Don't Let Anyone Burst Your Bubble!

“Don’t let anyone burst your bubble!”

I enjoy trading art. It’s great to see what is currently motivating other artists to create. Our Artistcellar Design Team inspiration this time is the Kylie Fowler Faces Series. There are four distinct views of a face, each one different enough to use in a variety of designs. My choice of the four was an easy one for me. Something about the expression in her eyes and the cheerful cheek circles made me think of the blissful feeling we experience when seeing a floating cluster of soap bubbles. I decided to expand on this concept. Wanting to share some happiness, I made my choice the Joy stencil. She became the focal point of my Mail Art project.

The only requirement for the current Mail Art challenge is to recycle a paper bag into an envelope. I decided to use a standard heavy paper bag I received from my favourite Chinese restaurant.
I have never used stamp pad ink through a stencil so I decided to give it a go. The results were even better than I expected, and a pleasant surprise. The face has a slightly rough appearance similar to graffiti art. This is a technique I will use on future projects as well. I am also happy to say the stencil cleaned up in seconds and remains in perfect condition, not at all unusual for Artistcellar products.

I masked off a single dot on each of the Halftone Dots stencils. Choosing an assortment of acrylic colours I added the dots with no particular pattern in mind. What formed was just a swirl of bubbly shapes and colour, leaving just enough room for the address.

We are artists. With each new work we share a part of ourselves. My hope is that as my envelope leaves me and starts its journey to France it brings a smile to everyone who sees it. And with her knowing grin, I am sure Joy would never let anyone burst her bubble!

 MATERIALS USED:

• ARTISTCELLAR: FOLWER FACES SERIES STENCIL (Joy), HALFTONE DOTS (Highlight, Midtone, Midtone 2, Shadow)
• STANDARD PAPER BAG
• OFFICE MAX FELT STAMP PAD – BLACK INK
• NATURAL SPONGE         
• DYLUSION PAINTS: Squeezed Orange, Fresh Lime, Vibrant Turquoise, London Blue
• PLAID ACRYLICS: Amethyst, Pure Orange, Sunflower, Pure Gold, Blue Topaz, Blue Pearl, Champagne
• DECOART: Splendid Gold, Sea Glass
• DINA WAKLEY: Ruby, Sky, Blushing, Lemon, Ocean
• REEVES: Bronze, Rose Re

Where Have Your Steps Take You?

CREATE - Mail Art

Working on Mail Art feeds my soul. I have always been the person who eagerly awaited the arrival of the mail every day. Holding an envelope in my hands gave permission to my imagination to meander. Who wrote the letter? How far did it travel? Where did it stop along the way? Did anyone else wonder about this letter as I did?

So being a part of a Mail Art Challenge was exciting for me. I enjoyed producing and giving away the Art as well as experiencing the anticipation of receiving beautiful Art in my mailbox.

I found this quote torn from a magazine:

"Art is a Journey. Embrace Each Step."

It was perfect for the Challenge. I thought of how Art has shaped my life. From childhood to the present, Art and Life have intermingled...so much so that I can't separate one from the other. Nor would I want to. Art has opened door to possibilities I never dreamed were available to me. Art has welcomed so many wonderful people, with so many distinctive points of view, into my life. It has made it richer, more enjoyable, and at times, incredibly challenging. But Art has, most of all, allowed me to be my authentic self...to accept each step along the way to becoming the Artist I am today.

Again, the substrate is a craft envelope. I surrounded the image of the woman with art and handmade paper, wax infused paper which I rubber stamped, postage stamp, clippings from magazines, and joss paper. I finished the envelope by rubber stamping and stenciling with acrylic metallic paint. Then off to the Post Office it went with my hopes that the recipient would be intrigued when it landed in her mailbox.

Are you like me...putting one foot in front of the other passionately following the steps wherever they may lead? Where have your steps taken you?

Old Time is still a-flying...

CREATE - Mail Art

I love Pre-Raphaelite Art. I love the compositions rich with detail, colour, and realism. I love the poetic line and form. I love their intertwining romance and rebellion. After all, what is Art without rebellion?

My second envelope for the Mail Art swap drew from the poem 'To The Virgins, To Make Much of Time" by Robert Herrick and painting "Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May" by John William Waterhouse.

I see the leaves whisking past my studio window on this blustery day. And Time is flying. As we enter the fourth quarter of 2014, I have to ask...where did this year go?

The substrate is a craft envelope. In addition to the woman from the Waterhouse painting I added art and handmade paper, and joss paper. I finished the envelope by adding rubber stamped and stencilled acrylic metallic paint. It was then sent on its way...

So...gather your rosebuds today. And share them with the people you cherish in your life.

Giving Art Wings...

Remember The Girl With the Two Different Coloured Eyes?

To me, all art is a form of communication. When I dance, I am in that moment. The music guides me and takes me to a place in my history, my life experiences,  I want to share.

So too with the Visual Arts. I can look over my past work and see the influences shaping the choices I made in media, technique, and style.

I heard about Memory: International Mail Art Exhibition and Swap exhibition scheduled to take place at the Richmond Art Gallery in the city of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. I have always loved getting mail...real, in your hands mail...so I thought I would give it a go.

The theme was "Memory" in all variations. The art could not be larger than a standard postcard. The concept of Mail Art is that it allows artists to share and swap art sent through the Postal system. I often wondered if any of the art catches the eye of the Postal workers here and abroad.

And so I began the project. Looking through vintage magazines I found a story about a girl with two different coloured eyes. My Dad was on a course at the Pentagon one Summer and we made it into a family vacation in Virginia. During the vacation I had met a girl with this, as I saw it, very exotic condition.

I flipped through a box of ephemera and found a map...a map of Richmond, Virginia. Coincidence..or Muse?

The rest seemed to fall into place quite quickly. The image of the woman is one I digitally altered some years ago for a book mark. I added the map, dictionary passages, art paper, art and coloured tissue paper, and a rubber stamped image on tissue.

Who knew I would be thinking of someone met so long ago...just a chance meeting. Memory and Muse now giving art wings.