We're nearing the end of the year...

...and in our family, it's the silly season.  We've played Cranium, done half a dozen puzzles over the holidays, and a little 5 x 5" thingy that looks like studio play even if it wasn't done in the studio.

Patterning in gel pens on black cardstock

I rather suspect that working on a Klimt puzzle of this Adele Bloch Bauer painting is what has me, once again, pattern crazed.

And because we've been playing so much, I don't have a video tutorial for you today, so I'll give you a video gift of silliness to end the year...this one is all about me learning a new trick.  For years I've wanted to learn how to break an egg one-handed (just because my son can do it), and here's the proof that I did it at least once.  Warning:  mild profanity.  Outtakes included at no extra charge.

That's it for 2018, my year of pronoia.  Tune in next week for details about my word for 2019.  And in the meantime, I'm wishing you the happiest possible new year.  May it bring everything your creative heart could desire!

I'm just crushing . . .

. . . this paper thing!

I played with a few kinds of paper to get a variety of background effects.  Well, truth be told, it was just to watch the paint run - there's something about it that's really mesmerising.  From top left clockwise they are watercolour paper, copy paper, artist tissue, a coffee filter, and Hammermill 80 lb. colour copy paper.  There's quite a change from paper to paper, and I'm especially loving the warm glow in the watercolour paper.

To see how it's done, check out the video:

And since this is my last post before Christmas, I'm just going to leave this here, along with a wish that the season bring you all the light you need to find your way to loved ones near and far, that you travel safely, and bring the light home with you in your heart.

I'll see you again next week, and expect to hear all about your rejoicing!

It's been a busy week...

...here, and not all in the studio.  From Christmas baking and shipping,  to sending cards out and wrapping my head around a technique unused for some time, I'm been in a wee bit of a tizzy!  This artist tissue technique is fun, totally uncontrollable (like me, right?!), and just meant for abstract play.

Artist tissue, washes of acrylic and oil pastels

And in case you thought I'd missed the video this week, you'd be very nearly right, given that I accidentally deleted it from the camera, and had to do a repeat.  There's just something about technology and me that are at odds.  In any event, I managed to do another, so from start to finish, here's a video about playing with artist archival tissue paper and acrylic washes.

Artist tissue, washes of acrylic

This last week was also about calligraphy - some friends and I took a class on Thursday last at the college, and yesterday was a practice day. . . there's a looooooooooong way to go, I'd say!

And while Eileen was here yesterday to work on this (she's a pro, given her earlier training), I neglected to get a single photo.  Baaaaad Win!  We were having too much fun, I'd say.

Tell me about your week - what have you been up to?  Creating?  Baking?  Wrapping?  Making?  Let me know in the comments!

Got plastic?

Why not use it?

We've all got a ton of plastic around the house, and I think using it to create interesting backgrounds is a great technique.

This background start was created using plastic objects from the studio (yes, I do keep a stash of outlandish plastic bits and bobs there), followed up with some ArtFoamies.

If you'd like to see how this was created, check out the video (and I'd love it if you would subscribe to my channel while you're there!):

I think creating patterns with plastic is a unique technique:

and when you add ArtFoamies to the mix you're in for some fun.

Of course that's not all that went on in the studio this week.  Given the season, there had to be some card-making, because I inevitably leave things to the last minute.

I think it was exceptionally talented of me to get the front and centre card upside down, don't you?  They don't call me Wingding for nothin' you know!  :D

And while I was studio cleaning, I found the tags that went missing a couple of weeks ago - yay!  Now to make some more!

I hope your week has been filled to the max with creativity - playtime is highly underrated, my friends!  💛💚💜💙♡💚💛

Holy smokes . . .

. . . who the heck turned winter on?!!!  With the snow on the ground this morning, I'm glad I've got something with a little heat to show you.

This lovely pooch belongs to my daughter, Rochelle - check out her page; you're going to love it!   I've been working on towards this piece for weeks months.

