Day 3 of '29 Faces' May Challenge: "Here Comes the Sun"

"Here Comes the Sun" (Acrylic on vellum mounted permanently to a 5 x 5 handcut wooden board)

My Face for Day 3 of the new '29 Faces' in May challenge.  26 more Faces to go....

Today's entry I admit finds me cheating ever so slightly.   It was a rushy-rush kind of day on my end (I know -- excuses, excuses), including teaching, multiple errands, a  soccer game, dinner out, and, last but not least, visiting with out-of-state relatives.  Since I do wish to sleep tonight (and desperately!)  I'm using as my Face of the Day a project I actually completed late LAST month, but hadn't managed to get around to blogging about.  Yet.

This little painting is currently hanging in a local gallery exhibit (along with its companion piece, which I will save blogging about for another mega-busy day).  The exhibit is called the "5 x 5  Show', with the theme of the show being 'What You Love" --  a very fun concept for an art exhibit.  For me, when I was preparing to paint my own two 5"x 5" show entries, and contemplating all the many and varied things that I love and might want to paint about, we were experiencing in these parts a particularly gorgeous warm and sunny spring day after a lengthy patch of gloomy chill.  I felt so grateful for the sun at that moment that I was more than happy to paint up a little ode to it.  In fact anthropomorphic celestial beings have always been long-time favourite subjects of mine -- smiling happy Suns, Moons and Stars just somehow never fail to cheer me up.....

Day 2 of '29 Faces' Challenge: WIP: Art Journal Page

Work in Progress:  A Page in my Student's Art Journal

Here we have my Face of Day 2 of the '29 Faces May' challenge (with 27 more Faces to go).   A WIP, it's the beginning of what will be a two-page spread in one of my students' art journals.  I am going to go ahead and stop for the night since it's getting late, but with the intention of continuing to make progress on it, and others, the coming days. 

As I've mentioned previously in my blog, I lead a small youth art class, as well as a literature discussion.  One of our ongoing projects for class was putting together DIY art journals, using old, discarded books.  The kids have been working on these intermittently all year, creating entries in their own journals, as well as in each others'.  Now it is my turn to come up with my own personal  entry for each of them  in their journals, here before the classes wrap up -- and so I brought them all home with me to work on this week.  Naturally it occurred to me this morning that I might streamline my Journal Project into my '29 Faces' Project, sort of making both do double duty, so to speak -- handy, yes...?   (As I've said before, I am nothing if not practical, heh....)....

In any case, what I've decided to do with my art student journal project is to create an entry for each pupil based upon a book we've all read together as part of the literature class.  One of the tomes we read this year was 'A Passage to India', by E.M. Forster -- and so for this particular student's art journal above I am creating an entry using that classic as inspiration.  In keeping with the loose style unique to art journals, I haven't really 'planned' my composition in detail -- instead just starting with the figure, a woman who is thus far draped in a blue sari.  We'll see where I take it with the rest of the piece, but am envisioning something overall colorful and rich....

Some of the other books we read this year that I can choose from as inspiration for my other students include:

Great Expectations

Pygmalion

Age of Innocence

Babette's Feast

Great Gatsby

Of Mice and Men

Summer of my German Soldier

A Raisin in the Sun

A Streetcar Named Desire

1984

Fahrenheit 451

'29 Faces May': Day 1, 'An ACEO Portrait of Julia Butterfly Hill"

My entry for the ACEO Theme Week Art Contest (click here for auction link)

The above is my official FIRST Face of '29 Faces May Challenge' (with 28 more Faces to go). It also happens to be my entry into this month's ACEO Theme Week art contest (a themed contest specifically for ACEO's (Art Cards, Editions and Originals), that begins the 1st of every month).  

The theme for this month's ACEO Theme Week is 'Butterflies'.  Well?  Knowing that I needed to come up with a face for the challenge today, plus the fact it happened to be the start of the Contest, it seemed only natural to combine the two (I think I did the same thing in the last '29 Faces' challenge).  Practical, right?  So all day (while I was out and about most of the day) I contemplated faces..., and butterflies.  I thought about Butterflies with Faces, and about Faces with Butterflies, and any manner of possible combinations.  But nothing really grabbed me...., that is until the name "Julia Butterfly Hill" popped into my head.  As you might recall, she was the famous protester that sat in a California Redwood tree for two years back in the '90's, in order to protect it from being cut down by loggers. I have visited the Giant Redwoods -- they are AMAZING.  So once that idea came to mind I knew exactly what I wanted to do -- a tribute portrait.....

The following is my entry description

"A Portrait of Julia Butterfly Hill"

 

My ACEO (2.5 x 3.5) entry for this month's ACEO Theme Week art contest (May's theme being 'Butterflies'), features a lovely tribute portrait of the famous environmental activist, Julia Butterfly Hill....

