Painting Bliss

The Art Project of Houston

 

 

 

Graffiti art IS art. It's an amazingly colorful and inspiring medium I have completely no understanding of. The idea of using different tips on the end of spray cans to complete a larger than life perfectly blended piece of art just blows my mind. Who knows, maybe someday I will have the opportunity of trying out some can art!

After poppin' tags at the nearest thrift outlet we took a hop, skip, and not even a jump to a series of buildings amazingly decorated with works of evolving and ever changing art. This project is called the Houston Art Project, supported by the Bread of Life and funded by the Rice University.

Jax and I wandered down paint laden corridors as we talked in our best white girl street slang. Cameras snapping and lines like "I'll pop a cap in yo ass" echoed off the walls.

Here are images I took at the Houston Art Project. I was blown away at every turn, by every new amazing piece of WOW!

 

 

 

 

 I told Jax I would pay her a whole dollar to lay on one of those couches, but she declined (come on! lol).

In my opinion every town, city, and place should donate an abandoned building to this sort for cause. Not only is the cause great, but the public gets to experience graffiti art in a positive light.

 

Art Journal Adventure

 

 

My studio buddy has been keeping me company as I grab for pens, pencil, and paint. He gets in my way and I get in his all at the same time. We both wouldn't have it any other way.

I have tried multiple times to try and start an art journal and each time I quickly abandoned it. Finally, I just gave up because I had too many other artistic endeavors to pursue. But it has been brought to my attention yet again and this time it feels more like exploration, soul searching, and fun. I'm not putting any pressure on myself either. Cause that's not what art journaling is about.

The universe recently brought me a new friend and she's a wonderful soul! She is the mind behind Loud Nonsense Whispered Truths. She has a crazy amazing and inspiring shop.  I wear one of her hand stamped lockets daily. It reminds me to be present and be where I am at the moment I'm there. When I need it I  open it up, breathe deep, and think the words "be here now".

The beautiful art journal page below was made by Jodi, she makes beautiful art. Lookie see, and notice the quote on the left page... it's me!

 

 

Jodi has inspired me to start my own journal. We are enjoying getting to know each other, friends make the world go round as I said in yesterday's post. This week found me at the used book store, a place I haven't been to since I was a teenager. A whole pile of books later that only cost $2.50 I had taken Jodi's advice and bought some old hard bounds that I wasn't terribly attached to with plans of altering it!

Have a gander at my first two pages! (yay)

 

 

Jodi and I have also agreed to both start a page in a book then send it back and forth until it's full. Then we will probably start another. The wonderful thing is we are going to share these pages on our blogs. We want to encourage you to be brave and perhaps start an art journal yourself. We hope to remind you that even brave confident artists are vulnerable and question themselves every day. I'm looking forward to exploring my self onto the pages of both my journal and the one I swap back and forth between Jodi and I. I am enjoying seeing words in journals, tearing them out, and saving them for my journal. In fact, since the journal is encouraging my less perfect side... it will probably reflect in my actual artwork, changing the way I create. I look forward to the adventure!

 

 

Related articles

Words Demand Things From Me

I'll Make Mittens that Fit!

The past few years I have wanted to crochet mittens and last year even attempted a pattern. You would think there would be a plethora of patterns just awaiting my eager hook and hands, but there aren't... or rather there aren't any good ones. They either look extremely outdated, oddly proportioned, or just plane fuddy dud duddy. Not to mention HUGUNDOUS! Why do these pattern makers feel the need to make mittens that more closely resemble oven mitts!? Soooo... always wanting to but not actually doing it out of fear I myself will make a completely bogus pattern, I am attempting my own crochet pattern for mittens.

Most of the mitten patterns I found over the years are worked from the wrist up, but I'm going to work in reverse. I don't like how on these said patterns end up when it's time for closing, it's never pretty or neat and you always see where it was ended. I aim for a no see end off in mine. Did that make sense? oh well! I got it. Hee hee!

