Halloween Party Pumpkin

This weekend I went to a pumpkin carving party...of course, I can't go with a plain pumpkin. I used a white craft foam pumpkin because I saw something on Martha Stewart using one with black swirls that looked like lace, so I couldn't help myself.
Here's what I used:
Ranger Distress Black Soot crackle paint over the bats
Michael's Studio G black glitter paint for the swirls
Lumiere gold/fuchsia as an undercoat for the bats
Glossy black transparent glass paint for the dots

So I started by randomly painting Lumiere bats, and let them dry. Then I began working on the swirls which took a LONG time. I started at the stem of the pumpkin with a small swirl and then went down, going around the bats and down to the bottom.

After that was done, I overcoated the bats with crackle paint. Then I added some dots to accent the swirled design. Ta-Da!

Self Portrait Sundays....Mixed-Media art time

I've decided that Sunday afternoons are a perfect time to make a mess, reflect, and be quiet...while making art and expanding my drawing/painting/mixed-media skills.

Art is a language with it's own vocabulary. If you don't practice, just like any other discipline, you lose your skills. So during this quiet time, I am putting my skills to the test while trying out some techniques I've thought about, read about, watched on a youtube video, or just simply haven't tried before. Some are tried and true- it's amazing how many people are teaching "how to draw a face" but really there is just one way. After you learn the "proper way," developing your style is all about drawing how YOU like to draw. My faces tend to be slightly idealized and very soft- often the softest part of my painting is the face, with the other details much more textured and prominent. I think that has to do with the fact that I have freckles, and I seriously envy clear porcelain skin. lol

Here's the full painting. I've been thinking about some things I need to do, want to do...so "She knew she could do it" came from within.

She Knew She Could Do It- Mixed-Media painting by Kira Slye

A Green, White, and Grey day....

It's raining in Austin! I can't believe it. I mean, I know it must happen... just the other day I was wondering how this city could be so lush, green and beautiful when it hasn't rained in weeks. There must be tons of groundwater, is all I can come up with.

Rob and I went to Mozart's coffee on the river early this morning to start the day. Then it began to spritz so we came home. I spent the rest of the day on the porch with my laptop, working on new books for LessonPop, creating some artwork for our launch party for Craftylink.com this week, listening to the rain. Wrapped in a blanket, drinking tea. Brings back memories of when I was younger, and I would wrap up in a blanket and sit on the back porch, reading. I especially love days when it's grey, chilly and a bit windy. Right now, someone is cooking and the smoke and smells of grilling meats are getting caught in a net of branches and leaves. It's very interesting to see and smell...mmmmmmm.