Stamps and dragonflies

Hi Everybody!

We had another extremely hot day with temperatures over 38° again,

and the nights are tropically warm, too, so it's hot days and nights just now!

For Art Journal Journey, post and postage, I made an A3 mixed media stamp collage. I grounded the page with gesso, and then set to work gluing on the stamps. Not a difficult task, but a sticky one. I did not try to sort them, just worked randomly to make a colourful patchwork. When it was done, I used black acrylic paint to stencil the dragonflies, and edged them with white when it was dry.  

Our little town is decorated with bunting just now for the Marksmen's Festival - Schützenfest- which is taking place just now.

Have a great day you all, take care, 

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Mental floss

Hi Everybody!

Oh my, it is sooooo hot here. The asphalt on the roads is melting,

other roads are cracking apart - things are not made for these extreme temperatures here - nor was I!

For Art Journal Journey, post and postage, I have another journal page to share. This is another one where I was inspired by a stamp. I bought the stamp years back in England, and have kept it till now. There is a whole series of these funny ones, but I just concentrated on this one:

And then I imagined standing in front of the mirror in the morning and flossing my mind, so here is my personal version of the stamp, drawn, painted and collaged onto an A3 background painted with gesso:

It's not really a good likeness, I never paint my fingernails!

And just for fun:

I am also linking to Kim Dellow's Friday face art.

I was up extremely early today - it was too hot to sleep, and by the time the sun went up through the haze I had already washed three loads of laundry. At least they dry quickly in this heat!

Have a great day, take care, 

and keep warm or keep cool as the case may be!

Happy Independence Day to all friends on the other side of the Big Pond!

Thanks a lot for coming by!

When the postman rings....

Hi Everybody!

We had the hottest day of the year till now here, 37° outside and 32° inside -

for me a touch too hot, but we have to take it as it comes!

For Art Journal Journey, post and postage, I made a mixed media page with Postman Pat. This was an English children's programme, which was shown from the beginning of the 80s. He is a wonderful postman,  who delivers the post day for day no matter what, and always accompanied by his cat Jess. I painted the A3 background with gesso, drew Postman Pat and Jess, and painted them with water colours. I knew I had a postman Pat stamp in my stash, and after searching for hours I found it (Okay, I could have copied one from the net, but I knew I had it somewhere....) The letter was made from a sheet of paper folded into letter form, and stamped.I wrote the sentiment by hand and drew the airmail pattern round the edges before collaging it.

So many postmen deliver our post day for day whatever the weather, so this is also a thank you to all of them.

I am also linking to Paint Party Friday, hosted as always by Eva and Kristin.

I went out earlier today in the hope that it would not be so hot, and had a walk along the Rhine, and then through some shady streets and alleys in our little town.

Have a great day you all, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Postage Stamps and blue skies

Hi Everybody!

It's really hot here this week, 34° outside, and not much less inside -

I think it's summer!

Last Week the Queen visited Germany, and this was my inspiration for this journal page for Art Journal Journey, post and postage. The queen has been pictured on more stamps than I could ever try to count, and a few of them are here. I have often seem similar caricatures of the Queen, and I had fun drawing this one. The background of the A3 page has been painted with gesso, and I drew the cartoon with a Pentel pen and used Gelatos and India-Ink pens for the colouring. The golden trellis and post mark were stenciled. I had so much fun that I drew a second one, which I will show in the course of the month. I was asked if I do all of the journal pages for the month in advance, and have not yet managed so many. But I do have 17 ready made, which leaves me some time to join in other challenges, too.

Today started off with a great sunrise, and I was fascinated by the beautiful skies with little, fluffy clouds.

Have a great day you all, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!