GPP Crusade No. 38: Grab a Tissue

I'm late posting for this challenge. There was one thing after the other and I didn't get this post written.
Ironically, the current crusade has us pulling prints. I could combine both crusades because most of my tissue paper was painted by making monoprints!

You can link to the Green Pepper Street Team Crusade to read what Michelle Ward shared about painting on tissue paper. I have kept a stash of tissue paper at my art station for years. I often use it to blot excess painting from a painting. It's perfect for collaging.

While working on painting ideas for Unforgettable Art, I purposefully used paint from my palette to prepare some tissue paper for the crusade. I used a large brush and painted a heart on waxed paper. Then I printed the heart onto tissue paper. Painting on waxed paper and transferring that will make great brush stroke effects.

The following mono prints on tissue paper were made when I was prepping an altered book. I had WAY too much paint on the page, so out came the tissue paper. You can see I was going for one of my favorite motifs, the X & O.
I pulled a 2nd print since there was still so much on the board book spread. Last week I prepped a spread for my GPP Crusade journal. It's made from Fabriano cold pressed watercolor paper. The paint was taken from the left-overs on my palette from Unforgettable Art. Next I applied the printed tissue with matte medium.

How about a hug? .... or a kiss?
I have a small stash of monoprints on tissue paper. Just be sure to work fast since the tissue paper is delicate and will pull apart when wet. Also work on a non-stick surface like waxed paper.
Come back soon and see what I did today getting ready for the current crusade.

Unforgettable ART -Signing the Painting

Signing the Painting
Originally uploaded by rgrdesigns

I created a slide show on flickr with some pictures from last Saturday. I'll be adding more soon and more details.

If you click on the pictures on the right side bar, you will be taken to my flickr page where you can see larger images and read notes I wrote.

Purple Cone Flowers Acrylic Painting

Untitled painting featuring cone flowers. Painting is 24 x 36 inches on stretched canvas. It was inspired by photos I took in my backyard garden. These are not the usual wild echinacea, but a cultivated variety that a friend shared with me. I love their glorious texture!

This is what I will be painting at the fundraiser, "Unforgettable Art: An Affair for Alzheimer's!" in Rockford, IL.
It's exciting to share my art and help a cause that is so important to my family. I am also very happy to be meeting Janet Nelson, a fellow blogger, who introduced me to this event. Watch out Rockford!

I will be thinking of my late dad and grandmother while I paint. There are others in my husband's and my life who are also suffering because of this disease. They will be in my heart as well. Then there are the caretakers... Mom and my brother were steadfast in caring for Dad before he had to live at a care facility.

I look forward to the day when no one will suffer any more. Today I read these words:

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.
Psalm 96: 11-13 ESV

Earlier this week I was inspire by the following quote by Mary Todd Beam:

"Our goal as artists may be to live with the fact of death. What we gain along the way is not necessarily an accumulation of beautiful paintings, but a greater awareness of what it means to be alive."

As I paint this Saturday, I will be very aware of the fragility of our lives, but my prayer is that I will express my hope and appreciation for the life given me by creating a beautiful painting.

Unforgettable Art 2010

Today I received the great news that I have been selected to be one of 50 artists who will create our art on site for Unforgettable Art, an annual fundraiser for Alzheimer's. Ever since I learned of this event from fellow artist and blogger, Janet Nelson, I have been interested in participating. Janet will be participating again this year and I'm looking forward to meeting her.

Alzheimer's Disease has touched my family - both my father and his mother. It would have been Dad's birthday this week and it is fitting that my acceptance letter would come today.

I chose the above photo for this post because there are so many jet trails among the interesting clouds in the sky. Being a farmer, the weather played an important role in Dad's livelihood. He pointed out different clouds and jet trails to us. Even when Alzheimer's had a firm grip on him, he was still interested in jet trails.

Please check out the link to read more about this worthy cause. Thank you.