an artful year

Is it really the end of December??? We say it every 12 months or so…”where did the year go?” And here I say it once again, looking at the calendar, and all that was accomplished this year. It’s been a full one, and a happy one….and it was filled with lots of art making too!

I’ve been so quiet here, because we’ve been in the middle of a huge project this last month. But I am happy to say that the hard work has paid off, and I have a beautifully renovated art space to work in! 

New floors, new paint, new lamps…and desks and tables and shelves rearranged to create a very lovely place…to create!

And create, I have! In the last week, I’ve worked on journal pages, gouache paintings on watercolor paper, and an acrylic painting on canvas. I am happy to say that my small gouache paintings, painted on postcard watercolor paper, are now available in my Etsy shop. You get two for the price of one, and free shipping in the U.S….a way to celebrate me having this brand new art space!

The Victorians – Emma and Elyse

Windswept and Wandering

Patience and Wisdom

All six are created on Strathmore Postcard Watercolor Paper, and can either be matted and framed, displayed on an easel, or sent as mail art to family or friends. 

It was fun to pull out my gouache paints (gouache – rhymes with wash) and make something bright and colorful. Gouache is a lot like watercolor, but it is more opaque in nature…or it can be thinned down to create more transparent washes of color. It is a fun medium to work with, and I would recommend trying it, if you haven’t already. It works really well with mixed media too, or for journal pages.  

As with the end of every year, I think about what is to come in the new one, don’t you? I know I will plan on more art making, especially now that I have this beautiful new space to create in. I plan to delve a bit more into watercolor, gouache, and acrylic painting…and explore a few more styles of art too. And as always, I will continue my education of artists of the past, as well as contemporary artists. Their art constantly inspires me to try new things! I hope to add some new things to my Etsy shop on a regular basis too, possibly even some jewelry and handmade travel books. These are all things that I am mulling over, for the new year. I’ve decided to hold off on teaching for a while, and concentrate on building up an inventory of artwork, and continue a series of paintings I started this year. A lot of prep work goes into teaching a class, whether it is for a small group, or a larger one. And for the time being, I need to focus my energy and my limited time, into honing my skills. I will rethink the teaching plans in the spring, and see where I might go from there.  

 As the year comes to a close, I hope you can look back and reminisce about happy times spent in 2011. Was it an artful year for you too? I hope so!

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I’ll be back soon, as the calendar flips over to 2012.

 

those stylish “Ladies of Fashion”

I’m at it again…

PAINTING!

I knew that I wasn’t quite finished with those Matisse-inspired paintings…so, this week, I pulled out my 5 x 7 canvases and worked on a few more.

Fleur (Flower) has beautiful blooms on her hat.

Au Bord De La Mer (At the Seaside)…another beauty at the beach, on a sunny day. Even her umbrella is stylish!

Le Plumage Rouge (The Red Feathers)…her winter cape and adorable hat make her the envy of the Parisian ladies. I used Matisse paintings as a springboard for these, using those bold colors that he was known for. For an artist who created in vintage sepia tones for a long while, this burst of color is just making me so happy. I hope they make you smile too!

These three newest paintings of the series, are now available in my Etsy shop    http://www.ArtcyLucy.Etsy.com

You will see another new listing there too…for two 4 x 4 inch acrylic paintings of farmhouses in Arles, France.

These were from Google Maps images…as I was armchair traveling, looking for inspiration, much like van Gogh did so many years ago. I found it here, amid the fields and trees. Charming little farmhouses nestled in the French countryside.

I’m not done painting yet…in fact, I am taking these two months off from teaching any art classes, so I can delve into my own art for a while. I am also taking some classes, exploring watercolor, and more collage, and more painting. I am also keeping several sketchbooks, where I am practicing some drawing skills, practicing faces, as well as sketching out some ideas for future paintings. It’s kind of a fun thing, to see a rough idea on paper, become a full blown colorful painting.

I’ll be back soon, to show you a few more things I am working on. In the meantime, I am enjoying the cooler weather (so much!), watching the leaves turn to beautiful colors, and thinking about what 2012 may bring. As far as my art goes…I hope I continue to be inspired by the artists around me, and artists past. I have so much to learn…but the process and progress have been great!

I hope you are enjoying the last months of this year!

 

Petite Pastels

There are some new little paintings in the Etsy shop…I call them Petite Pastels! They are 3  1/2 x 5 inches in size…a mix of oil pastels, acrylics, and pencils. They were so much fun to create, and they make cute little gifts for those who like handcrafted art that’s affordable. They are each original, and one of a kind.

