Wednesday, 4 January 2017

Tags and heads

Hi Everybody!
Time is flying by again - it moves more quickly
than I can!

For Art Journal Journey, Erika's lovely theme of 'Tell me a story', and for Paint Party Friday, hosted by Eva and Kristin, I have a
hybrid piece made from 2 large tags I made this week. 

I scanned the tags into my computer, and with some digital magic
I put them into two of my heads and grunged them up a bit.
I placed them on a background made from another collaged
tag made this week which I will show another day. I changed the
colors to black and white in one of them and
added the sentiment:




For my mixed media pieces I used 10" kraft tags. First they were painted with olive and blue metallic paints, then stenciled using some new stencils Annette sent me for Christmas - thanks so much! After they were dry I used my 
clear-the-table technique
to collage them with all the UFOs flying about, and then used more stencils to draw the figures. To finish them off I added some white stenciling and some dotted highlights on the figures. I had fun making these, I haven't been able to do much lately as my fingers are not being very cooperative.
As I have used my new stencils I am also linking 
anything goes









These were the backgrounds before I pasted everything onto
them:



Recently I visited The Kunsthalle art museum
in Düsseldorf. I have a season-ticket which gets me into all
museums without having to pay, but I would have 
been very disappointed if I had paid 18€ to view this
'wool and water' exhibition:








And this exhibit really takes the biscuit -
this is not my idea of art:


Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!

40 comments:

  1. What beautiful art, I love the black and white head and the head with colors, they look wonderful together. The tags are lovely too. Interesting exhibit, it probably wouldn't be my favorite either...

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  2. What a great post. Love the wonderful heads and those gorgeous tags.what a contrast to that exhibition. Hugs Sarah

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  3. I love when you makes pieces ad show us your heads- and I think this one is great. I'm all for color, but sometimes life does feel pretty black and white-like on these dark winter days when its raw and snowing and I feel like everything is rather. But then the sun comes back out and all is bright. Your tags are great, but I agree. That art exhibit didn't do much for me either. Hope you're having a wonderful week. Hugs-Erika

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  4. The heads look amazing as do your tags.....bold with strong colours xx
    Hope you had a lovely time over the festive season and best wishes to you for a Happy New Year 2017

    Annie x

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  5. beautiful art and sorry about this exhibition!

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  6. Another creative show piece today and just love the colours here.xx{aNNie}

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  7. I was really impressed by the tags. I need to try your "clear the table" collage technique. It turned out awesome, as did the two tags. Of course, I really enjoyed the piece, too. I guess that's a bit of a quandary for me, because as a scientist, I have to see things in black and white. Science has a tendency to dictate that. But as an artist, I see things in beautiful colors, especially since I am so drawn to color, anyway.

    I STILL don't get that exhibit. I did enjoy the naked men (grin), but still don't like the broken mirror(s). It just goes to show that art is so very, very personal, and someone liked it enough to commission it. Have a super day.

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  8. Deine Tags sind schön und toll die Köpfe.Schade, dass die Ausstellung Dich nicht begeistert hat ! Schönen Tag Dir! LG Susi

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  9. I choose color every time!!
    Your tags are so cool- love your layers and elements- so much interest to explore!!
    haahaa I soooo agree with you about this museum visit! Actually I went over the holidsy to a local museum,first time in years, and I was sorely disappointed with what I saw, or should say did not see- very much similar to what you have shown- disappointing for sure- I won't go back at $16.00 a visit besides!!
    hugs,Jackie

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  10. Your artwork and quotes are lovely Valerie. So much to see and so many wonderful details - I love it all!
    mmmm... are you sure you were in the right room at this museum - it looked more like furniture being moved around or being cleared out... I don't get this style :(
    Wishing your hands better soon.
    Gill xx

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    Replies
    1. Yes, it was the right room, not a furniture store, which was my first thought when I wandered in there. Definitely not my cup of tea! And thanks for the good wishes!

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  11. Good morning (here anyway),
    I especially like the daydream piece. Wondrous.
    I agree with you on the museum visit. Let's visit a different one.
    Hugs

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  12. What a lot we have to look at today those heads are amazing and the tags simply stunning - thanks for sharing your process

    Enough said about the exhibition !!!!

    Hilda xx

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    Replies
    1. Hmmm, I can understand why nobody likes that art, it really is awful!