My mittens will be fashionable and hip, not to mention I will come up with a kid size too. I usually slop out a pattern on paper then second guess myself and cowardly shy into the corner where I crawl into my basket of yarn to cuddle and be comforted by my inner critic. Wait... now that I think about it my inner critic is a jerk! So forget you, inner critic! I'm writing a pattern, I'm asking people to test it, and I will offer it right here on the blog for free! yes that's right, I said for FREE!

 

 

 

 

Art of the Heirloom Completion!

 

It's done! *jumps up and down then claps*. Saturday found me at the easel painting for hours. I didn't of course feel like hours, I was in the zone and enjoying every second. It had been awhile since I took the time to mix just the right colors as I have so many tubes of color that I rarely need to make my own. My favorite way of making a palette is to cover a dinner plate with aluminum foil. Not only is it quick and free, but its also a simple clean up!

 

 

Obviously the writing is not on the actual piece, just a watermark for internet protection :)

Here are a bunch of close ups which is a portrayal of the Heirloom Peonie variety called the Felix Crousse. I'm so pleased with every little detail of this bright and vibrant painting.

 

 

So? What do you think?

Here I go... off to email pictures to the jury committee!

Art of the Heirloom Deadline Looms Near

 

Your probably sick of all the vintage stuff this week, or maybe not! that's why you visit me right? cause you like what I share? well I figured I better switch it up a bit and remind you all that I'm still here on the blog for a main purpose which is my artistic talent and the creations I paint from such said talent.

In a previous post I mentioned and shared with you my love for Peonie blooms and the great opportunity that came to me from the word of a friend to enter a piece to the Art of the Heirloom art show. Of course this is a juried decision whether or not it is accepted, and whether or not this piece will be mailed to California where it will be privy to hanging in the Art of the Heirloom second annual art show is for now unknown!

I put this painting off for so long it's not even funny. Afraid of the intricate folds and flower petals I had managed to duplicate from some real life photographs I took this spring, I was actually fearing painting them in. Stupid fear... stupid human anxiety ridden fears!

The deadline loomed and there the painting sat on my easel, background painted in and flowers drawn but no main flower color put in. It sat, and sat, and sat... until I thought I would almost not to do it at all. Until I thought about it once more and thought a second thought...

Am I going to allow the fear of something prevent me in participating and possibly being chosen to hang my art in such a public well know, well promoted, well visited art venue?

HELL NO!

And why do we let fear rule our lives? we all do it... it's just in some of us our sense of fear is stronger than others. Anxiety, a daily nuisance of mine that I like to think I fool you all about,  makes my sense of fear a misguiding factor. I feel it all the time, so for me, fears come t0o easily. It's my choice though to let it rule me or not, as it is also your choice to make active choices in breaking your non useful cycles.

Sooooo that being said...  I hiked up my big girl panties, mixed some pinks up and got down to business. Not being formally trained (not that I care), my first worry was do I start with shadows or highlights first? I decided shadows and started placing them in. Noticing it might take several coats I took a step backwards, slathered a layer of clear gesso onto my blooms and returned to work.

It seemed to just flow naturally from there, the colors blended perfectly and the hues looked so accurate. And accuracy is important here as one of the guidelines for the artwork being submitted is it must model an actual heirloom flower. It can't look sort of like it, it's got to be d@mn near close or spot on. Atleast that's how I feel about... maybe that's just the anal virgo in me!

 

 

It's not done... I'm still standing so close to the deadline that I can smell it's breath... but I'll get it done. I am confident of that, and when it is I will be sure to share the finished product with you.

Wassupbrothers Marcus the Owl Illustrated

 

As mentioned in a previous post, I am a big fan of Olga from Wassupbrothers work. Not that I'm picky, but it takes a lot for me to be a genuine and whole hearted fan of something or someone. Olga's creations of softie owls and other sweet loveable animal creations are beautiful and I really want one!

So imagine my excitement when Olga announced on her blog that she was hosting a creavity giveaway! the rules for winning this giveaway are to illustrate her beloved Marcus the owl and sharing news about it on Twitter. I can't help but feel that this giveaway was made for me!

