Smiles Art Journal Page

I have been pondering the idea of why one smiles so much and why others might not. I shy away from my smile for two reasons: I am not fond of my butterball on a stick face and I have a chipped front tooth. Now before I get tons of emails about how I should accept myself, I actually do. I love every inch of me but I am just honest when I say the shape of my face doesn't schmoon me at all. So, today, I thought I would complete a journal page and a collage a day tinkering with the concept of smiles and what lesson I might need to hear about them. 

" Smiles. What they conceal of protect can be the keys or gateways to the desires of the heart. When freely given, smiles are what gently cover the spirit and let us know that being alive in the moment is blissful" 

This morning, while uploading a new collage, I had started my day with laughter toward my husband, or should I say, with my husband, and smiles were all around. These moments are what I adore about life. Laughing, smiling through even the mundane like a busted water pipe. I have, at times, used a smile as cover to hide the internal angst, I think we all do, but for today, I am freely sharing smiles in hopes they will be caught on the tips of the eyes and embraced. 

You can see and read more of my One Collage at a time series here: http://ardithscollage.blogspot.com/2012/10/day-290-catch-smile-germ.html

And if, like me, a great art class makes you smile for days, here is a link to two upcoming classes here in town that just might put a smile on your face as well! 

http://ardithsart.blogspot.com/2012/10/new-art-classes-for-holidays.html

Hugs, Love, and Big SMILES all around friends! 

New Art Classes for the Holidays!

I am thrilled about my new classes lined up during the holidays! After much thought, I am offering a 6 week class through the city at Lavretta Park for mixed media/collage, several one day classes at Lavretta Park, and a couple of night classes at Art(ology.) That way, if you can't attend a day class or an ongoing class there are options for everyone. Each flyer below has the basic details of the classes but if you have questions just shoot me an email at ardithgoodwin@gmail.com. Because the Lavretta classes are paid for through the city, they are at a hugely discounted rate and will fill up fast. To register and pay, click on the buy now button and sign up through Paypal. When the classes are full I will remove the "buy now" button and mark them full.

Looking ahead as well:
Torn Paper Collage Class Sat. Nov 17th (Tentative)
Paint a Kandinsky Abstract Dec. 15th (Tentative)

THIS CLASS IS FULL!

THIS CLASS IS FULL!

If a class that you wanted to take is full, message me and I will add you to the list of those wishing to notified first for the next class, thanks!

"Like Legs Stick Together" Mixed Media on Canvas

I have been wanting to paint a whimsical, child friendly piece with stripes and this piece just evolved out of a mistake, which is the best kind. It is a bit more muted than I usually paint, but I love that about it.

"Like Legs Stick Together" 16" by 20" mixed media collage on canvas, $125

Intuitive Painting Within A Framework

Intuitive painting comes easily to some and others, not so much. For me, it is pretty much how I begin all my abstracts and I enjoy connecting with that artistic spirit from within. There are times though that my intuition gets cluttered, I stop listening, I get to painting, and I go way overboard when I should have stopped hours ago. For this reason I decided to first, choose which elements I really wanted to use in creating a mixed media painting and two, stick with a specific color palette. 

Using a framework before I began turned the mental organizer on in my head but it didn't seem to silence my creative spirit which is what I was hoping for. This morning, I set up my studio outdoors, cranked up the Indie Songwriter station on Pandora, and got my paint on. 

As the process started I made it a point to take many breaks, breathe through the process, and not rush the outcome. Within a few minutes of starting each piece I knew I would love painting this way. I could see my path, I connected with my inner child, and I 'played' through these pieces, which is about as much as painting nirvana as I can get. 

Below you can see the setup, a few stages of the process, and the finished five pieces. Four to five collage pieces were used on each one and painted papers as well. The framework that I gave myself is listed in this pic. Elements I love, simple enough to follow, but lots of freedom to explore color, line, pattern, and texture. I am going to paint many of this type of abstracts for a while as I tinker with more monochromatic color palettes and neutrals, which is something I struggle with and I hope to paint in this style using BIG elements, because it just lends itself to a celebration of it all on canvas or paper. 

Setting up my outdoor studio. Working in a series is easy on a round table.

Adhering collage elements and building layers.

Finished pieces drying indoors.

The titles come from a conversation I had with my hubs throughout the process. It gave me much fodder for thought and humor, ;)

"Yes Dear, You Had Your Keys This Morning."
12" by 6" Gallery Wrapped Canvas, Acrylic/Collage
(Private Collection)

"No Dear, I Don't Have Your Keys."
12" by 6" Gallery Wrapped Canvas, Acrylic/Collage
(Private Collection)

"Did You Check Your Floorboard?"
12" by 6" Gallery Wrapped Canvas, Acrylic/Collage
(Private Collection)

"Gee, I Am Not Surprised."
12" by 6" Gallery Wrapped Canvas, Acrylic/Collage
(Private Collection)

"I Love You Dear, Always."
12" by 6" Gallery Wrapped Canvas, Acrylic/Collage
(Private Collection)

(ALL OF THESE IMAGES ARE MY COPYRIGHT. PLEASE DO NOT COPY AND PASTE AND STEAL MY DESIGN TO TEACH, REPRODUCE, OR COPY. THAT IS STEALING AND NOT COOL! )

View of them drying after being glazed.

