Don't Stop Believing

Birdie told me I HAD to include Don't Stop Believing. Since I love Journey, I agreed even though I hadn't a clue how to illustrate that.  I finally decided to just go with copying the album cover and trying to use some more "interesting found objects."  (This is a fancy term for trash.)

I found this gem under a cake.  Yep, it's a foil doily.  I tried stamping with it, but that didn't work as planned, so I lined it back up as best I could and used it as a stencil for a spray of Perfect Pearls mist.  
Is it perfect? No, but at least it is somewhat interesting.
I had a lot of fun doing the record label. I used my 4x6 chevron stamp and LOTS of embossing powder.

Finally, here it is in all its glory.

I did the wings using Prismacolor pencils that I layered and layered some more.  To make them even brighter, I used applied odorless mineral spirits with a brush.  I went outside the lines to put the blue shading between the feathers. The rest is done with watercolors and Stickles pearl over the white on the stop sign.  This one is so sparkly and 3-dimensional I wish you could see it in person.

Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, and Zentangle: Classics

What could be better than some classic rock with Zentangle Inspired Art?
The advice for today is:

• You can't always get what you want, and
• Live and Learn from fools and from sages.  

Enjoy!

One From John

I must admit that we had some lively discussions about which lyrics we gave the best advice.  And, which did I feel qualified to try and illustrate.  (I always have the problem that my dreams are bigger than my talent.)
John really thought I needed Stairway to Heaven and I liked the idea that it's never to late to change, so here it is.  
The hardest thing about this page was trying to copy the Led-Zeppelin logo and make it fit on the record!

Two from the Road

I took my sketchbook and a few art supplies on our trip to New Mexico and did these two pages while we were there. I think these are my favorite bits of advice to give to Birdie right now:

• Pay no mind to what they say. It doesn't matter, anyway.
• Nothing you can do, but learn how to be you.

I think these are important at any phase of life, but even more important for teenagers who are so into "fitting in."  Unfortunately, these are my least favorite pages in the sketchbook.  
The "pop girls" are from a Bratz doll advertisement.  How perfect is that?  And the happy girl is one I cut out of a magazine on "Women of Note."  I liked this page so much better before I added the Zentangle.  It is way too busy for my taste and even though I tried to emphasize the strong, excited woman, all I see is the Static  behind her.

This one just had me stumped and I went way too literal.  (The thought bubbles are all things that Birdie would like to do with her life.)
The one thing I do like is the record label.

That is why it is a sketchbook.  It is a place to learn from your mistakes.  And, also, to share them with the world, apparently :-)

Glittery Gold to Grunge

Things that go together: peanut butter and jelly; macaroni and cheese; hammocks and palm trees; pen and ink...

Things that shouldn't go together: iPods and water; glittery gold ribbon and grunge; me and rap music ... Well, iPods really don't go with water as Birdie could tell you.  But, surprisingly, I found a song by a rapper (Everlast) that I really like and I found that this beautiful Christmas decoration:
 could be used to make this:  No, there is no Zentangle here either.  It is mostly watercolor and stamping.  I painted the background with watercolor and then put the lettering and stamps over top. I inked up the ribbon using brown Distress ink and then stamped it on the bottom of the "road." The shoe stamps I carved. Finally I painted the label with watercolor, trying to copy the album cover.  

Stamping Fire!

Def Leppard says, "It's better to burn out than fade away."  I agree.
It's a fun way to live and it turned out to be a fun page to make.
For my "fire", I used the damask stamp that I carved for Julie Balzer's Stamp Carving 101 class.  To make it fiery, I applied Whispers markers in warm colors directly on the stamp. I stamped once on the left page, once on a scrap paper, and then again on the right side for the faded look.

Finally, here is a close up of the "record label."  I used a watercolor wash and then clear embossing powder.
You can also see the grooves in the record more clearly here.