My usual M.O. is to make a plan, and have a few themes in mind at the beginning of the gathering. The journey usually presents a different path, and I follow where it leads.
Not the abstracts I had in mind. But still a good month. Filled with learning, some mild frustration (part of learning), and meditative moments.
I made use of scrap paper. A couple of extra wide bookmarks. Some smaller, simple florals. I worked in several sizes. 4 x 4, 8 x 8, a couple 10×10’s. I worked with watercolor, acrylics, mixed media & digital collage.
Below I share each piece, including larger views of a few of my favorites. You will see my 30 day collage, and my favorites collage.
Thanks so much for stopping by! Enjoy!
Do you remember the overhead projectors in school? And how the teacher would sometimes layer the acetate sheets to show a change of angles or size. Well that is a simple way to think about digital collage. It’s all about layers.
For the landscape above, I started with a painting. Plain colors & shapes.
- In the foreground I added a bit of digital painting for texture and an extra layer of color for the darker areas.
- On the front range, I added a layer of an old letter. I tilted it, and changed the color.
- On Mingus, I added a layer of pattern. A mixture of dots, lines and triangles.
- The moon is piece of copyright free clip art. I softened the color, and added a glow effect. I exaggerated that so that it would reflect on the mountain.
- To the sky I digitally painted some texture, but most of that is from the original painting. I added digital splatter, and deepened the color to more of a twilight feel.
Of course for each layer, there is experimentation. Different patterns, different colors. Different effects. Some pieces can have up to 30 layers of bits and bobs.
To see these in more detail, visit @sheilazart.
Thanks so much for taking a look. I always love hearing which ones you like best, and why. I am actually happy with all of them. There are only two I would make changes on. That is amazing to me, considering it took me two weeks to feel in the groove. I did make changes to a few pieces, following suggestions by friends in the group. Thanks so much for your help!
Day #30: wow, Sheila! Talk about going out on a high note—you’ve done yourself proud! The textured layered petals-on-petals here are so compelling, especially with their warm radiant color. And you have once again set up a compelling background, a quieter conversation but a conversation nonetheless, with texture, depth, and detail that wants investigating. Such a rich composition!
Thanks so much, Dotty! 🙂 This is by far my favorite. It is exactly as I saw it in my minds eye.
I am so glad you enjoyed it too.
Thanks again, for spending time with each piece. I am thrilled, and honored.
I so enjoyed reading your observations. 🙂
Happy creating to you, fearless one! xoxo
Day #27 and #28: Geometric! Graphic! These look like book covers, Sheila! Brava!
Awesome! Thanks, Dotty. I was thinking greeting cards, but that works as well. 🙂 xoxo
Day #24, 25, and 26. Now that I zoom in close to these three, I see that they have similarities to others pieces from this 30-piece collection, combining textural play with familiar representational ‘objects,’ i.e. fish, key, egg. Plus digital collage, methinks. These pieces showcase desaturated colors, too, something I’ve given thought to recently and want to investigate further. I’m intrigued by the energy differences in these three pieces and the prior three—the current set more solid and defined, the prior set more delicate and ephemeral. So much to enjoy and explore!
So glad you enjoyed them, Dotty. Yes, that was a suggestion from Laurelle Cidoncha. Wondering what would happen if I filled the entire space.
And that got me to thinking, “Why not?”. 🙂 #24 started with a painted piece. The others had painted parts, that were added digitally. xoxo
Day #21, #22, and #23: These appear to be part of a series within your 30 days of creativity, Sheila. I’ve probably asked in one way or another about the series already, but the way I’m framing my question today is to ask what you set as the ‘conditions’ of your inquiry for these pieces. I am particularly drawn to the two here that feature cacti, and I see that they are featured in your top 12 favorites from the month : ) I love the way you blend abstract and representational in these pieces. Excellent exploration!
I am not sure I even think about it like that, Dotty. One of the reasons I love your blog, is how much I learn from you, and how you
approach your creative sessions. These were all about the texture. I am really happy with how the green one turned out.
And it was fairly straight forward. There are only two patterns. They mimic each other. But one is negative, and one is positive.
I used mulberry paper on the bottom, and a blend mode which allowed the painting to show through.
