Dodo

Deco Art Products used: Americana acrylics in: Moon Yellow, Jack O lantern orange, Butterscotch, Sable Brown, Asphaltum, Traditional burnt Sienna, Blue Chiffon, Snow White, Lamp Black.
Americana Metallic Gold , Dazzling Metallics in Medieval Gold, Venetian Gold, Champagne Gold
Deco Art Media: white gesso and matte varnish
Stencils for background by Nellie Snellen (Dots) and Dutch Doobadoo (fabric)
Letters: Cricut Expression with Base Camp Cartridge

I love Dodos, they are not the most beautiful birds (they are rather ugly to be honest), so that is not the reason, it's the bit of mystery that come with the Dodo.

There are paintings and skeletons but the painting were rarely painted with a life bird as a model and that is why there are so many different shapes when you look at Dodos in paintings. Because I am just starting at acrylic painting, the bird seemed a good subject to practise on, afteral no one really knows what it looked like so that helps if you are just starting out lol.

First I collected all kind of Dodo images on pinterest to see how they were drawn and painted and looked at some skeletons. Next I picked a painting of a Dodo that I liked the most.

So here my reference image, a painting by Jan Savery (1651), I made a screenshot on my phone and used that as an example, I had no intention of copying the painting but I do need a reference so...

Ok if you compare them you will see a big difference but as I said I don't have much experience in acrylic painting and I am very happy how it turned out.  I have taken pictures while I was painting so will show those here for you to see how I did it.

I did not paint on a canvas, maybe I should have but I had no idea how it would turn out and that is why I used my Art Journal, the big Dylusions creative journal. It's less scary as using a canvas and seems less of a waste to practice on paper. Other reason to work in a journal is I like the size and I love having a collection of paintings you can flip through in a book.


First step was painting the page Moon Yellow , I did not gesso the page , just added a layer of yellow.
Next I sketched the bird using a charcoal pencil, just the shape is enough.

Step 2 Gesso the bird to create a white surface and cover the lines of th charcoal as it will smudge in the paint. The lines will still show throw the Gesso but they won't smudge anymore.

Step 3: the challenge begun.....started with the beak and the head and did not think about how I had to paint the rest yet. I used lamp black paint and a small paint brush to kinda map in the details and shade of the beak and face.

Step 4: giving myself some directions where the shades and highlights would be using black and chiffon blue. And trying to find a color to use for the head and body. I tried Drift wood first which is the greyish color and did not like it so swithed to saddle brown.

step 5  practising how to get a feathered look and dabbing with a very little paint seemed to work best to get the small feathers on the head and body

Step 6: working in the small feathers using different shades of brown and finish the face/beak. 

The shades are a mix of  Asphaltum with a little black. the highlights are chiffon blue .

Step 7: the wings have bigger feathers a bit like a chicken yellow ish with brown and black. 

When I thought the Dodo was ready I started the background and sponged Jack O lantern orange over the yellow.

Step 8: I wanted to do a bit of a Klimt like background so used different golds and white and stencils to create patterns. the circles a stamped using different sizes of round items, a glass, lids  anything that wold fit inside the bigger circle to work to the small center .

I used masks made out of copier paper to cover the circles and the bird .

I added some layers of matte varnish for protection

I thought the left corner below needed something more so used my Cricut to cut out the word Extinct out of polka dot paper.

Here it is, my take on a Dodo, I am happy with the result :-)

Easter flower bucket

A fun and easy project , nice to make together with the kids. All digi's used are Rick St. Dennis MFA you can find them in his Etsy.

I printed the digi's coloured them and cut them out, glued the bunnies to the bucket.

 I used my Cricut to cut out paper flowers and a heart, but you can use any die cut machine, or punches for this (or even hand cut).  I glued the flowers to wooden sticks (that I painted green first), and added some green ribbon for leaves.
Stick them into floral foam and  cover with the yellow Easter decoration straw.

