Thursday, August 30, 2012

Picture Being Scanned and Pendant Designs

I took the completed picture Harmonic Designs and Imaging to be scanned to I can make high quality giclee prints.  It will be there for two weeks and when I get it back I will have a matt cut, probably in light green so it doesn't overtake the picture.  I also need to send for silicon gel packs and oxygen absorbers that I can put in the back of the picture when framing.



I have also been making pendant designs that fit into 1 inch by 3 inch memory frames.  Above are some of the designs I have created.  I will show some shots later of  the designs in the pendants.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Finished Picture

I finished the designing and gluing of the picture.  I just took this shot with my camera and will get a professional scan done soon so giclee prints can be made.  I will get a matt and already have a frame that is simple in a natural wood color.  My husband helps me to frame the peice in a way that will help preserve the botanical peices.  I am going to title this peice, "Alpine Meadow".  I will post a picture again when I get a professional scan done. 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Comments

One of my blog followers from Bandon, Oregon tried to post a comment and couldn't get it to post.  She sent it to me by regular e-mail and I want to share it.

"I have been enjoying following your work as you go through the steps of creating the garden scene.  It is interesting to see how you purt everything together step-by-step.  And each step could be its own finished product.  I like the way you choose the colors and the plants to use.  It must take a lot of concentration to get it just right.  And the finished products are so pretty!"   Lise

I am just about finished with the picture and am working on the bottom part of the garden where I am bringing in alot more color and closeness to the flowers.  Hope I will be able to post the finished product tomorrow.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Next Layer of Picture

The colors requested for this picture are light pink, yellow, white and of course green.  I wanted this part of the mountain meadow to be the stock flowers that stick up into the air.  I wanted to set the color but not fill it up too much like a manicured garden would be.....keep the flavor of the mountain meadow.  I am going to use some daisies and other flowers for the bottom of the garden.  Even though this may look simple it takes time to go through the flowers I have and pick ones that fit into the scene I want to create.  I really enjoyed doing it a layer at a time....that way I don't feel overwhelmed by the process.  I also appreciate my husband's feedback as he has a very good "eye".  More later.......................................

Monday, August 20, 2012

Adding Background Mountains and Garden Background

Today I added the background mountains.  It was challenging as I wanted them to look like the mountains that surround Issaquah, Wa. I am creating this peice for someone who lives there.  The mountains are steep with alot of evergreen trees.  I played with several designs before I came up with one that looked realistic.  I was in Issaquah about two weeks ago so had a pretty fresh picture in my mind of what the mountains looked like.  After adding the mountains I added some background greenery with different textures for what will become the garden.  So the picture will rest for the evening and I will return tomorrow to start creating the garden and adding color. It truly takes some much patience to work with pressed flowers.  They are so delicate and involve many intricate processes and yet I just love working with the natural material.  It feels good to hold the petals and leaves in my hands.  For me I paint with the flowers. 

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Commissioned Garden Picture

I began working on the garden picture and started with the sky.  I used light blue, white and medium blue blossoms and tried to create sky with a variety of colors with some clouds.  The clouds will be a back drop for some small trees and they will show up better on the white.  Gluing the blossoms down takes alot of patience as glue sticks work best with hydrangeas(don't cause brown spots like liquid glues) and they are pretty sticky to work with and I have to be careful not to tear the petals.  I have attached a picture of the sky I created.

Next I will create the landscape to go in front of the clouds that will be above the garden.  I will treat the greens before I glue them so they will keep their color longer.  It is really fun doing the picture section by section and then in the end seeing it all come together.  The whole process takes some time but I really enjoy it and love working with the natural beauty of  the flowers.  I have learned so many wonderful techniques since joining the World Wide Pressed Flower Guild that will make my art more lasting.  I have also been inspired to see high quality artwork done by other pressed flower artists.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Card of the Day and New Project

I posted the card I made today using hydrangeas in the bookmark design.  The backing paper that looks grey is actually silver so it is hard to get the full effect.
I got a commission to do a garden picture so will start that process today.  The colors requested are green, white, light pink and yellow.  So the first thing I need to do is go through my flowers and pick out the colors requested.  I may need to order some pressed flowers on line as I want to use white daisies in the picture and I don't grow them.  Then next thing I will do is buy and a  frame in a natural wood color so I can put the picture on a peice of paper the exact size of the frame.  I have found that in buying frames sizes are not always constant and sometimes don't exactly correspond to the measured size.  So off to the studio to begin......I will keep you posted.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Another Bookmark Art Card

This is the time of year that Pressed Flower Artists are loading and unloading their presses, saving up beautiful blossoms to bring out in the dark winter to create with.  I spent part of the afternoon doing just this.  I also begin creating and finished one card and started on several others.  The completed card which is shown here is a "Jerry Garcia" inspired design using some tie-dye art paper.The bookmark design is made from some freshly pressed hydrangeas.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Bookmark Art Cards


I have been off my blog for several weeks and am now resuming my work in the art studio.  I have been making "Bookmark Art Cards".  I am a member of the World Wide Pressed Flower Guild and this spring in their newletter, Marie Ann Robinson, wrote an article about making these cards.  They are very clever in the the heart part of the card is also a bookmark.  It has a ribbon attached and can be taken off the card and used as a bookmark.  Very clever I say.  Here are some examples of some of the cards I have made.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Fall 2012 Mandala Class

Mandala:  Luminous Symbols for Healing
*No previous art experience is required.

THIS SEVEN WEEK CLASS WILL HELP YOU LEARN TO ACCESS HEALING SYMBOLS AND COLORS FOR YOURSELF AND OTHERS, CREATE LUMINOUS MANDALAS, AND ACTIVATE LATENT HEALING ENERGIES TO EXPERIENCE MORE HEALTH AND WHOLENESS.
 When:  Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 11, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where:  2972 Bailey Ave., Medford(nearest cross street is Delta Waters)
How to Register: e-mail Janet, hummingbird710@msn.com or
Diane, capdiane@msn.com or call Janet, 541-608-9238 or Diane,541-779-1840.A $10 reservation fee is requested to hold your place in the class.
Fee:  $90 with $10 reservation fee.
Facilitators:  Janet London,M.Ed, Diane Tibbitts, M.Ed. LPC 
Janet taught and counseled in community colleges for 25 years and has been facilitating mandala workshops and classes in the Rogue Valley for the past eight years.  Diane has 37 years of experience in counseling persons of all ages in how to reach a deeper level of healthy awareness and integration of self. 

Can't attend these dates?  We offer individual mandala work and also custom classes and workshops for groups of 7 or more.
Call for more information.

"Attending the Luminous Mandala class was incredibly helpful in moving me forward with my future goals.  It helped me to accept me and my health problems and to embrace and encompass all parts of me as not good or bad, just me."
J., Fall 2011