Sunday, December 28, 2008

Masked Trogon


I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. I painted the above painting during my week off work. I really, really like it. Basically I wanted to take the idea I had in my previous post and take it to the next level. I wanted to limit my color palette to cool tones, focusing mostly on blues with a little bit of teal thrown in for warmth. I love how it turned out: a little bit funky and striking.

Update: This painting has SOLD!

Materials: 9 1/2 inch by 9 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch wood, acrylic paint, gesso.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Working Hard On Vacation


I've been off work all this week (well, it is just Tuesday) and have been determined to spend my time away from work painting, drawing, and generally being as productive as possible. In that vein, I present to you my new painting: the Coal Tit. (Stop laughing. No, really.) I wanted to try something a bit different with this image by limiting it to two colors. I rather like the outcome and I think I will do more birds (and possibly flowers) in this method. I think that some will have thicker lines and others something a bit more nuanced, but I am excited at the possibilities.

As (almost) always, you can find this item in the shop.

Materials: 9 x 6.5 x 1 (inches) beveled wood, acrlyic paint

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Revisiting the Cockatoo


You may remember my previous attempt at drawing a cockatoo. I felt like revisiting that image tonight and making it into a painting. I rather like it. I continue to enjoy my drafting table, and am proud to say that this little guy was painted on it. I was very conscious of my brushstrokes, and let many of them show instead of blending them for smoothness. I continue to struggle with how to paint feathers, but hopefully with a little research and trial-and-error, I'll get it down.

Edit: This item is now available in the shop!

Monday, December 15, 2008

New Drafting Table and Painting


I've been wanting a drafting table for a while. For ages, I've done my painting and drawing while sitting on the couch, the floor, or at my kitchen table (which is covered with paint). My parents and I found several nice drafting tables at Hobby Lobby, and armed with a 40% off coupon, they got me one for Christmas. I begged for them to let me have it early, and this weekend they agreed (thanks to some sly maneuvering on my part at the extended family Christmas event this past weekend in which I stole a Dirty Santa GPS system for my Dad from my cousin). My boyfriend spent a while yesterday putting it all together, and as you can see from the above, it's all kinds of awesome. The tabletop can extend upward to a 45 degree angle, and there are lots of storage areas attached to the sides of the tabletop and the legs. It even has a padded foot bar so you can rest your feet on it without them getting cold from the metal.

I gave the table a whirl for the first time last night and painted the below Blue Jay. I did it pretty fast, and I'm fairly pleased with it, although I have plans to do something that's a bit closer-up and more detailed. Still, it was a great way to break in the table!

Edit: The below Blue Jay is now available in the shop!

Monday, December 8, 2008

Time for Christmas Cards


Yes, it's that time of year again. Time to frustrate myself to no end creating Christmas cards. This year I wanted to do something a bit different: no traditional colors or immediate "Christmasy" themes. I guess I ended up with something a bit more masculine than I'm used to creating, but I like them just the same. I made 35 cards, which took me about six hours over the span of two evenings. By the end, I was covered in glue, and for days I found small pieces of gold stickers on my clothing. Next year I may just buy cards again. While I was in New York, I saw so many superior cards at the MoMA that I wished I had just bought some cards instead of making them myself!

Friday, November 28, 2008

Cascading Flowers


Since I have a long weekend (thank you, Thanksgiving!) I decided to be proactive and do some more painting. I've had lots of fun ideas swirling about my head, and this one actually came upon me by accident. I painted the blue square background a few days ago, but wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. I had decided to paint some flowers on another canvas, and absentmindedly laid them down on top of the blue background. I took one look at the way the real flowers broke through the stark blue and was inspired to paint them on this canvas instead. I'm actually really happy with it. I used a lot of very watery, light washes to get the petals just right, building them up in many layers. I think the decision to leave the bare outer layer of wood untouched was a good one.

You can buy this little gem (and see more pictures) in the shop.

Materials: Acrylics, wood panel (9 1/2 inches by 9 1/2 inches by 3/8 inch)

Sunday, November 23, 2008

More, More Shoes


I've been inspired by my last painting of shoes, so I decided to paint some more. The above image is actually a digital print I made of a painting I finished earlier today. It's a view of stilettos from the back, if you can't tell. The lighting right now isn't very good in my apartment, so I'll have to post a picture of the final painting later. Basically, I took a not-so-good picture of the final image, and then imported it into Photoshop, where I went over it with vast, bold colors. I kind of like the result.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Shoes!


