Portrait of Lewie JPD

Scribble Town (ST): Lewie JPD said hello to us on the Scribble Town Facebook page one day and I am so happy he did! Lewie JPD is a cutting edge visual artist who has lived and worked in Sydney, Tokyo and Los Angeles. His work is a hybrid of imageries – pop, surrealism, collage and comic art – blended together to create zany worlds and characters. His strong use of color and free-styling, casual brush work come together to form eye-catching images that are unique and highly imaginative.

In the midst of excitement where are you and what are you up to these days?

Lewie JPD (JPD): Currently, I’m living in Sydney, Australia, by the beach. Everyday I spend time looking at the clouds and the ocean.

They’re always changing and are magnificent inspiration on a visual level. Of course, I have to dive in to the ocean and swim, too; everyday! Artistically, although trained as a painter, I have spent the last year creating all my new works digitally – on my cell phone! It is a large screen Samsung Galaxy Note and it has a stylus and a wonderful program called SMemo which I use to make art.

Painting 1 by Lewie JPD

ST: That is quite a transition to go from painting to cell phones. I’m so curious to see your new line of work! You have traveled a lot and have mentioned that you grew up in Japan. How have living and being exposed to other cultures influenced your work, if any?

JPD: Growing up in Tokyo was a huge influence – not only on my art – but on my life. I moved to Tokyo when I was ten and stayed till I was eighteen. Then I came back to Australia for art school. Soon after I moved back to Japan where I worked as an illustrator for six years. Tokyo is a very exciting, dynamic city and the Japanese people are thoughtful and kind, innovative and hard working. Culturally, they are incredibly evolved and inspirational. I was lucky to be able to speak Japanese and have been very positively influenced by some wonderful, talented people there.

Dancing Fishface by Lewie JPD

ST: Artistically Tokyo has so much to offer, as well! Is that how you discovered your love for drawing and painting?

JPD: I pretty much discovered drawing and painting on my own. Growing up in Tokyo in the 70′s, we had access to second hand American comics from a book shop in Roppongi – not far from a US base. Over six years, my brothers and I collected well over 3,000 of them – not only well know titles like Archie, Superman, Wonder Woman and Mad, but also, more obscure, equally entertaining ones like Swamp Thing, Sergeant Rock, Richie Rich and Cracked. We loved comics! I guess all those images rubbed off on me and I began to do some drawings and simple comics of my own from around the age of thirteen.

ST: I think your Dancing Fishface would be a great protagonist for a comic. Maybe another future project. I noticed that you even make films! How did this medium come into your repertoire?

Floating Organic by Lewie JPD

JPD: Film making, too, I think, is an extension of all the comic (and book!) reading. Simultaneously to drawing, I began writing short stories in my early teens which lead to writing and publishing humorous zines (20 or 30 pages, photocopied, handmade, editions of 200 – with titles such as Free Spirit and Idle).

I then went on to writing and making short films in my late twenties; animation, comedy radio shows and later, after studying screenwriting at UCLA, feature films.

My latest feature – a coming of age story set in Tokyo – is yet to be produced – but I am confident it will, eventually! Film is a fantastic medium full of inventive and inspired collaboration. I usually make one or two shorts a year on video just for fun and practice.

ST: This is a loaded question, but which filmmakers do you like?

JPD: My biggest influences from the early days are David Lynch’s, Eraserhead + Martin Scorcese’s, Taxi Driver + Robert Altman’s, Nashville + Akira Kurosawa’s, Seven Samurai. These days I think all the great energy is in TV series, not only big dramatic shows like Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad – but also great comedy shows like Community, 30 Rock and The Office. Laughing is the best!

ST: The rumors are right- laughing is the best medicine!

What is the process of designing like when you create murals? The murals, tables, and benches you painted at Harry’s Espresso Bar are amazing! There must be a huge amount of planning when creating on such a large scale.

