New Years Illustration...

While surfing through some blogs, links from blogs, and more links (you know how you find interesting sites that lead to more interesting sites?), I came across this blog call "Organized Doodles" by Rick Green. He has a giveaway sign up going on until January 4th, so if you enjoy cartoon illustrations, go check him out and sign up for his giveaway. This New Year Baby 2009 illustration is one of his illustrations.

2009 Baby New Year ~ Rick Green © 2008-09

Isn't he cute?

I hope that you all are having a nice holiday. I'm still enjoying some down time to relax and enjoy time off from work.

Happy New Years!

I would like to wish everyone a happy new year and hope you have a blessed 2009.
~Beth

Experimenting with Texture, Paint, and Collage

"Paris Eiffel Tower"
Beth S. Macre © 2008

Acrylic Paint on canvas

As an art teacher, I am constantly looking for new projects for my 3rd and 4th year students. Since these students have been with me for 3 and 4 years, they need more and more challenging projects each year. Some of my students really love a challenge and I really enjoy seeing what they come up with. The latest challenge that we all took on together, was to create a map relief textured painting. They could choose a map of any place, pick out the interesting lines and shapes to create an abstract or semi-abstract design. The only other requirements were that they should use a gel molding paste to create textured relief parts. I told them they could add pieces of fabric, wire, paper, or other items if they wished to create a collage effect. I also showed them a few ways to add texture to the molding paste to create different effects. Some of which I included in my "Eiffel Tower Map of Paris" piece shown here.

When I applied the molding paste, I laid a piece of wire mesh on top of the wet paste and pressed it on, using a pallette knife, then removed the wire mesh, leaving the texture. You can see a close up of the textures in the 2nd and 3rd photos here. The textures show up after they are painted with layers of paint of a variety of colors. To see it larger, click on the image.

For my painting I used a map of Paris, from my trip last summer. I also collaged a cut out photo that I took of the Eiffel Tower and printed in grayscale, then painted around the edges and some on top of the paper.

This was one of those projects that I really had fun with and plan to do more using the molding gel. I really love the effects that you can create with the textures. One of my goals for 2009 is to do more of this type of painting.

Tomorrow I will be doing some studio cleaning and thinking about the rest of those goals for 2009.

Hope you have a happy and safe New Year!

~Beth~

100 Posts...Time to Reflect

"Jessica's Thoughts"

Beth S. Macre © 2006

Prismacolor Colored Pencils on Stonehenge

100 posts! I just noticed that my last post was my 99th post to my blog! I started blogging last year in May. The first year I only blogged occasionally. I'm not typically a talkative person, so it was hard for me at first. Especially to talk about myself and my art. I had started an art journal before that, but it was private and noone else read it but me. I noticed a lot of artists were keeping art journals online. I decided to give it a try. I had been wanting a website, but I didn't really have enough recent work for a website. So I have realized, over the last year and a half, that my purpose for my blog is not only to share my art journey with my friends and family, but to share with other artists and to meet other artsts along the way. That is the best part! I love to see what other artists are doing and hear about how they go through their creative journey.

So this week, I will be thinking about the past year and what I have accomplished and will think about next year and what I hope to accomplish. I am going to think about what goals I want to set for the year and put them in writing this year so I can come back to it next year and see if they are the same. I am hoping this year will be a better year for everyone and I am looking forward to a fresh start!

Why do you blog?

~Beth

Handmade Gifts...

...are made with love. It is a good feeling when you create something for someone who really appreciates and loves what you created for them. Especially when its family. My nieces love their dogs and wanted paintings of them, so I offered to do that for Christmas. It was close, but I did get them done for Christmas Day. After the delicious meal that Mom made, and we all enjoyed, we all went into the den to exchange gifts. The girls were very excited to finally see the paintings that I had painted, so they both unwrapped the paintings first. They both were very pleased and excited about their new art.
Both paintings were fun to create and handmade with love. I hope they will enjoy them for years to come.

Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday with loved ones.
~Beth~

Only Dreaming of a White Christmas....

I love snow!!!

Here in the South, we never have a true white Christmas. I've only heard stories from when I was a baby, when there was actual measurable snow on the ground on Christmas day! In fact, this year, we have no chance for a white Christmas. Last week we did have some white stuff on the ground, but it was a mixture of sleet and freezing rain. That is what it looked like outside my front door. Just enough to be dangerous for us southerners to drive on. So we did have two snow days. School closed for 2 days!

Those days were well timed for me. I worked on one of the two paintings that I have to complete by Thursday, Christmas day, as gifts for my nieces. I spent the last two days painting and I'm almost finished with both paintings. Whew! Its going to be close, but they will get done. (I will post pictures after Christmas.)

Now if I can find that last gift tomorrow...

So what are your chances for a white Christmas?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Beth

More Holiday Preparations...

My daughter and I decorated her homemade snowflake cookies this afternoon. This is a new cookie for her to make and we thought they turned out very pretty. This could become a new holiday tradition for us. Are you changing or adding any holiday traditions this year?