Paint Blob Figure Art

I love Carla Sonheim's art and wanted to give her ink figure art a try. I didn't have any ink, so I used watered down black acrylic paint. Using a messy, well-used brush I painted two paint blobs and added the figure. This is a super simple technique, which can be easily altered to fit your own style. You could also try making your figure's base using Sharpies or oil pastels like I did in the last two photos below. Go ahead...give it a try!

"Fran" © 2016 Susan Barton

"Gramps" © 2016 Susan Barton

"Redhead" © 2016 Susan Barton
Made with Sharpie instead of paint.

"Redhead 2" © 2016 Susan Barton
Made with Oil Pastel instead of paint, and a little bit
of watercolor for the background. 

Fun With Junk Journaling

Have you heard about junk journaling (also known as junk mail journaling). Journal enthusiasts having been having fun turning junk mail into art for a while, but I only just heard about it a few months ago. I'm telling you, once you get started you're going to be hooked! And...I promise you'll never look at a piece of junk mail the same again. In fact, I guarantee you'll be positively giddy to see your mail carrier coming to your door.

Below are just a couple of very humble examples of what I've done so far. Aside from the advertisements I get in the mail, I've found uses for all sorts of things I'd otherwise throw in the trash. It's a great way to recycle!

You know those medical pamphlets you see in doctor and dentist offices? They make excellent mini journals. A coat of paint, some embellishments and you've got a work of art.

I've also discovered toilet paper roll journals. Who would have thought paper towel and toilet paper rolls could be transformed into something other than kids crafts? The mini-tag inserts are even recycled, since I reused an old mailing envelope.

There's a whole world out there devoted to junk mail artists and they love trading and collecting. I've recently joined the International Union of Mail Artists (IUOMA) but still have to post some of my creations.

Let me know if you're a junk mail artist. I'd love to see your artwork! Trading is always an option too :)

Medical Pamphlet Into Journal Inside View

Medical Pamphlet Into Journal

Toilet Paper Roll Journal

Toilet Paper Roll Journal Tag Inserts

My #ICAD2016 Challenge Artwork So Far

Have you heard about the Index-Card-a-Day (ICAD) 2016 Challenge? This is the 6th year for the ICAD challenge and you can read much more about it on the Daisy Yellow Art website.

I wanted to share what I've done so far with my first four cards. They're perfectly imperfect and they reflect my art style. Of course, that's the whole point of the challenge - just be yourself, don't stress over details, there is absolutely no right or wrong way to do it!

Think you're not an artist? Think again! If you've ever created ANYTHING then you're an artist. Anything goes when it comes to art and the only thing that matters is that you START CREATING. Hey, it's cheaper than therapy so that's a definite plus :)

There are prompts provided if you need some inspiration, but I've chosen to do my own thing.

ICAD 2016 Challenge © Susan Barton, 2016 - Days 5 and 6

ICAD 2016 Challenge © Susan Barton, 2016 - Days 1 - 4

I'd love to see your cards or any other art you've created so leave me a comment with a link where I can view your artwork. If you're interested in trading (duplicate cards, don't part with your challenge cards) let me know! Happy creating!

Cardboard Artwork

This is probably one of the most inexpensive pieces of artwork I've ever created. I always save corrugated cardboard to reuse later. It's sturdy and has one smooth side, making it ideal for all kinds of projects. I was in the mood to paint, but was all out of 8 x 10 canvas, so I raided my cardboard stash.

I used an XACTO knife to cut the cardboard down to size (using the glass panel that came with the frame as my template) and painted one of my simple, whimsical cat paintings. *See the original ACEO here. The frame was a resale shop find (2 identical frames for one dollar!).  The saying "Does this sweater make me look fat?" was printed on my computer. Voila! Instant original artwork!

I used artist acrylics, but you could easily do this with kids using inexpensive tempera paints or even markers. Just remember to save all those free sheets of cardboard that come with all kinds of things!

Sandi Holland Mixed Media: About Me

Sandi Holland Mixed Media: About Me: Water bottle marker art. I Was Born That Way I first became fascinated with art supplies in kindergarten .   As a Girl Scout in ...