Tag Archives: katyoparty

March 1, 2021 · 7:33 pm

Art Out With Your HeART Out Has Even More Meaning

Have you had to take a creative breath over the past year? Whether by choice or by necessity? I think by now we all can agree that we are lucky to be able to take a breath whether figuratively or literally at this point.

It was mid-January, 2020, when I first started reading about a possibly dangerous new virus that was spreading halfway across the world. As the weeks progressed and it became apparent this was going to be a life-changing situation I stopped making art. Any art. Nothing. Although I’d stopped blogging a few years earlier I was still being creative and feeding my art spirit in many other ways. I dabbled on YouTube. I taught a few art classes in my community. I made art to donate to various fundraisers and causes. I went to shows at art museums and galleries. All of that stopped. Overnight. My main passion up and left me.

As 2020 progressed I began being creative in other ways unrelated to my art studio. I started a new square-foot garden of vegetables and flowers.

I began cooking and baking from scratch.

New rituals and routines started forming. I made charms of glass beads and bells for my garden gate.

As summer turned to fall and the weather began to drive me back inside with warm cups of foamy lattes (made by me) I noticed I was starting to see my art studio again. It was sunny all day in there even when it was cold outside.

My cold, cold creative heart began to thaw. I started watching some of my old favorites on YouTube and found some new ones to follow. I’ve been dreaming up new projects to use my immense supply of ALL THE THINGS. I’m revisiting techniques that I’ve used in the past and I’m learning new ones. I have started reacquainting myself with my art supplies and my art alter-ego, Katyoparty. She’s the one who signs all the art. So after a good long time it feels really good to say…ART OUT WITH YOUR HEART OUT.

For The Love of Georgia

As a long-time fan of Georgia O’Keefe and her art I was drawn to this new book like a moth to a flame. The fact that this book is a historical novel was especially appealing to me as that is one of my favorite genres (memoirs being the other).

I am mostly familiar with her colorful and beautiful flower studies and I’ve bought many a calendar of those fantastical flowers. When the year is over I carefully remove the pages with the images and place them in frameless glass frames and hang them everywhere. On the walls of my office their beauty buoyed me at times in my former high-stress career. On the walls of my art studio the images provided both rich and calm colors and inspiration. The pieces currently hanging on the walls of my hallway provide a happy trail on the way to guest rooms.

I’ve never read any of the other books written by Dawn Tripp but I plan to now that I’ve read this one. Her writing style appeals to my reading taste. Layers of description but not overly so. Conveyance of the emotions and feelings of the characters with just the right amount of nuance and leaving room for the reader to use their own interpretation. The relationships between the characters were beautifully interwoven and their interactions and reactions felt very personal; at times raw and erotic, other times poignant and sentimental. There were times I laughed out loud at Georgia’s brand of humor. Other times I felt the sting of tears behind my eyes as she experienced humiliation, frustration, and aimlessness.

My favorite part of this book were the descriptions of Georgia’s feelings as she painted and her descriptions of color and brushstrokes.

The light beat like silver dust on those trees–touching them, shaping them–I turned and walked away–I had to keep it–the intensity of that moment–and then I was home and the brush was in my hands, and I let the feeling hone to a sane, cool edge–no time, no thought, only that clear intent, my fingers taut on the brush, the colors like dark water, that mood passing right through my hand into the lean black forms of those trees.

Here’s another:

I paint the distance . Not a shape inside it, not a mountain or church or cross. Just distance. Line after line of horizon. Raw sienna, burnt umber, ocher, gold–the colors leave my brush, becoming light-struck dirt.

My goodness I found these descriptions delicious! I found myself savoring this book and not wanting it to end. I rationed my reading of it.

The relationships in Georgia’s life are written about in an equally deliciously descriptive way. The joy, the anger, the hurt, the heat. “My body glitters as I walk to meet him for lunch.” What a delightful sentence! Who hasn’t experienced some form of this during their life? And if you haven’t well you definitely should!

I could go on with other passages of this book that I have copied into my journal so as not to lose them from my life but I’m sure there is a limit to what is allowed to be shared here. Suffice to say that I sincerely recommend it. Thanks for checking in here. Until next time…Adios.

ArtOutWithYourHeARTOut

Growing in Art–Part Two

Hello again and Happy Easter!

This piece seems like a fitting way to start. I was in a state of joy when I created it, in a place of geographic joy, and a with people who bring me joy!

