Happy Tuesday Friends!
I am writing this on Monday evening and part of it has actually been written by a speech to text app on a new device I just got. That little app is saving me some typing especially since I found out today that I now have arthritis in my hands 🙁 I have it in other places due to some injuries etc and that is inevitable but really not happy about having it in my hands, along with the carpal tunnel. Oh well, I’m really not that surprised.
Anyway, on with the fun stuff… The lovely Jo from Let’s Art Journal is the More Than Words Guest Designer this month. Her GD blog post and social media posts went live today if you want to take a look at the gorgeous page she made for this month’s challenge, which is of course, ART SUPPLIES. You can also read her full interview in the Artful Pages magazine where there are a full six pages dedicated to the feature.
Today’s Art . . .
Today’s art is many things! A page for AJJ’s June theme of NUMBERS hosted by Matilde over on Art Journal Journey.
The background is watercolour and acrylic ink and I made it last week and then didn’t know what to do with it. Today (Monday) I stamped the numbers all over the background – 24 / 7 and 365, then I added some journalling in white pen and finished with a Tim Holtz sticker which says “be yourself” so then we have “be yourself 24/7 365 days! What else could we ask for but just that?
Also at the weekend, before the thunderstorm, I started painting this giant cardboard box…
I think it is probably A1 size, I will have to check, but I painted one of these before, a couple of years back, and then I was lucky enough to receive another one last year, and saved it. It sat around for ages, getting bashed and dented, and I almost recycled it but then on Saturday I had a mad urge to paint it. This is as far as I got as I was contemplating taking it outside and throwing paint all over it and getting my Jackson Pollock on, but then I was saved by the thunderstorm and there was no way I could go outside and throw paint around. So here we are, and I don’t know what to do with it now, something will come to me eventually or maybe I’ll just leave it as is.
The final piece of “art” for today is this. I bought myself a chromebook and it arrived on Sunday, a few days earlier than expected so I was able to play with it a little today (Monday). I had an amazon gift card and didn’t really need anything from amazon so it has been sitting on my desk for a few months now. I have also been playing around with Linux on an old laptop, so then I had the idea to start looking at chromebooks (which run on a version of Linux) plus they make it really easy to install Linux proper on it as well. Amazon gift cards can only be used to buy products sold directly by amazon and not through third parties, so I narrowed my search for that and also looked at amazon warehouse where there are often bargains to be had. And that is exactly where this one came from and the condition was “used – very good”. It doesn’t have a single scratch on it and it was a fraction of the price of a new one. One of the apps included on some chromebooks is a drawing app, so I started playing around with it today. This chromebook that I bought is a 2 in 1 laptop, so it has a keyboard but also a touchscreen, so you can draw right on the screen. The screen also folds 360 degrees and can be used as a tablet as well as a laptop. I was always curious watching people use Procreate on iPads to make digital art but I don’t have any Apple devices so was never able to try it out. More on the chromebook later when I’ve had a chance to do things other than play with the drawing app lol.
Here’s my finished drawing, just messing around with my fingers on the touchscreen, just a bit of fun, but I liked it so I saved it and I’m using it as my wallpaper as you can see above. It was fun though, and there were various options for drawing implements so I can see myself wasting a lot of time with this app!
ICAD 2023
I followed the week two prompt of “collage” for my next seven ICADs, but then I also added some drawing and typography from weeks 1 and 3. I’ve already started working on the week three cards so I’m feeling quite good about keeping up so far.
Other arty things
Just thought I’d mention it in case anyone was interested and didn’t already know – Kaleidoscope Taster Sessions started today, you can watch on Willowing if you don’t like Facebook. Also the Virtual Art Summit is still available to watch for free until 23rd if you want to watch more classes for zero money. And if you feel up to it, the next round of Junk Journal July starts obviously in July, but the daily prompts are available to see now on @megjournals YT and IG profiles. Handy if you want to get a jump on it.
Currently Reading . . .
I’m not actually reading this book currently, as I finished it a few days ago and absolutely loved it. Now after being completely immersed in that world, I am finding it hard to choose my next book. Instead I’ve been re-watching Bosch on amazon prime but it’s now on the Freevee channel so you don’t even need to have prime to watch it. Titus Welliver is the perfect Bosch.
WOOL introduced the silo and its inhabitants.
SHIFT told the story of their making.
DUST will chronicle their undoing.
Welcome to the underground.
Genre: Sci Fi
TOTAL for 2023
88 books
June Books so far – 4
85. Leigh Bardugo – Ninth House
86. Hugh Howey – Wool – Silo Book 1
87. Hugh Howey – Shift – Silo Book 2
88. Hugh Howey – Dust – Silo Book 3
(re-reads in bold)
Oh and also, I have this book lined up on my phone to start listening to but then I also happened across it today on Youtube, so if you fancy a listen, here’s an audiobook on youtube.
