Getting Ready to Make Some Greeting Cards

I pulled out my watercolor and travel arting roller bags to gather up supplies for making holiday cards this year. 

 

My travel arting bag contains: cutting mat, work gloves, water color paper, watercolor pan, travel watercolor pallet, watercolor pencils, brushes, brush pen, woodcut block with drawing on it ready for carving, honing block with honing compound and power cut wood carving tools.

 

My travel watercolor bag contains: watercolor paper block, water color paper sheets, paper towels, wash brush, watercolor brushes, water container, ftisket, watercolor color paint tubes, spray fixative, watercolor pencils and of course my lovely pallet...

 

I'm planning on making some watercolor painted cards and some mixed media collaged cards. Anyway I was so enamoured with my watercolor pallet that I had to take pictures. Now I'm ready for some arting, as soon as the precut watercolor cards I ordered from Amazon arrive...

Projects update and Nibblefest for May

I started carving an image of a vintage ink brayer on a woodblock when I was struck down by a nasty infection.  This is as far as I got but now that my energy is starting to come back and I've finished posting my entries for May Nibblefest Art Contest, I can pick this back up and finish it and maybe even print some proofs before month's end...

May 2015 Nibblefest Entries

Theme: Freak Show

I've decided to try and tie my nibblefest entries to tarot cards that fit within the theme.  I will try to do two ACEOs and one large painting using the substrates that I made by laminating layers packing.

  

Strength: an original ACEO created using Inktense watercolor pencils and sharpie markers (right). It's inspired by a vintage circus poster and the major arcana tarot card Strength. Click the following link to go to the ebay listing: 

 http://www.ebay.com/itm/231568592431?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 

The Eight of Swords original ACEO created using Inktense watercolor pencils and sharpie markers (right). It's inspired by the tarot card and a vintage circus photograph. Click the following link to go to the ebay auction listing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231568589429?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

 

The Magician is an original 7.5" x 10.5" acrylic painting on upcycled food packaging (right). It's inspired by a vintage circus poster and the Major Arcana tarot card the Magician and the Aces... Click the following link to go to the ebay auction listing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231568572469?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

April Nibblefest Entries; theme was Space, Planets, Stars

 

Image on the left is The Star ACEO (2.5" x 3.5") miniature acrylic painting on 4 layers of re-purposed food packaging laminated and sealed with gesso.  The image on the right is the traditional tarot card that inspired it.

 

 Image on the left is The Moon ACEO (2.5" x 3.5") miniature acrylic painting on 4 layers of re-purposed food packaging laminated and sealed with gesso.  The image on the right is the traditional tarot card that inspired it.

 

Image on the left is The Sun 7.5" x 10" acrylic painting on 4 layers of re-purposed food packaging laminated and sealed with gesso.  The image on the right is the traditional tarot card that inspired it.

Upcycling Cereal Boxes and Other Food Packaging

One of my projects was to trim various food packages that I've been saving laminate 3-4 layers of same sized pieces together with gesso.  I did this to create illustration board like substrates for small acrylic paintings. Tea boxes I trimmed to ACEO size (2.5" x 3.5") then laminated three layers thick. Cereal boxes I laminated three thick. Acrylic paint, gesso and medium neutral the ph of papers they're applied to; making archival substrates of cheap materials! 

Recent Projects and CloseOut of Marketing Venues

This is one of my daily news drawings. It was inspired by a photo in the Washington Post on 4/1/2015. It was drawn on April 1st using Inktense water color pencils and water. The substrate is a page in a 5x7" Mixed Media sketchbook.

Chillin' mixed media collage ACEO

available this week on ebay: 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231521685042?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

I used the the previous sketch to create a mixed media collage ACEO format artwork.  I used decorative papers, acrylic matte medium, permanent markers and Inktense water color pencils.

Froggy With a Chance of Rain

mixed media collage ACEO

available this week on ebay:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231521692834?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649

Inspired by the theme I did another ACEO using the same substrate and mediums as the previous one.

Other projects I've been putting time into this week... 

I'm updateing my CV and resume to update applications for adjunct teaching positions I posted in the California Community College teaching register and with local colleges.

