Colorado Creatures Watercolor Collage Hastypearl

Colorado Creatures Watercolor Collage

Hastypearl

As you know, I enjoy traveling to the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

It is a Happy and Reoccurring theme, in my life.

While in Colorado one trip, I decided to focus on and to draw and paint, some of the local animals.

I will usually head outside, under giant and ancient evergreens, and listen to the birds, hummers, squirrels and the nearby Crystal River, for inspiration.

I ended up Drawing and Watercoloring a number of animals, two of which are featured in this posting.

I know that I just posted about these, in the previous blog posting, but I thought that I would revisit them, with a few more images and explanation.

Today, you will see, The Barn Owl and the Red Fox.

My Best Animal Treat on that trip, was actually seeing a Red Fox, literally sit down yards from me, while I photographed with curiosity, as to why he seemed so docile. 

I questioned a local about it and he said that unfortunately, people had probably been feeding it, in their backyards.

Irregardless, I had thought so much about the Red Fox, that I was so glad to be able to see him.

All of the Foxes in my Texas neighborhood do what nature intends them to do, which is to Disappear! 

I didn't collage the pieces, until after the trip, and back here in my Texas studio.

Its hard to travel with the perfect papers for projects.

It was fun to continue the process After I got home, anyway.

It was a way for me to remember my trip and enjoy thinking about those special hours, creating.

As I look back over this collection, I see that I had a bit of a black and white theme going.

That combination is dramatic and always one of my favorites.

Please Enjoy!

I love his serious and business like eyes.

It feels like he is locked on to his dinner! Yikes!

He is a set of blank cards. 

I often write in my Etsy, Hastypearl card set listings, that after the recipient enjoys the card, 

its easy to slip it into a ready cut mat, for framing.

The card below, is a black and white version of the Watercolored one, above.

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The three Red Fox pieces below would look great framed as a set, but can also stand, alone.

The first piece and Fox, is definitely the confident Alpha Fox, and Leader of the Pack. 

Sometimes, we all enjoy kicking back, and letting someone else more qualified, do the leading.

I used Vintage Ephemera from my collection. 

Below, is the full shot of the piece.

This second piece, is a pair... maybe they are siblings?

They have stopped, to look off into the distance at something that has caught their eye. 

I wonder what it was?

More Layers of Vintage Papers.

Here they are again, framed in a ready cut mat just to show you just how easy it can be.

Finally, the last piece, is the Fox at the back of the pack.

You've heard the phrase..."I've got your back".

Its good to know that there is always Someone...that has our backs for us, right?

Also on this piece, is a page from a dictionary from the 1800's, 

a small bit of Colorado map, actually near where we stay, 

and some pages from a Vintage Typing School Book.

Below, is a shot of the last piece...again framed.

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It was a Wonderful time of focus on animals of the region that I love.

Both animals are Illusive.

Not naturally interested in posing for photographs.

Meant to be left alone in nature.

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I hope that you enjoyed seeing a few of my Watercolor Collage Pieces.

They are all available at Hastypearl, my Etsy shop.

I would love for you to take a look at them and the other listings that I have!

Thanks for stopping by...for a little time together.

I hope that you are enjoying these Wonderful Days...Whether Winter or Summer...Wherever You Are :)

It makes me so fascinated, to see on the feedjit chart on the right of the page, where you all live!

Its really such a small world, right?

I hope that you will check back in...Often!

:) Laura aka Hastypearl

Mixed Media Acrylic Greeting Card "How To" Hastypearl

Mixed Media Greeting Card "How To" 

Hastypearl

Hi Everyone!

I thought it might be fun, to show you a really simple and fun Mixed Media project, 

that you probably already have all of the supplies for.

Remember, it doesn't have to look like mine when you are finished, in fact you don't WANT it to.

This is just a technique, the Creativity, is up to YOU!

Supply list:

Paper any size, or Blank Card

Your favorite Acrylic paints 

Painting  masking tape

Palette knife, or anything with an edge...could even use an old credit card or piece of cardboard

Rubber Stamp 

Stays On Ink or anything that wont smudge off of ...

Waxed Paper

Double Sided tape...I used Ranger Red line

Gold Leafing pen...or anything to make an edge on the waxed paper

Art is like Cooking . You start with a basic recipe, and then you CHANGE IT UP :)

So, as you can see, I used a blank white card for my husbands recent Birthday card!

I taped off the edge and used thinner strips horizontally, through the middle.

You could choose to skip the tape and paint the whole thing, or make a different shape than I did.

Make sure the edges of the tape are really pressed down, so you get a clean edge.

I used a palette knife.

I literally, just put tiny dots of acrylic paint directly on the knife, and smeared them in random patterns.

You can use a heat gun or blow dryer, in between colors, if you want the colors to stay sharp. 

Acrylic dries super fast, so there is almost no waiting in between colors.

Keep working along, until you get the spaces filled in like you want them. 

Feel free, to let some of the paint build up.

You can see that the buttermilk color that I used, is raised and textural.  

Don't lift the tape, yet!

(I lifted some of mine, so that you could see how things progressed) 

After the acrylic dried, I splattered some metallic paints, that are the consistency of a wet water color.

Use what you have!

Your tape is still down, so you can splatter, without worrying about it getting on your white spaces.

After everything is dry, pull your tape up.

My husband likes to fish, so I used a Fred Mullet fish stamp, stamped in Stays On, 

on a piece of waxed paper.

Then I edged the waxed paper with a Gold Leafing Pen.

You could use yarn, thread, wire...anything that you have.

Finally, I taped the fish waxed paper down with the Red line tape. 

Use whatever you have that will be clear.

Place your stamped waxed paper, wherever you want.

I wrote Happy Birthday.

You can write whatever you want!

So, There!

See how easy that was?

This has the potential to be a larger piece...maybe a 5" x 7"...whatever you want!

My only regret about this project, is that I want to get to see what You come up with!

You can see a button on the right of the screen where you can email me and send me pictures of what you make if you would like!

That would be awesome.

There is also a place on the right side, to sign up to receive e-notices that I have posted, 

if you want to follow this hastypearl blog...and I Hope that you Do :)

I don't share those addresses...EVER, and I wont annoy you with tons of postings.

I hope you had fun with this project!

Its fail proof, because there isn't a right or wrong way to do it...

and its great to know, that there are no REAL Licensed Art Police!

Only people that THINK they are ;)

  

Art is about Exploring and Learning...and hopefully having Lots of Fun along the way!

As Always...Thanks for stopping by to hastypearl...

I hope your days are Wonderful!

xoxo Laura