PPF: Painting from Inspiration

I've worked my way through the wonderful free class "Finding Your Muse" by Alisa Burke. She suggests unplugging and finding some things that inspire you by going out for a photo walk or a sketchbook ramble. I find the unplugging really hard, but it's definitely something I need to do more often. Although I didn't get out to take any fresh pictures, I turned to my existing photo files to select some photos that really inspire me.  I found this picture of daisies. I love the soft blur juxtaposed with the sharpness of some of the petals. Love the intensity of the colors. The next step is the process suggested by Alisa is to actually do something with your inspirational starting point.  So, I took out my acrylic paints and made this art journal page:

It's one of the first paintings I've ever made where I didn't start with a sketch.  I just started laying down color in appropriate shapes.  It came together quickly, and I really like how it turned out.  For you painters out there, do you usually start with sketch or do you start with color? And for the rest of you, where do you find inspiration?  Come back tomorrow and see my "ten on the tenth" post with some more photographs that I find inspiring. For today, check out this link to see other painters participating in Paint Party Friday's Celebration of One Year of PPF!  

Modigliani Challenge

Ayala, who hosted the 29 Faces Challenge in February is hosting a Modigliani Challenge in March.  The idea is to choose four Modigliani paintings and reproduce them.  I think it's an intriguing idea, and I selected these four paintings:

I'm looking forward to giving this a try, but I have to admit that I'm not sure what the results will be like.  One of the best classes I ever took was a class taught by Dina Wakley where we drew inspiration from various artists.  I'm not sure if I'll go for true reproductions r work on drawing inspiration.  We'll see what happens.  Either way, it's truly a challenge and a stretch for me, which I think is a good thing.  When was the last time you really stretched your artistic muscles?

Mosaic Butterfly Mini Album (March Monthly Make)

I'm trying to work my way through a variety of project kits I have purchased over the years, so I joined the Felt Fairy's Monthly Make Project.  For March, I decided to make a cute little mini-album from Club Scrap.

You start with one piece of 12x12 printed paper, which you fold, cut, and fold again until it turns into an accordion album.  The paper had a garden theme, in purple and greens.

The project kit left the cover design up to the artist, so I decided to make some mosaic butterflies using this fabulous technique featured on Tim Holtz's blog.

While I was playing, I made two extras.  I'm keeping this red one:

But I'm sending this purple one to Deb for her Butterfly Project (read more here). While you're at it, you might want to check out my cousin Irene's wonderful post about the Project, her visit to the Houston Museum and her fabulous stained glass butterflies (click here to read it).

In making the butterflies, I followed Tim's instructions pretty closely, although I just traced the butterflies onto grungeboard because I don't have any of the dies.  I then cut a piece of wonder tape around the right size, attached it to the grungeboard and trimmed. I used liquid platinum embossing powder instead of cement. I also used highly textured pieces of paper for my mosaic (most of them were extra backgrounds made in technique classes).  I love how they turned out.
Have you tried Tim's technique yet? Made any butterflies? Doing the Monthly Make? If so, feel free to add a link, and I'll be sure and stop by.

New Classes, New Blogs, and OLW Weekly Check-In

I wanted to share a few new things at the start of this new week.  First, I'm starting an online class offered by Strathmore. They have a series of three classes, and they're free! You can check them out at this link.  Although I signed up for all three classes, I didn't (yet) do anything with the first one - Doodles by Traci Bautista.  She's a super nice person (I was lucky enough to meet her a few times) and wildly creative, so I do hope to get back to it at some time.  I just started Class #2 on watercolor technique, and I'll definitely learn a lot from it!   I made the art journal page up top earlier this week to celebrate my birthday, and this cute little thank-you card:

The third class (force drawing) intrigues me - it will be interesting to see what it entails.
I also plan to work my way through the new free online class by Alisa Burke called Finding your Muse.  You can check it out here.
Anyway, if you're looking for some new creative inspiration, check these out. The price is definitely right!
I also wanted to share links to some of the cool blogs I found during Ayala's 29 Faces Challenge.  The first one is Ayala Art, hostess of the challenge.  She's super sweet and very talented. The second one is Nordljus, owned by Katja in Switzerland.  I love finding blogs from other countries which give me a sense of traveling there. Katja's painting and photography do just that.  Finally, check out Miz Katie, a wonderful painter who has been blind in one eye since birth. I'm not sure if this is what gives her art such an interesting perspective or not, but I definitely love her style.
How about you? Got anything new to share? Anyone taking the new class offered by Shimelle (Hitchhiker's Guide to Scrapbooking)? What about the new Ali Edwards Workshop Five?
Thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday for Storytelling Sunday.  To answer your questions, no the photographs were not taken with my new camera. They were taken before I made the purchase.  I have started experimenting with my new camera, but I haven't yet figured out how to download them to my computer (!!!). When I do, I will be featuring my March monthly make.  Also, the boys did win the baseball game! It was a good day.
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Weekly OLW Check-In.  This week, I cleaned out the two storage sheds in the side yard.  Threw out a variety of rusty garden tools; about two dozen deflated balls [you name it, we had it - baseball, soccer, volleyball, Irish football (yes, Henry played a season or two of this sport, also known as Gaelic football, in a San Francisco league; and, yes, he was good at it), basketball, dodge ball, etc. ]; lots of plastic sand toys; leftover hot tub supplies; and assorted other outdoor/garden stuff. I'm readying up the yard because when Deb hosts her pot luck/recipe exchange blog hop later this month (sign up information here), I'll be welcoming everybody out back.  

Storytelling Sunday: Squeeze Play

From Wikipedia:
In baseball, the squeeze play is a maneuver consisting of a sacrifice bunt with a runner on third base. The batter bunts the ball, expecting to be thrown out at first base, but providing the runner on third base an opportunity to score. . . . In a safety squeeze, the runner at third does not take off until the batter makes contact bunting, waiting for more certainty that the ball will go to a location from which it will be difficult for the fielding team to make an out at home plate. In a suicide squeeze, the runner takes off as soon as the pitcher begins to throw the pitch, before releasing the ball. If properly executed, a play at home plate is extremely unlikely. However, if the batter fails to make contact with the pitch, the runner is likely to be put out at home plate (hence, "suicide"). Therefore, the suicide squeeze usually requires a skilled bunter who can make contact consistently, even on difficult pitches, and a confident, aggressive base runner. These plays are often used in the late innings of a close game in order to score an insurance, winning, or tying run.

Suicide Squeeze all the way . . . 

And safe at home. For the go-ahead run.  Nice!
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This story, in pictures and words, is brought to you as part of Sian's Storytelling Sunday. For more great stories, check out this link.

Off the pitch and back to the diamond

My son Henry's high school soccer season has ended (although he's still playing with his club team), and his high school baseball season is underway.  He's the good looking one, third from the right without a hat on.  Come back tomorrow for a baseball story, in words and pictures, as part of Sian's Storytelling Sunday.
P.S. for those of you curious about my big decision, I got the camera! Will start playing with it and posting results soon.

PPF: Faces 18-21 (and stamp give away winner)

It's the first Paint Party Friday of March, and I'm posting the last of my faces from the 29 21 Faces Challenge run in February by Ayala.  I really like this one - I think she'll be a recurring figure in my art journals.  The journaling is a letter to my daughter, inspired by the song "I won't give up on us" by Jason Mraz. (Don't know who Jason Mraz is? Check out my friend Carrie's blog, and you'll become a fan).  By the way, thanks so much for all your good wishes last week on parenting a teenage daughter.

Things definitely are getting better with her, although since she's so much on my mind, she keeps popping up in my art journaling. This page is called "learning to fly," and I enjoyed incorporating some rubons and drawing on a piece of patterned paper.
But not all my faces are serious. Here's a quirky pair that I made using the water color technique I learned in the 101 Faces class. Except that I used acrylic paint instead.  It was a little more difficult to get a result I liked.  But of the ten face blobs I started with, these two managed to capture my imagination:

I call them Guido and Sluggo.  I'm sure they have a story to tell.
Finally, my last face for the month.  

It's an art journal page. Acrylic paint with rub ons. Not sure where the inspiration came from, but I ended up liking the strength and confidence in it.
Although I only managed 21 faces, instead of 29, I'm really glad I participated in the challenge and really appreciate the inspiration given by Ayala, as well as the opportunity to meet some new blog friends. And I'll definitely keep drawing faces in my art journals and other places. If you want to check out some of the other 29 Faces artists, check out this link.
And, the other paint party participants are here.
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Finally, congratulations to Beverly of BEGlorious on winning my March Stamp Give Away!  Beverly, email me with your mailing address. If you would like to win some new or gently used stamps, check in on April 1 for the next set.