Art Room Cleanup and WOYWW #217

Ok there is NOT a before photo cause it was such a mess I could not even find my camera! So, many hours later, here is the cleaned up art side of the room. The other side is clean too although filled with storage boxes with things to put away! At least there is a wide expanse of floor for a change! My old cat Pandora still lives over on the other side of the room and the wall container shelves continue to the end of the wall. The rest of the other walls are book shelves and then my desk/computer, printers, etc.

Here is part of the room:

Then here is my table for WOYWW, nothing on it to show except for a clean surface!

And here are some postcards I made at Leslie's on Sunday. Got the ATCs done and mailed off. These are just backgrounds for one of the future post card swaps. I was in a "brights" mood on Sunday!

It's a slow start getting back to doing art after letting it go over the last month of summer. But now that I am home from my travels and with the prospect of work (school) approaching, I find I want to spend time doing some art. This is good. It gives balance to the work day for me.

Linked to:
WOYWW

Getting back to art and garden goodies...

Yesterday I finally got off my butt and cruised down to Tracy (in my new car which I am loving -- love the hybrid, how quiet it is!). Had another play day with my friend Leslie.

As she explains in her blog we chatted and goofed off a lot, then finally buckled down and made some ATCs. I have not made Artist Trading Cards for oh maybe 18 or 20 years so it was fun getting back to doing some! Leslie told me about the MMSA (Mail Me Some Art) swaps and that has totally captured my attention now! The theme is Postal Art. Here are the five I made:

Then today Andy and I did some fruit picking. Here is the last of the apricot harvest (so few pieces of fruit this year but they have spectacular flavor to make up for it!):

And the first of the figs. Remember that fake owl we put out HERE? Well... apparently the birds are too smart for it! They had already started chowing down on the ripe figs so we brought in a huge batch. Probably have one or two more hauls to bring in this next few days and next week. I have NO idea what to do with so many figs! This is the first year we have managed to get any from the birds!

Linked to:

Mandarin Orange Monday

Back from Oregon...

and not a single bit of blogging from the road, even though I thought I might. Just decided to take a break, posted a few pics on Instagram and in FB but mostly just hung out and enjoyed myself.

Including going to places like Collage in Portland and oogling their wall of washi tape...

I only let myself get a couple of them... ok, maybe 3 or 4. Really! Not going to mention that I had already found a few other new tapes I didn't have and got them when I was in Eugene visiting my sister, nope, not going to mention that at all!

Gotta unpack, continue on my art room revamp that I sort of started before I left but have a bunch more to do, then get back to doing some art! I have 3 more weeks before I will have to think about school (work) again!

Watching the figs until I return...

Ok This year I am giving the birds warning... I want to eat some of MY figs too!! Last couple of years the birds got them all!

Andy put the owl up a few days ago and I am leaving it in charge of guarding MY figs until I get back in 10 days... leaving at the crack of dawn tomorrow for Oregon. I may actually blog from on the road since I am taking my Netbook with me and I don't do much at nights. I am bringing my art journal too and hopefully will get more done in it than what I didn't get done in Alaska! Show and tell later!

Sunflower Sunday...

How these flowers explode out nearly overnight in such glory is beyond me, but we managed to have one decent sunflower this year amidst a bunch of mangly near dead stems (that heat did NOT help them!)... Still it is lovely to see even one!

Summer of Color Week #4

As I mentioned in the post below, this week's Summer of Color colors are pale pink and charcoal gray, neither of which are colors I use much. In fact, I was thinking of doing something with the Copic pens I have and came to find out I had neither pale pink nor charcoal (or any) grey colors! So I went for another plan...

And yes I know, in theory one spells it "GRAY' in America, and "GREY" in Europe, but I just like to spell it with the E so there! Anyway apparently so did Kristin for the challenge because that is how she spelled it!

So I started with the Moleskine journal which I had gelli printed some pink using bubble wrap (see photo from HERE on Wednesday -- it's the journal on the lower right of the photo). Then I decided to attempt drawing a face and the comment just came to me after staring at my wonky face for a while! I had added a bit of turquoise for the background (which looks a lot greener in the photo) and used a combination of various grey-ish pens and pencils that I had for the hair.

Linked to:
Summer of Color Week #4
Paint Party Friday
Art Journal Everyday

WOYWW #213

I didn't manage to keep going with this linky in June because I was gone for a couple of weeks, and then for the next 2 weeks I will be gone again (I love summer vacation!), but here is one WOYWW entry in between! A little late in the day but it is still Wednesday here!

I realized I needed to get started on the weekly Summer of Color entry (this week is pale pink and charcoal grey) so I started by getting out the trusty gelli plate and making a couple of pink pages. I used some bubble wrap to get the textures. I made a deli paper page and a couple of pages in my 2 current art journals.

Not sure yet what I will do for the grey part but I will think of something!

Linked to:
WOYWW Week #213
July's Colorful Gelli Party