Artful August Challenge - in January! Week Four to end

Here is the final week (and a bit) from the daily challenge I did in January.  'Person' was a gel plate printed background, then masked shapes and Payne's Grey acrylic paint with white dots. This is a technique I have done before, but it's a good one.

For 'Shape', I knew I wanted to cut a shape into the page, so with a bit of advice from Chris, I did this.   I die cut shapes from painty papers and  made this colourful page.  You can glimpse a future page through the rectangle window.

'Type' was made using some interesting font stamps from my stash and a typewriter stamp from Visible image.  

I used some of my own stamped 'Tissue' paper as the background and added shapes in translucent paint.

'Botanical' was inspired by a page from a flower book which I made into the pocket.  

Inside the pocket I added a card.

I used stamps and embossing powder to demonstrate 'Resist'.  

I went with a vintage feel for 'Travel', just using stamps and ink. 

I enjoy creating 'Drip' and it's something that I use in my art journaling too.  This one used sparkle watercolour inks.

Two of my favourite books made up the background for 'Book' - 'Persuasion' and 'The Secret Garden'.

'Vintage' meant I could look through my many digikits and find some suitable images.  I added an embossed frame and a snippet of material with a button.

The back of the journal was covered with an alcohol ink gel print.

The front was stamped and had a die cut title added.

Finally, the inside cover was stamped and the prompts list was added.

This was such an enjoyable project to do during January and I may well look out for it again this August, for January 2024!
 

'Life' by Luxmuralis at Lincoln Cathedral

On Friday night, we went to Lincoln Cathedral to experience a sound and light show - 'Life' by Luxmuralis.  This group have created experiences all around the country, in Cathedrals and other large buildings.  You can read about them here.  As we slowly made our way around the Cathedral, there were films on a loop so you could stay and watch them for as long as you wanted. There were various themes in different parts of the building. (Unfortunately, my camera does not like low light conditions, so the photos are not the best, but they do give some idea of the spectacle.) The first film showed images of how we are damaging the planet. 

The second showed many different cultures through their art and textiles.

This section was my favourite with the William Morris patterns projecting onto all the arches. 

People became part of the show as the projection went onto them.

It was beautiful.

In the nave, projecting onto the back wall was the story of life, starting with a day, thunderstorms and moving up through sea life and then to insects and up through the animal kingdom, focusing on endangered animals and finally the sun setting.

The moths and butterflies looked like they were flapping their wings.

 

Finally, the last section showed time, with clocks and watches and then showing the earth slowly revolving.  How much time does the planet and all that is on it have left?  

It was a fabulous experience but was also thought provoking - how much damage humans have done.  However, there was also the celebration of what humans have achieved in art and culture, so there were positives too.

This has been the most popular event held at the Cathedral and was sold out.  There is a report about it here with a video clip that will give you more of an idea of what it was like. There are also more photos here which are just a little better than mine! I felt like I was in a giant kaleidoscope and am so pleased I was able to be there.  If a show like this is coming to a building near you, do go and see it.

In case you are interested, a blogger called Vix went to see a show near her and posted about it including a couple of video clips too.  It is about half way down the blog post. You can see it here. (I would have loved to have seen this one too).

Artful August Challenge - in January! Week Three

For 'Metal', I used an embossing folder and silver card for the centre panel, which I then distressed with acrylic paint and a dry brush technique.  The cogs and keys were stamped and then gilding flakes were applied.

A collage base with added 'Splatter', using some of my ephemera, stamps, die cuts and digi kit photos.

My 'Quote' was one about books - very appropriate as we have books in every room!

'Fold' was using some scrapbook paper and taking the the colours from the paper for the page.

If you unfold the paper, this rather serious face peers out at you.  My portraits have really improved over the last year and I do enjoy creating these small images. This was out of my imagination. 

'Abstract' gave me a chance to play with some new dies from Sizzix and Tim Holtz.  Originally, I was going to use the pieces that came out of the dies, but after having cut them, I loved the panels which were left, so used them instead.

'Paste' was simple, using texture paste through a stencil and then adding colour with watercolour pencils.

'Watercolour' was again using stencils, but with watercolour paint it gives a much gentler effect.  A stamp gave me the foreground image and some gold splatters finished it off.

One more post to come...
 

The garden in early February

I am pleased to say that the hellebores which were starting to flower in January have survived the frosts and are back looking good.  Above is Winter Sunshine.

Here is Hello Ruby...

...and Hello White Pearl.  Considering they had been flattened by the frosts, they have staged a terrific comeback.

Snowdrops are in flower too.  I love these seemingly delicate flowers.

These were some which I dug up (with permission) from my mum's previous garden.  

I do enjoy seeing them each year.

They are quite tall so may be an elwesii variety.

Other plants can be seen putting out tentative foliage.

Camellia Yoimachi is so pretty.

The rather sprawling and birds-nest like Winter flowering honeysuckle has really got into its stride...

...these tiny white flowers pack a punch of lily of the valley fragrance, but on a dull day, you have to get your nose right to the flower.

They are pretty little flowers. 

Finally for now, there are tulips starting to appear in the borders too.  It is all really exciting!