Re-Imagining: Using Your Own Artwork for Collage

 I recently had a bunch of my paintings, drawings, and sketchbook studies printed by a local printer, to generate new collage material. I always scan my smaller work at high resolution, and my larger works I have professionally photographed, so I have high quality digital images of everything. In Adobe PhotoShop I re-sized some of the images, and then ganged them up on 11"x17" files, ready for the printer. You could do this on your own printer if you have plenty of ink.

Here are a few of the files I sent to the printer:

A few images from my sketchbook

More from the sketchbook, original and re-sized

More from sketchbook with the red pear in several sizes

Here are some paintings and studies ganged up on 11"x17" sheets:

In addition to all this new collage material, I used some found material and began playing. Take a look at this video.

 

 

I found this to be a very freeing way to play with imagery and generate fresh visual ideas.

Art Basics - Playing with Arylic Paints in a Sketchbook

In an attempt to reach out to beginner painters, I've been exploring student-grade paints. Some teachers highly recommend that the beginner start with the best of paints, such as Golden. And that probably is good advice for some. However, I have seen many people afraid to explore freely because of the cost of the material. It's easy to feel intimidated by high quality paint, as if your image must be worthy of such fine material. 

 

I feel it's important to get the paint that suits you and your budget. If an expensive set of high quality paints is going to sit on the shelf untouched because of fear, then get something more affordable. Student grade paints do not have the same pigment load as professional paints. That is a given. They also have different consistencies, brand to brand. The only way to really know what is right for you is to try a few different brands and qualities of paint.

My advice to beginner painters who are not ready to spring for high-quality paints is this: start with a set of student grade paints (not craft paints), and gradually add your professional quality paints (Golden being my preferred, Holbein, Sennelier are some I've used as well) as needed. One tube or bottle at a time. grow into your good paints as your art practice develops.

Supplies I am using in this video are:

Strathmore sketchbook, hardbound, spiral bound. You can see some commentary on sketchbook options in this video.

Blick Matte Acrylic White, Galeria Acrylic Paint, Liquitex Basics, Arteza premium acrylic paint, 

Disposable Palette

Palette Knife; I like this square-ended one, but I suggest you try a few different shapes. Mine is the small #7, Liquitex Freestyle Painting Knife.

Your eyes and your hands are your most important tools. Enjoy!!

A Deeper Dive: Is Your Work Authentic?

I am going to say that authentic work is work that comes from you, the artist, honestly. The images are not imitating other artists, they are not coming from a place of people-pleasing or trying to anticipate what the market will favor. It sounds simple, right?

How do you peel away the layers of influences that are inevitable and necessary, to find what is uniquely you, or what is true for you? Voices in our heads can include:

• Any rules we were taught about what makes good design or composition
• Our Inner Critics who voice our self-doubt and give it more importance than it deserves
• Anxiety over what will sell or what will be accepted in a show or a gallery
• Opinions of others whom we listen to - a spouse or friend or colleague

Working in a sketchbook, playing, experimenting

How do we learn about composition and still maintain the freedom to develop our own unique way of expression? How do we put aside the Inner Critic or the gallery submission and just get down to work? How do we take criticism (positive or negative) from those we care about, without giving it more weight than it deserves?

Trying out some pinks and reds

We look to other artists for inspiration. This is an important (to me) part of being an artist - be inspired, learn from others.  But how do we keep from imitating artists we admire? How do we avoid making paintings of paintings instead of just making paintings? 

Collage and Crayons

I don't have answers; just raising the question. The sketchbook pages here show some visual inquiries, and I wonder if working in a sketchbook more often helps to develop the honesty, the authenticity.

I would love to get your thoughts on these questions. Please comment; I have to 'moderate' because otherwise I get a lot of bot-generated spam. But I do look at comments and publish them every day. THANKS.

Kitchen Table Art WORKSHOP!

Coming up, on October 5, I am teaching a one-day workshop on Kitchen Table Art. You can see a previous post about Kitchen Table Art here. It's basically art that you can do at the kitchen table, or in a café, or at the beach, or a picnic table, or in your hotel room. No wet paint or brushes to clean up. It's like drawing with dry media, but there are so many more options.

You can see details about the workshop here. It is in Dorset, Vermont, offered by Green Mountain Academy of Lifelong Learning.