Harry’s benches by Lewie JPD

JPD: When it comes to art, I am not really a planner. I love to dive in and create things out of nothing, to be in the moment. I have been doing it now for over thirty years – that’s a lot of practice! – so I have enough confidence that even for big jobs like the work commissioned by Harry’s in Bondi Beach, I can just turn up, after a body surf and a coffee, with my bag of paints. I am amped with a positive attitude and start creating, going with the flow.

ST: Earlier you said that everyday you are inspired. Living by the beautiful beach in Sydney encourages that! How do these pops of inspiration come about?

Lewie JPD painting a mural

JPD: I create every day. I carry a pocket size journal with me everywhere – for notes, ideas, comics and doodles – and I have been doing this since my twenties. For me, life and creativity are the same thing. Inspiration is everywhere. Ideas zing around all the time and pop in from nowhere. I spend a lot of time in libraries, cafes and also travelling. On the net, I constantly seek and find works of wonderful artists and get inspired that way, too.

ST: What other forms of art do you practice?

JPD: As I mentioned earlier, these days, I have been able to carry my art studio with me – in the form of my cell phone. I get pleasure from making new images everyday. Most days, I spend between three to four hours – and to since April last year, I have made 1,700 new works. Over the years, I have had various artist studio spaces, where I have worked on large style canvases and drawings for exhibitions, but lately I have been leading a more gypsy-like existence. Art on the go. Suits me well. The joy of expression takes many forms.

ST: Lewie JPD has a new solo exhibition of his latest work – and it’s a world first! – with all of the 28 featured art pieces created on his mobile phone – opening in Sydney at Deus Cafe gallery – 98 Parramatta Rd, Camperdown, Sydney on June 26th, 2013. His website is http://www.lewiejpd.com. Be there!

For another boost of encouragement and confidence to just start creating please go to the Scribble Shop http://www.scribbleshop.com/content/lewie-jpds-words-inspiration. Thanks Lewie JPD!

Lewie JPD’s latest works, May 2013

Share

How green is your thumb? Do you like bringing a little of the outdoors inside with houseplants? Potted plants are a great way to dress up any room, windowsill, or patio. But while the plants add life and color, the pots themselves are often overlooked. Add some personality to your little terracotta tubs with paint. There are tons of ways you can paint your pots—and feel free to try any that strike your fancy—but two techniques that stand out lately are color blocking and drip-drying.

For this project, you’ll need: terracotta pots (or any ceramic pot), masking tape or painter’s tape, and paint, either acrylic or spray, in any colors you like. As you can see, you’ve got lots of options here!

First, decide how you’d like your pot to look. If you want it to have a base color, start by painting the whole thing in the color of your choice and letting it dry. For those who prefer the natural terracotta to show through, jump right into whichever technique you’re trying.

Photo via Dellie

If you’re going to color block, start by wrapping tape around the pot at your desired height. Next, grab your paint (be it on a brush or in a can) and paint the half you want to be colored. Spray painters should aim for about two to three coats. If you’re using a paintbrush, you can also freehand the line around for a more rustic look.

Photo via The Proper Pinwheel

If straight lines aren’t your thing and you’re ready to drip some paint, flip that pot over! Once it’s upside down, pour a bit of paint around the sides on the “top” (what’s technically the bottom) and start swirling your pot around on its edges so the paint spreads closer to the edge and eventually runs over the sides. Try to do this over something like tinfoil or plastic—paper will stick to any dried paint that reaches the bottom and give you a hard time.

Photo via The Lovely Cupboard

Let your pots dry and then load them up with your favorite plants (cacti, succulents, flowers, etc). To weatherproof these, spray with a clear sealant and then set them up outside.

Et voila! Your pots are as pretty as the plants they hold. Which style do you prefer? Do you have any other favorite ways to jazz up your planters?