Intuitive painting is what I know as painting from the heart of the creative. With a bit of a framework, it freed up my spirit to spread its wings a bit and develop a specific style without being contained within a rules set. 

Bricolage Workshop at Lavretta Park

Reserve August 1st on your calendars from 10-12ish  to join me at Lavretta Park Art Instructional Center. I will be teaching a collage class using found, torn, and painted papers! Bricolage is the process of creating a work of art with various materials that one has on hand. I will be supplying all the materials for you from vintage dictionary pages to piles and piles of 'paper paint' from torn papers. You will learn how to collage with different types of paper and minimize wrinkles, a brief history of collage in the art world, and create your own 11" by 14" work of art in a bird or floral theme. Your collage can either be created on canvas or on paper so that you can frame it under glass.  There is no experience required for this class, it it tons of fun, and come prepared to get your hands messy as well! Class will be limited to 15, so if you want to reserve a spot, you can pay through this Paypal button here. Once you have paid, I will email you a more detailed list of what we will do. Looking forward to it! Hope to see you there!

If you aren't local, don't fret, this lesson will be part of my new online collage class coming in late August as well! 

And, for those of you who work, I will be offering this class on August 13th from six to eight in the evening at Art(ology) which is our gallery right beside the Spot of Tea. That class will be smaller, but if you are interested in it let me know and I will message you the details. 

 

Here are a few other collages I have created using torn, painted papers! You can so do this too! 

Night Paintings

For as long as I can remember I have struggled with taming the creative mind, especially at night. Not sure what it is, but it's as if the night beings come and kiss the forehead spreading wild imagination babies all over the place and they begin to hatch in ones head. Being a creative, I think we have all been there haven't we? I have learned not to fight this though, and rather trust that on these nights, it is wise to get up and create. 


I call these "Night Paintings." It isn't really about creating a piece to sell or wow the socks off anyone, rather, it is about being true to those creative juices and letting them flow, as there is always something to be learned by them. Some times....more than others, I paint total crap and am totally cool with that. It releases space in the heart and mind I think for more sound, conceptual paintings to see the light of day. Other times, I totally love what I create and am grateful to have listened to the impetus to get up...and dream out loud. 


I started my first painting by simply placing random watercolors on the wet paper. I had no color palette in mind, just let my instincts go where they needed. I added graphite, watercolor pencil, and had a riot of a time placing paint to flow. Now, to be honest, there are times when these paintings can get totally overdone and turn to mud. It is so easy to do, especially of I rush through them, so, I went slowly. 

I did end up changing the page up at least 3 times, and then, when there was nothing but the 4am birds cackling, I looked at the piece and knew it had to be two paintings rather than one. With the aid of a mat, I knew exactly which section to cut out and keep, and which to throw in my collage pile, These two paints, "Night Flowers" and "Little Beach House" are what came of my first go of painting through the sleep.

"Night Flowers" 11'' by 12" acrylic on paper

"Little Beach House" 4 " by 12" acrylic on paper

My next instinct was to go to bed, at this point it was 5am...and then I thought to myself, I always wake about 6:15, so what's the point of going to bed now, so I kept on. I didn't photograph the steps in this piece, it is totally bizarre and wish I had. He is an unexpected delight that seemed to come out of the shadows and show himself. Maybe this is what the night beings look like...maybe he is a dream master, I haven't a clue. What I do know is that "I Live In Your Head" is one hoot of a painting! It is odd enough that I love it but then again I sit and shake my head that it is just too odd...if there is such a thing. 

"I Live In Your Head" 12" by 16" acrylic on paper

Living life as a creative means choosing to listen to the spirit when it calls, to get up and create even in the middle of the night, and trust that path to be the one to follow. I live this way with my faith, my creativity, and my writing, and for me, I can't imagine counting sheep any other way. 

The Freedom of Bike Riding Painting

Do you remember the first day you learned to ride a bike without training wheels as a child? Mine was a Saturday afternoon during the summer when we lived in Florida. Banana seated bicycles were all the rage and I had a raspberry blue one, which sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight. I can remember the feeling of pure bliss and freedom when my feet, ever so gently pushed one after the other and I managed to keep the wheel and handle bars straight, and it felt as if I was flying! I have never forgotten that day, that feeling, and my need to feel free with reckless abandon. 