The blue cactus, I am not completely happy with. I ended up with a bare spot in the middle, that I filled with another lined pattern.
Again with a blend mode. But it still feels awkward to me. I tried it with more of the white pattern, but it was too busy.
I thought about my Art on 45 piece. About how life goes on everywhere, often unobserved by humans.
I guess I always start by trying something new. “What will I learn this time?”
I may learn that something doesn’t work the way I expected. Or that I can’t do it a certain way.
And that starts me on a path of, “How can I make this work?”
It often seems I do more wrong things than right, in Photoshop. But I am stubborn. And I just keep trying. LOL. xoxo
Day #18 and #19: These appear to follow from the same or a similar flow as the prior two paintings, am I right? Again, I’m eager to hear about process. Again, I am drawn to the mix of ‘background’ colors/textures/patterns with overlay of familiar shapes.
Day #20: Ranunculus again, yes? My favorite parts of this piece—the shadow work, treatment of background (monochromatic palette with varied textural mark making), and the way the two white blossoms in side view have a delicacy and airiness that offers contrast to the other blooms in the arrangement.
You are right again, Dotty. There is more digital on these. The white dots and lines. The circle on the leaves is painted. From about a year ago,
and I added it digitally. Actually, the orange and pink base, is the only thing painted by hand. (and green)
They look neon here, but they are a little softer. Like Sherbert. Haha.
Day 20, right again. So glad you enjoyed this one as well, Dotty. 🙂 xoxo
Day #16 and #17: Oh! Venturing somewhere new here! You’ve got me curious about process and tools and materials, oh my! Have you combined paint and digital? Do tell! I’m pulled in by the mix of textures, some stamping(?), and the way you’ve used the pinkish line work to abstractly hint at flora.
Yes Dotty! The Abstract floral is digital. I played with different colors.
The stamping is from a rubber comb. It is orange and a triangle shape, it has different sized teeth on each side.
Michaels sells a set of two, that is different. I did find one like mine, but from a different brand.
I have a smaller one as well. They were by Plaid, from Michaels.
You can use it with watercolor too, if it is thick.
https://bigceramicstore.com/products/rubber-texture-comb
Oh! I have a texture comb of that sort, too. Rarely think to use it. Dave got it for me in the paint section of our local hardware store, I think. I’ve pulled it out just now and set it near my current work in progress : )
Aha! More daring Dotty delights ahead! 🙂 xoxo
Day #14: I’m thinking ranunculus, yes? Your use of line, shape, shading, and overlap makes these beauties have lush velvety depth, Sheila. I just keep coming back to look at the fullness of their three-dimensionality. Want to reach out to give the lightest of touches to a single petal.
Day #15: Not sure what this flower is by name but I’m thinking of them as bluets or forget-me-nots. Regardless of name, their delicacy and simplicity appeal greatly, along with their wiry slender stems and asymmetry of arrangement. Love that you’ve anchored them in a sturdy earthy pot—great contrast!
Yes, Dotty. Ranunculus. My favorite. One of.
Bluets, more likely. I was wanting a very delicate flower. And yes a heavy pot for contrast.
The pot went a little wonky. So glad you enjoyed both of these! xoxo
Day #13: Sheila, thanks for the detailed backstory of your process for this piece. I don’t do any digital painting or collaging so it was fun to get a bird’s eye view of your process as related to this particular piece. I think my favorite part of this piece is the effects you achieved using watercolor and digital splatter to create twilight over Mingus : )
So glad you enjoyed the hot to details, Dotty. It is just like standard collage. Not as complicated as it might seem.
I really love how the sky turned out in this. And I am so glad you enjoyed it as well.
Thank you, Dotty! xoxo
Day #9 and Day #10: more signature Sheila! Once again I like the simplicity and directness of presentation, the quietly upbeat vibe. I find myself feeling the energy of my late high school days again, when I sewed some of my own clothing, making shifts out of calico prints! : )
Day #11: Pussywillow sprigs! I just two days ago cut sprigs from the pussywillow tree in our back yard and brought them indoors to let them develop ahead of their outdoor schedule. I like the way yours here seem almost to be glowing from an internal wick. You’ve intensified their ‘punch’ by keeping them few and showcasing them with an abundant background that also tells a story, but more quietly.