Share

Scribble Town (ST): With us is Joel Garten, an artist, composer, writer, and entrepreneur.  Joel says, “I have so many different things that I do, and the thing that unites them all is a sense of flow and creative energy.  I use that sense of flow and intuition in everything I create, and try to have a sense of flow in my path through life.”  Yes, you do Joel and it is seen in your colorful, vibrant, and musical paintings.

Joel, where are you and what are you up to these days?

Joel Garten (JG): I am working on a series of large scale paintings. These paintings are 4 feet by 8 feet, really long scrolls of paper that I paint with many different type of media.  I also compose music on the piano regularly.

ST: When did music enter your life and was there somebody that encouraged you to compose?  I wonder what came first- music or painting?  I say this because I can see the music in your paintings!

JG: The music certainly came first in my life.  It came very early, I started playing piano when I was eight or nine, and I began composing music very soon thereafter.  It is something I took to very naturally, and I have been composing for more than 20 years.  Interestingly, I have a lot of difficulty reading music – almost like music notation dyslexia – which meant that I devoted most of my musical output to improvising music.  This means I write the music as I play, it is all one artistic creation of the moment.  My music is very personal, and an expression of my sense of intuition and rhythym.  My music has also always been influenced and inspired by visual art, such artists as Jackson Pollock, Giorgio Morandi, and Richard Diebenkorn.  It is meditative, soulful, dissonant, and repetitive; but repetitive in a good way – the way that repetition can unearth deeper truths in the music as it unfolds.

Here is an improvisation from a recent concert I did in Toronto: joel-garten-live-in-concert

"Untitled" 22x30 inches, mixed media on paper by Joel Garten

ST: And with painting- how do you feel the two artistic elements support each other?

JG: Creating visual art myself is something that happened only recently, and has really increased in intensity in the past few months.  I was inspired to create art by seeing works by Jean-Michel Basquiat.  Just like Basquiat, my work has a lot of bright, joyful colors, but also works at deeper level, what the Abstract Expressionist called “the sublime”.  Abstract expressionism is an influence on my art, as is the work of Cy Twombley.  Yes, there is a lot of music in my artwork, and a lot of people say they can really see music in my paintings.  It is because there is a lot of energy, vibration, and that sense of flow that I talked about earlier in the paintings.  The artworks have rhythm.

ST: When did you start composing, playing the piano and painting?  You play improvisational music- do you ever paint in that manner?

JG: The artwork is definitely improvisational.  I start with no preconceived plan or sketch, I simply start in, and follow my intuition.  I let the painting tell me what to do.  And recently I have been starting to use acrylic paints to do essentially finger painting – except using my whole hand, and sometimes my whole arm.  I also use both hands to paint, sometimes at the same time, just like using my right and left hand to play piano.

ST: What have you been listening to when you paint?  What kind of music do you like?

JG: I have a number of different things on when I paint, sometimes it is Stevie Wonder, sometimes it is jazz by Keith Jarrett (a big influence in my music) or Bobo Stenson.  I like classical music, jazz and Motown, as well as new music.

ST: Where do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?  If there’s a process you go through to spark the creativity, please let us know.

JG: I usually get most inspired at night.  I don’t really need daylight to paint, I like to paint under incandescent lighting. I put on some music, take some supplies and start painting.

"Untitled" 22×30 inches, oil pastel and oil stick on paper by Joel Garten

ST: What are some other forms of art you practice? Do you ever mix other mediums with your oil pastels?

JG: Well, I have a plan to do a number of other types of art.  The next thing I would like to do is use my artwork to create fashion.  Yes, I use oil pastels, oil stick (oil paint in stick form), and acrylic paint.

ST: I can’t wait to wear a piece of your art!  Do you ever play with other musicians?  Please let us know of your next show.

JG: I improvise music on my own, it is a very personal, and maybe even spiritual experience.  I do have interactions with other musician though.  When I was younger I was invited by the rock musician Bryan Adams to play a concert at his studio in Vancouver.  I am also doing a series of artist profiles of musicians, which is being published on the Huffington Post.  Right now I am focusing on doing small scale studio sessions-concerts of my music, and I want to turn those into a CD.

