Instagram #2018bestnine

It's popular on Instagram to post the best liked images from your account at the end of the year. Here are the results from two previous years 2017bestnine and 2016bestnine. 

This year's results are very colorful. It's fun to see what artwork of mine that people like.

I'm excited see what 2018 will bring. Happy New Year! I wish everyone love, health and prosperity in 2019!

New sketches in my 4"x6" journal

Here is a link where I first talked about this 4"x6" sketchbook journal, click here.  

It's fun and challenging to create sketches in this journal that are outside my comfort zone. Then again, sometimes I want to create in my comfort zone. These two sketches were created after my day job on a Friday night. It was a perfect way to start my weekend.

These two sketches are continuing the theme of creating in my comfort zone...and that's not a bad thing.

I'm starting to see a trend with the sketches recently besides creating in my comfort zone. When I monoprint, I grab book pages or scraps of paper to create ghost prints to clean the printing surface. These recently sketches use these prints. The worn, imperfect prints add nice texture and color.
 

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New sketches in my 4"x6" journal update

Here is a link where I first talked about this 4"x6" sketchbook journal, click here.  

These are two sketches that I started before leaving for my day job and finished 4 days later. As the saying goes, "art is about the journey". No matter how long it takes to finish.

 
Messy, blobs sketch. Enough said.

I considered this sketch done. I was concern that it was going to be overworked.

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New journals in my Etsy Shop!

I listed three new handmade journals in my Etsy shop. Please click here or the badge on the right side of this blog.

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New sketches in my 4"x6" journal update

Here is a link that where I first talked about this journal, click here.  

This quick sketch was done on a Saturday morning. It was a great way to start the weekend!
 

Two quick sketches that was started before I left to my day job and finished after I got home. The hashtag that I use a lot these days is #makingtimeforart.

These two sketches were created this morning (Saturday, 11/17/18). It seems like a new routine for me to start my weekend with quick sketch or two. 

 


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New Journal - Coptic and Long Stitch with tabs

In my continuing exploration of bookmaking, I wanted to try my hand at adding tabs to the spine of the book. The tabs add a nice detail to the look of the stitching and design of the book. This book measuring 5.5"x8.5"x1" using Coptic and Long stitches sewn with waxed linen thread.

Sorry for not taking process photos of the building of this book. I hope my explanation and finished photos is helpful.

I gathered odds and ends supplies that I have on hand. I covered two 5.5"x8.5" board that was attached to pads of paper with black fabric (inside cover) and abstract painted canvas (outside cover). Cut up unstretched, primed canvas into nine 11"x8.5" pieces to use as the signatures. I decided to paint the primed side of the canvas signatures. The book will have an exposed spine so it will be a nice detail to have colorful spine of the signatures showing. The two 1"x4" tabs were cut from the same abstract painted canvas used for the outside covers.  

I'm happy with the way this book turned out. It has a nice weight to it due to the board covers and canvas. Also, the book lays nice and flat due to using Coptic and Long stitches.

front cover

back cover

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New journals in my Etsy Shop!

 I listed two new handmade journals in my Etsy shop. Please click here or the badge on the right side of this blog.

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Album Cover Accordion Book

Awhile back I found some old albums at the thrift store. I noticed some scratches on the records so I knew that no one would want to buy these albums...except an artist. I thought that the covers would work as book covers. Even though there were scratches, I checked to make sure the albums weren't valuable beforehand.

The first album that I decided to repurposed into a book was a 78 record, which is 10". I cut down the album to four 5" squares. That's a manageable size for a book. I haven't created an accordion book in quite some time so, I thought I would use one set for this type of book.

I need to remember to take process photos. Most times I'm in a creative whirlwind that I forget to take out my phone to take photos along the way. The materials I used besides the album cover were Strathmore Bristol Vellium 300 Series paper as the substrate, copies of original sheet music, scraps of pattern and texture tissue paper, monoprinted paper, pens and various types of glues. The finished book measures 5 inch square closed and 5"x30" open.

front cover

back cover

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New sketches in my 4"x6" journal

Here is a link that where I first talked about this journal, click here.  

I worked on these two sketches on a Sunday morning after a week of getting my Etsy shop up and running after 6 years of it being dormant. It was nice to loosen my hand. 

