Hi Everybody!
Hope you all enjoyed your holiday celebrations! We had bad weather here, it rained almost non-stop for 2 days, but since yesterday it seems to be getting back to normal, which definitely improves my mood. Walking around under an umbrella all day is not that good!
Some time back I made this large, A2 piece (17" x 24") at art group over several weeks. The background was one of my wild use-up-left-over-paint pieces. The heads were made from paper that was painted and textured using a spatula. When the paper was dry I wiped some gold paint over it to give it some colour, and after cutting out the heads using my home-made stencil I sewed wavy lines over them - waves of thought? Then I did lots of writing to represent the disparate - and sometimes desperate - thoughts that always pop into my head! I sewed the heads onto the background, and left the threads hanging - threads of thought, perhaps. I am linking to Paint Party Friday and Yvonne's words and numbers challenge at Art Journal Journey.
As we have had relatively mild and very wet weather, toadstools are sprouting everywhere. These were small, with a luminous glow:
That's my muddy boot on the right-hand side:
I even saw people out and about yesterday, here someone being taken for a walk by her dog and horse:
This fungus had a strange colour:
The sun tried to show itself for a few minutes:
Have a great weekend, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!
Good morning Val! I LOVE your new piece, wow, it looks fantastic, and I love all the details, the sewing, the writing, the colours, just everything. You put so much thought and effort into your work. Your walk from yesterday looked cold and grey, glad you enjoyed it in spite of it all. I know it's not easy for you just now, but you still keep going, and that's great! We'r still at Mum's! :( Hugs, Sarah
ReplyDeleteThanks Sarah! Hold on to your sanity, you'll soon be back home!!
DeleteSehr schön geworden! Und eine tolle Idee!
ReplyDeleteAuch die Fotos. Die gehen mit ihrem Pferd spazieren? Irgendwie kenne ich das anders ;-)
4C hier und die Sonne ist auch eher weg, schade. Trotzdem werden wir alle einen schönen Tag haben, richtig? GlG, Iris
Ja, viele Leute hier gehen mit Pferde spazieren, Pferd an der Leine! Hier scheint noch die Sonne aber es war eisig am Rhein, bin gerade vom ersten Gassi zurück!
DeleteOh wow,what a wonderful idea, that looks amazing ☺
ReplyDeleteIt seems odd to be seeing so many fungi at the end of December. Heavy rain for days on end can get to be a little depressing, but you got out and made the best of it as you always do. You are a prodigious walker, Valerie.
ReplyDeleteThanks David! Walking does me good!
DeleteWonderful pictures!
ReplyDeletesandy xx
Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThe Rhine may get very full it sounds like. Beautiful art and photos today. At least the fungus like the weather.
ReplyDeleteYes, probably more than I do!
DeleteYes, it was a bumper year for fungi.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the process of your piece. I especially like the idea of loose threads. I wonder if weird colors is how to tell if fungus has gone bad? 😉 Enjoy the weekend
ReplyDeleteCould be. I know of one called an inkcap, it's white when it's fresh and turns blue-black when it decays. It used to be used as ink to write with, too.
DeleteWhat a fascinating piece. It draws me in. The toadstools/mushrooms/fungus come in such a variety of shapes and colors. It's one joy of all the damp -it brings more of them :)
ReplyDeleteThe time and details that you incorporated into this piece, along with your great artistic touches...is overwhelmingly wonderful!
ReplyDeleteAlso your fantastic photography talents... ❤
Hi Valerie :) Your "heads" are poignant, I love them. I read every sentence. Great work there! The photos are so beautiful. The horses...makes me want horses, that's something I've been thinking about for when I buy my new home...oh that photo of the cottage reflecting in the water is lovely! Enjoy your weekend!!! I hope the rain eases down, we are having freezing rain today, I hate that! Usually it means power outages!
ReplyDeleteThanks Rain! Horses are wonderful creatures.
DeleteDeine Köpfe auf dem tollen Hintergrund sehen super aus. Du hast sie so fantasievoll und aufwendig gestaltet mit all den schönen Sprüchen. Einen Vorteil hat der viele Regen, der aber nach dem trockenen Sommer nötig war, man kann viele Arten von schönen Pilzen bewundern. Deine Pilzsammlung sieht klasse aus, besonders die plessierten und der lila Baumpilz auf dem Stamm. Hier war es den ganzen Tag feucht, aber ab Morgen soll es auch bei uns endlich trocken und sonnig werden.
ReplyDeleteLiebe Grüße
Sabine
Danke. Ich hoffe das Wetter wird besser für dich. Heute war es den ganzen Tag trocken
DeleteI love all the fungi, and your art is fabulous Valerie!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend,
Alison x
"Celebrate often." "Do things that make you happy." Wise words from a wise woman. This was an incredible art page. Even the background must have taken you forever. I adore it all and your random and disparate thoughts, too. The sewing was the icing on the cake, too. Thank you for sharing this beauty with us using Yvonne's theme at Art Journal Journey, too.