"Untitled" 22x30 inches, mixed media on paper by Joel Garten

ST: You are up to all sort of creative happenings. Definitely keep Scribble Town posted on all your adventures! Just hearing about how energetic, active, and open you are is encouraging in itself.

JG: A lot of children are natural artists, and famous painters like Basquiat and Jean Dubuffet were inspired by children’s paintings.  It is hard for people to hold onto to their child-like talents as the get older, and marry those instincts with experience.

ST: Thank you Joel for all your insight and inspiration!  Joel has also given parents and teachers tips on how to talk about art with young artists.  To read more about that please go to the Scribble Shop Inspirations page: http://www.scribbleshop.com/content/artist-joel-garten-shares-how-create-and-talk-about-art-your-child

Check out Joel Garten’s website www.joelgarten.com!

"Untitled" 22x30 inches, mixed media on paper by Joel Garten

Share

Scribble Town (ST): From a distance what looks like a beautiful volcano of color and texture turns out to be an ingenious technique of rolled paper and paint. Amy Eisenfeld Genser has mastered the art of creating an organic effect by using mixed-media. Amy is also a mom of three sons from West Hartford, CT.  She says, “I’m a tad obsessed with paper and paint, color, patterns, and texture.”  You’ll soon see why!

Let’s start with, what does a day look like for you?

Amy Eisenfeld Genser (AEG): I am usually in my studio, on the third floor of my home. I work about five hours a day while my kids are in school. It is a juggling act. My typical day is to get the kids off to school, hit the gym for an hour, and then come home to work. Because my studio is in my home, it’s sometimes hard not to get “mess-tracted” as I call it (starting to do laundry, clean dishes, etc…) but having the studio on another floor helps. Going up the stairs is like crossing a threshold. I also listen to books on tape while I work. Time flies when I’m working on a piece and into a great story, but when I see the bus coming down my street at 3:45, my work day is over.

ST: I’ve never heard that term “mess-tracted” before, but I like it because I can completely relate to you! When you do get to your work, how would you define your art?  It seems to be a peaceful combination of craft and fine art.  I have never seen anything like it before.

AEG: I refer to it as mixed-media. I’ve been able to live in both the fine art and craft worlds. It’s nice to be welcome in both places.

ST: I can see how your artworks really settled nicely in the two worlds too. How did you discover this artistic process of paper quilling?  Was there somebody that encouraged you?

AEG: Technically, my process is not quilling – I will outline my process below. I first started experimenting with paper during a papermaking class while studying for my MFA in Graphic Design at RISD (Road Island School of Design). My professor Jan Baker encouraged us to test the limits of what paper can be.

River Run by Amy Genser

ST: Where do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create? On your website (About page) you mention, “The sources of my work are textures, patterns, and grids. I look for forms that can be repeated to create a pattern when they are joined.”  Please expand on that and if you have a story we’d love to hear it!

AEG: Most of my inspiration comes from nature because it is perfectly imperfect. I love all kinds of organic processes. They are visually intriguing and engaging. We spend a lot of our summers on the beach in Rhode Island. I love watching the water, the rocks, and the light. Our beach has rocks with these really neat barnacles and seaweed. Their colors are always changing. Sometimes there’s a lot of it, and sometimes just a little. It’s neat to watch the progression. One day when the seaweed was purple, brown, yellow and green, my husband made the awesome observation that nature never clashes. I love that.

Mineral Violet by Amy Eisenfeld Genser

In reference to my latest “mineral series”, I have always been drawn to gem-like colors. My mother is a jeweler who works with a lot of gemstones. I’ve grown up peering into tourmalines, garnet,diamonds, opals, citrine, etc. We always talk about how juicy and “lickable” the colors are. I have recently been looking at a lot of agate and geodes. The colors are simultaneously vibrant and translucent. Pretty amazing. I thought I’d take a stab at my own interpretation of them.

