Taz's Corner

More Altered Book Musings...

2011-07-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

Custom Greeting Cards, Photo Cards, Picture Cards, Create a card online

2011-07-17T03:14:00.000-07:00

Frugal Art Journal Goodies!

2011-07-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

I have been playing with some of the cheapest color-makers for your art journal and I am so excited to tell you about them! Hang on - drumroll please.....

PRANG Pan Watercolors! They have some of the brightest colors and they are less than $15.00 for a set of 16! That's less than $1.00 a color! I also have the metallics and the glitter sets and have to say that the metallics are great, but I am not too excited with the glitter set. They are cheap enough though, and have great, vibrant colors-well worth the money and great for throwing color on a page!

The second great value is Royal Brites poster board markers! They are huge, double ended markers-plus have great neon bright colors! I bought mine at CVS drugstore in the school supply section for about $8.99 for 8, double ended markers (I think that was the price...)They have cool, neon greens and pinks and blues, plus other gorgeous colors and have chisel ended marker tips for all sizes of lines and bold coloring. Give them a try!

Here is my page I made today with the Prang watercolors and Royal Brite markers...I really like the colors- how about you? Happy Creating!

My Altered Book, Getting "in the Zone"...

2011-07-07T09:35:00.000-07:00

What does it take for you to get in the zone for working in your journal or altered book? You know-that "just right" relaxed mood where the art and the layers just come to you and flow right through you? Well, I got into that zone the other night and did a cover for a new altered book that I am converting. Here , after lots of paint, sparkles, and bits and pieces is the finished product.

I used a dark green paint, then a gold shimmer paint on the panels in the centers. Then, I coated it with gel medium and sprinkled 3 different colors of Martha Stewart glitter on the gel medium. Then I stuck on the sequins and the x-shaped white pieces, and the sticky letters. Then I sprayed the whole thing with a Krylon clear coat. Once dry, none of the parts or pieces of this book cover are going to go anywhere!

I was definitely "in the zone" when doing this book cover! I have no idea where the title for the book came from, lol! Just out of my imagination, I suppose...About 2 hours passed without me realizing it. Don't you just love it when that happens?!

I also made some new Twinchies:

I really like the colors on these, and may be doing some mire detail to them before I call them "Finished"!
Happy Creating!

ICAD Challenge Update...

2011-06-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

If you are doing the ICAD Challenge (Index Card A Day), then you already know that it is very addicting...I am totally hooked! I am going to make a bunch of mine into "word art" journal prompts, and other things like that. Below are a few more index cards I have decorated:

I like the bottom one, personally...I was making a sarcastic statement about what we, as women, sometimes have to deal with in life...

I also did another art journal page. I had been looking through all of the art journal "how-to" books I have accumulated, and realized that none of them had the same style of artwork in them as I create. So basically, I have a stack of books that I have very little in common with! I'm not really sure what that means, other than the fact that I rarely do all of the layers and collage elements that so many others do. I think I may need to get one of Teesha or Tracy Moore's books...That might be a little more my style (not that I am anywhere close to being as good as they are)... Anyway, that realization inspired the journal page below:

PLAY - The Art Of Visual Journals, Issue #4, November 2003.
PLAY - The Art Of Visual Journals, Issue #4, November 2003.

Upcoming Artist Trading Card exhibition!

2011-06-25T07:06:00.001-07:00

Call to Artists for ATC Exhibition! Deadline is July 15, 2011 Open to all

Passion 2 Do Art says:

I am the curator for an upcoming Artist Trading Card exhibition called “Big Impact, Small Art—Artist Trading Cards.” The guidelines can be downloaded at www.bohemianartcafe.com. The deadline for entries is July 15, 2011. The exhibition will show August 12 – September 2 and there will be a random trade 3/3 at the end of the exhibition in Oxford OH, and because it is an educational exhibit, we are hoping for a large turnout of artists from all over the world. The Oxford Community Art Center does a tremendous amount of work with youth programs and the exhibit is largely to educate children on this art form. Please feel free to cross post or email this information out to your artist friends as well and let them know they can cross post also. Thanks.

Best Regards
Bohemian Art Café
www.bohemianartcafe.com
Posted at 10:41PM, 13 June 2011 CDT (permalink)

ICAD Challenge Progress...

2011-06-25T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hello! Staying cool, I hope....Last time I wrote about the ICAD Challenge (Index Card a Day), from over on Daisy Yellow's blog. Since then, I have been working away altering some 3" x 5" index cards, and I must say they are quite fun and relaxing to make! The size is just perfect, it seems, not too small, not too large. And the lines on them seem to make it less intimidating to just "begin", ya know? (I am using both lined and unlined index cards, but they are all 3" x 5".)

