Tag Archives: #lya2017

Something Silly This Way Comes

Something Silly Made. Mixed media. 2017 Sheila Delgado

In her recent newsletter, Carla Sonheim invited us to follow her lead and make something. Sitting next to me on the desk were the watercolors I painted for the Seaing is Believing surface design. I reached for my scissors, and a few minutes later I had a wonky bouquet.

I glued the pieces on the back of a failed painting. Added some stems, a bit of patchy sky. I scanned it into the computer, and added outlines digitally. I was hoping the shadows from each piece would be visible. Proof of the “made”.

I don’t have a Wacom, and trying to draw with the mouse is a chore. The lines came out crooked and I had to start over a few times. But they suit the silly and imperfect arrangement. Check out Carla’s 30-day blog project for some mid-week inspiration.

LAST LYA

Question mark. Kathy McIntire’s colorful card arrived, and made me panic for a minute, wondering if I had sent one in return. Whew! I did. Checked my list.

Kathy McIntire LYA side swap.

Kathy shared a mini gallery of her work. I’m not sure, but I think the flower is a felted piece. Isn’t this card fun? On the back Kathy shared a bit of her story. Wife, mother, grandmother, friend, volunteer, beach lover and artist. She loves sharing art with others, whether it is mail art, swapping, teaching or selling. She works in glass, clay, textiles and mixed media assemblage. So lucky that Kathy shared her art with me!

Kathy is part of The International Union of Mail Artist’s. Take a look at her Facebook page for some really fabulous postcards. Kathy is also doing some wonderful work for adults with disabilities. So awesome Kathy! And that leads to a connection with Kathy. I worked with United Cerebral Palsy in San Diego. Just a little something. I miss that job, and the people!

Thanks so much Kathy for sharing your thoughts and fabulous art with me! I wish you the best of luck with your inspirational “‘lil bizness”! Such a gift for your community!

Seaing is Believing

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This week the Spoonflower design challenge is to use watercolors (or digital watercolor brushes) to create a whimsical surface patterns inspired by fantasy creature motifs. I know that the Seahorse is a real creature, but to me they have always seemed magical.

I used both digital watercolor brushes and hand-painted watercolor for this design. You can see the digital brush layers on some of the Sand Dollars. The Seahorses are all hand-painted.

Voting begins today. This challenge sponsored by Skillshare. The top winners will take home Spoonflower credit and a Skillshare Premium subscription to start learning everything from how to create a surface design using motifs to “The Basics of Photoshop”, “Hand Lettering” and so much more! And, for the first time ever, all submissions into May’s design challenges are automatically entered to win the grand prize full of design goodies worth over $1000!

Here is a closer look.

I drew some dots, and circles and spots, and used them to suggest air bubbles, sand and pebbles. The watercolor was applied using a clipping mask. Here is a short video that shows how it is done. I know some of this may be too complicated, for those of you that do not use Photoshop, but the basic principal is easy to understand. It is just like cut and paste from the olden days!

I started by deciding on a palette, sunset hues.

Sunset palette

I am working on a companion piece as well. This will be on a smaller scale than you see here. This collection will lend itself to quilting or children’s clothing projects. I will also do this using different colors for the background.

Sand Dollars. Digital surface design. © 2017 Sheila Delgado

Thanks so much for taking the time to vote, I can’t make top ten without you!

LYA Side Swap

Val van der Poel.

I received this wonderful watercolor from my good friend Val in BC Canada. Val works in many mediums, and she is consistently learning and growing her skills in new areas. She works in paper quilling, watercolors, acrylics, oils, pen & ink, charcoal, mixed media and, recently, fabric art.

Not only that, she teaches too! I can always count on Val to give a sincere evaluation of my work. Be sure to visit her site and treat yourself to her fabulous work!

On the back of the card:

This is what I feel about art;
“Art is a Gift. Whether you make it, give it or receive it, I hope you will cherish it!”

Wonderful thought. And yes, I do cherish your card! Hugs and best wishes to you as well Val. Thanks so much for sharing your work with me. Your mountains are inspiring, and your pines and poppies are perfect! Love this view!

Wouldn’t You Like To Be A Dreamer Too!

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Dreamer. Janice Darby. LYA Side Swap 2017

Don’t know why, but the Dr. Pepper song popped into my head, and the words morphed into the post title. In trying to get it out of my head, I watched the original commercial. I did not need to realize that it is nearly forty years old!

Janice Darby’s Dreamer opens the 2017 LYA video (by Kat Sloma). Each time I saw this image on the Facebook group page, I crossed my fingers that one would come my way. Love the layers in this! Janice and I have swapped before, I always look forward to her card. She lives in Santa Maria, California. Very inspiring city I think!

On the back:

Never let it be said that to DREAM is a waste of one’s time,
for DREAMS are our realities in waiting.
In dreams we plant the seeds of our future.

Love that thought Janice! So glad you agreed to a side swap. Thanks so much for sharing your awesome art with me!

Coneflower. Chandra Lynn. LYA Side Swap 2017

Chandra sent this digitally enhanced photo from Alabama. She shared her enhancement experiments in a recent blog post. Looks like fun to me! I need to find some fun photo apps. I really love the colors in this. Makes me think of watercolors flowing together. Beautiful! She included this:

We do not escape into philosophy, psychology, and art
–we go there to restore our shattered selves into whole ones.
Anais Nin

Chandra’s blog posts are often filled with inspirational words. She teaches composition and literature, reading and writing are her passions. Thank you Chandra for sharing your passions with us!

Pink Flamingo, colored pencil. Diane McWhirter. Australia.

Diane’s work is always stunning. Take a look at her pet portraits. She also works in ink, and I just love her vivid, lively colors. Lot’s of happy in her work! Her floral pillows are gorgeous. So honored that you would swap with me Diane – had no idea your postcard postage is $2.95 (Australia)! If it helps, I think your work is priceless.

So blessed to count these talented women among my LYA friends! I find their work delightful and inspiring! Hope you enjoyed these cards as well.