ST: So how do you turn your paper to look like gems, minerals, and other elements of life? What is the process?

AEG: Using Thai Unryu, I treat the paper almost as a pigment, layering colors one on top of the other to create different colors. My pieces are about a foot wide. Then I roll one layer on top of the other in all different thicknesses. I seal the roll with acid-free, archival glue stick, and then cut the long piece into sections with scissors or pruning shears. I have pruning shears of all different sizes to accommodate different widths.

ST: Wow! What a laboratory of processes! What forms of art do you include in your mixed-media paintings? What are some tools you like to use?

AEG: The actual rolling and cutting process is pretty quick. At this point I could pretty much do it in my sleep. It’s the composition/editing process that usually takes the longest. I paint my surface, either canvas or paper first, with acrylic and a lot of gel medium. Then I place my paper pieces on top and manipulate them until I have a satisfactory composition. It’s like putting a puzzle together, only I don’t know the final picture until I see it. I roll my pieces accordingly as I develop and build the piece. It’s a back-and-forth process. The paper and the piece lay on different tables in my studio. I attach the paper onto the canvas with PVA once I have the pieces where I want them.

Tall Tower by Amy Eisenfeld Genser

ST: Is there a song that moves you at the moment?  Perhaps you can place a song with one of your works.

AEG: I can place a piece with a book on tape – one of my favorite- Prince of Tides” by Pat Conroy. I usually listen to books on tape while I work. My head is usually in the story, and my hands are free to do what they need to do.

ST: The titles of your pieces are very revealing and help the viewer guide how they can look your work.  How do you come up with these titles?

AEG: Usually it had to do with the inspiration for the piece. I just look at the work and figure out a title. They always feel a little uncomfortable and arbitrary to me. It’s hard for me to give words to something that is visual.

ST: Amy, what’s a piece of advice you can give our Scribblers?

AEG: Have fun! Do what feels good. Keep your hands busy and the work will follow along. There’s nothing like getting rid of creative energy through using your hands. I was that kid who was always weaving potholders on the plastic loom and making complicated patterns in woven friendship bracelets.

ST: Thanks Amy for sharing so much with us! Amy has shared an activity for us to get started on our own artwork.  Check out Scribble Shop for more details:
http://www.scribbleshop.com/content/roll-it-your-wonder-amy-eisenfeld-genser

Portrait of Amy Eisenfeld Genser

Share

Call me crazy, but lately it seems like Q-tips and flowers are a crafting match made in heaven. Q-tips make a great, inexpensive alternative to paintbrushes, especially for little hands and their texture is perfect for creating beautiful dandelion paintings. They also present the perfect opportunity to show how what’s ordinary or even a nuisance to some can be beautiful to others.

Take dandelions—technically, they’re considered weeds, but both species (the yellow florets and the white seed heads) are so pretty. And how fun is it to make a wish on the white seed heads and blow on them so the little white fibers sail off into the wind? Well, when you do that, you’re actually just helping to spread the seeds and grow more weeds! But what’s pesky to some is beauty to others.

Q-tips don’t get a great wrap either. They’re a bathroom accessory that’s mostly used for make up or nail polish cleanup.  Q-tips aren’t often given much thought and are usually hidden in a drawer or dressed up in a glass dish. But these little guys can also make a great art tools. And when you combine them with dandelions, these two outcasts can make a beautiful painting.

To create your own dandelion painting, grab some Q-tips and white paint. Now, there’s a lot of room for interpretation here. You can either start with a blue piece of paper or take white paper or a canvas and paint it blue. You could paint a scene, such as grass or a field, or leave it plain. If you painted, wait for the background to dry thoroughly. Next grab a Q-tip and dip it in white paint. For a simpler interpretation, just start making dots. Create a cluster of dots for the flower’s base and then trail your dots off to represent the seedlings blowing away. Finally, add a black or green stem with paint, charcoal, or crayon… whatever you prefer. If you want to get a little bit fancier, you can use lines and dots to create your dandelions. Draw lines coming out of a central point to create a sphere and then add the dots to the end of your lines. This will give your dandelions a full, round look.