Used lots of found and upcycled items in the construction–scrap wood, muffin papers, sari ribbon, and circuit board remnants.

Another piece on canvas panel. Experiments with dripping Izinks ink, acrylic paints, stencils, ink pens, foam letters on corrugated cardboard colored with Shiva Paint Sticks, also used heated molded plastic, and Pico embellishers. I am learning more about water soluble vs. non-water soluble as evidenced by smearing of some of my details.

I still like to upcycle certain used clothing tags and here is a batch I did at Christmastime. It is a good way to use up all those little bits and bobs I have leftover from other projects.

Because who doesn’t love a pic of art supplies??!!

A sweet and swirly Valentine!

My latest on a canvas panel. Mounted on an upcycled backing from a frameless glass frame. I used modeling paste, a Patti Tolley Parrish stencil, Silks acrylic glaze, glass bead gel, Shiva Paint Stiks, a frame I filled with resin (and a worry doll), heat moldable plastic, a fortune from a fortune cookie, Pico embellishers, and well over a dozen layers. At one point I was so disgusted with the whole thing that I covered 95 percent of it in black paint and then uncovered parts and continued on. I really think that you have to hate your project at some point before you really get to something. Or maybe that’s just moi….

In any case I wish you all a good day and I welcome all comments!

ArtOutWithYourHeARTOut

4 Comments

Filed under Doodlydoo, Flash Trash & Glitter, Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as black, flowers, glass bead gel, katyoparty, layers, mixed-media, paint, Patti Tolley Parrish, sparkle, texture

March 23, 2016 · 5:00 pm

Growing in Art–Part One

Yep that’s a stamp I carved! I’ve actually carved three stamps now–all hearts! Hardly surprising since I’ve rarely met a heart I didn’t love. My first two hearts are about an inch big and did them during a Julie Fei Fan Balzer stamp carving online tutorial. This latest heart was done at the ReMe art retreat on Ocracoke Island in May, 2015. I enjoyed the process and have enjoyed being able to use my own stamp but I haven’t carved any more. I have all the things I need to do more but my creative attention span is short. I’m always on to the next thing. And the next thing. and the next thing.

That may explain why I have an obscene amount of art supplies. When I embrace a new technique or supply I have the habit of buying every color or every tool or every whatever it is. I recently saw a Youtube video by Sarah at MySerenityCrafts from March 4, 2016, where she vlogs about her experience of buying art supplies. I had already decided at the beginning of this year to USE WHAT I HAVE and I’ve been contributing to a huge bag things I am ready to pass along to other artists. Seeing Sarah’s vlog just confirmed my belief that I need to pare down.

But I digress….I’m supposed to be writing about things I’ve branched out into in my art.

I’ve been really stretching my comfort zone and painting and doing more mixed media than ever and making a point of using what I have. Here are a few new things–

This one I used a canvas panel with Silks acrylic paints and Staz-On ink pads for the background. The dragonfly is made of resin. I made it!! I first stenciled the dragonfly using modeling paste and then made a mold of it. I then poured resin and it worked. Yep I’ve been through a major mold-making and casting phase. For awhile there I would slap mold putty on anything that didn’t move for a minute…

One interesting and unexpected (at least to me) occurrance happened when I used a Silks acrylic glaze to stencil the cherry blossom branch in the left background. The original color was a bright pink but when I put a layer of gloss medium over the top of the piece to seal it it caused a major color change to the Silks glaze and also slightly blurred the image. I liked the effect so I’m calling it a happy accident. I haven’t yet tried to recreate the phenomenon again. If any of you have used this technique on purpose I’d love to hear about it.

The piece below that I called “Transform” is on a canvas panel and then mounted on a recycled backing panel from a frameless glass frame. This experiment involved glass bead gel and a gorgeous stencil by Patti Tolley Parrish (available at iStencils.com)–it is called Dangles. I also used some chipboard pieces that echoed the dangle idea but I cannot remember who made them because I had them unwrapped in my stash. I also used acrylic paints, Silks, Gelatos, Izink pigment ink, alcohol inks, and a partridge in a pear tree–lol Maybe I should list the things I didn’t use….

My final share for today is another piece on a canvas panel. This one used stenciled texture paste, embossed deli paper, and wipe off pieces of baby wipes and paper towels. I used lots of bright colors with acrylic paints, acrylic inks, and some paint pens. This piece is posed with Hula Girl my desk mascot and it makes me happy!

