Number 40 or 41: Inspired by...

-
I've been taking LifeBook 2018 this year, dipping my toe in where I have been really caught by one of the themes, or the teacher's lesson for that week. This was the case with Ivy Newport's lesson last week.

The floating blue hair of one of the figures on her art journal spread really captured my attention. In the end, I believe I followed along a little too closely and came really close to declaring that I wouldn't count it, but instead I am choosing to acknowledge the influence of Ivy's lesson as you will see in a short while. Hers was a two page spread. I used an image from Unsplash as a reference for a portrait that dominated the page. I followed along with Ivy's collaging and using watercolor. (She also used acrylic paint, but I only brought a Posca paint pen along with me for fine details.)

I spent the weekend away and this came with me. I had prepped the page before we left with gesso (mostly covering wipe-off paint underneath).


Then I collaged and prepped the page to accept watercolor as that's all I was taking with me on the trip.

I used a Lyra pencil to sketch out the face and put down the first layers of watercolor.


Then the blue hair and more shadows and wiped away some of the paint (which came off rather too easily so who knows how will this paint will actually stay stuck to the page) to reveal the blue flowers hidden in her hair.


It really tears at me after I complete a piece and then realize I didn't pause long enough to find my own way. I mean, I am not at the stage of copying any more and yet, occasionally, I find myself falling back into it. And you know what? I think that is okay so long as I acknowledge the heck out of it. Which I am. And then take a look at what really worked for me and what didn't.

And because I am choosing to count this one, I've also decided to include a self-portrait that followed along with Tamara Laporte's LifeBook lesson earlier in the year.


This leaves me 10 portraits to complete in my challenge!

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment.

Popular posts from this blog

Where Bloggers Create Party!

-
Image
My Desert Cottage Not much has changed in my art room since last year . I had a substantial to-do list this year and I didn't quite get to all of them. Here's what was on my "to-do" that got t'done: 1) I made pretty labels for my binders: 2) I cleaned out my closet. (There is no before picture: just imagine stacks of boxes, giant plastic containers and the like.) The closet now holds some stamp storage (off to the side behind the purple velvet dress that's hanging; a chest of drawers packed with fabric (now consolidated into one space except for another drawer in last year's pink chest of drawers); and a sacred space. The wall has book pages taped onto it. I got the idea and the technique from Aunt Peaches . Eventually, the small stained glass cross will move and be above the ombry that I have on permanent loan (currently holding my prayer books and a bible), which is a bit of a long story, but basically when I no longer have a use f...
Read more

"where there is darkness, light" - Prayer of St. Francis series

-
Image
Today's guest blogger is Joe Pote. As a s tudent of the Bible since early childhood, Joe was literally raised in church, attending multiple church services and Bible studies each week. Having also endured the devastation of a failed marriage, Joe combines a sound understanding of biblical principles with personal experience of the issues and concerns of believers who have experienced divorce.  He would like for you to visit his website .  I sat huddled at my desk, face pressed into palms supported by elbows propped on desktop, staring into the darkness of my own hands…feeling the darkness pressing in from all sides.   The work day was ended.  It was time to go home, a brief ten minute walk from the office.  Yet, I lingered, dreading home…knowing the unfixable problems waiting there…praying that God would show me what to do. My four beautiful children waited at home, bright lights in my life, who I was always pleased to see.  But their mother also ...
Read more

Where Bloggers Create Party II: My Room 2010 (with lots of pictures)

-
Image
I'm excited to be joining the Where Bloggers Create Party for the first time. I discovered it last year, ages after it happened and I literally spent the day looking through them all! I hope you enjoy my space. The sign on my door. I made it as a make-and-take a couple of years ago. Here's an overall view of my room. You can't tell because of the lighting but the walls are not pink. They're pale lavender. The bookcase I bought from Target a year or two ago. It's "Shabby Chic". The bottom drawer holds my German scrap and the "transparent" stuff. The bookcase from Target that used to be under the window is now vertical. The addition to the top of pink chest of drawers is a library card file that was gonna be tossed from church until I rescued it. It holds rolls of seam binding and millinery. I might paint it next year.... Next to it is a tiered holder of mostly lace, but some feathers and flowers. The chest of drawers holds glue, large photos, fa...
Read more