 

I will enter the following chalenges

http://avadareschallengeblog.blogspot.ca/2013/02/challenge-9-easter-or-spring.html

 

http://www.lisasomerville.com/2013/03/think-spring-bloggers-challenge.html

 

http://www.clearlyistamp.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Clearly%20Inspired%20Challenge

 

http://digihaven.blogspot.ca/2013/03/easter-challenge-sponsored-by-ds4j.html

 

http://hotshotcraft.blogspot.nl/2013/02/challenge-15-anything-but-card.html

 

http://jellyparkchallenges.blogspot.nl/2013/03/bunny-hop-challenge.html

 

http://qkrstampede.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/challenge-30-dreaming-of-spring.html

 

http://simplycreatetoo.blogspot.nl/2013/03/challenge-33-easter-or-bunnies_15.html

 

http://stempelsonne.blogspot.nl/2013/03/84-vom-0803-210313.html

 

http://stuckonusketches.blogspot.nl/2013/03/shamrock-die-cut-reveal-38.html

 

http://thesweetpeastampers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/spring-colours.html

 

http://cceestampers.blogspot.nl/2013/03/ccee1311-pencils-please.html

 

http://dianamlarson.blogspot.nl/2013/03/dlart-thankful-thursday-challenge-105.html

 

http://movingalongwiththetimes.blogspot.nl/2013/03/spring-is-in-air.html

 

Smudgy Antics challenge 'Pretty Creepy"

This weeks challenge at Smudgy Antics is "Pretty Creepy" now that's easy LOL
We can't wait to see what you come up with using this theme.
Please remember, you do not need to make a card for this challenge.
We also accept and encourage art journal pages, scrapbook pages, mixed-media pieces, sculptures, ATCs, Fat Book pages, jewelry, etc. Just remember to use at least one stamped image (rubber, clear, or digi) and follow the rules you can find here to qualify for the prize or the coveted "Top Three" badge.

For this chalenge I made a canvas.





I used the back of the canvas, for the frame I used a mask and black paint. Made 2 holes on the topof the canvas and put a ribbon through to hang the canvas, then I glued a piece of black & white DP in the frame so you can't see the ribbon.
The Zombie Mona Lisa is a Smeared Ink digi and I coloured her up using pencils.
The gold frame is Cricut Happy Haunting cartridge. The roses were made using a Marianne Design die.

Hope you will join us in the challenge


I will enter the following challenges:

http://haunteddesignhouse.blogspot.co.uk/

http://poisonedpeas.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/gothemo-inspiration-for-challenge-4.html

http://corrosivechallengesbyjanet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/challenge-151-feeling-punchy.html

http://forevernightchallenges.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/freaky-double-challenge.html; Anything goes

http://stampingwithdragon.blogspot.nl/2012/06/anything-goes.html

Wheelie good time challenge at Smudgy Antics

fIRST WISH YOU ALL A VERRY HAPPY, HEALTHY AND CRAFTY NEW YEAR.

The first challenge of 2012 at Smudgy Antics is "a Wheelie good time" and when I finally found out what to do with this challenge, I did have a good time making it.

I made a shadow box from an old cigar box, I used Smeared Ink digi set "as Death" and the TH dies Weathered clock and Gadget Gears, the gravestones are "Happy Hauntings" cricut cartridge.

Hope you like the result:

I will enter this project to the following challenges

http://www.papercreationsink.com/2012/01/challenge-16-die-cuts-andor-punches.html

http://artimpressionsstamps.blogspot.com/2012/01/happy-new-year-and-happy-new-challenge.html

12 days of christmas day 10 and smudgy Antics challenge Gothic Christmas

This weeks challenge at Smudgy Antics has a christmas theme so I can cheat a bit and use my DT project as my day 10 of the 12 days of Christmas also :-). Anyway the theme is Gothic Christmas or Wicked Santa or Wicked Christmas, I chose the Gothic theme.

Here is my card:

I used Watchful Eye again he is one of my favourite Smeared Ink digi's I coloured the little fellow using my good old colouring pencils and some glitter gel pens. Then put him on some christmas paper and to give it a Gothic feel I cut out a black candle using my Cricut machine (31 oct. cartridge)and added some metal corners,red glitter roses and some black leaves.