Part Two is coming soon! Thanks for visiting today and I love to read comments and have new followers!

ArtOutWithYourHeARTOut

5 Comments

Filed under Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as abstract, acrylic ink, acrylic paint, colorful, istencil.com, katyoparty, mixed-media, myserenitycrafts, Patti Tolley Parrish, ReMe Retreat, texture

January 16, 2015 · 12:14 pm

Pinterest Plans

I am a rabid avid Pinterest pinner. I have boards called Fun Fashions, Bon Appetito, Outside Stuff, Cinderella, Cake, and many more. Many many more. Now for my confession. I’ve never made a single thing I’ve ever pinned. Never made a recipe from Bon Appetito. Never made a project from Art Art Baby. Never tried any of the artsy craftsy stuff I love to pin on there. Never tried to recreate any of the Fun Fashions. The only board that I can say I’ve accomplished anything on is Been There Done That about my travel adventures.

Well people–hear my battle cry–I am determined not to let all those pinning hours of my life be for naught! I am going to be a maker of Pinterest things. I’ve decided to make myself a calendar and once a week I am going to try one thing I’ve pinned. One week it will be from one board and the next from another, and so on and so on and so on and so on–sorry that was annoying.

I can’t wait to taste some of the yummy and pretty looking recipes I’ve pinned on Bon Appetito while wearing an outfit from Fun Fashions. Be inspired by some of the pins on my Color Crazed board, complete a project from Outside Stuff and then celebrate with a drink from my Prost board! Well, that is how I picture all this happening. But have you heard of the Pinterest Fails sites?

Some of the fails are because the person who did the project tried to substitute ingredients and/or supplies. Some are people who tried but lacked the necessary skills to succeed. Some are people who appeared to have been coerced or blackmailed into doing the project. Some are just plain idiots who didn’t really try and succeeded at failing.

http://pinterestfail.com

I plan on beginning my Pinterest Adventure next week so prepare to be amazed and astonished, baffled and befuddled, excited and exhilarated, and so on and so on and so on….

If you want to find me on Pinterest look for Katyoparty. If you want to make a suggestion about what I should try first from Bon Appetito that would be awesome. That’s where I plan to start.

Now tell me–do any of you have any Pinterest experiences?

ArtOutWithYourHeARTOut

2 Comments

Filed under Musings

Tagged as katyoparty, Pinterest

January 31, 2014 · 2:21 pm

Blending the Past and the Present

Hello hello! Hope all is well in your world. Thanks for visiting!

I did something today that involves blending the past and the present. I had a blog previous to this one and I wrote about a variety of subjects but many involved my creative projects. Well I discovered a WordPress tool that allows a blogger to meld one blog into another. So I did. Feel free to explore some of my older posts. I love comments–what blogger doesn’t–so let me know your thoughts!

For the past few weeks I’ve been obsessed with a few things–being creative, the HBO series Boardwalk Empire, and my team–the Denver Broncos!

Here are some creative projects I’ve worked on:

Super Simple and Sweet

Bloom Where You’re Planted In the Garden of Life

It Was A Wild Dance In Her Castle Of Dreams

It is said that art is in the eye of the beholder and although this might be a bit of a stretch…I appreciate all forms of art including sports! My most powerful current ~~obsession~~ appreciation of art is the Denver Broncos in the Superbowl this Sunday! Omaha Omaha–Hurry Hurry!! PFM PFM!! This Sunday will be SUPER! Time To Ride! Let’s go Broncos!

Until next time….Art Out With Your HeART Out!

4 Comments

Filed under Art Journal, Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as creative projects, Denver Broncos, Hurry Hurry, katyoparty, mixed-media, Omaha, PFM

December 11, 2013 · 12:23 pm

A Post From The Tundra

Snow dancing!

I am only half joking as I write the title of this post. The high temperatures in the last week have been in the low teens to single digits. I am not a winter person. No sun = little ambition. Cold + no sun = no want to do nada. I’m not a math person either. Just FYI. In spite of all these calculations I have been making stuff. I’ve been making lots and lots of cards.

A pretty and girly card

A grungy card for mom using hand carved (by me) stamps, ball chain, altered ribbon, resin coating, and engraved foil tape.

