Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Postcards and ACEOs

I have talked before about these postcard (4”x6”) and ACEO (2.5”x3.5”) projects that I participate in through WetCanvas and how they are very helpful to me in my creative growth. Not only are they fun – it really gives me a nice feeling to be mailing little bits of my art all over the world and it is even nicer receiving little bits of art from all over the world in my mailbox (much nicer than the usual flow of bills!) – but, because they are just small bits of art, I feel more free to explore and experiment – not much will be lost if I end up with a complete failure – not much waste of materials, time or money. When I stand before a 30”x30” canvas, about to put 40 to 60 dollars of paint on it…that can be intimidating and inhibiting…there is a lot more at stake there. So these projects have helped me to expand my techniques and try new things.

Right now I am involved with two of these projects. One is a postcard one with the theme of “Vacation/Holiday Dreams” – I signed up for this one really to challenge myself – usually I do abstracts, but with this project I would have to do more realistic pieces – at least I would try to – some of the people in the group said they would be happy to receive abstract holiday dreams from me – but I wanted to try my hand at things more realistic. It has been a real challenge…it is taking me much longer than usual to work my way through this one! I have done a couple, though, that I want to do in a larger size on canvas – “Floating Away with Balloons” being one of them – so that is a real growth for me!

The second project is an ACEO one with no theme – it is an “Anything Goes” project…it has been fun mulling over what theme I might choose…though I am finding it hard to pin myself down to one!…I have gone from Illuminated Letters…to woman’s faces…to quilt block patterns! The quilt block pattern idea came about just yesterday while I was at my new part-time job (I am working part-time in a book store) – I was working in the kids section last night and I came across this picture story book – “The Quilt Makers Gift” – story by Jeff Brumbeau, pictures by Gail de Marcken. It is a lovely story and the watercolour illustrations are wonderful, but what caught my eye were the samples of different quilt blocks and their names inside the front and back flap of the book – 39 of them! The book has a web site as well at: The Quiltmaker’s Gift. So I think I have decided on a theme for my “Anything Goes” project!

November came to and end all too quickly and so ended the Art Every Day Month…I really enjoyed the extra incentive that the project gave me to get myself up into my studio…I am going to stay on and have joined the Creative Every Day group…I also have a few people now – friends and family – who are checking in on my blog and that will be incentive to keep posting…I hope!

December is going to be busy – I was hired at the book store as extra Christmas help – so my shifts will be ramping up…some computer jobs have started floating back as well…which is good! I didn’t get up to the studio at all on December 1st, but I did yesterday and started another postcard similar in style to the Georgian Bay one with the tree and the rocks. This one is called “Land of the Midnight Sun”.












Now it is time to head off to work...

1 comment:

Nadya said...

I love your comment about feeling more freedom to experiment with little canvases & little $$ investment! I have a phone # in my pocket that's the contact # for an artist Trading card group in town!! ooo, & e-mail address :)
I've been playing with Soul Collage & like Jamie's idea of painting over collage, . . . maybe I can find someone with similar interest!