Day 2 of Kickstart Your Art

So.  Day 2 of Smeared & Smudge's Kickstart Your Art. 

First, thank you those who commented on your kind words.  I really appreciate them.

Second, I realize that I was unintentionally not entirely honest.  I actually meant to mention this yesterday but was just so happy to post that I'd done something  artsy/craftsy again.  I did dabble in mixed media one other time, for one day.  While it wasn't much time, it was a rather... intense? significant? whatever event.  Donna Downey's studio is only about an hour from here so I went down there the other year and took a one day class from her.  In 6 hours or so, we made a 40 page mixed media "reference book."  Essentially, every page had a different technique on it- using print paper, paper towels, cardboard, etc. as a background; using pan pastels, acrylics, India ink, etc. as a medium; gessoing before and after inking, etc.  It was a one day crash course in mixed media techniques.  The class was about 2yrs ago and I don't think I've used a single technique again before this week.  It was interesting, informative, great reference, and just sort of showed me that it's not my type of thing to do on a regular basis.  I like many of the results of mixed media- the "play" is wonderful but my left brain/right brain war (every time I take one of those "which side of the brain type of person are you, I pretty much land dead center), means that most of the time I color in the lines while making darn sure I don't break my crayons- not traits particularly valued in mixed media.  I rarely share my art and craft supplies with my 6yr old- he'll mess them up.  Of course, when I was 6, I still wouldn't share my art supplies with my friends because they'd mess them up.  Had to have my art supplies but I didn't want them messed up.  Stupid ongoing brain war.  So.  There's the truth behind my mixed media past.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Today is all about hearts.  I kinda want the edges of this darker but other than that, I think it's what I was going for.

Thanks to Tit for the visual reminder that book pages make great backgrounds.

Ingredients: gesso, TH distress ink pads, Copics, SU watercolor crayons