Well Hello November ...

Welcome  - I have to say that the painting we have for you this month is one of my favourites for this year - It is just so vibrant and colourful.  It is called Weeds and is by Emma Uber - you will find no prettier weeds anywhere !!

CRITERIA is the use of  FLOWERS on your work

A little about Emma Uber

I grew up in Ballarat, Victoria. It is a small and beautiful town but didn’t have a lot going on for me, so I stayed home and painted most of the time.

My parents had a small farm with lots of junk, old sheds and odd bits and pieces lying around. I could always find something to paint on, making my own canvas frames from used pieces and even old window frames. I would paint with any materials I could find.

I approached some small local galleries and my work was rejected… I was told no one would buy my art. Most galleries at that time carried landscapes, still life and abstract art. It was frustrating but I never lost faith in my own work and what I was trying to achieve.

After a few years of feeling like my art wasn’t going anywhere, I decided to set myself a personal challenge and shut myself away in the attic of my parents barn. I painted canvas after canvas, not showing anyone and just letting the ideas flow. This was a significant time for me as an artist, isolating myself and letting anything and everything pour out. I told myself it didn’t matter if the paintings were rubbish or strange or disturbing…. no one would see them, just me.

My style today still has echoes of this process; the dripping paint, layering, painting over old ideas. But mostly I learned to have fun, forget the rest of the world sometimes and just throw some paint around!

And now our gorgeous inspiration from our very talented design team, well the first half of them anyway!

LIZZY

 I adored the design and those bright, luscious pops of colour. Just had to use them on my layout!

ELAINE

I have gone with a photo of my parents this month. I picked the colours of the painting as my base colours which suited perfectly with this photo. For my flowers, I have used prima paper flowers and also some handmade flowers which I made using diecuts and punches.

JO

This is a double page for my Art Journal and I was inspired by the colourful flowers in the painting as it reminds me of Summer.

DEB

Taking inspiration from the title of the painting and the colours.

HELENE

I made some white flowers using gesso and a stencil, and stamped black flowers on the background. I also used three different patterned papers with flowers, and some flower rub- ons.

WENDY

I adore Emma Uber’s “Weeds”. Far from weeds, I see a beautiful portrait surrounded by gorgeous coloured flowers. The image is so fresh, and colours are so happy that I decided to scrap myself in a similar situation. I used this photo of myself because it was taken at my youngest son’s graduation, and I think my face shows how happy and proud I was. I blended my face into the background and surrounded myself with flowers and butterflies. Like Uber’s piece, I wanted to look like an integral part of the surroundings.

And now it is your turn ......

Please upload the DIRECT link to your actual entry with the link tool on the LEFT by 11.55pm on November 30th, 2015.  We'd love to see your new paper, digital, mixed media or off the page entries. Why not try doing a pocket page spread?  Please no back-dated submissions.  

 You may combine our challenge with a sketch and a product/technique challenge (so two additional challenges).  Please include our inspirational picture and challenge details on your blog post as well as provide a link back to us at ARTastic  ... and don't forget to tell us how you were inspired by our challenge.  

You may enter more than once in any month as long as each submission is with a different creation.  International entries are very welcome. 

Please pop back on the 8th for The ARTastic 3T's - Tips, Tricks and Techniques as well as the announcement of our October winners.