 

 

I really enjoyed re-creating Marcus... taking him from fabric to illustration wasn't hard at all as he is a lovely design to begin with. Being that he is covered with raindrops I figured that Marcus wouldn't mind rain and that stepping in puddles might be a favorite past time of his.

Below is my version of Marcus the Owl which I created out of papers, pencil, watercolor, micron pen, and white gel pen. I pictured him as a page of a story book and so picturing that thought he needed a nice little saying next to him!

 

I really hope I win so that I can give Olga's sweet and girly Sonia the Owl a nice home. If I win her, she will be all mine :) as in not the kids... she will sit on my side of the bed awaiting my visit and the kids will not get to play with her. That's right, I'm not sharing (sticks tongue out).

Fingers Crossed!!

 

National Mill Dog Rescue - Donating for a good cause

 

While sitting and blogging my cherry pie recipe for you I heard my email notification chime next to me via my phone, not being able to stay away from a chime or impending message I checked it and saw I had a lovely email from the National Mill Dog Rescue (6427 dogs saved and counting)  in Colorado, asking if I would donate one of my "wonderfully creative art pieces" to a silent auction they are having in August.

Of course I will! and better yet, I will also offer a certificate for a custom pet portrait :) yup!

Saving animals is near and dear to my heart as you may know from the many posts about saving turtles and local wildlife here in my area... but did you know as a teen I was an active part of an animal rights organization? yup I was! saving puppy mill dogs is a big deal and if I can help bring in good money to an organization that does such heartfelt home placements, then I'm all in!

Paws down ;)

This wonderful organization rescues dogs from puppy mills... which are awful and cruel places where mother pups are breed just for their offspring. It's all about the $$$ signs instead of the love. 

Here are some of the dogs NDMR have rescued and need homes! To read more about the pups below or to view who else needs a home click here.

Now, lets meet...

 

Brent                                                                                        Gelato

Cricket

 

                                  Rigby                                                     Pippy Longstocking (hee hee)

 

 

There are so many more :) and I'm so excited to be able to help!

Always spay and nueter your pets, and please adopt before purchasing dogs and cats from your local pet store. Puppies that come from pet stores - come from puppy mills!

Please make the humane decision. Pay it forward goes for animals too!

 

 

 

Art of the Hierloom - Santa Rosa Juried Art Show

 

I write this post at the height of my excitement. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from a dear dear long time friend encouraging me to enter work in a juried art show for Heirloom Magazine's annual exhibition! And what's even better is that the art show is calling for pieces themed around heirloom flowers! Doesn't it just seem like it's meant for me!? I knowwwww! it issss!!!

Immediately I knew what the blank canvas in my studio was waiting for and immediately I knew what flower I would do! peonies of course! my most favorite bloom! I'll tell you why I love peonies so much. Firstly they are powerful and demand to be looked at (wait so do I tee hee), they are large glorious and full as can be with petals. Try and find the middle of the flower and prepare to lose time doing so. The smell, did I mention the intense smell of these flowers? similar to a rose but not as bitter. I don't happen to enjoy the smell of roses, not in the least... but peonies? yes please! 

 

The peonie comes in an array of styles, colors, and varieties, and imagine my double gardeners excitement when I looked online at heirloom peonies and found that all 4 of my bushes are indeed heirlooms! 3 different varieties dwell in my garden. They were already planted here when we moved in and were the very beginning of my beautiful garden. I am the proud owner of the...

 

Festiva Maxima

 

Felix Crousse

and the...

Fairies Petticoat

(adore this name)

 

This year my peonies are extremely happy. They are larger than usual, fuller than usual, and just demanding attention. Even my husband couldn't help but catch a picture of them covered in raindrops on his phone for me. Take a look at this photo I took with my hand in it so that you can comprehend just the awesome size of this bloom.

 

 

While photographing my peonies and talking to them (they like that) this little visitor let his presence be known! I couldn't get over the intensity of his vibrant green apple green wings! As he flew off the under side of his wings, or maybe his body - was tomato red!

 

So of course I will enter! of course I will make it large in presence, of course my painting of early spring flowers will demand it's own attention in fall when the exhibition takes place.  I will frame and package it properly and send it off to Santa Rosa California! oh how I wiiiiisssshhhh I could go!! What a dream that would be!