I admit I took liberties with this month's "Butterfly' theme, but it was Julia Butterfly Hill that came to mind when reflecting upon 'Butterflies'.  As a young woman in the late '90's, Julia Butterfly Hill performed an act of civil disobedience by sitting in an ancient California Redwood tree for just over 2 years, in order to protect it from loggers.  Her effort was successful, and she finally climbed down after it was formally agreed upon that the tree, which she named 'Luna', would not be logged....

The '29 Faces' in May Challenge....

Ay carumba!  Another '29 Faces' Challenge....!   

Indeed yes, we have a SECOND '29 Faces' Challenge afoot.  Can you believe that?   As you may recall I participated in the first one, back in February.  Fun times indeed -- apparently  so popular in fact that Ayala, of Ayala's Art, has decided to instigate another Faces challenge, for this, our merry month of May....!

I must be honest and say that I had to think long and hard about joining in on the fun this time around.   February was a quiet month on my end, as I expected it would be -- while I already know full well May is shaping up to be considerably busier.  And heck, not to mention the last time nearly drove me bonkers by the end of it, heh.  It's a lot of work to paint, photograph, upload, edit, and blog every single day!  And so I had to really ruminate whether I wanted to actively participate again, or perhaps just follow along this time around.    I went to bed last night pretty certain I was going to be sitting this one out....  That is until, as often happens to me, I must have worked it ALL out in my sleep, because I woke up this morning instead resolved to actually dive in, yet again (takes deep breath)....

Things shall be a little different this time around however.  As many of you may recall, my original objective for the FIRST '29 Faces' Challenge, was to  attack what I (jokingly) referred to as my 'pile of shame' -- all of my pesky unfinished projects, in various states of incompletion, for which I set out to use February's challenge as motivation to properly finish up.  Well, while there are still a few WIP hold-outs from back then that might make an appearance this month, my primary objective this time around will actually be quite different.  Instead of using May's Challenge to revisit and resurrect and finally RESOLVE a number of old projects, as I did in February, I'm going to use this month's '29 Faces' May challenge to help motivate me to BEGIN a number of NEW projects.  There are several paintings I ought to have initiated by now (I'm looking at YOU, EBSQ....), and can feel them hanging (in some cases LOOMING) over my head.   I aim to use this Challenge as impetus to sort things out in that regard.  

That being the case however, my approach will likely be a little different this time around.  In February I had a completed painting/project for nearly every single day, and I devoted myself to long and involved blog posts.  This time however, due to the nature of my objective, plus a number of time constraints this month, there will likely be far more simple sketches and WIP's as my daily 'Faces', and I expect my posts to be a little less verbose.   I'm thinking I will just have to approach it all this month overall a bit more casually perhaps than I did back in February.  We'll see...

In any case, I hope you'll check back with me to see how I get along with this new '29 Faces' May Challenge....!

My Nibblefest Art Contest Entry: "MEDUSA" (April's theme: 'Reptiles')

"...MEDUSA..." 

(acrylic on vellum mounted permanently on a 5" round piece of found piece wood)

(Click here for auction link)

Yesterday I wrote about my first entry into this month's Nibblefest Art Contest, a painting entitled "Two Turtle Doves".  Today I am writing about the above painting, my second entry for April's Nibblefest.....
 

As I kvetched yesterday, the theme of 'Reptiles' this month really had me dragging my feet at first -- still, determined as I was, I set out to come up with at least two appealing ideas for myself.  I had already decided upon the idea for 'Two Turtle Doves', when my thoughts turned to probably that most quintessential of all reptiles, the serpent.  But how to incorporate 'snakes' into an attractive Nibblefest entry, one that anyone might care to bid on, much less one I would be motivated to even paint in the first place...?

One idea that seemed potentially promising was "Cleopatra".  Cleopatra has often been popularly portrayed as sporting an elaborate gold cobra headpiece, as well as spiral snake bracelets.  Furthermore she is legendarily believed to have  ended her own life by allowing herself to be bitten by poisonous asps.  Intriguing to be sure, but still, even after plenty of rumination, the idea for an art composition involving any of this just did not materialise in my head.  Discouraged, I asked my daughter, who was in the room with me at the time, what she thought about "Cleopatra", or "snakes".  She responded with, 'Hmmm, Cleopatra's cool. But what about that woman with snakes for hair...?"   As soon as the words left her mouth I knew I had my second entry -- Medusa!  Of course, the perfect thing -- what a clever girl!

But how best to portray Medusa, that mythological beast/woman, whose mere gaze could turn men into stone -- and upon what?  I recalled an odd small bit of wood I'd picked up at the end of a local rummage sale last year, and for free no less because it was to be tossed out.  It was round, 5" in diameter, with a groove on the back edge of it, making me think that it was originally the lid for a kitchen canister or some such.  It must have appeared somehow potentially useful to me at the time, because I pocketed it, brought it home and stashed it in my studio -- and fortunately was able to find it after only a moment's fishing.  Thus, after a little sanding, I had my canvas (regular readers know I get a perverse thrill from re-purposing seemingly useless objects) -- perfect because with it's round shape, it does rather resemble a little an old, ancient artifact of antiquity.  And as for my portrayal of the legendary Gorgon?  Contrary to the usual image of a hideous Medusa with wild and crazy snake hair, I decided to paint my own Medusa as dangerously beautiful, with a thick, colourful braid of intertwined serpents.  It's how I see her in my head.

