Charcoal and Shiva Sticks....

yikes...haven't been around here for awhile...

class has been in with misty and i have

been practicing like mad...and loving it all!!!

she's a wonderfully tough task master...

with no regrets here on learning and learning...

she's getting closer to being finished...

i am awaiting misty's answer on how to

get into the eye area for details, while using the oils...

Morning Sketches

here is some of the work on one of our

assignments with misty (mawn)...

pencil, erasure and smudger...

i am so excited to be learning and practicing,

practicing, practicing........

3/4 Face / Excercise and Lesson / Cover Girl Ad

i kept thinking...hmmm...she reminds me of

someone????

woke up this morning...looking at this face...

far and away from my usual...i know, i know who this is...

tinkerbell with an attitude...but then...tinkerbell DID

always have attitude...!

i just can't wait till we get directions for painting

these from misty...some will surely be altered...ha!

Learning in class again...

i am learning and loving this...yes, another class and with misty.

this first week is pencil, erasers and smudgers.

funny thing is, i've never sketched much and went

right to painting...didn't know ANYTHING...and so now i know

this will help with my painting...

this one "she's ready to cry"...ahhh

point and press to enlarge...we are learning shading...

INTERVIEW WITH PIERRE AND WANDETTE!!!

p=pierre
w=wandette

p: wandette, wandette, whatever have you done here? Theeese photo'-graphs' are a beet tackeeee, no?

w: oh oui, i am hanging my head when i see theem! my only ex-cuuse ees...i was needing to scurry to work!

p: oui...the towelette for a back ground?? hang-eeeng on the porch?...tsk tsk!

w: oh, pierre, i know i know...i wanted the enquire-ees to see all the beau-tee-ful colors, sparkles and hues in the sun-shine!!!

p: oui...your scarflettes and cloth jewelry ees ex-queeze-et' to the eyes, mon cherie!

w: oh, pierre, you are too kind! ...and there has been a ..."how do you say"...enormouse change-eengs in moi, of late...

p: ah...we have no-teesed'...since turning an new age, you have abandoned...well...let us say sometheeng about a stick and your "tooshee"...?

w: (aghast) pierre, pierre...there is no need to be vul-gar'...my blogette is rated "G", oui?!!

p: par-don-me'...a mere sleep of the tongue...put it this way...we have noteesed you are less priveet' latlee', no?

w: Oui! life is too short weeth-out fun and games and lighthearted-ness'...i am off weeth mon amie's, joanne (http://breatheasme.com) and miz kateee (http://www.mizkatie.com) to sell our paint-eengs on theee' street cor-ner' weeth our hair in thee' wildness, laugh-ter' in thee air and amore' een our hearts. ciao babee!

p: ah, mon amie, ciao and amore'!!!

"Graffiti Girl"

...thought i would post a finished rather than

another "unfinished" collage and painting...!

January art Journaling with Misty

misty's prompt...our photo's incorporated into our artwork...

the woman is from my painting, printed on silk, some fabrics

sewn...the substrate is a book cover i painted to look like wood,

this work is close to being finished...

i am making eyelits and chain to turn this into a "hanging" piece.

we're practicing in our sketchbooks for misty's new

class..."painting faces"... nothing i've ever done

on a regular basis...except last January...while following

misty's prompts...very different from painting and quite

interesting!

She's Come Undone!

unfinished, good progress into the new year!

Earth Angel...without her Title

i changed her wings tonight...and by a wonderful mistake..

i love love how they turned out...

she has a barrette and feather in her hair!

up close wing

The Process

I have 3 sisters, one lives nearby... today we

painted background papers, made collage papers..

sanded, transferred and laughed a lot!!

We learned a lot too, and it was a great way to spend

an entire day with my sister...

here are our unfinished beauties!!!

Christmas past/ for someone Special

Snow in Newcastle / It's quite unusual!!!

...woe is me...my nose is dripping...and

how can i possibly fluff my feathers

with 2 pounds of snow on top of them...

Misty Mawn's class continued...

...here's whats so great about a GOOD online class...

this is one of my first painting layers...and then...

from a different lesson, adding collage...and then....

being given the freedom to alter this as well...if we CHOOSE!

..and one other (of many) she showed us how to make rubber stamps...

the right hand bottom corner, i made some new

stamps, flowers, painted them, cut 'em out..etc. and FUN!

...same collage painting, computer color change..

made really cute cards! GO IN FOR A CLOSER VIEW, TWICE!

More experiments with misty's class/Painting Layers

Landscape excercise

altered the original color

Misty's Painting Layer Class/Excercises on Techniques

Full page transfer from personal photo

Full Page transparency from personal painting

Misty's class / using stamps, stencils and moving paint around!!!

Arboreal / 2nd shot

This is November 2008. what a difference each year can bring in color changes!!!

Arboreal with Julie Prichard and Friends/and we're lucky something isn't upside down on this post...just showing my expertise at the computer, hahahah

wind ravaged, november flowering plum

august, flowering plum

november, chinese pistache

august, chinese pistache

summer remnants...

fall fading.....

Michele Ward / Signs

Just press on Michele's logo to the right if you want to find out about this...

Signs...they are everywhere in my work from Nana (my mom's mother).

She ingrained in me a "CAN DO" constitution. Taught me the value of learning new ways and the wondrous mystery in experimentation. We had many giggles over trials in doing things our way at times, such delight she passed on to her grandchild.

Her signs are everywhere, her gifts passed down... she taught me how to knit, crochet, embroider, braid rugs, sew, darn and repair.

She taught me how to mend ANYTHING, picking up threads and fabric to mimic and match...a hole, a snag, a rip or ravel...just give it to me, i CAN DO!

Nana created the most outstanding braided rugs, filling living rooms. Cutting wool strips, filling them with cord, braided, and sewn into lush carpeting fit for a king, delighting anyone's eyes and senses!

This isn't in MY journal, put glued into Miz Katie's journal (our collaborative affair) in wanting to share my very soul of my Nana who put the gleam into life for me, carrying on in my art forever!Press on pictures to enlarge:

Leading to collaged purses..... Front Back of purse


She sometimes whispers and giggles in my ear, while sewing something. Has opened a door, whooshed in and whooshed out. She leaves her signs, i leave my signs...hopefully to the pleasantries and delight for everyone!!!
I love you my NANA. xo

Thank you

Happy November, and extra happy. Here is what i came home to (ghost busters were busy while i was away).

thank you soooooo much to all of you for your prayers and thoughts for my mom. she came through with flying colors, is better than she has been in yearsssss...considering a pace maker and many strokes. she just is so determined to not lay down and die, even though that would truly be easier for her. she gets those teeny little brittle arms and legs motivating before she can get out of bed in the morning, and then keeps on trucking inch by inch by inch till it turns into maybe foot by foot. such an inspiration for our family. thank you from the bottom of my heart. xo wanda