Hi Everybody!
Today we are starting a new challenge at TIOT, and our theme is keep it simple. Sounds simple, and is hard for me as I'm not good at this sort of creating, I'm more of a 'the more the merrier type'. I made an A3 mixed media piece. The background was painted and textured with green and yellow acrylics, and then I added the blobs. The flowers on the right were collaged with a paper napkin, the text was created using types cut from magazines and collaged.
It started off with this background:
Then I added the flowers using matte medium:
And then the words:
I am also linking to Neet's challenge at AJJ, where her theme is type.
And I have some photos taken from my balcony at the weekend. We had lots of rain and cloudy skies:
Have a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!
Lovely simple piece and beautiful overcast photos.
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine, have a great day!
DeleteLovely art work, you did keep it simple! Wonderful sky photos, some stormy looking clouds there.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue, the text says it all! We've had lots of storms and rain, I like watching the clouds from my balcony! Stay safe!
DeleteI'm sure it is hard to keep it simple. I like what you created, though and it turned out great. That was also a great way to incorporate Neet's theme at Art Journal Journey, too. Thanks for the inspiration.
ReplyDeleteThose are some really scary clouds you shared. The look quite ominous. The birds don't seem to mind, though.
Thanks Elizabeth! I had fun cutting out letters! We've had lots of clouds and storms, and too much rain. Today looks to be just the same again!
DeleteHi Val, good morning! Hope you slept well! It's really chilly here this morning, hope it's a bit warmer at your place! I love your beautiful journal page, love the colours, it's full of summer. Have a great day, take care, and don't let those dark clouds rain on you! Hugs, Sarah
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! Had a bad night again, and it's very cold here, too, brrrrr! I'm going shopping with my neighbour today, and after that I'll probably stay home. Have a greta day, hugs to all!
DeleteSimply beautiful all of this post. Take care and sending Bella hugs. xxxx
ReplyDeleteThanks Annie, hugs back to you and Bella!
DeleteLove your dark foreboding skies. Very atmospheric - and the birds, great photography.
ReplyDeleteThe journal page has a lovely composition. I do like how you get that texture with your acrylic paint on your background,and the strong line of flowers from your napkink down the right hand side just waits for the words you used. Why did I not think of using text from magazines like you have on a page? It looks fabulous and works so well with keeping it simple.
A lovely page again Valerie.
Hugs, Neet xx
Thanks Neet! The skies here have been very dark most of the time. Glad you like the journal page! Have a great day, hugs!
DeleteYou did very well keeping it simple, Valerie, but you're probably just a simple girl at heart. As for me, I might more appropriately be called a simpleton! Those skies look quite daunting, but it seems that the bad weather brought the magpies and the pigeons in for a visit. Birds cope well with rain, but we have had a couple of intense storms here recently, with hail, and that doubtless causes injury and mortality, especially to small birds like hummingbirds and finches. Some are able to find shelter but those caught in the open suffer badly. Today we will resume our Tuesday walks after a long absence, and the weather looks perfect. It will be fun to get together again. As we move closer to mid August the pace of migration picks up and even now birds are becoming more visible as the young of the year hone their skills. Take care, stay well, walk often, drink coffee. Hugs and kisses, David
ReplyDeleteHi David! Yes, simple, that's me! Simple and complicated at the same time. You a simpleton? Oh, no, you were fishing for complements there! Sometimes the birds look very bedraggled after heavy rain, and a couple of weeks back, as it was really bad, I saw lots of dead birds in the following days, poor things. Glad to hear you are starting your Tuesday walks again, it's good to have a bit more normality in our lives. Although I keep wondering what normal is these days! The past couple of months have gone by so quickly, I can hardly believe we are already into August. I was already shopping with my neighbour today, so the fridge is filled with good things and so I'm looking forward to m dinner this evening! Have a great day, enjoy your walk, hugs to you both!
DeleteKeeping it simple is way more difficult than it seems. Love your take on it and the flowers, text, and texture are wonderful, Valerie. Lovely page.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures too - love the birds and the skies. TFS!
Hugz
Thanks Nancy, you're right, simple is not always easy! Have a happy day, take care, hugs!
DeleteSuch a beautiful page! Loving the fresh colours and flowers with the recycled letters - perfect 😁. So lovely to see all the birds and sunshine too. I hope that you're having a lovely week and wishing you a Happy August! Hugs, Jo x
ReplyDeleteThanks Jo, happy August to you, too, have fun! Hugs!
DeleteI love all the bright cohesive colors! Keeping it simple can be easy or difficult. I tend to do the extremes. I love the flowers and the paint color sampling’s look like pretty stepping stones through a beautiful garden.