I think it turned out fine, and send this as my christmas card to friends of us(Ronald & Christa hope you like it).
I hope you will come and play with us at Smudgy Antics Challenge Blog this week, there are a lot of themes to choose from .......

The blog roll of the other jolly bloggers is in my side bar, go and check their awesome projects out, you will love it.

Today I made one of the 12 tags of christmas by Tim Holtz that I missed, this is my version of tag 9.

Because I don't have the dies Tim used for this tag I used my Cricut to cut the lantern (mini monsters card) and the letters (happy hauntings card, spooky font.

And I made a birthday card for Rianne, she turned 14 and loves fashion and sewing, so I made her this (happy birthday Rianne!)

Hope you enjoyed this ( very long) post and see you again for day 11 of the 12 days of christmas on dec. 21.

I'm entering the following challenges:
http://craftyhazelnutschristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/ Anything goes for Christmas

http://christmasblogchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/12/be-different.html Be different

http://ppp-makeitmonday.blogspot.com/

http://lexiscreations.blogspot.com/2011/12/challenge-55-and-winners-of-54.html

31 days of Halloween DAY 21

Today a Smeared Ink Stamp only project for the 31 days of Halloween.

I made a shadow box.

This is the outside

The hinges and the key hole are Tim Holtz Alterations, the "Beware" stamps is Smeared Ink

And the inside:

The bat stamp is also Smeared Ink

The graveyard and the tree are Cricut Happy Hauntings

The Jack Skellington Head was homemade (used clay and painted it black and white)

Sorry I turned the pics but for some reason the won't stay the right way.

See you for day 22, also check the other Wicked blogs.

31 days of Halloween DAY 19

Here's Day 19 for the 31 days of Halloween

A Trick or Treat bag, the pumpkin is a foam stamp and "Beware" is a Smeared Ink digi.

The frame is Cricut Happy Hauntings cartridge

Check out the other wicked bloggers and leave them some comments for all the awesome projects they make.

See you tomorrow for day 20.

Weekly challenge at Smudgy Antics and 31 days of Halloween DAY 10

My project for the Smudgy Antics Challenge Black Birds. Not Halloween themed.

I used the Smeared Ink digi Blue Birdrider and the dead dancer fallen digi to put on the cover of an altered notebook.

I took a blanc note book like this

first take the front and the back cover out of the wire

Put designer paper on the front and the back cover, and punch the holes. I embossed gold coloured cardstock using the cuttlebug and glued it to the front of the book.

printed the digi's and coloured them using Letraset Aquamarkers and cut them out. I turned the dead dancer upsidedown so she would fit in the claw of the bluebird rider (I made an almost blackbird of him to fit the challenge, didn't want to make him to dark so added some purple and dark blue)and attached both digi's to the embossed cardstock.

Hope you will join us for the challenge here

And then day 10 of the 31 days of Halloween sponsored by Smeared Ink

A trick or treat bag, The pumkin is from the Happy Haunting Cricut cartridge and the Bats and the Trick or Treat are foam stamps (I think Making Memories).

Be sure to see all the other Wicked Bloggers, see side bar for blog roll.

See you day 11

Dead Divas 2

Here another project for Dead Divas Challenge at Smudgy Antics

I used a canvas that I covered with music paper "Die Zauberflute by Mozart)
Used the dress form, winged hearts and birds cage Alterations dies to make the body and wings, Dress is a piece of ribbon and the head a digi stamp from Smeared Ink (set " a little bit batty. The frame was made using cricut machine and Happy Hauting cartridge. Added stickles to the skulls eyes. Teh background music paper was inked with distress inks tumbled glas and peeled paint.

If you want to join the challenge go to Smudgey Antics blog

Dead Divas challenge at Smudgy Antics

Here is my first DT project for Smudge Antics August Challenge " Dead Divas

I used the Smeared Ink digis "a little bit batty" and the cricut expressions machine for the skeleton (used cartridges: Happy Haunting, Happily Everafter and Paperdoll Dress Up).
If you want to join the challenge, go over to Smudgy Antics and read all about it :-)