summer shapes

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I love the change of seasons and how each one influences my perspective on art-making. Lighter and brighter colors emerge in summer….and I can spray paint outside which makes me want new stencils. I look around the yard and find new shapes to replicate with tyvek to use in my work. Stencils, masks, and stamps – quick, cheap, and easy new tools to play with.

I am currently away from home (typepad lets you pre-schedule posts!). I am in northern Minnesota for a Kelly family reunion – our first gathering that isn't a wedding or funeral. Thanks to the organizer, my brother John, we are having an early celebration of my Grandmother's 98th birthday.

I have my camera – I am certain I will be finding additional new shapes as inspiration in the deep woods. See you next week!

EDIT: I've gathered all my favorite hand-cut flora and fauna stencils and put together a collection of mylar stencils, available at GreenPepperPress.com

art meets life cool stuff

Comments

20 responses to “summer shapes”

July 29, 2011

Janine

Have a wonderful time with the family Michelle ♥♥♥

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July 29, 2011

Carrie

Love your nature and garden inspired masks and stamps. I’ve been more and more naturey in recent years.
Have fun with your family! xo

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July 29, 2011

Judy N

Hey Michelle-
You really threw me for a loop this morning. I was coming in to check on an earlier post and saw this one….”What!!!! wait, didn’t she come into town on Wednesday”…but then I reached the bottom. Very tricky girl! Always something up your sleeve…
Nice post too. I have been trying to draw inspiration from architectural elements, perhaps I should visit our garden…..I have been eyeing those ferns lately!
Lots to do, so little time!!!
Until later,
Judy

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July 29, 2011

dina

Wonderful, wonderful!

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July 29, 2011

Leonie

Love your style
What is tyvek and where can you get it?
Your ideas are so simple in some ways and yet put together in such a rich way. Thanks for sharing

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July 30, 2011

Inge Bekaert

good morning Michelle,
It’s been so long since I’ve been here…Maybe a good sign that I’m just too busy creating that I don’t have the time to visit blogs as much as the past, not good, cause I also feel I’m letting you down…
But , I DO think often of you and your art. I use what you learned me in the past a lot. Especially the scraping method with the creditcard… I just combine it with other things but the effect is everytime great !
I love to see here how you create new stencils, just by wandering in your garden… You are great in stylizing them so you can use them as stencils. I really like how they turned out. You do make me curious what you wil create with them again !
have a nice trip with your family !
greetings from belgium
Inge

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July 30, 2011

Nancy

Say Hi to the Arrowhead country from me–I miss the forest, but not the mosquitoes .
Love your garden “cheap and easy new tools”; what a cool idea.
Have a wonderful time with your family.
See you soon

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July 31, 2011

Maria Day

Your leaf-inspired stencils remind me of Matisse’s wonderful cutouts. Abstracted shapes, with an obvious natural look. Whenever they are on display at Washington’s National Gallery of Art I go to visit Matisse’s giant paper marvels.
Examples of Matisse’s leaves are not easy to find online due to copyright, but this gives tge flavor: http://multimedia.fnac.com/multimedia/images_produits/zoom_planche_bd/9/4/0/9782915837049_2.jpg
Natinal Gallery exhibit info: http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/matisseinfo.shtm

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July 31, 2011

Joan

Have a great time at your family reunion!!! Just had ours today!
Love the idea of using plants as stencils and stamps – going to give it a try!!!!

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August 1, 2011

Kim Mailhot

ooooo, what lovely shapes !!! Especially love the rounded bead-like ones (middle) that youmade into stamps and stencils. Yes ! Such inspiration from the sweet nature that surrounds us.
I hope your family party is a hoot and a half !
Much love !

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August 2, 2011

Regina

Love this post. The images are so lovely.
I’ve been similarly inspired. I press some leave and did some masking with them. But I realized that I’ll want to continue the shapes and the leaves won’t hold up to the abuse, so I need to cut some stencils…
Now to follow through.
Hope your vacation is wonderful.

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August 4, 2011

jeanne

can you share how you put the large text words on your journal pages? not the handwritten ones but the big guys???

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August 4, 2011

Lizbeth

You are always so inspiring! Love this idea!

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August 6, 2011

maristella.da

I remember when I was in 8th Grade I usually use leaves as my inspiration for my art subject, I’ve made such too but it wasn’t as good as this is. Mine was just simple shaped leaves, seeing this really made me smile. I would take this as an inspiration for my journal cover. Thanks!

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August 8, 2011

Theresa

Super inspiring shapes Michelle!

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August 8, 2011

Chris

Thank goodness you told people that you were out of town! Otherwise, someone would probably have emailed you numerous times, with long attachments and multi-media for downloading onto your PDA.
I’m going to go now and wait for you to come back.
xo
Chris
p.s. Oh. You’ve been back?
Well, I forgot what I was going to say. But, welcome back!

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August 13, 2011

Marylinn Kelly

Started to leave a comment…I will start again. I love the nature stencil images and how, in the way you display them, you give us information on how to try some ourselves. Happy summering. xo

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October 29, 2012

Megan

These are some great summer shapes. Thank you very much Michelle for sharing this with us. We started to think green a couple months ago. We’ve been doing a lot of green garbage collection in Vancouver and we are using more natural materials to decorate. Again thanks for sharing this with us!

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May 24, 2013

Trumbauer Mccune

What a gorgeous shape here. It really inspired me to do such.

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March 10, 2015

sandie

I have only now discovered Tyvek – what an amazing materials and way you have used it.

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