In-progress digitized art postcard: Collect Experiences

I haven't posted for awhile, so I thought I'd post this, even though it's not yet finished.

The map of Amsterdam and the text, "Collect Unforgettable Experiences", were clipped from a magazine and became the inspiration for the rest of the collage.

The red heart represents that my heart is still back in Leiden, where I worked and lived for several years.

  This piece will be cut down to postcard size and I expect to add some hand-lettering as a small accent.

French Sunflowers

Finally getting around to making a postcard from an image I created in design class many years ago. At the time, I was fumbling with Photoshop and managed to create these effects after much trial and error. I still like this very much.

The photo was snapped in a late-season sunflower patch in rural France.

#16 One-Color Collage: Orange Crush

I've been busy with calligraphy work and fell behind on my postcard project. I have several partially finished designs and just completed this version.

Collected images were collaged, then digitally manipulated. Copperplate was scanned and layered in Photoshop. Lots of fun.

Now back to the calligraphy jobs. . .

L - drawn letter as a gift

This letter was drawn in a workshop with Heather Held. Incorporating a simply-flourished copperplate letter, the terminal lobes are gold-leafed with 23 carat gold. The centers of the flowers are glued-on crystals. The color is blended from watercolor pencil. Gold accent strokes are added with fine-tech gold, applied with a brush, as well as with clear Stardust gel pen. I want to make more of these!

Collage #13: Another use for my half-apple sketch

I'm re-using my colored-pencil half-apple sketch for a new postcard design--this version includes quickly-written pointed-pen calligraphy. I had fun playing with the color strips made with pastels.

Some of my postcards on exhibit in the Pomona Valley Art Association's Art Place. The exhibit ends today. Picture taken by friend, Jenny Allen--please ignore the glare from the overhead lights. 

Colored Pencil Wren

I think this is a wren--I found the picture in O magazine.  I prefer to draw plant life, mainly because it's more forgiving, but while I'm in colored-pencil drawing class, with Christina Baltaylon, I thought I'd better take advantage and draw a variety of subjects.

I need to draw another bird, so I can correct the things I don't like about this drawing! We just started our second ten-week session at the Creative Arts Group, in Sierra Madre. We're drawing a succulent plant, beginning with realistic style, then moving to more abstract.

I'm sure this image will turn up in one of my collages.

Kristi

Collage #13: Found amber gum leaf

From a workshop with Rebecca Wild: ayered mixed media--each layer separated and protected with acrylic matte medium. Pencil copperplate and pastel accents while leaf-shape was masked.
   Re-positioned mask and added more pastels. Removed mask and added lettering within that shape.
   I'd like to do more of this, with some overlapping gouache writing over the outer lettering.
   A fun project!

Collage #12: Here's looking at you.

It's good to post these--I notice the imperfections--great learning exercise.

The background is made from envelope security liners and obscured with gesso. The images are digitally enhanced. Lettering is scanned and overlaid in Photoshop.

This ostrich reminds me of one in Holland, during the time I was working over there. I was checking out a "children's farm" behind the hotel where several of us were staying. I wanted to see some unusual-to-me sheep, but the ostrich kept shifting to be in front of me, so I'd have to look at him, rather than the other animals. I had forgotten about that until now.

Collage #11 - Rose Colored Glasses

Clipped images, plus a stamp saved from correspondence from my favorite Flemish (Belgium) calligrapher--digitally manipulated. Lettering layered over the top.

Inside Edition clip of high school calligraphy class

Davie Mark, in charge of Public Relations for the Society for Calligraphy, started our Teen Calligraphy Program. He set up after-school calligraphy classes at several schools. Beverly Womack helped out early on. This year, I took over at Buena Park High School, so David could teach at Wilson High School in Hacienda Heights.

Inside Edition filmed the Buena Park class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyJhBGAb2yA, in conjunction with the Meghan Markle festivities, since Meghan Markle was a calligrapher before she got her job acting on Suits.

Care Package

Part of a care packet for Angie., the programs coordinator for the Inland Empire/Pomona Valley chapter of the Society for Calligraphy.



More going out to our other IE/PV board members.

Collage #10: The Apple

This card was inspired by an apple drawing created during a colored pencil class which Marjorie Grace-Sayers and I are taking at Creative Arts Group in Sierra Madre--we love it!

I scanned and layered the apple, digitally, with found photos--the apple tree was digitally manipulated for a more painterly look.  After printing, the postcard edges were rubbed with a red stamp pad.

Now to find time to write and send these! I'm SO far behind on correspondence these days.

KLM Dutch Houses - postcard

This scene on this postcard reflects the wonderful time I had commuting to Holland for over four years. Some of my favorite souvenirs were the ceramic Blue Delft Dutch houses, filled with Bows (Dutch) gin, which KLM gave to it's business class passengers.

I also picked up a similar design in Friesland--a bird house, and a similar little house, a little more colorful, picked up in Italy, when I purchased Rembrandt soft pastels. It would have been cheaper to buy those pastels in the U.S., but I wanted that little house!

