Rocks and Botanical Bits

I have been playing with some rocks and botanical bits.

I love rocks on there own, and seem to be collecting many of them these days.  I also love botanical bits, and have been putting these two together (with bits of tea bags or old book page).

I love how they feel when I hold them.  Substantial, yet smooth, and if they have been in the sun they hold such warmth.

They stand at attention so nicely for me to take their pictures. 

This one got the special attention of an individual picture, as it is heading off to a new home tomorrow. 

I had such fun making these, and am sure there are more to come. 

Birds of a Feather

Some time ago I was asked to donate a piece of art to a fundraiser for breast cancer.  And this is what I made. 

The fundraiser is through the magazine Cloth Paper Scissors, and in this months magazine there is the above spread of artwork that gives information about it. If you look closely you can see my creation among the many lovely pieces. 

Here is a a picture of the full piece.  The bird part is created on a piece of matboard that is then mounted onto heavy watercolour paper. The bird is a drawing I did that I then transfered onto a tea bag and added bits of fabric, colour and textures too. 

   The items are for sale starting on August 28, through this website.  The fundraiser is through the National Breast Cancer Foundation. 

I didn't realize it at the time, but I used the same bird drawing on a piece I created this week. 

It was a fun piece I made for my collaging class (with Claudine Hellmuth)

Looks a bit like Super Bird to me.

Collage Again

This weeks lesson in collage was about vignettes. 

So I took a copy of a face I painted some time ago, and put it on a tea bag.  I then placed it on a page from an old book with elements both underneath the tea bag and on top. As seems to be in everything I work with  lately there are tea bags and botanical bits.

I then cropped the image on my computer and played....

Another fun project!

Pink & Orange

I am usually not a "pink" kind of girl.  And yet lately I have really enjoyed playing with pink and orange. 

Orange has been showing up in a lot of my photos.....

And surprisingly PINK showed up in this necklace I made recently.

It quite surprised me. 

Composition and Collage Take Two

I continue on in my collage making with the online course by Claudine Hellmuth. 

This collage took a long time, as I made many changes before it actually came together.  You can't read all of the words, as some are slightly covered, but it says  - everywhere she looked there were seeds of opportunity, she was ready to grow.  I used my typewriter to add the words, then added some handpainted paper and tea bags for the dots, and a few leafs.  I painted a copy of one of my bird drawings, and added some bits of tea bag and a wild sweet pea leaf that I had added some colour too. 

I like the way it turned out in the end.

And then I began work on this collage, lots of layers of tea bags, and a few botanical bits came together in this creation.  Although it too took me quite a bit of time, not as much as the bird and leaf one.   I have been working to keep these pieces kind of clean, but some of my messiness snuck into this piece.....  that is okay, as I still like it.

I added a mat around it

and can now call it finished.  I can't wait to work on the next one!

A Small Book

I love making books - especially small ones, and so when my art friend Norma was hosting "A Small Book" challenge, I wanted to join in the fun. 

I created a small accordian book with some bits of pressed flowers in it.

Here is the front closed

and the front when it is open.

And here is the back when open....

and closed.

I had so much fun making this little book!  To see other small books in this challenge, drop by Norma's  for the links.

Composition and Collage

I am taking an online "Composition for Collage" class with Claudine Hellmuth. It is week one of a 4 week class, and I have only managed to get one collage done. 

Claudine talked about collage being like a puzzle, and this one had me stumped for quite some time.

I changed just about all of the elements that I was working with from the time I started until it was finished.

But I was really happy with how it came together in the end.

Exploring

I have had a nice week spending some time with family, as well as doing small bits of creating.

The family went hiking at King's Throne Mountain this week. There is a trail that goes up to the cirque on the mountain.  I went part way, but as my head is still healing I am not supposed to do too much activity. 

I then played with the photo a bit on my computer.

And since I only had little bits of time I made a few ACEO's

This small size was fun to work on as I could do it in the bits and pieces of time I had this week.

As always I enjoy working with bits and pieces of nature that I pick up on my journeys around here.

There are a few more images in my Etsy shop if you are interested.

Many family members are still around, and I look forward to some time with them.  I will keep on creating though, and let you know what I am up to when I can.