a wonderful week!  We've got lovely weather right now.  Take care ~ hugs ~ Renee

Artists Trading Coins using StencilGirl stencils

Have you heard about Artists Trading Coins?  I keep seeing and hearing about them in magazines and online so I ordered a few different sizes from Joggles.com.  The coins that are sold by Joggles are made from water color paper so they lend themselves to many different coloring mediums:  inks, paints, matte medium, etc.  I used stencils for this collection and Tim Holtz's new Distress Oxide inks, these can also be purchased online at Joggles.com.  I like the results.

The stencils are from StencilGirlProducts.com; these faces are the new ones in Pam Carriker's collection, the background stencils are from Seth Apter's newest ATC stencil.  Like all ATCs each one is a small piece of art, these happen to measure 6".

Thanks for stopping by!  Take care, have a great week ~ Renee

Distorted Faces using Pam Carriker's stencils

I'm still such a fan of Pam Carriker's newest face stencils found at Stencil Girl Products!  I am reworking an old canvas using acrylic paints, gesso and the stencils.

I hope you're having a fun day.  The sun is shining here and the temperatures are in the upper 60's.  Amen, comfortable at last!

Thanks for stopping by, hugs ~ Renee

Hurricane Florence, local floods and a new stencil from StencilGirl Products

We had quite a scare with the recent hurricane (Florence) that skirted past our area and then the subsequent local flooding.  We boarded up our house and literally fled as quickly as we could to Atlanta, GA for nearly a week to get out of harm's way.  As soon as we returned we heard about the flooding heading our way from North Carolina so we sandbagged our house with scores of sandbags and yards of heavy plastic.  Our neighbors reported snakes in their yards that were being displaced from a local river that was rising.  That was eerie!  I have been leery about walking into the backyard ever since, I take a good look around wherever I step.  Now we're gearing up just a little for what we hope will only be a Tropical Storm (Michael) when it gets to South Carolina.  Better a tropical storm than any "category" hurricane.  

So I needed something nice to brighten my mood and Mary Beth Shaw provided that!

A couple of weeks ago I entered my name in a contest to win a StencilGirl Products ATC stencil and look at what I won!  This is Seth Apter's new ATC stencil and it has been a real pleasure to use this over the past few days.  There are many different artists who have created stencils using this format which is great when you're making a lot of ATCs.  With this stencil I'm not fighting the excess areas that I don't want to use, it makes the process very simple.  Just click on the link below to take a look at the new collection.

Seth's new ATC stencil

Here's a group of the ATCs I've made using this tool with ink and Tim Holtz's paper dolls.  I added some of Prima's micro beads for a touch of bling.

Your limits are only your imagination!  Thank you Mary Beth and Stencil Girl Products for my new fun stencil, it's made me really happy.

Take care and thanks for stopping by!

Hugs ~ Renee

Tangled Pit Bull

I've been working on a ZIA project lately of a Pit Bull dog.  I know most people are afraid of this breed of dogs but I do know one that is very sweet, this picture is of her.  If you look very carefully this rescue dog's name is tangled into her right shoulder.

This is my process after outlining my subject, then dividing the animal into sections to be tangled.

It's not a difficult technique even though it looks that way.  It is divided out into small areas that take about 10 minutes or so to tangle.  The tangles can be repeated.  Practicing Zentangle is a great way to warm up artistically each day and the end results can be quite amazing.  Here's my VIDA link if you're interested in seeing my Pit Bull design on a couple of accessories:  http://bit.ly/2BngetO, just type in my name to see my collection.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hope you're having a wonderful day.  Hugs ~ Renee

Pam Carriker new face stencils alert!

Just thought I'd let you all know that StencilGirl products has a new Pam Carriker face stencil release.  I love her stencils so you know I splurged and bought 9 of them.  I thought I'd share with you the results of my play date with a few of them yesterday.

This one is called Create.

