The Week of Frida Kahlo in Review

"Hello" Paint Party Friday Members.  This past week with my Creative Jumpstart 2016 was inspired by Frida Kahlo.  I did a post for each painting, but here they are for you in one post.  They are all my individual mixed-media pieces following the technique examples done by the artist instructor of the day.  I list the instructor's name by the project they were in charge of.  

I also did a Zentangle this week with the group at "I Am the Diva".  It was suggested that we use the Moebius Syndrome Icon as our starting point for our tangles.  Their color is purple, so I used red and purple.  I did it on a 7 x 5 card.  Have a good week.

With Mario Robinson

With Andrea Gomoll

With Mystele Kirkeeng

With Jane LaFazio

Zentangle Moebius

I hope you enjoyed my week!

Gloria J Zucaro's "Starts"

Today I have two ZIA's for Laura's prompt of "only straight lines", in our tangles this week.  It was fun, like a limited palette in painting.  I will barely slip under the wire for posting them on her site.  It closes at noon on Saturdays.  Please enjoy the Diva's website and see a very creative group of tanglers!  I am also posting to Paint Party Friday, a huge amount of creative people there, also!

This first one I started in the center of the square, and as you can see, I didn't have it centered, or square!  But it was fun to watch it grow outward from there, even if it was very wonky!  Shown with its' reflection.

This second one is representing a quilt.  I drew it and put in all the stitches and cross-stitches and then ended up using colored Signo pens which obliterated many lines.  But I hope you get the idea!

My third project is the first block-in of an oil painting.  It is a landscape of a photo taken in Door County Wisconsin.  It actually has a cow in the foreground in the photo but I just wanted to do a landscape, so left the cow out.  I hope to finish this painting after my trip.  This is 8"x 10" on gallery wrapped 3/4 inch canvas.

Lastly I am sending a small birthday box to my sister-in-law.  It is a Crate & Barrel box that I painted with black acrylic and decorated with white acrylic.  I will put her card on the top for the address.

Have a good week!

Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "Of The Earth"

The ZIA(Zentangle In Art) I made for Earth Day. Done on a 4 x 6 card, using 17 different patterns with names of plants, animals, weather conditions, and the sun and moon.  The prompt is from Laura Harms over at I am the Diva website.  Great site to see her wonderful family photos, and many artists' creative versions of the prompt each week.

Patterns used

Seedlings, Woods, Jelly Fish, Tuffed Leaves, Partly Cloudy, Octopus, Milkweed, Dogbane, Aloe Vera, Dandlion Seeds, Bales, Sunray, Flying Geese, Cresent Moon,

Lightning Bolt, Mooka, Poke Root, Fescue

See Ya Later, Alligator! :>)  Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "Some Catching Up"

I have been tending to other life matters aside from my art, so haven't posted in a couple of weeks or visited other's blogs either.  I had a little time today so thought I would show you some tangles and swap gifts received from other artists and some collage done a couple of weeks ago.

I did this drawing in February on a greeting card.

This was done about two weeks ago 

This Card was drawn yesterday.  

All of these cards were drawn from prompts suggested by Laura Harms at http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/  The one above uses two different but similar patterns called Flux Maria and Flux Rick.  Maria and Rick are the originators of the Zentangle  craze.

I was intrigued by this shadow all away across my yard and driveway in front of the house this morning.  It first came to my attention when two Robins were hopping along and then for some reason began to fight!  I guess they are territorial!  Notice how different the shadow shape is from the actual tree shape.  It (the shadow)makes the tree base much thinner and the limbs closest to me much larger.

This is a wonderful March Swap I received from Lisa Crail all the way from Australia.  She not only sent me these two paintings done with some collaged papers in back of the portrait but the painted and charcoal drawing of a bird, and a decorated envelope and small ink drawing of a figure.  See Lisa's Facebook page at, Lisa Crail-Painting From the Heart. These swaps were through Community Thrive.

Many of you may have seen my collage work on Facebook.  I really enjoyed a workshop led by Karen Sako a couple of weekends ago.  

