Drawing Challenge - Water

Frozen

Water for miles around here is still frozen

which influenced my creative interpretation of 'water' 

this week's drawing challenge theme. 

To see more WATER works,

please visit Patrice A

Birdlike Scribbles

I have a new little accordion book 

to share with you.

It is made with a bit of collage and paint 

that I drew some birds and botanical bits over top of

and is decorated on both sides.

A Shelter Amongst the Storm

I have been very busy with work lately.

It gives me headaches which still stem back to a concussion I received over 2 years ago.

It takes me so much energy to keep it all orgainized in my brain.

So I came home and created this little book.

I collaged, and painted and stamped and drew and scribbled.

I didn't think as I created.

I just did it.

and I can now see once again

that creating is my shelter amongst my storm.

I Spy - More Winged Tales

Winged Tales was a series of books I created for an exhibition. 

And today I thought I would share my artist statement that goes with the exhibition. 

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It started with birds.

Each with their own story.

Birds of my daily wanderings.

Birds in books portrayed by early explorers.

Northern Birds…. Extinct Birds….. Tropical Birds….. Fictional Birds.

A variety of winged beauties, wanting their tales to continue.

And so I drew them.

These drawings collided with dictionary pages and tea bags,

Which in turn collided with my handmade books.

Books to tuck these birds inside - A way perhaps to keep them safe.

Safe from the wind turbines, airplane propellers,

skyscrapers, habitat loss, and even my windows in the woods.

Birds and their stories tucked away to keep them safe.

Oh how I wish it was so easy.

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This is one of the smaller books I made.

It is called 'I Spy'

And each page has a circle with a bird inside the circle. 

On every other page I punched a circle hole in the paper 

and inserted the bird so that it is a transparency - and can be viewed from either side.

It is just a little glimpse 

into their stories.

Bird Eggs - Overflow Project #2

Another overflow project from my Winged Tales work

were these 'Bird Eggs'

I thought about making these when

I was busy making the books

but they had to wait until all the books were made

and until I had some time.

I am so glad they waited,

as sometimes these ideas just slip away 

before there is time to play with them. 

Once the eggs were made,

I had such fun playing with them

and taking some photos.

Paper Love Blog Hop

Oh yes I love paper, and  lately the type I am often using is tea bag paper.

           Once I have enjoyed my tea I let the tea bag dry and empty out the tea and open it up.

                                                                           

This accordion book is one of my recent creations with tea bag paper 

I have used torn pieces of tea bag paper glued onto watercolour paper 

on which I added some drawing, paint, and ink marks to. 

I have used tea bag paper on many creations in the past few years. 
And suspect I will continue to use them for quite some time.

The PaperLove Blog Hop is a celebration of all things paper!  Follow the links to discover more bloggers who love paper and use it to inspire and delight.

And if you want to explore a whole world of paper, and stretch your paper passion further with a host of creative projects, why not join the innovative new online course PaperLove (starts March 31).  Led by artist Rachel Hazell, PaperLove is a five

week creative adventure for paper lovers.

Find out more here.

Majo Bautista / Tona Bell / Louise Best / Cathy Bluteau / Jennifer Bomgardner / Giova Brusa / Lindsay Buck / Beka Buckley / Joanna Caskie / Jonathan Chapman (Mr Yen) / Halle Cisco / Sarah Clare / Cathryn Clarge / Dawn Clarkson / Rhiannon Connelly / Jenny D'Fuego / Molly Dhiman / Ian Dudley / Ayisatu Emore / Akmal Farid / Monika Forsberg / Claire Fritz-Domeney / Louise Gale / Chrissy Gaskell / Julie Hamilton / Emma Hawman / Rachel Hazell / Holly Helgeson / Claudine Hellmuth / Kim Henkel / Sarah Hoffman / Joanne Hus / Paula Joerling / Beth Kempton / Julie Kirk / Eos Koch / Katie LaClair / Kristy Lankford / Michelle Manolov / Doreen Marts / Rosie Martinez-Dekker / Tori Mears / Maria Mederios / Lise Meijer / Debbie Miller / MaryJane Mitchell / Suzy Naidoo / Grace Noel / Hannah Nunn / Camilla Olsson / Jo Packham / Rachelle Panagarry / Monette Pangan / Melanie Paul / Nicole Piar / Jen Pitta / Liz Plummer / Julie Reed / Michelle Reynolds / Lisa Rivas / Angee Robertson / Natalie Ryan / Aisling Ryan / Elisabet Sapena / Kyrrha Sevco / Jamie Sprague / Elizabeth Steele / Terri Stephens / Juniper Stokes / Mary Tanana / Maike Thoma / Linda Tieu / Gabrielle Treanor / Tammy Tutterow / Deborah Velasquez / Jordan Vinograd Kim / Cat Whipple / Brooke Witt / Katie Wood / Amelia Woodbridge

Forest Girl

It has been a long time since I have joined in the weekly drawing challenge.

This weeks prompt was 'hair'

And my girl's hair came straight from the forest. 

While I was working on it, I kept hearing Mary Oliver's beautiful poem in my head. 

Sleeping In The Forest

I thought the earth remembered me, she

took me back so tenderly, arranging

her dark skirts, her pockets

full of lichens and seeds. I slept

as never before, a stone

on the riverbed, nothing

between me and the white fire of the stars

but my thoughts, and they floated

light as moths among the branches

of the perfect trees.  All night

I heard the small kingdoms breathing

around me, the insects, and the birds 

who do their work in the darkness. All night

I rose and fell, as if in water, grappling

with a luminous doom. By morning

I had vanished at least a dozen times

into something better.

- Mary Oliver

Which made me want to see what she looked like in my fig tree. 

For more interpretation of 'hair' make sure to visit the blog of  tiny WOOLF

Overflow #1

As I was working on the books for my Winged Tales exhibition, 

(see posts from Feb 6 to Feb 21 for more images)

I had many ideas for other items I wanted to make with my little bird collection of drawings. 

Many card designs came to mind.

This set is made with tiny birds on pieces of painted dictionary pages, 

cut into a small circle

and placed on watercolour paper. 

While this set is birds on 

small circles of tea bag paper.

Other overflow makings are also in the making.