I’ve had a nice piece of tree bark in my craft cupboard for a couple of years now, so I decided to finally do something worthwhile with it. I had originally shellacked it to protect the bark.
I’d been tossing around the idea in my mind of painting it to look like a couple of raccoons were looking out of a hole in a tree, so had to figure out a way of making a circle in the center that would be smooth enough for painting.
With hopes that I wouldn’t make a mistake and destroy the entire, delicate piece of bark, I jumped in with both feet and used a heavy-duty retractable utility knife to carve the outline of a circle, then gently picked away at pieces of bark in the circle to clear it back to the rough wood. Then I used some sandpaper to gently sand inside the circle until it was about as smooth as I could get it without rubbing right through.
Next, I used fine black marker to sketch a rough outline of the raccoons in the circle. If I do this again, I’ll use a dark lead pencil instead, because the marker outline was hard to eliminate, even after painting over it a few times. The marker lines kept reappearing right through the paint. Live and learn.
Once I had my outline, I painted the black background, then just started painting the raccoons with a combination of black, dark and light grey, tan grey, and cream coloured acrylic paints. While I worked, I was paranoid that I was going to mess it up somehow and would then have to scrap the whole thing, but it ended up turning out ok. Not perfect, but good enough for my skill level.
The main thing here—it’s always exciting to embark on a new challenge and watch it take shape. I’ve dabbled in art on and off throughout my life, so I’m nowhere near being professional at it, but I’m finding that the more I do it, the more I learn. And the more I learn, the more I love doing it.
Going outside of your comfort zone is almost always a good thing, and it’s truly the best way to learn. I move out of my comfort zone every time I start a new art project, because I never know if it’s going to turn out, and it’s always in the back of my mind that I may be wasting my time (maybe that’s a confidence thing?). But it’s never been a waste of time. I always learn something from the experience. And 99% of the time, it works out!
So here’s a challenge for you: think of something you’ve never done before, and make the decision to take a chance… move outside your comfort zone by trying to do it.
You’ve got nothing to lose because I guarantee that you’ll learn some valuable new lessons. And even better, taking that step might just start you on a whole new path!
Otis relaxes in his basket by the window, wearing his Mexican sombrero as he dreams of white sand beaches and tequila shots.
Happy Sunday!
First, I drew a pencil outline on each rock.
Next, I used acrylic paints to fill in my outlines.
Then I outlined everything in fineline black marker.
Once the paint dried, I sprayed each rock with a matte preservative.
Now, what to do with those painted rocks?
I decided to frame mine.
Once dried, I used heavy-duty construction glue to glue each owl in place on the canvas.
Again, to keep the focus on the owls, I used a plain black frame to box them in. And there you have it. Instant art from rocks picked up on the Lake Ontario shoreline.
As always, my little partner in crime hung out with me to “help.”
I’ve long wondered about the force that drives my passion to write. I can’t recall a time in my life when I haven’t had the concept of a story brewing in my mind. Am I destined someday to write a narrative that will touch others? …that might inspire one soul to take a different path? Could my words help influence a decision? …offer a bit of cheer in a life that needs brightening?
Some are blessed with a keen ability to listen. There is no better salve for a troubled heart than the undivided attention of a good listener who truly cares.
But not every person’s gifts are so clearly defined.
Of course, I refused to wear them, making sure to kick and shake my head so that they would not stay put.
Eventually, my mother-person gave up and let them just rest on the floor. I glared at them, thinking that I might like to rip them to shreds.
And what’s with that dumb stuffed bunny she put behind me? Sometimes, she just drives me crazy. But I do love her anyway.
I used a ball of Bernat Pop! yarn in a vibrant pink and grey striping to make some basic 12” x 12” granny squares (you can find granny square patterns in the hundreds online). I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them, but I usually make things up as I go along.
Then I used the grey portion of the yarn to make a mouse head. Basically, I just crocheted rounds of sc (starting with ch 4; sl st to first ch to close; sc in each ch around, sc/2 sc alternating around, etc.) that were narrow at the beginning, then increased as I went along to make a conical shape, as you can see in the pictures. Then after completing her face, I stuffed the head with Polyfil, then crocheted the back closed. (You’ll notice in the photo that there’s a pink spot on her forehead. There was a flaw in the yarn, so I’m just calling that her “birthmark”!)
Add a device pocket to your hoodie
Create-a-holic Writer 