Save the Frogs

So I've been working on a project for several weeks now.  It's an art contest entry for the annual Save the Frogs! Contest.  I found the contest while looking for some art competitions online.  I have special affinity for frogs, have since I was a kid.  I used to catch frogs in the creek near my home and I remember the day I was lucky enough to find a humongous bull frog hiding in a bush in my front yard.

With my affinity for frogs and art, I couldn't resist, and decided I'd enter.  I don't know if I'm allowed to share my entry yet, but at some point I definitely will.  I can tell you a bit about the piece though - I've drawn a bunch of frogs in the grass and depicted an image of what happens after it rains.  I can remember many a rainy nights when there were miniature frogs hopping all over the yard and the road.

Save the Frogs! is a non-profit organization looking to prevent the mass extinction of amphibian populations.  The annual art contest encourages artists to be creative and the art is used to spread awareness of the issue.  Last year, the organization received more than 9000 art entries from more than 60 countries.  Anyone of any age can participate.  The contest runs from January to October 15 each year.  This contest is great for adults, students, kids looking for a fun project, and even entire classes have participated in the past.  I had a lot of fun creating my entry, and I encourage anyone who likes art to let their inner artist shine for a good cause.  You can find out all the details and view the artwork previously submitted at Savethefrogs.com/art.  Good Luck!

What Inspires You?

by Dayna Winters.

Today's art prompt suggested I draw or write an image about what inspires me.  I went with the use of a graphite pencil to sketch out the image, and later colored it with colored pencils.  I wanted to depict mother nature with flowers all through her long flowing hair, but I also wanted to give her an extra fantastical appearance, since my art is inspired by fantasy, myth, and nature.

I thought it would be cool if she were blowing dandelion pappi ( the little wispy things that blow in the wind and children make wishes with, and and yes, I had to look it up...winks).  As I was drawing, I decided to make the pappi form the word "inspire."  I think the idea worked out well, since the word "inspire" is derived from the Latin inspirare meaning blow into or breathe. 

Drawing Your Favorite Brand

by Dayna Winters.

Today's art prompt in the October 31 Day Art Journal Challenge was to incorporate the label of one of my favorite brands into a piece of art.  I chose to draw of Opium perfume.  It's a fragrance I have loved for many years! I incorporated a few other items to make the sketch more interesting...a picture of  an antique, handheld mirror, and a few beautiful vintage perfume bottles.  I decided to use graphite pencil for the drawing and leave the image in black and white.

The bottle to the left side of the drawing reminded me of a bottle my grandmother had - or at least it was something similar.  I remember the metal meshwork at the bottom of the bottle and the unusual shape/design.  I had a great time using the new blending sticks/stumps I picked up - they are made of tightly wrapped paper and they make blending the graphite into a smooth design extremely easy to do.  

Before I was relying on an old eraser or my fingers to blend the lines and shading.  They come in a multi-pack of 10 with different sizes, lengths, widths, and tips.  You can see a larger image of the blending sticks below.  The blending stumps do a far better job.  I got them for relatively little expense and highly recommend them.  I'm using Loew-Cornell Blending Stumps and Tortillons made of tightly wrapped soft paper felt.  You can get them in a 10 pack for just under $6.00.

Art Journaling - The Creation of the Silver Lady

"Silver Lady," by Dayna Winters.

There's been a lot of talk and communication about the Blood Moon in October.  A recent art journal prompt suggested I "create the moon," in a work of art.  I decided I wanted to draw an image of the moon with a feminine appearance.  I've heard some of my friends say that it is not very often you see the moon as feminine - a lot of time the moon is depicted as male.  I originally started the piece with colored pencils.  I got a chance to pick up some blending stumps and I liked how they worked in terms of blending and minimizing the grainy-look pencils sometimes leave behind.  

When I had the basic image done however, I thought long and hard about doing the background with paint.  I decided to go with the urge.  I mixed a dark blue with some black to make it even darker - I wanted to emulate the look of deep space and a darkened sky.  As I worked the paint around the moon image I drew, I just went with it, not worrying about whether or not I went over the lines.  I spread paint into the image as well, to give the image a more unified appearance with the dark space around it.  I took white paint while the dark blue paint was still wet, and I ran circles around the moon's body to give the illusion of light.  The stars in the background were easily created with white, pink, and light blue paint splatters.  I finished the piece off by adding a little black glitter paint to the eye, mouth, and outer light ring. This was my first real attempt at creating anything with mixed media.

When I put the painting away to dry, I had the image tilted a bit.  When I went back to check on it later, an interesting thing had happened...the glitter paint in the eye had bled and dripped down, forming a single teardrop falling from the moon's eye!  I thought it looked amazing and decided to keep it!  My son pointed out that I had painted the blue moon and the moon was not only visually blue, but emotionally blue too.  I titled this piece: "Silver Lady," and the signed original is for sale.  I'll be making the picture available in the form of reprints as well.

