Thursday, December 29, 2016

An Arty Look Back-Part 1

I'm taking a  break from showing you to new art this week, but I have been making a bunch of new things to show you starting next week.:)
We're in for a BIG snowfall today, what we call Nor'easters, and we could get up to a foot or around 1/3 of a meter of snow.  My hubby has my car since his is getting worked on, so I think today is a good day to make some more new art for the new year, as well as being lazy, except that I'll need to shovel since the hubby is still on activity restriction from his November surgery.  :(
But my new washer is due to arrive before the snow falls later this morning! :)
So today I thought I might do a little art look back on the past 12 months.  I know some of you might find the recaps dull, and I won't be upset if you just  skip my post.
 I find when I go back through my own work it makes me realize how much I actually accomplished.
Plus I can see what I made that I liked, and I can refresh my brain with what techniques I want to try again.
And that is a good thing.
So starting back in January, some journal pages.
Sorry, this is a rather long post!
I like the background-how it feels that icy cold. Not the sticker letters.
The background feels sunny and warm, paste makes great snow, and I love how the Marc Chagall man works.
I like the tape as snow and the Gelli print feels like an arctic starry night.
Love how this feels abstractly like the weather and below, I love how my mixed black and white created a realistic mountain.
And I love how the stamped fox works on the printed background.
And February brought a little traveling and I made a journal.
I love the textured cover and a painted metal feel, even thought the blue background isn't metal.
And all kinds of  bits and bobs filled my pages. To me its important to capture the "feel" of the place.
And February also brought love and music!

Then it was spring, or at least the mindset of spring.
 The printed paper bunnies were something that worked for me.
I also want to make more Gelli print graph paper looking backgrounds.
 March took me into the woods.  Lots of practice painting trees.

 In all kinds of forms. And I figured how to make vines too.
 April
 I didn't realize how great the texture would make a page look.
May was journeys.
 I really like the water and the various plant growth.
 Starting an altered book required a theme
And maps forced me to think differently.

 I figured out how to paint giraffes. :) I just painted some more!
And I started a journal and forced myself to draw, well doodle, in it. Sometimes I painted those drawings. Now I think I can at least draw a cartoon like image of most anything, and before this journal, that was not true. This is huge for me.



I played with painting on canvas too. I still need some practice! But that's OK, just playing is fun.
I had a little owl obsession.

 This little guy (above) is my favorite.
I tried dyeing yarn. I've got to figure out how to do it without getting a big tangled mess.
 And I did more Christmas stocking knitting.

 And I tried some more shibori dyeing with some indigo dye.
And I played a bit with some solar dyeing too. Oh the joys of summertime and being able to work outside.
 Painting fabric outside too! :)
I played with capturing the feel of  water in my journal. And boats.


Flowers.
 Really a lesson on using some pops of white.
And the first time I made a travel journal at home after my trip and used lots of postage stamps plus cutting out of an old book rather than just using travel brochures.
 I like the grid effect of the stamps and how I altered the post card by using rubber stamped watches.

OK,  I have gone on enough for today.
Even for me! Ha-ha!
I will finish this with my look back tomorrow.
Enjoy your day!

8 comments:

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I adore your look back and forgot that you were on holiday. How quickly we forget these things, right? I was pleasantly surprised, even though I remember each and every one of these posts, at how many times you incorporated animals and nature in your art.

I read somewhere that if you loosely tie your yarn every 6-10 inces with string, you won't have tangles. Since I have not dyed yarn before, I can't vouch for this tip. It makes sense, though.

Have a great SNOW day.

Valerie-Jael said...

What a lot of wonderful pages. I loved them all, but especially the one with the black dog and the one with the Chagall man. You got in a lot of travelling, too - I think the furthest I went this year was to a neighbouring town when I had my big knee OP. I hope your year will be good, and that you will be healthy and happy, and have loads of time for creating new journal pages.
Hugs, Valerie

froebelsternchen said...

Your look back is simply amazing -- my favourite page is the one with the printed paper bunnies!
And all your other artsy experiments are fantasstic as well!

Wishing the best possible start for you into the New Year!
May it be filled with creativity and joy again for you!!!
♥♥♥
Susi

Little Artbee said...

Oh what a lot of wonderful and creative pages you made dear Erika. I could'nt say which is the best, they are all so well done. Bravo!
I wish you a good walk in the New Year, may it become good for you.
Dearest Greetings
Sabine

Lisca said...

Awesome!It was great to see your art before I started following you (I think I started when you went to Iceland).
Has the snow started yet? I bet it starts when the children go back to school!
I am lucky to live in a mild climate. We get some snow but that's only because of the altitude, otherwise we get very nice weather.
Wishing you and your family a very Happy (and healthy) New Year,
Hugs,
Lisca

~*~Patty S said...

You are a creative powerhouse Erika!!!
WOW WOW WOW
not to mention what it took to post all of this artwork again!!!
I felt strange being disconnected from everyone in Nov and Dec.
I hope that your husband is doing well!
Still sending all good wishes your way.
oxo

Anonymous said...

I adore the cold and snow landscape, the hearts, the bunnies, the colors, the joy. Hope2017 is an uphill to happiness for you and family and it all gets sorted and you can move into a new kind of life with less going on. Kisses for Maddie and Pete too. xox

sheila 77 said...

Really great artwork Erika, I remember many of them. I loved the crazy bunnies, then and now, and your sweet owls.