Currently Growing . . .
We had a break in the weather at the weekend, a thunderstorm with some heavy rain, but now it’s back to warm and sunny. I think the strawberries appreciated the rain though, and now some of them have turned red and are ready for eating. I picked these today (Monday) and then had them for breakfast.
These gorgeous and huge poppies are growing next to the veggies.
Kitties . . .
Miss Lily went for a walk in the garden on Saturday. She of course made a beeline for the grass, chewed loads of it and then threw up 10 mins later. It’s been a while since she had been in her harness but she knew exactly what it meant as soon as I showed it to her, and I’m talking at least a year ago! She’s now really keen to go back out, but if she does, she will eat more grass and vomit so I’m less keen. Look at that look on her face though, I think she’s saying, of course I would do none of those things.
T Stands For . . .
Decaf coffee, special K, vegan coconut yogurt, almond milk and my strawberries picked about 10 mins before I ate them – food miles zero!
It’s gone midnight and I see that the tea links are already up so I will finish up and go link my post, super early (a lot earlier than I usually manage!) Let me know what you think in the comments. As always, thanks for reading and Happy T Day!
I’m sorry about thr athritis, that really sucks. I would be so lost with that, because it would mean that I cannot knit anymore – and my income in my Etsy shop is based on knitting.
Love the art you created on the chromebook, those cats are fabulous. Your strawberries look delicious, that certainly was a very tasty breakfast. I love strawberries.
Great post. Fun art – all of it is great but I am especially drawn to your cool ICADs – I want to try to do something like them one day. Impressive computer art too. One day I will get more technological with my art.
The strawberries and poppies are wonderful! Gorgeous even.
Fun to be eating those strawberries too.
Happy T-day, Elle, and hugz
Elle, your poppies are gorgeous!! And such pretty strawberries. I am so disappointed that all 6 strawberry plants I put in didn’t make it this spring. Not enough rain.
Loving your journal page, ICAD and canvas. I admire how much art you accomplish in a week.
I signed up for the Taster classes but I am not sure I will get time to do them. Summer is always busy when the children are home.
Happy Tea Day,
Kate
Such a wonderful post. Love those and the ICADs. I had a strawberry patch years ago, but the chipmunks got to them before I could. The little critters would take one bite from the back of each strawberry. The fronts would look perfect, but would be such a disappointment with that critter bite in the back. Miss Lily looks so cute in her harness. I think Quill and Calli are too old to try getting them on a leash to go outside. Happy T Day
I don’t have a chrome book, but I really need that app. It would save my hands, too. I think you will love Linux. When I got my new desktop, I made sure I didn’t have Windows because of their constant updates. I know what you mean by arthritis. I was born with a rare form that mimics arthritis.
I also signed up for the taster series, but I don’t know why since I do not draw. I DO want to continue that Summit, though.
I am in LOVE with your ICADs, Elle. They put mine to shame because this is my 11th year and I am truly out of ideas. I need to observe yours and get some ideas, I guess. Yours are simply amazing. Mine are bleh this year.
Your art journal spread is wonderful, too. I love those numbers you used. The large ones are great and I love that font. Thanks for sharing this with us using Matilde’s theme at AJJ.
I had to laugh at Miss Lily. Bleubeard eats cat grass I planted in a container and he does the same. I think they eat too much, or maybe it’s their body’s way of cleaning itself at both ends.
Your strawberries are beautiful and they go so well with your breakfast and decaf coffee. Thank you SO much for the art inspiration, the journal spread, the ICADs, Miss Lily, the poppies, and your breakfast and decaf with us for T this Tuesday, dear Elle. And thanks for this wonderful post, too.
Lots of wonderful art today, bt your kitties re my faves today – what else. How lovely to have food in you own garden, but not so lovely about the arthritis, I know how that is. Short comment, my laptop is going cray today. Happy T day, Valerie
Oh, I am very, very sorry about the arthritis. I had to look up carpal tunnel. Another not so funny thing. Gack.
Clever art-idea!
Cool new tool! Here it´s all Windows but Ingo plans to Linux on his old laptop.
To strawberries 🙂
Miss Lily is very cute.
Happy T-Day xx
Your ICADs are amazing! My hubby brought home some very large strawberries from the store and I had my first smoothie of the season with them. Yum! Happy T Day.
You have so much great art today Elle. I’m really curious about Linux and chromebooks. I use a chromebook (with a touch screen), but I’m not familiar with drawing programs for it at all. I’m going to look more into this. Thanks for the heads up. Your strawberries look really delicious, and those poppies are just gorgeous. I can’t seem to grow a poppy for beans. And I’ve heard of these books as a friend of mine has read them and liked them a lot too. Maybe that’s a clue for me to check them out.-smile. Have a super T day and week ahead Elle. Oh and thanks for linking up to AJJ also. hugs-Erika
Your strawberries look fabulous!
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com