giveaway! succulents eco-journal by Jill Bliss

I love this sweet journal by Jill Bliss.  It's filled with beautiful illustrations of succulent plants [224 pages!], and it's printed on 100% recycled paper with soy ink.

For a chance to win this lovely notebook, just leave a comment below.  One entry per person please.  

A winner will be randomly chosen (using random.org) this Monday, August 29, at noon PST.  Shortly following the drawing, I will send the winner an email and post their name below.  So make sure your name links back to an email address.

Thanks again to Jill for a wonderful giveaway and interview.  Check out all of her fabulous journals here.

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Giveaway winner- congratulations to Alex!

Fun hand-printing projects by artist Christine Schmidt

One of my favorite books on my shelf right now is Print Workshop by Christine Schmidt of Yellow Owl Workshop.  I've been a fan of Yellow Owl for quite some time now, especially their stamp sets.  So, earlier this year, when I heard Christine was coming out with a book on hand-printing projects, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

a page of triangles with the Table of Contents- already love the book!

I fell in love with printmaking when I was in college, but, since leaving teaching, I haven't been around a press for years.  Recently, I have been thinking about diving back into printmaking, and this book has intensified my desires to pursue this medium again.  The great thing about Christine's book is that you don't have to have a deep knowledge of printmaking to start with.  In the introduction, Christine gives a wonderful overview of various printing methods and materials, plus some basic understanding of color and composition.   

This book is perfect for the design and DIY enthusiast.  Unlike some other DIY art books, the project instructions in Print Workshop are easy to follow, and there are lots of images and illustrations.  I love this picnic blanket idea.  Just like primary school, you make the stamps [quite appropriately] out of potatoes! 

Christine covers a broad spectrum of hand-printing techniques, from silkscreen printing to sun printing to image transfer printing.  And the projects range from personalized stationary to home mural design- all ideas that align with current trends today.

It's always a huge bummer when the final product looks nothing like what is pictured in the book. Thankfully, Christine includes a generous section of templates in the back of the book.  So no more fretting over misshaped leaves or unrecognizable creatures!

If I could write a book on fun printmaking projects for the home, this would be it.  Well, it probably wouldn't be as good as Print Workshop, but you get the point.  And, as an arts educator, I truly appreciate Christine's approach.  Her knowledge of techniques and materials is evident, but she doesn't talk over the heads of those just starting out in printmaking. 

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On another topic, a photo that I took for my featured seller interview on Etsy is now on Apartment Therapy! See it here.

Tom Tierney's fashionable paper dolls

My girls think I'm famous because I have a blog.  I told them that I'll be famous once I'm a Tom Tierney paper doll.  Tom Tierney is a well-known name in our household, as the girls have been collecting his paper doll books for years.  For her birthday a couple of weeks ago, my youngest got the latest paper doll collection of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

A handsome couple indeed.  Here they are dressed for a "ball."  The much talked about wedding dress is actually not in the book, but you can request it online at Dover Publications.  It should be on its way to our home.

I love Tom Tierney's paper dolls for so many reasons.  For one, the books are very affordable and provide countless hours of fun.  Cutting out the dolls and clothes alone keep the girls busy for a good day or two!  The collections also showcase period fashion and memorable outfits worn by celebrated figures.  The girls particularly favor the Hollywood glamour dresses of the 1930s - 40s.

I'm not sure if my uniform of leggings and oversized sweaters will ever make a desirable paper doll wardrobe.  Good thing I can be "famous" blogging in the comfort of my home (and clothes) and still be adored by my two greatest fans.

Artists I like: Ana Montiel

[image source: www.anamontiel.com]

As much as I enjoy styling my home, I would gladly give over free creative reign to London-based artist Ana Montiel.  Her Bauhaus-like geometric patterns adorn house walls, home accessories, and fashion items.  I'll take one of each please!  Triangle table runner- perfect.   Hand-drawn wallpaper- love it.  Decked out refrigerator- why not? And the open-air structure on the pond- can it be more dreamy?

In 2010, Montiel released a limited-edition book, Visual Mantras.  There are only 127 copies, and each one comes with an original watercolor drawing.  To take a look inside the book, play the video below. 


Visual Mantras. An artist book by Ana Montiel. from Ana Montiel on Vimeo.

My art fair finds

Art fairs are a test of my self-control as a shopper, and often times, I fail.   It helps to be a vendor at the art fair, so that you're stuck in an 8 x 8 ft space for most of the day.  But even then, it only takes a few minutes for me to find several must-have products while on a break. . . I'm an efficient shopper to a fault. 

Artist Jill Bliss was my neighbor at the Rieke Art Fair this past weekend, so I didn't have to go far to find a number of things I wanted to take home with me.  I snatched this lovely (and huge!) paper weight, which was her last one.  I really don't have a need for a paper weight, but I couldn't resist its crystal ball likeness.  When my youngest daughter, who collects snow globes, asked if it could be hers, I quickly replied, "Nope. It's mine."  All mine, I thought.  I think I'll call it my precious. 

Both Jill and I love to draw things in nature.  She just came out with a new drawing book that is quite brilliant.  There are nearly 200 pages of art instruction, beautiful drawings, and plenty of blank space for the inspired artist. 

I taught drawing for many years, and trust me when I say there aren't enough great instructional books on drawing.  This is one art book that I'll definitely keep in mind when shopping for an enthusiastic learner. 

I have a weakness for handmade sketchbooks, and it took me all of 10 seconds to claim this one as my own.  I was chatting with Clare Carpenter of Tiger Food Press when I spotted the hand printed and bound artist book in her booth.  This is what it looks like on the inside:    

The pages are in an accordion design!  My plan is to draw one very long illustration.  If I make it past page three, I'll count it a success!

