Online weekly challenges

 I spent this past weekend with three other art friends at our own personal "retreat." We had lots of fun, ate good food, laughed a lot and I finished up lots of small projects.

I am a member of an online art group and we have small weekly "challenges."  A few weeks ago, the challenge was to create three different pieces of art on index cards. I made these.

Another week the challenge was to make a "master board" and from that make little gratitude affirmation cards. My master board had many layers - collaged book text, gesso, swiped acrylic paints, stamped text, stenciling with white and turquoise acrylic paints and black ink splatters.

Then I cut it into six cards. Here are two unadorned samples.

And the six decorated, finished cards. I sewed around the word strips then adhered tea-dyed paper to the backs and sewed around the edges.

Last week the challenge was to use aqua. I made this mixed media 4" x 6" postcard/journal card from a postcard junk mail ad. I used collaged papers on the background spritzed with brown Distress Ink and aqua Color Burst and lots of water. I embellished with some torn drywall tape, black and white ink splatters and many old number stickers that I'm trying to use up. The final step was stitching around the edges - love to stitch on paper and it adds so much to the final piece.

Collage Challenge - Weeks 25 and 26

 I can't believe we're halfway through the year and the weekly collage challenges from Margarete Miller. My planner/book is already getting thick an dI hope it lasts for the entire year!

Week 25

Prompts:

1) something in shape of triangle (Cargo Air poster/sticker)

2) instructions (middle of page - instructions from photo paper)

3) a formula (factoring formulas, top right)

4) something stenciled (fern leaves)

5) a place (waterfront picture)

Bonus: crossword or magazine puzzle (crossword)

Week 26

Prompts:

1) a path or road (path through autumnal park)

2) something with a spine (fox)

3) candy wrapper (M&Ms wrapper - under fox)

4) textured paper (green and red at bottom of page)

5) something square (wooden cube planter and small square envelope underneath)

Bonus: anything with a bit of yellow (yellow flowers; M&Ms; macaron)

June Vintage Journal Page Swap

This month's page swap had no theme so I used some of the bits laying around, leftovers from other projects, to create this page focusing on botanicals and birds in a green color scheme.

 

The front page has a collaged background with papers and a doily. The focal images are birds and a flower cut from books and a label and butterfly.

The back has a triple-tiered layered pocket with doilies on the flaps.

This shows the flaps raised. Each pocket holds a botanical/ bird journal card.
I love the William Morris paper which is a digital I purchased.

Collage Challenge - Weeks 22, 23 and 24

Week 22

Prompts:

1) a date (on label and on top of frame)

2) a group of three (flowers; fish)

3) a flag (Barbados flag)

4) something found underwater (fish)

5) a ribbon (daisy trim)

Bonus: something with a bumpy surface (textured wallpaper

in bottom left corner)

Week 23

 

Prompts:

1) something that represents time (clocks and clock hand)

2) something woody or woodgrain (real bark that friend sent me from FLA)

3)  art scrap  collage circle)

4) something red (railroad stamp book, ticket, chile pepper on

Chili's coaster; red circles)

5) song lyrics or song title (center of page)

Bonus: a photograph (old photo of train)

Week 24

Prompts: 

1) something you are thankful for (art supplies)

2) numbers (numbers on portion of bingo card,

ticket, Finch card, and stickers)

3) ticket (English train ticket)

4) your handwriting (lower right corner)

5) something that you can blow in the wind

(flower in upper right)

Bonus: a map (in background)

I am still enjoying this weekly challenge. It really makes me stretch with the varied prompts, getting them to fit into a cohesive collage. Some weeks are harder than others!

Collage Challenge - Weeks 19, 20 and 21

For some reason I've gotten behind in posting these weekly collage challenges. I have been keeping up with creating them though. Here are a few of the past weeks.

Week 19

Prompts:

1) portion of a food/drink label (water bottle label and label from oranges)

2) postcard or letter (vintage post card)

3) advertisement ((vintage ad for Swift's bacon)

4) something with wheels (two cars and a shopping cart)

5) money (Italian notes)

Bonus: something blue (blue car, label, paper and letter) 

Week 20

Prompts:

1) thread or piece of fabric (plaid fabric and pink thread bunched under the labels)

2) a label (several - upper left)

3) a plant (blue flower and botanical image)

4) something found in doctor's office (camphor oil label)

5) a sticker (Paris label and stamp)

Bonus: art scrap (gelli print - right side of page)

Week 21

Prompts:

1) text in foreign language (Russian - left side of page)

2) something stapled (paper and fabric cluster at top of page)

3) something related to coffee (stacked cups)

4) a postage stamp (several)

5) something with wings (dragonflies)

Bonus: tissue paper or napkin (dragonfly napkin)

Someone bought my art!

 The elementary school my grand boys in Albuquerque attend held an art week at the end of April promoting art in schools. They had galleries of classes' artwork and many art activities for the kids. The PTA sponsored an online auction (due to Covid) to raise money for the art program.

I donated this piece. It is a vintage paper collage on a 12"x12" canvas and includes various papers, inks, paint, postage stamps and tea bags. I was very excited that a few people bid on it (one of whom was my daughter so that probably doesn't count) and the final bid was the second highest bid of any of the   auction items. I was happy to contribute to the boys' school and know that someone liked my art!