Strength

Honor

These were all done with ink pads in my notebook, I applied small amounts of inks with daubers.  On two of them I used Micron 05 pens and on the first one I applied Dyan Reavely ink pens and Jane Davenport's crayons blended down with a water brush.

If you want to draw faces but find it a challenge stencils are the way to go.  I just wanted to share!  I hope you're having a great day.  Hugs~ Renee

An Altered Box Finnabair Style

A little while back I received a couple of Masonite Boxes from Joggles.  I altered one of the boxes right away which Barb shared on the Joggles blog.  I finally got around to altering the second box which measures 4" by 9" by 4".  First I painted the entire box inside and out with black gesso.  Next I dry embossed a piece of Ranger's Inkssentials Foil Tape Sheets and used the self adhesive backing to glue it to the top of the box.  I painted a coat of Finnabair's acrylic paint called Opal Magic Blue/Gold all over the entire outside of the box.  When it was dry I used all sorts of Prima/Finnabair products to create the design on the top of the box.

I made the wings out of paper clay with Finnabair's wing mold, most of the metal pieces are from her Mechanical collection.  I adhered everything with Finn's 3D Gloss Gel Transparent and let it dry thoroughly before continuing.

This is always the hard part...paint the entire top of the box with black gesso.  Now I start bringing some color back into this mixture.  First by painting the top of the box again with the Blue/Gold Opal Magic paint.  When that is dry I bring in Finn's waxes!  This is the delicious part, not only are they pretty but they have a lovely fragrance that fades with time.  I used many different colors of waxes such as:  Vintage Silk, White Gold, Red Amber, Brushed Iron, Amethyst Magic and Lucky Emerald.

Joggles carries all of these waxes as I believe does Michaels.

The colors of the waxes are very subtle and a tiny smear of wax on the tip of the finger goes a long way.  I will be applying paper clay molded strips to the sides of the box and adding waxes to the entire outside of the box.  It is a fun project that requires some patience as there is drying time involved with each layer.  But then too it is a great way to use your stash of buttons and metal embellishments.

Thanks for stopping by!  I appreciate any comments you choose to leave.  Hugs ~ Renee

Mixed Media play on canvases

I've been making small canvases (4" by 4") using mixed media techniques.  Here are my five pink ladies.

I used products made by a few of my favorite artists:  Lynne Moncrieff, Seth Apter and Kristin Peterson.  A tiny splash of Finnabair's Glass Glitter, paints by Jane Davenport and additional inks by Tim Holtz.  It doesn't get any more fun than playing with all of this from my stash.  Oh, I brought out my embroidery threads and needles, back in the 1970's I used to do all sorts of needlework.  It's like riding a bike you never forget how to do it even after a few decades.  I need to do more of that!

Thanks for stopping by ~ hugs ~ Renee

Altered Paintbrushes in the works

I've been working on a series of altered paintbrushes for the past week or so.  Each one has her own name and story, of course.

The longer they sit on my desk the more I keep adding to each one.  So, what's on your work table right now?  Stay cool, the temps here have been consistently in the 90's and the humidity is right up there too.  It's a good time to stay indoors and craft.

Hugs ~ Renee

Just Mixed Media magazine has arrived

To say I've been a bad blogger is an understatement!  My sister-in-law, her husband and my mother-in-law, who is 93 years old, have recently moved to South Carolina.  They were our house guests for 2 months while looking for a house.  We had a really fun time but I don't do well with such distractions.  I go into full on "mommy mode" and start cooking non-stop as well as trying to do everything else I can do to make my company comfortable.  On the heels of their visit I made a wedding cake for some close friends and helped organize their wedding reception.   Even after the guests have left and the cake commitments are fulfilled it takes me a while to put the brakes on.  Last night I made home made pasta and a lovely fresh tomato sauce to go with it.  So tonight it will be left overs and I'm getting back into my art studio at long last!