These days I can no longer safely ride a bike without some type of training wheel to keep me steady because I have had many spine surgeries and a fall would be life altering. There are days, when I feel the wind in my hair, and hear it whisper to ride, but I know I have to remain still...and steady. That feeling is difficult because with the loss of being active that comes with 25+ surgeries one has to mourn the exciting, playful acts such as riding a bike that cannot be accomplished anymore. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about bike riding, the freedom it gives, the joy and jubilation, so I have decided to spend some time through a series of paintings working through this. 

I first chose a color palette. 

I then took some time to think through my feelings and intuitively began to place color and paper on paper. 

I then began to tinker with color and pattern, but not in a forced way, a more playful way and revisited the lesson of Juliette Crane in my Lifebook class for a bit of inspiration as well.  

My first painting, "The Freedom of Bike Riding", is strictly an intuitive piece based on my love of a playful color palette with collage. The abstraction comes from all the myriad of feelings one experiences while soaring on a bike, and the image is a reflection of the freedom one gains by being upright on wheels. Many times, through a painting, I will think through an emotion that has lingered, and mine would be the sadness over the loss of riding bikes. I hope through the process I can gain some joy of the experience once again, albeit in paint, and  have it take me back to a place and time that gave me much joy. 

The Art Abandonment Project

Got Art?


Love to give art away?


Love to give art away in public for random folks to find JUST FOR THE SAKE OF SHARING ART?


Then you just might want to check out Michael DeMeng's FB group, The Art Abandonment Project. Thousands of artists from around the world are joining forces to leave art in public for people to find, as a gift from us, for no other reason than to share original works of art with the world. Now, there are a lot of projects thrown at artists all the time, but this one, this one is my kind of project because giving for the simple act of making someone's day just makes me feel excited to be alive. 


I really spent some time thinking about this today, and the lesson I gained from it all is this: 


"Sharing one's art is not simply the act of sharing an image. Rather, it is a glimpse into the artist's spirit, where colors dance, line forms, and passion thrives. Sharing, to an artist, is our way of touching the world creatively and leaving our very own, beautiful mark for others to find. AG


Here is what I made after thanking God for my own gift of creativity. 

And here is where I place it, on a telephone pole close to my house. So many folks walk their dogs and kids in the afternoon and I just can't wait to see it gone from that pole. It is one thing to spend our careers as artists trying to pay the bills. It is a totally different thing to choose to give back just because we can. I can think of no greater blessing than that. 


If you are an artist and would like to join our project, visit this link and click, "Ask to Join!" Hope to see some of your faces there soon! 

Here is a video of Michael talking about the project and his amazement of how quickly it has grown! 

In Love With Color Lovin!

There are so many online art classes these days, wooohooo! Color Love 101, by artist Joanne Sharpe, is one I am taking for the next five weeks, and you are thinking....Ardith....with more color? Yep, I am in HOG FREAKIN HEAVEN with this group because it is simply a perfect way for me to play and dabble with a few new techniques while meeting some totally over the moon type of friends! 


Here is Joanne's painting, full of life, color, and love! My kind of painting gal! You can find out about COLOR LOVIN 101 HERE! and did I mention this 5 week course is only $35?
Some of you come join me, we will have more fun than we should, but it will be grand!

Joanne has been featured in umpteen mixed media magazines and here is a snippet of bio from here blog! Although, I have just met her, by the quality of videos and classes she offers and the great feedback she gives, she is by far a "Don't Wanna Miss Her Class" kind of artist. 

“Whimsical art maker” Joanne Sharpe is a colorful mixed media artist and enthusiastic teacher with a passion for art journaling, lettering, doodling and illustration. Joanne’s playful art has been featured in the popular publications Cloth Paper Scissors, Studios, Somerset Studio, Somerset Art Journaling and Somerset Apprentice magazines.

If you are at home and are thinking of taking an online art class I wholeheartedly suggest to start here. This fall I will be teaching two online classes that I am really excited about, "Write, Pray, Praint" and "Mixed Media Basics." Stay tuned for details this coming week if you are even the slightest bit interested! 


Here are two pieces I have done for the class so far, can you tell we are focusing in on color? Oh, the eye candy....Hope your day is filled with beauty as well friends! 

Mixed Media and Visual Artist List on Facebook

Are you like me and get frustrated when you want to find a great group of artists to follow and you have to weed through them one a time. Google+ has circle sharing which makes this simple and now, Facebook has create list sharing and I am totally excited about it! While it poured outside, I spent a good bit of today gathering artists, galleries, and entities that I follow on FB who share publicly through pages or subscribers for the most part in the mixed media and visual arts field. You can subscribe to this list if you are a FB user and follow these folks in a separate stream. I do hope with the creation of this list, many of you will find artists that suit your tastes and who share great insight into the mixed media, visual arts world!

Here is the link to the public Facebook list!