some surprises in the mail and some new art

Hi all!
I've told you about my bachelor-project and it is now handed in. YES I DID IT!!! :D
Now the last task for me is, to get through the oral exam… I will manage somehow ;-)

But now to the fun part - art!
When I returned home after a few days of writing-exile I found a pile of mail on my desk. First to mention a tiny (not really that tiny!) but fat envelope from Marji, who had posted a "Pay it forward"-post on her blog some weeks ago. I was the first person to sign up for some art from Marji, how could I not??? :-) She is an amazing artist! (You can still join in the game on my post: collection-of-pieces-i-have-worked-on)

Here are a few photos of her art-gift for me:

A booklet of collage and wax-paint combined, a very energetic piece.

Thank you so much for this treasure, Marji! I'm preparing your piece, almost posted a WIP, but stopped myself just in time ;-)

Then I received my journal page from Audrey Breed! She is an artist from Tennessee. Since I got into the artist-groups on Facebook, Audrey has been part of my artist existence. She is an experienced person in art and life and always ready to give advice and share her knowledge. You see, she is amazing! :-)

And here is her beautiful and quirky piece of art already on my wall:

Also in my mail was my traveling journal cover I had prepared, to protect the journal pages. Unfortunately it was too bulgy and made mailing more expensive :(

I asked Manon to mail my journal without the cover. Manon was so kind and sent the cover back to me and with the cover she sent some of her lovely paper dolls:

Wow, thank you Manon! I'm looking forward to "building" them together with my daughter! As if that wasn't enough I also received a painting from Manon:

"The Lady-bird Keeper"

I love it! Thank you Manon!!!

Now a little bit of my own art work:

You know I love to draw faces and I'm drawing faces almost daily. Here is one of the latest works:

Graphite sketch in my faces-journal.

The last piece for today is a little mug I like to use for my coffee:

I painted with derwent art bars on water color paper. The mug is from a pottery in Denmark (Fanø).

The painting is partly inspired by Marc Chagall, but mainly it is inspired by Conny of Mix it Monthly and it is my contribution to the May challenge with the theme Coffee/Cafë. 

I'm sharing this on Paint Party Friday

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Mix it Monthly May

Making a slow start reentering the blogging world with Mix it Monthly…
I have created three small paintings with the coffee-theme Conny has chosen
for the month of May. I put them into a photo-collage:

("Madam blå" is a classical Danish coffee-pot)

I used three water colour paper pieces, sketched my ideas and painted with derwent art bars and a brush. I enjoyed it and hated it…I wasn't really happy with the result and added some dry art bar-paint and smudged it with a wet cloth. I guess I miss the combination of acrylics and pastels that really give some texture and really dirty fingers :-).

Still have an oral exam to do before I can celebrate, but I got a lot closer, when I handed in the bachelor-project. YAY!!! :D

collection of pieces I have worked on in the last two weeks and Pay it forward

The first two paintings are my contributions to two of the traveling journals I joined on Facebook.

I have made a page with information/links to all the participants' blogs.

The hen is going to be for Audrey. It is still a work in progress:

The second one is for Lauri, who asked for our ideas on "positive headspace".

This is, what I have come to until now with her journal:

Below you see the head of a cow. She is painted after a reference photo from a new group I joined on Facebook, where we post our own photos and give permission for other group members to use them for their art. That's a pretty cool idea and there are a lot of wonderful photos of animals, nature and also some people. 

This cat is also drawn after a reference photo from the Fb-group:

And finally "Snowwhite" in graphite (in my sketchbook):

And I will add a little game today. I joined Marji's "Pay it forward" challenge and offer my own work now for the first five people, who comment with "Yes I want in"

Here are the rules:

* Pay It Forward Art-making Project for 2014 *

I promise to make a small work of art for the first five people who comment on this post and say "YES, I want in". A 'like' alone is not enough of a commitment, nor is a comment about thinking Pay It Forward is a great idea.

You must in turn post this as your status update and make something for the first five who comment on your status.

The rules are simple:
– It has to be your work, made by you, and the recipient must receive it before 2014 ends.
– It can be anything art-based: a drawing/illustration or a conceptual work of art, a photograph, a knitted item, cross-stitch, paper maché – or anything in between.