Photo: “Fly Away Dandelions,” Artsonia

There are no mistakes here. Experiment in making your dandelions however you like. As long as you have a Q-tip with white paint and a surface to paint it on, you’re over halfway there. It’s important to remember that the ordinary can be extraordinary and you have the power to make that transformation every day!

Photo: “Light Blue Wishes,” SVPPLY

Happy crafting and have a creative day!

Share

Pointillism is a real nifty painting style for any budding art lover to acquaint him or herself with. Not only is it an interesting moment in art history, but it’s also a great technique to play with and explore in one’s own work. In this project, we’ll make our very own creations comprised of dots. It’s a wonderful way to explore texture and color. This project is suited for anyone and is a perfect mix of fun and education for kids. If working with little ones, supervision or assistance is strongly recommended since there is a flame involved (see below).

First, a little background: Pointillism is a painting technique pioneered by artists like Georges Seurat and Paul Signac towards the end of the Impressionist movement (late 1800s). The artist uses dots of color to create a larger whole picture. The connection our eyes make between each dot can create the impression of different colors and specific images. Pretty neat, huh? It’s similar to Impressionism in that the brushstrokes are visible and central to the aesthetic of the painting, but pointillism is more precise and controlled—you can see each dot. You may have seen these famous pointillist paintings:

A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte (1884-86) by Georges Seurat

 The Papal Palace, Avignon (1900) by Paul Signac

It may look super complicated, but don’t let that stop you! You too can create your very own pointillist masterpiece! You’ll need: a canvas or sturdy piece of paper, a pencil, wax crayons (with the paper wrappers removed), and tea light candles. Ideally, you’ll want a lot of crayons—a couple shades for each color to add depth and make the dots stand out. For example, if you’re creating a blue sky, try using a dark, medium, and light blue.

Okay, let’s get started! First, take your pencil and lightly outline the picture you want to create—just big, general shapes… nothing too detailed. When you’re ready to start filling the picture in with dots, start with the background and work your way up to the foreground. Take a crayon and hold it about an inch over the candle flame.  Once it starts to melt, but before it drips, start dotting the desired section of the canvas. Leave some spaces so you can go back with another shade of the color. Repeat this process until you’ve worked through the section, then start with your next shade. The process is time-consuming, but I actually find it strangely soothing. The relaxed repetition of creating dots and seeing them slowly build a picture can be both calming and fulfilling. Also, don’t feel obligated to finish your whole picture in one sitting. Sometimes it’s better to take a break or even work on it over a few days.

Here are some great examples of homemade pointillist projects (click links for each blogger’s tutorial):

Photo: Intellidance                                      Photo: Helping Little Hands

One good alternative to melted crayons is using acrylic paints and unused pencil erasers (the pencil acts as a great brush handle and the round eraser makes perfect dots). This creates a similar look, but avoids using a flame.

Photo: Classic Play

Once you have a feel for the general method, feel free to make it your own. Art is a wonderful combination of understanding established techniques and experimenting to make them your own. Happy dotting!

Share

Scribble Town (ST): The first time I spotted Adrienne Moumin’s photo collages I was stunned by their design and beauty.  And then curiosity hit!  How did she do that?  Where are these images coming from and how is it so that from one concrete image it is perfectly cut and spliced and then re-contextualized all to have it’s meaning turned upside down.  Adrienne is here with us to share with us her creative story!

Adrienne Moumin (AM): I was born in 1961 in Brooklyn, NY. I work in film-based, hand-printed, B&W photography, and hand-cut-and-assembled, mixed-media photo collage.

