Tired Tuesdays

On this rainy Tuesday...all I feel like doing is taking a nap! I am going to try to work on some collages today but mostly will work on projects for my classes.

Listen to this crazy, cool idea one of my students has:

For the "20 Drawings" assignment (find an object and draw it 20 times using 10 different media) One of my students is going to bring in a couple of eggs...some hard-boiled, some not. He is going to draw the eggs 20 different times....showing the egg being cracked, the yolk, some of the egg shells, etc.....I am excited...this is such a creative idea!

Monday Blahs

I really do not enjoy Mondays! I try and try and it just doesn't work for me! I am always incredibly tired in the morning and just grumpy all day long! I am hoping Tuesday is a happier day for me:)

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I was able to work on some artwork and the husband worked on our website that we will hopefully be launching soon!

The leaves are starting to turn colors and it is supposed to get a little chillier here soon. Yay!

Today I assigned my painting class a color chart assignment. I feel mixing colors is so important when completing a painting. I think color charts are pretty too! Paul Klee's Ancient Sound, Abstract on Black looks just like a color chart to me!

I love color and almost have to stop myself from going overboard when I paint. My favorite color is cerulean blue. What is your favorite color?

Marble Art

Good Morning! Well this weekend has been very lazy! I am sure it will continue today! Currently I am on my 2nd cup of coffee. Check out this adorable mug I got at Marshalls this past summer. Such a find! I of course bought a bunch!

Today my artwork is on the main showcase on Etsy...we will see if anything will come out of it!

My plans for today include waking up the husband, going to brunch at Joseph Beth Bookstore's Cafe and collecting items for my classes tomorrow. Tomorrow I plan on having my special needs students do a painting with leaves. This is the perfect time of year to collect different leaves and use them as stencils. You can also print with leaves, you just want to be careful how much paint you use!

On Friday my special need students and I painted with marbles. It was soo much fun! What you do is:
1. Find a box or a container- you get different effects depending on the size of your container so experiment!

2. Place paper on the bottom of the container

3. Collect some marbles (other balls work as well but with different effects) Marbles move really quickly across the paper so you end up with really crazy lines across the paper.

4. Either place the marbles into paint or drop paint onto the paper...make sure the paint is kind of watery. Put the marbles into the container.

5. Shake the container and make the marbles race across the paper! Do this as long as you want! Add different colors, add more or less marbles.

So much fun:) We will be trying this with hotwheel cars next...hopefully it works out!

Brillante Weblog Award!!!!

Yay! Thank you http://lanyardlady.blogspot.com for choosing this blog for a Brillante (with an e!) Weblog Award! I have had so much fun writing on here and sharing my art and life with anyone willing to listen! I guess once you receive the Weblog award you are supposed to choose 7 great blogs. So here are my 7 websites that I think are WONDERFUL...of course there are so many of you out there...these have just caught my attention lately:)
http://stelabird.blogspot.com
http://pamperingbeki.blogspot.com
http://small-impressions.blogspot.com
http://alamodestuff.blogspot.com
http://blissfulb.blogspot.com
http://littlebrownpen.blogspot.com
http://circlesareforever.blogspot.com

Almost the weekend!

Celebrate! It is almost the weekend! Hope everyone is having a great week so far. What are your big plans this weekend? It seems like the weekend is the only major time I have to create new pieces. Usually the husband and I go out to lunch or brunch and talk business the rest of the time!

Scenes from an artroom

I teach high school art and probably spend about 9 hours every day in my classroom...craziness....here is my out of control desk...this is actually clean for me!


Here is also a shell drawing I am doing as an example project. My drawing class is going to draw one item or a collection of very similar items at least 20 times using 10 different media or combos of media. This is a fun challenging project and I invite all of you to try it! You end up being pretty good at whatever you are drawing...practice make a difference!

If you had to draw an object 20 times, what would you draw and not get bored with?

Song of the day: Mambo de la Luna- Kirsty MacColl....very festive

Favorite Artwork

One of the posts on the Etsy forums today was "What is your favorite artwork in your Etsy store?" This would have to be my favorite at the moment. It is called Yellow Paisley Bird. It is made from hand-painted collaged papers. I adore collage.

Blogger geek

I cannot stop looking at blogs tonight! I should be in bed by now but I just can't stop reading everyone's cool blogs..so much fun yet so time consuming!

Nothing much too new today with me. I made some new paper today and will hopefully use it tomorrow to make some fun items. I am loving the whole linocut idea and want to make more...if only there were more hours in the day!

I am posting a fun picture from my classroom. I made a tree and bird cutout out of construction paper and had some of my students who finished their projects early make leaves that related to the Principles of Design (CBUMPER! contrast, balance, unity, movement, pattern, emphasis and rhythm!) It is soo elementary art but somehow it makes me happy! I like things to be simple and colorful.

