I've gone alcohol ink crazy!

"Chili Glut"

I made five more pieces using the alcohol inks over the past few weeks! I still can't believe how much I'm lovin' this!

Yesterday was the monthly get together of the Grand Valley Art Students League at the Art Center. I went in with a blank piece of yupo paper and my little box of inks and, admittedly, I mostly visited with the other artists and looked at the "wood" exhibit throughout the gallery for the first hour, then stared at my blank yupo for another 15 minutes before put ink to paper.

This is the piece I made, starting with chilis. I'd been hankering to use the black ink, so decided the jar had to be black.

The silver circle is an orange juice bottle top that I painted half black. I'm learning!

It was so great to have Sara Oakley and Faye Timmerman-Traudt there to answer questions! They are so terrific! We all had such fun!

This month's "practicum" was taught by Daphna Russell, who was in a particularly chipper mood because she'd just made a major sale!

"Dreaming"

My mother and I took Daphna's one-day workshop on clay sculpture back in June, so it was fun to hear her again -- she is so funny!

Overall, as always, I love the league's monthly sessions!

I painted the little tree with the purple metallic circle in it late the ohter night; I was just feeling purple and painted the underside of a Pelligrino foil top.

Then thought, hmmm, what to do? So I created the sky and tree for that little purple circle and voila!

I created the butterfly piece while praying for my daughter Melody, sending her love and strength for her continued journey through a challenging transition.

"Reaching Melody"

The butterfly was created on a separate piece of yupo, then I cut it out and added it to the background, then painted a large yogurt top purple and added that.

I call this one, "Reaching Melody."

The tryptic (three side-by-side related pieces) was created a little at a time over the past two weeks while watching the Olympics -- I couldn't help but want to paint with a sense of celebration! Celebration, energy, and lots and lots of medals of course!

"Celebration"

I call it "Celebration," but what else could it possibly be called?

We're watching the closing ceremony of the Olympics as I post this. I am so going to miss the Olympics, sigh; its been such a beautiful world peace break from all the political hostility. Sigh.

The adobe house is the result of trying to paint an adobe house. I just couldn't get the color right! I tried blending orange and latte, but the orange completely overwhelmed the latte!

"Adobe"

Wendy Videlock, who is an amazing artist who specializes in alcohol inks, told me that each ink color will behave differently. And she was so right about that!

I think that covers my latest pieces!

I don't know how much time I'm going to have to make art over the next few months, but am determined to make time as I can! There is just something so incredibly fulfilling in the creative process! Gotta do it!