Thursday, September 12, 2013

Creative Work Is Play

  Oh yeah, it's (almost) Friday again. Good thing I have something to post. Several wabi-sabi art projects are in the works (yes, I'm still on that kick :) and will be coming soon. But for today I have some special photos to share before the journal pages.

  Just happened to catch on the local news the other day that the infamous Budweiser Clydesdale horse team would be in our area for a few days and we'd be able to see them in their stalls practically up the road from where we live. Until 5PM. So at 4:40PM we got in the car with our cameras and were not disappointed.




                                      Click on the image for a larger view if you wish to read this.

                                    This is one of the three trailer trucks that came to town.


 This is the youngest horse-and the only one(of the ten) to look toward everyone with his beautiful expressive eyes.        "An animal's eyes have the power to speak a great language." Martin Buber

                       Even the official Budweiser dog was only interested in getting his food :)

 A women there told us that the horses usually get walked out in the open in the lot next to this makeshift stable at 8AM. Of course we hopped in the car the next morning to watch-very few people around :)





                                     These magnificent creatures average about 2000 pounds!
  We were told that the next day (today, Thurs.) they would be "dressed" and hitched to the wagon for a short parade in town, but that there'd be a good chance for it being cancelled due to the threat of heavy thunderstorms and high winds. Couldn't reach anyone or find out this afternoon -and fortunately we were spared the storms up to this point so I hopped in the car at the last minute, parked and ran down the way just in time to see them pass!

                    This is our local mayor sitting along the side and our state senator sitting up front.




  I just want to hug them all!! Pictures aren't so great because it was like bedlam all over!! LOTS of people running about for photo ops  in the midst of traffic-including school buses trying to get thru-OOPS!! There def. should have been blockades up to keep the vehicles away for that short period of time. Glad I didn't miss it though.

   Felt like just playing with color in my "mop up" journal when I had just a little time.


   I turned to this pg. which looked like "flowers" to me. Immediately it brought to mind one of the flower techniques in Traci Bautista's book Doodles Unleashed.

  I tore some tissue papers into circle shapes and glued them to the centers. Spaces around the flowers were filled in with orange watercolor and oil pastel. next I used a pipette to spiral around the flowers with Higgins Black Magic ink. More oil pastels were rubbed into the flowers.

  Spatters were added using the same black ink. Finished for the time being. It's not meant to be a masterpiece or anything; it was only meant for pure play.

  One more journal page:

  No step outs this time- I didn't even think about the camera once I began this. It's in a watercolor journal and the background had been done awhile ago. I've been so inspired by the fabulous faces/portraits so many have been doing lately for this challenge that I just had to paint one too! I love how as I was painting, some of the red (which was also on the top left of the page to begin with) bled into the wet paint giving her face some added color. Chalks were used for some shading on her face. Then a charcoal pencil was used and smudged with my fingertip.

  Won't you join me in the fun at Art Journal Every Day, Glue It Tuesday, Mandarin Orange MondayPaint Party FridayShow And Tell Saturday , and a new to me challenge- Blue Monday?

          " Creative work is play. It is free speculation using materials of ones chosen form."
                                                                                                        Stephen Nachmanovitch

  




41 comments:

  1. Lovely work and great photos, how nice to see those horses, too, they are beautiful. Valerie

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  2. terrific work Linda and thank you for sharing the photos, such a wonderful sight to see. Happy PPF, Annette x

    http://nettysartadventures.blogspot.co.uk/

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  3. Lovely journal pages and such a great quote. LOve the horses, they are beautiful.
    xx Monique

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  4. Beautiful work - both. Love the playfulness of those flower! And those horses are stunning. Thanks for sharing them as well as your lovely journal pages.

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  5. Yes, very nice photos and lovely spiral compositions!

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  6. Great post! I am a huge fan of the Budweiser Clydesdales...love that you got to see them up close and personal! HPPF!

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  7. beer horses!! and I love your mop up journals!!

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  8. How beautiful they are! Awesome photographs too!
    I also love your spiral pages - so fun! Hope you have a great weekend - fall is in the air 59 for the high today (two days ago it was 95 degrees) LOL!

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  9. Wow, what magnificent horses. Lucky you. Yes the eyes look deep into our souls. Just wonderful. Love your journal pages too, but the horses, they really rock. Love them and your work too.:) Take care and enjoy.
    gloria

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  10. Those horses are really so beautiful! I love your flowers. I've been interested in Wabi Sabi for awhile as well. I'm going to take a look at what you've been doing.