***SOLD! Thank you!***

***SOLD! Thank you!***

I’ve also listed two of my 5 x 7 inch Matisse-inspired acrylic paintings. So, if you are looking for a unique gift for yourself, or a friend…take a look!

www.ArtcyLucy.Etsy.com

My goal is to list new items every week for the next two months. I’ve already started on some floral paintings, that I can’t wait to show you. And I hope to create some fresco-like paintings too…there are some interesting art materials I want to try in the next few months, so come back often, and see what I am up to!

Fall has finally arrived here in Northern California, and I am enjoying it so much already. I can’t wait for the leaves to turn…I hope you are enjoying the weather, in your part of the world too!

 

a month full of art!

This has been one BUSY month, but a good month! It has been packed with artful goodness too. It started with Matisse…and went from there!

A friend of mine, inspired me to do a little research on the artist Henri Matisse…so, I decided to try out some of his favorite subjects, and favorite colors…here’s what I came up with…

La Femme Au Chapeau Rouge (Woman with a Red Hat), is an acrylic painting on a 5 x 7 inch canvas. She is now displayed on a wall in a home, in Japan. But since I loved her so much…I wanted to create more Matisse-like paintings.

Marguerite Au Chapeau Rouge (Marguerite with Red Hat)

La Femme Au Chapeau Bleu (The Woman with Blue Hat)

Belle Rouse (Beautiful Redhead)

Not only was this a painting month, but I also had the chance to teach collage and mixed media art, to some lovely local ladies, who had seen my newspaper article.  It was so much fun, to share my love of art with them. I think that they too, will soon become addicted to this kind of art…it’s easy to fall in love with art that tells a story!

We created ATCs…

and I showed them how to expand on that idea, with creating triptych ATCs…three cards joined together, to make a standing piece of art.

Then we took it a step further, to create a little larger work of art. These collages are fun to do on vintage game cards, or with any kind of cardboard you have available. It’s a way to recycle and have fun at the same time.

I had another art student this month, who wanted to learn how to make mixed media collages with magazine images. We spent the whole day, elbow deep in papers, paints, images, embellishments…and created collages that tell a story. Using magazine images as a base, gives you a guide to work with…so, when you paint over the top, you aren’t starting from scratch. Then you build off of that, with more collage papers, paints, and writing.

I took a break from collage, and painted some sunflowers for a friend of mine. These are chunky wooden boards, so there is no need for a frame. Just paint, and hang on the wall. Sunflowers always make me happy…they are one of my favorite things to paint!

Late in the evening, when I am too tired to paint, I bring out my iPad, and use the SketchClub app. I love creating these sketches digitally. I am just learning how to use this app…but for $1.99,  it is well worth it, to practice your drawing skills. All I used is the app…and my finger. Believe me, it’s a lot of fun. Try it…you’ll like it!

Like I said…it is an awful lot of fun to play with! A little addicting too!

Finally, I made a little art over the past weekend, at some art classes that I took in Petaluma.

 

Creating with collage and encaustic wax…very fun!

I also worked on my assemblage skills this weekend, with artist, Michael deMeng, creating with found objects, and making them look vintage! It’s one of my favorite things to do!

And last, but certainly not least…my art was featured this month, in the September/October 2011 issue of Somerset Studio magazine.

Yes, that’s my mixed media collage on page 95, called The Painter’s Dream. I created it as part of an online workshop with Misty Mawn. She is a fabulous teacher, and I owe much of my art progression to her teaching and encouragement!

So, September is just about over…but I can look back at all the fun I had creating art…whether it was by myself in the art room, or with friends in their homes, or with fellow artists in a classroom. It was a full, but very good, month!

Let’s see what October has to offer!

 

Inspired by Vincent

I’ve been painting this summer…with bold and colorful strokes of paint, much like Vincent van Gogh did many years ago. I am certainly happy when I have loads of paint on my hands, arms, apron…and yes, sometimes my hair! But it’s all worth it, when I can stand back and see a finished work of art.

First of all, sunflowers has been a favorite subject of mine for a long time. Even before painting them, I would photograph them every summer as they grow in my backyard. For this painting, called Summer Sunflowers, I used Vincent’s many sunflower paintings as inspiriation for my own still life painting. 

