It seems like magazines always find a way to pile up. For some reason, I can never bring myself to just throw them out. Filled with beautiful images, colors, and articles, it feels wrong for them all to end up in the trash. So anytime I can put them to good use with an art project, I jump at the chance! This magazine strip silhouette is a great way to transform your old magazine pages into something creative, personalized, and beautiful!

 

For your silhouette, you can pick an animal, a person, your home state—whatever you want. Just keep in mind the level of intricacy involved in cutting the strips to fit the shape.

 

 Photo via Meaningful Details on Etsy

 

You’ll need some old magazines, scissors, glue, a pencil, an X-acto knife, the shape you want to trace for your silhouette, and something to mount this project on—it can be canvas, cardboard, or poster board.

 

Start by cutting your magazine strips. Tear out any pages that have a lot of color (or just the colors you’re looking for). Don’t worry if it’s a picture of something weird—you won’t be able to see it once it’s cut up. Cut them into thin, straight strips, roughly the same width (the length can and should vary).

 

 Photo via Apples of Gold Set in Silver

 

In pencil, trace the silhouette on your canvas. Then, start gluing down your magazine strips inside. You can trim each piece with your X-acto knife as you glue it down, or you can mark them with a pencil and trim them afterwards.

 

Once your silhouette is all filled in, it’s a good idea to finish it off with a coat or two of mod podge. This will seal down your collage.

 

 Photo via Designed By BH

And that’s it! Let it dry and hang it up. Colorful, customizable, and recycled—this fun project is great for the eyes and the environment. What are your favorite projects with recycled materials? Any other fun ideas for magazines?

As the new school year settles in and everyone begins to adjust to their routines, it seems like a good time for a dose of creative stimulation. With the loss of summer’s freedom, it can be tough to find time for scribbling, but fear not! Your next scribblin’spiration is here and this time it is… autumn leaves!

 

What better time to embrace the change in seasons and use them for our artistic gain? The beautiful changing foliage is all around you, providing inspiration each day. You might take this inspiration literally and focus on drawing trees and leaves. Go to a local park or look in your backyard for a great landscape sketch. Collect leaves to study, press, or trace. Or use them as a starting point to create something different, abstract, or even unrelated.

photo by Pantone, via Plenty of Colour

 

The beauty of inspiration is that it can take you anywhere—different qualities of the leaves can stimulate your mind, perhaps even an image or association you have with them may arise.

 

There are so many elements within changing foliage to find inspiration; one of the most noticeable is certainly color. The rich greens, golds, reds, and oranges create a glowingly warm palette for the season. Try using these hues as a jumping off point for your project or picture.

 

photo by Corbis, via The Guardian

 

Another interesting quality of leaves is their shape—each type of tree’s leaves boasts a different figure and you can find all shapes and sizes on the ground. Experiment with the scale and design of leaves to inspire your creation. Also consider large-scale shapes, such as whole trees or forests. How are trees’ shapes affected as the leaves begin to fall?

 

photo via Fermilab Today

 

Finally, don’t overlook texture. The green leaves emerge from summer smooth and supple. As autumn advances, those leaves become dry, brittle, and crunchy. Play with surface and touch in your work to explore this element.

 

What images or ideas to changing leaves bring for you? See how they influence your art all season long. All you have to do is peek outside your window for a dose of inspiration!

 

 

 

 

 

Call me crazy, but lately it seems like Q-tips and flowers are a crafting match made in heaven. Q-tips make a great, inexpensive alternative to paintbrushes, especially for little hands and their texture is perfect for creating beautiful dandelion paintings. They also present the perfect opportunity to show how what’s ordinary or even a nuisance to some can be beautiful to others.

Take dandelions—technically, they’re considered weeds, but both species (the yellow florets and the white seed heads) are so pretty. And how fun is it to make a wish on the white seed heads and blow on them so the little white fibers sail off into the wind? Well, when you do that, you’re actually just helping to spread the seeds and grow more weeds! But what’s pesky to some is beauty to others.

