50 Canvases in 2014 -- Canvas #4

HA! Canvas #4 is finished many, MANY days EARLY!!! It helps that I started working on it while I was working on Canvas #3. What can I say, gesso takes a long ass time to dry.

This time around the challenge was issued to Let it Drip. And there was a audible sigh heard 'round the world when I read those words. If anyone remembers the non-success I had with the whole free form watercolors thing from Anti-Journal Week 2, you will understand why I sighed. LOL Again, time to (wo)man up and embrace the adventure. :D I did, however, go about the whole 'drip' thing in a different way this time around.



I really like her. Her wild, pink hair, the dripping 'rain', etc. The only thing I'm not super fond of is the words. I like them, I'm don't love them. I wish that the pictures showed more true to the actual painting. She's really pretty. LOL

Anyway, there's my Canvas #4. Finished. DAYS ahead of schedule. :D If you would like to join in the 50 Canvases Challenge with me and the others that are participating, just check out the post on Wonderstrange for details.

I can't wait to see what's next!

50 Canvases in 2014 -- Canvas #3

So, I learned a few things about myself with this third canvas. The challenge was to do something dimensional. Sarah's example is AMAZING. Mine, not so much. I like it. I don't love it. I may work on it some more. Maybe. I'm just not a huge fan of it. I was, however, a huge fan of using up some of the 'stuff' I have laying around here. That was awesome. Destashing feels great sometimes. And, BONUS, I have completed 3 canvases :D



It needs more of something. I've haven't figured out what yet. I'm thinking some black paint and maybe some glitter. Hell, everything's better with black paint and glitter. Pretty sure I might just be seeing what that does for me tomorrow. Yep. Pretty dang sure.

Anyway, if you would care to join in on the 50 Canvases in 2014 Challenge, you can check out the details HERE on the Wonderstrange blog. And I will definitely be posting the end result of my alterations to Canvas #3 when it is finished. ;)

50 Canvases in 2014 -- Canvas #2

Oddly enough, I'm not super great on the follow thru when it comes to things like running commitments that have no necessary deadlines or don't absolutely have to be done. I have so much going on that if it is not an absolute must do, I just never manage to stick with it. Which brings me to the WHOO HOO! of it all.
Say it with me -- I FINISHED MY SECOND CANVAS OF THE 50! Unh Huh! That's right!

Anyway, enough of that. LOL For the second week, Sarah (the Wonderstrumpet) challenged us to use something that we have never used before for this week's canvas. You can check out the original post over at the Wonderstrange blog. While you're over there, check out some of the other awesomeness going on. Ann made a cute little crochet headband. The canvas Sarah made for week 3 is AWWWWWWWEEEEESOME! Every single week Ann lists a new way to decorate your house with all the amazing artwork you create. Etc. Seriously, these amazing artists are working their tales off sharing what they know and challenging everyone to be their creative best. As well as operating their own businesses and taking care of their families. They ROCK so hard.

Back to the canvas showing!

This week, for the challenge, I used something I had never used before. Taking inspiration from Sarah's circus family canvas, I used duct tape and tiny trim tapes to mask off sections of the canvas I had prepped with a coat of matte white acrylic. I've never used tape in my painting before and found out that there is a bit of a learning curve. Perhaps I just didn't use the right one, but there was A TON of 'cleaning up' around the edges that I had to do after it had dried because the paint had bled under the edges of the tape. So, using it for stripes that don't need exact definition, probably okay. Using it for crisp, defined lines, not so much. LOL Whatevs. I survived.

And I LOVE my little Goth girl! Especially her little ear :D

The text on the left is a verse from the song 'American Pie' by Don Mclean. I have always loved that song, even with it being 9 minutes and a million verses long. It gives me goosebumps and makes me tear up every single time I listen to it. So, I spent about 9 hours searching thru pages of text for the words to one of the verses (and using cut out letters to make the words that the pages didn't have). It was truly a labor of love and I am so pleased with the way it turned out.


I know the pictures aren't super great (she doesn't look that 'harsh' in real life LOL) but I can't figure out how to make them any different. LOL And, honestly, I get to look at the real thing every day, so I'm good with that.

If you want to join in the challenge (and I seriously think you should), check out Wonderstrange for the details. Sarah posts a new canvas post on Thursdays (Week 3 looks AWESOME, but it is going to be a 'break out of the box' challenge for sure. LOL). They post stuff every day of the week, so there's always something new. Look around, you're sure to find something to join in on. I promise. If you do join in one of the activities, be sure that you go back and post a link somewhere so that I can see it.

On to #3!

50 Canvases in 2014 -- Canvas #1

Last time I mentioned that I had decided to participate in the 50 Canvases in 2014 challenge over at Wonderstrange. I actually have a bunch of canvas paper and canvas boards and a couple of stretched canvases lying around just waiting to be painted on. So this challenge is actually perfect.

I just finished up the first of the 50 and I really like it. It even has the 3 stencils that Sarah gave as a challenge (Although you really can't see them. Other than the bubbles.) I did purposely cover one of them up completely because I HATED it that much. LOL The canvas itself was a stretch for me as it is larger than anything I've ever painted (11" X 14") before. Not only that, but the fact that I haven't painted more than just a couple of things in about 3 years made it a bit difficult (I'm sure that someone else would have breezed right thru and done a much better job, but this is my adventure. I'm going with it.) At one point, the oldest girlchild told me it looked like a 'cute ChibiSealMonkey'. Whatever that is. And I'm pretty sure I've heard enough "But where are her arms?", or some variation of that phrase, to last me a lifetime (I suck at arms. She's armless. I'm okay with that. It's my painting and I'll paint them if I want to. Which, I don't.)
Anyway, first one done. On to the next thing.



Again, the picture is not the greatest, but it's there. I say her expression looks sad, everyone else says it's probably 'cuz she has no arms. Whatever.

Next week the canvas is going to be much, much smaller. And the painting will be much, much differenter (What?!??! It's a word. I just said it. That makes it a word.)

Should anyone decide they want to join in, you are more than welcome to. Check out the challenge for details (and an awesome video by Sarah) and just jump right in. No worries, no pressure. :D

Word of the Year 2014 and Blogging with Purpose

About a week ago, I acknowledged my Word of the Year for 2014 as being Adventure and decided to commit myself (and my girlchildren) to living out the next year embodying all that that word brings into our lives. It is not going to be the easiest thing in the world for us because we are not adventurous by nature and tend to live our lives by a set of routine ‘rules’ so to speak. But we are willing to embrace the newness that is the coming year and live out that time to the fullest of our adventurous potential. And I shall blog about it, here. :D

Adventure can mean a lot of different things to different people. Simply put it is an exciting or unusual experience. It may also be a bold, usually risky, undertaking with an uncertain outcome. A lot of times people think that adventure solely implies travel or going new places. But, to me, adventure just means experiencing new things and embracing them to the fullest potential of your spirit. And maybe some travel as well. ;)

So, stay tuned in 2014 to follow us on our year of adventure. There will be lots of postings and pics too. We’re excited to start 2014 right, so our adventure begins bright and early tomorrow morning. See you then!!