This design features a digitally manipulated photo of those little houses. The Dutch neighborhoods have different colored pavements, one indicates a pedestrian walkway and the other is for bicycles. Pedestrian beware if you get in the way of those bicycles! The route I took to work took shortcuts that bypassed auto traffic. It even had a round-about strictly for bicycles! On semi-dark mornings, the police would stake that out and give tickets for not having a light on the bike. My coworker and I didn't have a light--people would warn us and we'd get off and walk.

The skies in the Netherlands weren't always this blue-they had lots of clouds, and often rain or light snow.

#9 in collage series: Yellow-green postcard

Image collaged from magazine clippings, then manipulated in Photoshop. Handlettering is simply a caption for online posting. The postcard itself doesn't include hand-lettering--I didn't want to make it any busier. 

I'm practicing italic--I've been busy with the pointed pen and brush for awhile and haven't spent enough time with italic, one of my very favorite hands. I'm working to remedy that, now.  

#8 in the Color Series of Collaged Postcards: Lime Green

Created a simpler design for No. 8. And, I'm switching to italic--for the moment, at least--I had been neglecting the broad-edged hands, due to teaching so much pointed pen and brush. Time to remedy that!

I'm practicing with markers in-between lettering with the dip pen--alternating those tools for pages of text and plenty of envelopes. The goal is to loosen up, without getting messy.

I have more ideas for collages, now the trick is to find time to execute them!

Custom Postcard - Monument Valley

Postcard created to commemorate our recent trip to Monument Valley. The bottom scene depicts the View Hotel within the Navajo Tribal Park. The top scene is the view from our balcony. We hiked the four-mile Wildcat Trail around the West Mitten Butte--the weather was cool, so that was perfect. We saw horses, as well as many interesting native plants, which were labeled at various points along the trail.  The pieces were collaged in Photoshop, then the composition run through the Waterlogue app to add watercolor-like texture.

Collage #6 - Midnight Blue

I'm working to further develop my eye for composition, through collage.

Postcard started with images, all prominently dark blue, clipped from a magazine, and pasted onto a watercolor postcard. Scanned, then manipulated in  Waterlogue and Colorama. Script clipped from one of my copperplate teaching exemplars and layered in Photoshop.

These are so enjoyable. I have plans for more variations in the coming weeks, including incorporation of drawings from my journals.

Mail Art

Decorated envelopes. Two on top left are for the current Cyberscribes exchange and the others are for guild business or personal.  Lots of fun to do . . .

Brush-lettered script

Collage #5: Color Series - Aqua

I'm very much enjoying this collage project. This is the 5th in the One-Color series, and incorporates found images and lettering, each of which prominently feature aqua. The 88 near the upper right is a stamp I received while living in the Netherlands, so it has special meaning to me.

The collage consists of clipped magazine images pasted onto a blank watercolor postcard, then scanned. I ran it through Waterlogue, then manipulated it further in Photoshop. I had intended to add pointed-pen lettering, but didn't want to add clutter. What do you think?

Collage #4: Color Series - Lemon-Yellow

Working on more "one-color" collage postcards--this is #4. I clipped images from magazines, arranged them on a postcard, then applied special effects via photoshop, Waterlogue, and Colorama.

Lastly, I brush-lettered text, then scanned and layered over the completed image. Lots of Fun--looking forward to the next one!

Collage #3. Color Series - Passionate Peach

Collage #3 in my Color Series. This one features peach-colored items, although here, some look mauve.

To help develop my eye for composition, I clipped images from magazines (decluttering and making art at the same time! I pasted the images onto a watercolor postcard, including a salvaged postage stamp. I digitally manipulated these to add texture, then layered brush lettering on top.

I'm working on several more of these collages. I also want to start incorporating scans of some of my sketches. A fun project.

Upcoming Copperplate Class in Chino Hills, CA

InCoWriMo and Valentine card design

 I was late to learn about InCoWriMo (one hand-written letter each day during the month of February), so catch-up was needed. I started by designing a Valentine Card. Then on February 4, I wrote notes inside  five cards.

So far, I'm keeping up. This is the 6th and I not only designed a collaged-style post-card, but I've written one note inside a purchased card. I have boxes of cards collected during my travels and I need to use them up! It's hard, though, I always want to use my own designs.

Happy Valentines Day, all!

Color Series: Ruby Red

Postcard--second in my Color Series, this one is Ruby Red. The collage is composed of images cut from magazines, each reflecting their namesake color, pasted onto a watercolor postcard. The postcard was then scanned and digitally manipulated (Waterlogged app, first, then Photoshop). I brush-lettered the title, scanned it, and layered it on top.

These postcards are an enjoyable, but time-consuming endeavor. I tell myself they're good for developing my eye for design!

Color Series: Orchid Pink

A goal for the coming year: post art at least once a week. I'm leaning toward collage--good for developing my eye for creating good composition. I'm very happy with this collage--I used a variation on an ATC. I plan a variation for an Easter card.

This piece was created from magazine pages, scrap paper, and a used postage stamp, then run through the Waterlogue app. Brush lettering was scanned and layered in Photoshop.