Q-tips don’t get a great wrap either. They’re a bathroom accessory that’s mostly used for make up or nail polish cleanup.  Q-tips aren’t often given much thought and are usually hidden in a drawer or dressed up in a glass dish. But these little guys can also make a great art tools. And when you combine them with dandelions, these two outcasts can make a beautiful painting.

To create your own dandelion painting, grab some Q-tips and white paint. Now, there’s a lot of room for interpretation here. You can either start with a blue piece of paper or take white paper or a canvas and paint it blue. You could paint a scene, such as grass or a field, or leave it plain. If you painted, wait for the background to dry thoroughly. Next grab a Q-tip and dip it in white paint. For a simpler interpretation, just start making dots. Create a cluster of dots for the flower’s base and then trail your dots off to represent the seedlings blowing away. Finally, add a black or green stem with paint, charcoal, or crayon… whatever you prefer. If you want to get a little bit fancier, you can use lines and dots to create your dandelions. Draw lines coming out of a central point to create a sphere and then add the dots to the end of your lines. This will give your dandelions a full, round look.

Photo: “Fly Away Dandelions,” Artsonia

There are no mistakes here. Experiment in making your dandelions however you like. As long as you have a Q-tip with white paint and a surface to paint it on, you’re over halfway there. It’s important to remember that the ordinary can be extraordinary and you have the power to make that transformation every day!

Photo: “Light Blue Wishes,” SVPPLY

Happy crafting and have a creative day!

Scribble Town (ST): The first time I spotted Adrienne Moumin’s photo collages I was stunned by their design and beauty.  And then curiosity hit!  How did she do that?  Where are these images coming from and how is it so that from one concrete image it is perfectly cut and spliced and then re-contextualized all to have it’s meaning turned upside down.  Adrienne is here with us to share with us her creative story!

Adrienne Moumin (AM): I was born in 1961 in Brooklyn, NY. I work in film-based, hand-printed, B&W photography, and hand-cut-and-assembled, mixed-media photo collage.

I am best known for my Architextures series of handmade photo collages.  My favorite photographic subjects are NYC architecture and urban landscapes, and store window mannequins.

My photography and collage have been exhibited in New York, and nationwide, for over fifteen years.  My work is in private collections in the US and internationally.

ST: Your photographs and collages have been on the move for quite a while now!  Where are you and what are you up to these days?

AM: I am based in New York, NY and Silver Spring, MD. I split my time between the two cities: showroom in NYC, and studio and darkroom in MD. I am continuing to work on my Architextures series, as well as coming back to the surrealist mixed-media collage style that I have dabbled in for years. I recently sold one of those pieces to someone who is wildly enthusiastic, and has encouraged me to produce more work in that genre.

ST: I like the name of your series, Architextures.  It gives a tangible feeling to the photo collages, but also a sense of having a strong structure to the series.  When did you start making collages and taking photographs? Was there somebody that encouraged you?

AM: I began working in cut-paper collage starting at about 8 years of age, using magazines and catalogs that would come to the house, to decorate whatever I could find.  A major project in childhood was decorating the top of a castoff bookcase with hand-cut magazine pictures. I began photographing seriously, and studying film and darkroom processes, in my ‘20’s. I have been completely self-propelled in my artistic endeavors.

ST: That’s great to hear that you have been making collages since your were 8 years old!  Where do you find yourself feeling really inspired to create?  I really like your stories on your website especially the one under Architectural Detail.  You write, “Someone told me once that I was an architect in another life. I love the curves and the lines, the reflections and the tonalities, the solidity and transparency, and the man-made striving for esthetic and functional perfection, of architectural forms.”  To read more of Adrienne’s stories please go to http://www.picturexhibit.com/index.html.

AM: So many things inspire me!: Walking around the city, looking at architecture and urban landscapes; fashions worn by passersby; and store window displays.  And, of course, looking at the art of others, in galleries, museums, and online.

ST: Inspiration is one thing, but skill is another.  How do you hand print silver gelatin photographs?  What is the process?  I’m sure we are all interested in the magic of the dark room.