Tonight I ate dinner at my grandparent's house...it was so wonderful:) We sat outside and had chicken, cabbage and potato salad. It got dark out at around 7:45...I am so not ready for it to get dark early...oh well what can you do?!

Well I am off to bed!

Printmaking Monday

Well Happy Monday! Tonight I actually was productive! I worked on a couple of linocuts and was actually kind of satisfied with them. I am posting pictures of my little bird linocut because it was my favorite:) What is it with me and birds lately?! I am becoming that weird bird chick...I just think they are so pretty and graceful I guess. I am such a weirdo I know!

Saturday Events

Well Saturday is almost over and I feel that it was semi productive. Today I decided to try doing some bigger collages so I bought some 18 x 24 watercolor paper to use as a support. I did the basic under painting but need to figure out what I am going to do before I start cutting and pasting!

I have a couple of new pieces finished that have not been put on etsy yet-I will have to post them on here soon...I need to take some nice photos first!

Here is my recommend for the day: Archer Farms Pumpkin Spice Coffee. It is amazing and I drank the whole package in under a week. I got it at my favorite store Target. I want to go back and buy more coffee but I am scared what else I might buy. I am one of those people who go shopping with a certain item in mind and come out of the store with ten other items except the item I needed. Yeah...that is me..compulsive shopper girl.

Well I better go and get ready for bed...tomorrow will be a long day. Once again I must drive home from Cleveland to Perrysburg. Only a 2 hour drive but yet it feels like forever! I must download more This American Life episodes! They are my favorite.

Weekend!

Yay! Thank Goodness the weekend has arrived! I plan on working on many art projects this weekend and hopefully posting new artworks to my etsy site! Monday marks the first day of fall and I already have seen pumpkins and mums at our local grocery store! I would have bought some except it would have been a little difficult carrying everything myself!

Top 5 things I did today (Short List)

1. Went to the Flying Bean for green tea this morning and met with my teacher friends.

2. Taught all day-pep rally day!

3. Indulged in lots of dark chocolate!

4. Drove to Cleveland (my second home!)

5. Listened to This American Life...my favorite radio show!

Well I hope to blog more this weekend...talk to you soon!

Farmers Market Flowers

These are some of my lovely flowers I bought at the farmers market for $6.00. Pretty nice price...eh? I have had them since Thursday and they are still pretty. I will have to get more this week....

I have had no time to work on art since Sunday! I am going into withdraw. I need to paint or draw. Does anyone else feel this way sometimes????

Well I finally started organizing all of my different painted papers I use for my collages...I just got a nice portable file case with a handle and bought a ton of manila envelopes and stuck them in the case. Presto! It is portable...yay! I bought everything at Target...my favorite store in the world....I always find myself wandering around in crazy aisles there.

Target is the store where I will go because I need some office supplies and will somehow come out with five shirts, shoes, dumb bells, popcorn and gift wrap. That place is bad for my checking account.

All right...I must go to bed. I get up at 5 a.m every day. Blah! Sleep tight.

Fun new project: Arthouse scavenger hunt

Well it has been about a week since I last posted. Sorry! I have been so busy with school and working on artwork for Etsy.com Just wanted to write about this exciting new art project I am a part of. It is through Arthouse.com in Atlanta, Georgia. I think anyone can still sign up for the Scavenger Project. Basically I received a list of items that I need to illustrate and send back to Arthouse. They are putting together a book full of the artwork received and selling it. Every artist is promised at least one artwork in the book. The packet came for me on Friday and here is an example of some of the items on the list:

In the middle

Alphabet Soup

There, their, they're

Wild Beasts

There are 24 items which include two envelopes and a hang tag...I cannot wait to start this project! I will update this blog with images from my illustrations.

Anyways.....

10 things I did over the weekend:

1. Was in a blackout!
2. Watched Dan in Real Life....in the blackout...thank goodness my laptop had some juice left!
3. Pulled out of storage my glass pumpkin and twiney/branch pumpkin.
4. Worked on my masters class.....blah!
5. Worked on lots of art!!!! Soon to be all on etsy (michellebrunner is my shop!)
6. Ran one day (Sunday morning...before the crazy wind storm that caused the blackout!)
7. Watched Dear Frankie with Rob...good movie...love the Scottish Accents!
8. Ate too much candy...candy corn, snow caps...yum.
9. Lit a bunch of candles and read something for school...candles always make things more fun...
10. Drove home at 4 am from Cleveland on Monday (today!) I am soooo tired from it...I need to go to bed!


Well I am off to bed...have a good one.