Sculpture Garden Hirshhorn; 33” x 33” Hand-Cut-and- Assembled Gelatin Silver Photo Collage; 2009 by Adrienne Moumin

I am best known for my Architextures series of handmade photo collages.  My favorite photographic subjects are NYC architecture and urban landscapes, and store window mannequins.

This is me (with a selection of my Architextures photo collages) in my booth at the Architectural Digest Home Design Show, Pier 94 in NYC, March 21-24, 2013. I made a great many contacts in the architecture and interior design fields, as well as directly with people who buy art for their homes and offices.

My photography and collage have been exhibited in New York, and nationwide, for over fifteen years.  My work is in private collections in the US and internationally.

ST: Your photographs and collages have been on the move for quite a while now!  Where are you and what are you up to these days?

AM: I am based in New York, NY and Silver Spring, MD. I split my time between the two cities: showroom in NYC, and studio and darkroom in MD. I am continuing to work on my Architextures series, as well as coming back to the surrealist mixed-media collage style that I have dabbled in for years. I recently sold one of those pieces to someone who is wildly enthusiastic, and has encouraged me to produce more work in that genre.

ST: I like the name of your series, Architextures.  It gives a tangible feeling to the photo collages, but also a sense of having a strong structure to the series.  When did you start making collages and taking photographs? Was there somebody that encouraged you?

AM: I began working in cut-paper collage starting at about 8 years of age, using magazines and catalogs that would come to the house, to decorate whatever I could find.  A major project in childhood was decorating the top of a castoff bookcase with hand-cut magazine pictures. I began photographing seriously, and studying film and darkroom processes, in my ‘20’s. I have been completely self-propelled in my artistic endeavors.

Snippetree; 19" x 13 ¼" x 1 ½” Deep Hand-Cut-and- Assembled 3-D Gelatin Silver Photo Collage; Made from over 300 pieces cut from 10 duplicate prints; 2011 by Adrienne Moumin

ST: That’s great to hear that you have been making collages since your were 8 years old!  Where do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?  I really like your stories on your website especially the one under Architectural Detail.  You write, “Someone told me once that I was an architect in another life. I love the curves and the lines, the reflections and the tonalities, the solidity and transparency, and the man-made striving for esthetic and functional perfection, of architectural forms.”  To read more of Adrienne’s stories please go to http://www.picturexhibit.com/index.html.

AM: So many things inspire me!: Walking around the city, looking at architecture and urban landscapes; fashions worn by passersby; and store window displays.  And, of course, looking at the art of others, in galleries, museums, and online.

ST: Inspiration is one thing, but skill is another.  How do you hand print silver gelatin photographs?  What is the process?  I’m sure we are all interested in the magic of the dark room.

AM: I use an enlarger, which is a device that shines a light through the photographic negative, and projects it below onto the light-sensitive paper that I place there.  Then I put the paper through a series of chemicals in trays, to develop and fix that latent image. This is all done under a reddish-orange “safelight,” which provides just enough light for me to see what I am doing, yet does not affect the paper.

ST: What forms of art do you include in your mixed media photo collages?  What are some tools you like to use?

AM: I always start with the photograph, and what it suggests to me in terms of feeling and mood.  There is no limit to what I will attach to the surface of a photograph. Paper cutouts, glass or plastic beads, sequins, Swarovski crystals, metal stampings…the list never ends!

ST: What kind of music do you like?  Is there something you are listening to at the moment while you make art?

AM: Music is very important to me when I am printing in the darkroom.  In keeping with the analog nature of my work (and my refusal to replace a perfectly functioning technology simply because something new comes out), I have a little boombox in there which plays cassettes and CDs! Two of the CDs I nearly always listen to during printing sessions are the first album from Counting Crows, “August and Everything After,” and The Band’s “Greatest Hits.”