ReplyDeleteOMGosh, those fungi. What great finds. Simply stunning. The horses were adorable, too. Looks like your walks are going good now that the rains have subsided.
Thanks Elisabeth! I had fun with the heads.
DeleteBeautiful work and photos, such interesting fungi.
ReplyDeleteOh wow what an amazing piece Valerie! Gorgeous background and love how you stitched the piece and wrote the wording! So perfect and very inspirational!! Your toadstools look magical!!!! Glad the weather has cleared for your outings. We were pretty lucky here, it was dry by day and rained during the night.
ReplyDeleteAn awesome art page Valerie super detail with the sewing and how you left 'the threads of thought' hanging free. This must have taken you hours to create and I thank you for sharing it with the Art Journal Journey theme.
ReplyDeleteAll the photos looked lovely the rain would be welcome in other parts of the world but we do seem to get more than our share.
Have a good weekend and I hope the rain stays away.
Yvonne xx
Beautiful art work and photos Valerie. Love the reflection photo and the brick building. We could do with some of your rain down here. Enjoy the weekend.
ReplyDeleteArtwork is divine ~ so exquisite and symbolic ~ love it ~ Gorgeous nature photography despite the weather ~
ReplyDeleteHappy Moments to You,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Das ist wieder ein wunderschönes kreatives Kunstwerk, *wow* kann ich da nur sagen.
ReplyDeleteSchön auch wenn das Wetter nicht gerade toll war abe rbei mir wars auch nciht anders und heute wars wieder trocken war ich mal froh drüber und konnte mal wieder radeln aber es wird kalt jetzt. Die Pilze sind ja schön und auch das Muster auf dem Baumstumpf coll sieht das aus.
Feiertage war schön gemütlich mit meinem Lebenspartner!
Ich wünsche dir ein schönes Wochenende!
Lieben Gruss Elke
Yes, here in the UK we too have had a lot of rain, and when out walking it's boot and brolly time! I would really like some cold. frosty, sunny days … but never mind.
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy all of your art and photographs. You have such a nice variety to see.
Enjoy the coming weekend.
All the best Jan
I love the latest heads with those wavey quotes. These people are really thinking, aren't they? And glad to hear your sun is coming back. Fungi in late December is definitely a little bit unique, or would be here. We have some sun and then they say more snow by Sunday night. Oh my. Have a great weekend. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeletevery good post and wonderful photos;)
ReplyDeleteI love this piece. The background is fire and like I said I love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nicole!
DeleteEstupendas fotos Valerie!
ReplyDeleteMe alegro que el tiempo mejore y puedas mostrar imágenes de tus paseos.
Un cuadro muy simbólico, has representado todas las voces interiores.
BESOS....🥰🥰🥰
Wish you Happy New Year - I hope it's the best year ever for you that wait around the corner - thanks for inspiration and keep it comming ;O))
ReplyDeletehallo Valerie,
ReplyDeletewas für ein toller post heute, dein bild mit den köpfen ist klasse und auch deine Umgebung ist schön.
herzlichen dank für die zauberhafte Weihnachtskarte, ich habe mich sehr gefreut :-)
Einen guten Rutsch und alles Gute für 2020
GLG Jeannette
Thanks Jeanette! Great to see you around again. Guten Rutsch!
DeleteI love horses:)
ReplyDeleteWow the grass is so green too, and love seeing all of the different fungi. we are getting rained on here tonight, and we have had very warm spring like temperatures-looks like it will stay with us the coming week.
ReplyDeleteLots of fisherman out in the boats this weekend since it is so warm.
enjoyed your art page as well Happy weekend Hugs Kathy
Very creative! Great blog
ReplyDeleteVery nice work! Happy New Year for you :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful your Art journal page Valerie !! Amazing all, love these heads, and the words are fabulous. I wish you a very Happy New Year!!
ReplyDeleteYour photographs are gorgeous, love the mushrooms, and the beautiful house.
Have a great week and biiig hugs,
Caty
Wonderful page, Valerie! I love the waves and threads of thought, as well as how you wrote along them. I feel inspiration coming on ...
ReplyDeleteI've always thought that mushrooms were magic. They just pop up overnight. It almost makes me not mind the rain. Eileen xx
gorgeous textural journal pages! love that fungi too! happy new year! xo
ReplyDeletei love your photos:)
ReplyDeleteLove your journal pages today and all the goals. And that fungi is really beautiful. Aren't they the most fascinating? Onward to a new year!
ReplyDeleteFabulous artwork! I love the way you sewed the heads into the background and incorporated the threads into your design and the waves of thoughts made me smile - perfect 😁. I hope you had a great weekend too and wishing you a wonderful week! Hugs, Jo x
ReplyDelete