New Art

Wow! I cannot believe it will be Wednesday tomorrow...thank goodness! I am just posting quickly that I will have 2 new art series coming out this weekend. I am very excited! I will be putting up on Etsy a dragonfly and sailboat series. I have been doing birds all summer long and just love them but I feel that I need to try some new themes. I have finished a couple of new bird collages as well that I will be posting. Here is a quick 10 Things I Did Today list. I really like this idea and think I am going to do one every time I post. It serves as a great reminder how the little things are what make your day meaningful.

1. Ate Chinese food (I am obsessed with tofu)
2. Ran for 30 minutes after school.
3. Completed 3 artworks.
4. Listened to Madeleine Peyroux all day!
5. Taught my classes (took up pretty much my whole day)
6. Drank hot chocolate (my favorite!)
7. Read the new Time Magazine.
8. Received a fortune from a fortune cookie (you will receive a letter or message that is good news....ok that is good I guess!)
9. Put two new images on Etsy
10. Am going to sleep before 11!!!!! I hope

Ok, well I am off to set my coffee machine for tomorrow morning and then I am going to sleep! I will write more...Here is my latest add to Etsy. It is called Italian Cafe Bird and was inspired from some photographs I took when I was in Florence, Italy two years ago. Florence is one of my favorite cities, I need to go back!

Productive Sunday

Well today has been a long and productive day cataloging all of my artwork and creating invoices. It is a pain but must be done for easy mailing! It was very rainy here this morning but ended becoming beautiful! The tree in our front yard has a couple of red leaves mixed with the green ones. I went on a run through my neighborhood and saw a house that already had a pumpkin and mums in front of their door. I will have to bust out my fall wreath.

I found these cool paintings at Crate and Barrel the other day and thought I would showcase them! I am very into silhouette art lately...especially when plants, flowers or animals are concerned! Well I better get some rest, I have to get up at 4am tomorrow! Yuck!

Song of the day: "Summer Wind" by Madeleine Peyroux

5 Things I did today:
1. Cataloged my art
2. Sat in the sun with Jack
3. Ran through my neighborhood in the evening
4. Watched a snippet of When Harry Met Sally on TV

5. Ate my first Honeycrisp apple of the season

10 Things I did today

I saw this on another blog and thought it was a cool idea. Here are 10 things I did today:

1. Drove to Cleveland
2. Completed 2 artworks (Pink moon series)
3. Dropped something off to Rob at work and got rewarded with food!
4. Ran in the morning
5. Drank a lot of coffee
6. Did laundry
7.Watched a show about Sarah Paylan
8. Played on Etsy.com
9. Took Jack on a walk
10.Listened to Steve Tyrell, Norah Jones and Colin Hay

New Art!

Here are some of my new paintings and collages. I am really trying to stay up with my artwork as best as I can. It is so hard sometimes because I am exhausted ever since school has started. I plan on doing 5 new artworks this weekend....cross your fingers that I can accomplish that!

Artist Trading Cards (ATC)

Recently I mentioned that I was working on some ATC (artist trading cards) based on the elements of art (color, texture, value, form, line, space, shape.) In my intro to art classes everyone is to design their own set of ATC cards that are based on the elements. We will be trading at least one of the cards during a class trading session sometime soon. I had a lot of fun working on this project so I am going to include a couple of these cards online. If anyone wants to trade with me let me know! For anyone who does not know much about ATC-they are mini works of artwork on 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 paper. They are to be traded only and NOT sold for profit. It is a great way to spread art to the masses. Art should not always be so expensive and only in museums. Everyone deserves an original work of art!

Fall Bird Sold!

Wow, Wow, Wow! The day after I put Fall Bird in my Etsy shop, it sold! Yay! It is going to a nice, new owner in Texas. Thanks Jennifer for buying Fall Bird! It is one of my favorite pieces and I cannot wait to do more fall inspired artworks! I really do love this time of year. In one of my favorite movies You've Got Mail ( I am a sucker for anything Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan...i know...i know...so corny!) Tom Hanks said, " I would send you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address..." That is what fall is like to me...new..fresh..crisp, the wonderful smell of pencils and scotch tape. I really feel that it is the beginning of a new year (and not because I am a teacher.) The leaves are slowly changing...soon it will be chilly and everyone will be wearing cozy mittens and scarves. I am sure by January I will be yearning for summer again.

I hope everyone is having a great week so far. I keep procrastinating on working on my masters class so I must get to work. Writing on here is too much fun! I will write soon! Cheers!

Fall Bird

Here is a collage I finished last night. It is made out of cut hand-painted papers. It really started to look like fall yesterday so I decided to make a fall-inspired artwork. I am really looking forward to the leaves changing colors and picking out pumpkins for my front stoop. I plan on making a lot more collages inspired by fall so stay tuned!