Creating again...

Hi!

It's been a while since I posted anything and life has been incredibly busy and chaotic especially lately with renovations. I did find a little time to create though (and of course work behind the scenes with Kristin at PPF - creation of a different sort). I am hoping I will have enough time to visit you this weekend, so here are some of my paintings since my last post...

Balloons in the Setting Sun

Flowers

Spring Branch

Birds on a Wire

Paintings finished on my deck (I so enjoy painting outside... that is over for this year...)

I did a bit of work in my art journal....

How I Spent my Summer

Rainbow Unicorn

Our Moon with Mark Twain quote

Until I went away on vacation, I also participated in Tammy Garcia/Daisy Yellow's ICAD challenge. The first two are a Mondrian look at the colours of my garden...  (Others are posted on my instagram account along with a few photo challenges.)

Garden a la Mondrian #1

Garden a la Mondrian #2

Another theme of mine was Birds:

Blue Herons

Owl

False coloured....(I forget what...)

Colours of my Garden - Abstract

And a few Zen Doodles....

Elephant

Yuri on the Railing

And those are some of the highlights of my creativity this summer. Hopefully it won' be as long until next post! ;)

Happy PPF! Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Canadians and I look forward to visiting you!

Happy 4th Birthday PPF!

So hard to believe that is now 4 years since Kristin and I leapt with our idea of creating a weekly painting check-in, Paint Party Friday. It has been such a pleasure to see such astounding art and meet such wonderful artists as you. Thanks so much for partying with us! 

I did get some painting done this week in my journal, including a self portrait to show you "me"! Not sure it was needed as Kristin did such a fun one of both of us with our party hats on! (I was intending to do one of her for this week but as too often happens lately, my week got out of control...) Sorry Kristin. Thank you so much for being such an awesome partner as we get PPF ready to go live each week!

I am so looking forward to seeing what self-portraits and other art everyone did for the party - especially to see what you look like if you did choose to do a selfie! I'd created a few others over the year and was excited to try again. This time I wanted to try this "smear and circle style" I've been experimenting with lately - mostly with birds. (I guess I've only shown one before but I've done more.) This is the first time I've tried it for a person. Almost looks like I have a neck brace on instead of being the shadows ... oh well!

EVA by EVA - smear and circle style

Other journal pages pages done since last post - most of which I plan to write on later with a quote or thoughts are:

Valentine Tree

Birches

Winter

WHO?

This weekend promises to be way too busy again but I plan to visit as many of you as possible. Happy Birthday PPF!

Creating Again in 2015

Whoa! Where did 2014 and some of 2015 go to?

Hope everyone is doing well! I've been behind the scenes at PPF but never seemed to be able to get my own posts up or much visiting or commenting in. I have been creating, though on a small scale. I (mostly) completed my RAJ (Red Art Journal) last year and have started a new one for 2015. No canvases though   :(   My goal is to get about a dozen canvases done later in the year and to finish my art journal. This is some of what I have created so far.

For 2015, I chose 3 words vs the one word of the year as Chris Brogan and others suggest. This is my image to illustrate the words for myself. They are big rocks (based on the theory that you need to think of the big things first then the smaller things) The words are ECOSYSTEM (to focus more on my surroundings, systems, connections and the interrelationships in my life), BODY (both from a health and fitness perspective and also a "body of work" focus) and COMPASS (to help me check that I am going in the right direction). What is/are your word(s)?

2015 Words of the Year - ECOSYTEM, BODY, COMPASS

Bird on a Wire (Fence)

Joy

Joy - with words

Quirky (almost evil looking) Snowman

Finished 2014 RAJ 

Sample page from 2014 RAJ

Hope 2015 is starting off to be a fabulously creative year for you!

Happy Birthday PPF!

Paint Party Friday is celebrating its 3rd Birthday/Anniversary/Blogoversary!! Wow - where has the time gone?? When Kristin and I started it, we had no idea so many people would be interested in joining us in painting and showing what they had painted at the Party. Thank you to everyone who has participated in PPF, and who has dropped by here because of PPF. It has been delightful getting to know you and incredible seeing all the work you have created!

