You Can Call Me Gwen

ICAD Challenge - Week Four

  

I have had a terrible week, so I am grateful that the others in Gwen's little Index-Card-A-Day-Challenge group have been sending some great looking cards my way.

This week's theme was a bit fussier, as it included more than just materials parameters.

The theme was: Inspired by wallpaper, fabric, thread & quilts. Abstract & geometric patterns. Colored pencils, neocolor wax crayons (must find out what those are), markers, ink.  

Feel the squeeze?

I found it constricting, but it was still late in the week before I overcame my 'Law-Abiding-Larry' self and threw out a parameter or two in order to bring some joy back into the process; sad to say, my cards reflect both the misery and the return to ease.

Also, I'm not fast, but I'm slow, and I finally realized it makes a lot more sense to present the cards by day, rather than by artist, so you can see the prompt and the wildly different interpretations of it in one place.

So, without further ado, here are the cards for week number four.

 

Day 22 - "Psychedelic"

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Naomi

 

Laura Leigh

 

Ree

 

 

Day 23 - "Romantic"

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Naomi

 

Laura Leigh

 

Ree

 

 

Day 24 - "Geometric"

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Naomi

 

Laura Leigh

 

Ree

 

 

Day 25 - "Botanic/Organic"

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Naomi

 

Laura Leigh

 

Ree

 

Day 26 - "Exotic"

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Naomi

 

Laura Leigh

Facade  (Laura Leigh's prompt-inspired original poem)

I'm always walking in a straight line
Always pretendin' that I am fine,
Ignoring the warning and sign,
It's a facade.

Layer on layer I make my mask,
Pull it up tightly before you ask,
Make it the goal of my every task,
It's a facade.

Always confining, your motives divining,
In fear I'm reclining.
Always confining, your motives divining,
In fear I'm reclining.

Contriving and striving I live my lies,
Hoping outsiders won't hear my cries,
I've got it together like that's my prize,
It's a facade.

Under the rug I have swept my fears,
Hardening my heart to avoid the tears,
Gets harder and harder throughout the years,
It's a facade.

 

Ree

 

 

Day 27 - "Academic"

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Naomi

 

 

Laura Leigh

 

Ree

 

 

Day 28 - "Dramatic"

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Naomi

 

Laura Leigh

 

Ree

 

Now, in the interest of "leaving 'em laughing", I am going to include a link to a Three Stooges clip which will explain Annski's "Academic" card.

If you haven't seen this particular piece of ridiculousness before now, I am just so happy that I can help put it into your brain to plague the rest of your day.

B...

I...

Bye

 

Index Card a Day Challenge - Week Three

 

I truly hoped I would be able to solve all the technical problems before I had to post these photos of the results of the Index-Card-A-Day Challenge for week three, but I haven't been able to do it and week four is almost over.

So, with apologies to Ellen, whose work is so poorly presented here,these are the cards from Gwen's little ICAD group.

The theme for the week was collage.

The daily prompts were:

• Route 66
• Greeting Card
• Wabi Sabi (we had to look it up, too)
• Tree House
• Snow Globe
• The 1970's
• Color Wheel     

 

Ellen:

Day 15:

 

Day 16

 

Day 17

 

Day 18

 

Day 19

 

Day 20

 

Day 21

 

Ree:

Day 15

 

Day 16

 

Day 17

 

Day 18

 

Day 19

 

Day 20

 

Day 21

 

Naomi:

Day 15

 

Day 16

 

Day 18

 

Day 19

 

Day 20

 

Day 21

 

 

Annski:

Day 15

 

Day 16 - Two Views

 

Day 17

 

Day 18

 

  Day 19

 

Day 20 

 

Day 21

 

 

Laura Leigh:

Day 15

 

Day 16

 

Day 18

 

Day 19

 

Day 20

 

 

Index Card a Day Challenge - Week Two

 

I don't know how it goes for anyone else, but forcing myself to use the ICAD Challenge themes and prompts has meant that I am often quite surprised at the results of my playtime (sometimes even a bit frightened).

Last week,s prompts made a lot of us groan despairingly, but we made it through and have lived to tell about it.

Here are the results of Week 2.

The theme was 'Paint'.

The daily prompts were:

1. Cherry & Grapefruit
2. Carrot & Lemon
3. Ginger & Eggplant
4. Mango & Lime
5. Parsnips & Kiwi
6. Plum & Blueberry
7. Salt & Pepper

Annski:

Day 8

 

Day 9

 

Day 10

 

Day 11

 

Day 12

 

Day 13

'

 

Day 14

 

Ellen:

Day 8

 

Day 10

 

Day 11

 

Day 12

 

Day 13

 

 

Day 14

 

Laura Leigh:

Day 8

Day 9

 

Day 10

 

Day 11

 

Day 12

 

Day 13

 

Day 14

 

 

Naomi:

Day 8

watercolor, Signo pen

 

Day 9

 watercolor, Signo pen

 

Day 10

 watercolor, Signo pen

 

Day 11

watercolor, Signo pen

 

Day 12

watercolor, Signo pen (with my apologies; the ends of the parsnips looked like scary eyes and the rest just happened)

 

Day 13

 watercolor, Signo pen 

 

Day 14

 watercolor, Signo pen

 

Ree:

Day 8

 

Day 9

 acrylic paint, zig photo markers and a lemon

Day 10

 acrylic paint, stencil

Day 11

watercolor pencils and acrylic paint

 

Day 12

 watercolor pencils, micron pen

Day 13

 

Day 14

acrylic paint

 

And there you have it!