I just now finished the above painting and boy, are my fingers tired! This was actually my second attempt: I will spare you the first one as it was horrible and all wrong and embarrassing. Anywho, I painted this for my friend Dana for her birthday, which was earlier this week. I'm almost positive she doesn't look at this blog (and she's not on Facebook, where I posted a link), so I feel pretty good about writing about it even though I have yet to give it to her. If you know her, SHHH!

My first attempt was terrible in many ways; the shape of the front shoe was all off (not tall enough and too wide where it shouldn't have been) and I had a lot of trouble making any straight lines. I spent a day or two thinking about that and why I had those issues, so when I sat down earlier tonight I had a plan of attack. I decided to use a lot of water with my acrylics, which would give me a nice, smooth, inky edge. It worked quite well. I used a very small brush to achieve this, so my fingers are sore now from gripping it so tightly and from being so tense and focused on making things straight. It took me quite a while to finish, but I'm really QUITE happy with how it turned out and I can't wait to give it to Dana!

Materials: 9 x 6.5 x 1 inch beveled wood, acrylic paint, lotsa water

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

I voted. Did you?

Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween, Witches!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Fast Drawing


Not too much to say about the above. I drew it pretty quickly last night and didn't think a whole lot about what I was doing. I really like what's happening in the shadowy areas. I am strangely satisfied with this drawing, even though it's a bit unusual.

Materials: 9x12 charcoal paper, colored pencils

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

My First Drawing of a Child


So, I've never drawn children before. Angela, who I went to high school with, asked me if I would draw an image of her son, Kason. It was quite a challenge and I can't tell you how many drafts I went through before getting to the final version. I wasn't happy at all with it at first, but it's starting to grow on me. I guess it's hard (for me at least) to capture the soft innocence of a child. In any case, since she posted the picture on her blog, I figured I would post it here as well. Maybe now I'll try to draw more children and get better at it.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Deborah Goes to the Botanical Gardens






I got up early (for me, anyhow) this morning and went to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, which I consider to be something of a jewel in Alabama. I walked around for a little over an hour, pausing to sit on a rock or a swing, and thought about my life while I listened to the birds sing and insects chirp. It was cleansing to be in the fresh air and to immerse myself in nature, which is something I so rarely do. Above are some photos from my trek.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Weekend Sketch


I did some long overdue sketching this past weekend. Usually when I draw, I make an under drawing first in light pencil, then I go over that with my colored pencils. This time, however, I went straight for the marrow. No under sketch, just straight-on drawing directly with a colored pencil. I wasn't really going for too much detail; I wanted just enough to capture the essence of my subject. Not being able to rely on an eraser was quite freeing as I just let myself go and began drawing without thinking. I did several sketches this way, but the above is my favorite. I hope you like it, too.

Materials: 9 x 12 charcoal paper, colored pencil

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Fantastic New Thing!


As several of my regular readers know, I am going to Zurich, Switzerland soon for work. (OMG!) What better time to get a new camera? I've had my present digital camera, the Panasonic DMC-FZ20, for several years now. It is the best camera I've ever owned: it can be used fully automatic or fully manual, and features an astonishing range of controls, which is important to me as I learned how to take pictures on a fully manual Nikon FM10 back in college. But the best part about the FZ20 is its super 12x zoom Leica lens. It's amazing what you can capture with this range. However, through the years, I've found one major drawback to the FZ20: its size. It's a pretty big camera with a pretty big lens, and is not something you can just throw in your pocket and go. It can be bulky and heavy.

And so, I introduce you to....the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5A!!! Yes, I decided to stick with Panasonic. The TZ5 is an *extremely* compact camera; I can easily slip it into a jacket pocket or a purse and not worry about bulk or weight. The best thing about this camera is that technology has advanced so far that I don't have to sacrfice my zoom: I'm still getting a huge 10x zoom with this little baby! It's just what I need to compliment the FZ20: a small point-and-click that will not require me to think very much as I take pictures.