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  11. Nice journaling.....we see the horses every year at our Topsfield Fair, these are some huge animals. My neighbor used to have a mix and he was 1800 pounds and looked like a miniature horse next to these guys. xox

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  12. Linda I love your journal page, that wonderful spiral "Flower" design would make fabulous gift wrap paper, I just love it! Thanks for stopping and leaving such nice comments for PPF and I look forward to seeing you over at The Smartest Artist! http://thesmartestartist.blogspot.com Have a lovely weekend ~Robin Panzer Art Studio 33

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  13. Wow Linda. Every picture has a story! The horses eyes are SO gentle while their bodies are SOOO big! I love your swirlling dervishes!!! They are beautiful. The colors are so rich and wonderful and I hope you are well also!

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  14. What a delight for you to actually get close to these 'gentle giants'. They are simply gorgeous.....so're your flowers.

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  15. beautiful quote and art. Gorgeous horses!

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  16. Oh what a gift of photos that you got nearby ~ and beautiful art work that reminded of the shape of the Clysdales' shoes ~ wonderful post ~ so creative ~ carol, xo

    love the dalmatian dog ^_^

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  17. Your creative "work/play" is so beautiful. The colors are vivid and exciting. I enjoyed seeing the Clydesdale horses in your photo. I first saw this line of horses when I was a child. I can't recall the occasion but it seems that it was as part of a circus act. I have always been amazed at how beautiful they are.

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  18. Linda we all need play time! I love your swirly colorful flowers, it's great sharing with you! Happy PPF! xx

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  19. I love the work of Traci Bautista. I have her first book, with an autographed card she sent me, and refer to it for inspiration sometimes. Blessings!

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  20. Love your tissue, watercolor flowers Linda. They are so colorful.
    Have a great weekend
    Susan

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  21. fantastic, Linda! So bright and strong, these journal pages. Of course the horses are strong too, whooo hoo~ Thank you for stopping by my blog & your very kind comments. xo

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  22. Linda I just love these two paintings...wow they are awesome. Soon as I saw that last quote I thought is that the person who wrote " Writing down the Bones?" Pretty sure I read or owned that book.... Great quote...wonderful art...and love the Clydesdales....I don't live far from Cloverdale and they have many residing there...They are so majestic!

    Hugs Giggles

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  23. It is nice to see you keeping yourself creative and busy. Beautiful horses and very expressive and packed with joy pages, well done creative lady.

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  24. Your paintings are lovely. Your face is so sweet. Colours in the flowers is so bright and cheerful.What a great quote.
    The Clydesdale horses are special - the Budd commercials are my all time favourite

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  25. That face is just adorable! And it's clearly visible you had fun making that journalpage. Love the horses, they're beautiful ...

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  26. I love your flowers! I immediately saw flowers too + I love how it turned out. Those clydesdales are so beautiful - they are one of my favourite horses! Have a great week x

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  27. What a wonderful post!! You had it all! Those horses are gorgeous, and I loved seeing your circle doodles come even more to life. Cool ideas...have a relaxing Sunday!

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  28. We love seeing those beautiful animals, too. They are kind of an American icon, aren't they? And so gentle for such a large horse.....so happy you had the chance to get up close and personal!

    LOVE those circles you did........very happy!

    Hope you are having a relaxing Sunday and a great week!

    Hugs
    Jan

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  29. Great artwork. love the flowers and the progress pictures. How lovely to have the horse parade. You don.t get to see that sort of thin passing through town very often, great photo opportunity!

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  30. Oh what a treat it must have been to see these beautiful creatures with your own eyes. They are such regal giants.
    Great to celebrate the occasion with the beautiful flowers with their cheerful colours.
    Now have the wabi sabi book and love the projects and techniques, so thanks again for the tip. The only thing lacking is play time!

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  31. How exciting to see these beautiful horses so near.

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  32. Love those doodles and the colors. Gorgeous horses, would love to be able to take my granddaughter to see them. Maybe some will be out my way someday.
    betsy

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  33. Hi Linda,

    I see the touches of blue. Thanks for sharing.

    Please consider returning and leaving a comment for me.

    Happy 1st Blue Monday!

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  34. Beautiful horses, very beautiful pictures!

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  35. I do love your paintings! So nice of you to show how the flowers where painted! And yes, the horses are great too. Grand horses always are!

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  36. Beautiful horses and drawings! A friend who loves horses would love to see this post; will show it to her when she comes online.

    Hazel

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  37. Well that's COOL! I love that you went last minute and loved it - I have seen them up close too (my dad's a big horse racing fan) and they are huge. So beautiful and so impressive.
    AND your journal pages are so pretty - love the energy in them! xoxo

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  38. She has such an intelligent and thoughtful face. Lovely work...and great words too! Thanks for sharing on Mandarin Orange Monday:)

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  39. Looks like you had a great time. I love horses, too. :) Great artwork to go along with it. :)

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