Art Journals: My New Love

Writing a post after 3 long weeks.... yes, you can say I have been ignoring the blog. Quite a bit. And I have my reasons...

The sultry heat of the past few days is making me listless and unwilling to  go through the whole process of taking pictures, downloading and sorting them, and creating blog posts. And then my readers don't seem to share any enthusiasm either; there was hardly any response to my call for ideas in the last post. So why write when no one reads! So there.... every girl has got to vent sometimes, what say?!?

Well, I write these posts most of all for myself, for my satisfaction, for keeping a virtual record of all the work I do. And that is why here I am writing again...

In the last month or so I have fallen hook, line and sinker for the joys of art journaling. Since you cannot put every little idea on to a canvas straightaway, these art journals come to the rescue. They help hold an album of tips, tricks, techniques and experiences.... and of course, great quotes!

I have started with a folding journal, pictures of which I'll share with you soon.... when I complete all its panels. The picture you see today is from that same journal, made earlier this month on the occasion of World Environment Day.

 Making an art journal is so much fun because you get to work on something new each day. And since the size isn't too large, you actually can finish a piece in a single sitting, something that is impossible to do with larger paintings. Do check out Google and YouTube for some amazing art journal lessons, and get hooked yourself! :)

Approaching Milestone Alert

Hey readers, have something exciting to share with you!!.....  In just about two months from now, I will be hitting another milestone. Yippee!!!

My journey with the paintbrush started way back in July 2009, and I just realized that I have now been painting for 5 years at a stretch.... and that surely is something to celebrate! Never thought I'd last 5 weeks when I started. :)

I was flipping through the blog archives when I remembered that though the blog and my passion for bottle painting started much earlier, it took me a while to work up the courage to put brush to paper. A quick scroll down the dates revealed my hunch was right - I created my first painting much after my other experiments. So while the blog is into its sixth year, my foray into painting will complete five years this July!

 

My first painting - The Lotus Ganesha

(Acrylic on paper)

Isn't that a real good reason to celebrate? So here is where you, dear readers, have a part to play. I want your help to decide how best to celebrate this milestone? - Plan a sale, hold a giveaway, or hold a blog party? What would excite you the most?

Go on, give me those ideas. Or at least tell me which idea of mine appeals to you the most. We have just about two months to set this up.... so hurry up and fire away the comments!

Eternal Spring

A mixed media piece this time that says "In my heart lies eternal spring".... the piece is such an amalgamation of techniques and motifs that I'm not sure the picture will do justice to its varied nuances.

Maybe a list of the techniques I used to create this will help those of you who want to try something similar. So here goes... this piece includes:

1. Paper collaging, acrylic washes and stamping with real leaves for the background effects.
2. Stenciling (with handmade stencils and homemade modelling paste) for the raised effects in the foreground.
3. Then come the special effects that capture the essence of Spring - like the paper-torn sun in the right corner.... representing the life giver, the force that induces life to spring afresh; the butterflies and ladybirds placed strategically around the piece that are so symptomatic of spring blooms; bright coloured flower accents and real pressed flowers placed all over.
4. 3-D outliners to add specific accents like the butterfly feelers.

As a final touch, I pasted the quote in the lower left side, and voila!.... the piece was ready.

The beauty of mixed media lies in its undercoats, things that go into the background and only show up partially in the final scheme of things. They add a sense of mystique and the layered look gives a certain depth to the final piece.

Anyone wanting a similar mixed media piece for brightening up your walls, write to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com and gift your abode some happiness.

For A Little Hope And Loving

Carrying on with my recent foray into paper collaging alongside acrylics, I created a couple of paintings last month based on another favourite flower - the poppy. Only this time I added some lettering to the pieces to give forth a message.

So this first painting has the words 'Hope' showing up. Somehow the colours and message in this one remind me of Easter; only lilies would have been more appropriate instead of a poppy. The special bit in this painting - the black speckles that you see in the middle of the flower are done with paper. Yes, it was painstakingly done and required loads of patience. :) But as they say, when you love something, it doesn't feel like work at all.

The second painting carries a message we should all imbibe in our lives. Especially in these days when big words like Secularism and Tolerance are being bandied around to get some extra votes at the polls. But of course, Love is something we all need to open our hearts to, and this doesn't just refer to romantic love. Enough moralising! The distinctive feature of this painting - the leaves are imprints of real poppy leaves from my garden. I love how they have come out....

Let me know if you would like to have one of these, or something similar; write in to me at creativerumblings@gmail.com. Hope you've noticed the new Twitter link in the right panel. Go on.... show me some tweet love too @CreativeRumbles! And while you are at it, carry on with some hope and lots of loving....

On The Window Sill

Anyone who has been a reader of this blog would know about my penchant for nasturtiums. Every winter they are all over my garden, adding colour to the greens and joy to our hearts.

So how could I not paint them this season again? I'm including the original picture just to give you all a sense of how and where I get my inspirations!

This time I have used a knife instead of my brushes, and added paper collaging to achieve the effects in the background. Just love the outcome! Whaddya say, dear readers?

Abstract Landscapes

I have been working on a series of abstract landscapes, the kinds that begin with a blank mind and a mark on the paper. You have no clue about what is going to emerge, where you are headed. You just make a random start and then go as your instinct guides you.

The first one started with sticking bits of plain paper on the sheet at random. I had no specific scheme in mind.... just tore and stuck those bits wherever I felt like. Then I picked up some black paint and laid down a few casual strokes in between those paper bits. It looked a bit dull, so I added red to spice things up. Still nothing emerged.... Next came the printed paper bits, followed by the orange streaks and bubble wrap prints. Then I was on a roll; added all the other colours and finally stepped back to have a look. To finish off, added the scratches with my knife at the bottom and there was a landscape ready before my eyes!

The second one started by making black marks with the sides of a bottle cap..... yes, those marks that now appear as tree trunks. Then came the plain paper bits, followed by arbitrary strokes in blue, green and mustard. Still I was clueless as to where this piece was heading, so I picked up my knife and scraped on some purple paint. Added the blues and then I suddenly knew how I wanted to end it all. Added the greens with a sponge and the whites, and another landscape emerged.

This process is so magical that you actually have to try this yourself to understand the surprises it holds. Go on, make one yourself.... and remember, you don't need brushes or a good hand to create an abstract. Anything can be used as a tool; all that matters is a passionate heart!

The Yellow Lilies

Isn't it amazing how inspiration can strike you anytime, anywhere. The most innocuous event or occurrence can become the source of a painting, or a series even.

A few days back a friend posted some photos on Facebook.... of a bouquet of yellow lilies that she received on her birthday. She is a flower lover and so clicked pictures of the bouquet from various angles as they sat in a vase, probably on her table. One look at those pictures and I was hooked; I just had to paint those gorgeous lilies, bright and cheerful yellow, with their upturned faces spreading sunshine and happiness.

I got to work on the sketches almost immediately, and within a week had a bunch of lily paintings ready. As I started to paint I was struck by the idea of using new techniques. So first I let go of my brushes and picked up plastic knives instead. These knives are given out by a local baker whenever we order special cakes. :) What a fabulous tool they make! Next I returned to my old love of paper collaging and used that technique for the background.

 

The result? A set of fantastic lily paintings.... all because of those few photos on Facebook! :)

Now I'm working on a series of florals, taking liberal inspiration from the beautiful blooms in my garden. Will share all the pictures once I am done. Paper collaging has also led to some abstract landscapes but you all will get a glimpse of that in my next post.