Inspiration Avenue Challenge-Frida Kahlo

I've always been fascinated by Frida Kahlo's work.  Her self portraits were what I was most familiar with.  I especially am drawn to the animals and the botanical components in her images.  I looked at many more paintings and was fascinated with the varied subject matter.  There were several that represented her love for Diego Rivera.  Some others relayed great pain and loss.  The still life paintings of fruit and birds were also compelling.

I played with two self-portraits of hers and added my own features.  I wasn't sure if this would be disrespectful but I decided that it was not.  Her work is beautiful and her appearance is very different from mine.  One thing I felt I needed to add were eyebrows.  No imitation of a Frida Kahlo self portrait could be eyebrow-free.

I came upon a quote which I liked very much.

I tried to drown my sorrows, but the bastards learned how to swim, and now I am overwhelmed by this decent and good feeling. 

Frida Kahlo


Credits for elements-Far Far Hill, Linda Lou Creations, Cajoline, Tigroune, Dover, LieN-DC

Three Muses Challenge-Umbrella

The title of this collage is Wisteria.

See the other entries at this link
http://thethreemuseschallenge.blogspot.com/2012/04/three-muses-umbrella_04.html 

Credits:  Linda Lou Creations, Canon Creative Park, Far Far Hill, Graphics Fairy, and Google.

Take a Word Challenge-Eggs

I couldn't complete this challenge without playing with some fun vintage postcards.  Credits for the shared postcards go to Cajoline and Far Far Hill.

Artists Play Room Challenge

Jenn challenged us to take a word or our name and doodle.  I used two fonts in Photoshop to write the two words I used but the rest of the image is doodled by me.  I really wanted to grab a Photoshop brush and make my patterns tidy but I fought that urge and just drew the doodles on my tablet.  I did turn some of them into brushes to quickly multiply the patterns, but I still consider it an original doodle.  It was interesting to me that I resisted drawing, then posting this.  I had to think back to teaching third grade, when my students would tear something up because "it wasn't good enough."  I always encouraged them to work with it and that there was no such thing as "good or bad."  So here's my third grade inner child Lou Anne and her doodles from the play room.  Thank you Jenn!

Sunday Postcard Challenge-Venetian Masks

This collage shows a beautiful Venetian peacock mask adorned with individual peacock feathers and some jewels on a peacock patterned background.  Credits for the mask and the center sapphire-Cajoline,  other jewels-Scrappin' Cop, background-Far Far Hill, and feathers from Google.