Whoop! Summer 2013

It is here!  Summer has officially started for me, since yesterday I officially checked out of my classroom at school.  Therefore, I'm dedicating this post to the Summer of 2013.

This first piece is a response to my blogging friend Pia Rom's Mix it Monthly - May/June Yellow Vintage Girl Goes Picasso challenge.  Pablo Picasso, the Spanish artist who is considered the father of collage in fine art, is one of my favorite artists because of the diversity in styles, media and techniques in his body of work.  I was inspired by his guitar collages where he combined paper scraps and line drawings in his compositions, to illustrate this piece.  I used Tim Holtz tissue for the background and a print of Pia's Picasso to cut the accessories.  The drawing was done using micron pens, Caran d'Ache artist crayons, and Stickles.  I am also submitting this page to Eva and Kristin's Paint Party Friday - Week 14/Year 3, Jen Price's In the Studio, Alexandra's Sunday Sketches, and Ramona's Inspire Me Monday - Week 76.

This second piece is an art journal reflection of what a home is to me, it "feeds the body, regenerates the mind, and warms the soul."  I couldn't find a quote that said everything I wanted, so I wrote this on my own.  I illustrated it by cutting free hand scraps of hand painted paper that I had in my stash, as well as print scraps from the previous project.  (I thought the negative stem shapes left behind from a previous project added a nice touch to my trees.  LOL!)  I added the hand lettering and line work with a micron pen and marker.  I am submitting this art journal page to Art Journal Journey 06/2013 ~ Home, Jennifer McLean's Artist Playroom #61 - Bizarre, Take a Word Challenge: - Cool Colors, Word Art Wednesday #84, and Manon's Paper Saturdays.

This third piece, titled Wendy's Wonderful Wagon, is my contribution to Tag Tuesday - Letter W.  I wrote a little alliteration piece to go with it - Welcome!  This is Wee Wendy Welsh, Who's Wistfully Waiting for Whitney, Who Whispered she'd come Wander around With her in her Wonderful Wagon, on Wednesday.  Anyway, I began by drawing the little girl in the wagon on an ATC sized card using micron pens, Prismacolor watercolor pencils, and markers, as well as aging it using a Tim Holtz distress ink pad.  I made the tag frame out of a K&Company Spring print and a scrap of plastic packaging using the Tim Holtz vintage cabinet card, mini cabinet, and punch dies, as well as the stripes embossing folder.  I embellished the tag with a Tim Holtz Philosophy tag, tiny staples, ribbons, fibers, and vintage buttons.  I am submitting this tag to Simon Says Stamp and Show - Button Challenge and Simon Says Stamp Challenge - Transport.

This fourth photograph is for What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday 210.  You can see my art journal opened to the fashion illustration page I posted on June 1st, as well as a page I used to stamp, doodle, and practice some of my lettering.  It features a portion of the passage from Proverbs 14:26, "His children shall have a place of refuge."  That's what my home and studio are to me.  I transformed the photograph into a coloring page using the ToonPaint app in my iPhone.  You have the option of using the digital brushes in the app to color the drawing, but I chose to simply add an orange layer over it.  I am also submitting this photograph to Orange You Glad It's Friday #42 and Mandarin Orange Monday #46.

The sirloin fajita steak in this photograph is for 52 Photos Project: Gallery 8 {Stripes}, which are formed in the grill.  I took the photograph when I was cooking out a couple of weeks ago.  I like to rub the fajitas with some seasoning, and then have them marinate in Mexican beer and lime for several hours.  I cook them in a closed barbecue grill for several minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the steak.  Then, I bring them in, let them rest for a couple of minutes, slice them into strips, and put them in a warm oven until I'm ready to serve them.  They are delicious in corn or flour tortillas with grilled onions, my pico de gallo chopped salsa, and smashed avocados.

I hope you enjoyed my tribute to Summer.  I also want to thank all of you that left such kind comments in my last post, as well as to those who are following me.  You don't know how much the latter blesses me and encourages me to continue creating.  As you may have noticed, I strongly believe in returning the favor by leaving a message in your blog as well, if I haven't already done so.  May your Summer be filled with blessings!  ¡Que su verano sea lleno de bendiciones!