Merry Christmas ...

We'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone peace, joy and much happiness for the Christmas season.  Thank you for your continued support and encouragement throughout 2019 and a heartfelt thank you to my amazing team.

ARTastic will be back in 2020 with new artwork, fresh challenges and wonderful prizes to inspire you.  

For 2020 we welcome ...

New team member ...

Karen Guy (Australia)

Plus returning members ...

Karen McLaughlin - (Australia)

Sharon Bishop - (Australia)

Karen Brierley - (Australia)

Dale Tiernan -  (Australia)

Annemarie Caister - (New Zealand)

Jane Howden - (Australia)

Saying goodbye to ...

Tanya Heritage - (Australia)

I know December is a very busy month but we would love to give away a prize or two and that becomes difficult with so few entries so please if you do have time please play along with us before the end of the month.

November winners ...

Thank you for your entries based around our inspiration from Kristin Hardiman with "Stream out of the barriers".

CRITERIA -  Black and White

Our main prize winner this year will be selected by random draw - so anyone could be a winner, no matter your style or your level of experience or your country of residence. If there are more than 8 entries in the month a second prize (donated each month by one of our team) will be drawn.

Main Prize

and the winner is:

KAREN GUY

Second Prize
(drawn if more than 8 entries)

Donated by Karen McLaughlin

and the winner is:

VICTORIA KING

Could the winners please contact me on artasticchallengeblog@gmail.com with their postal address.  Please remember it is the winners responsibility to claim their prize and provide their details.  You have until the announcement of the winners for next month to do so. 

Please don't forget to enter this month's ARTastic challenge. All the details are in the left sidebar. Remember you have until the end of the month to submit your entry.

Welcome to December ...

Welcome to December and our final challenge of 2019.  This month our inspiration comes to you from Marg Whyte with "Trimming the tree".

CRITERIA -  Please use Stars and Ribbon

Please remember - You may combine your entry with 3 other challenges only.

A little about Marg Whyte ...

Marg Whyte grew up in the Victoria Mallee but now lives at Willow Point Station between Broken Hill and Wentworth in the West Darling area of NSW. She is forever inspired by the flora, fauna, folklore and social history depicting life in the bush and on the waters around Wentworth and this area. She has a unique sense of humour that characterises her work in a wonderful range of cards, books and calendars as well as her original paintings.

And now some inspiration from our team ...

(in no particular order)

This is Tanya's final month with us on ARTastic - she has been a long time member of this team and we are all so very sorry to see her go.  Thank you so very much for your wonderful inspiration, tireless energy and willingness to go above and beyond.  All the very, very best wherever your creative journey takes you.

Tanya Heritage - (Australia)

Every Christmas I promise myself that I will take photos on Christmas Day.....we have too much fun and forget. Last Christmas I got family photos taken just before Christmas in case I forgot again. This is of my daughter and her boyfriend.

Sharon Bishop - (Australia)

Loved the stars and ribbon criteria. I scrapped these 'Annual seated Santa' photos in a non- traditional colour layout. The ribbon is very subtle and I made it into a long bow.

Karen McLaughlin - (Australia)

Annemarie Caister - (New Zealand)

This photo was taken in 2006! I love traditional Christmas colours and this paper collection from Imagine If in NZ was perfect for creating a shaker frame for the photo as well as adding ribbon and stars to the garlands at the top.

Karen Brierley - (Australia)

Happy Christmas! I loved the inspiration piece this month. I created a Christmas-themed pocket page. I used satin ribbon and glitter stars as my embellishments. I've got some close-up shots on my personal blog.

Dale Tiernan -  (Australia)

Jane Howden - (Australia)

I ran with the "tree" theme and added in ribbon and stars for a bright and bold layout.

Our main prize winner this year will be selected by random draw - so anyone could be a winner, no matter your style or your level of experience or your country of residence. If there are more than 8 entries in the month a second prize (donated each month by one of our team) will be drawn.

Main Prize

Second Prize
(drawn if more than 8 entries)

Donated by Jane Howden

Over to you ......