 When I look at landscapes now, I see them in a whole new way. Now I wonder to myself…how can I make them into paintings? I don’t just want to make a copy of what I see…I want to add my own flair to it…give it something just a little different. This painting, Three Trees, reminds me of a fairy tale illustration, where imagination takes over…where else but in a story book, can tree branches become clouds in the sky? You probably notice Vincent’s influence here too…in those thousands of tiny brush strokes that make up the fields in the foreground. 

 I cannot see a big yellow sun in the sky, without thinking of Vincent. He put them in quite of few of his landscape paintings. So, when I came across a scene I wanted to paint, with a bright sun above…well, let’s just say that the sun was the very first thing that I wanted to paint! Of course, I fell in love with the farm house too…oh, and the rows in the field too. This is my favorite painting I’ve done this year. It’s called A House For Vincent.

I’m happy to say, that these Vincent-inspired paintings are now available in my online shop, along with my unique collages, assemblages, and prints. If you haven’t been over there in a while…you’ll have fun perusing all the new things!

What’s been inspiring you this summer???

 

Telling Stories with Collage

at the turn of the century
there are a happy two
who have fallen in love
and start their life together
in the midst of a changing world
an exchange of vows
and a promise made
to have and to hold
till death do us part
they say “I do”
and seal their deal
with a kiss
 
Harold and Clara
Married August 17, 1900

me on his knee
he, my best friend
it’s just grandpa and me
till summer’s end

 

Thaddeus Braxton III
And his namesake
Summer 1901

 

 

“One can never
speak enough
of the virtues,
the dangers,
the power,
of shared laughter.”
~Francoise Sagan

 

*****

I’m at it again…doing what I do best…telling stories with collage. I love using real photographs to create a fictional story, using bits and pieces of old and new materials. In this new series of hanging collages, I’ve recycled pieces of cardboard…re-purposing them, and giving them new life with paint, photographs, ephemera, and writing. Sometimes, a found quote will tell the story for me. Most of the pieces in this “Story Collage” art series are now available for purchase in my online shop, www.ArtcyLucy.Etsy.com 

 

Also available, is the assemblage featured in the latest issue of Somerset Gallery magazine, A Thankful Loving Heart.

 

 

I hope to have more of my paintings available for you soon. It’s been a really busy summer…busier than usual around here. But finding time to paint and create, amid all the other things life has to offer, makes me happy. I hope you have enjoyed your summer too!!!

 

If you have any questions about any of the pieces you see here, just email me at ArtcyLucy@aol.com.

 

I dream of painting…

“I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.” ~Vincent van Gogh

I can’t say I’ve always been a Vincent van Gogh fan. For a long while, I thought his paintings unrealistic and childlike. The last 6 years of art study and experimenting with paint myself, I have a fuller appreciation for what artists go through to create their vision of the world around them, no matter what medium they use.

Last year, I decided to try my hand at painting sunflowers…Vincent seemed to love painting them…so, I thought I would take a shot at it. I painted about six different acrylic sunflower paintings on canvas, but this one is my favorite.

I could see why Vincent loved painting them…they are a happy flower, full of texture and color. And I was happy painting them!

 Summer ended, and so did the sunflower paintings…but painting like Vincent never left my mind. This past week, I had the opportunity to paint from a photograph. I decided to try my hand at painting something with bold and colorful brushstrokes (ala’ van Gogh) from a realistic landscape. I wanted to see how he could translate what he saw, into the wild and vivid paintings that he left behind. Besides loving his sunflower paintings, I am also intrigued by his landscapes, especially the ones with planted rows, farm houses…and huge yellow suns in the sky.

This is my little nod to van Gogh…a 12 x 12 acrylic painting, A House for Vincent.

He’s been gone a little over 120 years now…but he is still inspiring artists, just like me, to dream of painting…and to paint their dreams.

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This painting is now in my online shop, and is available here.

 

a very nice surprise!

I’ve never been asked for an interview before…so, I was a bit surprised when I got an email from Ian Thompson, from our local paper, asking for one. What did he want to know about???

Artist Trading Cards!

The Suisun Library staff (a huge thanks to Laurie and Jim!) asked me about teaching an ATC demo on July 6th. The class went VERY well, and all 13 of us, had a great time piecing together little works of art. The day after the class, I was interviewed for The Daily Republic. Yes, I was a little nervous…but I was so happy to share my love of creating these little art cards, with my community!

The online article came out on Friday. The printed edition came out on Saturday morning, and I was pleasantly surprised to find my face on the front page!

