still on hold

Yes I am still on hold with new artwork......just archiving old stuff. Go check out my Pinterest pages for inspirational ideas!   https://www.pinterest.com/maryjomcgraw/

So..what is happening here?

NOT MUCH!!!!!

I have decided to take some more time off from my art..............not sure how long.........not sure if I will ever get back to teaching on a schedule of any kind. The further I get away from that the easier it is to stay away.
I really would like to get back to working on  art just for me.....so many projects so little time especially when there is gardening to be done!
This summer visit me at littlesparrowmountain.blogspot.com
I will be posting more journal pages here as I continue to archive and uncover stuff from the dark regions of the garage and studio.
Oh and go check out   https://www.pinterest.com/maryjomcgraw/

Just a few pages

From Too Much Java  (T)  started at least 10 years ago and working on it again. Just for fun

Well, I had a weeks vacation and got nothing done and that was OK! We watched movies and caught up on Orange is the New Black. I slept and made a couple of cakes. Did a bit of Thrift store shopping but overall that was it. Did not even step foot in the studio.  This was the second piece I did with the Stencil Girl stencils a few months back......might set a foot in the studio or take a walk on the trail behind the house. WHO KNOWS?

running across an encaustic or two

Still cleaning out the Studio....there is now a path! Many empty bags and 2 suitcases in and I am out of drawer space...HAHAHA.This piece is holding up well and this one may have a meltdown in its future.

This is a journal that I did with crackle paste.

I am moving slowly with the clean out......checking through everything and considering each piece of paper, each broken crayon and checking every pen.

On Facebook the 3/5 challenge

Finding multiple journal pages as the studio cleanout continues....I am only getting to it a couple of times a week. Right now I am going through my bags sorting and tossing things. Finding bags and bags of pens, crayons and more.  Meanwhile I Facebook I am caught up in my fourth 3/5 challenge. You know the one show 3 pieces of work for 5 days. I had to double up to stay caught up! 

from: Maryjo Mcgraw

Hi! Have you seen this before? http://shadowbowl.com/only.php Oprah says the results are unbelievable! Maryjo Mcgraw Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone

fixing up a journal page and starting the long clean out of the studio

The Magic Eraser!

Finally feeling up to doing some work in the studio. I began today, opening up old suitcases from my last few trips back in August. Amazing how you can let something go when you have big life changes and how hard it is to get back to playing again.

 I was looking at this page in one of my journals and thought it was a little dark. I knew this page had a silver spray under painting  so it could take a little scrubbing. Get out the Magic Eraser which is a great tool for removing color and lightening a piece. You must be careful not to scrub through the paper so take it slow and rinse the sponge often. Start by dipping the sponge in clean water then start in where you want a lighter effect.

You may end up scrubbing some of your lines out. They are easily put back!

I lightened up more of the inside to expose the silvery under painting.

Then I added some warmer tones and then layer a deep pink over the hearts

looks better with more contrast!

cookbooks

I have lots of friends that are great cooks and I do get recipes on the fly. Over the past 15 years I have started to put them into a book. I also ask the more artistic folks to spruce up the page! It makes me laugh !

WOW today I have a project on STENCIL GIRL TALK!!!!!! 

Don't miss it then come back and check out what else I am doing with the same stencils!

http://www.stencilgirltalk.com/

Just coloring faces

Spray painted face

Hamish is watching today.

I started coloring this morning and now lets look at the details

When I color I layer  and layer and layer with the same color first ,then I layer in shadow (greys 0r complimentary colors). If you do not like lines color each layer in a different direction. Horizontal, vertical  and diagonal.

This pic is clearer

Layering for more depth by outline then refill the center.

Doing her eyes

It needed more texture down the dark side....more more more!

SO FAR........

Faces with stencils

There are no rules with stencils. you can flip them and use any part. Here is the face I am using for the next week or so. It is a two part stencil from StencilGirl

I started over the exsiting background with charcoal pencil

Someone is always watching me..........

If this were a less complicated pattern I could stop right here

Here I added white sharpie waterbase which needed to be layered several times 

 I always draw over everything again

MORE tomorrow!

Adding spray paint faces

a variety of ways to adding spray paint faces

lots of back pattern here will require at least another spary

on a plainish page a simple spray

Prints of the stencils

spray over a crazier page

spraying over on a plain page then cover with the previous page for a print

Let everything dry come back tomorrow for more!