Thursday, July 4, 2013

Artful This And That

   We've been having such heat,humidity and rain that I've been able to get more projects completed than I thought I would this time of year. It's invigorating to be challenged by new things...like Kristin's Summer of Color challenge!  We're at week 4 and the color combo voted in for this week is charcoal grey and pale pink. Wasn't so sure about where I'd go with it at first but I ended up getting two projects done :).


  This is in my watercolor journal. I brushed and painted a light coat of Americana Pink and Warm White acrylics on the page. I added the circles with a stencil and Americana Warm Grey and Warm White. Glued the B &W image (Dover) then smudged edges which I lined with a charcoal pencil. I stamped words (Another Stamp Company) and quote (Invoke Arts) using Stone Grey Staz-On ink (Tsukineko). Finished by edging circles with the charcoal pencil and smudging with my finger.

  The second project I made is a card for my Mom for her birthday next week.

  Products Used: white card stock; patterned paper (Stampington & Co.); pink paper flowers (Paper Studio); grey paper flowers (Michael's; pink rayon ribbon (Michael's); white paper ribbon (K & Company); pink organza ribbon (Hobby Lobby); Grand Calibur die cut machine and Lacy Squares die (Spellbinders); clear UM stamps -Mega Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink); Jet Black Staz-On ink (Tsukineko); corner rounder (Marvy Uchida); pearl stickers (Queen & Co.) Since the theme at Simon Says Stamp and Show is "anything goes" I'm linking up there also.

  Our orange tiger lilies are in full bloom so I couldn't resist taking a few photos for Lori's Mandarin Orange Monday challenge.




 I love their bright color and the fact that these perennials grow  abundantly requiring little to no care :)

 And now for some French inspired fun! My friend Lynnie and I have been making a point to visit local art museums and exhibitions every so often lately and it has been so much fun to have a friend along who knows and appreciates many styles of art! This past week we visited the Allentown Art Museum to see a very special Toulouse- Lautrec exhibit! This museum is one of the first venues outside of Europe to host this collection on loan from the Herakleidon Museum in Athens Greece. Here are some newspaper excerpts and the brochure and newsletter about it (no photographs were allowed) :



 It was fascinating!! Hopefully you can click on the pics for a closer view and read. In addition, Lynnie and I both purchased this book:

 It's a wonderful small book of 176 pages full of facts, art, documents, family photos depicting M. Lautrec's very colorful life! The exhibit will be in town thru Sept. 1st so I'm hoping to go again-this time with hubby in tow since he's been reading the book :) .

 And here's a journal spread inspired by this exhibit:
















   These pages were done in an altered board book. I began by adding texture to the edges of the pages with a sea sponge and modeling paste.. Once it dried I added copyright free images, actual stamps, stickers and postcard stickers to the pages. I then painted Lumiere metallic paints in gold, green and sunset pink over and around the pages and images. I used a variety of French rubber stamps and black Staz-On ink to finish.

  What's been inspiring you lately???


  "To the dull mind all nature is leaden. To the enlightened mind the whole world sparkles and burns."
                                                                                                     Ralph Waldo Emerson


38 comments:

  1. Love your SOC piece. I love Toulouse Lautrec and your pages inspired by the book is amazing, love the shape texture everything!

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  2. Lovely work, and glad you had fun visiting the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibition! Valerie

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  3. Gosh you have been productive! The weather you mentioned must be the best ever for arting!

    I love what you have done for SOC, it's so delicate. Great quote too.

    The flowers look so pretty around your house.

    The exhibition looks really interesting... His is such a distinctive style. I went to a local (ie not London!) Matisse exhibition last year and loved it. Great journal pages :)

    Have a great weekend

    Karen x

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  4. Wow those blooms are just stunning... and I wish i could see that exhibition... all those wonderful drawings and paintings... so inspiring... but more than both of those things I love your artwork this week... just gorgeous ....xx

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  5. Oh what fun! Love your pink and grey piece! Gorgeous work!

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  6. Wonderful artwork and pics!
    Especially love the rich, metallic layers in your board book!!
    ♥♥♥
    Happy PPF!!
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

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  7. You have been so busy!! Love your soc and the quote..powerful!! Beautiful birthday card and great tribute to your art exhibit! Thanks for sharing all this wonderful work.

    My icads have been inspiring me lately!! I have really enjoyed making them...having a theme sticking to it. Trying to remember stories that will mesh with the theme!

    Have a great weekend!!

    Hugs Giggles

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  8. Love your art. The flowers along side your house are amazing too.
    Have a very nice weekend
    Nicole/Beadwright

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  9. That's a Great quote Linda and a fab SOC take. the exhibit must be a terrific one...loved the blooms and the journal page...HPPF!

