New(s) to you: Products, people and more

Time to get back to work. well, okay, so you could actually call it "time to get back to work in between catching up on laundry, weeds, house cleaning and preparing for the beginning of another school year". Doesn't leave much time at the end of the day for creativity but I am finding that multi-tasking and schedules actually do come in handy (while multi-tasking is my life- I haven't worn a watch in 20 years- so the schedule thing is all new to me!). As do good, reliable art products! For those of you who know me well, this is not news to you. For those of you that are just getting to know me- I put all of the products I use through very rigorous testing periods. I want to know exactly what they will do. How long will they last, what they will hold up to and what effects I can achieve with them. And then take it one step further and abuse them horribly!

On that note, for those of you who have not been introduced yet, let me do the honors:

I have been playing around with, "testing" and otherwise slathering this stuff on anything that holds still long enough, for the past year. This is what I have come up with regarding Liquitex Clear Gesso. It is FABULOUS! It withstands various conditions and can be used in multiple applications! It is remarkable the way this product allows the underlying texture/color to remain visible while adding an adequate tooth for a variety of paint applications. Everyone who works within the altered art/mixed-media world should have this product as a staple in their studio. Not only does it allow you to add paint washes to, well anything you can imagine- it also holds up as a type of decoupage, maintaining the integrity of the paper while adding strength to layers. It opens up new avenues to play with when working with everything from fancy papers to recycled newspapers. A definite +++! It is available in a variety of sizes (my favorite is the gallon available from Cheap Joe's Art Stuff at almost half the list price!)

Here is a sample of a piece I did with the clear gesso: (click on photo to see details) I used the gesso to not only allow me to sketch out the tree on the four pieces prior to painting- I also added layers of gesso on top of the paint so that I could detail the tree with pen and ink, paint and a white flake (also by Liquitex) and gave the trunk a three dimensional look by adding layers of vintage dictionary pages with the gesso, and one final coat to take a wash to stain the pages. Multiple applications within one painting makes me a happy girl!

While I was waiting for paint to dry yeasterday, I hopped on my computer to do a little blog surfing.

While not every blog I read has to do with art or artists- they do have to contain that "human" factor. "Bloggers with feeling" is what I term them as. During this recent blogfest- I happened across Shelley at "I'm Still Standing"~ Shelley is a remarkable woman with a remarkable story. She is the mother of Rebeka, a college student and Ainsley, a special needs teenager. Her blog is devoted to telling her story of the trials and tribulations of day to day life. It takes a strong person to overcome- it takes a stronger person to put it out into the world for all to see while wanting to educate, heal and help along the way. Kudos to Shelley and her family! Please take the time to check out her blog and say hello!

I will be introducing new bloggers and new products and a new technique I have learned along the way, every week- so check back and see what is new to you!

Two new ways to follow the goings on here at the studio!

You can now follow me on Twitter! at Whisperings13 (See link at top of blog home page) and a brand new Fan page on Facebook! also Whisperings 13 (link at bottom of the blog home page). I am having a bit of trouble getting used to tweeting; but I will get the hang of things soon. (I refuse to over-tweet; I can't actually believe I am using that phrase in a sentence at this point in my life)

In the mean time- it's back to the studio! oh wait- first I have to upload all the photos from the summer! Sharing photo-ey goodness to come!

And just a reminder.... only 57 days till Halloween~

Have a wonderful week!

Happy creating!