Art Brings Light: Liberate Your Art 2018

April 13, 2018April 13, 201835 Comments

It’s time for the Liberate Your Art 2018 (LYA) Blog Hop!

Finally, the moment is here to share the art I received and sent for the LYA swap this year. Some swappers share all along, but I like the anticipation, the suspense leading to the day “all” the art is revealed. Then, I spend the weekend perusing the mini art galleries.

Here are the 2018 LYA stats:

804 pieces of art liberated
134 artists
10 countries
31 US states

I’ve participated in the Kat Sloma’s swap for the past seven years and every year I reunite with “old friends” and meet new ones. For the swap, participants send five postcards to Kat who mixes things up and sends the postcards–adding her own–into the world over a two-week period. After all the postcards have been swapped, sent, and received, we have a swap party–blog hop–which started today and ends Sunday.

The theme of this year’s blog hop is “Art Brings Light to the World.” That feels appropriate because there is light and beauty in each of the postcards I received.

I received six pieces of art and liberated five pieces.

“Yellow Woman,” Art by Jan

This was the first postcard I received. I don’t know enough about art techniques to guess, but I’ll guess anyway. 😀 Do I see evidence of stamps, stencils, or collage as well as paint and pen?

Although the artist did not sign her name, she left a strong statement–“Desire Art”–or is it the name of her studio?

“Child’s Play,” by Kathy Mc

Kathy and I had decided to side-swap before Kat started sending the postcards, so imagine my surprise when her postcard was the second one I received. She altered a magazine image with acrylic, oil pastels, monoprint, and stamping. It looks like children playing with bubbles! You can find more of Kathy’s art at Sol Sister Studio on Facebook.

“The Holiest Mountain”

From Ireland, another pleasant surprise–a postcard from JMIrishArt, my Instagram/blogging friend, whom I met via LYA. The postcard features her digital art print of Croagh Patrick, Westport, Mayo, Ireland. JMIrishArt works with various media. You can find out more about her and her art on her website: JMIRISHART.

A Streetcar Named St. Charles from Kris McNeil

Needless to say, it was heart warming to receive this snapshot from home, New Orleans. This shot made me long for a nice long ride down St. Charles on the street car. We’ll have to remember to take a ride the next time we’re in New Orleans.

Kris, who lives in Houston, Texas, has an amazing photography blog right here on WordPress. Be sure to check out her blog or any of the other places to find her:

From “sunny Florida”–a colorful manipulated photo:

“Vertical Landscape,” by Annie

According to her note, Annie typically photographs landscapes, flowers, sunrises, and sunsets. Lately, she’s been exploring more abstract work, focusing on shapes, shadows, and the unexpected. She details how she created this piece:

This piece is from a sunset photo where a corner of a building also caught my eye. It was cropped, rotated, duplicated and transformed with several phone apps.

And finally, Kat’s piece:

“Anomalous” by Kat Sloma

As usual, Kat’s art closes out the swap. No matter how beautiful, soulful, or provocative her postcard is, we greet it with a bit of sadness. It means the swap is over and we have to wait a whole year to celebrate again.

I am intrigued by the boldness of this piece, and when I flip the card over to see what Kat stamped on the back, I find that the message reflects the image:

Indeed.

And thank you, Kat, for your work and heart. You’ve not only helped many of us find the courage to share our art but you have connected us to each other and created a community of beauty, light, and heart.

Here’s my liberated art:

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I shot all the photos between April 2017 and February 2018. They all have stories that I’ll share some other time, perhaps. One was featured on the blog last year, and one was shared widely for “Yellow Flowers for International Women’s Day 2018.” Can you guess which? 😉 I have a few extras of each, so if you’re interested in “side-swapping,” let me know in the comments or via email (use the contact form on my “About Me” page).

One more thing–you must check out the LYA 2018 video with a sampling of the art submitted. [I’m not in it because I didn’t have a bit of mental energy to think about which photo to send. Eek!]

If you want to see more, click the link below and jump into the blog hop (scroll to the bottom of the post). While you’re there, sign up for next year! You know you want to.

