Art Nerd Thread

[Evangeline]

A place to share artworks and talk art.

(which thanks to Deb and Keeley I just can't seem to get enough of these days!)

[Evangeline]

Artist of the month at Gary Reef is Georgia O'Keefe...someone I've never really payed that much attention to, so it's cool to be taking a closer look. Literally. ;)

I also just got finished with my online course with Willowing. I wanted to take the course, because I really like her and thought I'd enjoy her as a teacher (and I was right), but haven't been sure how I was going to translate the whimsical, girly art type stuff that I learned there into art that I would personally like to do. Here's my first kind of attempt at doing that:

And I did my first ATC's. I needed 2 to swap, but it was hard to stop at 2...

If any of you art gerds want to swap ATCs, I would love that!

But my fav thing I've been doing lately is a book full of my fav quotations with mixed media abstract type interpretations/explorations of them. Love it! Perfect way to play around with new materials and techniques (speaking of new materials, I sprang for a set of Golden heavy body arylics!!!!!!!! I had a 50% off coupon, and they are the bomb!!!).

[StellaSmiles]

That second to the last one is particularly AMAZING to me.

[Evangeline]

Thank you. :)

[kdot (keeley)]

georgia has always been a fave of mine. have you read anything about her? she had a fascinating life. amazing artist, pioneer. i haven't been painting, just drawing, doing lots of interweb research and refinishing some furniture (i'll share when i'm done!) and hoping the new space and it's gradual organization helps bring me back to that other creative zone soon. It's all coming together, so soon! I'm like Deb. I can look at something forever, then all of a sudden work on it, then it's done. Or, I work on 100 things and then they all get done at once, but more than once during that process I need to sit back and look at it all as a whole, recharge, and get back to it piece by piece.

ATC's - very interesting! I had heard of them, but hadn't gotten into them. I didn't know the intent was to not sell them, but trade (cool!) because I had seen them on E-Bay for sale years back somewhere. They had been explained as small originals/collectibles that are ways of owning/sharing a particular style or representation of that artist... hmmm. Like a little artist business card. Interesting. I like the trading part of yours :)
Have to consider it since i love working little and would love to have some little pieces from you all, framed, in my little home! Project? Maybe!

[Deb S]

Look at the glories you've been creatin'!!!! I will stalk you better tomorrow. I AM FOR SURE not working tomorrow. I don't care what anybody asks for. I think I'll lie and say I'm going out of town. Yeah, that's the ticket. I just made a birthday card for my x-boss (sort of) whose b'day is tomorrow. I stuck the crazy lady on it and said that that would be me if I aimed my car in the direction of Brentwood tomorrow so happy birthday without me. (Tradition is a lunch at Chez Mimi - which has the world's best sand dabs).

Georgia is much mo bettah for me than Klimt. Even though I loved your Klimt stuff. These are beautiful. And the Willowing one looks like a great illustration for a children's Macbeth (even tho there are 4 not 3 witches). Ethereal.

More alphabet. Sheesh. What are ATC's?

[Mel]

Ditto, beautiful stuff and what's ATC?
lol, the birthday card!

[Evangeline]

Thanks guys. :)

I lurve the b-day card with the crazy lady on it! Awesome. Give the lady a day off, for cryin' out loud! (also I had to google sand dab. It's a fish, non?) And re: the illustration for a children's Macbeth: cool! That is exactly what I was thinking as it became what it was, an illustration for a creepy children's story. I think it's a WIP though, there are some dark, kind of "dead" spots at the top that could use more interest, and one of the faces that needs fixing. I like how taking a photo of an artwork and looking at it on the computer screen can give a bit of distance and perspective on the composition.

ATC stands or artist trading card. It's basically a small (has to be same size as a playing card) original artwork that you trade with other artists. The rules are that you can't sell 'em, and they must be original and 2 1/2"x3 1/2", other than that it's all up to you. It was started by some dude in Switzerland in the 90s. Link for more info. They seem to be very popular. (some people make them to sell, and those are called ACEOs (art cards editions and originals) and those are same size, but intended for sale and not necessarily original.) I did a swap over at Willowing, but haven't got my cards yet in the mail. I thought it was kind of fun.

[Evelyne]

Wow! these are soooo cool and I have never heard of them! I have to try my hand at some for my own personal gratification, because I love working in miniature. Thanks for the link I will definitely explore these some more...

[Deb S]

OMG, had to bookmark the link or I would be there all day. I LOVE that idea. I hate to work that small but it's a challenge. Gonna try. To. Work. That. Into. The. Schedule. In the meantime, it made me think about my card decks and coingkidinkelly last night as I was watching Lost on my monitor, I went through my random photo drawer and there were all these first printings of my original card deck. I pitched 'em 'cuz I have the finished cards but just pulled em out. Watch for them. They're coming. They don't really count as ATCs cuz they're slightly too large but....

[Deb S]

'K. Done. In the envelope and addressed. I'll drop in a box today.

[kdot (keeley)]

"Gonna try. To. Work. That. Into. The. Schedule."
Hi.Larious. you make me laugh so hard. every time.
sigh. thanks for always doin that

xo k

[Evelyne]

I thought I would post some images that inspire me. I have been going through this celtic phase (for well, about 15 years now :D) and I always come back to the ancient stuff and just stare in wonder. Some of it is quite whimsical too, I love the Sheela-na-gigs on the ancient cathedrals. My sister went to Ireland with her school last spring, and brought me back a little book on Sheela-na-gigs which I treasure.