Summer ATCs (I'm catching up with posts!)

Wow, I've been very bad at posting stuff for a few months. Yeesh! Here are a couple of ATCs from July:

Painting with acrylics is a huge love for me and I find myself doing that more and more in my work, including ATCs.

No heart without ART



A new piece I finished tonight, a 3D assemblage featuring a PaperClay heart on an altered background and mat, 8x10. Thinking about selling this piece, which is a new direction for me. Let me know what you think!

 

 

Oh Glorious Summer

A little 5x7 canvas I put together this evening in celebration of summer. I also wanted to try some texture medium (in this case, crackle texture medium by DecoArt).

Angel Board Workshop

I have such talented friends!

Here are some of the (nearly) finished boards my talented art friends made Saturday at a workshop I taught in my home. I'm so glad my friends let me "try out" the class on them before I teach it again in September! They did such a beautiful job.

Angel Baby

 

My original angel board (sans wings), from a wonderful class taught by Golda Rader at the SDP 2012 conference. She's tall: 32"x11.25" on shelf board.

Sisters ... forever friends

This piece is very special to me, as it is my first commissioned artwork, and it was such a rewarding and humbling experience.

Mixed media, acrylics on a 16x20 stretched canvas. Sides sealed using washi tape and gel medium.

Believe (Canvas #1)

(Click images to enlarge)
This is the first of two similar canvases I painted in the angel/believe theme. This is an 11x14" canvas; the second one (posted in May) was an 8x10" canvas.

The ribbon on her skirt is vintage lace with pearls. I made this for my mother's birthday, then she traded me for another canvas I did in fall colors, which she prefers, LOL.

Freedom to be me

A July-themed patriotic Artist Trading Card. :)
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I'm So Proud of You

Made this for my eldest daughter. Mixed media on a pre-framed board found at an estate sale, 8.5" x 8.5"

Let It Go



A little self-exploration piece. Sometimes I need a gentle reminder of what really helps me through tough times.

Mixed media on a 17" x 9" vintage board (with frame), found at an estate sale. Acrylics.

Incidentally, this board was originally an old 1961 print of Fisherman's Wharf -- with about 40+ years of nicotine stains on it, LOL. I sanded it down and primed it and gave it a new life! :)

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My Darling

A piece I made for my son, who just turned 5. I asked him if he'd like it for his bedroom, to which he replied, "Yes! I love it with all my heart!" What a sweetie.

Mixed media, acrylics, 11x14 canvas board.

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Beautiful Traveler

Small canvas for my beautiful sister, who is currently wrapping up a year working in eastern Europe. She doesn't have much room to pack, so this canvas is only 5x7. Acrylics/mixed media.
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Dream - a Mermaid Canvas

I think I'm done with this piece. I really love her (I'm a huge mermaid fan). Like most of my pieces, I made this to give to somebody I care about, but I don't know if I can part with it, LOL! I may have to make a second one right away and then decide which one to send. ;) 8x10 mixed media.
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Believe

"Believe"

Mixed media woman on canvas. 8x10

This piece was made upon request and features a strong Christian spiritual theme. Lace is very vintage and fragile, but it's still lovely.

A little bird house

A fun little bird house I painted and collaged, one of the monthly assignments with my local art group.

She Has Loved Him Forever - Mixed Media Canvas

Close-ups:

(click to enlarge)

This canvas is very special to me, as I made it for a dear friend who just announced she is pregnant with her first son. She said to me, "I love him already."

I know exactly how she feels. My own son was born 4 1/2 years ago and when I saw him for the first time, my immediate response was that I'd known him forever. I had been waiting my whole life to meet him! I tried to capture that connection between a mother and her child with this painting.

Included in the collage is an original music page called "A Valentine for Mother," from a children's music primer published in 1932.

Mixed media woman on canvas No. 2

Mixed media woman on canvas.

Acrylics, vintage and patterned papers.

Mixed media woman on canvas No. 1

The finished piece.

Altering a mini dress form

This sweet little dress form came in a blank heavy-stock set of 10 or so matching pieces, linked by a chain. My art friend handed them out at a recent meeting and asked us to embellish them however we chose. I love layering acrylics and other mediums, so this is my end result. I liked the idea so much, I found my own blank set and passed them out!

More mixed-media puzzle pieces

Tags Tags Tags

Some tag art I did this weekend with a bunch of my art friends. I had 10 pieces but ended up swapping some tags. Really enjoyed just "letting go" and letting these tags take on a life of their own.

These are mixed media pieces using shimmer sprays, watercolor sprays, stamps and waterproof ink, stencils, papers, pen, correction ink pen and a pink paint pen.

My finished piece from Traci Bautista's workshop

Stepped outside my "comfort zone" with this piece inspired by Traci Bautista's workshop through Stathmore. I enjoyed this and it has inspired me to be more free and less uptight when creating backgrounds and journal pages in other pieces.

FYI, Strathmore is holding three free online workshops. Traci's started Jan. 1 and is currently ongoing but you can join anytime. The videos will be available through August. The other two workshops start in March and June and cover drawing and watercolor techniques with other renowned artist instructors. Check it all out here at Stathmore's Online Workshop Series.

One interesting thing I wanted to mention about this piece is the surprising number and kinds of mixed media used, which I found interesting and helpful.

This piece includes, in order of appearance: fluid acrylics, oil pastels, India ink, art markers, Sharpie paint pens, and a correction fluid pen from an office supply store.