Map Project Finished! (Creative Space)

I finished my Map Project hosted by Arthouse Coop this week! Yippie! It turned out wonderfully:

The best part was folding it up...it really gave it the final touch of being a map. The submission could be no larger than 4x6" so I've folded up my 18x24" map down to that size:

Here is the "unfolding":

...it looks so much better with all those fold lines in, definitely the final and essential effect :D

In the end the following were used to complete this mixed media project:

• Watercolour (majority)
• Collage elements
• Acrylic Paint
• White Ink
• Black Ink / Markers
• Iridescent medium
• Home-made tear-drop stencil
• Cling-wrap 

See more creative spaces, here.

The Map Project Update

The last time you saw my map, there was still quite a bit to go. I must admit, when I got my PanPastels, and then Nupastels I sort of got sucked into that dusty world. Then, when looking for some papers around my printer I saw my map! OMG! I almost completely forgot about it...scratch that, I did forget about it. So much for trying to get it done early....


Due to the above episode that I had, this is a humongous Map Project Update. Hopefully, the second last one. I plan to finish it tonight, but I'm only sharing the pictures that I have from working on it the past while. Prepare for shocking progress!

Where I left off...

Things as they stand as I'm typing this:

...yup, tons done....well back to it!

Map Project Update:

Lots has been going on with the map....

Yup...acrylics are being brought into the picture now...

All those swirly lines are representative of the supposed 'end of the world'...in my mind: if the world was deemed flat, then the end would have a waterfall...all that ocean water has got to flow somewhere! Still tons to go...

Map Project Update

I've been painting away on my Map Project:

It's mostly all little details that I'm doing to fill up those larger spaces. The hardest part is that not everything is 100% planned out, so I'm still coming up with ideas with hopes that they won't conflict with other potential ideas.

Weekly Update

This week had a busy start. I got called in most nights, and even a night I wasn't on call - so in terms of 'getting stuff done'....nothing happened. I had Tuesday off, so there was a lot of catching up there, but that day first started with a nice sleep-in; one that was definitely needed and deserved.

I also got lots of progress made on my Map Project, I'm sharing with you here just a tiny tibit - I have a larger update coming up. Where is is right there on the left is way far from where it is now...lots of progress has been made. Although, tons of work is still left. Baby steps :)

It was my older brother's birthday on Monday the 26th - he turned 29. My mom's birthday is today, the 27th; and my dad's is tomorrow - the 28th. Crazy, yes..easy to remember - very lol. We all pitched in to get my brother an mp3 player, one of those tiny ones with the touch screens. And then us children got my parents some gift cards to Amazon. They had some things already picked out on there, and this way we don't have to worry about things getting to them on time.

I'm on the fourth book now of the Dark Tower series. Things are starting to be explained more, as they keep on reflecting on Roland's past (the main character, the gunslinger). There's a bit of romance in this segment, as they reflect on an old love of Roland's past, Susan. I'm about 60% through this book, so it can go anywhere - and there have already been some shocking turns in this book, and previous books so I wouldn't be surprised if this one had some of the same.



I got a few paintings done this week. I've started incorporating some collage elements into my watercolour trees. I had ordered some pretty papers, and when I got them in immediatly envisioned them in my artwork. I will be sharing those in a larger update, but you can see some already posted in my shop.

My Watercolour Palette form this week.

I work again this weekend, but have some scattered days off next week. This week just flew by!

My Creative Space

I've been sort of all over the place in my studio this week.

I've been working steadily on the Map Project that I had signed up for.
There are lots of little details included in my plans...which are
seemingly getting more complicated all the time.

Some animal patterns for Africa...

I've finally got a branch on my painting of a sky.
It still has some work that needs to go into the branch, but
I think that I need to get the bird on it first and then add more detail. 

I've also been working quite a bit in my sketchbooks, but I think I'll save those for a dedicated 'sketchbook' post :)

See more creative spaces, here.

My Creative Space

This week I was avidly working on my Map Project.

I guess my favourite moment this week was when James was over, and was looking - very closely - at the map and I ask, "What do you think of the whale?"..."What whale?" he replied...."Uhhhh the big blue one right behind Africa?"...yea...I think he was distracted by shimmery Antarctica.

There is still lots, and lots to go. But the tedious part of the actual landmasses are done....it's all fun from here on out!

