Earring and Portrait Series 1-8

Hello again after 6 weeks! 

I hope you are all well and staying safe. 

Or if you are a doctor, a nurse, health care worker, fireman, police, delivery person, grocery store worker, mailman THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I have stayed in isolation since March 15, so really appreciate all of you who are out there helping me.

I have been doing a series of contour drawings using the same reference photo but doing it from an upside down position and without looking while I am sketching. And a different pair of my earrings on each one.  I realized that I tend to wear the same earrings all the time, so thought I would have fun painting them  on this young lady who comes out so different looking each time, usually very wonky!

I am posting to Paint Party Friday

Gloria J Zucaro's "CJS 2017 with Birgit Koopsen"

I missed posting yesterday because I had some dental surgery and then some pain meds and didn't feel like doing much at all!  So today I did the project with Birgit Koopsen, and later did today's assignment. Birgit did a wonderful re-purposing of a very plain wooden stool. Her technique is so simple with wonderful effect. First she made her own deli papers decorated with acrylic paint, stencils and stamps. She also collected some printed materials with text. After ripping the papers into small pieces she applied them to the stool. She also used a complimentary paint color to make a design on top of the collaged papers.  Then she did doodles over the painted areas.

Really beautiful!
With time being short, and nothing to repurpose, I did a page in my journal to use her techniques and try her supplies.

Stage One, making papers

Stage Two, Collage

Stage Three, Adding Paint

Stage Four, Add Doodles

Have a nice day tomorrow.  I would love it if you would leave a comment below.

Thanks so much!

Gloria

"Anselm Kiefer Abstract and Jodi Ohl Birds"

Tonight I have a couple of different projects. 

My first two photos are of practice birds  that were a homework assignment to do in my journal given in Jodi Ohl's "Dirty Flirty Birds" workshop. I can see a lot more practice is needed to make the birds come alive. I have a story going on but the birds are just OK.

"Secrets"


Eagle,Fly the Flag

The second project is the Anselm Kiefer project inspired by Nathalie Kalbach for Creative Jumpstart 2016. She did an abstract and attached organic elements to it. I started with black gesso, then put on crackle medium. When that dried, I added dryer lint for the bird, ink in black and white, a touch of burnt sienna acrylic paint over the crackle, some red paint mixed with gel medium and some aqua ink mixed with white gesso, then I added two ball bearings to the aqua "pools". I wrote in German, because Kiefer usually wrote something, my words meaning "Go fast, fly away!"

"Wegfliegen Schnell"

Have a great day,

Gloria :>) happy PPF!

Linking to Paint Party Friday.

Inspired By Picasso

This week our Creative Jumpstart 2016 master artist for inspiration is Pablo Picasso.  Our first project instructor is Gwen LaFleur, and what a really fun demo she did!  Her subject was mixed-media fish.  I love fish too, so I did my own version of a Picasso using fish as the theme.  The final journal spread with the steps below.

Paint border with black and red.

Get ready to go fishing!  Add Water.

Glue on strips of paper to fit fish body.  Then Outline, and add googly eyes....Done!

Gloria J Zucaro's "No More Fish"

Today I am posting my mixed-media project led by instructor Jodi Ohl.  I love Jodi's art and will be taking her "Dirty Birds" on-line course starting January 20.  Anyway, Jodi is one of the artists with Creative Jumpstart 2016 who is demonstrating to us her project inspired by Jean Mikel Basquiat.  I had a lot of fun with this the last couple of days, fitting it in around dentist's appointments and other LIFE interruptions! I was at Hobby Lobby and they were having a 50% off sale on wall decor.  I found two box like art pieces and got them each for 10.00  I decided to use one for Jodi's project. The first thing I did was gesso the tops last night.This afternoon I started the paint application, the text underneath and scribbles and scratches into the surface for texture and interest.  There were also some paint pens, and pastel watercolor crayons used. The last detail was to add a couple of Basquiat-like figures to the more abstract background.  I really hated to do it because I loved my straight abstract painting, but hey, it's the assignment!  The individual steps are below. Please click on any image you would like to see in more detail.

The Final Piece

Straight from the store

Gessoed

Adding color

This was my favorite stage.  I normally don't do abstract paintings, so it was a thrill for me.

I am calling this project "Fish", because that is what the cat is asking the king for, but the king ran out!

Have a nice day., and leave a comment if you are so inclined, thanks, Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "Matisse Impressions"

I have been home the last few days with something "flu-like".  I had signed up for Creative Jumpstart 2016 led by Nathalie Kalbach and a weekly challenge with Roberta Laliberte using palette color prompts.

I used the colors in Roberta's palette and used the theme from Jumpstart.

Our first of 25 videos on Jumpstart was by Rae Missigman.  She did a floral in the style of Matisse.  We were to do our own painting in his style also.

Here are my step-by-steps

A Matisse Original Painting

The Paints

Roberta Laliberte color palette

Rae Missigman's finished Matisse-like Floral

Journal page-cover with Liquitex Matte medium, let dry

Make drawing with black Sharpie

Add Paint

Next Rae had added white paint over everything and then scraped it off with a card.  I was too chicken!  My paper is one of those woven types, I thought it would rip.  So I covered it with waxed paper.  I did not like it at all, as I am a bright color high contrast painter!  But it did add texture which I liked by the end.