ReplyDeleteThanks Annie. For me it's difficult. Have a great day, hugs!
DeleteAbsolutely lovely art journal spread! LOVE the background colours and your use of a gorgeous napkin! And of course,, your photos... stunning! Have a great week! ((HUGS)) Helen
ReplyDeleteThanks Helen. That is one of my fave napkins! Have a wonderful week, stay safe, hugs!
DeleteI think you nailed the Keep It Simple theme Valerie. But I bet like me, you wanted to put something else on there. Smile. It also works for AJJ. I love the color bits on it too. And wow, you have some gorgeous sky photos. Hope Tuesday is going well. Hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteThanks Erika! Yes, it's hard, and I very much wanted to put more on it! The sky has been fun to watch, lots of dark and dramatic clouds! Have a great day, hugs, Valerie
DeleteBeautiful page. I really like those flowers. hugs, Teresa
ReplyDeleteThanks Teresa, enjoy your day!
DeleteI really like the photos of birds. I love magpies for their intelligence and beauty. Have a nice evening:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Lucyna, enjoy your day!
DeleteI think your "Keep it Simple" looks pretty good. I agree with Annie that it looks as if there are pretty stepping stones through the garden.
ReplyDeleteThanks, stepping stones in a garden is a great idea! Have a wonderful week!
DeleteWhat a lovely piece, but yes, simple is so hard isn't it! Have a very happy August, Sue xx
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue. Simple is indeed hard for me! Have agreat week!
Deletethis art looks like colorful scrabble;)
ReplyDeleteThanks, that's a great description! Have a great evening!
DeleteYour balcony is a wonderful bird- and sky-watching spot :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, it is indeed!
DeleteLook at those birds, sky and flowers. Wondrous.
ReplyDeleteThat piece is amazing. Love it.
Hugs
Thanks Sandra! Have a great week! Hugs!
DeleteBeautiful piece Valerie, I love the colorful floral napkin you used and fabulous text! Really pretty sky photos today! Take care and enjoy the rest of your week.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Tammy
Thanks Tammy, there are so many lovely napkins and I love to use them! Stay safe!
DeleteLike you, I would find it hard to keep it simple. What a fabulous view you have from your balcony.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lin, I love my view!
DeleteKeeping it simple is not my strong suit. I have a feeling you'll do much better at this one than I would!
ReplyDeleteSimplicity is not as simple as it seems! Have a great day!
DeleteI enjoyed the photos especially the bird captures. And yes, those gorgeous flowers too.
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday, Valerie.
Thanks Veronica, have a wonderful day!
DeleteA lovely page Valerie, a simple style but you've still managed to keep the texture and lots of interest with your design and colours. There are some very dramatic clouds in your photos, hope your rain wasn't too bad.
ReplyDeleteAvril xx
Thanks Avril! The rain was pretty bad, but at other places it was worse. Have a great week, take care!
DeleteA fantastic page Valerie, the figures looked great cut from a typed print. I struggled with this theme a bit as well.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos as always, stay safe.
Yvonne xx
Thanks Yvonne, empty space is somehow scary for me! Have a great week, take care! Hugs!
DeleteYou really nailed this Valerie! It's especially hard to make simple journal pages but not only did you do that you made a great page for Neet's challenge too! Love those cloudy skies but not huge amounts of rain! Hugs, Chrisx
ReplyDeleteA super page with great texture Valerie. I love the cut out letters.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos too. We get a lot of magpies and wood pigeons. I got excited this morning though, there was a beautiful jay on my bird feeder.
Have a good evening,
Alison
Thanks Alison. Jays are always special! Have a great day!
DeleteYour keep it simple is lovely, full of interest, love the poppies,my favourite flower
ReplyDeleteYour photos are lovely as always, lovely sky ones
Joan x
Thanks Joan, have a great week!
DeleteOhhh Valery this is amazing. I love the colors and the simplicity of it. The photos of the dark sky could be here in my town.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nicole, we've had lots of dark skies lately. Stay safe!
DeleteHi Valerie, another lovely piece, beautiful flowers down the side too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a sky, so dark but somehow lovely and the birds are lovely, I love watching birds, we have them chirping on our wall in the garden every morning,.
Have a lovely weekend
Jan
Thanks Jan. I'm sure you get some lovely birds where you are, I always love watching their antics! Have a great weekend!
DeleteI love keep it simple! Great quote and great colours!
ReplyDeleteI still think you should make a book, with all your amazing photos! Big Hugs!