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  13. I always love how you create your pages using the heads, this looks fantastic. Great collage tags as well the colours are beautiful and I do love all the details on them.
    As for the exhibition, it does take me to the realms of , do I actually think that this is 'art', I would have been asking for a refund.
    We should start a dodgy hands club, I really know how you feel on days like this.
    Yvonne xx

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  14. what a super project Valerie-you are so clever and creative! Not so sure about the museum art tho-not my thing.

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  15. Die Köpfe sind echt cool und deine Tags gefallen mir auch sehr gut. Tolle Farbgebung, Valerie!

    Ich wünsche dir noch ein glückliches, kreatives und vor allem gesundes Neues Jahr!

    LG Gaby

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  16. Your black and white or color piece is extremely intriguing. There is much in there -- thought as well as design. And the layering on the tags is lovely

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  17. I love your art Valerie! Thanks for showing the different steps! Love seeing that.
    I just don't understand the "art" exhibit??? That is art??? I just don't get it! LOL!
    Big Hugs!

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    Replies
    1. I am rarely speechless, but after seeing that, I was!

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  18. I love all the texture, colour and detail in your tags. Lots of delicious layers there. And I would rather live my life in colour, of course. hugs, Teresa

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  19. A great page Valerie and I love the tags, so much detail.
    The exhibition - not my idea of art, bet it didn't take long to look round.
    Avril xx

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  20. Sending you healing thoughts and Prayers for your hands ♥ I know that frustration well. Your art is great again today and I absolutely love the contrasting heads. I'm with you on the museum displays.... not my cup of tea at all.

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  21. Wonderful makes Valerie - just as food tastes better with a little sugar - life is better with a lot of color! Gorgeous background colors on your tags - and what a fantastic technique "Clear the Table"!
    I got a big kick out of the way the Leopard's head is on one tag while his tail end is on the other.
    Sorry about your hands Valerie - I hope everything settles soon!
    Sandy xx

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  22. I love the collage pages with everything showing so completely. So did you then cover them up to make the two heads? And convert one to black and white? The pieces of collage papers are so beautiful!

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    Replies
    1. I did the colour conversions digitally, and then moved them until they fitted into the heads, and cut the rest away, also digitally. It's a bit fiddly, but fun!

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  23. your art is really just non stop gorgeous. there are so many elements and colors and layers and textures in your journal pages. eye candy for days! love it all. xo

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  24. Hello Valerie, thank you for visiting my blog. I loved seeing your very happy blogspot and your beautiful art. It is made up of so many elements and was very enjoyable to see the backgrounds before your completed them. Cheerio for now :D)

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  25. Hi Valerie,
    Happy New year and an awesome creative year ahead.
    Loved your head pieces and that's a beautiful sentiment there! Loved the colourful tags too...Your header picture is a gorgeous one!
    Hugs
    Deepa

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  26. Happy New Year!! Wow, those tags are beautiful - all the colors I love. And I admire people like you who are good at collage. It is not something that comes to me easily! And then to make the digital piece from your tags - how clever! And how gorgeous!! You are so right, much of art is in the eye of the beholder and sometimes I just don't get it. Especially with super modern art. Happy PPF! xoxo Silke

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  27. Your journal pages just keep getting better and better. I love how you are able to work so many different things into your background. Beautiful! Happy PPF (Sat)

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  28. Ich liebe diesen Hintergrund wegen der schönen Blautöne, so pur auch schon sehenswert.
    Aber was du dann hinzugefügt hast ist auch echt klasse, besonders die tollen Figuren-Silhouetten und der geteilte Leopard, geben noch den richtigen Pep. Gefällt mir sehr, sehr gut. Aber auf die Kunst, die du da zu sehen bekamst, hätte ich auch locker verzichten können. ;)
    Hugs
    Sabine

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  29. What wonderful expressive tags!!! Love the chairs,!!!!!

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  30. Love the impact your heads made...something so thought provoking about them... I had to look at them several times... Fabulous piece of art...love the tags too!!

    Hugs Giggles

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  31. wow your tags are amazing....so much beautiful details...thank you so much for sharing with us at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge...hugs kath xxx

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  32. Fabulous work Valerie, love the tags and the way you have used them in the faces.
    Hugs Wendy

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  33. This is super cool!! I love the colors and layers you used - especially in your tags! Those floating people are awesome! :)

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  34. Hi Valerie, I must agree I would not have been pleased to pay admission to see the featured gallery; however, I did like one pair of the hands. One other thing...I get a kick out of your "clean off the table with UFOs" for your tags. I would need a huge tag to attempt such a feat. I enjoy the inspiration and your collage placements. It is still cold here and no sun. We keep hoping that the soon will melt.
    Hugs,
    Carolyn

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