'MEDUSA': Side View

To see ALL the various 'reptillian' Nibblefest Art Contest entries this month (which ends tomorrow, on the 27th), please check out this link..... 
 

(My usual little blurb regarding the Nibblefest Art Contest:  Nibblefest is a fun and friendly, monthly themed art competition open to all.   It begins the 20th of each month, and is hosted via Ebay.  Bidding for entries starts at .99 cents -- fun for artists AND collectors...!  Please see the Nibblefest Facebook Fan Page for official rules and more information: https://www.facebook.com/nibblefest?ref=tn_tnmn )

My Nibblefest Art Contest Entry: "Two Turtle Doves" (April's theme: 'Reptiles')

"Two Turtle Doves" 

(acrylic on vellum mounted permanently on a 3.5 x 8 found piece of wood)

One of my entries for this month's Nibblfest Art Contest, the theme for April being 'Reptiles' (click here for auction link).

And so, here I am, behind in my blogging once more....(!).  How does that even happen?  Well, the usual way I'm afraid --  boiling down to old-fashioned, 'Art of Patience'-style poor time management...!  You know the saying, "Money slips through her fingers".  That is definitely NOT my problem -- I can be and am very efficient with finances (hanging on for dear life when I have to, lol!).  But time?  Whole n'other story!  And so, despite the fact I know I have it in me to blog regularly (heck, I blogged Every. Single. Day! during the month of February.  Remember the '29 Faces Challenge'?), not to mention that I'd promised myself I was going to be more consistent, here is my first post for this month of April.  Oh well, better late than never, yes...?

In any case, the good news is that while I haven't been busy with blogging in April, I have been busy with art making, which is I suppose what really matters.  Several art deadlines have come and gone that I want to write about -- including this month's Nibblefest Art Contest, which began as usual last Friday, the 20th, the theme being 'Reptiles'.....

Well, as anyone familiar with my artwork and habits knows, I love myself the challenge of a good, juicy art theme, mmm-hmmm.  But 'Reptiles'.....???  I wouldn't have counted that as one of them.  In fact my heart sank a little when I first discovered Reptiles WAS the theme. I even considered for .4758 nanoseconds maybe just sitting this month out.  That's how much the theme didn't speak to me.  That is, until two ideas came to mind that I actually really loved.  A lot.  And so I probably ended up having more of a hoot working on this month's Nibblefest entries than I have for the past themes that I actually LIKED.  Ha, typical...!

The idea for the painting above popped into my head when I was ruminating upon Turtles, and racking my brain for any appealing idea.... when the phrase 'two turtle DOVES' came to me.  And so here we have my entry entitled, 'Two Turtle Doves", featuring a young girl cuddling her Turtle Dove friend.  I can well relate personally to this image myself, what with being the owner of a beloved pet bird.  He is a geriatric cockatiel and not a dove, but every bit as sweet and cuddly as this picture suggests -- in fact, he pretty much free-ranges our house and every day will find him and me in a similar pose at some point or other.  At any rate, thank goodness it is acceptable to take (reasonable) liberties with Nibblefest Art Contest theme interpretations...!

To see ALL the great, 'reptillian' Nibblefest Art Contest entries this month, check out this link.....

(My usual little blurb regarding the Nibblefest Art Contest:  Nibblefest is a fun and friendly, monthly themed art competition open to all.   It begins the 20th of each month, and is hosted via Ebay.  Bidding for entries starts at .99 cents -- fun for artists AND collectors...!  Please see the Nibblefest Facebook Fan Page for rules and more information: https://www.facebook.com/nibblefest?ref=tn_tnmn )

I Won A Blog Giveaway....!

Just a little shout out of thanks over to Melissa B., money-saving and debt-reduction blogger of "Mom's Plans".   I've been following Melissa's blog for some time now -- she and her spouse had incurred substantial debt via student loans/credit cards, but successfully turned that ship around and are now working aggressively toward becoming debt-free.  And while they still have some ways to go, they've made great strides in a short time and are so committed in their repayment efforts I've no doubt they'll reach their financial goals. In any case, I do get a kick out of entering blog giveaways when I stumble across them, but of course rarely (if ever?) win -- so what a hoot....!  (Plus a nice little 'cheer-me-up' after a sad week having lost our little dog.)  And so just what prize exactly was it that I won, pray tell....?   Apparently 4 dozen bars of a snack item from a company called 'Vitalicious'  (the original giveaway post on 'Mom's Plans' here) -- how cool is that...???  I've requested they actually be sent to my teen son, who, as I've written previously, is away studying hard at ballet school -- thinking they'll make a good snack for him to grab and go, and I know he'll appreciate the treat.  So thanks again for hosting the lovely giveaway, Melissa/'Mom's Plans' -- fun times indeed....!