This month's Creative Every Day focus is mixed media, which I am excited about...and a little nervous...it is always a little stressful starting something new.  Deep breaths.  So my immediate thoughts are...I would like to keep working with the figurative pieces...I just love sitting and drawing faces.  But what if I draw them on a collaged background?  Or what if I collage on top?  Add some fibers?  Create some small altar style pieces?  Not sure what direction I want to go in.  I have some of my 4x4 canvases ready...going to start creating some surface textures, maybe add some collage elements...and see where it takes me.


Update...3-6-12...I haven't been using those little canvases...gonna work 5x7 for this month's theme.  I like the consistency in keeping everything the same size and letting the changes occur in the actual work.  So far I am starting to add in some elements that will be relevant to the next ANE show (Edgar Allan Poe), and also allow at least one element to continue into the next piece, which you would hopefully notice when you look at the work in sequence.  Just some thoughts...

Update...3-16-12...loving these so far.  Each piece presents a new challenge/opportunity to experiment...just have fun.  What I seem to be doing is starting off with a pencil sketch, usually in the earlier part of the day, and then approaching the mixed media portion later in the afternoon or evening.  Sometimes I leave the figure on the page, but the last few pieces I have cut it out and adhered it to a canvas panel board, something that can take the glue and paint better than regular paper.  I have already started my piece for 3-17-12, I am hoping to have my friend Jessie teach me some basic digital art techniques so I can create at least one digital work based on this piece.  This will be pretty new to me...I have a love/hate relationship with PhotoShop and Macs (mostly due to lack of experience)...should be interesting!  Stay tuned!

Update 3-29-12...so...digital art still eludes me.  I somehow just haven't made that happen...but I reckon the computer isn't going anywhere, so I can always revisit this at a later date.  So...the pieces are getting...a little sparkly.  I maintained the Poe theme through the ANE show, then I left the cat and bird cage motifs and moved forward with my large-eyed figures.  Enter rhinestones and sequins, ahhhh...I knew you would not be far!  So I am working on a triptych right now for #s 89-91...never know where this will go...

Update 4-1-12...all done!  Didn't get too post the last CED's and portrait last night due to technical difficulties...but all done!

So...seems I am making alot of figurative pieces (what's new, right?)  I decided to post them all in one location, kind of an on-going thing...so here are the ones for the month of February;

So the suggested theme is 'night'...but I gotta make hearts.  Gonna start small, keep it simple...see where it goes.  Expect saturated color, jewel tones, whimsy, sparkle, animal prints, texture, beadwork...gonna have fun with this one!  And I am open to suggestions, give me some ideas if you read my ramblings...

Just like the first month, going to update the same photo gallery below with the images for February, then post a brief reflection.  Waiting til closer to the end of the year to post the monthly self-portraits that will relate to the CED pieces for the month.


NOTE: (2-6-12)...I just noticed that the colors aren't really showing...gonna re-take some of the pics in different lighting and repost later this week...

It sure did feel great to finish my 31st piece and to know that I, Jennifer Love Gironda, committed to making a piece of art everyday and actually did it.  When I look back on the pieces I can see that the works are more random at first, sticking with a simple, whimsical style that  I have worked with in the past that is a safe style for me.  As the works progressed I experimented more with shapes and styles, and finally, I allowed some of the figurative work that I had been doing in my newest sketchbook to make an appearance in my CED pieces.  

...as if I needed something else to do, right?  Wait...I do need something else!  I was looking around on-line...thinking about how I needed to make sure that I am drawing and painting and well...just being creative in this new year.  I saw some sites promoting 'a drawing a day'...even found a book...but I don't want to feel constrained, feel like I can only draw...I mean...what if I want to make bead or dye some fabric?  What of my bedazzling?  So...the search continued, this 3rd day of the new year until I found this site;  http://creativeeveryday.com.  So...created a, well, I guess this is a second blog?  Dedicated to posting the CED pieces, so it will be a little different from the regular artistic ramblings..or maybe it won't. I have no idea. I just thought it would be worthwhile to committing to being creative every day...a public commitment with a group of like-minded folks can't hurt, right?  


So...looks like I have three things to work on...it is after all...January 3rd.  And side note...I think I am going to just basically just post the pics on this mini blog...organizing by the month...so each month will have its own post with some thoughts...then a photo gallery for that month.


This month's suggested theme is 'new'.  I was thinking, I sure do love new shoes...and this is what I came up with...