It is Stencil Time!

Happy 2021!  Wishing you wonderful things this coming new year. 

I over-layered different pattern of stencils and colors on canvas board to create this work of art.  It reminds me of a Andy Warhol painting. I loved how it turned out with its different layers of depth. ~ JM

Two different stencil patterns with three colors.

Andy Warhol, Flowers, 1964

Quick and Easy Wall Art

 While perusing the local bookstore, I stumbled upon a magazine which contained prints to use as wall art. Once I purchased the magazine, I went next door to Michaels and bought some frames that were on sale.  What a quick and easy way to transform your walls!  You can cut done the prints from 8.5 x12 to 5 x 7. ~ JM

I cut the images down to 5 x 7 to fit its frame.

A great reminder to have on the wall!

Home Wall Art magazine.

The Art of Looking

 

Twice a month, the National Gallery of Art has an interactive virtual program titled, "The Art of Looking".  It focuses on "sharing observations, interpretations, questions, and ideas" on a single work of art.

I participated in the discussion of the photography of Gordan Parks.  The picture's title is Mrs. Ella Watson, a government charwoman, with three grandchildren and her adopted daughter. (Washington, DC, 1942)

The moderator had the participants list their initial observations.  This included: family, many generations, divisions of rooms, picture on bureau, deep space/shallow space, movement of space, formal/informal, narrative, frame within frame, emotions, soft expression, dignity, and humanity.

Afterwards, we discussed the photographer's background and history and what led him to take the picture of Mrs. Watson.

Gordan Parks took several pictures of Mrs. Watson at her house, work and church.   Click here on a  New York Times Article regarding Mrs. Watson.  ~ JM

Clay Bowels

 I made small bowls using air-dry clay.  Since it is autumn, I collected leaves to put imprints in the clay.  Then I shaped the clay into small shallow bowls so that I have a place to hold my earrings.

After 24 hours the clay dried and I decided to decorate the bowls using acrylic paint and watercolor markers. I saw this idea on YouTube. ~ JM

A leaf to imprint a pattern in the clay. Use a rolling pin to roll it flat.

 

Try to find leaves that have pronounce veins to leave a deeper imprint.

Shaping the bowl and letting it air dry.

The finish look!

Virtual Writing Workshop

 In the last couple of months the National Portrait Gallery held virtual writing workshops that drew inspiration from the Portrait Gallery's online exhibition.

This month's focus was P.T. Barnum, a complicated and controversial showman who lived from 1810-1891.

The class began with showing a portrait of P.T. Barnum.  We were given three prompts for the writing assignment:

1.) Write about P.T. Barnum;

2.) Write about circus life; or

3.) Write the process of creating the portrait of P.T. Barnum.

It was interesting to hear the other participants sharing their writings. I selected #2.  Below is the portrait and the beginning of my story.

Portrait of P.T. Barnum taken by Mathew Brady

Floral Exhibits: Artechouse | Athenaeum

Some of the cultural institutions in the DC area are reopening. I went to two different exhibits, but both centered around flowers.  First, Artechouse combines technology and art and its theme was cherry blossoms.  This exhibit was meant to coincide with the cherry blossom season in the spring, but was postponed due to the pandemic.  Artechouse

Second, I stopped by the Athenaeum to view its "Beautiful But Deadly" exhibit.  On display were works by members of the Botanical Art Society of the National Capital Region showing familiar native and exotic plants with toxic effects. Athenaeum  ~ JM

                                                                    Athenaeum

Video experience of the Artechouse

New Camera!

I've always enjoyed photography but only had a basic point and shoot or used my iPhone to take pictures.  I finally upgraded to a better camera, but it feels so complex with all its settings and options.  Luckily there are great tutorials on YouTube (one that I found very helpful is located here).  It's my goal to take the camera with me every time I wander through the city.

I set aside a day to walk around D.C. to use the new camera.  With the lock-down still in place, most of the museums are closed.  However, the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden recently re-opened.  Below are picture I took at the sculpture garden. ~JM

Massive fountain, facing the National Archives

Roy Lichtenstein, House I

The structure of Moondog is based on a lattice motif and comprises a configuration of geometric shapes 

Mindful Drawing

On the National Gallery of Art's website, there's a list of activities regarding mindful drawing. Click here for more information. The subtitle is "Activities that Embrace Experimentation".

Chris Rusinko, Museum Educator and Program Coordinator stated, "For me, taking just ten minutes to have a mindful experience with drawing is an act of kindness that clears space in my mind and encourages new perspectives. It offers me a sense of respite and escape that fuels other types of creativity and generosity."

I did a drawing inspired by music.

Directions: Play one of your favorite songs or types of music. Think about how different sounds might make a line do different things. Find a starting point on your paper and begin drawing. Let your line wander around the page and change direction or create shapes inspired by the different sounds you hear. Try to keep drawing until the song ends. When you are done, think about how you might include color.

I chose one of my favorite gospel songs, The Heavens Are Telling, by Karen Clark Sheard.

Below is my experiment.  ~JM

Making Music

There have been so many wonderful websites to keep us entertained and inspired during this time in isolation.  My favorite has been the Library of Congress website.  There is a project called Citizen DJ, which is in beta mode that will be fully functional by this summer.

I was able to experiment with free sound clips and created fun musical samples that I can save and be used for any purpose.

See and hear what I created in the video below.  ~ JM

Museum Visit: Alonso Berruguete at the National Gallery of Art

The exhibit was wonderful to see firsthand.  It reminded me of old churches I visited in Europe.

 This is the "first major exhibition held outside Spain to celebrate the art of the most important sculptor active on the Iberian Peninsula during the first half of the 16th century. Berruguete was a revolutionary force in the arts, famed for creating sculptures in painted wood that convey astonishing depths of emotion through their dramatic poses, gestures, and facial expressions. The primary focus is on his sculptures. A large group of his finest have been lent by the Museo Nacional de Escultura in Valladolid. Some are used at the Gallery to recreate a section of one of his elaborate, multi-tiered altarpieces, known as retablos in Spanish."

This exhibit is no longer at the National Gallery Art, but to read more, click here. 

Below are pictures I took of the exhibit.  ~ JM

DIY snowglobes

This was one of my favorite Christmas projects. I used a mason jar and a half plastic ornament...filled with snow and deer. It makes a cute container for Christmas time treats! I saw this idea on Twin Cities Live.