I've also started - and started stumbling - on a new acrylic painting that I'm working on as well. I started it Monday, and it's sat like this since:

This painting is eventually supposed to have either a bluebird or a robin on a branch - both of which I've seen since the weather has gotten nicer. I'm stumped on the branch. I've been working out ideas though, and I am getting close to figuring out that branch. It's all a matter of composition - I don't want it unbalanced with a large, dark branch - and I don't want it to attract all the attention - it's the bird that's supposed to be the focal point. And, the way I have painted the sky I won't be able to correct if I make the branch wrong. So I'm trying to plan well. The vibe I'm trying to aim for: modern, minimalist and impressionistic. Yea...good luck, I know. LOL. Also not sure if I'll be keeping it landscape or portrait, but the sketches are seemingly saying that it might just be straying portrait. 

Below is my palette after working on the sky, and my selection of acrylics that I've built up over the years. 

Yea, I use both Golden and Liquitex paints. To me each brand brings something a little different to the table, and depending on what I want to complete one may be a better choice than another. I use them interchangeably often, and have never had any problems. I do tend to stick to Golden mediums more though - honestly, I'm not sure why - but I won't mess with something that works.

See more creative spaces, here.

Tutorial: Image Transfers Using Light

Sometimes you need to transfer a complicated image, and re-sketching it out just isn't going to do the job. For this method, you need a large window (large enough for your papers). The image you are copying needs to be taken out of your sketchbook (if in your sketchbook) or printed onto paper. If you're an artist who has a lightbox for tracing, then you're lucky! This tutorial is for us, less fortunate, artist...or, even if you have a lightbox - if you're tracing large scale, then this is still for you!

I used this method to get my project started for The Map Project by Arthouse. I needed to draw a map of the world, and to be honest: I wasn't up to fighting with the drawing to be sure everything looked right. I printed out a simple map on an appropriate scale and used that. Now, I do not condone you printing out other artworks and tracing and copying other artists. That's horribly bad! This is a map of the world, something that has been reprinted a zillion times, so I deemed it morally okay. Also, it's a free contribution to a group art project, so that makes it okay as well. And let me honest: anyone who has drawn / painted a map in recent years did not do so looking up from outer space - they all based their basic outlines on a previous map of sorts. 


Let's get started!

When tracing your image, be sure to use a light pencil. I used a 3H pencil to keep lines light. Also, you're going to need a fairly nice day out to do this. Obviously, since the sun is our key tool here.

First tape the image to your window. Yes, I realize that I'm missing a
small part of Antarctica. 

Tape your other paper over top, being sure to centre it nice.

Starting to trace. It's important to have a really sharp pencil, especially
with a map.

Almost done Europe...so many tiny countries!

You just keep working on your way, until it's all complete. Your hand will get tired, especially if it's as large as this piece. But it'll be worth it in the end, and less headaches all around.

The Map Project Update #1

The Map Project was set out by Arthouse as a 'free' project that anyone could contribute to. The only specification was that the map folds down to 4x6", and that it's not 3D. I had spontaneously signed up for this project - mostly since I was afraid that once I had truly decided that it would be completely full, and it was cutting it close.

After signing up, I set down to the task of trying to figure out what exactly I was going to do - and it was a difficult process for me. I had so many ideas, but all of them were incomplete. I decided to just run with it, and so fas that has been working out for me. I am getting more ideas as I work on my map, and so inspiration this time is coming from the piece of art itself.

I started off when pencil. Once I was happy with that, I did lining in a very fine black marker, and then started filling in with colour. I am moving back and forth between working on spots that need lining and working on spots that need colour.

The Week in Review:

This week started off with a glorious long weekend - complete with a delicious sushi dinner...yummy! I got lots of creative stuff done and hung out with Oreo lots, and felt nice and refreshed for work on Monday. I know it looks awkward with Oreo in the picture below, but he's a big boy, and there's just so much of him to hold with just one arm - while balancing a camera in the other!

I posted a new painting to my shop, "Sweetest Dreams" Of course, it's featuring dear Oreo from above. He's been extra loving this past while so maybe that's why he's crept into this painting.

Besides working on commissions and still for my online store, I got some personal art items worked on as well. I got some Project Life done, as you've seen in an earlier post. And later this weekend I'll be sharing what I've included in my Smash journal. I also worked a bit with my Botanical Illustration Course book, I'll be sharing some of that next week.

Oreo and I had a cuddle-fest in bed as I was reading "The Gunslinger"...
a series that James has been on me to read for ages lol. 

The boy got sick this week, so Monday night I took care of him making him a nice soup - recipe to come later this month! Tuesday was another day off - This is the one thing I adore about shift work: random days off. I was hoping to go snowboarding on Thursday, but it rained and all the snow from our huge storm last weekend left. So I worked on a new project that I had signed up for. There is a larger post on this project coming up later today. I was going to wait a little but longer to post, but as this project is due quite quickly, I don't want to drag things out.