A Camel

I'm getting ready for the new Art Journal Caravan for 2016. I want to do a lot of the pages physically this year. I drew a camel to get the year started with. I haven't painted it yet, so I scanned the black and white drawing, and am playing with it in Photoshop. Here's my first version.  :-)

Do you prefer one hump or two?

Sleep tight?

Us people of a certain age can appreciate this more.

*** Special Treat ***

If you would like to treat yourself to a special treat (Is that proper English? I guess it doesn't matter. Who does English properly these days anyway?!), you should visit The Gossamer Tea Room. Betty, the hostess, has created such a marvelous museum that you really should see it for yourself. There are even recipes for the food she prepared for the grand opening! Here is the link: http://gossamertearoom.blogspot.com/

The Sun Is Shining!

Ha-ha! No snow!

Be Happy

Despite the gray skies, rain and lingering  chest cold . . .

Please click to see larger size.

Chandelier

I would love to have one of these!

December Rumi Quote

Challenge hosted at http://effywild.ning.com/workshops/the-rumi-project

Our Savior

My family does not celebrate Christmas, because early Christians were taught it was wrong to combine pagan traditions with true worship. However, we definitely believe Jesus is our Savior.

https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/bible-about-christmas/

https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/when-was-jesus-born/

Two Weeks and Counting!

We are still sick with the bug, the crud or whatever else you want to call it. It's being very stubborn. It went from intestinal to bronchial and sinus. Oh well. I may end up dying from blowing my brains out through my nose!

My Kind of Ballet

My Marie and Cake Obsession

The Art Journal Caravan Is Back for 2016!

Tangie Baxter took a year's hiatus from The Art Journal Caravan. It is back for 2016! Yay! This will be my fifth year of being part of the caravan. If you would like to join me, click on the link below.

 

http://artjournalemporium.com

Cake for Marguerite

My friend Marguerite has been feeling blue, so I thought she needed some cake. It always worked for Marie Antoinette. I'm really trying to keep myself drawing on a regular basis, so I drew a picture of a young Marie and put her in a digital collage for Marguerite. The background image is from Vanessa at A Fanciful Twist, and I asked her permission to use it.

I really want a piece of cake now with colorful confetti sprinkles!

Madness

When the flu evolves into a cold, it's madness!

Some elements by Tangie Baxter. Paint splotches by me. (See post below.)

Digital Abstract

This started as paint drips on paper. I scanned it and then played with it using Photoshop filters.

(Click on it to see the larger size.)    :-)

Princess Blueberry

I guess when you're on a roll you might as well keep rolling!

Princess Strawberry

Okay. This is getting a little crazy. A full-grown man creating these cutesy girls. I'm blaming it on cabin fever from fighting the flu for so long. I'm pretty sure I haven't been overdosing on my medication. :-)

Queen of Tarts In Color

Queen Cupcake

The Queen of Tarts has a twin sister. She, however, loves cupcakes!

The Queen of Tarts

It's been a week since our darling grandson brought the flu germs over. We still haven't recovered from it. Oh well. When I couldn't sleep last night, I got out a pencil and decided to draw. You might remember The Queen of Tarts from my Mad Tea Parties. That's the disguise my friend Marguerite uses to join the parties. She is quite famous for her lemon tarts. The queen. Not Marguerite. Well, I know Marguerite cooks, but I don't know if she's famous for anything. Anyhow, after drawing the picture, I added a little poem.

The Crud

My friend Marguerite Bryant from California has been sick for several weeks with what her doctor called "The Crud." I remember the doctor telling my mother years ago I had The Crud -  a cold and cough that just wouldn't seem to go away. This week everyone here has been very sick with the flu. It's been four days now, and we're still feeling lousy. My body has had my days and nights mixed up for over a year now. I can't sleep at night and then sleep all day. While I was feeling so lousy and wide awake last night, I decided to try painting a picture of the virus that causes The Crud.

