AEDM: Day Twenty-Two!

It's been twenty-two days since this adventure began and I've made something new for each on of those days.  But, tonight, I head off out-of-state for the Thanksgiving Holiday and will not have access to the internet.  So, while I'll keep creating, I won't be able to post until I get back.

Until then, here's today's card.

I wanted to experiment with imprinting designs in thick gesso.  So, I layered the card and then let it dry a big before I pressed circles into it.  I decided to highlight the texture with a simple coat of iridescent lime green paint, trimmed the card in dark brown, and added an embellishment with the word "Imagine" on it.

It's a reminder to me of all the wonderful art I've seen this month, all coming from imaginative minds like yours!

Happy Creating!

AEDM: Day Twenty-One!

As I was going to paint over this playing card, I noticed the little smiling face of the Joker and decided that I liked it and wanted to incorporate him as the main figure in the design.


With that, I added multiple layers of black and shimmery blue/green paint, and then sanded down the layers in various degrees all over the card.

Lastly, I added the word “play,” trimmed the card in black to frame the image, and called it a day.

I liked how it turned out!

Happy Creating!

AEDM: Day Twenty

Where yesterday's card was more sophisticated, today's card is the complete opposite.

I gave myself the challenge of creating, from start to finish, in 10 minutes.

Normally I go back and forth on design and debate things, but not today.

I painted the card white to start with a literal blank canvas.  Grabbed the first embellishments I saw in my art closet which were these flower stickers and added black paint.

Lastly, I wrote the word "free" because that's how I felt--Complete freedom from judgment, like a child creating a masterpiece with crayons.

Happy Creating!

AEDM: Day Nineteen

Today was a long day for me, and the last thing I wanted to do was something creative.

So, I did an ATC that was fairly easy, but I'm pleased with it.

I painted the card black, add an image of Notre Dame, and then sanded it down to make it feel more like a treasured memento.

I added silver embellishments and the word "I" in French.

Simple, but elegant.

I've never been to France, but I can dream...

Happy Creating!

AEDM: Day Eighteen!

So, for yesterday’s card I had printed out a page of my NaNoWriMo novel to use as part of the basket weave. And I decided for today’s card to use some more of that text.

First, I painted the playing card a deep midnight blue. Then I cut out ovals from my novel page. I wasn’t sure if I was going to use them as heads and paint faces on them, or just as organic shapes, but in the end I decided to make them into flowers.

I attached them, added paint for the stems and yellow ascent, and then used a Sharpie to give them definition. Lastly, I “tied” them all together with a bow and Modge Podge’d the whole thing.

I think it turned out lovely!

It’s been such a challenge for me to come up with a new and different design each day. Some days are better than others, but I’m hanging in there.

I hope you are, too!  Happy creating!!

The Artist's Way: Week Seven, Post Two

Hi, my name is Liz, and I am a perfectionist.


I have always been a perfectionist.

In fact, if I feel that I can’t do something perfectly, I will not try it (or I will pretend I don’t care enough to try it).

I have always known that perfectionism was one of my flaws, but I thought it was a noble one. After all, why do something if you can’t do it well?

Here’s what Julia has to say about it:

“Perfectionism is a refusal to let yourself move ahead” (p. 119).

“For the perfectionist, there are no first drafts, rough sketches, warm-up exercises. Every draft is meant to be final, perfect, set in stone” (p. 120).

Now, here’s the clincher:

“To the perfectionist, there is always room for improvement. The perfectionist calls this humility. In reality, it is egotism. It is pride that makes us want to write a perfect script, paint a perfect painting, perform a perfect audition monologue.

Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever be good enough—that we should try again.

No. We should not” (p. 120).

Perfectionism = Pride

Wow, right? This blew my mind!

I’ve been struggling with my perfectionism all month. Between the Art Every Day challenge and NaNoWriMo, I’ve had to face my fear of imperfection head on, and with occasional tears.

Some of the stuff I’ve written in my novel is horrible!

Some of the ATC’s I’ve created are, well, ugly/plain/weird!