Art Journaling - Drawing Something With Wings

The sixth prompt for the art challenge I'm participating in suggested I draw something with wings.  Usually I would have whipped up a fairy as I love drawing and painting them, but I wanted to do something a little different this time.  I found a depiction of a jeweled Egyptian Scarab and decided to draw it.  I like what the scarab symbolizes - rebirth, creative forces, eternity, cycling, and it's a solar symbol.  

In the body of the scarab, I used really tight vertical lines and a variety of different colors to make a interesting visual effect. I used the same technique in the reddish-orange disc symbolizing the sun.  To make golden edges, I used yellow colored pencils and then blended in a tan/light brown color.

Art Journaling - Exploring New Techniques

I enjoy art journal prompts - they challenge you to see things differently, to be creative, and to come up with innovative means for meeting the challenge.  For instance, the fifth prompt in the current challenge I'm participating in suggested sketching something that contained horizontal lines.  After reflecting on this a bit, I thought bumble bees might be an ideal image to incorporate into the sketch as their black and yellow coloring create horizontal stripes naturally. I added a few sunflowers and began to fill in the piece with colored pencils.  As I did, I wondered what it would be like if I was to make the entire image in horizontal lines.  I tried it in a small area and thought the end result looked neat.  

So I continued to do it through the entire image!  I like the result and hope to use the technique in future works.  I would have liked if the lines were tighter and straighter, and I'll go for this effect the next time I try it.

Update on Projects in the Works

In a post a while back I mentioned some really adorable pre-cut wood pieces.  I finally had an opportunity to finish a couple of them.  I am part of an Inspiration Tribe featuring a small group of women who seek to inspire on another. Each month I share a monthly mailing where we share some artwork with the other.  I took two precut wood pieces, a ladybug and a butterfly, and painted them with acrylics.  I then felted the back of them, added some magnets, and Wah la!  Handmade magnets.  It would definitely be a easy project if you want to do something for a daytime project with your kids.  

Precut pieces and magnets.

Here's a picture of the pieces in progress.  The wood cut owls and the flower are not quite finished yet.  I've got to get a bit of free time to polish them off.

Handmade wooden magnets in progress.

The finished magnets are large.  I added two magnets to the back of each to ensure stability.  You can use tacky glue or a glue gun to adhere the felt to the back of the magnet.  If you're going to make these and felt the back, I suggest you get a fabric pencil for tracing the precut wood shape onto the felt.  It will definitely lead to easier cutting.  

I remained true to the traditional colors of the lady bug and monarch butterfly, for the most part, but if you  wanted to, you can let your imagination run wild and paint them any color you desire.  The finished ladybug and butterful look like this:

Completed Ladybug and Butterfly Magnets.

I sent the two magnets to my friend, and later found out it was exactly what she needed.  The ladybug is a symbol of luck and the butterfly a symbol of transformation.  I hope they bring her many smiles in the future. In turn, last month I got a lovely piece of artwork from my friend:

 

The piece reminds me to be kind to myself and to view myself as a friend would, but I was also cautioned to keep a firm grasp on my own perspective too.  The owl piece is absolutely adorable!  I had wanted to brag about it earlier, but am just getting the chance to do so now.  I love the piece especially because of its portability and its downright adorableness!  I look forward to our monthly mailings - it's nice to get positive things in the mail on a monthly basis!

Art Journal Prompt 4 - What Color is Your Rainbow?

The fourth prompt for the October 31 Day Art Journal Challenge encouraged me to choose my favorite color and create a rainbow of it with all the various shades the color could produce.  Anyone who knows me well will tell you that red is one of my favorite colors.  I made up a rainbow arch featuring degrees of red with everything from pink, to salmon, to fuschia, to red, to orange.  I then found the perfect poem relating to rainbows entitled "My Dream of Iris," by Mark R Slaughter.  Iris is the goddess of rainbows as well as a messenger of the gods.  The last stanza in the poem is my absolute favorite, so I put in right inside the arch of the red rainbow I created.  It is a plea to Iris and reads:

"Take us on your wing to new endeavours -

Show that nothing in the ethers tempers you!

And every time you render us a rainbow,

See it fires a lust for zest anew!"

The art prompts are really ideal for people of all ages, and you might find some of them great for a family project.  You might even want to suggest them to your kids if they are looking for something to do on a rainy day.  You can find the prompts at Nicci.ca.

Art Journal Challenge Prompt 2 and 3

For the second prompt in the October Art Journal Challenge, I was encouraged to write about one of my favorite memories.  I remember flying kites with my kids when they were younger, and made a simple, colorful sketch to reflect that fact:

 Then, for prompt 3, I was encouraged to draw something related to what I would consider my life's theme song.  Humorously enough, I figured I'd choose the song "Witchy Woman," by the Eagles.  I added a variety of symbols to the image including a pentacle, goddess symbol, god symbol, a conical hat, and Hecate's Circle.  I then had a little bit of fun playing with color and scribbling in rainbow colors!   The sketch actually worked out thematically since it's October and the Season of the Witch too (smiles).

Then, in some free time, I sketched a picture of my son Michael holding his ferret.  The sketch came out pretty good, although I still think I'm truncating some of my images. In the meantime, back on the farm, I've got a couple of projects going and I'm pacing myself to get them done.  There will be more on those projects in future blogs. :)

"Mikey," by Dayna Winters.

