arty good stuff!!!

I have been experimenting a bit in my journal over here. Actually...an altered book/journal. What I do is go to a used book store and find a book with a shape I like, with heavy pages. The pages have to be super strong so they can with stand tons of layers/collage etc. Then I glue  4-5 pages together (to make them ever more sturdy) and apply gesso on each page. After that all dries...the fun begins!!! I love taking a book that may end up in the trash and re-purposing it into a beloved work of art.

Here's a detail pic of her hands. I am trying to let loose and have fun painting hands...so I don't go completely batty:) I want to paint hands that are expressive...that tell stories  One of the things I do are lots of  blind contour drawings. That  helps me to really see. Another thing I do is ask myself...what do these hands do? are they working hands? artist hands? sensitive hands...what do I want to convey? who owns these hands?? loves these hands? what do these hands dream of? And I write tons too...paint/write/paint/write...I have no idea why...but it helps me somehow.

I just received some new art supplies in the mail (Dick Blick, of course!!)...is there anything better than that???? I picked up some new acrylic inks (FW, Liquitex)...love this Indian Yellow...it is so rich and lush and delicious! Trying out a few new colors as well...Violet, Olive Green, Azo Yellow. Normally I tend to gravitate toward the pinks, reds, blues but I find that I need to experiment with colors I don't usually use. I also picked up a half dozen Stabillo pencils because they always seem to get lost in my studio right when I need them (which is always!).

Oh!! And I picked up a few new brushes as well. Here's the truth...I always leave my brushes standing in a jar of dirty water!!! Every time I get new brushes I promise myself I will take better care of them, wash them after every use etc etc. But...it never happens! So a few years ago I decided that I would buy cheaper brushes, abuse them and then replace them every few months. That seems to work out better for me. So I picked up quite a few of the short handle Blick brushes...they work so well and are super affordable. Yay!!! New brushes!!

And this transparent Burnt Sienna ink is an all time staple in my studio...I adore it!!! Just apply it (full strength or watered down) over anything to create rich, lush layers . If you apply it over collage, it gives it an aged look. Applied over regular acrylics it gives you a luminous glow.  I just love it!!
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It's been freeeeeeeezing cold over here this past week-so lots of bundling up. This is Tara today...in full blown mischievous/adorable/I'm-up-to-no-good-but-I'm-so-cute-I-can-get-away-with-it mode. Just having a blast:) It takes us about 20 mins. or so to get all her winter stuff on...so there are lots of antics that go on in between:)