"White" - Art Elements Theme Challenge

This month it was my turn to host the Art Elements Theme Challenge and I chose the topic "White". Although I love to work with neutral colours, this was a real challenge for me! I found a lot of wonderful inspiration (just have a look at the challenge launch blog post here).

Also I had a kind of head start since it was also my turn for a blog post at Art Elements in the first week of december that I used to explore the theme (have a look here). A tiny wee voice in my head tells me I should be lucky for that or I could have crushed the theme challenge I host myself ;)

After creating some monochromatic paintings with acrylic paint for that blog post, I switched to water colour. I really enjoy learning and exploring and right now water colour speaks to me. I think it is the combination of the free flowing paint and the control that can create such wonderful expressionistic work. I am still struggling to balance too much and too less details and sketching in general. But as much as I see the mistakes in my own work, I also see and feel the progress I make.

It could be true that I own a little bit too many Schmincke Hoaradam paints... but another part of me want to have them all! (still not there yet) Also when working with water colours, one realizes really soon that it is not only about the colour itself but how the pigments inside react. Colour shades may be quite similar but the physical properties of the pigments can vastly differ, how they move in water, how transparent they are, how the react with other pigments (yes, water colour has a lot of chemical theory in it), how they interact with the surface...

...I thought for some time I had too many shades of yellow, orange and red. Now I am rather like, for this I need exactly that paint! Or.... no, I don't ever want to miss this paint because there is no other like it!

I am also becoming more and more an advocate for high quality material. No doubt a skillful person can create wonderful work with any kind of material. But it like with high quality tools. The material works with you and not against you.

In the past I was tempted to get and try all kind of companies and materials. A part of me still is (and still doing this although not as much anymore) but I have to confess that I get also more and more disappointed.

Of course, I am not always buying the most expensive material but it also depends on what I want to create and use it for. For example I use different acrylic paints to antique my polymer clay work, to paint, or to use it formonoprints on gel plates. But even then I am taking care to use an acrylic paint of at least medium quality in the binder.

Okay, I started rambling again. I have a bad cold for a week now, survived christmas only with a lot of "drugs", and am so tired due to not being able to sleep... and tomorrow will be the next big family celebration. I tend to ramble if I am tired ;)

But if you would like to get a little bit deeper into properties of paints or other materials, just write in the comments what would interest you. That could be a good inspiration for a blog post.

Back to the theme challenge. You see I had a lot of fun sketching and painting white animals.Most of the time the didn't stay pure white but rather became somehow studies of shadows. But in nature a lot of white animals are also not true white. Even snow has a blueish tint especially on sunny days since it reflects the sky. This was what I learned in this challenge: How colorful white "spaces" in nature really are!

I also want to show you some of the ceramic work I made. Okay, I only show you the pieces that are fitting in this theme. They were not done especially for this months challenge but rather intended as christmas presents... but I let myself get inspired by the theme! Normally you would see way more orient blue in my glazes ;)

Clear glaze in white clay on the outside, opaque white glaze in the inside (the transparent glaze crackles easily and can only be used in a thin layer, I prefer a thick and close glaze layer where it may come into contact with food!).

I played combining different textures... and was so tempted to keep it for myself. *sighs* The next one... or I may take this one back if it is not loved!

Find the one that doesn't fit ;) My brother and my sister both wanted plates from me for christmas.

My favorite one! Nothing beats the beauty of nature...

This texture was made with a dried corn cob. I love the organic texture and can't wait to see how it will turn out with colour!

Just love! The contrast was made with black underglaze. It is so expensive but I prefer the results...

This tiny wee bowl was made with a laser cut paper dragon fly. I love that you can use any kind of material to create texture and images in clay!

I also made a new tiny sketch book with upcycled cardboard I got from some packaging. Since this was not usable with water colours I played with pens and pencils!

The eyes and the moon are painted with metallic markers but it is difficult  to capture the shine.

Oh, and a last sketch I made during a telco at work...that went on for ages! I coloured it in when I was back home.

I am so thankful for all who participated in this month's theme challenge especially doing this beside holidays in most countries and the usual end of the year craze! I was not expecting so many and can't wait to have a look at all of your creations!

