Creative Art Studio and Gallery Night

       A lot, a lot, a lot has happened lately. Life has been full of distractions. Just when I felt I had some focus with my art...boom, life gets in the way. I was so excited a couple of months ago when I discovered "Pickle Ball"....it's played on an indoor court and is a cross between ping pong and tennis. I really hate exercising but love sports...the Texas heat makes it really hard to play some of my favorite outdoor sports...soccer, golf and tennis. This seemed a perfect way to get a little exercise, relieve a little stress and enjoy myself.... I even got my "super golfer" husband involved.  Great, we can spend a little fun time together. Then it happened, he was going for a shot and fell like a plank....broke his hip and had to have it replaced.  It's a tough recovery time so we are still working on it...slowly.

                                                             Nick Nack Paddy Whack
                                                        "Moustachio House" on Canvas

     In the meantime I had been helping friend and fellow artist Suzanne McNeill-Sparks open her new Art Gallery and Studio of Creative Arts in Arlington, Texas. The goal was to host her grand-opening in conjunction with Fall Gallery Night , a wonderful art evening involving galleries in Fort Worth and surrounding areas. Suzanne had invited me to include my "Moustachio Houses" in the gallery opening....really exciting but I needed to get some more work done on them. Luckily, I have a home studio...so I did a little art work and went to check on the hubby...then back to a little art work. It's finally done and I am ready for the opening.

                                                                    "Holy Moly"
                                        "Moustachio House" on Watercolor Paper with Collage

                                                                        "Wesley"
                                                   "Moustachio House" on Watercolor Paper

     Suzanne's studio will also be home to some great classes and workshops taught by Suzanne, myself and some fabulous artists. There will be open studio days and art journal days too, where you can come and learn as well as share with fellow artists. I am really excited about this new art venue in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and hope to see some of you in classes and hopefully on September 7th for the grand-opening. Here is a link to the list of classes and workshops offered. Come have fun with us!!

Moustachio Houses in Somerset Gallery

     I adore the Somerset publications...I subscribe to several and purchase individual copies of many of the others. Wish I could afford to subscribe to everyone!! So I was thrilled when they accepted some of my art for one of their publications. Two of my "Moustachio Houses" were included in the Summer issue of Somerset Studio Gallery. By the way ...page 138 "Ooh La La" and page 139 "Zany Tears" for those who have this issue. I sent the art for a "whimsical challenge" and they decided to use it in the Gallery instead. Somerset has tons of requests for art.....take a big leap and go for it. You never know when you will be accepted...and it's so much fun to see your work in a popular magazine.

 

                                                                      "Ooh La La"

     I will also being showing "Moustachio Houses" on Gallery Night here in Fort Worth...so I am frantically working on more...more...more. Never been much of one to focus on one subject but I am having lots of fun with these little guys.

  

                                                                       "Zany Tears"

     These are on approx. 11"x 15" watercolor paper...collage, paint, mark making...love paint pens for a really glossy black. I have also done a few on canvas and smaller watercolor paper...as well as canvas made from recycled, gessoed envelopes....one of my favorite surfaces. Since I have had rubber stamps made from some of the images I am going to do some cards as well....just need to come up with some funny sentiments. I'm not so good at that!! Even my journals are more visual than wordy.

What's in a Name?

Just had to share this. I was working on some art with my new line of stamps, "Moustachio", and trying to come up with names for each character. A friend of mine, who just happens to be a psychologist, was here for an afternoon of art. I finished the Artist Trading Card and asked what a good name would be...she didn't blink an eye...she immediately suggested co-dependent. I love it, so here is my ATC "Co-dependent". I used gesso, acrylic paints and stamped the image onto tissue paper. I love using tissue paper with stamps, it is so absorbent...you get such a clear image. I also colored the tissue paper with gel pens before I applied it to the ATC with gloss medium.I added the legs with gel pens as well.

 Here are a few other characters from the line.

                                                       "Cornelius" colored with gel pens.

 I am trying to get them all up on Etsy but it's a chore. I need a new camera, I need better lighting, I need to get better at photoshop...blah...blah...blah.  My dream is to have them licensed so someone else can sell them.

                                                              "Luigi" with gel pens.

 I took Kelly Rae Roberts online class, "Flying Lessons", she explains so much about how to set up and evolve a creative business. She has been major successful in licensing her art. It is a long road and so much to learn. In the meantime I wanted to share my fun and my journey.

                                      "Sid", I added a butterfly stamp and colored with gel pens.

"Moustachio" Houses

Just got back from a fabulous week in Anaheim, CA...attended the Craft and Hobby Association Trade Show. So many things to talk about... I will be filling you in all week. There were so many talented artists and crafters there.....so many great new products. I will also be talking about my new line of Moustachio House stamps.

                  This is one of the stamps, measures 2 1/2" x 2". I colored it in with gel pens. 

They were manufactured for me by a company in Anaheim and I picked them up before the CHA show. I love, love, love them...it's such a great feeling to see your designs become stamps. They are based on a series of drawings I have done over the last few months. Fun little house shapes with mustaches...."Moustachio" is the name of the line.

   Same stamp....colored in with Inktense pencils. This watercolor paper is a little rough...next time I will use a smoother paper.

                                       
It's been great fun to experiment with these little guys...adding personality and flourish to them. I plan to give each one a name...any ideas for the one above?? Since I love to work in my Smash Journals I have drawn, painted and collaged some of my houses in my journals as well.

         Acrylic paint, paint markers and clippings from magazines are used for Deedle Deedle Dum. Kind of Teesha Moore style. Using the eyes and lips from magazine pages as well as the borders.

    Acrylic paint, paint markers, napkins as collage. "Hung over", because the roof reminds me of an ice pack on the head.

                Acrylic paint, paint markers and stamps. "Adios Amigo" Complete with a big tear.

These are hand-made journals, filled with old envelopes. I normally add gesso and scrap paper to them and then add painted images. I love using recycled materials...envelopes can be made very durable for journal use with gesso, paint and collage.

More Zentangle Mustache Love

     I have lots and lots of the Strathmore Visual Journals, my favorite is the 5 1/2" x 8" Mixed Media Journal. A perfect carry around size, works great for my Zentangle® art, Inktense pencils, colored pencils or simply sketching. The Strathmore Visual Journals are also available in 90lb and 140lb watercolor paper. Both papers are a little thicker and great for watercolors, I don't like them as much for Zentangle drawings because the Micron pens I use don't seem to hold up as well on the rougher paper.

 

Preliminary sketch with circles, mustaches, eyes and eyebrow. 

 

 This is a fun exercise I did in my Strathmore Mixed Media Journal using circle templates and hand-drawn Zentangle mustaches.