Here is a new video on Kitchen Table Art:

Portable Art Studio

It's summer here in the northern hemisphere, and time to kick back a little, take things a bit slower or easier (anyone who knows me is going to roll their eyes at this - yeah right!). For me it's more challenging in the summer to delve deep into a series of paintings, because I get interrupted and distracted easily. Neighbors stop by, I have construction going on, gardening, more bike rides because of the longer days. So I put together a little kit of art materials that you can pick up for quick, easy, fun art. Art Lite. In Small Bites.

A page spread in my little sketchbook, using most of the materials in my Portable Art Studio

You can put together whatever materials you are comfortable working with, just as long as they don't include acrylic paints and mediums, which require some set-up and clean-up. The Portable Art Studio features materials that are easy and convenient. You can probably put together a kit from things you already have in your studio. Here are my picks:

A small set of pan watercolors such as Sakura Koi Watercolors
A small set of water soluble crayons, such as Caran d'Ache NeoColor II
Water brushes
Small scissors and a glue stick (any type)
A small-ish sketchbook paper that will take watermedia
Card Stock: this works great as an inexpensive substrate for small collage. Get it at any office supply store.
Some paint markers. My favorites are Posca Markers in a couple of sizes
Micron Pens or other fine permanent felt tip pens (not Sharpies)
A good selection of collage papers in a variety of colors and patterns. Include found text, your own painted papers, decorative papers, maps, junk mail, etc. Variety is key.

Have fun with your Portable Art Studio!

Lucie's New Class on Skillshare

I posted the preview of Lucie Duclos' new class a couple of weeks ago. Now it is available on Skillshare. Click here to see it! It is a fun little demonstration of watercolor, called Watercolor Field Trip. Here is what I did in my sketchbook using Lucie's technique and inspiration:

I did not use all of the techniques Lucie demonstrates, but a few. I found this to be a very accessible introduction to watercolor, a way to explore the material without the pressure of making something you want to frame. Enjoy!

I used Koi Watercolor Pocket Field Sketchbox, 24 colors
Sakura Micron Pens
and for the white lines, Posca Paint Pens

From Sketchbook to Canvas

This is just one painting in process that I've begun using my sketchbook page as a starting point.

This work in progress is 36"x36".  It may change completely as it evolves, but you can see the influence of the sketchbook exercise in it.

This is the sketchbook page that I created as a "mood board" for the painting.

I never work on just one piece at a time, so I do have other paintings in the works that are similar in feel to the above. The one shown here is the one that most directly reflects the sketchbook starting point. I have no idea where it is going!

Back to the Sketchbook

I recently read a blog post by Alice Sheridan about how to make a "mood board" for your art. This sounds suspiciously like planning out your painting, which for me is a totally useless process. In fact, I find that planning only gets in the way. But I found Sheridan's approach interesting in that she insists that it is pretty open. It is not a "study", or a composition layout, but a collection of visual ideas you may want to play with in a painting.

Maybe this is a good role for my sketchbook, besides a place to off-load paint.

Here is the sketchbook page spread.

This is the page that is intended as the mood board.

I've started a couple of large paintings using these colors. I'll post them as they progress, and see if they bear any resemblance to the mood board. Another thing I'd like to try is to make a series of small pieces based on this mood board. If the paintings veer off into new directions, I will consider the mood board has done its job as a starting point, and we can part company.

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you!

Sketchbook Practice Begins

My online workshop, Sketchbook Practice, begins today, and I'm leaving registration open for another week or two.  We've got a great group, but there is room for a few more.  I meant to give you more advance notice, but I have been teaching teaching teaching, and playing catch-up all over the place.  Here is a little teaser, including examples of my work and student work done in the class last spring:

Whether you take this class or not, I hope you enjoy the video and find time to work in your own sketchbook!

A page from my own sketchbook

The Sketchbook Challenge Book

As many of you know, I've been participating in a blog called The Sketchbook Challenge, organized by Sue Bleiweiss.  On the blog we offer tutorials, themes, and inspiration to help readers work in their sketchbooks.  Sue has written a book based on many of the ideas generated on the blog, "The Sketchbook Challenge: Techniques, Prompts, and Inspiration for Achieving Your Creative Goals".