AM: I use an enlarger, which is a device that shines a light through the photographic negative, and projects it below onto the light-sensitive paper that I place there.  Then I put the paper through a series of chemicals in trays, to develop and fix that latent image. This is all done under a reddish-orange “safelight,” which provides just enough light for me to see what I am doing, yet does not affect the paper.

ST: What forms of art do you include in your mixed media photo collages?  What are some tools you like to use?

AM: I always start with the photograph, and what it suggests to me in terms of feeling and mood.  There is no limit to what I will attach to the surface of a photograph. Paper cutouts, glass or plastic beads, sequins, Swarovski crystals, metal stampings…the list never ends!

ST: What kind of music do you like?  Is there something you are listening to at the moment while you make art?

AM: Music is very important to me when I am printing in the darkroom.  In keeping with the analog nature of my work (and my refusal to replace a perfectly functioning technology simply because something new comes out), I have a little boombox in there which plays cassettes and CDs! Two of the CDs I nearly always listen to during printing sessions are the first album from Counting Crows, “August and Everything After,” and The Band’s “Greatest Hits.”

ST: Adrienne, you have given us a great start to create and how to look at things differently!  What is a piece of advice for parents and their little scribblers?

AM: For the parents: Look at some collage sites on the internet, and google different search terms, to find age-approriate project ideas for children; many require little or no money.  Talk to your children about what they would enjoy; you never know when an idea will spark a fire that lasts a lifetime.

For scribblers: Just do what you feel. Because art has no rules.

I found this on Pinterest, and followed the link to this ingenious project, posted by art teacher Sherri Schultz.  It is simply using our imaginations to expand on an image.
http://artmommie.blogspot.com/2012/03/young-explorers-class_10.html

ST: You are right- art has no rules and now is the time to explore and create!  Thank you, Adrienne!

To find the tools to get started on your own collage please have a look at Adrienne’s suggested art activity that expands your image  http://www.scribbleshop.com/content/exploring-expansion-your-image-and-imagination

Scribble Town (ST): From across the Atlantic and all the up North I’d like you to meet Jaanika Peerna!  Jaanika moves with her art and her art moves her.  In any case, I think you will also feel the excitement and energy that her personality shines and her artwork shows.  Thank you Jaanika for taking the time and being with the Scribblers!

Jaanika Peerna (JP): I am an Estonian-born artist living in New York for many years now. I love to draw, make videos and installations that capture the processes in nature that are hard to see at times, whether it be evaporating mist, movement of wind or slowly changing light.

ST: What are you up to these days? Please tell us if there is a particular project you are working on.

JP: I have an exciting project at hand right now: I am preparing for a solo exhibition in a very special location : a castle on a hill overlooking the Hudson River in NY state. I have the liberty to make drawings, video and light installations that specially relate to the location of the show. And here I mean the architectural space of the show and the magnificent surroundings of the castle. For example there is a round room in the castle which is going to have a video projection on the curved wall . And therefore the projected video is going to look like embracing the viewer entering the space. Since the castle is higher up on a hill there is plenty of wind moving around the castle and many of my drawings are going to be traces of air movements. There will be a light installation that relates to the light of dawn in the Hudson Valley as well.

ST: Wow! A castle on a hill! You will have to let us know when the show will allow visitors. How has your art practice changed over time?  For example, with medium, concept, etc.

JP: My art practice changes and evolves as I do all the time. Although I have always been interested in working with various media at the same time and I still do. I started out as a painter who also photographed. Then I continued mostly drawing and photographing. The next step was to use digital technology to combine my drawings and photos together. Once working in computers video entered into my work since I was interested in viewing processes in nature slowed down or sped up.  For example I would videotape long footages of ice banks moving on Hudson river which is famous for being the river that flows both ways. The two-way movement is hard to see with the naked eye,  but once I had an hour long footage sped up to be a 20 minute video the various movements of ice occurring on the river were easy to follow and wonder about.

