CREATIVE TUESDAY: PURE IMAGINATION



(Past Dreams - paper cutting-pen and ink)


For this Creative Tuesday theme, Pure Imagination, I decided to try another paper cutting. First, I sketched the figure and then cut the paper from the drawing( using it as a template)..I discovered mid-way through that I really needed sharper scissors ...You live and you learn, though, right? I added an Art Nouveau-inspired design and then some outling(dots) around the figure and the decorative design with my trusty Faber Castell pen.

Dreaming or a euphoric dream-state was sort of the motivator for this one. Well, that and studying Pre-Raphaelite art for the last several months for a writing project.

MR. TOAST'S CREATIVE TUESDAYS: MUSIC AND MERRIMENT





This is my offering, Music and Merriment, for Mr. Toast’s Creative Tuesdays:

For the last couple of weeks I’ve been listening to a Celtic Christmas CD with predominately Irish fiddle music (blame it on my ancestors) :), and I must say that the ultimate festive Christmas song for me is I Saw Three Ships. That song was really a catalyst for me to start thinking of Christmases of the past way before Internet, i-PODS, CD’S or even radio was around to entertain. So, my concept is a festive 19th century evening( could be in Ireland, England, or even in Appalachia) with a father playing fiddle for his two young children as they sit opposite one another on stools, clapping along to the lively accompaniment.

The illustration technique is called Scherenschnitte ( German for paper-cuts). It's often referred to as "drawing with scissors". I also added some pen and ink accents. This takes silhouette cutting a bit further by incorporating scenery and also line drawing(outline) into the image. I first drew a line drawing of my subjects, then used the drawn figures as templates to make paper-cuts ( with surgical scissors and a sharp scalpel to cut out/in really small details). I then added the musical notes and scrolling design with a pen…

What a fun theme…I hope you enjoy!