Please upload the DIRECT link to your actual entry with the link tool on the LEFT or click onto our new Facebook public group (ARTastic challenges) and put your entry directly into our monthly album under photos by 11.55pm on the last day of the month - please remember we are an Australian based challenge so please check your day and time. You may combine your entry with 3 other challenges. Please include our inspirational picture and challenge details on your blog post as well as providing a link back to us at ARTastic. 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 call past on the 15th for our announcement of our November winners.

October winners ...

Thank you for all your amazing entries based around our inspiration from Grace Cossington Smith with The Window 1956.

CRITERIA - Please use FRAMES

Our main prize winner this year will be selected by random draw - so anyone could be a winner, no matter your style or your level of experience or your country of residence. If there are more than 8 entries in the month a second prize (donated each month by one of our team) will be drawn.

Main Prize

and our winner is ...

LULA

Second Prize

(drawn if more than 8 entries)

Donated by Dale Tiernan

and our winner is ...

KAREN GUY

Could the winners please contact me on artasticchallengeblog@gmail.com with their postal address.  Please remember it is the winners responsibility to claim their prize and provide their details.  You have until the announcement of the winners for next month to do so. 

Please don't forget to enter this month's ARTastic challenge. All the details are in the left sidebar. Remember you have until the end of the month to submit your entry.

Welcome to November ...

We are now making it even easier to enter our challenges - use our inlinkz gallery on the left or click onto our new Facebook public group (ARTastic challenges) and put your entry directly into our monthly album under photos.

This month our inspiration comes to you from Kristin Hardiman with "Stream out of the barriers".

CRITERIA -  Black and White

Please remember - You may combine your entry with 3 other challenges only.

A little about Kristin Hardiman ...

Kristin Hardiman is one of Australia’s leading portrait, equine and seascape artists.

Kristin holds a Diploma Fine Arts and Education from the Alexander Mackie College of Advanced Education (now The University of NSW Art and Design) and has been working as a professional artist and teacher for nearly 30 years and is an Exhibiting Member of the Portrait Artists Australia.

Kristin’s work is varied and not limited by media that includes oils, gouache, watercolours, lead and coloured pencil, charcoal, pen and ink. She has taught full and part time with the Department of Education for over 15 years and tutors in her home studio, Sydney Art School and conducts specialist workshops.

And now some inspiration from our team ...

(in no particular order)

Karen McLaughlin - (Australia)

Tanya Heritage - (Australia)

I had so many photos I could use with racehorses in them but this is my favourite. Our boy strapping our horse at Moonee Valley.

Dale Tiernan -  (Australia)

Sharon Bishop - (Australia)

Annemarie Caister - (New Zealand)

This is me as a child!! I loved horses, especially foals. The photo was taken by my Late Father who was a horse racing photographer for 50 years.

Karen Brierley - (Australia)

I took my inspiration from the horse theme. I printed my photograph in b/w, and used all black & white papers and embellishments. Tip: Check out the 'B' side of double-sided papers. Many patterned paper collections or paper pads include at least one black & white design.

Jane Howden - (Australia)

I have gone with the "racing" theme and used a photo of my son competing at a local swimming carnival from a few years ago.  I kept this page very simple as I wanted the photo and the words to speak for themselves.

Our main prize winner this year will be selected by random draw - so anyone could be a winner, no matter your style or your level of experience or your country of residence. If there are more than 8 entries in the month a second prize (donated each month by one of our team) will be drawn.

Main Prize

Second Prize
(drawn if more than 8 entries)

Donated by Karen McLaughlin

Over to you ......

Please upload the DIRECT link to your actual entry with the link tool on the LEFT or click onto our new Facebook public group (ARTastic challenges) and put your entry directly into our monthly album under photos by 11.55pm on the last day of the month - please remember we are an Australian based challenge so please check your day and time. You may combine your entry with 3 other challenges. Please include our inspirational picture and challenge details on your blog post as well as providing a link back to us at ARTastic. 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 call past on the 15th for our announcement of our October winners.

October highlights ...

There is still time to play along with us this month. We'd really love to see your layout based on our inspiration from Grace Cossington Smith with The Window 1956.

CRITERIA - Please use FRAMES

Please remember - You may combine your entry with 3 other challenges only.

