FITW III team challenge work

Ayala Art (of 29 Faces Challenge) offered participants of the 29 Face Challenge the opportunity to participate in this round robin art challenge, FITW III. I'm part of Team 3 with Milo W.C. and Diana C.

Here's what was mailed to me for Milo's face:

Since I was the last person to receive this piece, it was my task to finish it off

and send to the originator, Milo. Here is what I came up with:

And here's is what I started with for Diana's Face:

And since I'm person #2 on this one, I got this far and will be mailing her off to be finished:

This is my piece that I started and sent off:

I am excited to get the end result!!!

Fun challenge. Really pushed me out of my comfort zone. 

I think I shall attempt another challenge of this type again!

Faces 24-29 ... Done!!

This was a lot of fun ... even with the pressure to finish towards the end.

Faces 24 - 27

Face 28

Face 29

Now I have lots of faces to practice painting techniques!

Faces 20 - 23

I've only had time to sketch in my little purse sketchbook and scraps of paper.

That's been a fun little switch up.

#20

#21

#22

#23

Face 19

Yay, I'm keeping up!

The colors aren't true, but this is the best shot I can get right now.

This background and the background for Face 18 were made like this:

Layer of white gesso

Lay down a layer of dry paper toweling (that was previously used to mop up

excess Dylusion spray from another project) on top of wet gesso layer.

Spritz the paper towel with water, a pretty good wetting, and let sit for about 5-8 minutes.

Lift/peel the paper towel off.

Leaves an interesting background to use as is or to start from. Here I just used as is.

Thank you for looking!

Faces 17 and 18

Face 17

same series ...

Face 18

Face 16

OK, so I didn't draw this from scratch.

This is my granddaughter, Molly, on her first day of Kindergarten.

I changed the digital photo to black and white, bumped the contrast,

then printed it onto tissue paper from my laser printer.

Then I collaged it onto this background and went to town with

pastel pencils. I love how this turned out!!

Thanks for looking!

Faces 14 and 15

Same technique as the others.

Now on face 15, I used a reference photo ... not something I'm good at. 

Not a drawing I'm happy with either.

But I'm being brave and posting here. Practice, practice, practice.

As always, thank you for looking!!

Faces 12 and 13

Really surprising myself that I'm actually managing to keep up.

I am loving this challenge.

Face 11

Hmmm, I seem to be a face behind. Good thing I have some waiting time at a couple of my daughter's appointments this afternoon! Here's Face #9's counterpart:

Face 10

I'm away from my other journal today, so I used another one.

Same Stabilo All pencil, though.

Face 9

Faces 7 and 8

Had some fun in my studio last night. My next two faces:

Same technique ... I'm really liking the results and when I'm ready to tackle

shading on faces (I'm kinda scared of that at the moment) I'll have lots of 

faces on which to practice.

Thanks for visiting and here's hoping my planned "me" time happens tomorrow

so I can enjoy your art and reciprocate some comments!

Face #6

Face #5's counterpart ...

Face 5

Face #5

Gessoed paper, Acrylic paint, stencils, baby wipes, Stabilo All pencil, and water.

Face 4

The facing page ... face #4. (Sorry about the lighting! The colors look better IRL.)

Face 3 of (hopefully) 29

I'm enjoying this process of creating a background,

then drawing face with Stabilo All.

Think I'll keep on it for a while longer.

Thanks for taking a look see!

Face 2 of (hopefully) 29

Facing page to yesterday's face ...

same materials.

I'm really kind of scared to try to paint these beyond where they're at right now ... 

good thing I don't have to decide today. I think I'll enjoy them the way they are for right now.

Yay me! #2 done!

I wanted to thank everyone for such gracious comments left on my first post of this challenge!

I wish I could respond to each one, and I might be able to on some days.

For now, please know that I so appreciate the encouragement you offer. xo

29 Faces - September Challenge - Face 1 of (hopefully) 29

Materials used: Background gesso'd, Golden Fluid acrylics, stencils

Baby wipes

Stabilo All pencil

Still need to paint ... later!

