Tale-ing Fragments #9: artist, be you

I think that one of the best things I've learned lately is the importance of play. You know how they say that kids learn about the world through playing? Well, it works for art too :) The more you play the more you understand your medium, material and personal style. It's nothing new, really, we all know the saying "practice makes perfect", right? But I feel there's a difference. I've never really liked "practice makes perfect", for one thing - I rather like imperfections, but more importantly it suggests a specific outcome goal that would make everything better, but what if you find something on the way you like even more? That's why I like "playing" better, it's still trying out stuff, but it gives much more room to follow what ever happy (or not-so-happy) accidents happen along the way. I know it's just words, but let's face it, "practice" sounds like homework, "playing" sounds like fun, and it is!
This collage is one result of my recent playtime. It, and the above "I like playing" monologue, are largely inspired by Tim Holtz's FB live demos. There's something amazingly inspiring about seeing someone doing and sharing what he loves, his enthusiasm and joy is visible and catching. He always says we should play more, and if my Instagram feed is any indication - we do (check out the timholtzdemo hashtag to see how many are playing along!).
I've been making these Tale-ing Fragments for a while now, and they're usually a form of collage, so I decided to try and make one without pre-planing, just play and see what happens. To give myself a start point, I took up Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge blog's theme "It's a man thing", and added my own theme - art. I picked this youth from the Found Relatives pics, doesn't he looks like a dreamer? I think so. I also think he looks a bit sad, like maybe things didn't quite go as he hoped.

That gave me a snippet of his story, so I found some texts that would fit. I usually use a sentence or two, but I like how the texts in this collage tell a story without... well, telling it XD

I used washi tapes, stenciled fabric and stamps in the background and purposely kept most of these elements in subtle coloring so that the colors of "painting" background really pops. It was made with one of my favorite Simon Says stamp stencil and distress crayons. I love how the crayons catch the brushstroke texture from the base, and their colors are so rich!

Most of the coloring in this piece was made with crayons, which amazes me because just a few weeks back I never would have used them like this, they were accent paint for me, but now - oh the possibilities...

This collage resonates things I felt over the years, questioning myself or having to answer to others' questioning. It's relevant to so many aspects of life, but when creating it's almost always there, it's just part of the process I guess. It does take courage to be you, and not only in art, but in the creative process I find that playing really helps, if only because when I call it play I don't take myself too seriously and just have fun. I don't know about you, but I learn and do a lot better when I'm having fun ;)

Hope you're all safe and well, 

xx

Naama

click for the challenge and awesome inspiration🤎

Mechanical Blooms

"Bloom where you are Planted"

I think that the idea behind this saying is very fitting for our current time, the covid-19 situation has placed us all in uncharted territory on some level, be it working from home, not going outside or meeting the people you love. It's all so confusing, but the best we can do is keep positive and try to make the best with our time.
Like many artists and crafters I found that I have more time to experiment, play around with materials without really thinking or aiming for a specific outcome. The project I'm sharing today came about as I was experimenting with different techniques, I'll try to break it down a bit.

The background brick wall texture was made using a variation of the Distress Glazes & Crayons technique Tim Holtz shared in his (now becoming regular - yay!) Saturday demo about two weeks ago that focused on Distress Crayons. I used it over Texture Paste applied through a brick stencil and I love the results! (I was asked to make a tutorial for this brick wall variation, you can find the video in my Facebook page here). I cut out the brick texture to the size I wanted and adhered it to my background, in the final stages I added a bit of moss 💚 

The flowers were actually inspired by a stamp image of a flower made from metal plates. If you follow me on social media you know I've been making paper flowers for a while (usually tiny ones), I thought why not try make a metal-paper flower? I used embossing folders for the petals and electric wire for the stem of two flowers, the third I just nailed down 😂

I'm still working on this idea, but for now - definitely like these whimsical blooms!

I wanted to add a message, but when I put down a sentiment strip it just didn't fit, it felt too detached from the quirk-celebration going on, so I decided to play with it :)
I cut the sentiment in gold letters and then cut a whole lot more letters in black and scattered the letters of the message between random black letters. The message is still readable, but you might need a moment to piece it together, so it becomes more a part of the background than a focal point. The black letters are barely visible at first, but it's surprising just how much these kind of details add to the final piece.

I'm not sure I covered everything, it's a small piece (20x15cm) but there's a LOT going on! If  missed something - feel free to ask! ^^

I'm entering this project in two challenge blogs: the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge Blog that has a texture theme this week, and the Sandee & Amelie Steampunk Challenge Blog that extended their March challenge to give us all some more time to play :)

SASPC Blog

  

SSS Monday Challenge Blog

Hope you enjoyed this project, keep safe and keep that smile on your face :)

xx

Naama

Muses #1: Alterman's Moon

We all have muses in our lives: poems, movies, books, a sentence that caught with us and stayed around. One of mine is this poem by Natan Alterman (1910-1970) titled "Moon":

* Based on a translation by Lewis Glinert.

This poem was written in 1938, it's one of Alterman's best known works an much can and has been be said about it. For me, reading it years back, I was left with two main impressions: the idea that a familiar, everyday sight can seem new again and the visual of a moon at the spear of a cypress tree. (Alterman talks of a Mediterranean cypress, Cupressus or "Brosh" in Hebrew, that is characterized by a tall and narrow canopy that is often spear-like in shape). I've often found myself reminded of this poem when seeing just this sight: the moon at the point of a tree, and it always made me smile because it felt fresh and wondrous, no matter how many times I saw it :)
I love this poem always, but in these crazy times it warms my heart even more. It's not without poignancy, but it expresses wonder before minute, everyday things that we usually don't acknowledge, and I think that within the craziness and uncertainty we currently live in it's more important than ever to remember the little things that make us smile.
So look out your window tonight, find the moon at the point of a tree and smile back at it 🤍

This collage was in my head for a while, working out how I want it to look when, a few days back, I saw a demo of the paints I used (Distress Crayons, demonstrated by the one and only Tim Holtz) and bam - I knew they would be perfect!

I wanted the background to have the lyrics repeatedly, so I printed them on the blank Collage Paper (my new best friend in collage making) in different font sizes and scattered them about. Then I colored over the background with Distress Crayons, they gave the exact vivacity I was looking for while keeping the text visible. The tree is an Idea-ology half-tree that got a tint and a new hairdo to look like a Cupressus tree. The lovely moon was made with alcohol inks - I love how textured it looks!

For the trail I used the new Distress Glazes + Crayons technique Tim shared in his demo that creates all these little pits, isn't it the coolest??

This was one of these projects that took a lot of time hibernating in my brain before I started working, and maybe that's why it didn't take very long to finish. It's nothing too fancy, but it's close to my heart (and already on my wall). I felt like sharing it, so aside from posting it here I'm entering it to the Simon Says Stamp weekly Wednesday Challenge, which has an Anything Goes theme this week.

I hope this project will give you a smile, keep safe and find the little things that make you happy,

xx
Naama