We have enjoyed all of your amazing entries but here are just a couple which have caught our eye over the past few weeks ...

LULA

MAUREEN

We'd love to see your work too so please come and join in with us.

September winners ...

Thank you everyone for your wonderful entries based around our inspiration from John Murray with Hear No Evil.

CRITERIA - Use humour in some way

Please remember - You may combine your entry with 3 other challenges only.

Our main prize winner this year will be selected by random draw - so anyone could be a winner, no matter your style or your level of experience or your country of residence. If there are more than 8 entries in the month a second prize (donated each month by one of our team) will be drawn.

Main Prize

and our winner is ...

CATHY

Second Prize

(drawn if more than 8 entries)

Donated by Sharon Bishop

and our winner is ...

MAUREEN

Could the winners please contact me on artasticchallengeblog@gmail.com with their postal address.  Please remember it is the winners responsibility to claim their prize and provide their details.  You have until the announcement of the winners for next month to do so. 

Please don't forget to enter this month's ARTastic challenge. All the details are in the left sidebar. Remember you have until the end of the month to submit your entry.

Welcome to October ...

We are now making it even easier to enter our challenges - use our inlinkz gallery on the left or click onto our new Facebook public group (ARTastic challenges) and put your entry directly into our monthly album under photos.

This month our inspiration comes to you from Grace Cossington Smith with The Window 1956.

CRITERIA - Please use FRAMES

Please remember - You may combine your entry with 3 other challenges only.

A little about Grace Cossington Smith ...

Grace Cossington Smith OBE (1892-1984) was an artist who was at the forefront of the Australian modernist movement. Born and educated in Sydney, she studied drawing with Dattilo Rubbo at the Royal Art Society of New South wales between 1910 and 1912. After two years spent travelling in Europe, shere she was inspired by post-impressionism, she returned to continue her studies with Rubbo. Sock Knitter (1915), painted while Cossington Smith was still a student, is considered a key picture of the Australian modernist movement. She was a member of the Contemporary Group (established in 1926 by George Lambert and Thea Proctor to foster young modern artists) and worked closely with modernists Roland Wakelin and Roy de Maistre. However, her contribution to Australian art went largely unrecognised until 1970 when a retrospective of her work, organised by Daniel Thomas, toured Australian galleries. Cossington Smith, who has come to be recognised as a major 20th century Australian painter, produced a large and consistent body of work that is distinctive in its vibrant use of colour, representation of volume and space, and concern for the objects of everyday life. She is best known for her domestic interiors and images of the Harbour Bridge during its construction. Cossington Smith is represented in the National Gallery of Australia and in all the state and many regional galleries.

And now some inspiration from our team ...

(in no particular order)

Sharon Bishop - (Australia)

A collection of family cat photos...from left 'Astro' (dec), Uncle Pusskins, cousin Cruiser, 'Kimba (little brother to Astro) and Aunt Tabby-tha

Annemarie Caister - (New Zealand)

I used the new Dusty Attic chipboard frames and Mintay papers.

Karen Brierley - (Australia)

I used a cardstock frame to some drama to a landscape photograph.

Karen McLaughlin - (Australia)

Tanya Heritage - (Australia)

I thought an outdoor photo worked well with the inspiration painting. The first thing I saw in the painting was the trees.

Dale Tiernan -  (Australia)

Jane Howden - (Australia)

I added a frame to showcase the photo and used the orange based colours from the artwork.

Our main prize winner this year will be selected by random draw - so anyone could be a winner, no matter your style or your level of experience or your country of residence. If there are more than 8 entries in the month a second prize (donated each month by one of our team) will be drawn.

Main Prize

Second Prize
(drawn if more than 8 entries)

Donated by Dale Tiernan

Over to you ......

Please upload the DIRECT link to your actual entry with the link tool on the LEFT or click onto our new Facebook public group (ARTastic challenges) and put your entry directly into our monthly album under photos by 11.55pm on the last day of the month - please remember we are an Australian based challenge so please check your day and time. You may combine your entry with 3 other challenges. Please include our inspirational picture and challenge details on your blog post as well as providing a link back to us at ARTastic. 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 call past on the 15th for our announcement of our September winners.