Last group of three - Affirmation Collages

These are the last three from our Affirmation Collage challenge! Again; thank you ALL so much for your participation and enthusiastic response. I am over-joyed with the pieces and it was really difficult parting with them :)

From the top:

#1-Artist Roberta Partridge

#2-Artist Pam Small

#3-Artist Patti Gramza

As of today, I mailed out the returns and am sure you will be delighted with what you receive.

Thank you for visiting my Blog and your continued support and lovely comments left here for me. You all give me wings!

Have a happy day! Love, Marilyn

And.........four more gorgeous Affirmation Collages :)

From the top:

#1-Artist Linda Martuscello

#2-Artist Lori Stachnik

#3-Artist Marilyn Rock

#4-Artist Melanie Phillips

Four more beautiful Affirmation Collages.......

From the top:

#1-Artist Jacky Williams

#2-Artist Karen Nicholson

#3-Artist Kerri Posson

#4-Artist Laura Jones

Affirmation Collages....the first group of four! :)

First and foremost, thank you all who participated in my Affirmation Collage Blog Challenge. I am so thrilled with all the returns; I received 15 gorgeous collages from this challenge. It is overwhelming to see them, here, in person. It is going to be difficult, for me, to part with them! I can feel the "abulia" coming on again :)

I also would like to thank Kelly Rae Roberts for her inspiration with this very creative, artful, and what I considered to be a therapeutic art exercise.

I will be mailing out the returns, along with a thank you gift, to all who participated during this coming week.

I will be uploading four collages, per day, starting today, until all have been posted.

These first four collages were done by, starting from the top:

#1-Artist Deb Lewis

#2-Artist Elaine McAllister

#3- Artist Elizabeth Woodford

#4-Artist Heather Cockrell

They are so beautiful; I am in awe of all of them! Enjoy!

Thank you all!!!!

Love...Marilyn

What remains........................

My friend, Laura Jones, http://musingsoncollage.blogspot.com/ just gave birth to her new Blog. She is going to offer prompts to inspire people to use in their art work. I was thrilled when Laura launched her Blog! Congrats! She is a very creative and talented artist. A couple of her favorite inclusions in her art, other than beeswax, is using quotes and poetry in her art. When you have a chance, stop by her Blog for a visit :)

Laura's first prompt, on her Blog, is "What Remains". I was going to work with this as a first entry in an art journal that I've started so long ago and just haven't had a chance to really get to it. Right now my art journal consists of a few pages that have been prepped with Gesso :)

I decided to work in Photoshop with the prompt and this is what I came up with. I felt it was appropriate as how many times do we see these kinds of things out in a field, resting against a deserted barn or outbuilding. I often come across them, in my travels, and there's always a little sadness about them. I try to "bring them back to life" thinking about what, when, and how they were used, how old they might be and then on a more positive note, perhaps they're just plain tired out and are resting offering some people a great picture to take :)

Thank you, Laura, for a challenging prompt and I still do intend to work with this in my art journal in near future :)

I'm wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead and starting Sunday or Monday I will begin uploading pictures, on my Blog, of the beautiful Affirmation Collages that I've received as a result of my Blog challenge with the help of Kelly Rae's inspirational techniques.

Have a happy day! Love, Marilyn

Mystery.......................

I decided to relax with my laptop and Photoshop Elements tonight. The background for this picture is one that I created by scanning into my computer some torn pieces of scrapbook paper I had accumulated in a box. I thought it took on a really interesting pattern with neat colors.

I layered some images I had on my computer and added some brushes. Can you see the crows in there?

Love, Marilyn

"Values", Acrylic Mixed Media, 16 x 22 canvas

I decided to try to get a better picture of this painting. I put it upright on my dresser and it seems to be a little clearer anyway.

This is an acrylic mixed-media painting that I just finished up today. This seems to be the hardest thing, for me, is to get good pictures to share.

This painting is called Values as I used some of my antique "faux family"

pictures and postcards for this piece. It represents a family of values who just wants to spend time together. I don't know if you can see the words in the background but there's a poem sunk in the background; some of the words are veiled with paint or Washi paper. The poem addresses wanting another hour with thee; treasuring the moments. :)

I'm beginning to add rusty elements now; note the hinges on the left-hand side of the canvas. On the right of the little girl is some rusted screening with a rusted heart hanging there. Again; I've added stencil work with molding paste, lots of cheesecloth, stamping into gel medium - just fun!