Covered with wax paper and matte medium!  I redrew around the shapes with a scripto pen.

So I repainted it, using the acrylic paints with some Dr. Martin Inks added for fun!

After that dried I did some outlines in white/black scripto and called it a day!

Stay well and come back soon!

Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "The Reference As A Starting Point"

This past week I experimented with using a reference as a jumping off point for two different styles of painting.  The reference is from a photograph I took of one of the set-ups that I furnished for the palette knife workshop with Ann Feldman.

The Reference

The first painting was done with pastel in an impressionistic manner. Different colors and parts of the reference were left out.  I struggled with it, trying to get the colors and values what I wanted.

Impressionistic Version # 1

The second one came more easily because I "dreamed/thought"about it during the night, so I knew what I wanted to do when I got to the studio. It is a one-direction diagonal style pastel with lots of black interlaced.  I really like it.

Diagonal Version # 2

Both paintings may be enlarged to see more detail by clicking on the image.  After the holidays are over I may try some other styles modeled after the "Masters".          Any suggestions?  

Please contact me for purchase information.

I am linking this to Paint Party Friday, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Have a good week and thanks for taking a look.

Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "Phicops With The Waltz"

The Diva's prompt today is a duo tangle using the "Phicops" tangle originated by her husband B-Rad and the "Waltz" tangle developed by one of the creators of the Zentangle brand Maria Thomas for Laura Harms, The Diva herself.   The idea is to combine the two tangles to celebrate the Diva & B-Rad's anniversary that took place this past week.

Ink on 7" x 5" Cardstock

Gloria J Zucaro's " Zentangle for Maria"

My first effort after total shoulder replacement of my right shoulder.  I am feeling good and PT is going well. Two of my good friends took me to lunch this week and I received a beautiful set of 2 cups with peacocks on them from Maria.  Maria was the one who first told me about Zentangles.  I finally decided to try to get back to doing a little art.  I will certainly also do something for all the other friends who have taken me to lunch or dinner, sent cards, given me flowers and even brought and served a wonderful lunch here at my home so that I wouldn't have to go out.  I started with a pattern called "Quandary" that was suggested on Laura Harms website  http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/.   It is the pattern that looks like grains of rice that form a flower shape.    It was nice to get back to doing a little piece of art as a "thank you".

4" x 4" ink and  Prismacolor  Art Stix on watercolor paper

Gloria J Zucaro's "Chinese New Year"

I finally got around to last Monday's challenge from Laura Harms at her Diva blog.  We were to do something for Chinese New Year. It is the Year of the Snake.  "Ancient Chinese wisdom says a Snake in the house is a good omen because it means your family will not starve."  This is a quote from US Bridal Guide, horoscopes! I had been thinking about it during the week and wanted to do not only a snake(tangled pattern "BLT Joos"), but Chinese Lanterns("Bulb Lantern") and some fans. I had also thought of  the rising sun but ran out of room.  I am just getting in under the wire!

3.5"H x 3.5"W on Official Zentangle Paper Tile

Gloria J Zucaro's "Getting Ready"

Today I started the preparation for the Inspirational Card Deck Swap 2013.   I had not realized until I emailed Jessica Brogan, the hostess for this swap, that the quotes each artist puts on the cards actually have to be "inspirational".  I had collected some quotes by famous actors and actresses, and had gotten some photos of several of them to use on my cards.  But I went through and eliminated the quotes that weren't actually inspirational...only very funny!  I can use those quotes and photos for making other ATC cards on my own. I took some pages out of one of the paper selections by Melody Ross that I bought on sale and glued the cards onto various pages.  I had put glue on the pages first as I got to each page, so attached a few 2.5 x 3.5 extra cardboard pieces where I had already put the book binders adhesive.  I had done this with a wet wash brush, so the paper got too wet and ripped off some of the design when I picked it up to move to another place to dry.  But I am not worried it will add interest as I add another layer.  When I cut the cards apart, they will each have a different back. I plan on putting some Silks Acrylic Glaze  over these papers anyway and also my name and blog information, too.

I also did my journaling for the limited 10 minutes for "30 days in your journal" by Julie Fei Fan Balzer.  I must say that for the last two days I have not had the supplies that Julie has, which she said is perfectly okay and that I could substitute with what I have.  I did not have a transfer screen to do a screen printing effect, so I just used regular stencils and stamps. Some with my initials in a very scroll-y alphabet.  I did not have a "frame" so cut one out of my Steampunk book from Dover Press. Today's video showed her adding a photo of herself and circling it with watercolor crayons.  Again, I had no photo of myself so added puzzle pieces, some glitter and used my Derwent Inktense Watercolor Pencils to get a similar effect.

The last thing I did was paint a page in my smaller journal black.  I am going to do the 8th and last Fall Fearless & Fly journal page.  The colors for it are black with bright colors.  I will be using my "Hot Shots" neon paints over the black.  Have a good evening!

Card backing papers below.

My 3 days of journaling below.  New page tomorrow!