Art Challenge 2015- Card 1

If you've missed previous posts, I offered up an Art Challenge for the New Year.  I am making an Art Journal that is a 52 card reflection of the weeks as they pass.  Today is my first installment. 

Keep in mind, I am no artist.  I just love to learn and try new things.  This is play time for me and it's great fun!

I started with a backdrop that I applied last week, very basic, just ink blots (the orange this week).  Now it's time to add some thoughts from the week.  This one was pretty easy.  My son visited this week with his girlfriend, they seem to be a pretty good match.  Not sure where it'll go, but he informed me that he is "stricken".  I had no idea what he was talking about at first but then it hit me, he means "smitten".  How cute is that!

So, I chose a card with orange ink blots to start and began by adding a moon with yellow watercolor pencils.  I then wet the area around the moon and added some black ink to make the night sky.  I blotted the ink with a paper towel to remove some and then wiped it across the page. Here's what I have.  I like the way it seems like you're looking through the trees at the moon.

 I decided to write the word "stricken" repeatedly over the page, that was so funny, then I added some white watercolor to soften up the sky.

 And some amber for a little more dimension.

I added words "over the moon".  My fondest memory of this week is watching my son with his girlfriend, hearing him describe himself as "stricken" and realizing, in a way, I'm losing him for a new life (I know it's not a loss but a gain, all in the perspective, but things are definitely changing).  Another transition is coming, seems like just yesterday he was born.  We spent a lot of time reminiscing this week as well.  Lots of fond memories!

 

 

On the back of my card each week I'd like to focus on a word that best describes the week.  Love happens to be the word this week.  Not only because of Jacob and his visit but also my hubby.  Sometimes the man just knocks my socks off and this week was one of those weeks.  He came home with a tattoo.  Crazy!  We are not tattoo people and he was raised with parents vehemently opposed to tattoos.  Yet, here he comes.  Granted, its not anything major, but wow!

He hates wearing a ring so he had my initial tattooed on his ring finger.  How sweet is that!  Crazy, but sweet none-the-less!

 

That's what I focused on for the back of my card this week.  The orange and black is my original background coloring.  I drew on it with pen and then added some red watercolor to get me started.  

 I outlined my writing with watercolor pencil and brushed the entire page with water to let it blur a little.  I then took a red pen and did some line drawing in the white area only.  I decided to try and tone it down a little by brushing water over it again. 

 Yeah, didn't work like I wanted.  Instead of only slightly toning it down, it bled all together.  Oh well, live and learn.

If you look real close you can see the line drawing, next time I'll just leave it alone.  Maybe I'll go back over it and accentuate it again.

Well, Hello!  That was the answer.  Now I like it a lot better. 

 

Well, that's one week down.  Hopefully each week I can take the time to do a little research and learn some techniques so that by the end of the year I can see some growth.  I have a whole heck of a lot to learn.

 

 Hope you guys are challenging yourselves this year to learn something new!