I might have mentioned a few months back that my daughter and I were taking a trip to China.  It was an amazing adventure!  We were there for 11 days and saw so many wonderful things, including climbing a portion of the Great Wall and visiting the Terra Cotta soldiers.  It was a trip of epic proportions for me and a dream come true.  I've been to China before but not this part and I've never been on a tour bus there either.  Very interesting.  I believe it's the best way to see so much of a country without having to worry about not knowing the language, etc.  The Chinese people were so kind and patient with us.  I have chop stick issues due to my arthritis so I'm sure my eating habits are extremely offensive.  We walked over 10,000 steps every day, at times Holly was practically dragging me along but I made it through all the exhibits.  While there I found some wonderful Washi Tape.  I used some of it to make this face canvas.  The colors are not my usual palette but I was trying to mimic the ancient stones used to build the Great Wall and so many other structures.

Today I was reminded that I had submitted this to "Just Mixed Media" magazine when I received my copy in the mail.  What a nice surprise!  Hopefully this is just what I needed to get me back on track.  This is what the cover of the newest issue looks like.

And this is the piece that I was privileged to have published using StencilGirl products and Dina Wakley paints.  Notice the hand carved stamp I had made in China while I waited, it's in the left hand corner.  They even gave me the red wax to stamp with.  The Chinese newsprint was used to wrap my tiny little soldiers that made the trip back to South Carolina.

So nice to be back in my studio!  I hope you get a chance to check out the copy of this magazine when it hits the news stands.  It's a great issue.

Hugs~ Renee

P.S.  Here's an early morning photo of my amazing mother-in-law (MaZarate).  She is wearing the crown I made back in 2017 in a Prima class.  She didn't want her photo taken without her make up but I think she looks AMAZING!

StencilGirl Face stencil by Andrea Matus DeMeng looking like Frida

I'm doing a series of faces using the same stencil by Andrea Matus DeMeng provided to me by StencilGirl Products.  This is to demonstrate how with just one stencil many different looks can be achieved.  The one I'm sharing today is my take on the artist Frida.

As mentioned before, after designing my master board type face design I just made a few changes on the photocopied face and added a collage of deli paper flowers and a few paper flowers made by Prima.  Her eyes are actually Jane Davenport's washi tape eyes.

I hope you'll play with this idea and just have fun with it.

Hugs ~ Renee

More Stenciled faces using Andrea Matus DeMeng's stencil

I used the StencilGirl Products face stencil by Andrea Matus DeMeng to make more faces.  This is to demonstrate how the same stencil can be used for a completely different effect.

The headpiece is stenciled from the hem of  Sue Pelletier's baby dress stencil.  I've used a lot of random stencils in the background also.  The paint is Dina Wakley heavy body acrylic paint in Turquoise, Ruby and Night with touches of white gesso.

I hope you'll make faces along side me with stencils, it's addictive.

Thanks for stopping by ~ Renee

I'm the Guest Artist this week on StencilGirl Products! A Tangled Face

If you follow my blog I'm sure you've noticed that I'm in love with stencils!  So you can imagine my delight when StencilGirl Products asked if I would like to be their Guest Artist, my response was a resounding "YES".   I mean who could say no to that?!  They provided the stencils of my choice to work with and I very happily choose  Andrea Matus de Meng's "Abigail, A Timeless Woman" in the large 9" by 12" size.  This is what my finished portrait looks like, it's called "A Tangled Face".  The process is shared on the StencilGirl Talk blog today, please just click on the link if you would like to check it out.

I'll be sharing a few more portraits during the month of April, all created with the same stencil but each one looks completely different.  I hope you will pop in and take a look at them.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Hugs ~ Renee

Sneak Peek!

Here's a  sneak peek of projects I've been working on using Stencil Girl products.  Stay tuned for my upcoming Guest Artist blog with them in April.  It'll be worth it!  This is just a warm up using Distress Crayons and Scribble Sticks by Ranger.  And of course a face stencil from Stencil Girl!  They are the best.