Day #12: Oooo, I like the dense lush abundance of the understated glory of these blossoms. They have such strong, sure, self-confident presence; no need to shout. And, behind them, a supporting cast with its own quiet strength; I like the monochromatic color palette, and the way it is brought to life with varied textures and marks.
Love your memory sharing, Dotty! 🙂 Quietly upbeat. I like that. 🙂
I would love to have pussy willows in the yard. I bet they are beautiful. 🙂
Day 12 – OOO! So glad you like that one. I like it too, but I felt like it was a big fat failure at first. Haha.
A little too dark, and undefined. But a good lesson in sticking with it to the end.
Thank you Dotty for sharing your thoughts with me through the month! 🙂 xoxo
Day #7: a coneflower, yes? Very appealing composition—with ‘surprises” (the quarter circle and horizontal line); contrast between bloom and background; an effective blend of harmony (essentially all one color) and differences (crackle, text, and lattice) in the background. A piece that feels both balanced and gently unpredictable.
Day #8: This piece offers similar compositional elements but asserts itself as being a fully different painting. The corner placement of the blooms works well, and the darker more delicate leaves offer contrast in value and color while inviting the eye up and out of the lower right quadrant.
Yes. A coneflower. Haha. 🙂 I actually did some digital painting on that.
he shading on the petals. That was interesting, and a challenge for me.
With digital brushes, you can change the size and the color. You can make the brush hard or soft.
And there are tons of different brush shapes you can choose from. That is still very foreign to me. But it was fun to try.
For day 8, I felt like I could have done a little more with the background. It’s nice to hear your interpretation that it works as is.
Thank so much Dotty! I really appreciate hearing your observations! xoxo
Number 26, 29, and 13 are my favorites. I especially like the Humpty Dumpty Egg teetering on the precipice creating tension. Looks like the group in the back got smashed and are egging him on to let it roll. I’ve always loved your joyous flowers, and the textures and varieties of patterns you create in your work. The combination of paint and digital is a cool marriage of techniques. Thank you for giving an explanation of the steps to do that.
Thanks so much, Teresa! I am so glad you enjoyed those. 29 is my favorite for the month. Mingus, I had so much fun with this one, even though some things didn’t work As I expected. It was a learning piece. LOL 🙂 I love your interpretation of the egg. I really did not think of that. DUH! I tried several colors for the background, And none of them felt right. And I think it took four attempts to get the right shade of yellow. But of course! It had to be yellow! LOL.
Thanks so much for visiting, and sharing your thoughts with me. xoxo See ya’ in the blitz! 🙂
Day #5 and Day #6 are ‘signature Sheila’ in my mind. They are a thread that weaves its way through the years of your work that I have had the joy to see! These two both carry a feeling of preparing for guests, of stepping out to the garden to snip a few blooms to arrange in a small vase that I can then place on a bedside table or on a bathroom shelf as a way to honor my guest with a touch of beauty. I like their tidy compactness, their simplicity, their being framed and showcased by the space around them. Ta da!
Dotty, your delightful descriptions do my small florals such honor. 🙂
Thank you, my friend. For showing them to me through your eyes. 🙂
xoxo
Day #4: Mingus! The diagonals, the layers, the depth, the bands of color, the shadowing, the portioning of space to foreground, multiple levels of midground, and sky, the composition! Huzzah, Sheila, you nailed it!
Haha! 🙂 You made my day, Dotty. So glad you enjoyed it! xoxo
Day #3 is very evocative. It takes me back to 1967-68, being 17, living in London where we moved w/ my dad’s job. Something about the mauve pink strips looped through this piece triggers memories of the jewelry I wore at that time, the dresses and skirts that I shortened probably three times that year to stay au courant with miniskirt fashion, the flower-power hippy nature of those times. Love the way you used neutrals and textured patterns here.
Haha! Oh, to be in London then! I bet you have some super groovy stories to tell.
3 times, huh? 😆 So glad this one brought back some memories for you. I can the jewelry connection. I think we had a bit of that again in the 80’s too. Haha. Thanks for taking the time to share your observations and ruminations with me, Dotty 🙂 xoxo
Day 29. Pink flowers are usually too girly and vintage for my taste but that shade of pink combined with the graphic elements push it over the edge into contemporary. I liked ALL the abstracts but particularly the ones with more white space.