About 4 years ago a new medium entered my palette: working with light, which is an amazingly powerful material itself. It literally draws forms and textures out for us to see at every given moment of our lives. So why not to use it as a main material for making art? I have an installation where I use three strong directed lights programmed to dim and brighten very slowly. By brightening each light creates shadows of strips of paper attached the a wall ()

The latest addition is live drawing performances where I collaborate with dancers and musicians where a new drawing is born in front of audience just like here:

I am happiest when I can use all different media together in one exhibition. It seems like I have always been interested in subtle and sometimes more rapturous changes in nature but  the media I use to create my work have expanded. Drawing stays at the core of my practice though.

ST: I feel so many different things when I see your artwork.  I wonder what you hope to communicate with your art?

JP: I hope after experiencing my work people would perhaps start looking at nature with more attentiveness and curiosity. I hope to slow down people’s minds and eyes in order to see more and expand ones vision that way. Sometimes it is about the quality of seeing not about the quantity of objects we encounter. Small wonders are around us at every given moment!

ST: Now that I know more about you and your history with art making I’m curious to know about how you found this form for self-expression.  How old were you when you first started making art and who encouraged you to create?

JP: I must have been drawing a lot and with much interest because my parents who are not artists  put me into a special art school from the age of seven. I remember loving the fact that I could create whole worlds by drawing. It seemed so freeing and full of endless possibilities specially in the context of  the Soviet occupation my little country of Estonia was under at the time. Later on when I moved from Estonia to the USA and my English was about 5 % of what it is now, drawing turned out to be one of my survival tools in the new strange country I found myself in. My English could not even get close (and still does not) to expressing what I wanted to say whereas my abstract line drawings seemed to penetrate deep into people’s hearts and minds and cross all political and geographical borders. Once again drawing was freedom and my most innate language for me.

ST: Your artwork looks very energetic and active to me.  Can you tell us something about how you get yourself into a creative mindset- where to find that inspiration.  Is there a special place where you like to make your art?

JP: As my work often stems from the processes in nature daily walks and hikes outdoors bring a lot of energy into my work. While outdoors I gather impressions, take photos and videos,  dance with the winds and can watch for light shifting on waterfront for hours. Once in my studio many of those experiences and recordings work into my art. Before I start working on a drawing I often sit in silence for a while as of letting the winds that moved me outdoors to come upon me and then later on move my pencils around on the paper. I almost become a medium for creating the work rather than being fully in charge what the work will end up looking.

ST: Jaanika has shared an art project with Scribble Town called ‘Drawn by Wind’. Please go to  http://www.scribbleshop.com/content/jaanika-peernas-drawn-wind-art-activity.

JP: Keep the element of PLAY in your projects. Play means keeping your activity open ended, experimental and fun for as long as you can. Sure, at some point there is a need to close in and focus yourself in executing a chosen path but until then keep in flowing in unknowing…  There are too many tasks and activities in our lives that are linear and geared towards a specific goal anyway. So take the chance to play whenever possible!

You can see more of my work at my website at www.jaanikapeerna.net and follow my newest projects at 

ST: Thank you Jaanika for all the inspiration you have given us!

When you’re in the mood to paint, what tool do you like to paint with?

 

Odds are you first thought of a paintbrush. I did, too. It’s certainly the easiest.

 

But sometimes a great way to stretch your imagination is to use other utensils, unlikely ones even, to get the paint on the paper (or canvas or cardboard).

 

Here’s a fun challenge for your next painting session: collect a whole bunch of household items (things you can get paint on, obviously) and make them your new set of brushes for the day.

 

Try things like: bubble wrap, Q-tips, yarn, plastic or old silverware, paper towel rolls, cotton balls, tin foil or saran wrap, and anything else you can think of!

 

Then have some fun! The freedom of working with tools that you can’t control as perfectly will result in wonderful, lively, imperfect designs. Enjoy the process of creating. See the different textures you can make. Try layering a little. See what happens!

 

But make sure you lay out some tarp or newspaper because there’s a good chance things could get a little messy. That’s part of the fun though, right?

Photo: Casa Maria’s Creative Learning Zone

Photo: Alisa Burke

Photo: Make and Takes

October may be the time for spooky, scary monsters, but once Halloween is over, why not take a look at other kinds of creatures?  Monsters can also be colorful, adorable, slimy, goofy, or funny. They can also be made with just some paint and a straw!