I am currently waiting on my new battery to charge, so I may have to take back all the good things I just said above when I actually start shooting, but I'm hoping that this is the beginning of a wonderful relationship.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

New Art!!


Well, not really all that new, but still, new to this blog. I painted this portrait last month, about two weeks before the move. I actually really like it quite a bit, so for now I'm going to hold on to it instead of posting it in the shop. Like the last two bird paintings I did, this one is painted on beveled wood. I tried to get soft contrasts between the limey background and the more muted gray tones on the border. In addition, I wanted to be very bold with my skin color choices. I'm quite happy with the dramatic pinks and whites on her face. I think the woman in the portrait is quite chic, and you kind of want to get to know her more when you look at her.

Materials: 8x10x1 inch beveled wood, acrylic paints

Monday, July 28, 2008

Nude Study


My apartment may be a mess, and I may no longer have internet or TV, but I still have my colored pencils and sketch pads. Background: my apartment complex decided to switch cable providers this week. Meaning, my existing cable and internet services were cut off yesterday, and since I didn't sign up for the new services (because of the impending move), I am totally cut off from the rest of the world when I get home. My boredom yesterday led me to draw some more, and I think I'm going to leave my pencils and sketchpads unpacked for the time being so I will have something productive to do when I get home in the evenings.

In any case, the above image was drawn relatively quickly last night. I tried very hard not to dwell on any one area, and to not think very hard about any one color or shade. I'm fairly happy with the results. The image used is from my very favorite artist anatomy book, "Anatomy for the Artist" by Sarah Simblet. I used to check it out from the library all the time, but got it as a Christmas gift last year. Indispensable!

Materials: 9x12 inch pastel paper, colored pencils

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Moving On Up


Well, I am moving in less than a month. Which means that I probably will not be posting any new art here in the meantime as many of my supplies will be packed up shortly in anticipation of the new abode. Check back in August, though. I'll be firmly ensconced in my new place by the end of the month!

In the meantime, please enjoy this photograph that I took back in March of 2006 at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. I'm not entirely sure what kind of flower this is, but I think it might be some type of orchid. Maybe I'll post some of my old nature photos until I move, just to keep things interesting!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Wompoo Fruit Dove


During today's epic Wimbledon match between my soulmate Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, I painted this little number. The feathers took me forever and I kept going over and over what I had done before, trying to get it right. At first I wasn't sure if I liked the final result, but now that I've had a few hours apart from it, I think it looks nice. I am especially fond of the contrast between the bright green and hot pink.

Click here to buy or see more pictures.

Materials: Materials: 9 x 6.5 x 1 inch beveled wood, acrylic paint

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Eastern Kingbird


Today I painted the above Eastern Kingbird, and while painting, I realized how much I enjoy it. Painting for me can be such an escape from a world of uncertainty. It gives me a level of control that I long for in my own life when things seem to be spinning into chaos. I'm glad for this little bird, because he let me forget things for just a little while.

Materials: 9 x 6.5 inch beveled wood, acrylic paint

Monday, June 16, 2008

Chocolatey Goodness


A flower that smells like chocolate?? Say it isn't so! According to one of my plant books, the Chocolate Cosmos flower smells of a "rich, dark chocolate." Since my favorite chocolate just happens to be dark chocolate (and since the flower itself is a beautiful, passionate red), I was inspired to sit down tonight and paint it. I imagined the aroma of chocolate wafting through my apartment as I painted. Not only did I end up feeling hungry, but I also ended up with a nice little painting for a cozy nook in my apartment. I used 3-dimensional embellishment paint to highlight the shadows and light on the petals and stem.

Materials: 6x6 wood, acrylic paint, 3-D paint.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Wand Flowers


Well, it's been Art-Central here in Deborahville the past few days. Inspired by a neat library book I checked out on plants, I decided to paint a flower from the genus Sparaxis. They are commonly called "Wand" flowers, and I think they are really something else. I decided to do a modern take on a traditional floral portrait, and I'm really happy with how well the colors meshed.

As always, you can buy this little gem in the shop. More pictures there as well! Update: I've decided to donate this painting to the upcoming Birmingham Hospitality Network silent auction. BHN keeps homeless families together and provides them with shelter and basic necessities. You can read about them here.

