Mark Making With My Hand Made Brushes

…..using ink

I know that my hand made brushes will react differently to different media and the type of paper I use. Yesterday I used simple newsprint to experiment on and I painted with black India ink and green and gold acrylic ink.

0-DE5-E518-3-B2-F-4092-A32-A-A80-C643603-DD
704786-B7-AB67-4-E64-9-B8-D-4086654-A640-A
3928-F806-0-B59-4-B2-C-8-D03-F81383-AE4-EED
FA010569-EFE3-4-CEB-8-D21-1236974-FE23-A
B89-F93-D1-02-CE-485-D-9-B6-E-7-AB5-C8-ABB17-F
8-BB81-F5-E-3172-4545-9-CCF-6-C4-B30098-AC6
FA44-DB1-C-0-E9-A-4-C25-89-E9-BB325-B0979-D4
190-EB50-B-3-E2-D-4-EAC-988-F-0-CB7-E8244286

Most of the brushes produced very thin lines but the simplest brush with the larger buds produced the bigger marks. I’m planning on trying this again using acrylic paint to see if the more viscous media leaves more dramatic marks. Maybe I’ll try watercolours as well but I suspect they will react the same way that the inks did. These papers will come in handy for collage work that I’m planning on creating for the next show.

Making Hand Made Brushes

….from materials from the garden and the water’s edge

After completing my three art pieces for this weekend’s Small Gems Show I started to delve into some video art classes that I recently purchased. The first class is called Loosen Up and Tara Lever has produced some very inspiring lessons. One of the first ones is making your own brushes from natural materials.

I thoroughly enjoyed going on a foraging trip through my garden and the park at the end of my street. I came back with a bag full of interesting plant material.

E666049-D-850-C-4702-9-CD8-786862-DFFE88
80-F7-BB13-D144-47-B1-A1-BD-BFA3-E1-EB63-C7

After sorting through the stems of dried materials I started to bunch them together and wrapped them with yarn, thread and wool. I loved doing this and when I finished I placed them in a vase that I made a couple of years ago.

1-CFD7667-976-B-455-D-AFA2-4-FEED526-B357
1-EC9-A524-36-F7-4056-B7-C4-3689-AC9-E8-ED6
74-BCAC60-F23-D-4-BE5-B8-A3-29926-F289272
DC02-B561-6-AA6-4-BA0-B079-D4187-B1-E0-BB1

Now I’m ready to get out my ink and paints and experiment with mark making using my new brushes. Some of them may not hold up well but that’s okay. I’ll post some of my experiments later this week.

Cheers!

Monday Murals and Sunday Trees All Rolled into One

….these lovely murals are surrounding the trees at U of T so they don’t get damaged during construction

63-AC06-CB-1-B36-4-B93-9918-C8-E195455-FE1
AF0-AEA0-C-425-F-4-CD7-91-F8-841-AE50-A02-FA
D72-B291-D-3416-4-AA8-8517-2-C6-F97-D55-FE8
E0-DEC7-CE-B928-467-F-938-B-E85-F3-A73-B791
2566-E5-A9-F9-C7-404-C-AD0-B-55-D7-D04-BC6-FF
C2-DAE5-E1-F6-BF-4213-B18-B-9-A838-F67-FACF
3-DEBEE1-F-FFB8-4-F2-C-AD64-451-AA1-E1-A8-CA
77-DC15-F3-5423-4017-93-C2-5055607-E275-C

Thanks to Sami for hosting Monday Mural https://sami-colourfulworld.blogspot.com/2021/11/monday-mural-cheeky-dogs.html

Lens Artists Photo Challenge – Shapes and Designs

Thanks to Patti for hosting this week’s Lens Artists Photo Challenge https://pilotfishblog.com/2021/11/13/lens-artists-photo-challenge-174-shapes-and-designs/

Shapes and designs are found everywhere. From the simple forms and lines found in nature to man made art and architecture.

6-C3685-EE-7490-429-C-A840-7159343-BD3-A8
15-F82-C27-0189-4904-9-A8-E-FB4-F4-AA91030
Nature’s art
13-B647-AC-56-D0-4-F8-A-A5-ED-57-E42-B770-D0-F-1-201-a
06436-BF9-AFF7-4-D3-F-8626-3132-FDA68-DEB
74-E8-A8-E8-EE67-4-AD7-83-AF-6-F3281-BA22-AA
Quilt art
36-F79678-39-A1-4-ADD-8-F35-4-BD8-B5-EC2706
Wall art at the mall
808-E9887-822-D-467-A-ADA2-98092971-F2-AA
Computer screen art
F492-F91-E-7-F7-B-45-D4-826-E-3-FF7255-CC8-E7
Rounds of fresh baked bread
5277-D71-B-CD16-4-E5-F-A7-A5-87-A1-BF88-DE2-C
Garden art
A3622297-D9-AD-45-AF-8-BB0-6-B45-E6-C92-DC8
Wall art
8325-C8-A7-5-A3-E-4-E38-AC73-9575-FEF74472-1-201-a
Mosaic Glass
51094-B93-779-B-41-D4-A9-ED-89-F7-E275-EDBC
Stacked stones
55131-C52-2-B83-4155-AD64-01-D64957-A012
Sewer cover
0-E692125-032-C-49-C1-99-F6-A6-BB9-B483-FBA
Split log
FA49-B347-199-C-4356-AA43-D5-B8-FC9-CF7-D4
Glass art
50-CE5-FFC-B8-EA-48-C5-B027-2-C9944109-E5-E
Bike rack
3-EA24944-FB23-4-CBD-A2-F7-58-F73707-BCB6
C6268-CE2-8-E78-4448-B2-B1-03-F59-E548-D4-A
Leather art

Crosswords: What Did You Do During COVID?

….Margaret Rodgers used her love of crosswords as her subject for her art show at the Ruth Upjohn Gallery, Women’s Art Association of Canada

Using paint and collage Margaret created these beautiful works of art to highlight a very common activity that probably saw an uptick in popularity in the last two years.

55-E078-B0-28-B9-490-C-8-C69-074454838520
187-C799-A-D3-C4-4905-95-B8-0-AA22-E45072-C
A595-C3-DA-C5-E7-49-FD-A0-D2-937-D9-D70-C08-D
FA425870-A5-CB-4839-91-BC-1959-E413-EC28

I also found the use of words very interesting. I don’t know if she was purposely trying to make a political statement but words like power, vote, elect, money, power, mock, jokers, and autocrat leads me to think that this might be the case. We also just recently had a federal election. The longer I look at these pieces I see more interesting themes.

If you’re in Toronto, the show is on for one more day. The last day is Tuesday, November 16.

Life in Colour Challenge – Black or Grey

….thanks to Jude for hosting the Life in Colour Challenge https://traveltalk.me.uk/2021/11/07/life-in-colour-32/

Black or grey are technically not colours and the challenge is not to post black and white photos but objects that are black or grey in a colourful world.

IMG-4212
Sculpture at the McMichael Sculpture Garden
IMG-4190
IMG-3376
Painting at the McMichael Gallery
IMG-3078
Beach stones
IMG-2528
Black squirrel in my front yard