 

These cute and kooky critters are fun to create and just as simple! They’re a great opportunity to play with color, character, and creativity! You’ll need white paper, paint, straws, construction paper, googley eyes (optional), and glue.

Use a straw to blow the paint on the paper, creating the body and arms and legs (remember there can be more than two of each!). You can put small blobs of a few colors on the paper to see how they interact and add more dimension to your monster.

 

Then it’s time to create the faces! You can use construction paper or even googley eyes… whatever you want! Just glue them where you want the face to be. You can also add accessories or scenes around your monster! Remember—all these add-ons are how you showcase your monsters’ personalities.

 

Go wild! See just how crazy you can make your monsters. If you give this a try, take a moment and share your finished results with us! We’d love to see some one-of-a-kind kooky creatures.

Photo via smART Class

 

Photo via Raising Sparks

Hi Scribblers,

It’s been quite the week here in NYC.  Hurricane Sandy came in with such tremendous force, I don’t think anyone was prepared for the damage and devastation she left in her path. Our building was evacuated and our lobby filled up with water and could have passed for an Olympic sized swimming pool.   We still are without power or heat. Transportation has been difficult and we haven’t been able to get to the office, so I’ve been scribbling up a storm this week.

I thought I would share this opportunity with you.  The Fowler Arts Collective is putting out a call for art for their upcoming December exhibition. They are asking artists, writers, and designers to send postcard sized works in any medium.  I was inspired to create “Stormy Rays”.  I’m going to color it and send it to them.

Your postcards can be priced at $20, $30, $40, or $50. The artist will gets 50% if the work sells… (woohoo!)  This is a great activity for you to do with your little ones. You can send as many postcards as you want. The more the merrier!

Please have a look at their website for full details of how you can submit your art.

So get your pencils, markers, paints etc. out and start scribbling.

We would love to see your creations.  Please share them with us and if you know of any events that our readers may be interested in, please share them with us too.

Happy Scribbling!!

All my best,

Andi

 

 

Hi Scribblers,

It’s been quite the week here in NYC.  Hurricane Sandy came in with such tremendous force, I don’t think anyone was prepared for the damage and devastation she left in her path. Our building was evacuated and our lobby filled up with water and could have passed for an Olympic sized swimming pool.   We still are without power or heat. Transportation has been difficult and we haven’t been able to get to the office, so I’ve been scribbling up a storm this week.

I thought I would share this opportunity with you.  The is putting out a call for art for their upcoming December exhibition. They are asking artists, writers, and designers to send postcard sized works in any medium.  I was inspired to create “Stormy Rays”.  I’m going to color it and send it to them.

Your postcards can be priced at $20, $30, $40, or $50. The artist will gets 50% if the work sells… (woohoo!)  This is a great activity for you to do with your little ones. You can send as many postcards as you want. The more the merrier!

Please have a look at their website for full details of how you can submit your art.

So get your pencils, markers, paints etc. out and start scribbling.

We would love to see your creations.  Please share them with us and if you know of any events that our readers may be interested in, please share them with us too.

Happy Scribbling!!

All my best,

Andi

 

 

Who here is cozied up at home today waiting out this hurricane?

Now that you’re prepared for Sandy’s arrival and tucked away inside, it’s a great time for some scribbley art projects! It’s also the perfect activity if by chance we lose power! Candles, water, and flashlights are absolute necessities, but let me tell you—I always try to stock up on some art supplies before a big storm. You can always draw by candlelight!

While rain (and in this case, hurricanes) can put a big damper on our schedules and lives, it can also provide some beautiful inspiration and quiet time to be creative. Here are some lovely works of art that explore the beauty of rain.

See what pictures this crazy rain and wind inspires for you!

Wishing you all a safe, dry, and scribbley hurricane day!“Rue de la Paix, Rain” by Edouard Cortes

 via Street Art Utopia

 “Rain, Rain” by Gina Brown