A new print and an artist page from my journal

I have always loved this bird guy that I painted about a year or so ago, so I am making him available as a Giclee print,,,he will be in my shop later this week.

Here is another page in my journal. If I can paint a page a day I should be finished with this artist journal in a couple of months! Does he look like anyone you know? :)

Merry Christmas to Everyone!

Thank you so much to all my blogger friends who have left me comments over the year, I so appreciate you! I have totally loved the connection I have felt with all of you, sharing thoughts about art and life.
I hope the holidays find you warm and with someone you love.

~Peace and love to all!

xo...Tara

It's Sunday and I am painting

Dreaming of boyfriend

I hope he likes me

More pages....

Bird guy in my journal

Busy, busy...

I am not sure where the days go, especially this time of year. I am always behind on laundry and grocery shopping, but I think I have almost all my Christmas shopping done. And,,,of course,,,there is always time for a journal page, or two!

Journal love

Journal pages

I created a couple of new pages in my journal. I really like how these are turning out. I wanted to show you the leather journal itself. It is made by Susie Shipman over at Island Bound Books (you can google her). The craftsmanship of her journals is amazing! Look at the stitching! And the fabulous hand made iron forged button! The paper is thick, can hold any medium, (I use acrylics),,,and they are works of art within themselves. I love them!  Since I loved the journal more than my old artwork, I decided to paint over the old pages.  I really love all the old texture showing through underneath.  I am happy I took a chance to re-do these.  Never be afraid to paint over something you have and start over.  I am sure you will be happy with your new results. 

More of my leather journal

I have been busy painting on canvases, and I am getting ready to fill my shop with lots of goodies. In the meantime, I have been working in this journal,,,that I LOVE. There is so much texture and see through words/images from my old journaling. I am covering up the old stuff and adding new. (click on image to make large)

Have a nice weekend.

My leather journal

I am re-working an old leather journal I have had for a number of years. I don't like my old art in it, so I am gessoing over everything and starting over. The journal is a piece of art in itself which I will share in a later post, I need to get some good lighting to do it justice.  The journal is small, about 3 x 5 inches,,,,and look at all the lovely pages in it!

Wish

Wish

I like some of my paintings in a cropped view better than the originals sometimes, the cropped view makes them more interesting and draws the viewer in. I really like this image cropped.

I have had this piece for a while so I am offering it at a discount in my shop. And,,, free shipping too!

New sister art in my shop

This sweet piece is created on a background of collage with acrylics. Size = 9 inches x 12 inches. I am hoping to fill my shop up with sisters, brothers, and brothers and sisters, and maybe a few mothers and daughters....
this piece is created using a lot of collage elements, a rare piece, since I don't create collage very much anymore...I hope you are still eating lots of turkey leftovers,,,,,,,I know I am,,,now time for the gym!


  xo...

I have a new shop!

I have a new etsy shop for all my new woolly creations! It took me a long time to get this shop started but I am glad I finally took the plunge.

It's cold, and I am rug hooking

It's cold here in Seattle, about 38 degrees last time I checked. This kind of weather brings me indoors instead of outside in my studio. I love rug hooking in the winter, its just more tactile, and I can do it in front of the TV and my cozy fireplace. So, this is how I get started...

I draw a pattern I like first, it is inspired by one of my paintings. Then I draw it onto Monks cloth with a Sharpie pen.

Then I hook away. This doll took me a week to make. She is still waiting to be stuffed, as her sister is still on the rug hooking frame waiting to be created. They both have their bunny slippers on,,,of course!

I have a new etsy shop where I am beginning selling my whimsical rug hooking creations. She will be ready to go to a new home in a week or so. Or, just let me know if you are interested in her and I will hold her for you.

Artist Journal

I keep several journals going at one time. I made this one by hand, including the covers which are made from canvas board. Each page is torn individually to fit into the journal. I add color to all the pages, then they are hand stitched and bound into the book. I am available for teaching this wonderful technique in 2011.

My Brother

Boys can like bunny slippers too, right?

More artist journal pages

If you have been following my blog you have noticed that I am doing a collaborative with fellow artist Syd. Here are a few pages from our journal. I like using watercolors as well as acrylics, they give the paintings a whole different "feel".

Published!

Thank you so much Selin for making me the first featured artist in Pocketful Illustration magazine. You can find so many wonderful artists here and previous issues are available at Amazon! I love getting a theme to work on and it's so fun to see other artist's interpretation of the same theme.  If you look around the site you can find wonderful art there.

A visit to the Museum of Flight

I thought this plane was the most interesting. It has a wood propeller. I love how it hung from the sunlit panes above. Then I took the original image and altered it in photoshop. I have limited photoshop knowledge and I am so happy with how this photo came out.

"Lost"

"Lost"

9 x 12 archival watercolor paper, acrylic, graphite, stamp (by Corey Mortgat)

More artist journal pages

I thought you may like to see more of our journal collaborative. Here are some of the latest pages. The journal pages below are by Syd. I love her free flowing nature and color choices!

A little of this, a little of that

Here are a few little drawings I made while I was waiting...

Happy Halloween!

Very large pumpkin in front of Central Market

Art journal collaborative

Syd's and mine

Syd's

Syd and I have been working in our collaborative journal project. We each do 3-4 pages and send them back and forth to each other. We have a style that compliments each other. I will be sending mine back to her very soon.

Journal pages

Here are two more pages that I created in my artist journal that I am doing with my art buddy Syd. We are doing an artist collab of sorts, working in journals to each other and passing them back and fourth after we complete a couple of pages. This journal will be ready to mailed this week. I can't wait to see Syd's journal!

Work in progress (wip)

I am still working on this page, more work needs to be done later on her arms. She looks a lot different than in the previous post. Art is a process. Don't stop until you are happy with your results!

Artist block,,,,again?

I can't tell if I am having artist block or I am just having fun participating in other activities in my free time. Creating art is lower on my priority list right now.   I have been enjoying the fall by bike riding, walking by the lake and the Burke Gilman trail, gardening, visiting friends, and the list goes on. When I feel like I can't seem to motivate myself to create art, I start with a simple exercise of creating collages. I find myself tearing pages, painting backgrounds, ripping, gluing, collaging pieces onto the background,,, I just keep moving through this exercise until I can "free up" my inner artist. I find images I like and just start gluing them down to the page. In this case, I am using my journal. A place where I am free to try new things.

After my collage exercise, I started this page in my journal. I freely cut the pages into a simple shape and started to paint an image. This is the VERY rough draft of the starting of a painting.... I'm on a roll now,,,,,,,

What do you do to rev-up your creative spirit?

xo...

Fall Hooked Rug Show

I always enjoy going to the fall hooked rug show in Bothel, Washington.  It is a small venue with lots of creative rug hookers who sell their supplies and art.  I enjoyed seeing these hooked artist trading cards.  The rug at the very top was designed by Judy Wise.  I am sorry I cannot tell you who hooked the rug, but isn't it fantastic!  This along with the fall weather is getting me in the mood to start rug hooking in the evening.  Well, we'll see if that happens!

Thought

When thought and experience become one, consciousness has changed.

If enough people (projections of ourselves) are aware of the harmonies of peace in the universe layers, conflict and fear can diminish.

All is constructed by thought. ~Bob Toben