August Muse Challenge - Week 1

Hi there everyone! Hope you are all going well in your own corner of the world! I guess I say it every month but for the life of me I can't believe that it is August already!! Didn't we just have Christmas a month or two ago!!!

This month for our muse challenge we are getting out those paints, paintbrushes, gesso and pencils to create some fabulous abstract art throughout the month. Each week the challenge host will provide you with a two part prompt to use as the focus of your layout. The prompt will consist of one basic shape layer plus one nature themed shape.

Challenge for Week 1: Abstract Rectangles + Leaves
This week we will create our abstract page using a combination of rectangular shapes (which can be very loose) and various leaf/leafy type shapes. Think of combining soft watercolour shapes with solid shapes, using blocked shapes with leaves, add some ink, paint or gesso, just get messy! Have fun!

Remember the challenges this month are all about going ABSTRACT and the focus of the page should be the shapes you are given, which for this week is a combination of rectangles and leaf shapes.

So no photos, let your imagination and creativity inspire the artist in you to work with using the shapes noted above to create your masterpiece! However, you can use an element image of a leaf (or leaves) within your abstract or to finish off as I have done for mine, below.


Inspiration board:
Here is an inspiration board I created using some images from Pinterest to give you an idea of what this week's challenge is all about. Use this board to get some ideas; perhaps a color scheme, a particular image design or even a combination of two or three images!

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Suggestions:
- you could choose to create an ATC card | use the rectangular shape of the card and place some leaf shapes on them
- bookmarks would also be a great idea
- create rectangular shapes on a square background and then add your leaves
- use a horizontal rectangle and add some leaves

Here is my page:
I used an A4 sized rectangle to begin with. Inside that rectangle I used some of Rachel's mixed media tapes with leaves on them to fill a part of my page and then some plain solid tapes to which I then clipped some leaves to. I also divided the page up into different areas of colour/leaves within a loose rectanglar shape, and of course I used a few different blend modes. I finished off with just a fern sitting on top and then I sharpened the finished page to give me more texture.

Credits are in the gallery.​

Challenge Rules

• Please refer to the challenge rules under the pink heading above on what you need to do this week.
• Do remember, you need to create an abstract artsy style of page this week.
• Your page can be all digital or hybrid.
• No templates to be used.
• As always you need to include TLP products on your page and meet the requirements to post in the TLP gallery - Layouts must contain at least 50% TLP products; Uploads must be less than 250k; List all credits; no off-site linking allowed.
• Please post your layout to the Art Journaling Gallery prior to Midnight EST 1st September 2024 and then post it in this thread by copying the code (at the right of your gallery image) from the box under "Share BB Code".
• If you want to work with a divided page template then you are welcome to use the templates that I created and which are available on Dropbox:
  https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/nx2ya9qtf9uqjwrfbv7vs/h?rlkey=ucikrkh36foim4szirsizq0rg&dl=0

We will draw a winner at the beginning of next month for a coupon!! Every page you create is equal to one entry in the random draw. So if you create 1 page you are entered once, if you create 4 pages you are entered 4 times. (Maximum of four entries.)

You can use any products in the Lilypad store or retired products from current Lilypad designers, (just make sure you follow our gallery guidelines).

Looking forward to seeing some fabulous abstract art this week!

 

Oh!!!! what stunning additions!!!