I wish you all a good week ahead and hope you all are experiencing lovely spring weather!

Love to all.........................Marilyn xxoo

Ms. "Crow"quette........................:)

I'd like to introduce you to Ms. "Crow"quette.

She is a felted crow that I had an opportunity to work on yesterday and took some time, today, to finish her off. She is approx. 9" tall x 4 1/2 " wide, sewn, stuffed, embellished, and ready to fly :)

I really had fun working on her and I'm even thinking about a class on this activity at the Albany Art Room!

Do you think that will "fly"?????

Oh boy; I'd better say so long for now.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Love.......................Marilyn xxoo

Abulia...............................

a-bu-li-a (uh-byoo-lee-uh)

-noun psychiatry

1. a symptom of mental disorder involving impairment or loss of volition

2. Loss or impairment of the ability to make decisions or act independently

3. A loss of will power

This is how the dictionary defines this word abulia. It kind of has an alarming sound to it; ya know like it's a major disease. However, I think I'm suffering from it at the moment :) I like to think Definition #2 pertains to me, here, with trying to decide what affirmations I want to add to my collage for the exchange I am hosting. Some, who know me, might think Definition #1 is more appropriate for me - lol! By the way; I've received some gorgeous pieces, so far, and I'm very excited about this exchange. Oh dear; I just thought of something....................I will, once again, suffer from abulia as I will have trouble deciding on which collage I want to keep here! :)

Anyway; this is my collage without my affirmations. They will be a "game call". I decided to go a bit whimsical, with my collage, as most of my art pieces are on the serious side. I can't free-hand draw or paint worth beans so I used my face from a photo I had. The hair and body are free-hand painted however. I wish I still had that body!!! The hair - well I used to have hair like that! Thick, long, lots of body. Now it's very short, coarse, and filled with specks of white :) I guess this signifies what WAS outwardly me, but now am really the same person but with a new voice. Hmmmmmmmmmm. There are a couple of affirmations in there somewhere. And, of course, I just had to get birds in there somehow :)

I wish you all a wonderful upcoming weekend; treat yourself to some art time, and, again, thank you ALL so much for your lovely comments, continued support and friendships!

Spring has sprung here!!!!!!!!

Love, Marilyn xxoo

Peaceful Solution?

Did you ever come across something profound and very meaningful, you know you have it but you cannot remember where it is? Then all it takes is something to trigger it. Well; this has happened to me and, frankly, this isn't the first time. :)

I came across this quote by Lao Tzu that just grabbed at my heart!

I wanted to find a way to share it with others and I decided to incorporate it into a Photoshop layout.

I hope you can read the words clearly; as I feel they are so appropriate in offering us comfort in the current times of turmoil around the world.

Recently, I was engaged in quite a heavy discussion with my son. He teaches elementary school in an inner-city situation and he has been challenged trying to answer some of his students' questions regarding the state of our cities, home life, wars, poverty, etc. He was bouncing off his thoughts to us which led me to think about this quote. I just knew I had it!

It took me quite awhile to find it in my stash. I honestly don't remember where I got it from or if someone gave it to me. I printed it out, for him, so he could read the words. He wants to have this quote blown up and post it up in his classroom.

I hope you find this quote as profound and meaningful as I did and that it offers some comfort to you. To me, it actually is the answer to finding peace but the realist, in me, knows this is much easier said than done. Words can be so powerful!

I wish you all a good start to your week and may you all have peace in your hearts!

Love, Marilyn

Beautiful Women in Art, 16 x 20 canvas, Acrylic/Mixed Media

I found some time, today, to finish up this acrylic/mixed media painting. It is on a 16 x 20 canvas. I call it Beautiful Women in Art. I've actually been working on it on and off when I can.

The picture isn't the greatest, I had to try to sharpen it up in Photoshop because I kept getting glare. I sealed the painting with glossy medium and it was difficult getting a really clear picture. I normally use matte medium to seal but tried the glossy and I think it takes on an oil painting feel to it.

There are a lot of inclusions in this painting; fluid acrylics, cheesecloth, stamping into gel medium, molding paste, hand-dyed Japanese paper, oil pastels, etc.