Dreaming Art: Liberate Your Art Side Swaps

May 18, 2017May 18, 20175 Comments

As in years past, I did a little side-swapping after the Liberate Your Art blog hop. April and May are pretty crazy-busy around here, so I don’t check my post office box as frequently as I should. When I finally checked, there was a mailbox full of postcards waiting and I jumped for joy when I saw the collection of art.

Here’s a quick look at nine of the ten postcards.

The first postcard came from my faithful postcard pal, Christine B. I met Christine via LYA 2016, but our friendship has grown via Love Notes, which she introduced to me last spring.

“Thistles,” photo by Christine B.

Christine captured this photo in England. She writes that the thistles remind her of “spires” and provides the etymology of the word: Spires–Derived from Old English, spir, meaning a sprout, shoot or a stalk of grass.

Lisa C. sent a great big “howdy” from Texas with her “Dream” photo:

She shot this image as a storm was coming in and later “photoshopped” the tree into the photograph. I love cloud formations and the unique shapes they make.

You can find more of Lisa’s nature photography on her blog, Chasing the Sun.

I’ve swapped with Sherry H. for the past few rounds of LYA. She sent her mixed media “mountain bird” with greetings from Amook Island (Alaska):

Mixed media art by Sherry H., Amook Island Creations

She printed a simple but inspiring message on back:

Conceive. Believe. Achieve.

Sheila D., with whom I’ve also swapped almost every year I participated in LYA, sent a beautiful watercolor of blues, greens, and purples–a field of purple wildflowers (yay!):

“Wildflowers,” Watercolor by Sheila D.

Sheila encourages, “Keep sharing your art with the world!” You can see more of Sheila’s watercolors on her blog: Sheila’s Corner Studio.

Suzette R. sent a textured yellow rose:

“In the Thicket of Things,” Photo by Suzette R.

She shared a quote:

Surely a star danced in Heaven on the day you were born. –Flavia

An interaction with Suzette a few months ago led to the creation of Karle’s Wings. [Thanks, Suzette!]. You can find out more about Suzette and take a look at more of her beautiful photos on her blog, Notes from the Road.

Pat M. of Serendipity shared a gorgeous mixed media magnolia on canvas.

“Magnolia,” mixed media by Pat M.

This piece began as a photo to which Pat added paper for texture and then oil painted. This is definitely a technique I will try this summer. She also shares a quote:

To be an artist is to believe in life. –Henry Moore

My “neighbor,” Patsy (PJ) from Tennessee, shared an interesting painting:

“Painting in a Book,” by Pasty L. (PJ)

The painting was completed in an altered photography book using acrylic paint and oil pastels. The colors come from the original photos on the page.

Janice D. creates beautiful and inspiring mixed media pieces, some of which have a prominent place on one of my inspiration walls. She shared her “Dreamer.”

“Dreamer” by Janice D.

And writes:

Never let it be said that to DREAM is a waste of one’s time, for DREAMS are our realities waiting. In DREAMS we plant the seeds of our future.

Finally, Christine sent a second card–a sweet reproduction of one of her fabric cards. I shared an original fabric card in an earlier post.

“Fabric Hearts,” reproduction of a handmade fabric card made by Christine B.

Christine sent the card with a wish that it will “fill [me] with love.” This card is one of my favorites–I have a thing for hearts, like I have a thing for purple and sunflowers–so it’s headed for an inspiration wall.

I have one more postcard to share, but I’m saving that one for another day–maybe, tomorrow.

For now…thanks ladies, for the beautiful artwork that brightens my journals, my walls, and my days.

If you missed the postcards I received through the regular swap, you can find them here: Experiment, Create, Play, and Liberate.

Ciao!

Liberate Your Art 2017: “Experiment, Play, Create & Liberate”

April 16, 2017April 16, 201721 Comments

The LYA blog hop has begun!

As mentioned in a post a few weeks ago, I participated in Kat Sloma’s Liberate Your Art swap again. The swap has been running for seven years. I’d “just missed” the first year when I found out about the swap, but I’ve participated every year since.

This year’s stats:

876 pieces of art liberated
146 artists participating
12 countries
30 US states and territories

The words that make up Kat’s theme, “Experiment, Play, Create, and Liberate,” serve as “clues to an expressive, playful, and free approach to making art.” She encourages participants to “keep those four words with us over the next year as we create and share our art.”