Mindy Lacefield's New Class

I've taken one of Mindy's classes and loved it. I don't have the money to take this one, but am hoping to win the free spot. Please check her class out! Those cute, crazy little characters I've shared I made while taken her class. :-)

"There's just a couple more days to lock in the early bird price $89 for ENCHANTED: mixed media characters with Susana and Mindy. I am doing a giveaway for one spot in the class. Please just share this link or copy and share elsewhere on other social media platforms and then leave your email address below. (please don't forget to comment with this info because this is how I'll do the drawing) Drawing will be held the afternoon of December 8th.
http://www.mindylacefieldart.com/…/enchanted-mixed-media-ch…
Micki Wilde and Mystele are our guest artists!!"

Wyanne Thompson

I just finished an 11 month class taught by Wyanne Thompson. She is such an inspiring person. She survived a severe case of throat cancer, and her attitude on life is so encouraging. I didn't do much of the painting she taught as I didn't have a lot of the materials she used. But we have lifetime access to the videos, so I'll be going back many times to revisit her techniques. It seems so sad now that the class is over! I created a digital collage with a picture of her for memory's sake. :-)

Digital Whisper Blog Challenge - Best Friends

Patti La Belle's Sweet Potato Pie

Who knew Patti La Belle was selling sweet potato pie?! My wife went to Walmart and just happened to be in the area where the stock person was putting the boxes of pie out. She took one just because it sounded good. She said within seconds there was a stampede of people that came and grabbed every box the stock person had put out. She quickly got out of the area. I didn't pay any attention to who made the pie, but I definitely ate a piece. I love sweet potato pie!

The next day I saw an article on the Internet about the madhouse that was going on at Walmart, because the store was selling Patti La Belle's sweet potato pie. I went downstairs to see who made the pie my wife brought home, and sure enough, there was Patti's picture on the box. I decided that since we had one of her pies, strictly by chance, I would immortalize it by making an art journal page. Yep, I'm crazy that way!

And it kept on snowing!

At least the dogs didn't mind it . . .

Based on the amount of snow on the table, we got at least 8." That's a lot of snow for November! Evidently it put me in a really strange state of mind, because I created a rather weird piece of digital art.

Hopefully we won't keep getting these large snow storms. There's no telling what I'll come up with next!

It Started!

First snow of the season.

Fluffy Dog

Our Hope

Lonely Bunny

The words are the opening to a song we heard over and over again during a trip out west to Oregon. I think it was back in 1968. It rained for several days while we were driving in the car, and we laughed every time this song came on. I'm still practicing doing Mindy Lacefield characters. I love the freedom of not expecting perfect drawing to do them.

Nature's Influence

I created this in one of my art journals. It was influenced by classes by Wyanne Thompson and Mindy Lacefield.

Digital Whisper Blog Challenge - American Indian

American Indian photo Googled. Background layers from Tangie Baxter's kit "Teepee."

Digital Whisper Blog Challenge - Ballerina

Effy Wild Rumi Quote Challenge

Where's the Sun?

I'm still making crazy characters based on Mindy Lacefield's style. They are so much fun and freeing!

Sharing Nature

Background photo taken in Greece by Paula Swanson.

Rabbits Are Crazy, Too!

I'm taking a fun online class by Mindy Lacefield. I've always loved her characters.

The Purple Moose Has A New Vibe

The Hungry Spider

No, this isn't for Halloween. My family doesn't celebrate Halloween. It's just a spider - a very hungry spider!

(The spider is a stamp by Stampotique.)

Digital Whisper Blog Challenge - Luggage

It appears somebody lost this piece of luggage along the way.

Fall Art Challenge Two - Use Some Fabric

I did this in my art journal. (Thus the funny middle part that the scanner can't handle.) The elephant is actually material I cut out of old boxer shorts. Oh oh. I hope that isn't TMI! I'm mainly excited about the boy. I love Mindy Lacefield's style of painting faces. I haven't taken any of her classes, but I bought the digital version of her book "Wild Surrender." There are a couple of pages in it about how to do a face.

Fall Art Journal Challenge One - Initials

Another Giveaway From Wyanne Thompson!

Wyanne Thompson is doing it again! She's having another giveaway. This time it's for Life Book 2016. Life Book is a year long painting extravaganza with e-lessons every week. To get more details, just click on this link: http://tinyurl.com/LifeBookGiveaway

The painting below is by Wyanne. She always paints such wonderfully fun characters.

Digital Whisper Blog Challenge - Goldfish

"Here's looking at you, kid!"