This next sketch is could be considered a journal spread. It took me a week to complete. I worked on it a little bit at a time each day. Maybe 15 minutes each. Adding layers upon layers. Not really having a plan. I included the work in progress photo to show how this sketch progressed over time.

This is another journal spread that took me a week to complete. Underneath the messy paint and collage is a written journal. I admire art journalist that can share their deepest thoughts on social media. I'm not quite there yet or I may never be. I feel comfortable sharing bits and pieces.

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My Etsy shop is open for business!

After much researching, writing, editing and editing some more, my Etsy shop is open for business. I have listed these 9 journals for sale. If you're interested, please click on Mia Bloom Designs to be directed to my shop or click on the badge on the right side of this blog.

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This week's sketches in my 4"x6" journal.

Here is a link that where I first talked about this journal, click here.  

I worked on these two sketches last Saturday when I was suppose to be tackling my "to do" list. Sometimes you do have to put off tomorrow what you should be doing today so you can make time for art. 

Making time for art during the work week can be challenging. These two sketches aren't my favorites. I have been holding onto the leafy magazine paper for quite sometime. I really liked the visual and didn't want to "waste" it. Both of these sketches feel forced to me. Meaning I didn't feel like creating in my journal so I worked in it even though I wasn't feeling creative. Oh, well...that's why I'm creating in a sketchbook journal. It allows me to play with design ideas.

 

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New sketches in my 4"x6" journal

I didn't get much art made this week. Here this week's sketches in my new journal that I talked about here.  

While I was editing the photo for the blog, I decided to covert the photo to greyscale to check see if the values are balanced. The sketch on the left has a better value balance than on the right. You can see that there is a good balance of light, medium and dark values.

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Green Scrap fabric book

This weekend I organized my bookmaking supplies and found the 4"x6" fabric book cover that I was going to bring to a workshop to use as a sample. Instead of adding to my stash of unfinished book covers, I decided to make a book. It's been since I have sewn a book. I cut up some Blick's White Sulphite Drawing Paper then used waxed white linen thread to sew in the signatures with the Gather Long stitch and Link stitch. I'm finding that attaching a ribbon to use as a closure adds a nice detail. This ribbon is navy but looks like black in the photos.

Green Scrap Fabric Book - 4"x6"

Green Scrap Fabric Book - 4"x6" front cover

Green Scrap Fabric Book - 4"x6" back cover

Green Scrap Fabric Book - 4"x6" outside covers with spine detail

Green Scrap Fabric Book - 4"x6" inside covers

Green Scrap Fabric Book - 4"x6" with 5 signatures; 50 pages

Green Scrap Fabric Book - 4"x6" fore edge and spine details

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New sketches in my 4"x6" journal

Here a this week's sketches in my new journal that I talked about here.  

It was a bit hard for me to decide if these sketches were finished. I found that taking a photo then posting on Instagram helped in the decision progress. Once I post a photo of my sketches, there's no turning back and adding to it. I have to keep reminding myself that these sketches are not individual pieces of fine art. They are sketches in a journal. A way to create a little bit each day.

This second set of sketches were finished this morning. Trying hard not to overthink it. Just create!

 

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Mini Matchbooks

To be honest, I was always a bit intimidated by creating tiny artwork. Then I realized that I can adapt my loose, abstract, collage style to fit in a small space. I created these Mini Matchbooks.

"Mini Pink Matchbook" and "Mini Green Matchbook"

Deciding what to use as the substrate took some experimenting. I found that this style of matchbooks had strong enough cardboard and shape to work as the substrate. I deconstructed each matchbook so I had a piece for the cover and a piece for the box to hold the pages. There are many artist who use matchbooks so I can't say that I discovered this medium.

The accordion style book works well with a matchbook. I used Blick's White Sulphite Drawing Paper for the base of the accordion pages. Leftover scraps of altered bleeding tissue paper was used to decorate the covers of each book. Each page has a different artwork that was created using paper scraps, acrylic paint and markers.

"Mini Green Matchbook" front view - 1.5"x2"x7"

"Mini Green Matchbook" back view - 1.5"x2"x7"

"Mini Pink Matchbook" front view - 1.5"x2"x9"

"Mini Pink Matchbook" back view - 1.5"x2"x9"

 These two books are on display in eXtreme Fiber Art exhibit at ideaXfactory.

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