We got 4 pieces accomplished.

They are below with a little explanation of the process.

Three birds from the same reference, different size and shape of paper. Then a house/landscape collage from a reference. All from Karen Sako's most fun Mixed Media Workshop. 

Number three Bird-just let loose! Different shape and feather arrangement!

Bird #2- stencils,ink,clear gesso, collaged paper, paint and pastel. — at Mainstreet Art Center, Lake Zurich, IL.

Number one Bird. More Traditional, drawing,stencil,paper prepared from magazine page, clear gesso, paint, pastel.

Hopperesque! Paper handmade sky, paper house, paper shadow on house, paper foreground. Painted smaller shadows and sheets on the line. Marker outlines, and dog.

Well, that's it, Folks!

I am posting today, early for Paint Party Friday, and somewhat late for I Am The Diva!

Have a Good Week,

Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "Three Down, Two to Go"

This week I finished three small projects and got two others started.  I finished "Rope Jumper". Here she is below with her rope.  I watched a champion rope jumper on You Tube to see the handles in her hands and how the rope would drape.  I gave her a face and took away her chunky forehead.  I also added more paint all around her.  This painting is Oil on a gessoed board and is 7"H x 5" W.

We finally had our family Christmas on Sunday the 11th.  On Monday I wrote my thank you notes.  I made a special one for my 7 year old grandson, hoping he would take notice.  He called today and he was so impressed!  I got a big kick out of it!  I had drawn with black ink the two presents that he had picked out for me especially.  One was a new wallet.  He had given me one the year before last and it was shot.  he knew that and picked a new one.  He also gave me a little cache pot with a young boy kneeling near a cross.  I printed his note rather than using script.

 

Before I forget..My friend Polly who lives in Anacortes, Washington gave me the neatest "altered" book.  It has 96 multimedia pages and was made by "slow art studio & bindery" on Lopez Island, WA .  It also has two little pockets on the front and back inside covers.  And look at the neat covers!!!  

Front

Inside Front

Inside Back

Some Pages

Back Cover

I also did a Zentangle for the first time in quite a while.  I did it on a 4 x 6 card.  The prompt was from Laura Harms at the "iamthediva.blogspot.com" website.  It is Laura's 200th post and she asked us all to do a monotangle.  We were to use just one design, our pick.  I used a pattern called "Stiricles".

The card is sitting on a journal page that I am doing for Community Thrive, a new group I joined to learn more about journals, collage and art forms other than painting.

One of the two projects I started but haven't finished is a pen drawing of an impromptu music concert at The Clearing Folk Art School in Ellison Bay, WI a couple of years ago.  I plan to finish it in watercolor.  I think next time I will need to use a different pencil for the initial drawing. This one is too smudgy.

The reference below

And finally the last item this week.  An oil painting of a mission church in Arizona just barely blocked in in some areas.

The initial steps of the painting, with the reference below.

I am linking this post to iamthediva.blogspot.com, Paint Party Friday, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Community Thrive.

Have a good week and check the Zentangles and paintings done on the sites mentioned.

Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "Adding Lines To Life"

Monday's "I Am The Diva" prompt #182 for August 25,2014 is "Stripes". Done on a greeting card. I noticed after I finished that the houses have different roof or wall lines when you turn them from vertical to horizontal.

7 x 5 Watercolor Card-stock.

Have a good week and enjoy all the other pen & ink drawing at iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com

Gloria Z

Gloria J Zucaro's "Camelia Plus"

This week "The Diva" has given us "Camelia" by Ann Marks as our challenge tangle.  It is very relaxing to do and can easily be combined with other patterns.  Please go to "the Diva's" site to see all the beautiful patterns created for this weeks' challenge.

3.5" Square

I will probably either turn some of my squares into coasters or use them as a centerpiece on a greeting card.  On Friday I will post this to Paint Party Friday.  They have a huge variety of media and subject matter each week.  Please check to see what's new each Friday.