And I've been saving records of artworks I've offered for sale within several internet art marketing websites.  I'm doing this because I'll be closing accounts in two of the sites I've placed my work in.  Both the sites charge a hundred dollars or more a year just for the privilege of selling my work within their sites.  My website does just as much for me and it's a third of the price! Now the money would have been worth it if the sites did more than simply let me sell through them, some occasional marketing on my behalf would have justified the expense. But these sites require that I do all the work and for their lack of effort if my poor marketing skills happen to incur a sale via the site I get to pay them a percentage of the sale! And I've had zero sales from either of the sites in two years...so for two years I've paid a more than two hundred bucks to two websites that have had absolutely no return on the expense...Time to cut off the dead weight!!! SSssoooooo...

Abstract 32007

one of the artworks that can be purchased at 50% off

Get 50% off 

anything and everything in my Artfire storefront by typing CLOSEOUT into the coupon code on checkout!

I'm eliminating dead weight from my marketing venues...by that I mean all marketing venues that have shown no return for the costs involved. My ArtFire account is the first internet storefront that I'm closing. There are only a few weeks left in my ArtFire account so I'm offering a closeout sale on everything in my Artfire studio; everything will be offered for 50% off from today until the date the account closes (I believe it's on April 20th but it may be sooner).

Visit my Artfire page:

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/home/Phare-Camp

If you desire any of the artworks in my Artfire shop simply type the coupon code CLOSEOUT into the coupon code field upon checkout and all items in your cart will discounted.

A few other examples of the offerings within this site:

March Nibblefest Flowers

March Nibblefest Art Contest Entries

This month's theme for Nibblefest Art Contest is Flowers I was not inspired at first but over the weekend I was cleaning up and decided to toss out my Valentine bouquet but Lo...there was one hydrangea bloom that was still going strong so I put it into my depression glass hand me down bud vase and it just looked so awesome -- that big giant puff of pink -- that I decided to draw it for Nibblefest.

 

The Palest Pink Puff  original photo and original mixed media artwork

Well the cleaning out of the vase of spent Valentine flowers was to accommodate my Ostara bouquet.  

 

Peachy Sun original photo and original mixed media artwork.

And I figured since I was on a roll making the Pink Puff that I may as well keep going and make some more art inspired by the new bouquet.

 

Red Violet Sunshine original photo and original mixed media artwork

Nibblefest Art Contest, is a themed art contest beginning on the 20th of each month and runs through the 27th.  Please be sure to search for NFAC in ebay to see a whole lot of awesome artworks, by a large variety of great artists. Each artwork has a listing price starting at just 99 cents!

Nibblefest Art Theme for March "Nursery Rhymes"

"Little Miss Muffet" ACEO printout of a digital collage preliminary sketch used to map out an ACEO paper collage of the same title.  Available at ebay until 3/27/13.

Little Miss Muffet - Original Digital Collage ACEO - March NFAC

 I like to participate in art challenges.  Themed challenges keep my art mind stimulated by challenging it to conceptualize.  

"Little Miss Muffet" an original ACEO mixed media collage created for the monthly Nibblefest challenge.

Available at ebay until 3/27/13:

Little Miss Muffet Original Mixed Media Collage ACEO for March NFAC

One of the themed challenges I regularly participate in is the monthly Nibblefest challenge; a collection of artists who put the themed artworks created for the challenge on ebay for auction with a starting bid of just 99 cents.  This month's theme is Nursery Rhymes.

 Front cover of "Mother Goose" a tiny 32 page book of illustrated nursery rhymes made from one sheet of 8.5x11" jet printed bond paper.  Available on ebay until 3/27/13

Mother Goose - A Teeny Tiny Book of Nursery Rhymes - March NFAC by Phare-Camp

For this month's challenge I did a digital collage then created a mixed media paper collage based on the digital composition.  Both the digital and paper collages are posted in ebay for the Nibblefest challenge.  But I also have the digital files of a little "one page wonder" book I created of nursery rhymes.  Which of course fits right in with the challenge.

 Inside "Mother Goose before its been folded cut and assembled into an itty bitty 1.5" x 2.25" book of nursery rhymes.

Mother Goose - A Teeny Tiny Book of Nursery Rhymes - March NFAC by Phare-Camp

 Fun With Color - Tiny 16 page Handmade Book by Phare-Camp

Available at ebay until 3/28/13.

I also included a few more works of art for auction with opening bid of 99 cents on ebay only during the Nibblefest  challenge.

Inside "Fun With Color" a digitally illustrated Book of color theory optical illusions inkjet printed onto onesheet of 8.5 x 11" paper, before it was folded cut and assembled into a tiny 2.75 x 2.75" book.