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  10. Lovely work Linda, beautiful pink and grey for the SOC challenge and love the quote.

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  11. Lovely card, the die cut showcasing the sentiment is lovely and I also love the added flowers too. Grewt journal pages, so many wonderful layers of interest and texture. Thanks so much for joining in the Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge. Tracy x

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  12. Love the flowers along the side of your home. Great job on the photos. Very nice SOC. Lots of work you have going. Shine on!:)
    gloria

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  13. Your journal spread inspired by Lautrec are just super. Very beautiful work.

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  14. Wow..always such gorgeous pieces..beautiful art..very inspiring and dazzling to the eye!Lucky..I would love to see that exhibit of HTL..such fun! enjoy!Thanks for the pics and articles.
    Wishing you a beautiful wkd!
    Victoria

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  15. Tiger Lilies and Toulouse Lautrec...what more could I want.

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  16. Love this wonderful post and artwork, dear Linda! Your visit to the Toulouse- Lautrec exhibit looks like a very good time and inspiration. HPPF Erika

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  17. Your interpretation of the colour theme is lovely, and you've obviously been so inspired by your visit to the art museum. Gorgeous pieces all!

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  18. Wow! So much wonderful creativity here and lovely photography too! Happy Weekend ~ and Thanks for 'visiting'. ^_^

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  19. oh my goodness your pieces are all so spectacular. I'm loving the vintage use of the pink and grey. Very nice!

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  20. Oh wow, I LOVE the lautrec spread. You are so inventive. What inspires me? All things African, specially when the days get so hot- I just dream of being there. Thanks for loving my African art- I am selling small pieces in a July special in my etsy shop this month. Happy PPF.

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  21. Linda, your blog, creativity, art works, passion, energy and spirit are so inspiring and powerful. Thank you very much for sharing.

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  22. That SOC-painting is so beautiful. Love how you did the quote. And those tiger lilies are something else. Wow, love those colours, and so great that they require little attention. Must find out whether they'd grow here too ....

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  23. Love your summer of color pink & grey Linda! Happy to see you so prolific and visiting French art exhibits!!! xo lenna

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  24. I love that SOC piece! Great quote.

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  25. I really like what you created using this week's SOC colors! It is so beautiful and very creative! Also, I love that quote! And the rest of your post is fabulous, too!!!!!

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  26. I adore your SOC piece, what a beautiful image and so perfect with the pink and gray. HPPF and SOC!

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  27. Oh great compositions for the summer of color and your very French spread is delicious, makes we want to be in the follies....xox

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  28. Wow, so much to enjoy here! LOVE the quote about art on the first one and those day lilies...WOW.

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  29. Love it all, Linda...the pink and gray page and card, those gorgeous lilies, the Toulouse-Loutrec inspired pages...This post just oozes with creativity! You have been productive, indeed!

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  30. Visiting from Artists in Blogland--wow! All of your pieces are lovely and inspiring! I can tell you were really inspired by the exhibit. Beautiful!

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  31. Lots going on here. Would love to see that Art Exhibit. I used to go check out local Art Galleries until we moved. None around me now. so I live vicariously thru others here. :) HPPF

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  32. The photography brings back memories when I had a house. The Altered Board Book art is fantabulous. I love it. . . but then I thoroughly love the subject of it. I am a new follower. Blessings, Janet PPF (Thanks for visiting my site.)

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  33. I love the colour combo this week and your pieces are gorgeous. Your mum will love that card, I'm sure. I really like your Lautrec inspired journal page - the colours are fab!

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  34. lovely page for SOC3...I always get lost in my art, hihi, and when the piece is finished I rise up again ;) love the golden altered pages also! ♥ Conny
    http://piaromsartjournaling.blogspot.de

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  35. Lovely take on this weeks SoC colour combination:) I love the Toulouse Loutrec inspired journal pages. What a treat to see the original work!

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  36. WOW!! Fabulous use of the SOC colours. I absolutely LOVE the altered journal as well. So much yummy juicy texture. It is gorgeous. The exhibition looked fabulous, very inspiring.

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  37. Lovely Tiger Lilies and how special to get to visit that fab French exhibit with a friend.
    Happy Birthday to your dear mother...our son celebrates 25 yrs today...leaving me wondering WHERE the time has gone!
    All of your creations are wonderful dear Linda!
    Stay cool!
    oxo

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  38. A most interesting post! Of course I love your orange MoM pics - both the closeup lilies and the perspective shot against the lines of the house. I also like your altered book very much - especially for its rich, metallic quality.
    Thank you for being part of Mandarin Orange Monday:)

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Thank you so much for your comments; it's a pleasure to connect with you!