Tryptich Book and altered photos

This was a book I made from a class I took in Fort collins by Kelly Kilmer. It was alot of fun to make the book and then paint the pages with different techniques.

Its called a Tryptch book because it has three sections that fold in.

Another part of the class included altering photos. We used sandpaper, stencils, paint, glitter and other items to change the photos and make them interesting. I mounted them in my book I made.

The best photos for this seemed to be ones of a large closeup of single objects. Kelly brought some photos of hers we could use. Here are some of the pages.

I would like to try this with my photography class this year with the photos they take. Sewing the book will be a little challenging but I think they can do it. Last year we sewed a book and they did well with it.

Making Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

This is one of my finished invitations. I used thin watercolor paper and drew some flower outlines with ink. Then I filled them in with some watercolor. I mounted this on some peach cardstock. This is her wedding color. Now I need to address the envelopes and buy some nice stamps.

My Glorious Garden

Being from Colorado we hardly ever get rain in the summer and by July everything is dead and looks like the sahara desert along the road. (Unless its sprinkled) This year we have had SO much rain that I am so proud of my garden this year. It has been fun to watch it bloom and grow. Here is my front porch with my waterfall I made myself several years ago. I have to take out the pump every winter since it gets so cold and I readjust the rocks every time. I keep adding new shrubs around the waterfall as we tear out the ugly evergreens that take over. All the planters I put together myself. Even my clematis (on the far left) keeps on blooming. Its amazing what some rain will do.

Collage on Foamcore

Here are some close ups of the long panel.

We had another Art night Last Friday and we worked on an unusually long collage on foamcore. First we trimmed it to the length and shaped the top. After laying out our images we glued them down and painted around them. We added another color and some other papers and text. Then I blended the colors together with Carand'ache crayons and wrote some description about the theme which was Travel. Lastly we hot glued a ribbon and did some splattering. Click to see the detail.

Prague has all the Art Museums in the Architecture

I loved going inside all the churches and seeing the beautiful decor and art inside as well as outside. This is Tyns church. Beautiful Gothic Style.
The Castle is in the background. It was set on a hill. St.

This building shows the Art Nouveau Style that is prevalent in Prague. Beautiful!

Back from a Wonderful Trip

This is the first stop on my journey to a small village , Pisek, in the Czech Republic. We sang in the public park, visited high schools to tell about america and practice their English. We visited and sang in a nursing home and attended a women's club. We helped the women practice their English and hoped they would attend the church at Elim. This bridge is the oldest in eastern Europe even older than the Charles Bridge in Prague.
This is a pen and ink sketch I did one morning of the old bridge in pisek. I added some watercolor when I got home. The bridge had lots of stone sculptures all across the bridge.



Here is a pen and ink drawing of the Garden Tomb where Jesus was believed to be buried. This was a beautiful place full of flowers. We had communion here with our church group on Sunday.

Teaching an Art class

I taught a class in South Denver with some of my artist friends. We used watercolors and masking fluid to transfer a roman column or some did a cross. After rubbing off to reveal the white watercolor paper, we colored with markers and watercolor pencils. Then we added different collage pieces. I was trying this out to teach my 8th grade next year.

This painting used a transparency as the last step.

Beeswax collage

I learned to make this at my artiscape workshop by Lisa . We used small 6 x 6 canvas and covered with text and images we chose. Next step was to cover with beeswax. Then we added color and mulberry paper with crayola crayon. Then we added pressed flowers. I did a tissue overlay for the archery details.

Belgian Binding 2 Step Book

This was a book we made at my workshop. We started with paper and bookboard so we made the whole thing. No cut outs ahead. As a result, this class ran 6 hours and we still didnt finish. I had to google to find the directions. The inside is a really neat binding you cant see from here with spider stitches I think she called them. The outside consisted of 3 pieces and you had to move the waxed linen on top and on bottom to catch the inside signatures as well. I enjoyed this binding but the instructor was very unorganized and had no handouts to help us. I dont know if I could make it again. The size is 5 x 8. We covered the front and inside with gorgeous papers from the European paper shop.

More Artwork from my Workshop

I finished this in Ohio on my workshop with Zana. We took 4 pieces of illustration board and used spray watercolor with templates for the texture. Then we collaged and stamped and put them together. I would like to try this with my class using watercolor paper and botanical leaf prints. I will perfect this over the summer. I liked adding extra pieces like a photo covered puzzle piece, torn and painted paper and some metallic touches.

Watercolor architecture collage

This was a collage I did at my artiscape class. We started with a drawing of a roman column of our choice . After drawing in pencil , we went over with masking fluid. Next we sprayed liquid watercolor in our choice of colors. After rubbing off the fluid, we used markers and colored pencils to add color to the now white column. Lastly various paper, wood and other elements were added and rubber stamps to finish the piece. We used illustration board for the background but I would like to try with watercolor paper and tape to a board first. I plan to try this with my 8th grade next month.

Queen Altered Book Spreads finished!

