The 60 Day Bird Journal Challenge

I will be holding a 60 Bird Journal Challenge again in May, and like the last two challenges this upcoming challenge will be an entirely different beast, but still focusing on birds, pattern, studio habits, and much more.  If you'd like to join us for this challenge join us here on FaceBook!

I will be sharing more details about the upcoming challenge in the days to come, see you there!

Day 39 The 60 Day Bird Journal Challenge

Lots of carving and pattern making going on over here on the prairie, so much so I forgot to post to the blog!

I've been working with reworking patterns and the like this past week, exploring new avenues for design.

And then I was reminded by another artist who had posted to Lynn Krawczyk's Facebook page that back in the day, this would be art school, we used to create patterns and then cut them up into strips, one inch squares, and the like and the reconfigure the patterns to create new designs with existing patterns.

That was a mouthful! 

My original design that I scanned into the computer so I could print multiple copies to be manipulated into new designs.

The first time I did this was circa 1994 and I was so intimidated by my instructor (Tim McIllrath) that I, without thinking and fear causes us to do irrational things at times, cut up my original design WHEN I should have made multiple copies of it and cut those up instead.  Face plant onto desk, to scared to even cry.

So don't do what I did, make multiple copies of your original design FIRST and then proceed to cut them into one inch strips.  This fiskars paper cutter made quick work of the process.

We have strips!!!

I wove some strips that I cut horizontally, one inch by eight inch, the original pattern to the left.

Tomorrow I shall rework the strips I cut vertically, one inch by eleven inches, and will post those results as soon as I remember to do so, lol.

Day 34 The 60 Day Bird Journal Challenge

Folded a piece of sketch paper into eights.

Drew my pattern of choice onto one side of the folded paper.

Not bad, not quite as extraordinary as the cut outs I recall making as a child while attending catholic school.  But then again those nuns had us creating all sorts extraordinary things from paper cut out snowflakes to macrame owls,; they also taught us how to polka and how to square dance.

Atop a piece of inked mixed media paper, observing how the light casts shadows and such against the base layer.

Day 28 The 60 Day Bird Journal Challenge

Playing with pattern this afternoon, I started out with an envelope coated with black gesso and a white colored pencil.

Maybe you participated in such an activity back in kindergarten?

I have to admit, it's overly simple and a whole lot of fun, next up are my metallic crayons!

I moved the tape, twice actually.  I love how the circles intersect and is a process worthy of exploration.

Day 27 The 60 Day Bird Journal Project

Experimenting with pointillism this evening.

I think I may like this more as a layered affect over other patterns!

Day 21 The 60 Day Bird Journal Project

A Life of Pattern

My daily pattern resembles pears for some reason.

There is pattern everywhere in nature, if we search for it long enough we will find that which we desire.

Downy Woodpecker and American Robin repeat patterns.

Day 16 The 60 Day Bird Journal Challenge

Goose Flight patterns over a field north of town, (Days 13-15) looking at them on paper reminds me of mountain peaks.

Geese headed to Little Wall Lake north of Gilbert, Iowa.  The dark area at the bottom represents the field they were lifting off from.

I'm behind here in my posts.  I'm not in sending out the challenge newsletter, but, somehow or another I got swept up in a book I was reading and poof two days were gone!

Day 9 60 Day Bird Journal Challenge

Day 9 "D" is for Downy Woodpecker

It's not a secret I love birds and I love pattern so I reduced one of favorite birds down to bits of vivid color and pattern.