Materials: 9.5 inch x 9.5 inch wood, acrylic paints

Monday, June 9, 2008

Tree of Life


After taking advantage of some sale items at Michael's yesterday, I got out my papers and glues and paints and came up with this rather funky creation (on wood). I don't think I had intended on the final image being as stark as it is, but I think it works. The brown of the tree and the vivid blues and greens hand-painted with acrylics in the background really compliment each other.

(And of course, you can buy it in the shop if you're so inclined. More pictures there, too!)

Materials: 9.5 inch x 9.5 inch wood, card stock, Mod Podge, glue, acrylics

Sunday, June 1, 2008

J. Crew Girl


One of my favorite clothing stores is J. Crew. I find it quite difficult to afford many of their items when they are regular priced, so I typically shop in the sales department. I get their catalog monthly and enjoy flipping through it and getting ideas for my own wardrobe. I thought the girl above was very pretty and chic in her summer outfit and decided to draw her. I'm quite happy with how she came out. The hands look pretty good, and I'm so pleased with her legs: especially that bended knee!

Please note that this drawing is available in the shop.

Materials: 11x14 Windpower Vellum Bristol, Prismacolor colored pencils

Monday, May 26, 2008

The Great Cate


I am rarely able to capture the essence of a person when I draw him or her, but I think that this time I pulled it off. The above drawing is of Cate Blanchett, who I think is one of the most beautiful women in the world. And the best part is, I think it actually sort of looks like her! A rare accomplishment, indeed!

Materials: 11x14 Strathmore Medum drawing paper, Prismacolor colored pencils and Art Stix.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Glass!!





One of my all-time favorite things in the world is glass. I *love* glass. It can be in shards, blown into a beautiful vessel, or hanging from a Christmas tree; it matters not. And finally, after this decades-long love affair, I was able to take a glass-blowing class. I suppose it technically was not glass "blowing" because we didn't actually blow into the glass. A better name would be glass-shaping, or glass-molding. It was the most fun I've had in a long, long time. Seeing how glass changes from a liquid to a solid in a matter of minutes was absolutely fascinating, as was watching the colors slowly melt into the glass. I've posted a few pieces above; if you can't tell, they are all flowers. I felt that I did fairly well for my first time (the blue one is the only one I really and truly screwed up on; in full, it looks like the appendage of some alien life form), and I will definitely be taking more glass classes in the future.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Cat In Scarf Sketch


Cats have always been a part of my life and I have always loved them. We always had cats around the house growing up, and for a time, I wanted anything with a cat on it: shirts, cups, folders, you name it. Although I've grown out of THAT stage, my love for the furry feline has not abated. I used to be obsessed with drawing cats. My cats were more like stick figure cats and the girls always wore ribbons on the tops of their heads. I believe I was in the third grade when I wrote a series of one-page comics entitled "I Love Cattie," based off of "I Love Lucy." I actually showed these to my friends who seemed to enjoy them. I realized the other day that I haven't tried to draw a cat since then, and was horrified. I checked out some books on cats from the library, but was ultimately drawn to The Black Apple's cat, Miette. I looked at a picture she had taken of her cat and made a small, quick sketch (on a Post-It note at work, no less!). I hope you like it; I think I've come a long way and it's not bad for my first cat in twenty years.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Wedding Embroidery


Two of my good friends are getting married this summer, and in addition to the actual wedding gift, I thought it might be nice to make something fun for them. I embroidered the above image and placed it in a 5x7 inch picture frame so they could place it wherever they wished in their new house. It's very basic and intentionally drawing-like, and I hope very much that they like it when I give it to them later this evening. Even though it may not look like it, it took me several hours of work to complete. I've been doing embroidery on and off over the past year or so, and I'm at a stage right now where it's very seductive to me and I'm extremely interested in learning new stitches and techniques.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

At last!!


Finally, after ages and ages of not drawing and not posting anything substantial here, I have BEEN CREATIVE!!! Let the trumpets sound!

Above you will see my beautiful, beautiful shoes, lovingly rendered in colored pencil. It's just about warm enough to wear them!

Materials: 11x14 inch Strathmore drawing paper, Prismacolor colored pencils

Thursday, April 10, 2008

More New Shoes


Yeah, so I still haven't done anything creative. I did, however, buy these shoes today, and their extreme awesomeness must be shared with the Internet community!! They are so pretty and delicate and unique, and they fit like a dream. If I get a chance to tonight, I am going to draw them! The picture simply does not do them justice!