I'm paying this forward thanks to Jack Oudyn.  Yes, you can be on each other's pay it forward lists.

First five, GO!

PS. It doesn't matter if you aren't an artist, try something out, google/ YouTube how to make stuff, step out of those boundaries.

 Step 1Copy&Paste this (see below) as your latest entry on your favourite social website (in my case, its this blog) 

 
Step 2For the first five people who comment on your blog entry saying they want to participate, you will do an art trade with them that must be completed by December 31st 2014. I would count as the first person so technically you only need another four. If you find your friends are keen you can do as many as you want. 


Step 3All forms of art count including creative writing , photography, digital anything goes!
 
If you have any more qustions, just email me and let me know

No Holds Barred Team - an International Group of Women Artists

I had started out my blog in order to learn how blogging works and to present my works I did for the arts-class during my teacher education. Those were the intended goals!
After the finished exam I decided to keep my blog going and started adding more art/my own art/ my own choices in August 2012. By accident or rather because of a hint from one of my fellow students on Facebook I came across a You-tube video that presented an art medium. The artist was funny to watch and she left a link to her blog - where I went to see, what else she had to show. 
Soon I discovered challenges and groups in the blogging world. I joined the Paint Party Friday, which is a blog-hop, where artists from all over the world share their works. We visit each other and encourage and befriend each other. This group has shown so much appreciation and encouragement to me that I felt it could be possible to really grow to become an artist!

Like a snowball effect one scene after the other opens to you, when you start going online and share your art.

Another challenge blog is Paint and Draw Together, here we get a photo to draw or paint. I participated a few times only, because the photos do not match my interest very often, but it is a group of very talented artists that get together and share their work! Here is one example of my contributions:

This painting is produced combining two different pictures. I used two of my favorite mediums: dry pastels and acrylic. Here you can see, how it developed: Eggplant

I got into the group of 29 Faces through my blogging, where a challenge with the same title existed already. Many people join the challenge and within the group some people started grouping together to share their art in a more unrestricted manner, that was where Lizzy Love created the NHB-group, to create a space for those of us, who wanted to act, discuss and collaborate more freely.

The group was created in April of 2013 on FaceBook by Lizzy Love of Canada in order to do an uncensored round of Exquisite Corpses .  “For those of us that would like to have the freedom to create with absolutely no restrictions”.

My exquisite corpse didn't get finished, but it shows my start on the top and one of the group member's additions. I used collage, charcoal and acrylics in my part at the top.

Here are some of my works from different challenges and collaborations:

29 Faces

Travelling Journal

Mix it Monthly

Art Collaboration International my finished piece of a group collaboration in the NHB-group on Facebook.

Some of the group members and their blog-links:

Audrey Breed - https://www.facebook.com/ElaineVernonArt

Milo Wylde Chin - http://milochin.wordpress.com/.../30/art-projects-for-2013/

Tammy Gulat - https://www.facebook.com/tammy.gulat

Lizzy Love - www.oddballartco.com

Joy Redington - https://www.facebook.com/joy.redington.art  

Manon Visser-https://beta.folksy.com/shops/manonpopjes

New idea for me to get things moving and finally reaching the goal

I'll post an image or a few AND a goal for the studies. This will hopefully get me moving forward with my bachelor project!

So here comes my art:

The purple Venus

And the goal for the project: Analysis of the curriculum for English and Art concerning educational effect of cross curricular teaching in the two subjects will be todays work!

29 Faces in February 2014

I made them through the month and posted them in the Facebook group 29 Faces. And now I'll show them to all my blogger-friends and foes ;-)
No, seriously! I'm studying again and have a hard time keeping my mind at it. Making art is so much easier for me. And I would love to do nothing else, but hey, this education was started for a reason and it's only a few months before I've done it. I can get through these months without the regular party with you all! Somehow…!

I used graphite, water colour, charcoal and art bars for my portraits. I enjoyed doing these a lot as a welcome break from the studies.

So here they are:

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, miss the blog and you all and visiting your beautiful places and spaces!

Sharing with Paint Party Friday :-)

And here's the link to the one and only: Ayala Art Thank you for putting this up! It has connected me to wonderful artsy communities!