i got my hands pleasantly messy with clay.  i sculpted this little guy.  i used an armiture of wadded up newspaper and formed from there. 

i didn't know what i was doing or where i was going with this.  it was so much fun.  i used woodburning letters to make the word faith on his chest.  and i decided to make him functional and be able to hold something.

it took a few days to really dry out.  i kept checking him on the kitchen window sill.  when he finally didn't feel cold and clammy, i knew he was ready for paint.  i first used adirondak dyes and then used some acrylic to make some of the color more intense.  some of the dyes that were more greenish, i thought looked kinda mossy, which i loved.

looking around i put some tree branches and a little bird in his arms.  i was thinking shells, or leaves in the fall would look cute too.

still lovin' those apps on my phone!  this was all on instagram.

i am in the midst of misty mawn's 5 week online art course.  i wanted to take this course because i just love misty's open and free work.  she is spontaneous and uses many different mediums and i wanted to get a taste of that.  i will post as i do new work.  it's not easy finding the time though!  i am already sooo behind!  but luckily it seems that may others are as well.  with working and teaching grumbacher painting classes - and doing one of the paintings that i'll be teaching during the week so i can get the process before teaching, leaves me little time for this class.  but she is leaving the class up for us for a year...which is so freeing.  anyways...here is a journal page that i created...it's me, although it doesn't look like me.  she looks younger and has better eyelids...but i absolutely loved this exercise!  it really freed me up to just put down color instead of trying to be exact. 

fun with apps...

well i just got an iphone...not a new 4g model, but a 3g.

and with it came my excitement to get some photography apps...

had to run around my house and shoot some things and then add

fun effects to them...here's my messy art area...at least this effect kinda softens

the mess :)

and i love this one.  it's a lighted house that i keep up all year.  at christmas i put some snow at the base as well as trees on the sides of it.  this effect put white spots all over it which looks like snow coming down!  love it!

and this was a mary statue i got at the goodwill.  i got really close and then did a scratched photo effect.  i absolutely love it!

and i enrolled in misty mawn's e-course.  fun, fun, fun!  our first assignments are sketching with charcoal and pencils.  this is something i came up with tonight.  it's been soooo many years since i have done a portrait with charcoal.  i think i was in college!  so this was like rediscovering it all over again.  her class will last for 5 weeks.  i'm going to be sooo busy!  but it's definitely a good thing.

grow your blog in 2012 via one smart cookie!

just want to let you who blog, know about something coming up which i'm sure will be filled with a wealth of information:  one of my favorite blogs called miss mustard seed will be a part of a 5 blog hop that will give information for growing your blog...for FREE.

i just want to first tell you a little about miss mustard seed.  i have been following her since i started blogging a little over a year ago.  i have this alter ego...i'm basically a want-to-be picker.  i just love going to garage sales, flea markets, etc. and finding things that what you call "another's trash".  i have an eye (so i think) for decorating and that is filled with things that are old.  why?  i just love the feeling of history...of age (which a lot of times means better made)...of uniqueness...one of a kind...or nostalgic.  well, miss mustard seed aka marian, finds things, and has become quite skilled with transforming what someone else would call dated or old, into a beautiful piece by painting, recovering, revamping.  she has really made a name for herself quite quickly too.  she has a huge following.  she is a spokesperson for many products, and is writing her first book.  she is also a mother of youngin's, and a youth pastors wife.  she's a busy bee.  and i always read her daily posts.  always.  well she's a part of a small blog hop for you...and me...and anyone else to get information on what she and these others have done to grow their blogs called

so...i just wanted to pass on this information to YOU.  stop by her blog and read more...i hope you learn and grow in 2012.  happy new year!!!