Friday Art Smorgasbord - Field of Dreams

Greetings!  Today, I am proud to be celebrating the first year anniversary of "Arnoldo L. Romero Art & Design Blog."  Just like in the movie Field of Dreams, I felt that "If you build it, he (or they) will come."  However, during my first 9 posts, I had no comments and only a few views according to my stats.  I did not give up and kept on working on it.  Eventually, you started coming, leaving comments, and/or joining my list of followers.  My blog audience is now growing - THANK YOU!

Pen and Ink
5x7" Art Journal
© Arnoldo L. Romero 2012

In addition to my blog, I am now an artist team member on several other blogs.  One of them is Tag Tuesday, where Carolyn Saxby asked us to use a "Rock Pool" theme.  In order to become more familiar with rock pools, I did a little research on them and stumbled upon a picture of a little girl holding a crab.  I loved the image, so I decided to use it for my Twenty Minute Challenge post, where I'm a member of Teri Casper's artist team.  Since it goes with the theme, I am also submitting this art journal page to The Order of the Opus Gluei - Challenge # 135, Where'd you get your suntan?

Mixed Media
Bookmark Tag
© Arnoldo L. Romero 2012

As I continued my rock pool research, I remembered an incident that took place during a family vacation.  During a walk, we saw a crawfish crossing a parking lot.  I though it would be a great opportunity to teach my girls about the local fauna.  Well, the feisty little creature did not like the idea, and immediately propped his claws up at us when we approached it.  Our youngest daughter screeched in terror, and it ended my lesson.  The memory of that incident gave me an idea.  You may recall Anel, the character I've been developing (From a Dream and Nursery Rhyme - Mary Had a Little Lamb).  I decided to use Anel to illustrate what would happen if the incident had taken place at a rock pool.  Since it fits, I am also submitting my tag bookmark to Craft Artwork - Holiday Tag, where they now know me on a first name basis too - LOL!

Mixed Media
5x7" Art Journal
© Arnoldo L. Romero 2012

Another blog where I am also a member is Art Monday.  Our head, Mike, asked us to illustrate our favorite superhero team.  Around 2001, when my family and I first got cable TV, my girls started watching the "Powerpuff Girls" on Cartoon Network.  The show, which was created by animator Craig McCracken, centered around Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, 3 kindergarten-aged girls with super powers.  It was a fun and wholesome show that we enjoyed watching together, so I chose to illustrate the main characters.  Although my daughters are now in High School and College, they still remember the Powerpuffs' names.  LOL!  Even though I didn't use stamps, I am submitting this to Simon Says Stamp and Show - Hey Girl, because of the theme, as well as to Crazy Amigo Challenge - Free Theme.

© Arnoldo L. Romero 2012

I love designing greeting cards, because they are a marvelous venue for me to incorporate my art work and hone on my graphic design skills.  I've featured a plethora of them in my blog during the year and entered them to various blog challenges.  The latter has allowed me to make many good friends, who are talented artist and/or designers.  Therefore, I felt I needed to make a card in lieu of my anniversary celebration.  I used the Card Positioning Systems CPS #275 sketch.  Since I am featuring a print of my painting of Christ titled I Need You Now, I am submitting it to Word Art Wednesday - Never Give Up too  Without Him, who provided me with strength, courage and wisdom, I probably would have given up on my blog.  Last, but not least, I used The Play Date Cafe PDCC #142 color story of cobalt, goldenrod and peony.  I used the color to design my focal point, which I attached to a neutral colored background print by Tim Holtz.  The latter 2 blog teams, which are led by Karen Letchworth and Julie Ranae respectively, have recognized my work on their blogs a couple of times.  Thanks!

© Arnoldo L. Romero 2012

Archangel Gabriel (UNFINISHED)
Acrylic 8x10" Canvas
© Arnoldo L. Romero 2012

This Summer, I found several new fun blogs.  I am submitting the two projects above to Julia Dunnit's, What's On Your Workdesk? - Week #164; to Eva and Kristin's Paint Party Friday - Week #20; and to Inspire Me Monday - Week 29.  The first picture is of an inspirational, yet practical, nook in my studio between two of my bookshelves.  I use the collection of vintage boxes to store my finished greeting cards and tags.  I found most of the boxes, as well as the 1930's Remington typewriter, at a local thrift store.  I made the sculpture of my hand a while back, and my iPad holds my eclectic collection of music - LOL!  (By the way, I got the chicken wire drawer set that some of you asked about in last week's post at a local Marshall's Department Store.)  The second picture is of an icon that I'm currently writing - you don't "paint" icons.  I sketched it out about a year ago, but hadn't worked on it until this week.  Icons are truly a meditative form of art, so I have to be in the proper frame of mind to work on them.  God willing, I should be finished with it soon, so that I may share the finished piece next week.

Nature in White
B&W Digital Photography
© Arnoldo L. Romero 2012

Mark 5:36
5x5" Art Journal
© Arnoldo L. Romero 2012

Just like Paint Party Friday, some of the blogs that I've joined this Summer dedicate themselves primarily to the fine arts.  I am submitting "Nature in White" to Bella Cirovic's 52 Photos Project - Gallery 14 {White}; and "Mark 5:36" to Jen McLean's Artist's Playroom # 19 and to Inspiration Avenue - Swirls.  The photographic composition that I put together consists of a ram skull and a couple of deer antlers, which are all indigenous to the Southwestern region of the United States where I live.  I emphasized the white in my subjects by transforming the photograph into a black and white image and adding a white mat.  For my art journal entry, I used the "ink, pens & paper" theme suggested by Jen, along with my calligraphic skills to write the text.  Then, I illuminated the letter "B" by adding flourishes which transformed into a vine of swirly flowers.  This was a fun project to work on.

ATC Collection
Various Media and Techniques
© Arnoldo L. Romero 2012

Finally, I want to present to you a collection of 7 of my ATCs that I worked on during the year.  I am submitting the collection to Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Anything Goes and the fish ATC collage to Collage Obsession - Fish Are Jumping.  Since I never participated in an ATC program, I am giving these ATCs away through a drawing in celebration of my blog anniversary - no trade necessary.  In order to be eligible to participate in the drawing, you must do the following:

1. Be a member of my blog.  If you are not currently a member, please join.
2. Leave a comment on this post by Thursday, August 2, 2012, and tell me you want to participate in the drawing.
3. I will post the winners' names on the Friday Art Smorgasbord, on August 3, 2012, and request that winners e-mail me their mailing addresses at that time.

Well, although my "Field of Dreams" is still very much a work in progress, I am very proud of its development thus far.  To begin with, I want to continue to broaden my audience, set my Etsy shop, and join a couple of other teams.  I want to thank all my blogging friends once again for your motivational comments and/or following my blog.  I also want to give a special thanks to all my artist team members at Tag Tuesday; Borqna, who awarded me the Liebster Blog Award; and Tenia Nelson, who conducted my interview for Fascinating Fridays.  Above all I thank my Lord, for a loving family and for allowing me to make it this far in my artistic journey, as I read, explore and create.  Blessings!