We are half way through "collage" week, now.

Well, some of us anyway.

I got a little bit behind because I was keeping the grandshoots.

And throwing up.

Gross.

Index Card a Day Challenge: Finishing Week One

 

 

The last three prompts for week one of the ICAD Challenge were: Owl, Taxi, Periodic Table.

Don't those words just set your hair on fire?

Mine either, but Gwen's little group made it through the week anyway.

Ellen:

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

 

Ree:

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

 

Annski:

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

 

Laura Leigh:

Day Five

Day Six

 

Naomi:

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

 

We are half-way through the challenging theme and prompts of week two.

There have been days I wanted to poke my eyes out with my paintbrush.

Don't Text While Mowing

 

Dear Diary,

This morning I went out at the strike of 8:00 to mow the yards and I discovered that the mower was out of gas.

There are two gas cans in the garage and one of them contains a gas/oil mix for something other than the mower.

 

 

Although it has been a long time since some poor son of ours used the wrong gas can to fill the mower, I remember the consequences of that particular error and I feel my muscles tighten and my heart beat fast at just the thought of making it myself.

So.

I texted Prince Charming:

    "Big gas can for the mower?"

No answer.

I wondered why he wasn't responding, as he had sent me a text just moments earlier, so I sent a teasing text.

    "Answer now."

No answer.

    "NOW"

No answer.

I pulled out the large gas can, which I suspected was the mower gas, and discovered this:

 

 

I filled the mower and mowed both our big yards.

I watered the plants and flowers.

I pulled some weeds.

I came inside and took a shower.

I ate breakfast.

Still no answer.

So I sent another text.

    "Don't worry about the mower gas questions. I used the small can. Apparently it was the wrong one, because half way through doing the back yard the mower blew apart. Thankfully, none of the pieces hit me, but one did go on the roof.  I got out the big ladder and was going up to get it, but I got too close to that crepe myrtle where that big mockingbird has her nest. She dive-bombed me and it scared me so badly I lost my footing and fell. Nothing broke, but it knocked me senseless and Hannah called an ambulance. By the time we got to the hospital, I was coming around. The EMT asked me what had happened and I told him the whole story. He just held me in his arms and said..."

The Prince replied.

    "What?????"

And I finished the story.

    "Oh, you precious, beautiful woman. I would have answered your text."

It was only a split second before his response came.

    "I've always told you that you deserved better."

And now you know why I call him Prince Charming.

Index Card a Day Challenge: First Four Days

 

The first four days of the ICAD Challenge are now under our belts.

There are themes for each week and prompts for each day, but both are totally optional, and some of us are following both, some only one and some neither.

Also, we have participants who are using the ICAD Challenge for writing, rather than visual art (which makes me very happy).

This weeks theme is "drawing & doodling" and the prompts for the first four days are 'chevron', 'carnival', 'map' and 'mailbox'.

So without further ado, here are some of the cards from some of us groupies (technical and other difficulties make this an incomplete round-up, sigh).

Ellen:

Day Three

Sharpies

 

Ree:

Day One

Acrylic Paint w/sponge daubers, Gelly Roll pens, Sharpies

 

Day Two

paint markers, Gelly Roll pens, Sharpies

 

Day Three

 

Day Four

Sharpies and Micron pen

 

Lulu (8 yrs old):

Day One

 

Anonymous:

Day One

 

Naomi:

Day One

#2 pencil, blending stump

 

Day Two

#2 pencil, blending stump

 

Day Three

#2 pencil, blending stump

 

Day Four

#2 pencil, blending stump

 

Laura Leigh:

Day One:

 

Day Two

 

Day Three

 

Annski:

Day One

 

 

Day Two

 

Day Three

 

Day Four

 

 

It's like a little peek into the hearts and minds of these artists.

And I'm enjoying the view.

ICAD Challenge - Title Cards

 

Several of the people in Gwen's little ICAD Challenge group have shared their title pages with me and I thought you might like to see them

I think I'm going to love seeing all the wonderfully different artistic expressions which can be made on a little 3x5 index card.

I forgot to ask these artists to share a little bit about the techniques and materials they used, but I'll try to get that information for the first round of cards.

It looks like Ellen did some printing, but I wish I knew how and with what.

 

 

Rosemary used fabric. Love.

 

 

Ree used every color in the arsenal and, as Iris said, "Color can raise the dead".

 

 

You already know that I cut stuff up.

 

 

I'll let you in on a secret though: not one of these title pages gives any true indication of what page one looks like for these artists.

And I just love that.