DLP #19

May Theme: Touchy Feely (Texture)
May 9
Art Challenge:  Stitching
Journal Prompt:  "All that I'm after is life full of laughter."

I thought I'd use this self-portrait printed on paper with an ink jet and glued to fabric for the May 2nd challenge, but then didn't.  Decided to give it a go for this week's challenge.

Used some dylusion ink sprays to color the background.  At first I started drawing in  (okay, emphasizing) smile wrinkles around the eyes and cheeks.  I also decided that I wanted the mouth to open, so I cut out that section.  Then I decided to make myself a mime.

 Used the journal page to soak up the extra dylusion spray for a background.

Finished painting myself as a mime (gesso with ink extender and water).  Colored in the cheeks and lips with inktense block paint.  Sharpie for the eye lines.  Made a bunting from an old gelli print.  I plan on sewing over the top of the bunting, but haven't gotten out the sewing machine yet.

 Here's the mouth after being pulled open.  A little creepy, but it makes me laugh.

Update: Here's how the stitching turned out.

DLP #18

May Theme: Touchy Feely (Texture)
May 2
Art Challenge:  Fabric
Journal Prompt:  The Fabric of Your Life

Used my new favorite Inktense color blocks to write out a "mind map" of groups of people I'm close to.  Brushed over with water.

 Journaled the people and things that make up the fabric of my life.

 Washi tape and a reduction print adhered to a piece of fabric.

 The reduction print was a fast practice piece that I did to show my kids how the process works.  I ended up really liking the little woman.

DLP #17

April Theme: Color Safari (Exploring Inks and Paints)
April 25
Art Challenge:  Inks
Journal Prompt:  Before the Ink is Dry

Played with the Derwent Inktense color blocks again by laying down some color with red, yellow,and orange semi-circles.  Brushed over with water.  Sprayed with homemade ink spray and let the ink run, then blew it to the edges with a straw. 

 Walked away to let that dry and then decided to stamp a pattern in the still wet areas and press onto dry areas.  Let that dry overnight.  Today I stamped my carved  inkygoddess stamps and a carved paintbrush.  Added a torn Chinese dictionary page that my son had painted.   Journaled with a watercolor pencil and spritzed with water.   Blotted the top journaling with a cloth and let the water drip and run with the bottom piece of writing.

Back at it...

I met with a friend yesterday and was telling her how cranky I'd been, how everything was bugging me, even stuff that I knew was small stuff.  Her response: "Sounds like how you get when you're not doing any art."  Light bulb!  So I spent an hour playing yesterday with art stuff yesterday.  Felt mentally refreshed.  Now to remember this lesson for the future!

I decided to keep going on the Documented Life Project from where I left off, you know... back in APRIL!   As a reminder, the April theme was Color Safari (Exploring Inks and Paints). I'd left off on April 18 which had these guidelines:
     Art Challenge: Gelli Plate
     Journal Prompt: A lot on my Plate

Using Derwent Inktense blocks (on clearance at Michaels due to damage to the packaging), I laid down some color direct to paper and brushed over it with water.  I tried adding some color by wetting the block first too.  Used a black Sharpie and Marvy white gel pen for the text.  My minimal Gelli print offering is the ripped piece in the bottom corner.