Leada Wood: January 2016

Monday, January 25, 2016

"Judges Choice" Watercolor by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Leada Wood, Watercolor, Mixed Media, Collage

"Judges Choice" Copyright Leada Wood 2016

It's showtime in Texas! That wonderful time of year when the young people get to show off their animals and all their hard work they have been doing the past months. Hoping to place, win ribbons, buckles and make money during the sales. A lot of effort goes out pre show exercising the animals to get them in shape and feeding them just right. Then there is all the grooming and keeping them hydrated and happy until showtime. Showing animals is a family affair and lots of good memories are made.

"Judges Choice" is painted in watercolor of my two grandsons for my son's birthday. They were in the ring competing for Grand Champion against each other. Competition is good for you, makes you try harder and aim higher. I think it is a good thing for everyone to do the best job they can and to do it well.

I am proud of my son and daughter in law for encouraging and supporting our boys and the boys for their hard work and dedication. This is Kyler's senior year and a little bittersweet, but he has made lots of friends and good memories of his show seasons. These activities build good character in young people and make our world a little nicer.

"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals"

---Henry David Thoreau

Friday, January 22, 2016

Making Gelli by Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Leada Wood, Watercolor, Mixed Media, Collage

Happy Friday! More fun in the studio cutting up Gelli prints and making complicated papers. I must be ready for spring as these colors remind me of flowers, bright, happy colors. I am trying to get enough papers made so that I can start my new series and incorporate my Gellies as collage.

Why not buy paper you ask? Well I want my paper to be original and have my stamp of creativity on them...a different look all my own in the colors I choose and they are such FUN to make!

This Gelli was a little busy so I glaze over it with a blue to calm it down a little and give it another layer.

You can still see everything but in a more subdued way and it makes the colors more cohesive.

I glazed over this one with Nickel Azo Gold. It just gives a little mystery to the papers. I probably won't use whole sheets, maybe bit and pieces here and there. I use transparent colors when glazing and a glazing medium. I also keep a paper towel handy in case I get heavy handed.

This Gelli is one of my favorites and destined to become the cover of a sketchbook. Why make Gellies? It gives me papers that I could never set down and paint...happy accidents occurring together...layer upon layer. I scan them into my computer and have sparks for art journal pages, card making, mixed media, collage or have it printed on canvas. The possibilities are endless if you just imagine!

Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!

"Every possibility begins with the courage to IMAGINE."

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Back In The Studio, By Leada Wood, Texas Artist

Leada Wood, Watercolor, Mixed Media, Collage

Hope your new year is starting off with good things! It has been a busy year already with getting ready for shows, art classes, oral surgery and an eye surgery but life is good!

My word for this year is still...mmmmmm.....you know silent, calm, tranquil, quiet, unhurried, peaceful, relaxed, to name a few meanings of the word. I am trying, really I am but life happens and there are so many fun and interesting things to do!

This is some complicated paper I am making from those Gelli prints that have been stacking up. I think it could be framed, used in collage or make cards with it. What do you do with your Gelli prints?

Gelli printing is such fun I wanted to share it with a couple of my older students. They took to it like ducks to water, after all who knows how to play better than kids.

I am not sure who had the most fun me or them! They caught on quickly and we used LOTS of paint and paper. The next lesson will be to add more layers and unify the papers.

Gelli print in progress

This is a close up of one of the Gelli prints. The more layers you make the more interesting they become. You can always unify the papers with a glaze or veil of paint. I use different weights and kinds of papers for this technique.

This is just a small portion of the afternoons work, there were papers all over the floor as well. I am grateful for a warm studio where I can create these cold winter days. Thanks for stopping by!

"Be happy in the moment, that is enough. Each moment is all we need, not more."

--- Mother Teresa