Since the ICAD Challenge is for the months of June, July and August, I also decided I would make a complete set of cards, one for each day. This was going to take a bit of work in the beginning, as I am 21 cards behind. (You don't have to catch up like I am doing, you can just begin by making a card today, and continue on making one a day, 6 days a week, until the end of August, if you want...)

I have made these four so far,and they are so much fun to make! I have used everything from collage to markers while making them, and I am really liking how they are turning out! They may be simple and small, but they kinda pack a big punch, ya know?

I decided that I am going to make these into these into little word art and journal prompt cards, so I can use them in my art journal and maybe even in one or two of my altered books I am making.

Well, 4 down, 21 to go to get caught up..."Can She do it"? "I think I can, I think I can..." Until next time, Happy Creating!

ICAD - Index Card A Day Challenge! Join Us!

2011-06-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered the ICAD Challenge over on the "Daisy Yellow" blog and decided that it sounded just like a summer project I wanted to be a part of! Just get a pack of 3" x 5" lined index cards from the Dollar Store (or even the 24 hour drug store in the office supply section...) and create some type of art on one index card each day! It can be just a sketch or a doodle, or a full on, layered, painted, collaged, mixed media work of art if you want, just whatever you have time and energy for! The Challenge actually, officially, started around the middle of June, 2011, but you can still start anytime, no pressure or serious rules, and you don't have to play "catch up" and make a bunch of cards if you are just getting started with the "Challenge". Just begin now, and make one a day, 6 days a week (you get one day off a week), during the rest of June, July and August! Sounds like fun, doesn't it! You can also get the badge from Daisy Yellow's blog, as well as link to her blog post about the Challenge by going to her blog and following her directions for the "ICAD Challenge". She even has a FAQ and other info for you! I have a link to her blog on the right side of this blog that will make it easier for you to find her blog, or you can do a Google search for "ICAD Daisy Yellow" and it will come right up! She even has a Twitter address for posting remarks and progress, as well as a Flickr group for posting pics of your creations! So be sure and check it out, ok!?

I enjoy working on the smaller sized "canvas", and may take the opportunity to turn some of them into postcards that I can use for mail art. I am in a "Pen Pal" situation with my oldest granddaughter, age 8, (we write letters to each other and send mail art back and forth, just for the fun of it-she loves getting mail...)and I know she would love to get some more postcards from "Ma", as she calls me, lol! I have made and sent her several postcards made from watercolor paper, but I like the idea of using something so cheap, and making it into something beautiful and meaningful to her! If you have grandchildren, nieces, or nephews, try starting a mail exchange with them if they are old enough to read and write- They will surprise you with their creativity, and your relationship will become even closer and more special! The letters that I get from her are so sweet...She always writes and tells me how much she loves and misses me, and it just really touches my heart in a special way...Abbie and I have always had a special bond, but it has grown even stronger since we have been exchanging mail and mail art! Plus you will eventually have a whole stack of cute and sweet letters and mail art from them to collage and use in your art journals and altered books or scrapbooks, as well as having introduced them to a whole new hobby (Mail Art) that they may really enjoy, especially as a summer project, or even as they grow older!

Well, I have gone on long enough about all of this, lol! I will leave it to you now, so you can go check out Daisy Yellow's blog, and get all of the details for the "ICAD Challenge". Grab a few art supplies and some index cards, and start creating those miniature works of art-and be sure to share them with someone special and brighten their day this summer and maybe even longer! It is definitely worth the time spent and you may start a whole new family tradition! Happy Creating!
Check out these books about Mail Art!:

Care to Join in a Journal Page Swap?

2011-06-23T23:55:00.000-07:00

I have had the absolute pleasure of "meeting" (online) a lovely woman named Donna Schmidt, and she has decided to host a swap for journal pages, but we need more people to really make it fun...Why don't you join us???

The swap is for a journal page of your "Personal Life Map", and it needs to measure 9" x 6", and can be any technique you choose. If you are interested in joining us, please email me at:

LThykeson@yahoo.com

and I will give you her email and mailing address. I thought it sounded like a fun summer swap to be involved in!

In other news, I have been slowly getting back into the swing of things artistically and physically, after being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. I am on some new medication, and it seems to be working really well. Hopefully as time goes by, I will begin to feel better and better! I have been working in my art journal a bit this week, and have a couple of pages that are "works in progress" to share with you.

