Illustration Friday ~ THEATRE

The Broadway Diva..."she had the THEATRE in her blood."

To see the myriad of takes on this prompt, hop on over to Illustration Friday and check out all of the marvelous artwork there is to see.

© Nancy Lefko

Autumn Art Journal from Start to Finish

After creating my summer art journal following Pam Carriker's journal-making directions from "Art at the Speed of Life," I knew this was a path along my art journaling journey that I would visit time and time again.

While the dog days of summer waned, I headed outside with my gathered supplies and added color and design elements to sheets of 90 lb. watercolor paper.

I folded, scored, stitched and tore the paper until I had a wonderful 6"x 6" journal.

I kept with a color scheme reminiscent of those that surround us in rural New Hampshire at this time of year. As I created in this journal at my art desk, I need only look out the window to feel inspired by the color-rich woods that surround my home.

Lastly, some cover art & beads and the autumn art journal is complete.

Now if I could just create a winter art journal without all of the accompanying snow & cold. Sigh.

© Nancy Lefko

Illustration Friday ~ OCTOPUS

Although the OCTOPUS may not be the prettiest sea creature, it sure looks good in pink.

To see the myriad of takes on this prompt, hop on over to Illustration Friday and check out all of the marvelous artwork there is to see.

© Nancy Lefko

Illustration Friday ~ WISH

If I were granted a WISH right at this very moment, it would be that summer was just beginning rather than just ending.

To see the myriad of takes on this prompt, hop on over to Illustration Friday and check out all of the marvelous artwork there is to see.

© Nancy Lefko

Love to Learn

In addition to creating art, I simply love to learn new art techniques. As luck would have it, a former student of mine offered to teach me one of the techniques she uses for binding books.

She gave me a list of supplies, one of which was paper. Rather than create the book with plain paper, I decided to add color and patterns with spray inks and stencils so my book pages would have backgrounds ready to go.

A warm sunny day + 90 lb watercolor paper + water mister + spray inks + stencils = book-ready paper

A few hours later, after superb guidance and clear instructions, I had created the sweetest handmade book. The addition of a simple button closure and my book is ready for journaling. Oh my, I can completely understand why I was warned..."making these books is addicting."

© Nancy Lefko

Join Me at "Art Is You"...You'll be Happy You Did!

Registration for Art Is...You Mixed Media Art Retreats closes in less than 2 weeks so register NOW to ensure your place at this amazing retreat.

This all inclusive retreat is like no other! It is MORE than art around every corner, it's about friendship and support and laughter and camaraderie and more! You will be renewed creatively, make new friendships and remember this experience for a lifetime.

On Saturday, October 11th in Stamford, CT I'll be teaching Mini-Masterpiece Pendants where we'll use a variety of mixed media and distressing techniques to create wearable works of art.

Each piece can be crafted with your own photos, ephemera and embellishments to make the pendant truly personalized and unique.

I hope you'll join me for what's sure to be a fabulously fun time!

© Nancy Lefko

Summer Art Journal

Early this summer I decided to finally follow Pam Carriker's journal-making directions from "Art at the Speed of Life." I'd been wanting to make a journal in this fashion for a long time. It appealed to me on a number of levels: I liked the notion of making a journal from "scratch." I liked having all the backgrounds nearly complete at once and I really liked the 6x6 size.

So, on a bright and sunny day I set outside with a large sheet of watercolor paper, water mister, spray inks, stencils and began to have some fun!

Ever since, I have created in this journal, page by page, filling it with all the thoughts, images and feelings I have always associated with summer. I included prints from hand-carved stamps...shells, seahorse, sand dollar and even a face.

I filled the journal with the essence of what I saw outside my studio window, whether it was the green of the woods or the portent of a coming storm.

As the time approached for my family and me to head to the coast of Maine for our annual beach vacation, the call of the ocean became prevalent on my pages.

I continued to work in my journal when we returned home from vacation and as the summer days waned; all the while still yearning for the peace and restoration I find at the beach.

The final page of my summer journal speaks of the feeling I have every year at this time..."it feels like we just got here."

I completed my journal by designing the cover and stringing some beads on the waxed linen thread that binds it all together. It really was a wonderful summer project.

Time to begin the Autumn Journal.

© Nancy Lefko

Illustration Friday ~ METAMORPHOSIS

Every year we witness a METAMORPHOSIS of sorts when we transform from relaxed, summer-lovin' creatures to the structured souls of the back-to-school sort. To see the myriad of takes on this prompt, hop on over to Illustration Friday and check out all of the marvelous artwork there is to see.

© Nancy Lefko

Illustration Friday ~ JOURNEY

Begin your artful JOURNEY over at Illustration Friday. To see the myriad of takes on this prompt, hop on over to their site and check out all of the marvelous artwork there is to see.

A professional art print of this original mixed media collage is available in my Etsy shop.

© Nancy Lefko

"Art Is...You" is Calling...It's Time to Join the Fun!

Registration for Art Is...You Mixed Media Art Retreats is open and it's time to check out all the amazing workshops and register NOW to ensure your first choice in classes.

This all inclusive retreat is like no other! It is MORE than art around every corner, it's about friendship and support and laughter and camaraderie and more! You will be renewed creatively, make new friendships and remember this experience for a lifetime.

On Saturday October 11th I'll be teaching Mini-Masterpiece Pendants in Stamford, CT where we'll use a variety of mixed media and distressing techniques to create wearable works of art.

Each piece can be crafted with your own photos, ephemera and embellishments to make the pendant truly personalized and unique.

I hope you'll join me for what's sure to be a fabulously fun time!