I really enjoyed working on this painting and was happy that I found some time to finish it. :)

I hope you all are having a good week so far. I think Spring is finally arriving, in our area, and I've had windows open all day and the air just feels wonderful coming through the windows. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Love, Marilyn

"Commitment".........................

One of the "beauties" of Photoshop Elements, for me, is when I don't have time to create something tactile, paint, collage, etc., I know I can always fall back on Photoshop to express myself a bit. It helps me unwind, particularly in the evening hours.

The past couple of weeks has been a bit filled with family stuff, preparations for collage classes I'm teaching at the Albany Art Room, things having to be done around the house. My mom just turned 88 years old, this month, and she's been in need of much more attention as of late. Fortunately, she lives right around the corner from us but I can see where some of the physical things she's been used to doing, are starting to catch up. We found an aide, for her, who starts tomorrow to assist her with some things and we're hoping this works out.

You probably didn't need to know all of this but this is the thing about Blogging that I am finding is helpful. It kind of helps to "blow some things out' that one might need to share with others without getting too personal :)

I, sometimes, get a little anxious or frustrated when I can't commit to certain days or times to create my art. My husband notices as he feels I get a little "crabby" or "snappy" as he says. :) But; this is how our lives are; we, sometimes, have to commit to things in our days that take priority over art. I'm sure you all feel this in your life.

Commitment is an interesting thing. I think that's another thing I like about crows. They mate for life! They are committed to one another, ya know for the long haul. Amazing! But; they do it.

So, as I cannot always commit myself to block in some time, to create my art, I can still turn to my laptop and enter the world of Photoshop Elements and play and create something visual that can offer some meaning to me.

I hope this piece means something to you, too, perhaps to help you think about committment to your own needs, wants and joys when you can. I know each day we have to commit ourselves to our responsibilities and priorities, but sometimes we can get lost in them.

Commit yourself to a happy and artful day! Love to all........................Marilyn xxoo

Arte-y-pico Award......................:)

I have just discovered that I have been honored with the Arte-y-pico Award by my friend Femmy Brands! Thank you SO much Femmy; I really am honored and so appreciative of this. The Arte-y-pico award is an award that acknowledges Blogs for their creativity, design of interesting material and also contributes to the blogging community no matter what language.

One of the rules of receiving this award is the recipient must, in turn, choose 5 Blogs that they feel deserves this award.

I expressed myself to Femmy, while I am so honored and appreciative of this award, it would be too difficult for me to choose just 5 blogs that I feel merit this wonderful award. So; I proposed to Femmy that I'd like to officially honor all my favorite Blogs that I have linked, here, with this Arte-y-pico award!

One of my morning routines, is to sit down with my laptop and my first cup of coffee and catch up on emails and then visit my favorite Blogs, all of which are linked here, and soak up all the inspiration I need to get on with my day.

You all offer me so much on my daily visits, that I want to pass this award on to all of you linked here on my Blog.

Thank you, Femmy, for bestowing this Arte-y-pico award to me; I appreciate this so much. You can visit Femmy's Blog: http://zoiy.blogspot.com/ to view her beautiful artwork.

I am wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead! Thanks always for your continued support, lovely comments and feedback!

Much love..........................Marilyn

"Abandoned"....................

I cannot believe how much I am enjoying Photoshop Elements! I mean I don't have any aspirations to do anything with it other than to just have fun, play and experiment with all the different facets of the program. There's so much to learn and much more to come.

This photo was one that I actually took quite awhile ago. My husband and I were on our way down to Saugerties, NY to check out an antique place down there and I came across this abandoned old car in a field! Fortunately, I had my camera, with me, as I really saw beauty in this old car! I'm not so sure my husband felt the same but he's great about stopping so I can get some shots that I want.

I have discovered a way, with Photoshop, that I can now make my own custom brushes without downloading freebies that are offered online. The freebies are awesome but it was fun making my own once I learned how to do it. I converted this picture to black and white then added a little tinting to it.

See the crows there? They are the brushes that I created from a picture of a crow I took! I am so excited about this!!!

I recently picked up Somerset's new publication, Digital Studio, and in it is an article written by Michelle Ward. She offers a terrific tutorial on creating custom brushes!!! It took me a bit, to get it, but this allows for endless possibilities!

I hope you are all having a great day! Love, Marilyn