This is a new altered book I started from an online blog class. It has been really fun. 100 people signed up to participate and each week we have to post pics and info about each lesson. It keeps you working and creating to keep up with the class. We are on week 4 now.

This background was a credit card technique where you smear different colors.

We made a color wheel and tried some sgraffito.

Happy Easter!

Today it was raining and snowing during the drive home for our Easter service . Our choir sang and we had a good turnout of umbrellas this morning.

Age of Innocence ATC

This is an atc I made for an upcoming workshop called Artiscape in Columbus. I used a skyline of NYC and framed it with strips of map of the area. This theme is from the movie "Age of Innocence" that takes place in NYC. Lastly I added some wire art on top with some sead beads. I am so excited to go in 2 weeks. I will be taking classes in belgian book binding, Zia's soul map collage, architectural collage, and encaustic canvas collage. I will get to stay with my daughter who lives nearby and explore the sites of Columbus.

Skagway altered board book-Alaska

This spread represents the day spent in Skagway. This was the town where the people headed to the goldrush from. We took a walking tour with a ranger and learned about the city. Top right is a colored pencil sketch I did of the street. We also went to Haines a neighboring town that had a ferry to take you. We got on a bus and drove to the eagle preserve for a boat ride. We saw a few eagles but the best was a mom and 3 baby cubs by the river catching fish. We got pretty close. There were flowers in haines the size of dinnerplates. They were amazing!!

Art Journal

This an art journal I made from papers printed using paper towel. This was from a Class I took from Traci Bautista. We used stencils and textured wallpaper, wooden shapes to make the prints onto paper after we saturated the paper towel with liquid watercolor. We assembled 4 signatures of our hand printed paper and sewed them onto the cover which was made from the paper towels collaged on front and back. Traci has a great DVD Retro Rags that explains the whole technique. My 8th graders loved making this project and I made one too. It was fun. This time my book came out much better and I was able to sew the book straighter and tighter. I look forward to a class Im taking next month at Artiscape- Two part belgian binding.

Ketchikan Altered Book

Here is the continuing board book I'm working on from our trip to Alaska last summer. This page was done with sponge painting for the clouds with other acrylics to look like the water. We had a great time kayaking here. Twelve family members joined us from age 7 on up to myself. That is myself in the kayak with the sunglasses. Some of us had the younger nieces and nephews in the middle with a triple kayak. We were amazed at the huge bull kelp we saw in the water. This town was very touristy and I wish we would of gone farther North to kayak to get away from the constant noise of the float planes taking off.

Vintage Paris Happy Birthday!

I had another birthday this month, my daughter, Ashley so I made her a card I thought she would like. I used rubber stamps and some collage papers and silk flowers I painted with acrylics.

Empty Bowl Fundraiser

Last Night I volunteered at the bowl table. This was my first year to go. The people came by in crowds to pick their one bowl they got with their ticket. My job was to restock the table with bowls underneath. I enjoyed chatting with the other volunteers, a local roller derby team and starbuck employees.
There were many styles, shapes, and colors. The local high schools also participated.
For your ticket you got all the soup you wanted (8 kinds but only 2 left by the time I got to eat) and bread and dessert. I saw a few friends there and talked to them awhile. It was a good cause for the womens shelter in castle rock.

Alaska board book "Juneau"

I finished another spread representing another stop on our Alaska trip last summer.
In Juneau my parents joined us in a van trip to the fish hatchery, shrine of st therese, and mendenhall glacier. I used splatter paint and tissue paper to alter this book. Next up is Ketchican.

Fat Book Pages finally done!

Here are all 42 pages ready to be mailed for the Artiscape Fat Book. The theme is the "Age of Innocence". I used watercolor paper and splashed coffee stains and acryllic paint splatters on the background. Then I collaged some pics of women and a NYC train ticket. On the back was a clock rubber stamp and some map collaged on. I put my blog address on the bottom of the page. I was so excited to actually have a blog this year. I look forward to seeing everyone's pages in April.

Happy Birthday Collage

This is a birthday card collage I made for my Dad for his birthday on Wednesday. He likes to travel so that is the theme I chose. I used splatter paint for the background and added different pictures and stamps. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

Happy Zentangle Valentines Day!

Here are my finished zentangles in heart style. I tried to use the official thread planning in my square. I only learned this from reading the websites-self taught. Click on the image for a better view. I hope to learn more when I go to an art retreat in April that is actually teaching this zentangle method. I will know more then. Try this fun and quick art doodle. Have a great Heart Day. My sweetheart is taking me out to a play downtown saturday.

Narrative Collage

This is a style of collage to tell some kind of story with text and pictures. I chose my son's upcoming marriage and used different things to describe their relationship and interests.
I started with layers of text below the actual collage and then painted the background. Painted papers were used as collage as well as images. Finally charcoal was used to outline the main images and text.

Zentangle Valentine

Has anyone else been making these? It took me a while to come up with a thread that used the corners for the image. Im working on two more.