Working With Some Color

My husband was kind enough to take me to the craft shop the other day, and he, knowing full well my passion for art, picked up a set of 36 Coloursoft Pencils (And you gotta love a guy who really appreciates the things you're passionate about ya know?).  I had never worked with them before, but heard they were good and I wanted to try them out.  I've worked with less expensive colored pencils in the past, and they always made pictures look really grainy with large sections of missing color or undesired gaps.  I was amazed at how beautifully the Prismcolor pencils worked and I gotta say, I'm hooked.  I love them!  I have a feeling I'll be using them a lot more in the future. (wink).  

The first image I drew with the pencils is Marilyn Monroe.  Now, when I did this drawing, and the one that followed, for the first time, I did not create an outline first.  Instead, I worked purely with color in small sections and literally built up the picture slowly.  Admittedly, the first couple of attempts failed miserably, but three times a charm - I figured  out how to make it work and I am extremely happy with the outcome.

"Marilyn Monroe," by Dayna Winters.

After completing the drawing of Monroe, the next day I decided to try drawing Lucille Ball.  I love how the pencils really make her hair color stand out in the drawing, and I found that the pencils make blending colors quite easy.  I'm eager to use the pencils again, and I have a few projects that lie ahead.  ;)

"Lucille Ball," by Dayna Winters.

Conclusion of 29Faces

I am saddened that the 29 Faces Challenge is over until February.  I had so much fun doing the drawings, challenging myself, and meeting other artists.  So, I've decided to jump right into another challenge - The 31 Day Art Journal Challenge, where you get a prompt a day and you create whatever the prompt suggests! I found a spiral sketch book I had laying around and chose to make it my journal for the challenge.  I designed an art journal cover page to get started:

"Art Journal Cover Page," by Dayna Winters.

 For day one, the prompt "Day After Day," was offered - The prompt suggested that if I could have whatever design I wanted on a mailbox with whatever materials I wanted to use, that I should sketch my ideal mailbox design.  At first, I had no idea what kind of design I was going to come up with - then I found a gorgeous tribal tattoo online that I really liked and the image got my ideas flowing.  So, I ended up sketching a mailbox with an owl in a mosaic design!

"Day After Day," Prompt 1 - 31 Day Art Journal Challenge.

With a great bout of insomnia last night and some free time a few days back, I had some time to polish off a couple of new sketches too.  I drew a sketch of Pierce Brosnan and one of Bruce Willis.  I think the sketch of Willis is more true to life than the sketch of Brosnan.  I sketched Madonna as well.  I like sketching because it is something I can do, even if I'm on the go, in a waiting room, or just relaxing.  Most times, a draw a little, take a break or two, and return to the drawing later, just so I don't force the issue and become frustrated.

"Bruce Willis," by Dayna Winters.

"Pierce Brosnan," by Dayna Winters.

"Madonna," by Dayna Winters.

Finally, I got the most adorable sketch of one of our pugs - Precious.  As I was taking photos of the dogs, Precious proved shes a big ham by standing in front of the camera and not letting me take pictures of Puggy.  She just had to be in the camera  and kept walking in front of Puggy to prove it!  Anyway, I was waiting to get into an appointment and had a chance to whip up this sketch of her:

"Precious," by Dayna Winters.

A Few More Sketches Done In Some Down Time

"The Maiden," by Dayna Winters.

When it comes time to unwind, I love to sketch and I like challenging myself to try and draw new people, places, or things.  I came across a picture in the public domain of a young lady that reminded me of the maiden aspect of the goddess, so I drew her.  The medium is graphite pencil, although I'm now looking into potentially investing in some prismcolor soft core color pencils so I can render some sketches in color.  In the meantime, I'm still working on an art contest submission and hope to have it finished soon - I've got a lot of paintings on the back burner and so many other projects I want to do too.  The young lady has a ring of flowers on her head and I like the look of deep contemplation she has on her face.  The whole time I was drawing I could here the words, "Mother, Maiden, Crone, Hear the words I intone..." (From the second book I co-authored, "Sacred Objects, Sacred Space."

"Tom Hanks," by Dayna Winters.

Then, I decided to sketch a picture of Tom Hanks (yes, I know...seems kind of random and it really is (wink).  I didn't have too much trouble with the drawing, except for when it came time to draw the chin - It was a challenge to get the chin just right.  Interestingly, I had the same problem with the sketch after that - a depiction of George Clooney. I also struggled with drawing the ears.  I'm definitely in need of some more practice.  Tom Hank's role in The Green Mile, I think, is by far one of my favorites.  I also liked the movies Big, Castaway, The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and I can still vaguely remember his role in the TV show Bosom Buddies (yes, I think I just aged myself).

The movies I liked Clooney in include From Dusk till Dawn, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.  I know he played Batman, but in all honesty, my favorite actor in the role of Batman will always be Michael Keaton.  In the drawing, as I mentioned earlier, I had trouble with the shape of the face.  I struggled with drawing the mouth as well, and I think the depiction still needs work.