Daisy

The original photo shows a wee bit less colour, as you can see.

I'm a rabid fan of Dean Russo's work and have been trying to create a stencil of Daisy for a long time.  This side by side of Dean's pooch was approximately where I wanted to go.

So from the time I started up til now, I've burned nine stencils, printed around 15 of them on gel prints, and created a massive pile of no-goes!  It can take dozens of hours to even get a start on a new technique, right?

So now that I have a reasonable stencil made (above, left), I can create another painting any time at all...Rochelle might be getting a new one every year for Christmas.  Can you hear her cheering???

And yes, I promised you a video this week that takes the book folding a little further, so here is the process for turning the basic folded book into a wacko 'Expat Offspring'.  It took ages - in my world that is - to video just one page tear, and to do the original Expat from Arcturus took that x about 150, so be warned.  It is not a fast process!

You may wonder why the 'Offspring' has googly eyes and so few tentacles when the parent (is that male/female/androgynous?) is eyeless and heavily tentacled.  

'Expat Offspring' © Win Dinn  Folded Book Sculpture 2018

You may not have known that on Arcturus, only babies under 25 years have eyes - the fully matured adult sees through their third, invisible, inner eye.  Each year, they grow a new tentacle and when they reach 25 they start to shed an eye per year.  Aren't they are brilliant?  By the time they reach 162, they are truly stunning.

'Expat from Arcturus' © Win Dinn  Folded Book Sculpture 2017

Whatever planet you're from, I'd be delighted to hear what you're up to...your comments keep me on my toes and creating!  Sending tentacle-y love from my planet to yours! 

Oddments

I got into the gel plate again this past week - it's really difficult to get some new paints and not test them, right?  The Golden Open acrylics that Meg sent me are just waaaaaay too fun.  One of them was a very pale green - couple that with a fresh batch of carrots from the farmer's market, and it was time for some leaf printing.

First print, carrot tops

Ghost print, carrot tops

Haunt, carrot tops

Of course I used my journal as a brayer clean-up area, and then brayered the painty leaves onto that.  This spread's going to be fun to finish.  What goes with carrots?  Maybe some peas.  

Brayer clean up and brayered painted carrot tops

And for some reason, I was having a giggle the other day about Alice Saltiel's suggestion of adding googly eyes to a book sculpture some years back.  Wouldn't this look awesome with a host of them nodding and googling?

Expat from Arcturus

That led me to realising that I've never done a video about book folding, book sculptures, or any book tutorial at all.  You know what that means, right?  So here's the first step in most of the book sculptures I've created.  I'll make sure to finish this for you next week, and perhaps a different one in the week after that.  I'll expect to see you sometime in March or April, then, 'cause it's really hard to stop.

Of course I'm working on a dozen other projects as well, so who knows what might happen.  In the meantime, catch me up on what has your creative juices flowing in the comments below - I'd love to hear!

How Could I Resist?

I couldn't, could I?  So I've created a video for you this week on five different ways to use resists in your artwork...

Make sure you subscribe to my channel while you're there checking it out - there are lots more tutorials to see!

Here are some teaser photos to whet your appetite...

And we had studio play time again this past week with Lynne Mizera,

Gay Allen,

and Linda Macullo joining in the fun.

As usual, I was having such a blast that I mostly forgot to take photos, although I did catch this lusciously crackle-patterned piece of Linda's in progress:

I was on a Christmas tag-making binge while we were chatting and giggling and now I can't even find them to take photos.  It must be time to clean the studio again or Christmas will be on us before they surface.

May your creative week have been as much fun as was ours, with your inspiration time taking you to new and crazier levels. 

I promised you some photos of the donkey bombing...

...and here they are:

Tammy made individual poppies for each of the fallen
soldiers from WWI for the ground beneath the donkey's feet.

Tammy Bradford (Museum Manager Extraordinaire), Lynne Mizera and me (missing from the photo is my John,
who was taking it - he did all the research for the project, as well as some stapling to boot!)