Thursday, April 3, 2008

A Little Thing Called Life

Sometimes life gets in the way of being creative. This is what's happened to me over the past two weeks since I last posted. In that time I interviewed for a new job, got the new job, quit the old job, my boyfriend had a death in the family, and I've gotten sick with allergies. Hopefully after I start my new job on Monday I can settle down and get back into painting or sewing or SOMETHING productive.

Stick around!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Northern Gannet


A new painting! Finally. I had a few failed attempts with painting since my last post, but I'm pretty happy with this one.

The Northern Gannet bird is tall and graceful; typically they are 34-39 inches tall! They eat a diet of fish and sometimes squid. Yum? One thing I like about this bird is that they tend to mate for really long times. Loyalty!

Painting is available in the shop! UPDATE! This painting has been sold!

Materials: 6x6 wood, acrylic paints

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Unrolled Fern Frond


Two posts in one day! Wow. I'm really making up for lost time, huh?

Anywho, I painted this little beauty a few weeks ago. I was inspired by the nice weather out, and I opened all the windows in my apartment and sat on my couch for a long time, just listening to the wind and to the birds chirping. I decided then and there that a nice little nature painting would suit me just fine.

This little guy is an unrolled fern frond from Costa Rica. He was painted on 6x6 inch wood with acrylic paints. He is also available in the shop if you'd like to own him yourself. I think I might do a little series of ferns since they are so curvy and luscious and sweet.

Materials: 6x6 inch wood, acrylic paint

Mother-of-Pearl Madness!!


As mentioned in my last post, I've been working on some jewelry lately. I find that it sells much better than my art at craft shows, and I'm hoping to do a few this summer. I recently ordered a big batch of beads from my favorite online beading supply store and finally had time to sit down and create!

The picture above is an example of the mother-of-pearl earrings I made. I made quite a few, all in several colors. To see more of them, go to my Flickr page here. If you see something you like, drop me an e-mail and I'll create a special listing for you in the shop. Earrings will be $10.00/each or two for $17.00.


Materials: Mother-of-pearl, surgical steel ear-hooks (silver), gold-plated ear hooks, silver and gold-plated head pins.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Wahoo!

Perhaps being in the dumps in my last post was worth it, because I made a sale today! I sold the "Seahorses in Love" painting (click here to see it) out of the blue! So unbelievably satisfying. It's so nice to think that someone out there liked my work enough to purchase it.

In other news, I've been preparing for spring/summer craft fairs and have made some lovely (in my eyes, at least) jewelry. I'll be posting pictures of those tonight (possibly) once I take them!

Friday, February 29, 2008

Existential Crisis

So, I haven't created anything new since my last posting. I've been looking at lots of books on felting as well as some books on fashion design and drawing. It's all very overwhelming; I feel that I will never be as good an artist as I want to be and that I'm just spinning my wheels. I want to have a cohesive style, and I'm not sure that I have that yet, despite having been drawing and painting my entire life. I look at other people's work and am stunned by the innovation and ingenuity involved. I want to create BRILLIANCE! I feel as though I am always reaching upward to some hidden goal that I just can't seem to find. Feeling this way has been quite discouraging, which is why I've not even attempted to pick up a pencil or get out the glue or paper. I think I'm going through a phase where I see failure everywhere and feel that there's no point in making something else mediocre.

I will probably end up deleting this post at some point in the near future, but I felt like writing it all out anyway. Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Hand-Felted Beads


Last year I bought some lovely wool roving and needle felting tools, intending on embarking on a new craft. I ended up putting all of the felting tools up in my closet, but recently they have been calling to me. Over the past week, I made a few embarrassing attempts at needle-felted brooches and so forth, when I decided to try hand-felting some beads since it looked like a lot of fun. Last night, I made my very first batch, which you can see above. I'm quite proud of them!

Basically, you take some wool roving, wrap it up into a ball, very carefully pour hot and soapy water onto the wool, roll it about in your hands for several minutes (add more water and soap), add pressure more and more as you go, until you are happy with the shape. Once you are, rinse the ball in hot water, and then rinse it in cold. Let dry overnight and you have your beads! I plan on doing more experiments with this new medium because I find it so very fascinating and so much fun.