I’m happy to report that I received all six unique pieces of art sent my way. [As usual, April is insanely busy, and I haven’t had a moment to stage and photograph the postcards in my environment, so please forgive me].

“Angles and Lines” by Christopher A.

My first card came from Christopher of Michigan, a piece of art he created in December 2016. Christopher’s circumstances “made” an artist of him and compelled him to take a minimalist approach to art. He works with what’s available to him–a pencil and a piece of paper folded to make a straight edge.

He shares a quote that appropriately captures his circumstances and his art:

I’ve wanted to somehow convey to you the sensations–the atmospheric pressure, you might say–of what it is to be seriously a long-term prisoner in an American prison. –Jack Henry Abbott

A few days later, a little bit of Hong Kong graced my mailbox. Kris sends “love from Texas,” but as she points out, the scene is clearly not Texas:

“Not Texas” by Kris Mc.

I love everything about this photo–the composition, the tone. There’s so much story in this image! You can find more of Kris’s stunning work on her blog, on Instagram, and on Flickr.

Greetings from Gabriola Island (Canada) came next.

“The Road to Cold Mountain,” by Paul T.

Paul had fun creating this piece, entitled “The Road to Cold Mountain.” I find it intriguing. I’d love to know more about it!

Siobhan sent a calming photo postcard with a clock tower reflected on a rippling river.

“1902 Clock Tower” by Siobhan Wolf

The photo was shot at Riverfront Park in Spokane, Washington. You can find more of Siobhan’s work at Wolf Tales, her blog. I love her signature line on the card… #bethelove.

Ella sent a whimiscal watercolor.

“Puff” by Ella L.

Ella completed this watercolor a few years ago. She sends her card with wishes for the “joy of playfulness.” Ella is a freelance illustrator who works with children’s books and poetry among other things. You can find more of her work on her website: Ellapointe Studio.

If you’ve been following along for the last several years, you know Kat’s postcard always ends the swap.

When I retrieved Kat’s card, I had mixed feelings–excitement because the “long anticipated” Kat card arrived, but disappointment because the card meant the end of the swap and I have to wait a year before it comes around again.

Digital Painting by Kat Sloma

Kat surprised me this year. Instead of sending one of her photos, she sent a colorful digital art piece. I realize, though, I shouldn’t have been surprised. She’d been posting digital paintings via IG: kateyeview. Trees are one of Kat’s favorite things to photograph, so I like how this image pays tribute to one of her favorite subjects.

Thank you Christopher, Kris, Paul, Siobhan, Ella, Kat and all the other wonderful artists who courageously share your art. Your creativity inspires me!

I am so grateful for you, Kat. Thank you for consistently, patiently, and meticulously coordinating LYA. Your work pushes all of us to strive for the best in our work as artists.

Fortunately, side swaps help us liberate even more art. If you’re interested in swapping away those extras, let me know. I’ll post the postcards I sent on “Microblog Monday.”

If you want to see more “liberated art,” check out the video featuring art from some of the participants. For a more comprehensive view of the exchange, click the tiny blue frog below.

Until next time…create more art!

Tardy for the Party: Liberate Your Art 2016

May 5, 2016May 5, 201619 Comments

Imagine my chagrin when I checked my email the morning of April 18th and realized that I’d completely missed the Liberate Your Art 2016 Blog Hop! I was sick for days about it. I blamed Tax Day and the madness of April for my missing out. Oh well. I eventually dusted myself off, and now LYA is my first blog post for May.

Again, I participated in Kat Sloma’s Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap, a swap she founded to encourage artists of any medium to share their art with the world. The postcard party just completed its sixth year.

This year there were:

1050 pieces of art liberated
175 artists participating
12 countries represented

I received all six of the postcards that were sent to me this year. Here they are:

“Innocence” by Amy Irwen, November 2015

Amy hails from Rosemount, Minnesota. She created a handcut collage made of paper, ink, paint, and gel medium transfer. The attacks on Paris in November 2015 led her to create this piece, a commemorative of lives lost.

Art Journal Painting by Linda Richards

Linda sent greetings from Sunny California. She shared a reproduction of a painting she had done in her art journal while visiting her son in Missouri. This image with earth tones and splashes of reds, yellows, and blues is calming and exciting at the same time.