Donkey Bombing complete

And on another note, I was fondling ribbons in my ribbon stash this past week, and was inspired to create this video using a particularly lovely patterned ribbon, brayer, gel plate and some paints.  

As always, when I get going with the gel plate it's really hard to stop.  And you know I have a very large stash of ribbons, right?  This could get crazy!!!

And if I've got a large stash of ribbons right now, what's going to happen when I start looking/shopping for patterned ones?  Heaven help us!

I just love communities...

...and the things that can be created when everyone pulls together.

This amazing banner will be wrapped around a donkey (burro?) sculpture that lives in downtown Creston on Sunday.  Brainchild of Tammy Bradford, the manager extraordinaire at the Creston Museum, it commemorates the 235 men who fought in WWI, all from the Creston Valley.

Emmie of ArtFoamies fame generously donated two sizes of poppies for stamping, along with some Stamp Buddies.  Lynne Mizera brought along several styles of her own poppy stamps and a whack of paint and stamp pads.

Tammy Bradford and Lynne Mizera

Here Tammy is testing stamps and Sharpies on the back of the canvas panel (30 foot long by 2 foot wide) that she created from a hardware paint drop sheet - a lengthy job on its own.

Lynne and I stamped poppies like madwomen, while Tammy wrote the names of all 235 soldiers - TWICE!  That way each of the names appear on both ends of the banner.

By the end of the war, there were 47 men from the valley who did not come home.  They are now memorialised on the banner with a black poppy each. 

I'll make sure to get some photos of the installation on Sunday.  As Tammy says, "Who has a better job in the world, when I get to Donkey Bomb as part of my day?"  Given that I can go along for the ride, I'm feeling the same way.

This week has been full of studio guests, and one of my students stopped in for a morning session.  Shelly and I had a blast testing colour after colour and some great techniques.

I love these one-on-one sessions - such a great way to really get into the creative juices, learn about the student's passion, and create deeper layers of meaningful artwork. 

And somewhere in the conversation was a prompt that led to this week's video.  It's all about string -

It's a favourite technique and a whack of fun to do.  Why not try it?  If you do, send a photo to me and when I have enough of them, I'll share them in a post.  

That's it for me, the soon-to-be-Donkey-Bomber, this week.  See you in the comments, my friends!

It has been a wild month...

...what with doing the 21 Day Challenge with Jesse Elder.  It's been quite some time since I've done a personal growth course, and this one was beyond amazing/engaging/deep/challenging.  The energy was palpable, which led, of course, to a new painting.  It started here with a plastic wrap start on a long narrow canvas, and morphed to this:

21 Energy Rising© Win Dinn    Acrylic on canvas 8" x 24"  

It's like trying to photograph quicksilver with all the foil bits in there (Meg, I'm blaming that on you!), but I thought you might like to see some closeups anyway.

And sometime this week I tore into making another quick video tutorial that demonstrates a couple of ways (smooshing and cheesecloth painting) to use up those bits of leftover paint on your palette at the end of your painting session:

While you're watching it, please subscribe to my channel and encourage all your friends to do so...I'm on a mission to use up all the leftovers in the world (I can hear my mother talking; can you?).  

Just in case you're looking for some more tutorials, I encourage you to check out my tutorial page at the top of the blog.  There are links to videos and other tutorials that can get those creative play juices trackin' like a freight train.

That's it for me this week - what have you been up to?  Let me know in the comments below, and feel free to share a link to your post to do a show and tell.

It's that time of year again...

...when the trees burst into their flames of autumn splendor.

They tango in red,

 orange,

 gold,

green, 

and every possible combination in between.

They chat over the back fence with their neighbours

and whisper secrets to the sky.

They congregate in groups

as they strut their autumn wardrobe

before they hunker down for the coming winter.

May your autumn be as colourful as ours, and may the texture and glory make your heart sing.