You Can Call Me Gwen

ICAD Challenge - Week Seven

Better late than never?

I have finally returned from gadding about the country and can now settle down to get all these amazingly different cards posted for the final three weeks of the ICAD challenge.

Week number seven's theme was: "Inspired by words. Typography, found text, definitions, poetry, calligraphy, hand-lettering, metaphors, plot & character development."

Try that on for size!

Some of us strayed a bit from theme, but all of us hung in there (and that was tough to do!).

Annski dipped into her graphic arts background to create her cards online this week and Ellen used her well-honed photography skills to good purpose for the 'focus' prompt.

I was still 'stuck' (ha!) in California, with just my pen and pencil, for part of week seven and I also resorted to words-not-pictures for a prompt or two I found uninspiring.

I won't name names regarding those who were struggling and straggling by this point in the challenge (the worst stall-out starts with "N"), because we all managed to DO the cards and here they are:

 

Day 43 - Definition

Annski

 

 Ellen

 

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi

 

 Ree

 

 

Day 44 - Focus or Blur

Annski

 

Ellen

 

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi

 

 Ree

 

 

Day 45 - Saturday Night Live

Annski

 

Ellen

 

 (Does Ellen have a house full of grandchildren on Saturday nights, perchance?)

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi

 

 Ree

 

 

Day 46 - Album Cover

Annski

 

Ellen

 

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi

 

 

Ree

 

 

 

Day 47 - Fashion

Annski

 

 

Ellen

 

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi

 

 

Ree

 

 

 

Day 48 - Disco

Annski

 

Ellen

 

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi

 

 Ree

 

 

 

Day 49 - Black and White

Annski

 

 

Ellen

 

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi

 

Ree

 

Week eight coming up shortly!

You believe that? 

ICAD Challenge Week Six

 

 

Let's not discuss how far behind I am on posting the weekly cards for Gwen's little group in the Index-Card-A-Day Challenge;I'm even further behind in getting my actual index cards done.

The theme for week six is: Use a different color palette (a different combination of colors) each day this week. Any medium.

The prompts are as follows.

 

Day 36 - Backgammon

Annski

Annski chose writing as her theme this week because she has so many memories attached to the prompts.

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh 

 

 

Naomi

 

 

Ree

 

Day 37 - Chess or Checkers

Ann

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi

If you don't zoom in on the tag, you're missing all the fun. 

 

Ree

 

 

Day 38 - Mah Jong

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi

Meet "Ma Jong"

 

Ree

 

 

Day 39 - Bingo or Monopoly

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh

Laura Leigh went 'off prompt' because she was "thinking about week one's chevron prompt".

 

Naomi

I started my beachy vacation on this day, staying at my Big Brudder's home on Greenville Drive and dog-sitting while he was away. I and only packed pen and pencil, so my cards during were all done with those tools.

 

Ree

 

 

Day 40 - Yahtzee

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi

"Large Strait"

 

Ree

 

Day 41 - Bridge or Gin Rummy

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi

I was in LA. I couldn't help myself.

 

Ree

 

 

 

Day 42 - Scrabble

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi

Still can't decide which I enjoy more; making a great double word play or eating a double-double at In-n-Out...

 

Ree

 

And there you have it!

 

 

Index Card a Day Challenge: Week Five

 

There was some serious groaning going on last week in Gwen's little ICAD challenge group and I can't say that I blame anyone.

The prompts were fun for the most part, but I think the theme threw a lot of us: Mark-making tools, stamps, stickers & tape. Found stamps, eraser stamps, date stamps, postage stamps, stickers & washi tape.

Here are the results.

Day 29 - "Iced Cream"

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh ("Help! I'm melting!")

 

Naomi

 

Ree (I think this is how she felt about the theme this week.)

 

Day 30 - "Telephone"

Annski (I really like this card. Just sayin'.)

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi ("Liar, liar, pants on fire. Your nose is longer than a telephone wire.")

 

Ree

 

Day 31 - "Trivia"

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh (I rode the carousel in Hyde Park in London and never noticed we were going the wrong way!)

 

Naomi (Nine honeybees equal the weight of one M&M.)

 

Ree (He's still alive...)

 

Day 32 - "The Weather"

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh ("Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.")

 

Naomi ("Hot fun in the summertime." Sing it with me..)

 

Ree

 

Day 33 - "Mad Men or I Love Lucy"

Annski (Vintage DYMO Tape from the Mad Men era. Annski didn't like Pete Campbell. Thus, the poopy-colored tape. Ha!)

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi (It feels good to confess it. I always felt it was a little un-American not to like her.)

 

Ree

 

Day 34 - "Flag/Independence Day"

Annski

 

Ellen

 

Laura Leigh

 

Naomi (You know you thought it was Jose when you were a kid...)

 

Ree

 

Day 35 - "Portrait"

Annski

 

Ellen

Laura Leigh (I was told this was her first ever attempt. I am impressed.)

 

Naomi (My tribute to Amadeus Modigliani, whose work I really like.)

 

Ree

 

This week's prompts are all about games.

Game on, playa.

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.

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.

ICAD Challenge

 

 

I've heard from quite a few of you Dear Readers who are planning to start the ICAD challenge tomorrow and I'm really glad.

I'm also pretty wigged out.

We were challenged to create a title page this week and, per usual, I got totally spooked and freaked out about it all.

Do you ever hear the voices?

"You can't do anything. You don't have any talent. Who are you kidding? You're going to embarrass yourself. Let the real artists do art." 

Et cetera, et cetera, and I do mean ET CETERA.

This idea of having to perform perfectly the first (and every) time I try my hand at something wedged itself pretty tightly in my brain very early in my life and I'm still waging war against that lie.

All this resistance keeps me from doing art most of the time, which is precisely why I decided to commit myself to this challenge. 

I want to use my 61 index cards to try roughly 61 things I've never tried before and enjoy the process.

That sounds almost impossible to me, but...God.

So, please pray for me, Dear Readers, as I strive to keep going and keep it real.

For now, eye will sign off with my EyeCAD title card...

 

 

...which is resting against a big stack of books from which I plan to take my art exercises.

I will not be doing them perfectly, but I will be doing them.