PPP

I generally jump from one project to the next.....and I don't always produce compelling art....but I sure like to play and experiment.  And...I'm always drawn to the bright shiny object in the room. The most recent shiny object was Roseann's gift of pan pastels.  

Pan pastels have very little binder....so they are nearly pure pigment and come in a pan...kind of like watercolors. They are low dust and very soft and blendable...so the possibilities are endless.

I have a few pans...mostly blues.  I found this coastal scene I did with them from a long time ago.  

I used molding paste to create the white texture in the water. I intended to mount it on a wooden paint panel....and really should do something with it. 

I found a youtube video by Carolyn Dube using pan pastels on a gelli plate and wanted to give it a try.  Pastels are easy to blend...and because they're dry....I could take my time blending colors. You have to work fairly quickly with acrylic paint.

Just recently....I also found some helpful information/videos on the Pan Pastel youtube channel:  
https://www.youtube.com/@PanPastel

I thought I would share a step by step of one of the projects from my PPP (pan pastel play) on the gelli plate for those who might have interest. The rest of you can get on with your day.

I placed a stencil on my clean(ish) gelli plate and used a makeup sponge to add color around the stencil....blending the colors as I went. 

Pan pastels stay dry....so you have all kinds of time to blend or add more color.  You can even remove some color with a soft cloth.  Just as I'm writing this I realized I could have blended colors on the side and been able to get more variety of color and actually see better what I was mixing. I'll try that next time. Here's where I stopped in this rainbow scheme. The second photo is how it looked when I pulled off the stencil off the plate.

Using my brayer I covered the plate with a thin layer of zinc white fluid acrylic paint.  No too much paint....I wanted to be able to see the design...but have enough paint to pull the print. Zinc white is translucent...I didn't want there to be color in the background....but regular white or cream would work well too.  I layed down a piece of copy paper pressing it onto the plate....I'm pretty sure any paper would work. I let it dry for about 30 to 45 seconds or so...then pulled the paper off.

This was the first print. There's a little bit of grunge...which could be residual paint on the plate...or just me over mixing the colors. I also used the same sponge...so once I put down all the colors...I created brown mud here and there when I did more blending. 

There was still color on the plate so I put down another thin layer of paint and repeated the process two more times.  This is the second pull and third pull.....the color gets softer and softer each time.

I wanted to create some textured paper without the pattern of a stencil....so I smeared on some color and did some blending.  I can see here that I didn't really blend it all that well...and I didn't really like the first pull...but it will be useful and I can always do another layer. The one on the left is the pastel on the plate...and the right is the pull. (Since I did this...I learned that there is a colorless blender pastel that would help a great deal for something like this.)

For second pull I spritzed a little water on the paint...just to see what would happen....and I like it better. It's got much more interesting color and texture and I'll definitely be doing that again. You never know until you try.

Here are a few other prints in blues and greens.  I will always go back to using acrylic paint on the gelli plate.....but as a general rule...I think the pastels are a little more muted...and a little grunginer than acrylic paint.  When you use pastels right on the paper they will rub off so you often need to use a fixative.  But this process of combining acrylic paint and the patels builds in the fixative right in.

One last tip: I learned that you can clean the pastel off your plate with baby oil.

Thanks for the bright shiny object Roseanne! 

I keep thinking of things to try with them!

It Was Time

What a difference a day makes.  

The sky was blue and snow glistened in the sun.  

All of a sudden I knew it was time for the tree to come down. Epiphany was a few days ago...the 12th day of Christmas and the official end to the Christmas Season. So actually I was pretty much right on time.

Paul warned me to be on the lookout when I took it down.  Betty had been in hiding for weeks... and she was nowhere in sight. Seriously....I'd been looking...especially as I was putting Christmas things away. But with the hint....there she was....hanging out deep in the tree. 

I didn't see her when I took the ornaments off....she was tucked in down low. I'm not even sure I would have seen her when I put the tree away if Paul hadn't given me a hint. 

But Betty is finally found...and she may take a break for the rest of the winter. 

I have to give Paul some credit....he took the time to make his own little hook out of a twist tie so Betty could hang in the tree. This is as close to crafty as he gets.   

Speaking of trees....I got a lovely handmade card from Roseanne....the photograph doesn't capture the sparkle.

Roseanne also gifted me these extra set of pan pastels...and I've been playing around with them on the gelli plate.  I hope to have something to share in the next few days....it just feels good to play.

  

Sunsets in the woods are pretty with the snow!

It was time for snow!

