School's Out-Let's Go to the Beach

I had some fun yesterday working on a collage with bathing beauties and fish.  

Take a Word Challenge-Friends

I just finished packaging up all five of my postcards for the IA swap and I'm going to get them in the mail today!  I made this little 4 x 4 collage as a component in another swap and thought it fit perfectly with the "Friends" challenge.  You can see the challenge at this link  http://takeaword.blogspot.com/

Happy Memorial Day!

http://vintageholidaycrafts.com/

It was my pleasure this week to be the host for the IA challenge.  I created this mermaid postcard in order to answer the question, "Where do the mermaids stand?"  The answer I came up with is that mermaids rarely stand.  They prefer to lounge.  I guess that explains why I consider myself a mermaid too.  It was so much fun creating the challenge and viewing all of the wonderful images people shared.  You can link back to IA if you'd like to see the rest of the entries.
IA Mermaid Challenge

The Artist's Playroom-Bookmark

My friend, Jenn, from Inspiration Avenue was a great help to me with my mermaid challenge.  Her challenge over at The Artist's Playroom was to create a bookmark.  Of course I had to tie it in with mermaids.

The wonderful thing about all of the ladies at Inspiration Avenue is that they provide encouragement and support for each other.   I know that there will be someone to help whenever I have a question.  I also know that I have my own group of cheerleaders, each one a talented artist herself, prompting me to stretch myself artistically.

When I began teaching, the practice of modeling for the students was a key element.  It meant showing each piece of a new type of learning and giving explicit examples to the children.  As a mentor teacher, I learned how important it is to model effective instructional practices for other teachers.  I learned so much from having others model for me too.  That's one reason why being part of this group of artists is so special.  They are all truly an inspiration to me, through their art and through their actions.

Collage Obsession Challenge-Hot Air Balloons

I'm taking a slight detour from mermaids today to play with Photoshop brushes and some fun clip art.  I guess it's good to step outside the box every once in awhile.

Merkids

If you haven't already joined in the fun over at Inspiration Avenue, you still have time to participate in our Mermaid challenge.  Come on over and check us out!
http://inspiration-avenue-team.blogspot.com/

Postcards Postcards Postcards

I've been making postcards all month for the IA postcard swap.  I've already received a couple and haven't mailed any yet.  I promise I'll get them done soon.  Here's a sneak peek at one that I'm working on.

I'm really excited to be hosting Inspiration Avenue's challenge next week.  That's tomorrow!  It's so hard to keep a secret but I'm going to wait and announce it to everyone on Monday. 

The Artist's Playroom Challenge-Favorite Things

I missed the Artist's Playroom Challenge for a couple of weeks so I was determined to participate this week.  For Jennifer's birthday week she presented us with the prompt to create an image about our favorite things.  Well, it's got to be flowers for me!  Each flower here represents some memorable person or place that I love in my life.

The pansies and lilies of the valley are for my mother.  The lilacs are for my beautiful cousin Mary.  The bleeding heart, sweet peas, and carnations are for my maternal grandmother, Grandma Stewart.  My paternal grandmother, Grammy, grew beautiful hydrangeas and loved pink roses.  Her husband, Grandad, grew a rose called double delight.  After he died I planted one for myself.  Violets are always reminiscient of Aunt Betty, my mom's sister.  My dad wasn't really a flower person himself, but he always gave my mother beautiful  bouquets on special occasions.  Sometimes, I got one too.  Now my husband  carries on the tradition. The fern and ivy relate to the time I lived in the Pacific Northwest, a place where I always felt at home.  Finally, the orchid is in honor of my husband, with whom I've spent many wonderful weeks in Kauai.  Each time we go, we get a bouquet of orchids from the farmer's market.  I think orchids must be my favorite flower.  I haven't forgotten the bugs. Those are for my brother, who taught me about bees, butterflies, and moths.  He loves flowers too but we wouldn't have the flowers without the insects.

There are many more flowers, linked with memories of my special people and places.  Perhaps I'll need to do a sequel to this postcard. 

Inspiration Avenue Challenge-Sacred Heart

Hettienne presented a beautiful challenge to us this week. She commented that the challenge from last week, "Hands", came straight from the heart.  When our actions come from our hearts, we are connected through love.   I joined the group while Hettienne was traveling, but I took the opportunity to look at her imagery in both her Etsy shop and her blog and noticed a strong connection with religious shrines and "sacred art."  I think that's why I chose these images for my collage.  I am drawn to visual symbols of faith that people collect.  Lately, I've also been inspired to create some of these images.  I plan to begin working on some small shrines of my own.  Thank you, Hettienne, for sharing your art and yourself with all of us.

So Artful Challenge-Butterflies and Fairies

Collage Obsession-Doors

Inspiration Avenue Challenge-Hands

This week, my mentor Shel and her mom created the challenge for Inspiration Avenue.  I was touched by what they wrote, and the fact that Shel's mother was working on the challenge with her. so close to Mother's Day.  It prompted me to finish a project I started some months ago.  This image is part of that project.

Inspiration Avenue Challenge-Tuesday's Child

The topic this week was to make an image about the day of the week you were born.  I was born on a Tuesday and so I illustrated "Tuesday's Child is Full of Grace."  I never really felt graceful.  I can't dance and I'm sort of uncoordinated.  I chose this picture because it called to me and asked me to show that the meaning of the word Grace  is multifaceted.  While some of us don't move our bodies in an especially graceful manner, we can bring grace into other areas of our lives.  Sometimes we simply grace others with our presence.  So close to Mother's Day, I remembered the love my mom had for me, a child "full of grace," at least in her mother's heart.

Collage Arts 4x4 Swap

I signed up to participate in a 4x4 collage swap with my Collage Stuff group.  I was insecure about my work, but wanted to begin sharing with other artists.  As a bonus, I will receive a special collage made just for me every month for a year!  I received my first collage yesterday and it was awesome!  The artist emailed me to notify me that it had shipped and sent a photo, which I'm including here.  I could tell I loved it but couldn't see all of the details.  Today, she send me a detailed description of her process and I made mental notes of her techniques so I could visit them later with my own work.  Thank you again Lori!