Gloria J Zucaro's "Rixty Egg"

Today Laura Harms of I am the Diva gave us the latest Zentangle release from Rick and Maria(originators of the Zentangle craze) as our prompt.  The design is in celebration of Rick's sixtieth birthday. Zentangle
I had boiled some eggs for Easter and had already decided to decorate them with my own art materials instead of the store-bought dyes.  It was fun decorating this egg with a Micron pen #8.  A couple of times I accidentally smeared the ink.  So I decided to let some time elapse and lean the egg against a pink eraser to keep the recently inked side upright. I had to use "Wite-out" to cover the smears.  I think I will try doing an egg for each of my Easter guests.  I am posting this to Paint Party Friday.  Take a look at all the new art for the week.  Happy Easter & Happy Passover everyone.

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 "Diva #108 WHYZ"

When I saw the Diva's challenge this week, I was confused.  I looked for directions of how to do a tangle called "WHYZ", but couldn't find it even on Tangle Patterns!    

I soon realized that Laura had made her own tangle with "Y's".  Her grandmother died last week and I am imagining that she, as we often do, was asking "why?" It is also a great title because we think of our older family members as being "wise".  

OOPS!  I just discovered I had somehow missed the sentence where it mentioned the creator of this tangle.  It is Jane MacKugler!

So here is my interpretation of Laura's design.  Have a great week, and check the site to see how very imaginative artists can be!

3.5" Square Watercolor Paper with original design in Sakura Ink.

$4.00 plus S&H

Email Me with questions

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 "Dansk Palm Up"

Today I finally got my "I am the Diva" challenge done.  It is called  "Dansk" and was originated by Margaret Bremner.  A couple of days ago it occurred to me that the pattern Dansk makes, looks like fingerprints to me.  So I traced my hand palm up on my sketchbook page, and got to work.  I think it came out pretty neat!

Gloria J Zucaro's "French Street Scene #003"

Tonight I am posting my oil painting from a photograph by Lee A. Brown.  Every month Lee posts a photograph for artists to paint from his pictures of his travels around the world.  This months' photo was taken in Roussillon, France.  I have rearranged the subject and changed some of the colors.  Be sure to go to Lees' site to see what other artists have done with the same photograph.

15"H x 30"W Oil on Canvas...SOLD

Click on image to enlarge

I am also saving this to Paint Party Friday.  I missed getting around to say "Hello" last week, so I hope to visit with other artists this week.

I am also posting to the I Am The Diva Site hosted by Laura Harms.  This weeks' Tangle is using a special string, Tangle Patterns String # 003 which looks like this...

And here is my finished tangle

3.5 Inches Square on Watercolor Paper

To see my Pastel Painting completed on Monday Go Here

Happy Paint Party Friday!

Gloria J Zucaro's "Auraknot & Bunzo Challenge"

Every Monday Laura Harms at "I am the diva" posts a new Zentangle challenge.  This weeks challenge is a duo tangle of Auraknot and Bunzo.  We have done each of these before, but not in concert.

I used strings that had the shape of hearts for Valentines' Day and did my tangle on a 4"H x 6"W greeting card.  I first did it in Black and White and then in watercolor with all the Bunzo areas in fushia and red.  The Auraknot areas stand out in their starkness.

  

I also made another thank you card.  This one for my neighbor who gave me, for Christmas, some delicious pretzels with white chocolate kisses melted inside and green and red M & M's on top.

                            

 

Gloria J Zucaro's "Relax Phicops!"

I enjoyed doing my Diva Challenge for the week.  Laura's Husband Brad designed a new tangle called "Phicops".  I used it in my tangle(3.5" square) and in my greeting card below.

Two cards done last night.  I did one for a birthday, kind of quirky! and one for my resolution word for 2013 "Relax!" linking to Jenn's The Artist's Workshop

Pen & Ink on 4 x 6 cardstock with marker.  I chose "Relax!" as my word because I am always very intense and over booked & overscheduled   So I decided to try to "Cool it" and "Chill!" a little more this year.

Pen & Ink on 4 x 6 cardstock.  Part of this design is from the Diva Challenge from a new tangle made by Laura's husband Brad called "Phicops"