Recycle, collage and a bit more drawing before sliding into a painting

The first two images here are a combination of cutting up and pasting bits of the last drawings and filing in where needed by doing some new drawing. I'm hoping that will shake out the cobwebs and get me thinking about something new.

I thought it was a good sign when I sat down and drew this on the back of one of the other letters. I kept switching back and forth between between pencils and markers to see which results I liked better and all I really decided is that I'm ready to go back to painting. Now that I'm ready I just need to decide between watercolors, liquid or tube acrylic paints and knives or brushes.

So far I'm leaning toward heavy body tube acrylics and painting knives, it just feels SOOOO good!!!

Envelope Art

Colored pencil and markers decorate a couple of the envelopes for the outgoing mail today. There were drawings on each page of the letters too but I'd written on them and didn't want to scan all of that in with the drawings.

I continue to design for Cafe press and Zazzle but spent most of today cleaning off and sorting "stuff" at the worktable so that I'll have room to get some painting done.

Everything changes when the weather does so I need to work on some of the larger paintings before I get started out in the garden. The first art and craft projects out in the yard this year will be painting the arbor and some of the lawn furniture, After that I'll move on to carving and sanding Dala Horses.

As always it will be a busy summer, short in this part of the country but well anticipated and enjoyed.

Project updates

The week slipped by quickly as I worked on designs in the stores. The letter and number designs became stationery, coffee mugs, Birthday cake picks, party balloons and many other things. It was a good opportunity to find out which sorts of designs and drawings work best on them and gave me ideas of what sorts of things I'd do with the idea in the future.

As always, there's mail. I drew this on a postcard one lovely morning when I got to sit by the fireplace at the bagel shop and indulged in some drawing and letter writing while my companions chatted about other things.
Yes, I know, we cold have that conversation about the lack of social skills in the world today but I simply chose to enjoy a rare opportunity to sit by the fire as spring approaches.

Another fun thing in the mail this week is that I spent about two dollars american on a set of markers so they'll brighten things up for a while.

I didn't get around to scanning a lot of it but thought I'd answer a question the I get a lot. Yes, I do draw a little something everyday. Much more often than I paint.

With the design work I've been doing lately I'm trying to decide which types of media work best. Each seems to have it's own benefits and challenges.

I started designing products on Zazzle with one of my Dads drawings and am currently getting more of my sister's paper cutting ready to join him there.

Down the Garden Path

It's been a VERY long winter and I'd been missing the garden so much that I got a bit carried away adding more and more flowers to this little painting.

Between Projects and Looking for Inspiration

I haven't quite discovered where my paints will take me next but I've spent most of the last week creating products in my stores with my artwork from the letter and number project and organizing my work area.

The only drawing and painting going on has been for my mail and I haven't bothered scanning most of that. Here's some from the last day or so.

 This was on the corner of an envelope.

Today I thought it would be nice to paint a card that's part bookmark as well. Several of the people that I write to are also avid readers and can always use an extra bookmark.

I'll let you know what the gal I sent it to thought of it as soon as I hear from her again.

Cutting up Drawings and Photos to Create New Work

I made this card to recycle everything and to share my garden in a new way.

Can you tell that I'm passionate about my garden? The first person to see the finished collage commented on my "little magic world"

I couldn't resist doing another one. This one is a Birthday card for a friend.

Letter and number project update

It turns out that no one was as excited about this project as I was. I enjoyed designing products with some of the images on them but there haven't been any sales and the gal I was going to give all of the originals to( so that she could use them on the banners she makes) didn't want them so as always I'll sit down with scissors and tape to see what I can make of them.

 I learn something from each project attempted and spin that into the next so things could get interesting yet.

Parting shots

Here are a few photos of the first Dala Horse I ever painted. It was nice to have it visit the studio again and I'll be returning it to the current owner later this week.

I think I got some much better photos of it this time, in a number of different angles and I may be able to create something interesting with the pictures as well.

I was surprised to see how long it's been since I've posted here but that letter and number project turned out to be much larger than I expected it to be and I did SOOOO much drawing that I ended up with several pencils that were too short to put into the pencil sharpener anymore. I used up several colors of pencils and went through three marking pens which was a bit of a surprise because I hadn't realized that I was so fond of outlining so many areas of my drawings.

I never did get around to the series of drawings or paintings that I wanted to base on this horse but it was nice to have it around for a while and I can always work from photos if I get in the mood for it.

You just never know where life will lead you and it's nice to look up from your work once in a while and see where it's gone when you weren't looking.

I'm cleaning off my worktable now and sorting out my art supplies as I try to decide what I'll be working on next. As always I'm excited by the possibilities and looking forward to the adventure. Running out of a lot of colors doesn't worry me, it just forces me to try new combinations and see where they'll take me.