CitraSolv Play

 

 

Since we're supposed to get rain for the next few days, curtesy of Isaac, I decided to play with the CitraSolv technique today.  This must be done either outdoors, or in a well ventilated place (I used my garage with the door up).  I've been researching this via YouTube - but you never know what you'll get till you try it!  I learned that it needs to be on longer than 20 minutes, and if you can't separate the pages - and leave them alone till the outsides are dry, you get another interesting effect on the middle pages -- it turns very pale with a lot of big white circles!  Anyway, here are a couple of before and afters for you:

Two page spread before

 

And, after

Beautiful and colorful before

And after - it still retains the color, just not quite so bright.

I also saw on YouTube that nothing else does it - you have to use CitraSolv.  If you live in a large city, you can probably find it in a health food store or Whole Foods - but if you're like me and live in a small town, you will have to send off for it through Amazon.

Fun Day!

 

 

 

Over the weekend, I received my new copy of Somerset Studio Magazine.  In it, I found a fab article about Kayann Ausherman - she contributed some collage pieces using Edgar Allan Poe as the muse.  In her collages, she used backgrounds made using CitraSolv on National Geographic magazine pages!  Maybe you have heard of this, but I hadn't!  So, of course, I sent off for some CitraSolv, and also went to her Etsy shop, and purchase some sheets from her.  I love the way they look!

 

If you look in the upper left/central part of this collage that I did today in Art Club, you can see how it looks.  I think it will be fun to make my own - can't wait for the CitraSolv to get here!

 

And while I was waiting for things to dry on the journal page, I started another canvas.  This one using Flora Bowley's techniques.  Right now, I've just thrown on color, and have outlined the shapes that I want to use -- next, I'll work in and around those shapes, and hopefully when I'm finished it will be beautiful!  We'll see.....

Blue Bird

After watching Donna Downey's video , I decided to give it a try!  So, here's the problem:  trying to use my fingers to paint on an 8" x 10" journal page is not as easy as doing it on a large canvas!  I finally just stopped, and declared it finished.  But, I did enjoy the process, so I 'm sure I will try again on a big canvas.

I am so amazed that Donna makes videos of a lot that she does, and most of them she shares with her blog audience.  What a gift!  I've even purchased some of her "Canvas Create" videos - it's worth every penny!

A New Perspective

I just spent the better part of an hour going backwards in my blog, reading each one - and finally discovered the first post that I made about learning to paint with acrylics.  It was early August, 2010.  I can't believe that I've been on this particular road for over 2 years!

And, before that, I was consumed with Watercolor for over 2 years, and Oils for another year!

The time has certainly flown by -- and I'm amazed at my growth.  Never in a million years did I believe that I had an ounce of creativity within me.

I told a friend yesterday, that he should start a blog (he's just getting started learning Watercolor) - that when I started painting, I started my blog and that it's the reason I just keep on learning!  Even if no one even reads it, I do - and I am so happy that I did it!

I spend a lot of time each day reading other's blogs, and I am so inspired by them.  So, if you're reading this, thank you for encouraging me to continue this amazing journey!

Love Is ...

Well, I'm glad to announce that I remembered to take all my supplies with me to Art Group yesterday!  So the plan was to make this striped canvas - and then nothing!  I had this piece of paper that I had typed quotes about love and friendship on, so I tore out a heart and glued it on - then I had some washi tape that I haven't used yet, so I added that - added stickers and stamps, and I guess this it it.  Wasn't at all what I thought I would do, but it's done!  It did seem fitting to do this, since Bill and I celebrated our 21st Anniversary on Thursday.

Here is a close up of the words on the paper:

Trying to make lemonade

I was so looking forward to last Friday's art club.  I wanted to work on a canvas - I had a definite idea, and packed all the tools I needed to make the piece.

So, I start unpacking all the stuff I brought with me, and quickly discovered that I had forgotten the tub that had all my paints and brushes in it!  I live 30 minutes away - and just didn't think it would work to go back and get them.

But, I did have my art journal - and lots of other stuff, as well as a few little tubes of paint and all my inks.  So I just started playing with things, and here is the outcome!  Pretty tragic, but at least I did make something.  This Friday, I will be a little more dilligent!

Coming Together

I decided to photgraph this art journal page in process.  I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out.

This is the beginning of the page - I made sprays with different colors and water. This first spray was made with Cadmium Yellow and  Cereluan Blue.

 

Next, I added strips of masking tape horizontally.

Then, I sprayed Pthalo Turquoise and Jenkins Green.

I put squares of modeling paste, and stamped them with plastic canvas for texture.  I stamped on punchinella with Stayzon with a sponge.



Last, I added color to the squares, put on the dots, stencil, and words.  Before I finished, I added some more white to the squares.  This is one that really looks better in person!

Forward Motion

Today I'm feeling very introspective about my art journal.  When I began this journal, I was taking bits and pieces from Donna Downey and others online.  I'm now coming to the point where I'm beginning to see what is in ME!

I'm discovering that my favorite colors are Cobalt Turquoise, Green Gold, Cadmium Yellow, and Phthalo Turquoise - as well as White and Black - all in Golden Fluid Acrylics.  And, while I like a lot of textures, I do like to keep it simple, using only a few shapes.

I think I need to refine my use of color - I seem to start out one way, and end up getting all muddied up!  In my next journal page, I'm going to take photos of each step.  Maybe from that, I can learn where it is that I lose my way.

But, the main thing that I absolutely love about Donna Downey, is her use of the phrase "Forward Motion"!  She has posted tons of videos of her "Inspiration Wednesdays" - and in a lot of them, she isn't inspired, and has no idea what she will do.  But, she uses the "Forward Motion" phrase a lot, and it really makes sense - just keep on going forward, and something will work out.  I'm counting on it!

Road Trip

So, we decided to take a little day trip on Sunday - down to Clearwater and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium to see the famous dolphin, Winter.  We had been to the aquarium before, in 2002 - way before Winter.  It was kind of a sad little place then - not much going on, but we got to see some fun things.  The kids were little, so they enjoyed everything.

Fast forward -- today, the aquarium is more like a theme park!  We had to park 2 blocks away, and stood in line under a tent to get our tickets.

Once inside, it was wall-to-wall people.  And hot and steamy!  We went to see Winter, but instead, watched a training session with a new baby dolphin, Hope.  After that, Haley wandered around and touched stingrays, and I found air conditioning in the theater!



We finally got to see Winter - under water - and then decided to hit the gift shop and go home.



But, when we got out of the building and back into the tents, the rain was coming down in sheets - wind was blowing and the lightning and thunder was tremendous!  We had to wait another half an hour just to be able to walk to the car.  Then - the long ride back in the rain.  I'm looking forward to doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING today!

Keep Calm and Carry On

This is the journal page that I made yesterday in Art Club.  One of my friends had this cool stamp, and I just had to use it!

Granddaughter Haley (she's 14) has been with me for 10 days, and then Bill's granddaughter, Victoria (she's 15), came to visit us on Thursday.  So, both girls went to Art Club with me.

Both girls made collages - Victoria's is above, using photos of her grandfather's school trip to Chicago.  Haley's is below, using bird images from my huge stash!



I must say, I think  both girls did very well!