Please have a look and we see us next year again! :)

Guest Artists

Alysen

Anita

Beth

Cat 

Divya

Elaine

Hope

Jill

Karin

Kathy

Lucy

Rozantia 

Sarajo

Susan

Tammy 

Art Elements Team

Caroline

Cathy

Claire

Laney

Lesley

Marsha

Susan

Trotzige Herzen - Canis lupus

It all started with the idea of an image transfer. I had a lot of emails and talking andexperiments with Silke (from "für große Mädchen") about image transfer. Some of you may remember my image transfers with aceton. But there are a lot of other techniques around the net and the idea of image transfer which is not digital (although I also love and use digital image editing possibilities) has something tempting. An image you made with your hands during every step has another feeling, at last for oneself (or for me). Every step was made and touched with the own fingers. I love to fell the different structures, all the used papers, the paints and the acrylic media. This picture is for me. Or in other words: A lot if not all of the picture is me. Captures the moment. 

What happened during the night at late hours was simple. I was writing at my thesis. I love and hate it at the same time. There are so many ideas and solutions for scientific problems I had to solve. So much which I learned the hard and long was and in the end is a big part of who I am and rather important also of who I want to be. Science is about a never ending curiosity. The same drive which keeps me crafting. painting, sewing, whatever, keeps me in the laboratory. But this also represents the biggest problem. I don't have a real distance to something which in the end is work, a job. And with every work comes politics, small societies with their own rules, being completly dependent, nececessities which have nothing to do with the actual work in the lab but are sometimes even more important. This all is also in my thesis and to be honest: I can't stand it anymore. It will be finished (no if, no when!) to the end of july. Maybe some little corrections... but nothing more.

Yes, Michelle (from "Mich L in LA", have a look her mystery guessing is going on again!), for me it is like giving it away. :) All the weight which comes along with it. Do I fear a little bit what may come after this? Of course. But also I am eager to go this way. A lot of job applications already went their way, also an application to study a second time (medicine) and there is the possibility of apllication for research grants (already there are some people and ideas behind). One of this will work out :)

The "doctor" in germany is translated into english with PhD. But like with a lot of things there are differences due to the systems in the different countries. I have my diploma in biology. This is like having a bachelor and master. So I am a really traditional natural scientist. During my main studies in the third and fourth year we had to chose three main courses in biology and one main course from another discipline (the first two years are the same for everyone with really verything, from zoology to physics, from microbiology to informatic). I had neurobiology (I guess most of you are not surprised ^^), microbiology, genetics and for the non-biology topic, molecular medicine.

After my diploma work (which is done in the fifth year after the oral exams) I started with my doctoral work. This is a research work for about three to five years (for a Dr. rerum naturalis or short Dr. rer. nat, yes, all our doctor titles have different prerequesites ^^). 

I already gave you in my last blog post the link to PhD comics but maybe just have a look at this youtube video and listen to the song: So true! One wants to laugh and cry at the same time. This video was sent in minutes through all labs and institutes! 

But in the end it is not only a work which teaches ones a lot about the own research but also about oneself. A lot of people go through the same experiences like me. At least, I am not alone ;) 

Back to the night... I just had to work with my hands and not on the computer. A small and little project I thought because time is limited.

 I transfered the wolf (Canis lupus) skull on old paper sites (from the book - Trotzige Herzen, which means defiant hearts). I played with several transfers and then started to paint on one. I had an old newspaper lying below to protect my table. After adding more and more details to the old book paper and the skull I thought that it would be a good idea to add a body and just started to expand my painting from the book site to the newspaper.

I used laquer pens, acrylic colours, water acrylic paints, 3D acrylib body art medium, pens and a paint which is named Inka-gold from viva decor (I used lava green). I applied it with brushed, sticks, paper and my fingers. Especially the last I used a lot of times. I found paint in my hair, in my face, on my lips and also on my nails at the next morning. ^^ 

Sometimes this happens with me: Painting in a rush without thinking. I belive that it keeps me sane and that the result is something which has a lot to do with me. And yes, I can find myself in the picture and even with all the negative influences, for me, in the end it is not negative at all (but that'll be all what I am writing to this topic).

This was my first try. You can still see that I was to fast working because some colour is missing (or smeared) and some paper is left. But it is nevertheless really easy. I am preparing a blog entry for the future about some results with different glues and acrylics for their use in image transfer. The pictures are already there for some time but the text is still missing. ^^

The pictures are from Karen "the graphics fairy". I already used a lot of her bones and skulls pictures! :)

The lines of the lung are to fine to really pop out from the background. I'll keep that in mind for future projects. By the way: All the pictures were printed with a laser printer!