Category Archives: Art Groups

Postcard Profusion

 

L.Y.A. Side swaps. Carol Edan, Natasha M. Papousek, Terry Owenby, Lynn Radford.

L.Y.A. Side swaps. Carol Edan, Natasha M. Papousek, Terry Owenby, Lynn Radford.

 

It’s raining postcards! Seems right. It just now started raining big ol’ fat rain, as Forrest would say. The sun is shining in the distance, so I know it won’t last long.

Stopping to enjoy. Some thunder too.

I was all set to show these off in the colorful blooms outside, but nature nixed that idea. Instead I placed them on a  pillow I ordered from Zazzle, I think you might recognize it.

The colorful card on top is from Terry Owenby in Portland Oregon. She created this work of art with a Gelli Plate print and collage. Gorgeous isn’t it?  I love the vivid colors and simplified shapes. Just so fun! On the back she included this:

Art is when you hear a knocking from your soul
– 
and you answer.
Terri Guillemets

The lovely lavender card is a gift from Carol Edan and traveled all the way from Israel. I love the abstract landscape. The depth, the mood, just wonderful! It is an oil she painted during the January Leslie Seata painting challenge. Visit Carol’s site to see more of her amazing work. This is another favorite.

On the bottom, a colorful card from Lynn Radford. I know I am not the only one who gets excited at the sight of a colorful bunch of pencils! The quote on the front:

The soul becomes dyed with the color of it’s thoughts.
Marcus Aurelius

The back of Lynn’s card is just as colorful. Lynn I envy your tidy penmanship! I am going to have to try extra hard to make mine legible for you!  Visit Lynn’s site and check out her “environmentally conscious journey”. Lynn kept her address a secret, which is a great idea. Her swap will go on even longer! Lynn your card will go out today!

The musical card, is from a friend who is close by. Natasha Monahan Papousek lives in San Diego just south of me. We have swapped before, and I always look forward to her cards.

Natasha plays the ukulele. On her recent trip to Hawaii, she learned the phrase “My dog has fleas”  is used to remember the tuning of her instrument. Definitely memorable don’t you think? This card brings back memories of my trip to Hawaii – JOY!

Natasha’s envelope was just as wonderful as her card, take a look, and you will get a closer look at the cute fleas dancing on her postcard. If you keep scrolling, you can catch a glimpse of Natasha and her awesome work, at the RAW event that was held in January.

Thank you Carol, Natasha, Terry and Lynn! I was so delighted to receive your Beautiful art in my mailbox! Color me happy!

I have lost count, not sure if I have any more side swaps on the way. But I have five more slots in my album, so I’m hoping. I have a few extra cards if anyone is interested. Leave a comment with your address, I won’t post the address. (Open to non swappers too.)

Have a JOYFUL day everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sapphire Seafront And A L.Y.A. Side Swap Surge

 

Sapphire Seafront. Project 3, Artbytes One. 2016 Sheila Delgado.

Sapphire Seafront. Gesso and acrylics on paper. 2016 Sheila Delgado

I am working through the lessons in Pauline Agnew’s Artbytes One. I skipped Project Two as it calls for creating a triptych, and I need to pick up canvas for that. Project three calls for creating a textured landscape.  I scored high, I think, on creating texture. But low on creating a pleasing and painterly piece. Still, I am happy with it. It’s growing on me.

I practiced each technique. Started with gesso again and layers of warm color, that should still be slightly visible, but are not. They would have added depth and character. Is there a sense of weather? Storm on the way, or just retreating?

The assignment was not to create a fabulous piece. But I would like to make this better, just for the experience. If I can. Any suggestions are welcome.

 

L.Y.A. SIDE SWAPS 

L.Y.A. Side swaps 6, 7, 8. Sea Dean, Cheryl Goyer, and Jacques Williamos.

L.Y.A. Side swaps 6, 7, 8. Sea Dean, Cheryl Goyer, and Jacques Williamos.

Cheryl Goyer is a fiber artist, just look at the fabulous fiber becoming yarn. Hand dyed silk. Gorgeous colors, I just want to reach out and feel that bundle. Cheryl teaches spinning at the Antique Gas & steam Engine Museum in Vista CA., and Rigid Heddle Weaving at Common Threads in Encinitas. I confess, I had to look that up. Visit her site to see her gorgeous work! You can also find her on Instagram – clgoyer, and Tumbler – cgoyer. Cosmic connection… I have a good friend who lives across the street from the museum.

