Branching out...

I love the art of lettering.... I have been lettering for over 30 years.... seriously!  Weddings.... posters...... hand-drawn invitations..... birthday greetings.... thank you notes.... cards of all kinds.... etc.......  I love playing with my PENS best..... I love PAINTING words on signs and notes as well......
I tend to focus a lot on words... what I want to SAY and the art in the letters......

That being said.... I almost compartmentalize my word art..... hyperfocus......

Still...... I am an artist at heart.... I play with color and texture... collage.... fabric.... many, many forms of exciting creativity.......

So.... this week I have been trying to step out of my hyperfocus mode and step into COLOR..... a little dab here and there.... keeps life interesting.  

Hope this October day is lovely!!!  

Cheers!!!
judifer

Breathe in that Magical Crisp Fall Air!  

A dreamy farm fresh day

Getting My Autumn On

Oh the weather is blissful!  Simply wonderful.

After feeling like I was melting, melting, melting these past few weeks..... In the HOT, HOT, HOT weather.... and working in a school with NO air conditioning... (yes... really)......

This BREATH of fall air makes my heart rejoice!  

I have had a quiet morning to myself... and feeling all energized by the cool breeze ... I headed out to the front porch to tidy things up a bit.   I emptied pots of flowers that were way beyond their prime..... (dried to the bone....) and I tucked away the garden knick knacks for the winter ahead... They prefer the "warmth" of the garage.... and I swept and cleaned.... and .... tidied...  

Then I tiptoed down to the basement to find the plastic tubs where I had stashed my beloved fall things..... It is such a delight to open the bins and find my old friends there waiting for me.   I don't use them all.... I rotate them from year to year... where the mood takes me.... but... oh!  I just get giddy with taking each thing out and enjoying them... auditioning them for the spaces that can be given a touch of fall pleasure.....  and deciding.... which to use this year.... which to tuck away again.... and.... which to...maybe..... pull out in a few weeks....

Some are like old friends... that I created long ago... but love.  still.

Some were bought and then dressed up to add to the fun.  

 Some reflect my personality..... all twiggy and full of birdhouses..... and of course... my scarecrows... who are too cute to scare anything.

And then the porch.   Oh... I LOVE having a porch now!  

 And of course.... I had to make something NEW to add to the fun this year.   

(Did I mention that I LOVE having a PORCH!!)   

Hoping today finds you breezy and happy!
Cheers!
judifer

watercolor fun

I decided to try out some new brushes yesterday.  To make it quick and easy, I just grabbed some inexpensive kids' watercolor paints and regular old copy paper..... I was not intending to begin a "project" or thinking that it would be my next work of art.... I just wanted to try out the brushes.... 

I started with practicing strokes... just strokes.... 

I am accomplished at painting.... usually using acrylics.....   (I like the control...... haha!)    I am also very accomplished at lettering.... but usually using a variety of pens.... (I LOVE pens..... )

But not so much with watercolor and not so much with watercolor brushes...... 

That being said...... WOW!!! I could become addicted!   Oh! MY!   I loved them..... 

So.... quickly I changed from just strokes, to see what would happen if I dabbled with some words..... 
again.... regular old paper... so, it is easy to bleed ...... but.... I didn't want to waste the watercolor paper on doodling...... 

Summer Saturday

A lovely summer Saturday.... 

Pittering in the garden.... 

Heading over to the Farmer's Market....... 

Buying some new dishes..... 

A lovely summer Saturday.... 

decidedly so. 

some more happy thoughts

I love looking at the world through the medium of words.  The art adds a little happy glow to them as well.  

 Look at things with cheerful thoughts. 

This is where I am RIGHT NOW!  Start DOING!  

cheers 

Good morning Monday! Today is August 1st!  Is summer ever flying by!  I hate the heat but dread for summer to end. I have spent such fun days this summer.  I have worked so much on my art work that it is finally filling my cup.  I have decided to start marketing my designs on Etsy....   I have worked on my Teachers Pay Teachers store.... and let's just throw in building a house, moving, changing to a new job/new grade/new town/new everything.....   Yep it is grand!

I mostly doodle in black ink... but I thought ... since I have a passion for color..... a PASSION for color... that maybe.... maybe I should actually USE some of the million colors that I collect.  

or..... maybe not..... haha!! 

Do you hold your breath like I do??? I sometimes concentrate so hard that I forget to ... just breathe.... 

This is my focus today.  Cheers!     
                                                Judy

The love of words

A few more little samples. I am still playing around with designs.  I love using words as art ... But I have to connect to those words... They have to speak to me...     I finished these last night.  It is what I have been thinking.  Don't we all struggle with knowing who we are, what we want to be... and if we are good enough?   I am finally getting to the point where I am ready to share my artwork.

So many things to do.... so little thyme!

Summer is amazing!  I have been loving it!  I have gone into overdrive with creating.  Here is a little of what I have been up to.

A little evening entertainment... practice.... practice.... practice 

This tends to be my favorite subject matter... I draw it over and over and lots of variations of it. 

Doodles of the Day 

A Doodle a Day

I am a doodler.... I studied my way through college doodling.... and so it goes.... I find sanity in doodling.... 
I have been feeling like I gave up all the things I enjoy doing to have this career in teaching... I thought I would be able to use my creative energy there.... hahaha!  Well... technically...yes... but reality is that we are talking about applied creativity.... and I need more hands on... I have left my talents and abilities (in that area) on the shelf.... the longer I taught... the less my need to create was satisfied.... go figure.... 
I made things... I am a maker of things.... sewing... ESPECIALLY handwork.... (of course....of course)..... making bread (BY HAND! of course....) ..... making works of art- painting- drawing- 3d art projects... etc... etc... etc...... 
and..... I miss it.... desperately..... completely....... seriously........ 

So.... I decided that it is time to reclaim myself... that secret inner me- the one that is still there... craving.... 

Craving the feel of a tool in my hand...... 

So.... I have been collecting pens..... madly.... crazily..... obsessively...... 

and the pile grows.......

Why pens????? 
Because they are easy to throw in my bag and go...... 
Because they are predictable...more or less.... and I can make a piece of paper spring to life with them..... 
Because I can choose fine point, brush tip, calligraphy nibs..... black .... crisp and contrasting....... black.........

(BUT I LOVE COLOR!!!! )
So I make notes in color..... lots of notes.... anywhere.... everywhere....notes....notes......notes...... 

But the black I reserve for word art...... I have tried it in color and I don't like it..... so I switch back to the basic black..... 

and I create..... 

It is my current way to allow myself that small- obtainable - pleasure..... 

I can do a little doodle or a large one..... I can sketch it in my lap.... watching t.v...... during a lecture..... (even at church... sometimes..... lots of times..... )  
I can work for a few minutes... or for hours... (but who has hours...... ?? If I had hours on a regular basis... I would break out the paints.... haha!)   

So here I am an artist..... in a teacher uniform..... 

Don't get me wrong... teaching is great..... 

But.... I am an artist....... too....... I was born one.... it is part of me..... I have no training.... never took a class.... I don't know if I am "doing it right" or ....not.... 

I do know it pleases me..... 

SOOOOOO...... 
I am going to start posting my little doodles.... (not perfection.... just doodles)..... hope to share my ray of sunshine....