Weekly Challenge at Inspiration Avenue- "Magical Transformations"

In the craziness of getting ready for the Home Show next week- THIS week (!) I still wanted to have something to enter for the weekly challenge at Inspiration Avenue......the theme was "Magical Transformations" and I wanted to create a new altered book of Flag Book format....but oddly enough I didn't have time.........this is one I did a couple of years ago:

It's three paintings cut and glued to create a transition.....but in looking at it, I don't think it actually is a "transformation" SO, instead, I'm entering a painting that I was unhappy with and spent Friday transforming. It's finally where I wanted it to be when I first painted it a couple of months ago...

Here it is before I started changing it:

The more I looked at it, the less I liked it, I kept thinking it looked like someone had thrown a tangerine in the middle..... the colors were too bright and garish instead of the soft lovely muted hues I'd been going for.  Here it is after I reworked it; I'm really happy with it now and it's ready for the show!

Don't forget to stop by Inspiration Avenue to see everyone else's entries, they'll be fabulous as always!

Cheers,

Stephanie

what's UP in the studio- or not as the case may be.....

I know as artists we all have those weeks where no matter what we're working on, nothing seems to go exactly as planned.  I got my daffadil painting almost completed, but after working and reworking and REWORKING the shadows on the petals, it's still not quite where I want it to be.  For the moment, I'm putting it aside lest it become completely overworked!
Then the Joie de Vivre painting for my altered book was AWFUL, it started out great but quickly became "cute" and the more I tried to "uncute" it, the cuter it became.  I think it was too big; with this series suggestion and movement are key elements and painting it as an 8" x 10" piece there was too much room for details and once I got bogged down in the details, I lost the spontaneity which is what "makes" the Joie de Vivre paintings.....anyway, I'm doing a redo this week, and then maybe I'll reveal the awfully, hideously cute version that's making me nauseous even as we speak- I'm just too embarrased to show it right now.

Here is what the Daff painting looks like at this point.....just so I have something to show for the last week :)

My goal for our show was to have 15 paintings- right now I have 10 not counting the Daff which WILL be done then.  But the other half of my goal was to create paintings of flowers that can be grown from seeds and then incorporated as prints into affordable altered books which was one of my best sellers at the last show.  Of course daffodils can't be grown from seeds so I've already diverged from my plan......so why not move a little further off the path and treat myself with a tulip painting......
SO, my goals for the week are to get a new painting in the works- probably featuring a parrot tulip- I'm feeling something like Rococo withdrawal.....
Redo the Joie painting and get it installed into it's book and prep a couple more books to feature printed versions of my flower paintings and seeds to go with them.
Happy Monday, have a great week!
Stephanie

what's UP in the studio?

This week I'm working on a couple of projects and I'll show you what they are, but first I want to show you how I finished my "Before the Seed" Green Envy Zinnia altered book.  You might remember that it was almost done last week except for the back....... 

                                   

 And here it is; I kept it sweet and simple since the other side has so much going on- just a little more torn paper, a collaged butterfly and my signature & date. 

Now for this week; I have two new projects.  First up is my second painting in my daffodil series.  I took this picture last Spring and have wanted to paint it ever since.  It has that glowy quality of light that attracts me so often- maybe I have a little of the moth in me?  Anyway, here's one from the series of photos I'm using:

evidently Blogger's having issues with me today, because it's insisting on uploading this image UPSIDE DOWN!  Why, I don't know, maybe it likes it better that way?  It should be enough to at least give an idea of my general effect I'm going for.....

I got much of the background laid in yesterday and hopefully today I'll make good progress with the actual flowering parts of the plant.  For those of you who are cat folks, my assistant of the day is Latte who has won temporary custody of the desk until I remove him to the chair.....Peri, my muse from last week is holed up in the bed;)

My other project is for this week's challenge at Inspiration Avenue .  Cyndi, my team member in charge of this week's challenge wrote the following, "this week’s theme is all about changing the world in all the many forms it can take. Perhaps a beautiful piece of jewelry will change the world of the wearer. A small knitted booty will certainly change the world of the baby who wears it. Perhaps your piece will have a powerful message … for example; a piece using recycled materials can change the world with its Eco-friendliness. Or maybe a piece will elicit strong feelings of compassion, love and kindness. A painting … a sculpture … a collage … all can have power."

For my entry, I'm planning to create one of my Joie de Vivre altered books using butterfly wings, recycled book pages and tissue and a small painting......wait and see!
Here's to having a Happy Tuesday!
Stephanie