Category Archives: Mixed Media

Graceful Gathering

Doodle Bugs was our Spoonflower assignment this week. I am not a fan of bugs in general. I wouldn’t choose to draw them. I do admire bugs that other artists create. And I have to admit, I was surprised at how many colorful, pretty bugs there are. I had a hard time narrowing it down.

The brief called for hand drawn or painted bugs. My Talens Angora watercolor palette came to mind. Warm desert tones. (Their skin tone collection.) And I decided on Moths. There are so many pretty ones. Some are neon pink and yellow. There were lots of yellows, in the images I researched. And warm earthy rusts and salmons.

Graceful Gathering Wallpaper. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

I created the bodies and details using the pen tool in Photoshop. I wanted nice crisp lines. I painted blobs, trying to get some bleeds and blooms. I wasn’t as successful with that, but I did end up with a few that were usable. I trimmed them digitally to fit the moth bodies.

I have never considered painting a butterfly. Always felt it was beyond my abilities. But I surprised myself. I am learning to think in pen tool. Haha. 🙂 No way would I be able to draw them by hand though.

Graceful Gathering details. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

Graceful Gathering samples. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

I am really happy with how this turned out. Happy with the hues.
Happy with my little taught-me-so-much doodle bugs. 😉
Voting is open until next Tuesday, the 25th.

Graceful Gathering Collection. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

Last week I received notice that Spoonflower was making changes in the challenge voting. They have already changed the main challenge page, and WOW! I am looking forward to seeing what changes they made on the voting page. Fingers crossed.

I just read in a Facebook Spoonflower group, that the voting is messy and takes you through 21 pages. BUT, it does allow you to exit and come back to it. It saves your votes, but shows the designs in random order. So you may see some designs more than once, if you re enter. Sounds like they need to work out some glitches.

It will take people using it, for them to gather info for improvements. And if you do consider voting, I am very interested in hearing your opinions, so I can pass them on to Spoonflower.

They did mention, that there would be two columns instead of one, on the phone app. That is a huge change. And will help make voting a little faster. They will also be verifying that designs meet the requirements, and are repeating designs. One key to voting on the phone, is to open the page, and give it a few seconds to load the images.

WOO WHO!!!

Spoonflower calculates the counts now! Awesome! I don’t have to search through the entries now, to find my placement. Thank you Spoonflower! 🙂

Rugged Line placement in the Miniature Dollhouse Wallpaper challenge.

Rugged Line - Pink. Miniature Dollhouse Wallpaper. © 2023 Sheila Delgado. — Rugged Line – Pink. Miniature Dollhouse Wallpaper. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

Woo Whoo! 176!! That is the top 10.45 %. (If the online calculator is correct. LOL)

You can see the top 65, here. I would have needed only 30 more votes to make the top 65. WOWzers! 🙂 This simple design is one of my favorites. So nice that so many others like it too. 🙂

Sending out a huge cup of appreciation, to all of you who voted & to those of you taking the time to vote this week. 🙂 And to all of my followers. I am so grateful. 🙂

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

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30 Days Of Art Collage

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30 Day Collage, February 2023. Watercolor, acrylic & digital collage. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

Once again, my plans were quickly left at the gate. The work led me down a path less traveled. I had decided to do collage for the gathering. I thought to make painted papers, and work on florals and landscapes.

I used the Photoshop pen tool on day one. To outline the bloom. By day three, I was hooked. There are only two pieces, that did not lean heavily on the pen tool. Day 2 and day 16.

Here is a video that will show you how to work with the Pen Tool. Of course, I am using it for a completely different outcome. (There I go using tools the wrong way again.)😄 I have started the video a few minutes in, and you only need to look at about a minute, to get a good idea. I wish I had found this particular video before. His explanations are so easy for me to understand. I learned by trial and error. Lots of errors.

This was my learning for the month. Each day I felt more and more comfortable with the tool. By the final week, my pieces were almost completely digitally rendered. 80-90%. I dared to take on more complex subjects.

I have avoided the pen tool for years. Trying to grasp it now and then, but soon giving in to frustration. It is slightly mathematical in nature. And you know, an artist’s brain does not work that way.

Favorites, February 2023. Watercolor, acrylic & digital collage. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

I had fun playing with color, patterns and mood. I am happy with each piece. But, as always, I can see some that I would like to improve, having learned so much since then.

I managed to continue with my fabrics for the weekly Spoonflower challenge, for half of the month. I was behind for several days mid month, and I knew that working on a fabric design would sink me even further. I do plan on creating two designs, so that I can catch up on the weeks I missed. It is another challenge for my brain.

Thanks so much for following along with me this month. Your encouragement and support mean the world to me. I am so grateful for you, friends. My people. The ones who understand my art obsession. What it means to me, my soul, and my life.

Tomorrow I will post the Creative Gathering artists gallery. We have new members and I know you will love their work as much as I do. See you soon!

How do you make a round circle with a square knife?
That’s your challenge for the day.
Bob Ross

Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely.
Light and colour, peace and hope,
will keep them company to the end of the day.
Winston Churchill.

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The February 2023 30-Day Creative Gathering, Final Weeks

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Day 26, CG FEB 23. 6 x 6 inch. Watercolor, & digital. © 2023 Sheila Delgado.

I lost track, thought I had posted last week. You can click on the images to see them larger, in a slideshow view. I am showing these out of order. I will post the collage, and my favorites collage soon. It was a fun month, and I learned quite a bit.