After my piece is finished I have to email it to see if it even makes the cut... can't wait to share it with you and let's keep our fingers crossed!

If you are interested in joining in this juried garden exhibition you may do so here.

 

Who's a Productive Artist? I Am!

 

 

 

Oh yes I am a real hive of activity lately! partly to do with the fact that I'm out of that said "creative rut" that happens every once in awhile, and partially because I repainted my studio from a dark sage green to a bright and clean light grey! The color has really opened up my tiny room and turned it into a light and airy place. While painting, I spring cleaned anything/everything I didn't need to hang onto, and just re-organized as much as possible. My husband being the creative hobby carpenter that he is, built me a beautiful and functional storage cabinet. No doors yet, but once they are on... you'll be the first to see the completed project! We make a great team ;) I picked out some really lovely knobs today at hobby lobby to match the bright fuschia stain I stained the wood. That's right, bright fuschia! come on.... are you surprised? yeah... I didn't think so.

Being able to store things away in my new and large cabinet, it really freed up my cluttered work area. Feels good to have room to work and lay out projects.

Clearing away my responsibilites which included the Limited Edition Sketchbook Project, sending off my blog swap gifties, and finishing up the custom portrait giveaway... has really truly freed up so much time for me. I am in a period of productivity where I don't have any deadlines (at the moment that is) and can create for me, and my Etsy shop. In fact, my shop is growing quickly! you should have a lookie see! Click here to browse around.

 

 

The only coming items on my artistic plate, is the aqua challenge for Somerset Studio... but that's not due until August - then I am in the midst of planning an art show for my local community center, cause if I don't have enough responsibilities I have taken on the roll as art director! I know, I know... but I don't want anyone else doing the job!

 

 

I did sign up for the next Sketchbook Project :) and this time I'm gonna work on it ALL year instead of  just in the last months leading up to the due date! that's right, I'm gonna get organized and schedule in time for it properly. This year I chose "Chapbook". A collection of poems with artwork and whatever else I choose to throw in there. If your curious what a Chapbook exactly is... you can read about it here.

That aside, I have bought some canvases as I have missed working on them so much... I feel the fabric background calling my name... Ashlie.... Ashlie.... Ashlie!!! HEY YOU at the art table, numb to the world - yeah you... paint on ME! Every little while, being art is a growth process I see myself evolve a little more... fine tuning my skills. I see this happening right now... my work is maturing.

Oh! oh! and I would really like to get back to doing those Spoonflower contests I was entering awhile back, and also participate in Illustration Friday. A great prompt offering site where artists can receive a weekly word prompt each monday, create a piece of art, and share it via their site. Inspiring, no? yes!

Well, that's all for me... maybe... I bet I'm forgetting something!

 

 

 

 

Somerset Studio Challenge Annabel Lee E.A. Poe

 

As you may already know I enter as many calls for art put out by the amazing Somerset Studio Magazine. An upcoming challenge due April15th has an Edgar Allen Poe theme. I have always liked the poem Annabel Lee and felt it would make a great piece. Below is the poem by Edgar Allen Poe called Annabel Lee and then my version of the poem mixed media style of course...

 

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

 

My version of Annabel Lee captures Annabel after she has been chilled by the wind out of the cloud of night. It was important for me to capture the sadness of Allen's poem but also give it beauty and depth. In the background you can see a foggy "kingdom by the sea" as Annabel is taken by the waves. This pieces was created using liquid acrylic, watercolor, papers, tissue paper, micron pen, white gel pen, chalk, and pencil. 

I have had tremendous luck (fingers crossed) with sending my work to Somerset. I have not recieved any of my pieces back in rejection... I know that I will of course, but if I don't well then I repeat that I must have tremendous luck or lots of talent ;)

This piece will go into the mail and off to California, Monday morning. Bon Voyage Annabel!

Thank you for your visit today, I love seeing that you visit! Have a happy Sunday and be sure to get some fresh air before your week begins!

By the way be sure to stop by for tomorrow's Motivational Monday.