Category Archives: Art Groups

2015 Liberated Art – The Blog Hop

The Liberate Your Art swap comes to an end much too soon (click to see the video). As with Christmas, the anticipation for the next one begins as soon as the last present is unwrapped. Once a year, doesn’t seem enough. Our hostess, Kat Sloma might feel otherwise.

Kat has the huge task of sorting all the art. You can see her art swap preparations for yourself. Kat loves sharing the artful envelopes as they arrive, (she even shared mine this year). Can you imagine seeing this big stack of artful envelopes in your mailbox?

My Swap Stats

Swap participants receive five postcards, from fellow swappers, and one from our hostess Kat. Through the swap Facebook page, side swaps are arranged. Some of my LYA friends have traded with me 3 years in a row! This year I made enough cards to share with friends and family.

Side swaps – 23
International swaps – 6
States swapped – 17
Postcards mailed – 60+ (including family and friends)
Pending swap arrivals- 4 (in the mail)

My Swap Posts

You can learn more about the cards I liberated, as well as those I have received by following the links below. These are my “official” cards, minus Kat’s, per her request.

Mary Grellner, Mark Wilson, MJF, Jo Murray, Liz Velichko

The cards I sent out…

LYA postcards 2015 Sheila Delgado

Early postcard arrivals – ArtyKat, Sherry, Teena, Sarah, Amy

Chain, chain, chain – Terry, Deanie, Juana, Janice, Mark, Mary

Sunsets and shells – Chelsea, Jo, Lui, Maggie, MJF, Vicki

Snow and sand – Jill, Jasmine, Liz

But wait, There’s more!

I am so thankful for having connected with so many talented, creative people! It’s about more than the art and photos. It is the stories that go along with them. And so often finding a shared experience, or interest.

Lisa Schwinghammer, Snap Lane, Diane McWhirter

Diane McWhirter shared her bold tulips with me. There is a note on the back of the card that says it was put in the wrong box. Whew! I am so thankful it made it from Australia! I love Diane’s loose technique. (One I wish I was better at.)

SnapLane shared one of her glorious garden shots. Don’t you just love those fuchsia blooms? The message is, “Leave room in the garden for the fairies to dance.” Diane is a proud Texan. I was born in Abilene, so, gotta love that!

“Paris is always a good idea.” I have never been, but I totally agree with Lisa Schwinghammer! Paris is on my list! Lisa sent this from Denver, Hello Denver! I grew up in Loveland which once was 60 miles north of Denver, but now I think it is closer to 45 miles. Sure did seem closer the last time I was there. This is the third year Lisa and I have exchanged cards. How lucky am I!

Liberated Art Album

LYA Album

This year I have filled a small album (dollar store) with the cards I have received. It is a little over half full. Room enough to add my cards maybe. (To remind myself next year, what I sent out this year.)

I have a small space, and not a lot of display space. I like the idea of being able to keep this close by, and open it up when I need inspiration. Keeps the neat freak (me) happy too.

Thanks to my Liberate Your Art friends!
High five to those who liberated art for the very first time!
Thanks to Kat Sloma for having such a super idea
and allowing us to be a part of it!

Liberated Art

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I have received Kat Sloma’s postcard, signaling the end of her Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap. Kat has asked us not to show it, so that everyone can be surprised when theirs arrives. That might be another week or two for participants outside the U.S.A.

The LYA Blog Hop is April 16-19. Kat will reveal the video showcasing cards from each participant. It is a great chance to discover new artists!

My last official postcard arrived on Friday. Liz Velichko sent the photo of the boardwalk below. It was taken on an overcast day, one of my favorite times to visit the beach. Liz included this on the back:

You were created to love and be loved, to know and be known, you matter.
May you find grace and beauty in exactly who you are today.

Wonderful to find that in your mail, don’t you think?

Jill Hejl, Liz Velichko, Jasmine

Jasmine is a photographer, a “New Yorker” now living in California wine country. She enjoys taking landscape photos of her new surroundings, finding beauty in the everyday. She hopes that her photos will bring joy to others as well. And this one did Jasmine! Very curious about that bold red wall! You can follow her on Instagram, jasmine_sk.

The fellow on the top of the photo, is “Snow Shoveler” by Jill Hejl. Those flecks of white are chunks of snow flying as he wields his weapon. I have followed Jill’s blog for a while now, and I was so excited she agreed to do an extra swap with me. Jill not only creates wonderful characters, but she often writes short stories about them. I get a kick out of what she thinks up.

I would be slightly sad right about now. But I still have some extra swaps I am expecting. Last week I sent out the last of my postcards, and I am looking forward to hearing about their arrival.

Thank you Liz, Jasmine and Jill, AND Kat!
I feel so fortunate that you have shared your art with me!

Make It In Design Summer School – Brief Two

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This week my design time was drastically reduced. I participated in a Creative Live course with Bonnie Christine of Going Home to Roost. Her class was a blast. Really intense. Three full days on Illustrator and surface pattern design. More on that in a bit.

I only had three days to complete my designs for the MIID assignments. I was determined to complete them all, so I had to simplify. K.I.S.S. Keep it simple, stupid.

Make It – Beginner

Tribal Shapes, MIID. Beginner Brief 2, © 2014 Sheila Delgado

For the Beginner theme, Tribal Shapes, I came up with this basic repeat. I knew that I would incorporate it in the Tribal Collage for the advanced assignment.

MIID Beginner Brief 2 details

I added lines to mimic a woven fabric, and then I erased them partly for a worn look. I used a second brush to add splotches of color.

Make It – Intermediate

MIID Intermediate Brief 2, © 2014 Sheila Delgado

Animal Print was the intermediate theme. I felt the need for steed. My original thought was to do some sort of quilted pattern of just hides. But then I thought about those terrible 70’s patchwork purses, and I just couldn’t go that route. I am not sure this is better. Animal prints in general are just not favorites of mine.

Faux horse hide

I added the same texture details, thinking of nubby old blankets, or an old itchy rug. I do like how the details turned out, but they do not translate well on screen, and I am not really sure they are visible in MIID gallery pages. I also completed the required product mock-up for this, and I really like how it looks in use.

Mock up, MIID Intermediate Brief 2

Make It – Advanced

Tribal Collage, the advanced assignment, brought these elements together. I did this pattern in about six hours. Right up against the deadline.

MIID Advanced details

So tell me what you think. Did I take the texture too far, or not far enough?

MIID Advanced Brief 2, © 2014 Sheila Delgado

Design Surface Patterns From Scratch With Bonnie Christine

So amazing! Bonnie is a terrific teacher and she is so generous in sharing all she knows. To anyone interested in learning pattern design, I highly recommend this class. The instruction in Illustrator was geared specifically for pattern design. I have worked in Photoshop, honestly, because learning Illustrator seemed daunting.

Bonnie made it look so easy, she explained each step. I had planned on creating my MIID designs in Illustrator, because I was short on time I stuck with Photoshop. You know, learning curve.

But I am tackling Illustrator this weekend. Bonnie’s assignment is to create a six piece pattern collection. FUN!!

Enjoy your weekend!