Lots of mists, modeling paste, glass bead gel, Twinkling H2Os

Embossing, inks, and stamping

Back to the pretty pink and flowers, fussy cutting and ribbon

A tri-fold card with super patina and distresssed metal (started out shiny brass)–love this card!!!

Modeling paste, Lindy’s Stamp Gang mists, Inkagold pastes, and Silks

3D stencil paint, embellished Blue Fern Studios chipboard

All alcohol ink mixed with different mediums, except for the heart and wings which is colored with Inkagold

Small sign for a holiday fair booth

Custom birthday card made for client–antique doily piece, distressed chipboard keys and birdcage, stamping

Holiday cards packaged for sale

Custom birthday card for client–distressed barbedwire chipboard, modelling paste heart, bound like a book

holiday card using stencil cream, fussy cutting, flower and berry pick, ball chain and blingy dangle

Leftover snowflake die cut, piece of burlap string, stamping, distressing

glass bead gel on flower, misc leaf and berry pick, glitter smear, Heidi Swapp Color Shine mist

Stencil cream, doily pieces from stash colored with Lindys Stamp Gang mist, bling from stash

Non-traditional holiday card–distressing, twine, ribbons, stenciling, feathered flower colored with mists, Stickles touches

Ferro, Silks, mists,

Well, that last one is a layout of a most delightful salad I made one day!

I’ve also been working on some mixed media projects

5×7 flat canvas–used my photo

Wall hanging for a sweet little girl–Silks, acrylic paint, Gelatos, chipboard, lacy ribbon

5×7 canvas using all kinds of goodness including MuddPuddles–you can watch a video of the making of this piece on my YouTube channel–Katyoparty

Alcohol inks, stamping, Silks on recycled packaging–check out my YouTube channel–Katyoparty for more info on this project.

Please feel free to leave me questions, comments, compliments! Thanks for visiting!

ArtOutWithYourHeARTOut!

3 Comments

Filed under Mixed Media Mania, Musings

Tagged as alcohol inks, creativity, holiday card, katyoparty, mixed-media, Silks, texture

August 24, 2013 · 6:13 pm

Tango Time!

Hello hello! I’ve been having a wonderful and creative few days here at Create Chicago. Taking awesome classes and visiting with pals I’ve met at previous Create retreats here in Chicago. My first day here I took a class from the (in)famous Sue Pelletier. The class was called Create The Dress You Were Meant To Twirl and Spin In. Sue is a mixed media maven extraordinaire and it is absolutely charming to spend the day learning from her.

I made my dress a bodacious little tango number in the color my mother would never let me paint my room. I really enjoyed the process and building layers upon layers of paint and lace and ephemera and flowers. I will add a few more finishing touches when I return home tomorrow but for now…..anyone up for a tango???

Art Out With Your HeArt Out

6 Comments

Filed under Mixed Media Mania

Tagged as bling, Create Chicago, katyoparty, mixed-media, SuePelletier, tango, texture

August 14, 2013 · 10:33 am

Dragonfly Dreams Canvas

Dragonfly Dreams of Being a Mermaid

This is an 8″x10″ canvas board I picked up at a thrift store earlier this summer. I’m guessing it might be 15-20 years old because I got eight of them in various sizes that were still in their original packaging and all for $2! What’s a girl to do with all those blank boards but start smooshing and spreading and getting her hands messy!

I started out with summer colors–bright orange and turquoise blue but as you can see that didn’t last long. I ended up with “mermaid colors”. The dragonfly began as a Tattered Angels piece that I misted and then built up with acrylic paint, Inkagold, and Shiva Paintstiks. At some point it was outlined with a Pitt pen.

The canvas itself is layered over and over again. I started out experimenting with Kroma Krackle and I am in love with this stuff! You can see the deep cracks in many areas. I put it down on one layer but then went back with it several times after adding more layers with different mediums.

My “swaying” peacock feathers were stencilled with glass bead gel over several layers of paint, mist, and Inkagold paste. I love the variations of color that you can see through the bead gel. I continued to layer with 3d stencil paint and then toned down the gold with Smooch sprays, Lindy’s Stamp Gang sprays, and Shiva Paintstiks.

I also used Golden Crackle Paste to stencil some flowers randomly in one of the first layers I put in the background. I used some Vintag metal brads to anchor a simple organza ribbon for hanging.

I am happy with the way this canvas evolved and turned out. Thanks for visiting and come back soon because you never know what can happen when you….

Art Out With Your HeART Out