The top one is a background I did for future journaling using transparent pan watercolors, permanent marker, and water soluble oil pastels. The bottom one is done basically the same way, only I used opaque watercolors instead of transparent . I will save the one background for another day. (I don't always journal or do pages in chronological order in my journals, but I always date them so I know when I did them.)

I started the "God give me strength " page the last evening that "the boy" (my 10 year old nephew) was here visiting, and he was getting a bit bored with us old people and more than a little restless. I was really having to use my patience with him and it made me remember how life was when my two sons were young- I also realized just how long ago it was when they were his age and how much unrecorded time had passed by since they were that young! Time certainly flies by! I decided that I needed to get busy with my art journal, because time was flying by, and I had no written or artistic record of the days! I had nothing to remind me of the time, not the mundane, routine and comforting activities of our life that everyone has, much less the fun and exciting things that had happened. That is the whole point of keeping an art journal as far as I am concerned. So, I found some quiet time and a cozy corner, and went to work again. These backgrounds and pages are what came of my efforts. The "strength" page came almost subconsciously and I felt so much better after working for a bit in my art journal-it is really therapeutic, as I am sure you know!

So the next time you find yourself letting time go by, and you are "too busy" to work in your art journal, remember-that is exactly the time when you should be keeping a record of your life! You will be glad that you did when you find yourself unwinding from your busy day, not to mention the satisfaction you will feel when you look back in your finished pages and are reminded of your days gone by! Happy Creating!

Art Journals and Babysitting...

2011-06-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

It is at least 120 degrees here in our part of Texas this weekend, so it was no surprise that my DH was whining for some cool water to immerse himself in and escape the heat...On top of the heat, we had a 10 year old boy, our nephew, visiting since Thursday, and he was beginning to be a bit bored with just watching the Animal Planet channel. Even the XBox was becoming old, and we have stacks of games!

It is not surprising, therefore, that the DH and "the boy" decided to head out on a road trip to Hurricane Harbor in "the big city", giving me some sweet alone time to play in my journal! After hearing about how long the lines were to do any of the really good exhibits, I am seriously glad I didn't try to go with them. This "old lady" can't handle the Texas heat anymore-I have to have my A.C! They did manage to get wet and cool, though, and had lots of fun, so the trip was a success after all...

My day was successful as well, if you consider getting to make a few journal pages "successful"! I resorted back to my permanent markers because I just wasn't up to the whole "layers" thing, plus, my style is morphing into this bright, more crisp look anyway. I just "be who I be", I suppose... Anyway, here is what I came up with:

This is my "Birthday girl" that I made for another NING site's 4th birthday celebration. I like her hair.....

These are "Give Me a Hand", "This Bud's for You" and "The Flower Girl". The "Flower Girl" and "This Bud..." were done with Pelikan brand opaque watercolors (inexpensive, and I love them for playing with!) and highlighted a bit with water soluble Portfolio oil pastels (also inexpensive and a great, creamy feel...). I just love how easily the oil pastels blend over the top of the base color, adding some dimension and depth to the otherwise flat colors. I often go back and add them to pages that I thought I had finished long ago. Just goes to show you that the journey, or the journal page creation, never truly ends...Happy creating!

The Art Colony

2011-06-17T04:21:00.000-07:00

Check out this great site!

The Art Colony

Fresh Strawberries and Journal Pages!

2011-06-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

I was in the produce section earlier this month, and I was stopped still in my tracks in front of the most luscious, succulent, huge, firm, ripe, glistening strawberries! I immediately bought 4 lbs of them, came straight home, and began devouring them...Now, 16 POUNDS of strawberries later, I am STILL eating strawberries like I am never going to get another one for the rest of my life! These are absolutely the best strawberries I have ever seen, much less eaten! They are supplied by "Driscoll's Berries" to our local Kroger, and if their other berries are as wonderful as the strawberries are, then these guys know what they are doing, for sure!

I haven't been sitting around JUST EATING berries for the last week, lol....I have also been back at work in my art journal, playing around with the transparent pan watercolors this time. Here are a couple of my journal pages.

These were both done with the transparent watercolors, not the opaque watercolors I have been using so much lately, and I also used permanent ink, metallic ink, collage words and phrases. These were really fun and relaxing to make. Try using your pan watercolors in your journal, for a refreshing and vibrant change from acrylic paints! Happy Creating!

Laura Thykeson

The Altered Book Nook

Playing with Picasa...

