It is the time for the reveal for the Art Elements monthly theme challenge. This month I set the theme for the month and I chose 'Eyes'. I love eyes. I love their depth and mystery. I can't say I was over productive this month, I have a lot of various things going on and so my free time is a bit disrupted but I did have an idea to create something felted. I delved into the world of felting.. more dipped in a little toe... last summer. I blame Art Elements and the ladies in the group with their diverse and talented creations they show which inspire me to try new things and buy new materials!
I 'acquired' some soft round balls from someone who was selling them off as surplus to their requirements. I had absolutely no idea what so ever what to do with them but they appealed to me in their round white softness so I 'had to have them'! My daughter had this enormous pom pom on her car keys and she managed to lose it and wanted another one, so rather than her buy one I said I would make her a new massive ball and created this felted eye, added a key ring thingie and 'ta dah'..... it is now on her over night bag she takes to the boyfriends. I am rather pleased with how it turned out and she loves it so a good afternoon spent stabbing my fingers whilst felting I think!
Another one of those round balls and this time I had the idea of 'building' up the ball into a shape. I also have these 'googly eyes' which I was determined to use. I created this frog with the idea that he will have felted arms and feet but I am not sure I like him enough to continue so he has been banished to the UFO (Un Finished Objects) pile.
This is still 'under construction' as I am not happy with the scale but I want to make some eye pendants with my eye doodles. I have rekindled my love of coloured pencils after a couple of years dabbling in watercolours... I always return to my beloved pencils.... This one is a little too big for the pendant frame, which when you consider the frame size is tiny. I also used the 'wrong' pencils. This is done with Derwent Coloursoft which do not lend themselves to fine detail but they have a great colour spectrum. I need to use some of my harder pencils like my Polychromos... I might have an eye wateringly large collection of pencils.....
To end my post a few doodles from this month in my sketchbook playing with various brands of pencils. This one is Caran d'Ache, nice pencils to use. I wanted a tonal study in colour rather than a realistic one.
Some blue eyes in Derwent Artist and Studio pencils - I did say I have rekindled my love of pencils and my collection is rather extensive..... These are harder pencils which lend themselves to nice sharp points!
And finally a quick study (actually they all are in my sketchbook....) of Gordy, my little cat, eye. He has the most gorgeous deep golden eyes with very large pupils due to his brain damage.
I think I need to get out some good quality paper and do a few big studies of eyes again... after a bit more practise that is ;)
I hope you will follow the links below and see what the others who joined in this challenge created.
Laney, I believe your felted eye is a success! Alas, I wasn't able to get my challenge piece done this month, but it's raining today so instead of continuing with my garden cleaning I am able to Hop along and see all the fab projects!! Alysen
ReplyDeleteSo cool, all of it, but my heart belongs to the blue eyes, especially the second one. It's so alive!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful work, Laney!
We definitely need to paid from all the art supply companies because we create new "addicts" all the time ;)
ReplyDeleteThe big eyeball made me smile and I think the frog my turn out wonderfully weird with eyes made by you instead of the googly ones?
Oh, and I love all your sketches (and your mastery of coloured pencils!).
Thank you for such a wonderful theme even though I have to admit creating a lot of UFOs now myself. Hopefully they won't grow too old! ;)
I adore that felted eye! So very clever and useful-lucky daughter;-) The frog is adorable & maybe you could do his arms/legs in a different color wool?? The sketches of eye have me gawking and drooling. You seem to really capture so much personality in those eyes. The blue eyes and Gordy's eye are just stunning. Thanks for such a fun theme.
ReplyDeleteYour felt experiments turned out wonderfully (well - we'll see about the frog I guess ;) )
ReplyDeleteBut your sketches - SWOON! They're so lifelike and look almost like photographs. I can see why you're drawn to use the pencils. You have such skill with them!
I just want to give that felt eye a big hug along with a second hug to the adorable frog! I do hope you finish him; I think you are off to such a great start.
ReplyDeleteYour eye sketches are amazing and so lifelike. You truly are very skilled with the colored pencils.
Absolutely awesome! The felted eye and frog-in-progress are great and I really love your eye sketches.
ReplyDeleteI love the felted eye. Your daughter is lucky to have such an awesome key chain. Your sketches are wonderful. Great job with this challenge.
ReplyDeleteLove that felted eye as well! Frog is cool too. You are too funny! Your eye drawings are amazing! Thanks for a great theme!
ReplyDeleteYou are so talented, Laney! I love that you made a felted eye for your daughter. So cool! And your eye “doodles” are fabulous!
ReplyDeleteWonderful theme for this month! Love the felted eye and I hope your daughter loved it! Love the eye in the pendant - love those colors! And the sketch of Gordy's eye is fabulous!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great theme Laney - thank you. As always your illustrations are masterful! That last one of G's eye... I think the felted eye is hysterical - in a good way! ( Sorry I was so late to the hop.)
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