The Victory Arpeggios; 25½” x 25¾” x 3/8” deep Hand-Cut-and- Assembled 3-D Gelatin Silver Photo Collage; 2012 by Adrienne Moumin

ST: Adrienne, you have given us a great start to create and how to look at things differently!  What is a piece of advice for parents and their little scribblers?

AM: For the parents: Look at some collage sites on the internet, and google different search terms, to find age-approriate project ideas for children; many require little or no money.  Talk to your children about what they would enjoy; you never know when an idea will spark a fire that lasts a lifetime.

For scribblers: Just do what you feel. Because art has no rules.

I found this on Pinterest, and followed the link to this ingenious project, posted by art teacher Sherri Schultz.  It is simply using our imaginations to expand on an image.
http://artmommie.blogspot.com/2012/03/young-explorers-class_10.html

ST: You are right- art has no rules and now is the time to explore and create!  Thank you, Adrienne!

To find the tools to get started on your own collage please have a look at Adrienne’s suggested art activity that expands your image  http://www.scribbleshop.com/content/exploring-expansion-your-image-and-imagination

Share

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was visit the “duck pond” with my uncle. We’d bring a loaf of bread to this big pond by a playground and feed the ducks and watch them swim around. I was fascinated with all the ducks swimming around, from the gorgeous green-headed mallards to the brand new baby ducklings trailing their mothers. Watching them always meant that warm days were ahead, and so were many afternoons spent at the playground and duck pond.

These little pebble ducks are a perfect project for my four-year-old self and anyone ready to welcome the next batch of baby ducks and warm spring days ahead.

First, take advantage of these warm, lovely days by going for a walk to collect some pebbles or small rocks. When you get inside, give them a good scrubbing in some warm soapy water. Once they’re totally dry, you’re ready to paint! Grab some acrylic paint and create your little duckies. You can use whatever colors you like, but one classic combination is a white mama duck and yellow babies. For younger children working on this, or a just more minimalist look to your project, paint each rock a solid color so it acts as the whole body (like in the first picture). If you’re feeling more ambitious, you can draw a complete duck on each rock, as seen in the second picture. Once the paint has dried, go back in and add the face details with markers (black eyes and an orange beak).

Photo: Inner Child Fun

Photo: Babble

How cute is these little guys? And they don’t even need breadcrumbs! The ducks are truly adorable, but you can choose any animal you like! This project is extremely versatile and just waiting for your creativity to take over!

Do you have any childhood memories that automatically remind you of spring? Other than ducks, what animals would you try with this project?

Share

Who’s ready to decorate some Easter eggs for this weekend?

The tradition of dyeing them with food coloring is certainly pretty and fun to do, but there’s nothing wrong with getting a little creative and trying some unique ways to adorn your little hardboiled canvases. We’ve been showcasing some fresh and fuss-free ideas to try this year. You can check out our post on permanent marker Easter eggs here.

Another super fun and simple technique? Using temporary tattoos! All you need are your hardboiled eggs (shells on), temporary tattoos, and a damp sponge. You can buy some designs that appeal to you or if you’re feeling ambitious, you can print graphics of your own choosing on temporary tattoo paper and cut them out (Country Living provides this link to purchase temporary tattoo paper). It takes a bit of patience to ensure you press the tattoo flatly on the egg—just hold it down with your damp washcloth for about thirty seconds. It transposes onto an eggshell the same way it does onto skin.

This is also perfect if you’re looking to maximize decoration and minimize cleanup.  It’s quick, easy, inexpensive, and looks impressive! Now that’s a winning combination. There are plenty of tattoos of butterflies and flowers to be found if you want to stick with images of spring, but feel free to pick out any tattoos you like. Maybe put a couple tattoos on the same egg to create a little scene.

Do you have any tips for mess-free, creative Easter egg decorations? Do you still prefer classic dyed eggs?

Photo: Country Living

Photo: Ramblings of a Formerly Rock’n’Roll Mum

Share