2011-06-10T21:39:00.000-07:00

Watercolor5 Flowers For You

2011-06-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

Mail Art and Postcards - Plus a BIG Thank You!

2011-06-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

First of all, I would like to thank Cindy Lavin for the beautiful beads and clasp that I won from her blog giveaway! She writes the blog Mazeltov Jewelry at Mazeltov Jewelry , where you can find some really beautiful hand-crafted and vintage pieces! I am still drooling from my visit to her site! There was a necklace she just posted that really got me going....Thanks again, Cindy!

Well, while I have been debating over what to make my new gorgeous beads into, I have been working on some ATC's and Postcards. Here are a few of the ATC's I have made:

This is called "Rose Series #1"

This one is titled "She Laughs"

This one is titled "Flower Series #5"

I did these in watercolor, with found
poetry added after they dried.

This one is not titled...Why don't you help me name this one by leaving your ideas for a good name in the comments section! Thanks!

These are all mixed media, using opaque watercolors and permanent ink. I have had several people ask me what brand watercolors I am using on these because they are so vivid. They are the Pelikan Brand, in pans, and I love them! I also have the Lukas Brand, Pans, but they are not quite as vivid as the Pelikan Brand. Neither set is expensive at all, and they both come in a sturdy plastic hinged lid carrier.

I have also made a few postcards, as I love sending those out to people as "Random Acts of Art Kindness" like Milliande suggests on her Ning website! It sure helps on those days that the mailbox is full of bills!

This is a postcard I painted, along with using colored pencil and permanent ink titled "Daisies and Bee" These always measure 4-1/2" x 6". That way I can get 4 postcards from a 9" x 12" sheet of watercolor paper.

An finally, here is the last one today (I made lots more but I was afraid I would bore you!) This is simply named "Birds and Sun".

Well, I hope you have enjoyed looking at these colorful little pieces of "Random Art Kindness"! Soon they will be arriving in someone's mailbox to brighten their day!

Happy Creating!

Art Journal Fun

2011-05-19T03:16:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have had my nose stuck in my art journals(s)....I have had more fun playing with my new opaque watercolors as well as the metallic and glitter sets of watercolors that I just acquired. Here are a few of the pages I have made lately...

All of these pages were created using my opaque watercolors, permanent markers, collage items, and pencil. I really like putting words and phrases together on pages to convey my feelings. I seem to like this better than writing it out. Try this method if you have a hard time writing out your feelings.

Spring has Sprung!

2011-05-05T00:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't done much the last week except for play around with my markers and make some postcards and atc's...It has been kinda nice to just chill for a while, without pushing too hard. I definitely had spring fever, as you can tell by the pictures I drew on these postcards and atc's!

Thanks for looking. I hope that these might inspire you to "get in the swing for Spring"!

How To Link: Decopauged Glass Plate

2011-04-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Just saw this and thought, now why didn't I think of that??? It would be a great way to dress up old thrift shop finds! Just think of the possibilities...

Here is some bright and cheery flower art for you! Check out my Etsy shop at

Ice Originals Art and Images

Happy Creating!

Free Mother's Day Designs and more

2011-04-25T19:57:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day is May 8th, and I decided to make you some designs to use for cards, tags, or whatever you choose to use these for! The first design is this rose and butterfly design:

Just right-click on the images, and you should be able to download them with no problem. Open them up in your Photoshop program or whatever program you use to work with images, and you can add text or resize them if you need to. The next one is this whimsical word art for the front of a card, a gift tag, etc.:

Right-click on the image, save to your computer, and use for whatever you choose! You could even use these designs to make Mom a couple of great bookmarks, if she is a big reader! Save them to your photo editing program, resize bookmark size, and print out on cardstock or watercolor paper, then embellish with your own fibers, lace, etc., and make it your own! Mom will love having her new bookmarks to remember you by every time she picks up her book to read!

I also wanted to share this design I did this week, a southwest style design, that you could use as a pattern for wearable art, or whatever else you can imagine to do with it. It would make a great design painted on a tote or even a purse:

(

This one was done using my new Lukas opaque pan watercolors, and details were added with permanent ink. The original size of this one is 9" x 12", and I re-sized it smaller to load on here, but it should still be plenty big enough when printed out to use as it is, or re-size for your own project in your image editing program.

Also, don't forget to check out The Altered Book Nook, and see what I have done on there lately! I have a lot more designs and graphics, and in May, I will have a Featured Artist of the Month for you! It is still a major work-in-progress so bookmark the site so you can check back often as I work on it and add to it.