Inspired by Mother Nature ...

Haven't blogged in a couple days, and you know what? I'm ok with that! :-)

Drove to Mt. Rainier yesterday to do some communing with nature ... one of my favorite things to do! Being outdoors, soaking in the creations all around, and enjoying the moments ... equals healing to me.

On the way there, a 15 foot tall sculpture of a giraffe caught my eye ... and I'm so glad because I realized as I drove by that there were MANY sculptures. So I quickly turned around and pulled in to the driveway here:

I took lots of photos of this artist's work, but I will not post them here.
Go to his website (www.danielklennert.com) to see for yourself.

You will not be disappointed!!

Go!! My blog can wait a few minutes! :-)

Here are some of my favorite photos from my day on the mountain. I hope you enjoy them!

One of the trailheads

 Christine Falls

Narada Falls before "falling" under the bridge

Trillium

Oops! Accidentally stepped off the trail into some mud!

Narvada Falls

Reflection Lake ... the fish were jumping!

 

These beauties are, as you can see, enormous! 

These "Douglas Fir Twins" are found in the Patriarch Grove.

That is my oldest daughter, Erika.

Here's a close up of the bark on the tree to the left:

I was surprise that the bark was soft to the touch.

Here's a more panoramic view of these beauties!

This Gray Jay and its mate wanted to be photographed!
They flew into the trees right beside us, so we were able to get great shots of them!

And, of course, as we were getting set to leave and head back down to reality,
the mountain "came out" as they say around here!
Well ... it sorta came out ...
there are still plenty of clouds about the top of Mt. Rainier,
but this was more of the mountain than we had seen all day.

I took 200 photos, but these are my favorites!

Feeling refreshed and inspired ...

Emptiness is not vacancy ...

So much other stuff is calling me away from time to create these days. It makes me long more for that time.

Last night I was reading more in Untie the Strong Woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, PhD. Here's a quote I've been chewing on ever since:

"Sometimes, emptiness is not vacancy, but rather a long gestation. Gestation by ego's measure is most often too long. But, by soul's measure, the length of the waiting and making within, before what is being created shows on the outside, is ever just right."

So I'm trying to think of this time away from art as a gestation period. I ache to get back to my studio, and I never knew this feeling before. I KNOW creating is healing. If anything, in the short 20 months since I started this art journaling journey, I now understand how healing it is ... and I don't like to be deprived of the time to get to it. But maybe this will be a better frame of mind to think of time away from my art; embracing the time away as the gestation period my soul needs right now. Going to try it on.

Soooo looking forward to the book study starting on Women Who Run With Wolves!! I'm really enjoying Dr. Estes' story telling style.

Ice crystal clouds ...

My view today (and most days) on the way TO work:

My view going home from work last night:

And this explanation from the local news station's weather officianado.  What kind of clouds are these?

Nature showing off her beautiful self again! :-)

What hopeful can look like ...

This is my sweet furry pal, Penny.

She is looking away from the camera and my gaze as I look at her

between her stares at my plate as I eat dinner ...

hopeful that I will not be able to eat all that is there ...

hopeful that I will share what's left.

No art to share today. But I thought some of you might enjoy this photo!

Hope you all had a fantastic and wild Monday!  :-)

Sunday in my Art Studio ...

I ran to the store early this morning to get last minute groceries for dinner. Grabbed a Starbucks on the way home. Threw the food in the crockpot. And headed downstairs to my refuge!

A while back Effy had mentioned little manila coin envelopes, so not wanting to miss out on anything I got some. The next day I happened upon index cards that were half-size the normal 3" x 5" and grabbed a package of those, not even putting the two items together ... until today! I  know I could have cut in two all the index cards I have laying around here from the kids' school days, but for $1.50 my time is better spent!

I watched Effy's week 2 videos over again (I started a page for this week before, but hate it!) and this is what came out. I'm pretty happy with it! You can't get the full effect of the gold veining on the heart and envelopes, but trust me, it's really cool!