The article ran on page A3…the front section of the paper! I was thrilled with how the article turned out. I would like to thank Ian Thompson, reporter for The Daily Republic, for being interested enough in Artist Trading Cards to write a story about them. He really let my voice come through in the article, and for that, I am grateful.  And a very big thank you to photographer, Robinson Kuntz, who took a great photo of me with my art cards.

And a thank you to my family and friends, who have been so supportive of my art…and were excited to see my face in the paper!

And to those of you who are here on my art blog, because of reading the article…thank you for your interest in my art! I hope you are inspired by what you read, and what you see here. I hope you’ll come back often to see what’s new in my little Mixed Media Art world.

My next art class will be at the Suisun Community Center on August 10th….called “The Storyteller’s Colllage”.

In this class, we will be creating beautiful collages on vintage game cards, that are about 4 x 5 inches in size. We will start with an image we want to use, gorgeous background papers of our choosing, vintage ephemera, buttons, lace, ribbon, and “found” text from a book, to create a story. All supplies will be provided, for you to make one or two hanging collages to take home. These make great gifts, so you can make one for you…and one for a friend! If you would like to bring copies of photographs to make the collages more personal, please do so. This class is $30 for a three hour workshop.

I would love to have you join me there! For more information on the class, please go to  http://www.suisun.com/Recreation.html to access the Online Registration.

Have questions about the future classes? Feel free to leave a comment, or email me at   ArtcyLucy@aol.com I would love to hear from you!

 

A Mixed Media Recipe

One sure-fire way to stay creative: force yourself to learn something new. ~Harvey Mackay

I fell in love with collage almost 6 years ago, not long after seeing an art piece in a local gallery that was catagorized as “Mixed Media”. Here I was almost 40 years old, and I didn’t quite know what that meant…mixed media? A little Googling…and there I found it, a whole community of people creating art, in a non-traditional way. Mixed Media collage quickly became my art of choice. I found that ripping and gluing had a certain freedom to it…

and it was fun to create stories with torn paper and words. 

 I came to learn about magazines that embraced this kind of art, without excuses, without fear. Somerset Studio, Cloth Paper Scissors, Artful Blogging, The Artist (a UK magazine)…they all showcase artists that create outside the lines, so to speak. And seeing the way they create, inspires me to create new and exciting art as well. Many of these artists have workshops and online classes, and these have been invaluable in teaching me how to broaden my love for collage.

Misty Mawn, Michael deMeng, Orly Avineri, Anahata Katkin…to name just a few. Their love for creating art, is infectious. Their art, makes you want to make beautiful art yourself!

In the last six years, I’ve embraced lots of “media” and this is where the “mixing” comes in…Collage and Paint – Collage and Pencils  – Collage and Oil Pastels  – Collage and Watercolor

or all of the above mixed together.

Yes, you are allowed to draw outside the lines…yes, you are allowed to Mix Media. You can use paper to mix your media on…such as watercolor paper, you can use canvas, a blank journal, or you can use 3D materials and rusty things. Not only is mixing your media allowed…it’s encouraged.

The last few months, I’ve taken what I’ve learned from classes, thown in my own supplies and imagination,  and practiced putting these learned techniques and ideas to good use.  I am finding a way of working, that I am falling in love with.  I can see my own style show through…and little stories start to take shape with each collage created. Learning something new is GREAT! But putting it into practice in your own art…is even better!

Here’s a look at the last few months of collages…

 With each collage, my confidence grows. And I am excited to try the next one…because I never quite know how they will turn out, once I’ve begun! That’s one of the highlights in creating art this way…the pleasant surprise at the end!

I am thoroughly enjoying this recipe…take heaping helpings of Creativity + Collage + whatever else I want to throw into the pot (magazine images, ephemera, papers, paint, matte medium, words, pencils, gel pens) and don’t forget to Mix well = Art that makes you smile

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I’ve started adding prints of my Mixed Media art pieces, to my online shop. I’ll be adding more soon so stop by and take a look if you can!

 

Art In Miniature

I’m at it again…creating little works of art! Using regular playing cards as my base, I love making small collages on top…and in this case, making an ATC triptych (Artist Trading Card). All you need…a little collage material, such as images, papers, tape, pens, a little creativity, and a dash of romance…that’s the recipe for “Love”, this little triptych art piece. You can create these art pieces to display in your own home, to give as a gift, or they can even be framed.

They are so much fun to make…you can’t make just one! I’ve joined our local online “newspaper”, The Suisun Patch…and here is my listing for my art and community classes http://suisuncity.patch.com/listings/creative-art-classes  I’m excited for the opportunity to teach one of my favorite things…collage!!!