canvases and plans:



Above is a photo of a canvas I started working on last Friday night. It measures 16 x 20 inches. I want to put some words on it and more texturing before I put a person on, blah, blah, blah.




Last Friday I purchased this book by Claudine Hellmuth. I got it at the arts and crafts store, you know the one I mean, in Saskatoon with my 40% off coupon.



I had borrowed Claudine's more recent book from the library. They actually brought it all the way from Nova Scotia to Humboldt, Saskatchewan for little old me. I was impressed. But I had to return it after only three weeks. :(
I would have liked to purchase that book, but of course they wouldn't have it at Michael's yet.

That's OK. I'm really impressed with the book I purchased. It has in one book lots of techniques which I've been trying to learn from Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazines and online, from videos and tutorials. I've been really chomping at the bit to try some encaustic work - with melted wax that is. A time ago I was thinking I had a small crock pot for melting the wax. Uh whoops - it's a fondue maker - getting my utensils muddled. I asked Greg to look for one for me when he was taking stuff from the house in Regina and the farm to Value Village but he didn't see one in the quick glance he made. Patience, patience Wendy. I was thinking yesterday of trying to melt some tiny bit of wax in the microwave but no, no, no google search says DO NOT. I really must have melted wax on this canvas. Oh well. I don't have the mini iron yet either. Wednesday - back to that arts and crafts store for another week's 40% off coupon.

Here are a couple more of the canvases I started. They are a bit smaller - 8 x 10 inches and 5 x 7 inches, I think. I won't take time to run downstairs now to measure.

These are more textured but I'm not certain of the colours.

Other than gel medium I don't have a lot of Golden products and I know they are recommended. Some day after I've sold lots of my art I'll be able to afford more of those beloved Golden products. Wait a minute - I think I did buy one tube of Golden paint the last time I was at Art Placement. With all the moving and organizing and phewph - busyness - I totally forgot. Next time.
I love the creations of Misty Mawn whose original texturing I encountered in probably the very first Cloth, Paper, Scissors magazine I purchased. Someday between Misty Mawn's teaching, suziblu"s most recent video and the techniques in the book I purchased, I might even learn how to do transfers.

ANGELS BE WITH YOU

CREATIVE EVERY DAY - WOW, I can hardly believe that it's so close to April and I've hardly been doing any creating. I think I'll have to peruse what I have all created for creative every day 2008 and for myself. Maybe I've forgotten. More so I've been busy creating organization from what often seemed chaos.

I've been busy the past 3 months with lots of cleaning. Initially I was doing major work in our basement so I might have my very own studio. Now more recently I've been trying to clean in my brother and parent's place a bit at the farm so there might be room to place some of the things they are choosing to bring from the house in the City in which my parents lived for a number of years. My parents have been mainly living at the farm again recently so my brother might provide the care and attention they both need as their age increases and their memories continue to fail. The house in Regina has been sold. Fortunately the purchasers are neighbours who have agreed to keep much of the furniture my parents are not interested in keeping. This even includes dishes, pots and pans, and pictures on the wall. They have also advised not to worry about doing a major cleanup as they will be moving things in and out, so agreed we should not look after those details. How fortunate we are.

The REALLY EXCITING piece of all this is that I have been finding and acquiring some treasures, to me. As I was cleaning the basement here I had found old stencils from more than ten years ago. I can't remember what else I found here. I CAN tell you about the pieces which Greg just brought in. He had made a trip to Regina to help with some more packing and moving. He went by himself to have more room in our van to bring a love seat which I needed for the basement. I was wishing to have room in the studio for it. Instead I will choose to put in a vintage cupboard that had actually belonged to my aunt and uncle. They had built the house initially. It had never been taken out by their daughter. I also got a small green cupboard which I had totally not remembered. Greg KNEW I would want it. He also brought some vintage sock dryers and wooden apple boxes. All these finds make the sweat and tears worth it to me. I forgot to mention the box of magazines - more Chatelaines from the 60s, a couple of Post and Life magazines also.

A couple of weeks ago we brought a buffet cupboard from the farm that was in one of the outer buildings. The buffet used to be inside the farm house. My family agreed I could have that a few years ago. It looks great in the studio.

To keep this post of reasonable length I won't take time now to show the backgrounds I FINALLY got to do last night and today. I'll show them tomorrow. I think I'll try to do a video about my studio and the vintage finds. Might take a while. I'll see what I can do.





The pictures are from a journal I worked with for a project of a friend's niece. The journal is to travel as far as possible in a certain amount of time. I felt very honoured to be asked to participate and really had fun doing it.







Till tomorrow, may angels be with you.

I'll just take a moment to show this Easter arrangement I set up in my studio last Friday. I'm making great progress with it's organization. Note I've decided to call it a studio after all. Should mention the little yellow outfit belonged to baby Wendy :D

I hope you all had a happy easter. Ours was lovely followed by major busyness. I'll take a moment to share another day.

Busy day again tomorrow - my creative space will open hugely in next few days though. YES!!!! I can hardly wait to get back to it AND get some NEW art on my etsy.

Angels be with you

For those who love etsy and those who love art: I just got this link in one of the etsy newsletters which I have been receiving on a regular basis. It leaves me drooling just looking at the post. I can hardly wait to visit the shops. I am familiar already with a couple of them.
I am also left chomping at the bit to get much more creating done and to think seriously about what I might do for my banner. I love playing with the banners but that too has to take time.
Don't miss my yesterday's post. She smiles.


Angels be with you as you create.