Stillness and Quiet

I recently learned that trapped air between snowflakes absorbs sound...that's why it's so quiet when it's snowing. Light fluffy snow absorbs more sound than wet heavy stuff...and as the snow gets packs down it absorbs less sound. Now I know why getting out in the fresh snow seems so magical.

"In the falling of the snow there is hope for today, a promise for tomorrow, and peace for the future.  For in the stillness of the snow, all things are possible."  Samuel L. Barrett

I post this quote once every year....and every year I probably say "it seems especially meaningful this year." The need for hope and the promise of peace....yes...that's what we need.  And we need to believe that all things are possible.

We had our first major snowstorm of the season....several inches accumulated overnight  and it snowed most of the day today. The total could be about 14 inches before it's done.

It was cold...so the snow was dry and fluffy making it easy to walk through when I went for a short walk.  But it was also windy....so I didn't last long....but I do love getting out...

...in the quiet and stillness of the snow!

Opportunity

Anyone who uses a gelli plate for printing knows that sometimes there are as many flops as there are gems.  But a flop becomes fodder....and an opportunity to make something.  It's hard to cut up the gems....but not the flops. So that's what I did today.

I mixed a few other papers in and worked on a spread in my art journal.

I used lightweight fusible interfacing for the substrate allowing me to tack the the scraps in place with an iron. (I always use a piece of release paper as a pressing cloth) The interfacing not only holds the papers in place...but also gives a good base for sewing on paper.

In hindsight....I wish I would have stitched something different than a swirl...been there done that. A grid would have been nice. Next time!

I have several containers of fodder/snippets....things I've made or found that I might want to use in projects.  I came across a catalog starburst I made on Cranberry Island...and a black and white copy of a photo of my mom holding me as a baby that I had colored.  I thought both would work in this spread. I mounted the photo on another gelli print and added part of the quote from yesterday's post. How is it possible that I left the "g" out of both "energy" words. Kind of funny actually.  Another scrappy spread done in this nearly full journal.

  

Favorite Embellishment

My sister-in-law Alyson sent me this quote a few days ago...and it has resonated with me ever since.

"I have no major goals for this year; no deep desires to do more/become more/achieve more; no big lists of things to accomplish. All I want is to create and nurture more attention and presence in all I do/am. I want to be here...really be here. I want to notice, see, listen, touch, feel, taste, witness, experience. I want to take it all in. Savor the pain and the beauty. Do one thing at a time. Share from curiosity and inspiration. Hold as much value for the single drip as I do for the ocean. Assign deep meaning to moment-to-moment living. Unravel from the pressure the systems we live place up us to morph into machines instead of soften into our humanity.  

I want to spend less energy striving for an upgraded life and more energy fully living the life I already have." The Hoodwitch

Yes!

Several weeks ago I picked up some frosty scruff grass along the road.  

I wasn't sure if it would completely die back in the cold of the winter and I knew I wanted a little bit for printing. And at some point...maybe sooner than later it's going to be under some snow.

Today was the first day in awhile I didn't have multiple things on my calendar...so it was a puttering day....a little of this and a little of that. 

It felt good to be back in the studio...but I also felt a bit paralyzed.  So many choices...I wasn't really really sure what to do first. I felt out of practice. Then I saw the grass....so started with the gelli plate.  I made several prints....and here are just a couple.  I kept it simple....but it was a good place to start.

That led me to a tag....a good way to ease back into things. The colorful fish scales dressed up a simple grass print and helped it flow nicely from the last tag.

Fish scales may be my favorite embellishment lately.

A Start

Our morning walks continue to be a great way to start the day.  I will admit that sometimes I'm a little grumpy hesitant when it's cold and dark...but it's always worth it once I'm out.

The sunrise was particularly beautiful yesterday....one of those mornings with 360 degree color.  

I spent some time paying a little more attention to some of the interesting things along the way.

Every season has its gifts.

I was quite taken with these wabi-sabi rose hips....still a bit of color and certainly lots of texture.  But it was actually the thorns that I loved the most when I looked more closely at the photos.  They remind me of barbed wire around the pasture on the farm.

This seed head caught my eye...looks a little otherworldly.

And here's another one of those attempts to capture the large frost blooms on the car window...and I got so much more.

I've mentioned before that Philippa Stanton is the one who helped learn to pay attention...and appreciate the colors and textures around me....

and I'm excited to have another one of her puzzles on my table. 

I think this 1000 piece one is going to be a challenge...I'll just take my time.

  

The edge pieces are sorted and I have 6 box tops of pieces....it's a start.

Still Dreaming

A few days ago I celebrated the number 3....today's post is brought to you by the number 9.  

