From Abstract To Folksy

  Most of the time the art I create runs the gamut, depending on the mood I'm in or what inspires me. I certainly do have my favorites but it's stimulating and refreshing to work with various art styles. How about you?

                                                             Deep in the Birches Abstract

  In last Friday's post I mentioned getting over my fear of black. It wasn't so bad and now I find myself even drawn to working from a black background:) I began this journal page by painting black acrylic paint along with some Golden Paynes Gray and Permanent Violet Dark fluid acrylics. Several flat brushes were used with diluted grey and sand acrylic paints to drip and brush lines. I then scratched into the "trunks" to resemble the marks on a birch tree. You can click on it to get a larger view.  Linking to Art Journal Every Day; Paint Party Friday; and Art Journal Journey (theme is "Deep in the Forest").

 And now for some folksy holiday cards using this week's sketch at Freshly Made Sketches:

 

 I got out my lg clear folder of Christmas themed materials and quickly got three cards done. They DO actually look nicer in person-it was difficult to get the right shots on a dark rainy day.

Products used: kraft note cards (Canvas Corp); patterned card stock (Basic Gray); signature Christmas 6 x 6 paper pad (My Minds Eye); adhesive chipboard (K and Company); felt die cuts (Hobby Lobby); vellum sticker -winter botanicals (Chartwell Studio Inc); sentiment banners- digi sheet (Paper Whimsy); Vintage Photo Distress ink (Ranger); red sewing thread.

 I'm also linking this to the Simon Monday Challenge (anything goes) and the Simon Wednesday Challenge (get crafty and use kraft).

 Lastly, here is a photo of branch and flowering shrub/tree:

       The flowers have a sweet fragrance.





                       Does anyone

                              know

                    what


                               this

                                is?



  The scent immediately transports me back to Le Pouliguen, France where my aunt lived and I stayed with often. They were along the path I took from her home to the beach and I have THE most wonderful memories of being there. For the first time I caught this same scent when I was at the beach here in the US recently in Fenwick Island , DE staying with my friend Lynne. She and I were walking from her house to the walkway to get on the beach. It was a windy day. I just had to at least find out where this scent was coming from. So we walked around sticking our noses amongst various flowering shrubs along the way-and I FOUND IT!! I have not been able to find out  what kind of plant this is. I may have to go to a landscaper when I get back there if nobody here can help me. I SO want one of these for my own backyard (if it will thrive there).

  Thanks so much for your kind comments. I'll be visiting as many of you as I can over the next few days. Enjoy the weekend!

                       " There are no wrong turns, only unexpected paths."     Mark Nepo