Calendar challenge : December

Here we are, the last month of the challenge. My calendar is looking  abit the worse for wear, a bit dog eared and some of the pages have come loose.. but it is full of painty goodness and I am pleased that I completed it. 

So a refresh of the rules for December. 

1.. Keep a part of the original picture and incorporate that into your design

2, Technique - use a stick dipped in ink or paint to write your title or journalling

3. Add – theme, let's have a bit of Christmas, or if you don't do Christmas then something wintery. 

4. Blog your calendar page and link up from December 1st 2015

This is how my page started, it is a piece by Vincent Van gogh. 

I kept a bit of the window, some of the table legs and the red coer from the bed. 

Then I blocked in the countryside, using the table legs for tree trunks, the window became the moon, and the red is of course for Santas bag. 

I added a bit more colour.. 

then some black outline/doodling with a pen and some white paint for snow. 

then I blocked in Santa..

and the title in black using a stick to write with.. 

 I added a little white highlighting with a posca pen.

On the planner half I painted the baclground with various greens, then added white, then stamped the title in red ink and stamped the snowflakes in blue. 

This is how the planner page looks finished. 

and here is the final art page done. 

I hope you liked that, thankyou to everyone that has joined in this year. it has been wonderful to see how you interpreted the challenges. Keep on arting. 

Darcy x

Calendar Challenge for November

Hi everyone, we are nearly there. 

Rules for November

1.. Keep a part of the original picture and incorporate that into your design

2, Technique - make it shiny... anything metallic, paint, sprays, waxes,metal embellishments

3. Add – theme, make your page mythical and magical, anything fantasy

4. Blog your calendar page and link up from November 1st 2015

Mine started with The Kiss by Klimt. I found this one incredibly difficult to do, I think because it is one of my fave paintings,so I was reluctant to cover it up.

I used gesso to blank out most parts, just leaving 2 sections of the clothing. Within these I created this weird mythical creature. 

I added reds,oranges and purples into the background, and the black silhouette of the sun. 

I added quite  a lot of metallic gilding wax, as per the rules and this made taking photos very difficult, so I am afraid not many details show up. 

The background is all Treasure Gold plus flicks of Gold paint. 

here you can see more of the metallic. 

So just one month to go.. 

1.. Keep a part of the original picture and incorporate that into your design

2, Technique - use a stick dipped in ink or paint to write your title or journalling

3. Add – theme, let's have a bit of Christmas, or if you don't do Christmas then something wintery. 

4. Blog your calendar page and link up from December 1st 2015

Calendar Challenge : October

hi everyone, welcome to the October calendar challenge. 

A reminder of the rules for this month.. 

1.. Keep a part of the original picture and incorporate that into your design

2, Technique - use water,bleach,rubbing alcohol to remove colour to create a pattern

3. Add – add something or use the style of a famous artist. Tell us which artist and why you like them. 

4. Blog your calendar page and link up from October 1st 2015

Here is how my calendar started... Mona.. 

I decided to keep the background.. as for my famous artist, I chose Banksy. I love his bold graphic images, they always make me smile. They just seem perfect for the age we live in. 

I started to black out all the dark areas and shadows. 

and then I added the white.. 

I did say I would keep the background. and I will.... I just need to cover it up first. 

I added several shades of brown. 

Using a brick wall stencil and some rubbing alcohol I began to rub back the brown paints, this bring the original background back to the surface. 

Once the bricks were in place I added some grungy bits of white at the edges. 

Here is the top part finished. The original background now shows as the bricks. 

On the bottom I used the same browns, stencilled in some bricks and added some little rats in honour of the Banksy rats. 

and the whole of the bottom page.. 

The two pages together.. 

Hope you like her.. 

Here are the rules for November. 

1.. Keep a part of the original picture and incorporate that into your design

2, Technique - make it shiny... anything metallic, paint, sprays, waxes,metal embellishments

3. Add – theme, make your page mythical and magical, anything fantasy

4. Blog your calendar page and link up from November 1st 2015

Calendar Challenge for September

Hi everyone, we have dwindled to a hardcore few, but that's ok.. hope you are still enjoying altering your calendars. I have to say, even though I was pushed for time this month I loved doing this page.. In fact I think it may be one of my faves. 

Here are the rules for Sept.. 

Here are the rules for September. 

1.. Keep a part of the original picture and incorporate that into your design

2, Technique - add lines using the edge of a ruler or credit card dipped in paint

3. Add – use a random word generator to pick 10 words, use these to make a sentence to add to your page

4. Blog your calendar page and link up from September 1st 2015

Here is how my page started.. 

I really wasn't inspired by the original at all, too drab for me. So I turned to the main rule for this month..to use a word generator to find 10 words. 

These are the words that is found for me. 

PARROT....CRIME...HEART...BOA...LANTERN...CURIOUS...DAISY....BEACH....HAIRY....LEFT

and here is the sentence/title that i pulled together. 

The parrot was curious about the daisy crime at the beach; a hairy boa was left at the heart shaped lantern

So, I picked out some areas to leave... there really wasn't much to choose from, but I decide to keep the wine bottles and the hat. I wasn't sure about the area on the right. I did end up covering this eventually. 

Next I blocked in some sea and sky, outlines the lantern in black and glued on real sand for the beach. 

I added shading to the lantern, and waves to the sea. 

and here is the hairy boa.... I did wonder how I was going to do a hairy snake, but then decided to go for a feather boa instead. 

I coloured in our parrot detective.. 

and added the crime based daisies to the wine bottles

The other rule was to use a ruler or credit card to add lines of paint, i added these in the sky under where the title would go. 

Then I printed out the sentence and glued it in place. 

On the bottom planner area I used the same blues and added more daisies. The green stems are also done with the side of the credit card. 

I added a few birds from my own stamp set EDY 10.  and the month stamp is from HPXT07

Here is the whole thing finished.. 

Here are the rules for October. 

1.. Keep a part of the original picture and incorporate that into your design

2, Technique - use water,bleach,rubbing alcohol to remove colour to create a pattern

3. Add – add something or use the style of a famous artist. Tell us which artist and why you like them. 

4. Blog your calendar page and link up from October 1st 2015

Calendar Challenge -August

Here we are again, time to show and tell.. The months are flying by, it's August already, how did that happen. 

Here is a reminder of the rules for August

1.. Keep a part of the original picture and incorporate that into your design

2, Technique - Use found objects to stamp with

3. Add – a silhouette

4. Blog your calendar page and link up from August 1st 2015

My calendar started out like this..

I added a thin layer of gel medium to add tooth, then whited out most of the page with gesso, leaving just the central figure. 

I then gave her some clothes, it might be August but jeez its not that hot.. 

Next i reached for my 'found objects' bubble wrap and a spring. 

I added paint with the bubble wrap and then over that I added lines by rolling the spring into paint and then onto the page. 

More found objects, credit card, a lid, sponge ear plug and the tube thing i think was the inner tube from something or other. 

Using these i added circles, dots and lines. 

Next for the other rule to add a silhouette, i decided to add buildings for her to stand on and some butterflies. 

I echoed the colours onto the bottom half, the title is added over a patch of black to match the silhouettes. 

This is how the bottom half looks, i really like this. 

And the top half.. I felt she needed something extra so added her wings. 

And here is the whole thing finished.. 

Hope you like it. 

Here are the rules for September. 

1.. Keep a part of the original picture and incorporate that into your design

2, Technique - add lines using the edge of a ruler or credit card dipped in paint

3. Add – use a random word generator to pick 10 words, use these to make a sentence to add to your page

4. Blog your calendar page and link up from September 1st 2015