Deborah Velásquez

Friday, January 13, 2012

Word Paths • Oh Yes I Did! Directions Included

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Everyone has a word path. One word leads to another.

Word Paths, a Friday feature showcasing possibilities in written words, creative process and artistic pieces.

My goal is to present three to five words or three to five lines.

I may go to seven words or seven lines but probably not often, only if needed.

I plan to work the Word Paths out artistically and process them to share with you here.

You can go here, to my first post on this project and see how it all started.

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I have been thinking about this one for a while, ask my sister.
I showed her my scribbled ideas back in October but I was a bit hesitant to put it here with my Word Path series.
My Word Paths seem to have taken a more serious, deep direction in tone and thought with the exception of the Tea, and Coffee Word Paths. I felt like having fun and I loved the thought of being a bit cheeky today! Not just that, but I couldn't get the idea or
the phrase out of my head so I had to put it to paper. All my Word Paths happen that way so this was meant to be.

At first I thought I would present it without the "directions" but the more I thought about it the more it made me laugh,
so there you have it. You will need a little snap in your neck as you read my Word Path today and for full effect, add a little attitude while you're at it!

Here is My Word Path for Today

Happy Weekend • Have Fun • Enjoy the Language of Words

Please do not use anything without permission or without making note of the origin on your blog or website.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Color Conversations, let's Tango.

EACH DAY has its own individuality of color.-Charles Hawthorne(1872-1930)

As I start percolating ideas for The Color Challenge I tend to gather books and items around me for inspiration not just for color but for ideas on what to create. Louise Gale, a fellow blogger, artist and life coach, has a color challenge on her blog which she started in August of 2010. At the first of the every month a color is given and you are challenged to create something using the color and others from the palette. You have until the 28th of the month to complete your project. To start 2012 she has chosen the color of the year, Tangerine Tango. Pantone chose this as the color of the year for 2012. Join the challenge, here, it looks to be quite fun.

Louise Gale Color Challenge.

What a treat this is because Orange is one of my favorite colors, I blogged about it in a previous post, here. Tangerine Tango is a more reddish orange, fiery, even hot in a tropical way you might say.

Orange is a great complement to any color it is partnered with.

PANTONE 17-1463 Tangerine Tango

Here are some of my favorites to share, I did borrow some for my children's collection of books! For color I just love this book by Victoria Finlay. Travel through history of color. She offers portraits of palette and fascinating stories about color.

Color your life creative. We live and play with color everyday. The world is our coloring book, in our mood, in our landscape and song. Not a day goes by that we do not process color in what we touch, eat, see, read, hear, even how we love or cry. You know I like to tie music into my posts at times so, in the celebration of color, here are a few song titles to leave you with:

Purple Rain by Prince

Yellow by Coldplay

Red Red Wine

Brown Eyed Girl by Van Morrison

Mood Indigo by Nina Simone

Here is Ben Harper with In the Colors.....

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Monday, January 9, 2012

Thinking about Words Out Loud

Sunday proved to be a creative day. I was preparing artwork for a goodie bag contest sponsored by The Makerie, a creative retreat in Boulder, Colorado. With words still swirling in my head from Friday's Word Path, I put my brush to paper and continued the word play. Here is a peek at what I had laying around on the kitchen floor.

Here are some thoughts I had as I was painting......I wanted to share them out loud.

Art • Make some Everyday

Imagine • Freely

Make • Create Beauty

Dream • Listen to the Message

Inspire • Others

Believe • Always

Spirit • Let it Shine

Live • An Artistic Life

Grow • Your Talents

Explore • Beyond your Comfort Zone

Teach • Others

Share • Your Knowledge

Be • Stay True to Yourself

Please do not use anything without permission or without making note of the origin on your blog or website.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Word Paths • Be

____________________________

Everyone has a word path. One word leads to another.

Word Paths, a Friday feature showcasing possibilities in written words, creative process and artistic pieces.

My goal is to present three to five words or three to five lines.

I may go to seven words or seven lines but probably not often, only if needed.

I plan to work the Word Paths out artistically and process them to share with you here.

You can go here, to my first post on this project and see how it all started.

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I was inspired by, of all things, a watercolor pad. I found this great rectangle size of 6 x 18 and felt it needed to written on.

This size truly lends itself to the flow of script writing. The pad is by Strathmore, Series 400, 140lb heavy weight acid free watercolor paper. Used it in its entirety today so I need to go buy another!

I used all the pages working on the "be" piece. For supplies I used gouache and a sumi brush.

Here is my word path for today

As a blogger, you are always in search of your authentic voice. As an artist, you are always in search of your own style.

As a person you are always in search of your authentic self,

When these journeys are taken remember to be brave and be.

Happy Weekend • Just Be • Enjoy the Language of Words

Please do not use anything without permission or without making note of the origin on your blog or website.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Birds as a Motif

I have been playing with bird motifs today sketching, researching and looking for inspiration. My husband just happened to bring home this lovely box of matches from Michel's Design Works featuring a peacock. I was truly inspired to explore this showy and colorful bird. I have heard that the peacock is the new motif, much like the owl has been so popular this past year. The back of the box has a beautiful surface pattern design on it as well.

I made some rough sketches on butcher paper. I rolled it out the long way purely by accident but the sketch filled the page like a tapestry. This turned out to be a happy accident in the layout. I am inspired to try a larger drawing or painting with fun markings in the background as opposed to having the bird solo. Excited to work on these options.

I will share them with you as I progress.

Marks and doodles at play with "eye" markings and feather textures found on the peacock's train/trail.

I have decided that this bird is the one to to work from. Birds symbolize soaring to new heights as the rulers of the sky.

I am happy with my choice of the peacock as my subject.

Please do not use anything without permission or without making note of the origin on your blog or website.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Small Bits of Inspiration

Hello friends, I'm back from my blog break. Here we are into our third day of January, it is already moving fast isn't it? I am feeling recharged, inspired and ready to embrace 2012 with all the "New" it has to offer. During my break I did not create much art, all my creative energy was spent on decorating, finishing up orders with printing and framing. Everyone at my house was on holiday vacation, so after the last of the orders were mailed we had fun reconnecting, hanging out with friends and family, watching movies, reading new books, flipping through new magazines and eating great food!

I picked up some fun bits of inspiration while in New York. I stopped into a favorite bookstore in Brooklyn called Powerhouse Arena. I have a collection of mini creative calendars from Snow & Graham and I couldn't resist picking up these for 2012 while there. I picked the "mini" calendar with a case that folds open to display each month and the small accordion calendar which you can hang on a wall. I enjoy the graphic simplicity of their design and their color stories are fun and sophisticated.

I also had the chance to stop into the West Elm store and I came across this small ceramic soap dish with a graphic I just love for its throw back to Seventies design. I will put my new finds on my studio desk for inspiration.

Now that I am back online, sort to speak I plan to go and visit my online community and reconnect anew!

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your support and following in 2011.

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