Art Class - Amaryllis Christmas Star

Christmas Star

A free choice this week so I decided to take some photos of my beautiful Amaryllis and do a painting from these.  Another big thank-you to Sandra and Tony who bought us the bulb for Christmas.  I scaled up a section of one of the photos before the class and then painted it in Acrylics, finishing it at home.  Wasn't sure about my choice of the yellow background at first but I'm OK with it now.  I was aiming for a bright contrast with the red flowers. 

Lesley x

Claritystamp Challenge - It's all about the Girls 2

Can it be halfway through the month again already.  Here is another card I made for this month's Claritystamp Challenge. If you haven't entered yet there is still plenty of time as the challenge runs until the end of the month.

If you visited here at the beginning of the month, you might remember I mentioned making a card using scraps from my Gelli-print session. Sorry, no photos for this one but it is very simple so doesn't really need them.

Stencils:  Claritystamp Umbrella Girls
Ink:         Archival black
Other:      Spectrum Noir pencils, black pens, Computer printed sentiment

• The background paper is a sheet copier paper that I used to clean my brayer on during the Gelli-print session with my new fluorescent paints. It is even brighter in real life.
• Using a makeup sponge and black ink, first sponge through the mother stencil.  Then re-position the stencil and sponge through the daughter. (I see them as mother and daughter)
• Clean your stencil before the ink stains.  
• Using white and  black colouring pencils add shadow and light to the figures and umbrellas to give them depth. Then add some shadows on the pavement and the falling rain.
• With a black pen I drew some more substantial shoes on the mother as I thought her others were a bit flimsy for all that rain.
• Trim, edge in black then mount on card.
• As I didn't have an appropriate sentiment stamp I printed one out.   

Thanks for dropping in, and if you haven't entered yet, 

Get Crafting.

Lesley x

Art Class - Abstract design

Can you see what it is yet?

A very different class today.  We have a different tutor while our usual one recovers from a fall. As a getting to know us exercise we started by drawing our hands.  A difficult enough task, but first we had to do it without looking at the paper at all.  I wont show you my effort from that.  Then we could look 10% of the time and finally another quick sketch where we were allowed to look at the paper.  At least that one resembled a hand.  Next we did the same thing again with some objects chosen from the studio. I chose two small jars.  Then we had to focus in on a section we liked and develop an image.

extract from sketchbook

I rather liked the simple lines of the 'no-looking at the paper' jars and developed this at home, first onto some old Gelli-prints

extract from sketchbook

and then into a small painting (18 cm x 18 cm).

Only then did I remember the task was to develop an abstract so I looked back at my sketchbook and decided to use the shapes at the bottom-right as the basic outlines for some Zentangling. The result of which is at the top of this blog.  I really enjoyed this exercise, an interesting way to develop images into something new. I think the Zentangle and the Gelli print images would work well on cards.

Hope you like too.

Lesley x

Claritystamp Challenge - It's all about the Girls

Thanks for dropping by.  My card for this month's challenge wasn't planned, it just evolved. It all started with a trip to my local frame shop which also stocks artists materials.  I was looking to see if they stocked Artisan oil colours which I needed for my art course.  They didn't, but the very helpful assistant asked me if I also used acrylics.  She directed me to a box of very cheap end of line acrylics they had just got in.  The colours were all very vivid and I can understand why they hadn't sold.  Thinking they would be great for Gelli printing I came away with 8 tubes including a fluorescent red, blue and yellow. 

My next craft session was playing with the Gelli plate and my new colours. I have got lots of printed papers from that session stashed away for another day but one got used for three cards for this month's challenge, as you will see.  As I wasn't planning any cards at the time I didn't take any photos of the Gelli plate session but I have tried to replicate it again to show you how I did it.  Of course there is no way I could get it exactly the same but I think it's near enough. 

Stamps: Claritystamp Rosie
Inks:      Archival black
Other:    Claritystamp Stencil card, Acrylic paints, Black and white pens, sticky labels, Spectrum Noir colouring pencils

• First the Gelli print.  I used the fluorescent blue and yellow but substituted a permanent rose colour instead of the fluorescent red which had come out a bit orangy in previous prints. 
• Blob dots of colour over the gelli plate.  

• I don't have a mega mount for this size Gelli plate, so I have improvised with an old glass table mat, which works just as well. Just ignore the chequerboard pattern of the mat.
• Spread out the paint using a palette knife.

• Take a print

• Very bright and needs toning down a bit.
• Brayer some Mixing white onto the Gelli.  I have found the mixing white is more translucent than Titanium white and takes longer too dry.
• Place a circle stencil on the plate.  Mine is an old mathematical stencil from my teaching days but Clarity has lots of stencils to choose from. Thinking about it now, I have got one with circles on I could have used. Never mind.

• Rather than laying the whole print on top, press the print onto various circles where there is a very bright section.  I also pressed onto the left side to get some random marks.

• Doesn't show up much here but the white is there and because it is translucent the colours below show through.
• Doodle flowers and leaves where you see them. 
• This version is a bit lighter than the original used for my cards and I didn't spend so much time on the doodling but I hope it gives you an idea of how I made the print.

• Now the easy bit.  Cut the card into three bits.
• Stamp Rosie onto the card and also onto a sticky label using Archival black ink.
• Colour in the dress on the label and then cut out and stick onto the card over the stamped image.
• Use Spectrum Noir pencils to add some colour to her hair, face and arms.
• Trim and then mount onto white and then purple card. 

Version 2

Version 3

Looking forward to seeing all the Girly entries this month.  Easy to enter, check out details here, and you might be the lucky winner of the £50 Claritystamp voucher.

If you pop back here again in mid March I will show you another card I have made using  a background paper from the same Gelli session. Not a Gelli print but paper used to clean the brayer on

Lesley x