I want to share with you that I have found a wonderful new NING site that I have just joined called, "Just Be Yourself", (here's the blog address that the owner of the NING group writes as well - http://www.anitavanhal.com/just-be-yourself-ning-group/ ) and it is going to be a great place to find friendship and support from other creatives! You may just want to check it out yourself and see if it might be a good place for you as well...Just imagine - a place where you can "Just be yourself"!!!

So, until next time-

Happy Creating!

Laura Thykeson
The Altered Book Nook

Weekend Wrap-up - Check out these links!

2011-04-22T15:52:00.000-07:00

I am lucky enough to be in a group with some very talented and special ladies, and we share blog links every week. Here is a list of their blogs, and a taste of what they have been up to for the week:

Yummy! Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Easter Eggs!

So, after remembering how... Make This Wonderful Frame!

How to Dye Easter Eggs Naturally

Monoprints

Graffiti Backgrounds

Guatemala - Day 5

Winner of the 100th Follower Giveaway!

Peep-tastic Centerpiece!

Aren't these ladies just awesome??!!

Also, don't forget to give The Altered Book Nook a look. I have really done a lot of work on it the last week, and have a lot more to go!

Happy creating!

A Creative Dream: So, after remembering how...

2011-04-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

A Creative Dream: So, after remembering how...

Check out this cool woven look frame she has made!

Exciting News! "The Altered Book Nook" is Open and an Exciting Opportunity for YOU!

2011-04-20T07:54:00.000-07:00

I am so excited I can hardly contain myself this morning! I have finally stepped out of my normal path and after much urging by several other creative souls, I have started my own website, named "The Altered Book Nook"! It is a combination of an informative site for altered book and mixed media artists, as well as an online business presence where I will be offering vintage and handmade jewelry, digital designs to be used for greeting cards, postcards and mixed media work, as well as vintage photo images to be used for your own lovely artwork! For the first time ever, I am offering anyone interested my own personal designs to use in their own artwork. Once purchased and received, these images will be yours to do whatever you choose, even if you wish to use them in making your own art to sell! You can visit the new shop and website at the following address:

The Altered Book Nook

The shop was just opened for business yesterday, and will be a continuous "work in progress", as new items and designs are added, as well as new informative resources being added. I also plan to have a "Featured Artist of the Month", so send me a short bio, as well as 3-4 pictures and a short write-up of your work to be considered!! Isn't that exciting? You can email me at either Lthykeson@yahoo.com, or at info@thealteredbooknook.com.

I am smack-dab in the middle of getting everything set up, so bear with me as I work the kinks out of the site as I go. Be sure to bookmark the site so you can check back often as new information and inventory will be added daily and weekly! I just opened up yesterday, and still have SO MUCH to do, but I am SO excited I can hardly sleep, lol! I have had online businesses before, as well as several years of selling on Ebay, plus my Mother and I had our own custom artwork and gift shop several years ago, and I KNOW that the amount of work I am going to have to put in on this project is incredible, but I am so excited about doing it! I am excited about the fact that this site is a combination of information as well as inventory! That is a new concept for me, having a combination website, and the whole idea just FEELS RIGHT, ya know?! I really hope that it can work out well, not just for my own sake, read on for the great chance I will be offering to sell your work as well!

The Altered Book Nook is going to be a bit of a "hybrid" website, part "informative website" with techniques, ideas, links to resources for the mixed media and altered artist (especially beginning mixed media and altered art and altered book artists!) exciting interviews with interesting and informative artists and artisans, and a lace to offer my own graphics, designs and poetry as well as offering other artists and artisans a chance to have their own items listed on the website to sell as well! That's right! I am offering you guys out there a chance to sell your items ON CONSIGNMENT in "The Altered Book Nook.com! I still have to work out the details, but I have had a lot of experience with consignment selling, as I have been on "both ends" of the consignment deal in the past. I have sold on consignment myself in several different stores in the past, but that was before everyone went "online". After I went online myself several years ago, I always was open to consignment deals with other artists and artisans, because if done correctly, it is a great deal for both parties involved! No risk up front for you and a chance for both of us to make some extra money!! That sounds exciting, doesn't it?! I really enjoy helping others get their creations and art "out there", and it gives me a larger variety of inventory to offer to the public...! That makes it a "win-win" for everyone involved!