I don’t even know what color that is, Sea. LOL. It is a mix of several that were on the palette. 🙂
But I like how it turned out as well. So interesting, that you like those smaller abstracts. I only went the other way, and filled the page, in response to a suggestion by Laurelle. I can say, I enjoyed doing both styles. Thank so much for stopping by, and sharing your thoughts with me. 🙂 xoxo
Very, very beautiful. Your colors are so cheerful and your paintings are a delight. Thank you for sharing them it made my day.
Thanks so much, Lana! So nice to hear that you enjoyed them. 🙂
I hope you are keeping warm, and that Spring finds you soon.
What do you think about all the changes at Spoonflower?
Happy creating my friend!
Sheila, I’m admiring what shows up in your collection of days 1-10 in the #1 and 2 positions. I’m guessing they’re among the bookmarks you mentioned.
I’m particularly drawn to the one with a single flower, with its pollen wafting in the breeze, its off-center stem, its bleeding off three edges, and your signature posing as a small spider crawling up the stem. Did you trim this from a larger painting, or start from scratch on an unpainted scrap?
The bookmark in the #2 position evokes the feeling of a garden trellis and sparks memories of a bridal shower I attended where a trellis set the stage for celebrating. Is your signature tucked in the base of the sprig at the bottom left? The image is too small for me to be sure!
Those were both scraps. Originals. Not from a larger piece. And the second one was half digital. I will email them so you can see them better. They are still had to see on Instagram.
So glad it brough back fond memories, Dotty. 🙂
It just boggles my mind reading about your digital techniques and all the many layers involved…all those technicalities that I can never wrap my brain around. Just amazing!!! I have to say that day 29 captured my attention most. I love the color of the flowers and the misty foresty background. Good work, Sheila. You are amazing!
Thank you, Karin. You are too kind. xoxo
Day 29 is my favorite. I am so glad you like it as well. 🙂
The digital part can get very confusing for me too. Like having a Trapper Keeper that has spilled out on to the floor. Haha. (school notes everywhere.)
I am so enjoying your New Mexico paintings! They bring back fond memories.
God Bless!
Sheila! YAY! I am so looking forward to multiple visits to this gallery over the upcoming days to tke in the current SMD exhibit. [I don’t do FB and get easily confused there so I’m very grateful for this blog post].
Today I’m taking in Day 29—with delight! This piece is a bit like a figure-ground optical illusion to me, shifting, as it does in my viewing, between being realistic and somewhat surrealistic—am I seeing flowers? or pinwheels? maybe windmills? is the beautiful splatter pollen? snow? confetti? the background: a distant forest? wallpaper?
I love it! To my eye, you’ve created a wonderful balance between order and asymmetries, softnesses and rectilinearity, subtlety and boldness.
Brava!
Wow! Thank you, Dotty! I am so glad you enjoy that painting. It is my favorite for the month. It turned out exactly as I was hoping. But getting there was not the straight shot I thought it would be. Isn’t that always the way. 😆 I thought I knew how to do some of the things I wanted to do. But with new variables come new, roadblocks. Using an effect can have different outcomes depending on what you are pairing it with. When you would think, that thing is always going to be the same. Maybe I really did need to pay attention more in algebra class. 😆
Thanks for sharing with me, Dotty. I love your many impressions. xoxo
A great month Sheila! I really like the way you combine digital with physical – it is not something I would ever even consider doing. For me the absence of lots of yellow made me enjoy your work more this month and I really liked your abstract pieces. It is always a delight to see your work and I hope you will consider some of these when you are doing Spoonflower stuff. Take some time to relax and enjoy the coming spring.
Thanks so much, Val. I am so glad you shared your work in the group. I did miss seeing your watercolors, but that doesn’t always lend itself to daily painting. I do think it was great that you challenged yourself by trying new things! And I always enjoy your quilling.
I do have some new ideas for Spoonflower. And part of that is due to the digital pieces. I always learn so much doing those. I think that is why I keep going back to them.
Hugs my friend, see you in the next one. And in between as well! You will soon be out in our garden! Enjoy!