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February 8, 2014February 8, 2014 | pixygiggles Hang In There, a photo by pixygiggles on Flickr.

A new watercolor I worked on this week. 🙂

January 26, 2014January 26, 2014 | pixygiggles Abstract Watercolor Kitty, a photo by pixygiggles on Flickr.

May 31, 2013May 31, 2013 | pixygiggles Free as a Bird, a photo by pixygiggles on Flickr.

I thought I would share the piece of art that I’ve been working on the past couple of days for the Coursera’s class, Introduction to Art: Concepts & Techniques with teacher Anna Divinsky. I thought that this class was just the refresher course I needed to get me back in the habit of creating art on a more regular basis and to once and for all determine what direction I want to take my art. Our assignment this week was to do an introductory piece and create an Artist Statement addressing the following:

My Artist Statement for this piece titled: Free as a Bird

1. Mixed media – Papermate gel pens, watercolor, collage on Strathmore Drawing paper (80lb). I first created a pencil sketch of myself from a photo, drawing the tree behind me from memory. I also sketched the bird from a random photo that I found online. Next, I drew over the sketch with a black gel pen and allowed it to dry overnight. This afternoon I completed the watercolor washes and cut out the two pieces, the tree and me, and the bird. I honestly, didn’t care for the original background I had created; so I thought creating a collage from the pieces was an acceptable solution. After painting a new watercolor background image and allowing it to dry, I pasted the pieces together using rubber cement. Finally, I drew the tree branches and music note ‘leaves’ with gel pens.

2. The idea behind this piece was my love for nature and music, the two things in life besides art that bring me the greatest amount peace and contentment. I chose to use music notes as the leaves on the tree as a subtle reflection of how the natural world has its own form of music, if you listen closely, and my own appreciation for all types of music. The bird represents the freedom I feel from creating art, music, and relaxing in nature.

3. I created this image because I wanted to get across the message that taking a brief pause out of our busy schedules to enjoy the things we love is what freedom is all about. Peace comes when we slow down and appreciate life and feel gratitude for those things in our lives that we love and that calm us.

September 22, 2012September 22, 2012 | pixygiggles 

August 21, 2012August 21, 2012 | pixygiggles Day 234 Watercolor Rose, a photo by pixygiggles on Flickr.

April 7, 2012June 3, 2012 | pixygiggles Day 98 Watercolor Sketch, a photo by pixygiggles on Flickr.

I am very inexperienced at using watercolors. I intend to change this by doing a lot of these quick sketches to help me develop a technique of my own. This is the first one I’ve tried, so I wanted to post it in my daily photos as a reminder to myself and to follow my progress. My sketch doesn’t do the original photo justice.

**NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED** I claim no ownership of the photograph that I sketched from. It took me a little research to find the original author of the photo I stumbled upon the other night; but this striking image of a Harris Hawk is apparently by Alan Woodgate: www.flickr.com/photos/16248967@N08/6413357933/in/pool-706…. Amazing nature photography! Check him out.

July 27, 2010June 3, 2012 | pixygiggles 

Thank you, Madison, for your contribution to my blog! Madison’s Bumblebee My Bumblebee
