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Anthro does it again: If they’re not putting colors together that I thought would clash-0-matic, then they’re putting together vignettes that you would think would totally bomb. Frayed, off center fabric? It works so well because the warm-cool colors offset each other, especially against that white backdrop. Then they added more texture, depth and interest with the weathered frames (and one gilded one, an old standby trick for even more added interest) , and you have a total winner.
My table was a little bit sticky for a while afterward, but it was worth it!
Some people find hair and money in their couch cushions. I am lucky enough to find stars. Thank you, Little One.
So, I met Sally Martin at church camp retreat in May. But it feels like years ago; and that’s a compliment. Life is funny because conversations turned toward what we like to do and next thing I know I’m taking photos for her CD cover. It’s even funnier that I’m not really a photographer and that our kids were running rampant around the house while we were trying to do this project. We started with a deep breath and a prayer, and here’s what came from it…..
I’m going to wait and buy the whole CD, but you can buy individual songs here. All I can say is, ENJOY!!!!
Front Cover
Back Cover
Some Extras…
Some Extras…
I am a packrat on a small scale. I save paper snippets. I have little shapes that I am now using to make the beautiful watercolor outlines around these numbers. The numbers are for the art in my little art show going in at Frost Me Sweet. I’m starting to think, though, how lovely it would be to make labels for linens, children’s toys…anything that needs to be labeled. If I branch out I will let you know. I mean, I would buy these! If you want to make your own, now you know how! But you can’t have my paper snippets. 🙂
Hello readers! I hope your weekend was sunshiny! We celebrated in Yakima with our little cousin…he turned one! Rest assured there was lots of frosting involved. Sometimes my subconsious creates connections, in this case, a segue, without realizing it. I wanted to tell you about the new artwork I will be showing at Frost Me Sweet here in Richland.
The cupcake that started it all (on my inspiration board)
Some ink and watercolor sketches
Some photography….
Some snippets of rice tape that I stuck on to paper and then cut into shapes. I may make one of my mini-collage- arrays out of these.
Speaking of cupcakes, doesn’t this ottoman I picked up at the Teej (TJ Maxx) look like a giant edible? Mmmm. I may take it back. Let me know if you want a heads up if I do!
Speaking of cupcakes, doesn’t this ottoman I picked up at the Teej (TJ Maxx) look like a giant edible? Mmmm. I may take it back. Let me know if you want a heads up if I do!I am learning how to be a slob. I know this looks super anal and coordinated. But I’ll share a secret with you. When you’re limited on primping time, if everything you own is somewhat color-coordinated, you could get dressed in the dark. Or in two seconds. See? It’s like being a sneaky-slob. A sneaky-somewhat-stylish-slob. Also, I’m posting this in hopes Carm will take a peek and tell me if I’m on the right track for Seattle weather. Can’t wait for our visit, girls. It will be sweet, albeit short.
Update: Carmen says on the phone, “You’re just NOW learning to be a slob!?” Like she doesn’t believe me or something. Rich.
Do you like how we didn’t even get a new plate after eating before getting out the chocolate syrup. This is an authentic beautiful mess!
I am completely not okay with the fact that flowers have to die. But I do love a beautiful mess!
“What did you do today?” Isn’t that the million dollar question! I think the reason I paint instead of cook is because the results are more lasting. So here’s a peek into what I did today. Also, though I can’t stomach the transitory nature of culinary creations…I sure like to eat! So I’m thankful we all express our creativity in different ways.
Hi friends! Happy Monday to you. It’s raining here in the Tri Cities, so I guess I can’t call them the “Dry (something else)-ies” today. We had a lovely weekend at church camp, meaning we didn’t kill each other and had fun and everyone slept and we bonded with friends.
The other day I did a post on our coloring book, Scribbles, and today I’m back with Doodles and Squiggles! I am not the first person to blog about these books by Taro Gomi, but fortunately, I am not here to tell you about new new new products. I am here to share art and projects and beauty, so I thought it would be fun to share how my little one and I use these books. Sometimes we follow the prompts; sometimes we break the rules! But we always have fun! Later on, I will show little man a thing or two about technique, meanwhile, he is showing me a thing or two about cutting loose!
Blank page. Not anymore!!
Apropo how little man colored the angry guy neon red!
Design a shirt? Tho’t you’d never ask.
Dear friends, I just lost this awesome post I was doing about these wonderful, fat coloring books by Taro Gomi. They’re called Scribbles, Doodles, and Squiggles. They encourage not only coloring skills (and there’s nothing wrong with plain coloring books), but also divergent thinking. What’s creeping around the corner, the prompt may ask. And you get to use your imagination! Skills are important, and imagination is important. In little ones, I think we are so worried about skills sometimes that we forget to encourage imagination, and that’s why I love these books. I know my little guy likes them.
I like trying to make our styles mesh. I color the cakes, he provides the fi-yah and pizzazz!
Use bright colors, you say? On it.
Paint the walls, you say? You’ll be so glad you hired us.
Color only the things you like. Not shots.
It’s a beautiful day, huh? You don’t even know, baby.
Dear friends, sometimes I get carried away into the artistic arenas of decorating and just beautiful things I see in every day life. That is one of the points of this blog: to catalog what inspires me. But my outlet is painting, and painting is what the things I see inspire me to DO. So here’s a little process for you.
Find pictures of butterlies on internet. Doodle some butteflies in sketchbook. My butterfly will definitely be blue, I decide.
Ooh, here’s some pretty paints. Never mind that two are acrylic and one is watercolor. The watercolor may not be strongly pigmented enough to compete, but they’re all water based so it won’t hurt anything. I told you we’re a mixed media family.
I notice my watercolor pan lid sitting out, so it becomes my mixing tray. I think a lot of people think artists are really precise like the painters on Public Television, but not this one!
Hmm, what’s this paint? Fluidacrylic? Sure, I’ll take a drop of that. If you’re wondering why I don’t know all of my paints by name (Hank, Sally), it’s because I have a lot of new-to-me paints. My father in law and my grandparents shopped some killer estate sales recently and got me a lot of good-quality stuff for cheeep! They support my habit.
I kind of swoosh and swirl the paint around with my brush, and then slide an old credit card across it. Eric Carle has had a profound influence on me, as has teaching pre-school through first grade children how to paint!Okay, back in a bit with the rest of the picture! Update: Sorry to leave you hanging all day. Someone woke up from his nap yesterday and that was that.
Draw butterfly half on regular paper, fold over, cut both halves the same.
Trace butterfly. I realize that the one on the far right has to fat of a middle so I adjust my template and try again. The left butterfly has a small center; the wings form deep Vs around the butterfly’s middle.Sharpie some details on.
Sorry to skip a billion steps; I hate when they do that on cooking and painting shows. I already had a canvas Mod-Podged to death with old newspapers, then gone over with a mixture of Mod Podge and white paint (mixed with a bit of yellow for age).
There she is! Frame is from Michael’s but I painted it with chalkboard paint!
Dear Friends, I told you art was all around us! Help!!! But don’t worry, sometimes you have to make a mess to get cleaned up. If you want to see some of these collages up close (immediately below) you can view them at hannahmcdonald.com.
artisallaroundus 