But, I’ve kept at it. I’ve posted the picture no matter how I felt about the ATC. And I’ve kept every stupid, boring, and trite word I’ve written.

Is perfectionism behind me? Hardly. But, this month, I’ve been able to push it a little farther away from me. And that’s a start.

Now, two questions for you: Is perfectionism blocking the way to your creativity? And if so, will you let it go?



UP NEXT: Week Seven Exercises and why one made me cry…

AEDM: Day Seventeen!

For today’s card I decided to see what I could create using paper.

I started by gathering some scraps of colored paper and chose the color combination (after the last card being more monochromatic, I decided to go big on color).

I also printed out some text from my current NaNoWriMo novel and incorporated it.

I cut strips, and wove them together. I liked it, but I felt that it needed something more, so a made an origami lotus flower, attached it and then added Modge Podge to make it shiny.

Lastly, I used a little black paint to write the word "love" and to cover the unfinished edges.

I really like how it turned out!

Happy Creating!

AEDM: Day Sixteen!

I decided to do a little experimentation with today’s card as well.

I really wanted to focus on texture, so I pulled out my super old coagulated gesso that I was going to toss, but decided to keep (just in case).

It has almost solidified, but was still smear-able.

I gooped some on a playing card and let it dry.

Then I got the card wet, and added four different shades of yellow paint.

I really liked how the paint settled in all the nooks and crannies. See:



This picture doesn't do it justice!



So, because I didn’t want to cover up all the texture, I only added one embellishment, trimmed it in a coordinating brown, and called it a day.

Simple, but beautiful.

Have a creative day!

AEDM: Day Fifteen!

Today’s card was an experiment.


For months, I have been ruminating on a larger art piece (on canvas, 48” by 24”) that would consist of three-dimensional interlocking circles which I would paint on, around, and between.

But, I’ve consistently put it off because I wasn’t sure how to go about it and didn’t want to get halfway through it and then find myself stuck.

So, I decided to use today’s ATC as a mini dry run. And, boy, am I glad I did!

Do you know how hard it is to cut and reassemble circles?

Answer: HARD! I had no idea, how hard. I almost lost my mind!!

And, do you know how hard it is to keep paper circles symmetrical when reassembling them?

Answer: Next to impossible!

I tried again and again and again to keep them perfectly round, and failed.

What a valuable lesson!

If I do attempt to do this on a larger scale (which I’m reconsidering) I will not be using cardboard to make my circles. I’ll have to use a firmer material that is almost unbendable. And I wouldn’t have known that without trying it on this little ATC.

So, thank you ATC!

AEDM: Day Fourteen!

I started with a weathered handwritten background on cream paper.

I added a rich red ribbon all around it.  Then I cut out three butterflies and added those.

I love the 3-D aspect of the card, and overall, it reminds me of a Victorian butterfly collection (even though I'm not a big fan of pinning actual butterflies to a board).

I'm really liking the cream and red color combo and I think I'm going to experiment some more with it!

AEDM: Day Thirteen!

Today, I decided to stick with three colors: yellow ochre, turquoise, and brown.

I started by painting the card turquoise.  Then applying a crackle paint in yellow ochre.

I added the central image (which reminds me of a mandala) and words, then edged the card in brown.

I really like this one!  It feels very peaceful and antique to me.

AEDM: Day Twelve!

In a complete departure from yesterday's ATC which was whimsical and colorful, in today's ATC I stuck with a more monotone color scheme of black, white, and grey.  The only additional color is the gold trim around the cameo.

I started with newspaper and circled words I liked and blacked-out words I didn't.

Then I used white paint for the diagonal lines, trimmed the card with black paint, and added the word "SOON."

It's very different from anything else I've made and I like the simplicity of it.

I love the feel of this card in my hands.  Very tactile!

AEDM: Day Eleven!

You know, it's amazing how long being creative takes.

If you look at this piece, you would think it took all of 15 minutes to slap on some images, add a little paint, something sparkly and call it a day.

But, it wasn't so simple.  I first started with the background.  Then I started pulling images that seemed to match the color scheme.

