a Pair of Pears for Artists Play Room

Jenn McClean, IA sister, friend, artist, blogger extraordinaire, and now a contributing editor of the new art magazine "Featuring", has another challenge for  The Artists Play Room this week  ...  "Pears".

I thought I'd use this challenge to see if i could do an 

abstract collage of pears.

Pears 1

&

Pears 2

Here's how i did these...  

*WARNING, Don't try this at home!*

Because i have no idea of the "proper" way to do this and wouldn't want to lead any of you astray!

(also color and quality of step by step photos aren't very good 

as they were taken rather hastily 

on the kitchen counter where i work)

I made "sketches" in acrylic paint on 

Strathmore Archival Acid-Free Premium linen canvas 246 lb. paper

casually painted the backgrounds knowing a bit of those colors will be seen under the upcoming layers of paper and paint

then i begin adding torn papers

more paint and more papers

still more layers, 

sealed with varnish

& finally trimmed the edges of the finished pears

I wasn't that happy with the 2nd pear, it was too "warm" and drab.
I also needed better contrast
so i added blue and a touch more white.
~

I have noticed that my method of work has been changing.
It is more loose and free. 

i have a vague idea of where i want to go and

allow the painting to guide me... 

 i am loving this new freedom!

BOOKMARKS! ~ Artists Play Room challenge

Jennifer McLean of Just Add Water Silly, and hostess of the Artists Play Room, gave us the topic.. "Bookmarks" for this week's challenge.

Now I have bookmarks that i painted in watercolors in my shop, but I wanted do try creating them in mixed media collage. Besides, for Mothers day, my daughter gave me a Dick Blick gift card and took me to their shop in Chicago. What i time i had selecting all sorts of gorgeous papers, it felt like heaven!! 

So by doing my bookmarks in collage, i would be able to play with & to experiment with the papers!

Artists Play Room Challenge

The Artists Play Room Challenge was to doodle or zentangle your name, initial or a favorite word. It sounded so easy and lots of fun; when Jenn asked for suggestions for a challenge, i suggested this. Well, would you believe that i  that i did this 3 times before i submitted this entry?!

The first one i did is my favorite, but after it was finished i thought to myself, "is this really a doodle"??

So then i did another this time in ink on a small 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches aceo card. But after seeing the amazing entry by VonnyK , i decided to try it again.

The third one is better than the second and was done in brown ink & is about 5x7; still, i must confess that my favorite is the watercolor even though it's not actually a doodle/zentangle.

Doodling for a finished piece of art is far different than doodling on the church bulletin or a scrap piece of paper as i tend to do! Yet isn't that why we take part in a challenge, to stretch ourselves & grow? So here you go Jenn, and thanks for this APR challenge! :D

And if you haven't done so, i encourage you to join in the fun at the Artists Play Room!

a bit o Green for the Artist's Play Room Challenge

The much long awaited Artists Play Room Challenge is launched today by Jenn McLean, blogger and artist of  Just Add Water Silly at etsy. To celebrate her Irish heritage, our challenge is "GREEN". 
So here is my entry.... lots of green grass and a sky of gold for the proverbial lucky Irish "pot o gold"!