I love new crafts!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

The Yellow Bird


I'm always inspired by nature and particularly by graceful, sinuous birds like the Snowy Egret. I decided to draw upon this bird for my latest collage, which I call The Yellow Bird. I like the curving shapes and how they are contrasted by the squares of blue sunlight in the background.

This image is now available in the shop.

Materials: Mat board (11x14), card stock, handmade papers, glue stick.

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Three Birds In a Row


I was positively desperate to do something artistic last night, since I have been lazy in that regard for a few days. I looked through my "Bird" book for something to paint when I came across these three little gems: Southern Carmine Bee-Eaters. They are too cute for words and I love how they are all looking in the same direction for something. I'm quite satisfied with the result and it's always a good sign when I can feel good about something the next day!

UPDATE, March 2008: This item has been SOLD!

Materials: 8x10 gessoed artist panel, acrylic paint

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Bathing Beauty


While trolling through the clearance rack at Michael's the other day, I came across several pads of "Windpower Vellum Bristol" by Strathmore. Since I love the smooth texture of bristol board, I decided to grab a few pads, especially since they were on sale for the unbelievable price of $4.00 each. The above drawing was composed on this paper, and I think I have a new love. Not only is it just as nice and forgiving as regular bristol board, but it's environmentally friendly, too!

If you are interested in the image above, I have it for sale in my shop.

Materials: Strathmore Windpower Vellum Bristol board (11x14), Prismacolor colored pencils.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Seahorses In Love


I finally got around to painting this cute little pair of seahorses who are in love with one another. I think they are adorable! These tiny creatures are absolutely fascinating.

Update, March 2008: This item has been SOLD!

In related news, I bought a book called Ocean the other day on Amazon; it is filled with the most amazing underwater creatures you could possibly imagine and I'm finding it to be extremely inspiring.


Materials: 8x10 artist panel, acrylics

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird


Back to birds! I think the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is one of the prettiest birds around, and I love that they reside in the United States. Perhaps one day I will even see one with my own eyes. I decided to step away from the glue and scissors this time and paint. The background was painted with acrylics on an 8x10 canvas. I drew the outline of the bird and flower in pencil and then went over the outline with puffy T-shirt paint to give it a three-dimensional look. I like it!

Materials: Acrylic paints, pencil, artist tape (for blocking off the stripes), T-shirt paint.

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

The Wonder of the Hole Punch


I found a new use for hole punches tonight. While looking at a picture of a woman in a sequined evening gown, I thought that I could use hole punches to simulate the sequins. I'm sure someone else has thought of this before, but it was a real brainwave for me.

Update: this item is now available in the shop!

Materials: Mat Board (5x7), Gloss Paper Mod Podge, card stock, scrapbooking paper.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Two for One


I was all up in some creativity this evening and came up with two new collages. These are my first two attempts at "fashion" collage, and I'm fairly happy with how they came out, although I certainly do see room for improvement. Both were made with card stock and scrapbooking paper adhered to mat board using Gloss Paper Mod Podge. I really need to get some Matte Mod Podge soon; the glossy might be a bit much. I bought some really awesome trim from Hobby Lobby a while back and I use a bit of black trim for the belt and hemline in the bottom collage. I have lots of neat ideas about making these kinds of collage more detailed in the future, but for now I am happy working with simple shapes.

Materials: Mat board (8x10), scrapbook paper, card stock, Paper Mod Podge, black fringe.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

A Return to Mat Board


In 2007, I made quite a few collages using mat board (or "matte board" as I tend to want to spell it). Instead of taking a nap, which I really wanted to do, I got out all of my fun papers, glues, and cutting utensils and went to work. I ended up with what you see above, a Long-Tailed Broadbill bird. I think he's rather cute. At first I attempted to collage a different kind of bird, but it was a massive failure. I think I was getting too detailed for my own good, so I scrapped that bird and decided to go as simple as possible for this bird. I hope to do another collage at some point this weekend; hopefully something fashion-esque like most of my drawings.

Update: You can now buy this collage in the shop!

Materials: 8x10 mat board, handmade papers, card stock, Elmer's Glue Stick, Paper Mod Podge