Back to the Art

My hands are looking more like normal again - paint, ink and wax spattered.  But it felt good to get back to creating something.  I took some art materials with me on vacation, but as usual I didn't touch them.  I always imagine that I'll want to sit and look reflectively at the scenery and sketch, but it never happens. I'm usually too deep into a good book when I'm on vacation.

This is on a 2" thick canvas, not sure why I didn't take a picture from the side, I like how the sides turned out.  Lots of layers, collage materials, and wax. Can you see the face?

PPD (Post Pismo Depression)

Back from vacation, having a unpack, laundry, grocery shopping day.  Back to reality - even our dogs seem to be experiencing PPD.  My family goes to Pismo Beach every year - my Grandparents bought shares in a RV park on the beach there when I was young, and we keep a 5th wheel trailer stored there.  Not luxurious that's for sure - but kind of semi-camping.  We had the best spot this year we've ever had, it was an absolutely wonderful week.  Diana at Velvet Moth Studio challenged me to post some "inspiring" photos - a little intimidating coming from such an amazing photographer!  But, I have to say I was inspired by the scenery as always, so here are some attempts...

These are shots from our campsite, we were right on the lagoon and on the other side of that is the beach and the ocean.  We've never been able to see and hear the ocean from our site before. The bottom picture is of a wedding tent that we watched get put up - lovely spot for a wedding and they got really lucky with the weather...

We were entertained by lots of ducks, pelicans and squirrels on the other side of the fence  - our dog Guinness was also very entertained, and thank goodness for the chicken wire preventing him from getting to the other side! He'd freeze into position and watch the squirrels for hours. Our Bassett Hound couldn't care less.

Momma and babies trying to get to the other side of the wire (they made it safely through)

Morro Bay:

The Rock

A gull looking covetously at our lunch overlooking the Bay

The fishing boat comes in, of great interest to the birds

Avila Beach:

My niece and nephew

For those of you who made it to the end of this post  - thanks for indulging me!  Back to real life and some art this week...

Summer of Color - Wild and Reckless

This week's ice cream inspiration on Kristin's Summer of Color week 5 challenge is called Wild and Reckless, I love the name, although I'm not sure I'd eat that ice cream!

This will be my last week to participate - starting Saturday I'll be on vacation for 9 days (Pismo Beach!), so I'll have to miss the last week. But I just want to say how fun it's been, and so good for me to have to stretch and use colors I wouldn't normally use. Thank you Kristin and all the wonderful participants - I've so enjoyed looking at everyone's art and seeing new (to me) blogs.

I've been itching to do something with a large piece of chipped, rusty old ceiling tin I've had for a while, and last week I had my oh-so-handy man cut me out a little bird from it. So I decided to somehow use it in this week's challenge - definitely not an obvious combination, to me anyway, so I struggled with it.

This is plaster on a really thick piece of something that I re-used - with lots of bits from my stash to decorate the bird. It was fun once I decided what I was actually doing.

Summer of Color - Strawberry Lemonade Punch!

I can't believe it's already week 4 of Kristin's Summer of Color - for that matter I can't believe it's already July -  after tomorrow I'm on vacation for 5 days - yeah!  No access to internet so I'll  be behind on checking out everyones art for this week's challenge, but I'll catch up eventually. 

This week's challenge ice cream flavor is Strawberry Lemonade Punch - mmmm, I'm thinking it's probably sweet and tart... I'm trying not to eat sugar, but I can imagine!

This week's is another piece on wood, done on a page from my 1917 prescription book. This is a phase I'm in right now - the paper is so old but it's thick and the ink doesn't run at all - I'm just in love with it.

There are several layers of wax on top - something else I'm in love with!