Tea Party - Digital Collage ACEO - by Phare-Camp 

available at ebay until 3/29/13

This is an original digital collage I developed as a preliminary sketch for an original woodcut print. The 2.5" x 3.5"size format is that of ACEO, or Artist Cards Editions and Originals. 

ACEOs are miniature works of art.  Wikipedia describes them as:

"An offshoot of artist trading cards are Art Cards, Editions and Originals (ACEOs), whichoriginated when some artists began to create cards to sell, in addition totrading among themselves. Many ACEOs are sold on internet auction sites, suchas eBay. As the term suggests, ACEOs may be small original works of art, oreditions of small prints."

Come Sail Away - Original Collage ACEO by Phare-Camp

Available at ebay until 3/28/13.

2.5 x 3.5 inch ACEO collage made using decorative and handmade papers. It was inspired by an IllustrationFriday.com challenge of "Sail." Signed and dated on the back. Sent inside an archival clear acetate art sleeve.

To see lots more artwork by lots more artists with opening bids of just 99 cents you can go to ebay and do a search of "NFAC" or you can just click the link below...

NibbleFest Art Contest:  http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=NFAC&_armrs=1&_from=R9&_ipg=&_dct=1&_rdc=1&_trksid=m194&ssPageName=STRK:MEFSRCHX:SRCH

More Hearts for the Arts

I've been working on some encaustic pieces for the above event and I've finished them.  I also pasted felt to the backs, signed the backs and added hangers.  Oh and I named them, Wings 1-3.

For more information on the Hearts for the Arts fundraising event please go to the following website:

http://www.friendsofsmac.org/

The event is also listed in Facebook where you can see images of other works by other contributing artists:

https://www.facebook.com/events/259050367561423/

Heart for the Arts

I'm currently working on a mixed media encaustic triptych for a local charity auction... See the Wiki on Encaustic for more information on the medium.

First I adhered white mulberry paper to three wooden hearts then coated the surface with clear encaustic medium.

Spent a few days playing with paper and sketching ideas.  What you see here is only a fraction of what I have in mind. The beauty of this medium is the ability to float stuff in between layers.

Now that I have an idea of where I will start I've painted in the firs layer of color.

You can see the muffin tin of paints melting on one griddle and on the other griddle I have tins of medium and metallic mixes melting.  I make my own encaustic paints.  I use 1 part damar resin to 8 parts natural beeswax.  The damar raises the melting point of the wax and helps it to buff up to a sheen.  For color I use some powder pigments but they are expensive and I've found that crushed soft pastels (professional artist's chalks for drawing) work just as well, are less expensive, they take up less room and I can use them for more than one technique.   Plus I get a greater variety of rich jewel like colors to work with for less money.  It takes very little pastel powder mixed into the melted medium to get vivid colors.  I like my paints to be translucent since I layer inclusions into the works. 

Holiday Cards Are Printed

 So the holiday cards are now printed!  I printed 50 cards with 45 going out to family and 5 to sell, three will be listed on the 22nd for the ebay Nibblefest contest. One will be listed in my etsy shop and the other in my artfire shop.  I will also list the two proofs, one in etsy the other in artfire.

Here you can see the rainbow roll.  I decided not to use silver as it was too dark for what I had envisioned.  So the roll is pink, violet and indigo.  I used Graphic Chemical Water Soluble Relief Inks Carnation Red, Opaque White, Purple and Blue.  I mixed Flamingo and  Pearl White shimmer pigment powder into the pink ink; Violet shimmer powder into the purple ink and blue into the blue ink.

Here you can see the plate.  I glued 3 layers of foam sheets together and adhered 3 wooden snowflake tree ornaments to the foam using double tack then cut around the snowflakes.  I then used double tack to adhere the cut outs to a prepared sheet of plexiglass.  I then decided the design needed some variety in size so I arranged some self adhesive snowflake rubber stamps onto the plexi.  I then rolled the rainbow roll in two directions onto the printing plate, layed the tone on tone cards tone side down onto the inked plate, burnished the back, pulled the paper away and...

Wa-La! Exactly what I had in mind!  

The finished cards will be embellished with a sparkly little jeweled snowflake and mailed out sometime in the next few weeks.  

Sorry but you'll have to go to one of my cyber shops or my ebay listing if you want to see the finished cards...