I wanted to paint a few party "treats" for all of you - wish it were an in-person party and these were real... let's just imagine they are. All parties need cupcakes!! ☺

and because one wasn't enough... I made a bunch more

Is anyone else fed up with this long hard winter we are having? (And lucky you if yours has been otherwise!) In my journal this is the type of thing that has been appearing to me. 

"come swim with me..."

I think I am going to listen and go meet up with this little guy soon!

Have a wonderful time at the party! Thanks so much for visiting and for being part of my art life.

xo

EVA

oh and for Monday - a favourite of mine...

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!

Paint Party Friday and more Art Journal Birds

Hi! 

It's been a while since I have been to the Party... (except for working in the background with Kristin, that is.) I have 4 canvases, gessoed and sitting on my table - ready to paint but have I? Oh no... Well at least I have been playing and painting in my art journal though, so I finally have something to join in with!

For some unknown reason, birds are inspiring to me a lot these days. First a little blue jay - usually I see a few during the winter but this year it has been so brutal that very few feathered friends have been around. There has been the occasional chickadee and yesterday morning a gorgeous cardinal, singing his little heart out ☺ - no blue jays yet though...

Blue Jay flitting 

Blue Jay and Oscar Wilde quote

One technique a lot of people seem to use in their art journals is to pre-paint pages. I did that here and for me it was harder to figure out what to do with this darn page than had it stayed blank. I had seen a technique in paintings where an animal or face was painted using circles or black marks as shading, so I thought I would try that here. (Not sure I am even describing it well... or if it has a name... Anyone know?)

Great Blue Heron spread with van Gogh quote

Great Blue Heron (up close - double click to enlarge)

I am very intrigued by this technique/effect. I think I will try more!

After pasting a few thing into the journal, I was left with an odd space, so I decided to fill it by painting this quirky guy...

Virginia Rail

And then there were another couple of pages that weren't bird inspired but designed more to inspire me (or push me) to take action...

Next Step

50 Coffees Project

Looking forward to seeing your painting and/or art journaling efforts! Have a lovely week.

Paint Party Friday - 2014 Art Journal

For 2014, I started a new art journal (a red one this year!). And I am pleased to say, I have even started playing in it! I suspect most pages will have a combination of writing and images. The snowperson does already and I suspect the chickadee page will have writing added to it soon, Meanwhile I wanted to show my PPF friends what I have been painting.

January Chickadee

"Be Yourself"

Belated best wishes to everyone for a healthy, happy, prosperous and CREATIVE 2014!

Paint Party Friday: Inspired by a Great Blue Heron

Isn't it funny what moves the muse? What inspires us to start creating?

This week it was a photo from the birdwatching column in the newspaper a few weeks ago. Once I started working in my art journal, I couldn't stop!

.

Great Blue Heron in Bloom

Great Pinky Purple Heron

Great Patterned Heron

Inspiring Photo (by Bruce di Labio)

What inspired you this week? I am looking forward to visiting my PPF friends, as time allows, over the weekend.

Happy PPF!

Paint Party Friday - Week 52!!

A full year of Paint Party Friday is complete! Wow!!! What a year! More painting was accomplished this past year by me, than in any other year of my life!

Many thanks to my partner in PPF, Kristin, and to all of you who have visited PPF and especially my little blog and provided so many warm and wonderful words of support and encouragement. T H A N K   Y O U !!

This week I painted many more dots but I still am not finished this darn pointillist painting I set aside last year.  I will eventually finish and show it after I add yet more dots........

I also came across a quote made me laugh - by Winston Churchill - and decided to paint an art journal page about it! (Bizarre things inspire me sometimes...)

Painting - pre-writing

"We are all worms. But I do believe that I am a glow-worm."

Winston Churchill

What about you - are you a glow worm? I might be sometimes but not consistently enough. (And also funny - Thursday's Full Moon was the "Full Worm Moon"! Talk about timing! lol)

I also thought I would try a monthly spread/agenda for March a la Kathryn Wheel. I used four leaf clover post it notes over a painted surface for the pattern, then painted over them and added definition. Not so sure what I think of this little exercise - I will see at month end if I use it and want to try again...

I hope you have a fabulous time at the party! I thought I'd leave you with some drinks and treats I "created" over the past two years...     ;)
Enjoy!

 

I'll be by over the weekend to visit all of you lovely partyers! Have fun!!