“Journal of My Soul,” Rosanna Pogaun

Mabuhay from the Philippines! Rosanna sent her beautiful flower with God’s blessings of love and a reminder that the good news is written on God’s handiwork as well as in the Good Book.

“Twilight Eagle,” by Diana Brady

Diana also hailed from California. She shared her “twilight eagle” with a gorgeous purple sky and the silhouette of trees in the background. On the back of the card, she penned a poem by an anonymous Native American poet:

What is Life?

It is the flash of a firefly in the night.
It is the breath of a buffalo in wintertime.
It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and
loses itself in the sunset

Light and Bird Mosaic

While we’re on the subject of birds…The artist who created this gorgeous mosaic did not sign a name, but wrote a brief poem on the back of the postcard:

Light and Bird
fused
in the
transparent
morning
sky…….

If you’ve been following my blog over the last year or two or three, then, you’d know that the last postcard sent for the “official” LYA swap, comes from Kat, the swap’s founder, coordinator, and all-around awesome person. She sends her card as a “thank you” to participants.

“Gatekeeper” by Kat Sloma

Trees are among Kat’s favorite thing to photograph, so I wasn’t the least bit surprised to see the trees. I love the way she “stacked” this photo allowing the trees to serve as primary frame for the moon but still hold their place as focus of the photo. You can find more about how Kat crafted this photo here: Masking in Stackables (Mobile Tutorial).

She typically includes the a LYA motivational thought on the back. This year:

LYA 2016-6

And Kat’s last word of the swap–

[Kat Sloma] I created this year’s final celebration art piece to remind each and every one of us that we are on a journey. We may start on the path of liberating our art timidly, fearful of the response we are going to get. Art is such a personal thing, it can feel like we are putting a piece of our heart and soul out there, where others may reject it. But you know what? The more you liberate your art, the easier it gets. The more confident you get. You just have to keep taking small steps.

Kat Sloma’s Final Piece for LYA 206

Kat typically ends the celebration with a piece she creates. Notice how she weaves the postcards sent for the swap into her “final” creations. She writes:

I created this year’s final celebration art piece to remind each and every one of us that we are on a journey. We may start on the path of liberating our art timidly, fearful of the response we are going to get. Art is such a personal thing, it can feel like we are putting a piece of our heart and soul out there, where others may reject it. But you know what? The more you liberate your art, the easier it gets. The more confident you get. You just have to keep taking small steps.

Thanks, ladies, for all your beautiful work!

Now, of course, we can’t “participate” in the swap by simply receiving postcards. We have to create something and share it with the world, so tune in tomorrow–or maybe, the next day–when I’ll share the postcards I sent for LYA 2016 as well as postcards I received in “side swaps.” I still have many left, by the way, so if you’re interested in a “side swap,” let me know.

Want more artistic inspiration? Check out the LYA 2016 Blog Hop. Hop to it!

Let’s Go to the Hop: Liberate Your Art 2015

April 18, 2015April 18, 201527 Comments

What a maddening month (so far)! I’m happy to take a moment out of my busy end-of-the-academic-year life to focus on pretty things and happy mail.

For the fourth consecutive year I participated in Kat Sloma’s Liberate Your Art swap. Again, I sent my art out into the world and have had various expressions of art land in my mailbox in return.

This year I received five of the six postcards that were sent to me. That’s a little improvement over last year when two postcards went missing. I also received two extras in private swaps. Here are the postcards I received.

Liberate Your Art 2015: Postcards Received

I know this isn’t a very creative or interesting display, but the postcards are “on exhibit” in my “temporary” work environment. There was an electrical fire in the building that houses my office, so our entire unit is slightly displaced in another building on the basement floor. Although I can look out (and up) the windows and see beautiful trees all around me, my office walls are bare. Fortunately, I had the LYA postcards in my craft pouch, so I used them and a couple of photos that I was using as bookmarks to add a bit of color and beauty to the wall I face as I’m working on my laptop. There’s nothing like a wall of words and art to make me happy all day long!

Let’s take a closer look:

“Summer’s Memories (Nellie’s Flowes)” by Jane Ross

Jane of Reston, Virginia shares this beautiful reproduction of her mixed media art. She includes an Australian Aboriginal proverb on the back of the postcard: “Those who lose dreaming are lost.” She also encourages, “Let your imagination soar”–advice perfectly aligned with the soaring birds in her art.