The gorgeous cat is from Jacques Williamos and came to me from Radstock in the UK. She is on Facebook , visit her page to see more of her art. Some done with her nondominate hand, amazing! Jacques included this wonderful quote on her card:

“Slow down and enjoy life.
It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast –
you also miss the sense of where you are going and why”
Eddie Cantor

Best wishes to you as well Jacques, and be sure to sign up for Kat’s newsletter to be in the loop for next years swap. I hope you are feeling better and healing swiftly!

Sea Dean is an artist who can paint just about everything. Her card is a collection of pet portraits. Most for commissions. I love them all, especially the blue cat at the bottom.  (I think prints are an awesome idea Sea!) Sea lives in Kelowna, BC, Canada. 1410 miles directly north of Wildomar. Big Hug to you Sea.

OOPS! Swap #3

Remember this gorgeous tree postcard from a few days ago? Michele accidentally sent me a second one. And it makes me laugh, because that is something I would do. How ’bout you? Brain fart or senior moment, we all can relate.  I received a second one as part of the regular swap! MY third to arrive. And I was so busy reading the quote and personal message, that I flat out did not see that it had one of my printed address labels on it. Glasses on and I still was completely blind! LOL. When I read Michele’s comment, I cracked up! SEE! I told you I would do something like that and I WAS DOING IT! Ha ha ha ha

I will be using these cards for the front and back covers of my album. Thanks for that Michele! (Your card was the first one I received). The back of this card is different though, with this quote:

One of the greatest necessities in America, is to discover creative solitude.
Carl Sandburg

L.Y.A. 2016 Side swaps #1 and #2. Sarah Calhoun, "Mermaid". Michele Matucheski, "Hope in Winter.

L.Y.A. 2016 Side swaps #1 and #2. Sarah Calhoun, “Mermaid”. Michele Matucheski, “Hope in Winter.

Cosmic connection here:

Carl Sandburg (January 6, 1878 – July 22, 1967) was an American poet, writer, and editor who won three Pulitzer Prizes: two for his poetry and one for his biography of Abraham Lincoln.

My favorite President as a child was Lincoln. I read book after book on him. My birthday is January 5th, and I was born the year Carl died. Silly I know… but there are connections everywhere.

Thank you Cheryl, Sea, Jacques and Michele! Such a lovely surprise to receive four beautiful postcards on the same day!

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Postcard Art Arrives and I Won A Free Class!

 

LYA 2016 Postcard #1, Mixed Media, Tina Walker.

LYA 2016 Postcard #1, Mixed Media, Tina Walker.

I hope you can see the stitching on this card I received from Tina Walker. Brown, outlining the leaf, and green cross stitch around the edges of the card. There is wonderful texture, but I am not sure what techniques were used. Hoping to find out more on the LYA Facebook group page. I have a fondness for leaves, and I love the “made by hand” stitching! Beautiful!

Tina included this quote by Amit Ray:

In every change,
in every falling leaf,
there is some pain,
some beauty.
And that’s the way
new leaves grow.

This message coming to me at the perfect time. The move to Arizona is still ahead. Thank you Tina for sharing these inspiring words! I love this card!

LYA 2016 side swap #3, Strawberries in coloured pencil, Diane McWhirter.

LYA 2016 side swap #3, Strawberries in coloured pencil, Diane McWhirter.

I had to look at this closely, to try and figure out if it was a photograph, or a drawing. The details on these strawberries are unbelievable. Right down to the veins on the leaves, the shine on the skin, and even the tiny drop of water. This card came to me from Australia.

If you love these strawberries as much as I do, they are now available on RedBubble! Hop on over and look at Diane’s wonderful cats, and flowers, and birds! Thanks Diane for sharing your wonderful art with me! (And I love the stamp celebrating Queen Elizabeth II!)

 

Pauline Agnew – Artbytes One

In honor of St. Patrick’s day week, and in celebration of the fact that she is a proud Irish woman, Pauline Agnew gifted 10 lucky participants with a free download of her Artbytes One – A Tapestry of Texture. Lucky me to be one of them!

Pauline is an awesome teacher! Her Ecourse ‘Pathways to Abstraction’ starts Monday. If you want to check out her teaching style, you can access a free lesson.  Pauline often offers free open studio weekends, with inspiring lessons. I first participated in 2013, and I still consider the result of that, one of my best works. You can read about it here.

I will share my work from the Artbytes lesson with you. Can’t wait to get started!