If you are interested in doing a consignment deal and putting your art and/or designs out there for sale, for the public to have a chance to purchase, please contact me through one of the email addresses I listed above and I will let you know how it is going to work and you can decide if you are interested. I will also need to see photos of your work, and a short bio on yourself and your artwork so I can approve it. I am really interested in keeping this shop within the Mixed Media, Altered Book and Altered Art categories, so keep that in mind when making your submissions to be considered for a consignment opportunity. Be sure and check out my new website and shop, just remember it is in the beginning stages and is far from being complete!! So, I better go get back to work living MY dream, and hopefully, I can help you to live YOUR dream as well! Happy Creating!

Laura Thykeson

The Altered Book Nook.com

My Review of Strathmore Visual Art Journals

2011-04-05T09:59:00.001-07:00

Originally submitted at Jerry's Artarama Art Supplies

Tell your artistic story through mixed media and collage in Strathmore Visual Journals! Listening to artists' insight and feedback, Strathmore has developed a line of journals engineered to meet the demands of the mixed-media journalist. Their Visual Journals offer a range of high performance,...

Love this product!

By lthykeson from granbury, texas on 4/5/2011

Pros: Good Variety, Paper, Stores Easily, Quality, Smooth, Easy to use, Lasting Fun, Long Lasting

Cons: Fantastic value when on s

Best Uses: Art, Long Term Use

Describe Yourself: Quality Oriented

Primary use: Personal

Was this a gift?: No

I use these journals in all sizes and types for the multimedia artwork that I create. I can always find a great surface to use with Strathmore products!

(legalese)

Free-Mixed Media Tips and Techniques! Art Journals and More...

2011-04-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

Hello! This week I am doing something special for you...I am digging into my personal stash of tips and techniques that I have compiled and sharing them with you so you can try them out! These are tips that ideas of experimental or "non-usual" ways of using different art mediums. I enjoy experimenting and playing with my art supplies, and thought you might enjoy some of these techniques as a break from the ordinary. Here is the book that I made to keep all of my "research" in:

I went to the Dollar Store and bought a bunch of composition notebooks for $1.00 each, and use them for different things like my techniques, my "found poetry" for each altered book I am working on, and for simple collage and gluebook work. These are great to keep all of your work organized! Now, on to a few tips and ideas for you to try, and I will cover more ideas next time:

Try oil pastels under watercolors on watercolor paper, etc. The oil pastels will work as a resist.
Try using crushed chalk pastels mixed with a bit of water and paint on for a watercolor effect. You can also wet an area first, then draw on with the pastel for a different look. Or draw with dry pastels and then go over with a wet brush. Your results will be nice and vivid and surprisingly different than when dry!
To make acrylic paint glazes, mix 2 parts water, 1 part acrylic paint, and 1 part extender or glaze medium. Blend with a baby wipe to take off excess paint when using. This makes a reat distressed art journal background!
When using oil pastels on watercolor paper, put down a watercolor wash on the paper first. It will create a little bit better surface for your oil pastels.
Tint gesso with yellow ochre acrylic paint to use to mute colors on an art journal or painting.6
To save money on expensive gel mediums, use the gel medium for transfers only...Use Mod Podge, glue stick or other less expensive thinned glues for collage. This will make your gel medium go much longer!
To keep dry pages and collages from sticking together in altered books and art journals, etc., use a couple of drops of liquid car wax on a cotton rag and buff the pages lightly. Just put one or two drops on the dry, clean rag and it will work like a charm!

Enjoy using these tips and let me know how they work for you! Don't forget I will be adding more tips next week, so be sure to sign up and follow me so you don't miss any! Happy creating!

Painting with Words - Altered Text, Altered Books

2011-03-30T20:35:00.000-07:00

I know, most of the time I am writing about art, painting , painting mediums, and lots and lots of color. But lately, I have been more caught up with words and the text in the books I am altering. I am doing a lot of "found poetry", and what I call "altered text" which is similar to found poetry, it is just not quite as lyrical. You can even write a "book within a book" using selected words and phrases from the text of the book you are altering. Here is a sample from a page of one of my books I am working on.

"The bell, ringing heavily, ascending and mounting on every side. The bell, only absence." Now these words were plucked out of the text of the first page I am working on in the book "The Black Arrow", by Robert Louis Stevenson, and there are nuggets of this kind of literary gold on every page! I am having more fun finding and altering text and found poetry in this book so far, than I am actually altering the pages with paint and color.

I love words and how they can be linked together and made into something every bit as beautiful as a poem...Next time you decide to alter a book, try just altering the text, and see if you don't enjoy it for a change! I will leave you with one more line of altered text:

"The house, alone among lilacs, open meadows rising, knee-deep with scarlet". Neat, huh?! Happy Creating!