“Tiny Tumbleweeds” [my title] by KnoHerPhotos

Jeannette sends greetings from Oregon. I love these “tiny tumbleweeds” and the shadows they cast on the surface. Jeannette’s “art starts with her camera.” Mine too! You can find more of Jeannette’s work beautiful work at KnoHer Photos on either Facebook or Flickr.

“Natural Beauty” [my title] by Cathy

Cathy hails from Arkansas. This still life is simply elegant. She also sends an inspirational quote. “Write it on your heart that every day will be the best day in the year” (Ralph Waldo Emerson). You can find more of Cathy’s still life photos on her blog, Gramma’s Little Corner.

“Mondrian 2.0: A Tribute to Dutch Painter Piet Mondrian” (1872-1944) by Will Conway

Will of Dover, New Hampshire sends wishes for a creative and rewarding year of art. I am delighted to be introduced to another artist. Mondrian is new to me. Like many LYA swappers, he included a quote: “All art is autobiographical. The pearl is the oyster’s autobiography” (Federico Fellini).

“Imminent Downfall,” by Kat Sloma

My last postcard of the “official swap” came from Kat, our lovely swap organizer. Needless to say, this tribute to autumn is clearly a favorite. Kat writes, “When you liberate your art, the world is a better place. Thank you!” This does little justice to the word art she places on the back of the postcard each year.

So here it is–

“Kat’s Postcard Back,” LYA 2015 Thank You

I took a little liberty and added the texture. The postcard back is white. You can find out more about Kat’s photography, the swap, and the courses she teaches by visiting her site: Kat Eye Studio.

And here are the bonus cards.

“A Knitting Selfie” [my title], by Cakers

My friend Cakers surprised me and sent one of her postcards when she sent her set to Kat. She writes, “My art is knitting and photography combined. Knitting is what I do to calm my mind. Photography is what I do to express my creative side.” She includes a quote about knitting “Properly practiced, knitting soothes the troubled stpirit, and it doesn’t hurt the untroubled spiriti either.” Elizabeth Zimmerman. You can see more of Cakers art–both knitting and photography–on her blog, Cakers and Company.

And finally, when I saw Sherry’s postcard on the LYA Facebook page, I immediately fell in love with it. She generously offered a postcard to anyone who wanted one. I accepted, of course!

“Wonder” by Sherry Harmes, Amook Island Creations

Sherry writes from Amook Island, a remote island off Kodiak Island, Alaska. Notice how she includes a tiny portion of the map in her mixed media piece. She admonishes,” Conceive, believe, achieve!”

Thank you to all of the artists whose work now adorn my office wall (I’ll be contacting your shortly). An especial thanks to Kat for committing so much time and energy to the swap year after year and all the helper-swappers in Oregon who give their time and assist her in getting things organized and ready for mailing.

As usual, I had a difficult time selecting photos. I had postcards made of six and couldn’t decide which one to eliminate, so I let family and friends decide. Even though it was also a challenge for them, everyone voted (against) the tulip.

“A Tulip for You,” Huntsville, Alabama

Here are the postcards I liberated. You may recognize “Abandoned,” “December Rose,” and “Dogwood” from earlier posts.

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As usual I enjoyed the swap and am looking forward to next year. The inspiring work I receive and the amazing bloggers I encounter through Liberate Your Art push my creative growth. I find myself experimenting more with different subjects, composition, textures and colors. Every year, it seems, by the time the swap rolls around, I’ve added new techniques, either in composition, or in post-processing.

In liberating our art, we give ourselves to the world. But it is an amazing gift that we also give ourselves. We lose self-consciousness and self-judgment and give ourselves permission to create beauty where we are and as we see it.

I have a few postcards left, including the tulip, so if you’re interested in swapping LYA 2015 postcards, just let me know in the comments or via email. Also, if you’re interested in my 2012-14 Liberate Your Art posts, you may see them here: LYA 2012; LYA 2013; LYA 2014.

You can find out more about the swap and artists by checking out the Liberate Your Art blog hop. Let’s go: Liberate Your Art 2015 Participants and Blog Hop!