Art Challenge 2015- Card 10 & 11

Welcome to my Art Challenge 2015.

Do you ever have trouble staying inspired?  It's only week 10 of a 52 week art journal challenge and I'm struggling for inspiration.  I know I can't be alone in this, what do you do when you find yourself sitting at the drawing table and nothing, and I do mean nothing, is coming to ya?  How do you go about getting the creative juices flowing again?

If you've not been following along and would like to see some of my previous week's work, check out the label Art Challenge 2015, you will also see portions of a 21 Day Art Journal Challenge I've been participating in (I'm struggling to finish it as well, the inspiration has left.  I think I'm on day 19 right now).

Week 10

 

 This week we began demolition on a deck that has been leaking for years.  I have construction on the brain so I decided to used strips of paper to "build" a piece of paper which will be the base of this weeks project.  I wove the pieces together and then glued them to another piece for added stability.

I used another larger sheet of paper to turn it over so I could glue it down and cut away the excess around the edges.

 

 Then I played around with a variety of paint colors to add more color and interest, writing "construction can be fun!" to finish it off.

 

 

For the back I wrote out the details of our "deck adventure", used a gloss to keep the ink from smearing too badly and then added some paint over the top,  I am loving playing with the textures I'm able to make with the paints and the background effects but am having trouble layering and creating finished pages.  Practice, practice, I'm hoping that'll come.

I decided to fill in the white area with a little more color.

 

Week 11

 

Irreversibly Moi on Facebook had a post one day talking about using Art for Therapy and it featured a technique using watercolors and white crayon.  I thought I'd give it a try.  It worked, not exactly what I expected but it worked and I can't wait to give it another try.  This week demolition is done and building is about to begin.  This is my interpretation of the new deck.  I drew the shape out in crayon and then used watercolors to add some color, with a gloss over the top.

Then, for the back I copied my husbands scale drawing of the project and glued it on, extending what was left onto the front surface.

 Here's my hubby's scale drawing, copied and glued to the back with a layer of gloss over the top.

 I then came in with water and acrylics to add some color.  I used a mix of acrylics and gloss which allowed me to write in it, "let the fun begin".  We always have a project, every year and it's always a learning experience for me and an extreme test of patient and perseverance for my husband (considering his only helper these days is "moi", poor guy). 

 

I am still one week behind, imagine that!  Hoping to get caught up this week.  I'd also like to complete the 21 day Art Journal Challenge as well.

 

 

Here's a couple links to earlier work on the 21 Day Art Journaling Challenge:

Days 1-7

Days 8-11

Days 12-14

 

Day 15- I Am

 

For this challenge I started with a picture of myself that I cut and pasted down then began layering color.  I couldn't help but think that more often than not what we think of ourselves doesn't line up with what others think when they look at us.  That's the primary thought for today's page.  "What do you see when you look at me?"

 

 

Day 16- Home Is Where The Heart Is

 

I'm sure if I lost everything material in my life I'd be surprised by the things I'd miss but more than anything it's the people in my life that make it home.  We built our house 8 years ago with the boys (at about the age pictured) and the memories are absolutely priceless.

 

 I didn't want our pictures completely "out there" so I opted to fade them out but I went a little overboard.  This is easily my least favorite of all the completed pages. 

 

Day 17- Kitchen Kapers

 

The recipe for a happy life!  This is my mixing bowl with all the ingredients necessary for happiness.  It's really all in the attitude I think.

 

Day 18- Mandala

 

 

 Hopefully over this next week I can get caught up with both challenges, complete the 21 day challenge and catch up with my weekly cards.  Come on inspiration, come back to me! 

 

I haven't been feeling good, not a lot of energy so I've not been able to get a lot done and my to-do list is piling up, I think that's a lot of my problem.  I am getting overwhelmed with everyday that passes and I can't get anything done, very frustrating.  Now, not having enough energy to do much is the perfect opportunity to sit and play with "art", you'd think, but I can't get that pesky to-do list off my mind enough to be creative! 

 

It'll all get done, eventually, right?