I'll let you know when the SGP posting is so you can see what else I did with this same stencil.  Thanks for stopping by, hugs ~ Renee

Aladine Projects for Creativation Part 2

Here are a few more projects made for the French company Aladine which were featured in their booth at Creativation and then again a few weeks later in Germany at a trade show.  Just a cute little tag and a card made with their Cassis ink, stamps and embossing powder.

Thanks for stopping by!  I'm in China right now with my daughter, we left Joe here to hold down the fort, but I'll be back soon and hope to share some photos of our adventures there.  Maybe I will find some cool ephemera that I can mix into some projects.  Who knows?  Take care, we'll talk soon, hugs ~ Renee

Aladine Products- Projects made for Creativation Part 1

Whenever the craft and hobby shows take place there is always a tornado of activity going on behind the scenes to prepare for it.  The Creativation show in Phoenix, AZ is no exception to this tremendous push for projects to display showcasing each company's products.  I had the privilege this year to create projects for a company called "Aladine".  They mailed me inks and stencils and I to made an effort to make a group of projects with only their product, which is harder than it sounds.  This is what I came up with...tags, cards, gift bags.  They didn't specify how many they wanted so I just made projects for about 2 weeks.  I thought I'd share them with you since the big show here and in Germany are over.

Of course I designed a master board to cut up and use for projects.  Here's one that I couldn't use so it was sent to a magazine hopefully for publication.

Then I did a lot of techniques with water and their inks, stamps, embossing powder and stencils.

This is a series of tags to demonstrate different techniques.

Next week I'll share a couple more projects created for Aladine.  Thanks for stopping by ~ Renee

Stampington & Co.- Finding that Silver envelope in the mailbox!

My heart skips a beat whenever I spot that silver envelope in my mailbox!  It means I've just received my artist comp. magazine from Stampington.  Sometimes I know it's coming other times it catches me by surprise, this one I've been waiting to see for months.

Every issue of Somerset Studio has a challenge for artists, it's found near the back of the magazine.  The challenge that caught my eye was "Rust It Out".  I love a rust effect on paper, wood, etc. and I have found that I can achieve it by using Finnabair's Rust Effect Paste made by Prima.  I've made several of these paintbrushes over the past few months but I made these two especially for this challenge.  I used Red Rust paste along with Patina Effect Paste in a Turquoise Blue on top of all the inks and gesso.  When they are returned to me I believe I will hang them on the wall of my studio!

I have to give my husband, Joe, credit for sharing his hoard of inexpensive wooden paintbrushes with me for this project.  Thank you Joe!

I used the same technique on my "dollar" store box along with Finnabair's Mechanicals and added the same Red Rust and Blue Pastes on top of the metal pieces.  Wouldn't this be lovely filled with sea shells from a trip to the beach?

This issue of Somerset Studio is packed with all sorts of rust projects by artists like Lynne Moncrieff, Vickie Kammerer, Irl Noble, Linda Trenholm, just to name a few!  I personally can't wait to try some of the techniques shared and I'm sure this will be a magazine that I will use as a reference for rust effects on future projects.

I hope you get to take a look at it next time you're at Barnes and Noble bookstore.  Thanks so much for stopping by.  Big hugs on this beautiful, warm spring-like day, I love this weather! ~ Renee

Making Faces with DWM products

I've been making faces with Dina Wakley stencil, Scribble Sticks and some words from the "All the Gals" stamp collection made by Ranger.

I started by tracing the faces with a Micron 05 pen through the stencil.

Then I began adding some color with Scribble Sticks.  I used Sky,Turquoise, Lime, Magenta and Lemon Scribble Sticks.

To add some bright color I then added a little DWM Heavy Body Acrylic Paint in the Lemon color.  Highlights in the eyes, etc. was done with white gesso.

Each face seem to reflect a different word so I added words from the "All the Gals" collection with some grey ink.

So that's what is on my work table today.  I have entered this on the Craft Stamper magazine Challenge.  Follow the link if you want to participate. Thanks for stopping by.  Hugs ~ Renee