Libraries!

 I love libraries!  My dream job would be working in the library surrounded by all the magnificent books and information.

Below are highlights from two libraries in my neck of the woods, but can easily be accessed online: 1.)  The National Gallery of Art Library and 2.) The Library of Congress.  ~ JM 

The National Gallery of Art has a treasure trove on their library website.

The Library of Congress has prints and photographs on their online catalog..

3-D Collage Book

 I had cut out and pasted old sketches, doodles and collages to a 3-D collage book.  I learned this technique in a past virtual class through the National Gallery of Art with artist Sarah Matthews.  See the materials here.   She shows the technique of book making on YouTube here.   In the class we learned about artists Thornton Dial and Mose Toliver.

Below is a video of me flipping through my 3-D collage book.  ~ JM

Dried Flowers Fall Wreath

 I created a fall wreath using dry plants and flowers.  Before you start placing the dry plants, decide if you want to cover the hoop all the way or part of the way by covering it in a c-shape or u-shape.  I made a simple design and covered the metal hoop in a u-shape.

Some of the flowers I used were fresh but will dry nicely.  ~ JM

U-shape fall wreath.

A selection of dried flowers.

Wrapping snippets of green wire around the dry flowers.

Andrew Wyeth: Studio and Museum Visit

During a daytrip to Pennsylvania, I visited the Brandywine Museum of Art.   One of the exhibits featured works by Andrew Wyeth.  See the virtual tour here.Wyeth was from the area and did many of his paintings for decades in the regions of Chadds Ford, PA.   Up the street was Wyeth's studio, which was wonderful to see!

Andrew Wyeth was one of the most important American artists of the twentieth century.  ~ JM

Andrew Wyeth's studio.  This served as his principal work place from 1940 to 2008.

One of Wyeth's first work of art, painted around the age of 19.

Brandywine Museum of Art.

Neurographic Art Project

 I attended a different type of "paint + sip".  Artist Nancy M. Patrick led the project and explained, "Neurographic art is a way to transform your stress into calming art.  Similar to doodling, it's an activity that connects the brain with art....[this] is based on the work of Russian psychologist, Patel Piskarev."

Click here for a great article of the benefits of neurographic art.

Below is what I created.  I drew lines and loops from one side of the canvas to the other.  I then colored it with calming colors. ~ JM

Flower Photography

 In a flower photography workshop at a local art gallery, I learned so many great techniques when taking pictures of flowers.  Some techniques and tools include:

 - Lights.  It doesn't have to be fancy, examples include flashlights, desk lamp and fairy lights.

- Background. Use construction paper, wood, shiny surface and/or other flowers.

- Cooper tube

- Keep the ISO low

Below are some of the pictures I took during the workshop.  ~ JM

Metro Station Architecture

 I wanted to highlight the architecture of DC's Metro train stations and did a little fieldtrip across the system. There are many things to admire from its vaulted ceilings to the entrances displaying artwork or quotes from famous poets. To see a list of the station with artwork, click here.  "Many Metro stations were designed by Chicago architect Harry Weese and are examples of late 20th century modern architecture. With their heavy use of exposed concrete and repetitive design motifs, Metro stations display aspects of Brutalist design." (Wikipedia)  ~ JM

It is hard to see, but across the top of the Dupont entrance is a poem by Whitman.  https://www.wmata.com/initiatives/art-in-transit/ait-dupont-circle.cfm

The installation consists of 20 intricately designed aluminum discs that are wall-mounted and back-lit with custom-made LED lights in the Farragut West Metro entrance on 17th Street.

Polymer Clay Earrings

There is a local gift shop that offer weekly art and craft classes. What a treat to make handmade clay earrings! To create the marbling technique, layer different colors into a rectangular cube-like shape. Wrap in gold leaf material around the clay. Afterwards, slice it into squares and then lay the squares flat next to each other and rolled out using a rolling pin. Finally, cut out the desire shape with cookie cutters and baked in an oven for 15 minutes. ~ JM

The earrings - side view

The earrings

1. Layer different color clay with gold leaf wrapped around it

2. After slicing into squares, place them in a 3x3 grid and roll it out.

Flower Tiles

 Happy Spring!!   I used pressed flowers, glass and copper tape to make the below flower tiles. ~JM

The finish product.

The finish product.

The beginning - pressed flowers and beveled glass.

Securing copper tape around the perimeter of the two glass plates.

Pen Art

Artist Michael Booker led a virtual class using pen as an art medium.  To learn more about Mr. Booker and his art work, his website is  - https://michael-booker.com/home.html

The class focused on works by Alighiero Boetti and Sam Gilliam who used  pen in some of their work.  Below is an example of Boetti’s work. Notice the movement of the lines.  

Also below is an exercise I did practicing different colors and angles of pen strokes.  ~ JM

Practicing using different strokes and colors of the pen

 

Boetti's "Mano Libera Pensieri Sciolti", 1981

 

 

Moss Wall

 There is a nice plant store in my neighborhood that offer different workshops.   In the latest workshop, I made a moss wall.  The main materials were air plants, moss, sticks, shells, and plastic flowers, in which I pinned into a frame.  Below is the finish product, along with pictures of the rows of plants and how things looked before.  ~ JM

Moss Wall

Rows of  plants.

In the beginning...an empty frame, air plants and pins.