Birds and Coffee

Space in the Altered Attic is at a premium, the bins are overflowing  and there's stuff every where I turn, piles, stacks, boxes full of trinkets and other found objects spilling out over the tops of shelves. Spring cleaning? Heck no, but I can hear the birds singing outside the windows, on the days that it's 65 instead of 35 degrees.
So, I continue to ignore the obvious, which is the enormous amount of time I'd probably save by getting organized, and use all my 'extra' time to play.



Last week I posted a small collage I'd done - a coffee cup filled with flowers, coffee beans, buttons... everything but coffee. And, what's with the birds? I don't know that the two necessarily 'go' together, but I wanted to find some elements I could use to experiment with color, texture and process. Using the same color themes to create different finished pieces, like a magnet made from a recycled puzzle piece and trimmed with beads and charms. I also love altering journals, and quite a while back grabbed a handful of tiny (3 x 4) journals with slots for little pens - how cute - in the dollar bin at Michael's. Just the right size. 



I got some new pattern stamps recently, one is a Klimt cube and I love the way, once I stamped one of the shapes with gesso, it kinda looked like a coffee cup. OK. To me, it did, so I helped it out with a little charcoal. I used it in other areas with ink and it makes me want to go at my kitchen cabinets... OK, that might be a bit busy and my family might not appreciate it, but my husband the fine artist might.

I'm on to a new series, this time lighter blues and greens and I'm trying to figure out what color to use to make things pop. Red? Yellow? Orange? I don't have a lot of experience with color and, while I am fearless when it comes to attacking a background, I get stumped easily when it comes to making choices. My blog pal, Jodi, has been soliciting color theme suggestions on her blog, Sweet Repeats, and I hate to borrow her idea, but if anyone has suggestions for complementary colors, I'll take them!

Comments

Katiejane said…
Patti, I think both of these are fantastic just the way they are!!! I love them both! Such pretty, muted colors. They look jewel-like. And the use of a puzzle piece? How cute. It looks like a large piece. That would be neat, too. I just never would have thought of that, but we have several forgotten puzzles in the basement. Good idea.
Anonymous said…
I do feel the need to dig deep, that there's things that need unearthed, but how to go about it?? I'm definitely game:)
Karin Bartimole said…
Hey Patti, I really love the little journal! There's a lot of rich texture and depth for such a tiny surface. I never would have known the dimensions were so small. That little bird sitting on the rim of the cup is the most endearing thing!
So, some lighter blues and greens - I'd suggest red oranges, for good pop, and maybe try a little egg yolk yellow. If you're looking for pop it is those complimentary colors across the wheel that will do it best. The more saturated the color, and less pastel like, the more dramatic the pop will be, so you can adjust to your liking! Hope that's helpful :)
Jane B. said…
Wow - the variations in color on your background are superb! I love the textural look and the vines above the bird - super mixed media piece. Thank you for stopping by my place also - Jane
Jodi Ohl said…
Patti, you need to give yourself more credit, your color choice as is is great and I think the bright red flower is a perfect compliment to your muted blues and greens. :)

Orange would be another great alternative--isn't it fun to experiment with color???
I love both of these particularly the "wishes" piece. It is so appealing. On another note I know Jodi, she is so sweet.

Popular posts from this blog

One World One Heart

Patti Edmon Abstract Artist

Fall Giveaway!