Where the Art Masters Meet our Muse

Where the Art Masters Meet our Muse is the wonderful new focus for February over at the Art Journal Caravan Expedition on Scrapbookgraphics.com..  Isn't it funny I hadn't really given the Masters any thought till seeing then I realised I just love most art and artists from the Impressionist/Post Impressionist Era such as Monet, Seurat and Gauguin.  Probably as they are who I remember from Art History at School.   The other Master who's work I really love is Gustav Klimt and it is his work that was my muse for my journal play last night.  He had a love for Gold Frescos and the use of geometrical shapes in his work so I decided to do my take on his 1907 painting which was a portrait of Adel Bloch-Bauer I seen here.

So I reached for my A3 Watercolor Paper and started with a layer of Gesso before taking to it with Gold and Yellow Oxide Paint.  I then continued to add color with paint and detail with my Big Brush Stamper Pens and Black Art Liner and White Posca Paint Pen.  Finally adding detail to the face with Charcoal and Watercolor Pencils.

I then took my A3 work to my A4 Scanner and scanned it into my computer.  The above picture is the A4 scanned result.

I then took my file into Photoshop Elements and added and enhanced the color as well as adding some grunge style elements which include a piece extracted from one of Klimt's original works.  I have used three of these hexagon portions as the sleeve of the ladies dress on the right as you look at the image.  All of these elements were from the AJC2014 Kits by Tangie Baxter to achieve the below look.

I am really loving my experiementing playing along with the Art Journal Caravan this year.  Doodling, painting and enhancing on the PC are all things I enjoy.  This art is truly just for me and my enjoyment but I hope you like it too!

Spring has sprung!

Spring has definitely arrived here at Spring Grove with our first sighting of a snake yesterday and lots of baby birds emerging from nests and flowers in bloom. It is one of my favorite times of year, as it's a time of renewal and new beginnings and I always feel energized after my hibernating ways of winter come to an end.

I have been thinking a lot about my creative journey which has been all over the place this year.  With wanting to move towards mixed media and art journaling, at the beginning of the year I signed up for Life Book 2013 over at Willowing and I have been reading lots of books from various mixed media artists, such as Kelly Rae Roberts, and Dawn DeVries Sokol.  I am loving my transition into these forms of creative expression, even though I don't share much of it with you here on my blog as its more for my personal enjoyment than anything.  Like life my creative journey is truly a work in progress.

Anyhow I was re-reading some of Taking Flight by Kelly Rae Roberts over the past few days, as I love her work and was inspired to take paint to hand and create this canvas in honor of spring.

Supplies used:  Acrylic Paint, Gelatos, Swirly Garden Stencil, Punchinella, 

Stampin' Up Baroque Motifs Stamp Set, Various Scrap Papers, Burlap Flower.

It's only my second time painting a face, and my first time with acrylics, I struggled with my facial features but I loved the process and am quite happy with it so far, paint splatters, smudges and all.

I've been back buying more burlap embellishments at the dollar store, this time some flowers.  I have used one on my canvas, for my girl's headband.

I am not sure if it is fully finished yet..........time will tell, I think some birds or butterflies may be in order.

This canvas is a reminder of how this time of year makes me happy, it's a time I cherish and when the world around us is kind to all, full of new life and beautiful color.  It's a time we often look upon things with eyes wide open and feel like anything is possible. It's a time to look forward and to dream.