 

 I am delighted to be included in the book.  Each chapter is based on a theme, and my theme was "Patterns and Grids".  Here are a few photos of my sketchbook on that theme:

 

  

And a couple of finished pieces based on my sketchbook explorations.  These are each 11"x15":

 

This blog hop is sponsored by lots of generous manufacturers of art supplies.  When you comment on this post, you have a chance to win an 8"x10" gel plate from GelliArts.  Go here for my little video demonstration on using the gel plate.  I will choose a winner at random on July 7.

Additional sponsors include:
Mistyfuse, Art Plantae Today, Joggles, Sue Pelland Designs, The Thread Studio, Blue Twig Studio, The Artist Cellar, and ProChemical and Dye.

For the complete blog hop schedule go here.  Hope you enjoy it!

Sketchbook In Progress

Thanks for all your comments on the gel plate work. It is fun fun FUN, and I'll be doing more.  Meanwhile, I am totally blown away by the work that's happening in my Sketchbook Practice class!  Check this out:

This is an exercise in exploring line.

And this is about circles.

Who knew you could get such fabulous variety from fairly simple exercises.  I will be offering this class again in the fall, date to be determined, but will definitely incorporate some of the exercises in my Collage Journeys in Vermont workshop this summer.  Thanks for visiting!

Playing with Ink

I felt like making a bunch of STUFF today, and then cutting it all up to reassemble into collage.  So, I got out the India ink and a few other materials, the cheap drawing paper, and started. Oh, and then I brought one of my chickens into the studio, and she gave serious thought to making her own sketches. The chicken begins at about 6:52, so feel free to scroll ahead.

 Here are just a few of the results, on 9"x12" cheap paper.

 

 

I will cut these up and make some collages with them.  Stay tuned for the next episode.  This is the sort of thing we'll be doing in Sketchbook Practice.

Sketchbook Practice Workshop

Here is a little video I made to show off my new Sketchbook Practice Workshop, which starts on April 4, online.

Starting April 4, 2012

Just for fun, here is a recent picture of me in my studio with Buffy:

Sketchbook Practice Online

I've been having a ball with my Sketchbook Practice workshop here in Vermont, and enough of you expressed interest in an online version that I am now offering that as well, starting on April 4.  We will do some drawing practice, collage doodles, ink doodles, self-portraits, and generally give our ideas room to percolate and play.

 

Give your art practice a boost this spring and join The Sketchbook Practice Workshop online. Or just get out your sketchbook, make a pot of tea, and draw something, play with paint, collage, or explore the media of your choice.  See my tutorials or The Sketchbook Challenge Tutorials, or just go to the Sketchbook Challenge blog for some inspiration.

Ink Doodles

This month's theme on the Sketchbook Challenge is Doodling, so I've been challenging my own thoughts on the topic. You may have seen my post on Collage Doodles on the Sketchbook Challenge.


I particularly liked Lyric Kinard's post in which she raises the question: is it a doodle or a sketch? I question the value of doodling when you know where you are going with it. If your goal is to fill in a particular shape with a particular repeated mark, then where is the effort? Where is the challenge that brings you someplace new? I wouldn't claim that this is not valuable at all - it may be soothing, calming, and relaxing, and thus have therapeutic value - but you get a lot more bang for your creative buck when you don't know where you are going, and you "doodle" to find out.

Off my soap box now, here is a video on how I did a couple of ink doodles:



Here is the ink doodle over collage in the first example:


And then I wrecked it with some paint. I mean, I like the original one better, but this is my sketchbook and I am trying new stuff. At some point I will add more to this page, but that's not important now.


And here is the second example from the video:

This ink doodle was done over a long forgotten page in my sketchbook. Looks like and abandoned random collage.

And after playing around with a bit of paint:

Go to The Sketchbook Challenge to see more examples of my ink doodles, and check out the other posts about doodling.

Sketchbook Practice Workshop

I am so excited to be offering a Sketchbook Practice workshop at the Northshire Book Store in Manchester, Vermont, starting January 10th!! The idea for this has been sloshing around in my psyche for a few months now, and it has finally come together.

Give your inner artist a little breathing room this year beginning with The Sketchbook Practice Workshop. You will get a creative workout, but in a relaxed, supportive setting, where experimentation and play are encouraged.

Read the rest of the description here.

We will draw:


Paint:

Collage:
Combine techniques:

And PLAY!

I know most of you reading this blog are nowhere near Manchester, Vermont, but let me know if you are interested in an online version. It is something I would like to try later in 2012.