But, when I found the lady's face, it seemed to float out of place, so then I decided to anchor it with a crown, wings and a make-shift body.

I added paint to her face, painted her dress and added the word "fly", then trimmed the whole card in dark brown paint.

It ended up taking me about an hour from start to finish.  No wonder my paintings take weeks!

I'm a slow artist.

Oh well, we use what we got, right?

I'm flying with inspiration fairy dust!

AEDM: Day Ten!

Boy, after an long and exhausting day at work, I totally did not want to be creative!

But, despite that, I pressed forward, sat down and made something.

I started with striped paper.  Then used an empty toilet paper roll and white paint to make the circles.

I had two decorative stamps that I added some paint to, and then embellished with a silver sticker and a fabric flower.

I like it!  Simple, colorful, graphic.

And now, a brief letter to the inspiration fairies:

Dear Inspiration Fairies,

Please don't abandon me!  I'm struggling to come up with new ideas, and I need your help.  I think you are really awesome, and I promise to heed your advice.  Just whisper it in my ear.  I'm listening...

Yours,
Liz

AEDM: Day Nine!

Well, I waited for inspiration to strike and got bupkis.

But, I decided to press forward and just put one image on top of another.

Music background paper + flowers + bird painted with shimmery paint + bronze "Journey" = Art?

The bird was a black and white print that I colored in.

Maybe tomorrow something a little more interesting...

AEDM: Day Eight!

Today’s ATC is simple.


I started with an embossed background.

Added an image of an old building (which seems familiar, but I can’t place it).

Then, added a flower that I painted with shimmery paint. (You can’t see it in the picture, but trust me, shimmery!)

Finally, some silver letters that say “Yes”.

I edged the whole thing with black paint, and called it a day.

Full confession, I believe I’m running out of creativity. Seriously. The well is almost dry, folks.


It’s only day 8, and I feel like I’ve used up all my artistic resources. (Between this challenge and NaNoWriMo, that is.)

Here’s hoping the inspiration fairies kick in soon.

I begged them to join me in my Morning Pages today…

If any visit you, please send them my way!

AEDM: Day Seven!

For this one, I went for something a little more old timey.

I started with a paper with handwriting on it, and an overlaid image of a woman.

I painted the woman's clothes with two shimmery paints (and add a little pink to her cheeks).  In the top left corner I added an egg on acetate, and in the bottom corner, buttons.

Lastly, I added a puffy sticker with the word "Memories," a pearl to her dress, and flowers to her hair.

As I was creating this, I couldn't help but wonder who she was and what her life was like.  I hope she had a happy one!

What do you think her name was?  I'm going with "Betty"!

AEDM: Day Six!

Okay, so I gave the Asian theme another go and I like this one better.

I started with tissue paper that had an Asian design.  Then I added a light orangy/red paint in a rectangle (you can't really see it). And then I applied a gold leaf square.

Once that dried, I dabble again with painting with silver leaf--this time a dragon.  I think it turned out pretty good for my first dragon (though his back foot is a little stumpy).

Overall, not that bad!

In the picture, you can't really see the Asian tissue paper design.  It's an elephant.

AEDM: Day Five!

So, full confession, I'm not a fan of this ATC.

I really struggled with it and was almost not going to post it at all.

But, I had promised myself that I would create something from start to finish every day this month.

They all can't be winners, right?

I decided to take an Asian theme with this one.  I started with gold paper, and then painted a Samuri-esque man on it with silver leaf paint. (It was my first time using that kind of paint.) I added a Chinese sticker I had, wrote a Haiku* poem on it, trimmed it with black paint, and then splattered it with red paint.

Again, not my favorite.  But a good learning experience!  I think I might give this another go tomorrow and see if I like it better.

* If you can't read the poem, it says:

I swim through lotus

waters slip against my skin

nestled in, I shine

AEDM: Day Four!

I didn't have a lot of time today to work on this, so I thought I'd keep it simple, but romantic.

I used a textured background, gold paint, a couple of paper pictures, and fabric flowers.

For only having 20 minutes, I'm please with how it turned out!

The butterfly is 3-D!

Have fun creating!