On this very day 9 years ago I posted for the first time on this Joyful Puttering Blog. My niece Clarke actually wrote that first post....she was my tech support....and I couldn't have gotten started without her help!  

This was the first image I shared....and Clarke titled the post Dreaming Out Loud. 

9 years and 3,276 posts later....I'm still dreaming out loud! And I'm so grateful that so many of you have followed me along on this journey. Thank you!

Sharing my paper tube projects was the day two post...and this image has become a bit of a trademark for me....symbolizing so many things I love. 

This photo was in that same second post....and I chuckled when I saw the snowman that I shared just yesterday.  The snowman..by the way...was made by my friend Jane.

In 2015 he was in my bathroom in Lexington....with the paper tube project right underneath.  I love what I love!

I guess I'll keep going for a while longer....because there's one thing I know for sure....there's always joy!

Ordinary Time

When you're married to a minister you learn a few things about the liturgical calendar.  It includes the more well known seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter.....but it also includes Ordinary Time.  Ordinary Time is the time in between....the time that pauses for those reflective and celebratory more seasons.

I feel like I've been on pause since early November. So I'm celebrating Ordinary Time today...in my own secular way.  I'm quite content being back to the ebb and flow of regular days. I love the holidays and all the celebrations that come with them....but I also enjoy the quiet comfort zone of Ordinary Time.  

The ornaments and garlands are off the tree but we'll keep it up with just the lights for a bit longer.  The Christmas Moments are all tucked away and just a few snowmen have come out to play for January.  

Ordinary Time can still be colorful and fun.

So I'm keeping the confetti lights up for the winter....and this happy snowman will remind me the joy that can be found in Ordinary Time.

Just Another Day

Happy New Year!  

For a lot of people....the new year is a time to reflect on the past year and set some goals for the year to come.  But I'm not all that great at making and keeping New Year's resolutions....so for me it's just another day.  Another day to do the best I can with whatever lands in front of me...another day to recommit to healthy habits....and another day to find and celebrate the joy in my everyday life.

I do have a story to tell today....and it just happens to be about a beginning and an ending....and a creative journey of sorts.

I've have been following a little store on Instagram called Swallowfield located in Northeast Harbor, Maine.  https://www.instagram.com/swallowfield/

I'm not sure how I happened upon it....but I enjoy the colorful posts by Jennifer Judd-McGee, the owner, and knew that someday I wanted to visit in person.  Jennifer does a fantastic job celebrating this beautiful part of Maine and posting colorful vignettes of the goodies in her store.

Here are a couple vignettes from her Instagram page.  Sometimes her arrangements are all the colors of the rainbow...sometimes just one...and sometimes a limited color scheme.  If you like this sort of eye candy...I recommend scrolling through her Instagram page.  https://www.instagram.com/swallowfield/

On our way home from Cranberry Island this past summer...Swallowfield was one of the stops that I wanted to make....it did not disappoint.  It's a tiny little store in a charming coastal town...and it's jam packed full of colorful and fun things. 

I picked up a few small items....but mostly I just soaked it all in and wished I lived closer so I could go back again and again.  There were many handmade things...some of them made by Jennifer herself.  I had a delightful little visit with her and was able to tell her how much I enjoy following her shop.

One of the things that caught my eye was a puzzle. The image was Jennifer's own artwork... simple and colorful patterns and shapes. Just what I love.

I didn't realize at first that it was a wooden puzzle....but when I did I loved it even more....but hesitated spending the money. I admired it another minute and quietly put it back on the shelf.  

Afterwards I regretted not buying it. I love this store....and I loved the puzzle.  And because I met Jennifer I realized I would be directly supporting her art.

Paul and I are careful with our money.  We have most of what we need....buy what's necessary.....and occasionally splurge on a treat.  Then....in mid November...Swallowfield had a sale...and I gifted myself the puzzle.  It arrived in just a few days but I tucked it away because I wanted to revisit all my Christmas puzzles during the month of December. I finally started it on Christmas Day....and have been happily...and slowly working on it this past week.  

The colors and patterns were fun...and the puzzle was filled with special little shapes. If you've never done a wooden puzzle...it's a real treat.

Of course I celebrated when I made a path from top to bottom....and always collected the pieces of a design ready for the next time I sat down.  Pure joy!

When the end was in sight...I slowed down even more....

savoring it like the last few bites of a delicious dessert.

I finished it last night on New Year's Eve...a perfect way to end 2023.

Just another day of joy! 

And the very best thing about having it done is that now I get to pass it on to Margie...who I KNOW is going to enjoy it as much as I did.