Here is another hand bound book I bought from Clare.  The floral cover is vintage wallpaper, and there are two silk ribbon ties.  My brother is getting married this month, and I thought this would make a perfect wedding guest book. 

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Also . . .

Sunday Brunch is an online dress shop that features an artist each month.  On their home page, they pair an art work with a dress that complements it.  I'm flattered that the New York-based shop chose to feature my art for the month of May!  As part of the feature, I wrote some thoughts about my art and fashion.  You can read it here. 

When craft becomes art

For the past week, I've been leisurely going through the book By Hand: The Use of Craft in Contemporary Art. The book features 32 artists and their collections of handmade works, from pillows to quilts to fashion to books.

Aritsts like Rowena Dring of The Netherlands creates "paintings" out of fabric.

I realized that I could make paintings that masquerade as quilts and quilts that masquerade as painting.

Shown above is a close-up of one of her appliqué works called Big Daisy (2004).  A large piece can involve 1200 hours to complete- and I can believe it!

These stunning chandeliers were made by Brooklyn-based artist Kristen Hassenfeld.  Like many artists who are part of the handmade movement, Kristen's works are a response to consumption and wealth.  Appearing jewel-like in the light, her chandeliers are actually comprised of "un-precious" materials.

I have handstitched a few quilts myself so I can appreciate the intricate work that Anna Von Mertens puts in each of her pieces.  I absolutely love the color blocks in this collection. 

By Hand showcases the artists' handiwork in beautiful photographs.  These large doily-like creations were made by London artist Shane Waltener.  You can see the exquisite craftsmanship of Shane's work in the detailed shot.

I thoroughly enjoyed looking through this book, but more than anything, I was so encouraged by the artist's stories and messages.  Living in a world that seems to demand faster technology and mass production, it's truly refreshing to read about artists who value manual work and tradition as well as ingenuity.

My Week

added a couple new pieces to the shop // this one is called Escape

leisure reading // book review to come

my friend brought back goodies from thailand // the oversized billfold is perfect for brushes

princesses, a castle, and the imagination of a child

started pinning // now you can see more of my favorite finds here

Helping kids draw animals

As a child, I loved Ed Emberley's drawing books.  His easy-to-follow drawings of chipper animals have made millions of kids feel like artists.  Our girls have one of his classic books called Ed Emberley's Drawing Book of Animals.  My 7 year-old daughter was going through the book the other day and drew some characters, including this lion. 

Emberley's approach to drawing is quite simple.  If you know how to draw different lines and basic shapes, then you can learn how to draw all sorts of things.  This is the foundation of any beginning drawing class, really.

Emberley's drawing books are wonderful for young learners (and parents!), but having been an art teacher for many years, I also know that students as young as 5 and 6 years of age can be challenged with more advanced drawing techniques.  Once my daughter finished some sketches from the first book, I handed her Illustrating Nature: How to Paint and Draw Plants and Animals. 

I found this book last year, and I was so excited to find another great drawing book.  If you have ever shopped for books on drawing, then you are fully aware of the lack of good instructional drawing books out there.  When I taught high school art, I used to have an in-class library of art books for students to check out, and I was always looking for more drawing books.  I wish that I had found this book by Dorothea and Sy Barlowe when I was teaching. The 100+ page book is chock full of drawing tips and information on plant and animal life. 

Here are a couple of pages from the book.  On the left are some illustrations showing animals in action, which is a wonderful resource for beginning and advanced artists.  The page on the right walks through some techniques on how to render fur textures. 

When I handed the book to my daughter, I told her to flip through the pages and find an animal drawing that she would want to replicate.  When using a picture as a drawing resource, many kids make the mistake of choosing a subject that lacks detail.  They figure that the lack of details would make their drawing experience easier, when in actuality, it makes it a lot more difficult.  My daughter came upon a peacock picture, and I told her that that would be perfect to draw- so much texture, contrast, and interesting lines.  About 20 minutes later, this is what she drew. . .

It actually helps when a child isn't as familiar with the subject she is drawing because it forces her to look at the details of the subject.   If the subject had been a cat, for example, the drawing would not have been as detailed. 

Again, I'm always on the lookout for great drawing books, for my kids and myself.  Do you have any favorites?

My Week

twentieth century pattern design, my latest bedside book
this 200+ page book is a survey of textile and wallpaper designs from the last century
lots of great information and images for the pattern enthusiast

a trip to the portland art museum with the kiddos
the youngest took her sketchbook along; there were actually a number of people sketching that day

a beautiful day at pacific city, oregon
took a walk on the beach and found a heart-shaped rock

what i’m working on today

Inspired by Kandinsky

If you're ever in Powell's Books in downtown Portland, you may find me perusing books in the bountiful art section.  Last year, I found this wonderful 1979 book on Russian-born artist Wassily Kandinsky (1866 - 1944).  Recognized as the father of abstract art, Kandinsky's works have inspired artists and admirers for the past 100 years.  Kandinsky has been a favorite artist of mine since I surveyed his works in an art history class 20 years ago.

I have always been a fan of this particular watercolor and ink painting, which art historians identify as being the first nonobjective art work.  Kandinsky painted this piece in 1910, yet it still maintains such a contemporary impression.  I truly love all the loose line strokes and the impulsive placement of vibrant, pure colors.  My work tends to be very structured, so I find this work to be so freeing.

I rarely "doodle" in my sketchbook, and I realized recently that I needed to allow myself to play around more with color and line. So, I started working on some pieces that were less representational and more spontaneous in design.

I like how this sketch turned out. It eventually became a study for a new piece called Daydream.

Daydream is a compilation of design elements that I've been using in my art the past year.  So, when looking at the work, it's like looking at memory bits.

Daydream is one of the pieces that will be part of next month's art show, which I will write more about tomorrow.