I'm a self-taught mixed media artist and have been creating art and a positive atmosphere in my life for as long as I can remember. I live in sunny South Florida, which serves as my inspiration for my use of bright fun colors with a whimsical flair.
My goal is to inspire and empower you to find your inner happiness through creativity, as I have in my life. This website includes different tips and techniques that will hopefully inspire your inner muse to create.
Welcome and join me on a wonderful journey in creating art!
This started as a plain, unfinished wood birdhouse which I transformed into a fun spooky haunted house. To get that old vintage painted look you need Folk Art Crackle Medium which is available on Amazon. It’s super easy to use. I simply painted the house with black paint first, allowed it to dry and then applied a coat of crackle medium and allowed that to dry. Last I painted it orange and as that layer of paint dries, it begins to crackle. Very cool product!
I added embellishments I found at the craft store but was having no luck at all finding a ghost. And you can’t have a haunted house without a ghost👻 So I made this one using a Styrofoam ball and covered it with a small piece of sheer fabric.
This is a fun Halloween decoration and would also be a great and easy project to make with kids! Hope this inspires you, thanks for stopping by!!
I really love creating these watercolor abstracts. The splashes of colors are happy and uplifting making them perfect for birthday celebrations!
This was a card I made for my cousin. I thought it would be nice to add few flowers to front for more interest. She called last night to say how much she loved the beautiful card and said “this one’s a keeper.” 😊
I wanted to find something fun for the inside so I looked online and found this rhyming poem. I don’t know who wrote it but it went perfectly with this handmade card:
Instead of buying an expensive machine made card the next time someone’s birthday rolls around, try making one instead and touch their heart 💖
Claude Monet was a famous impressionist artist who was born in Paris, France November 14, 1840. As a young child he loved to draw and would make money creating drawings of people that were quite good. His mother supported his interests in becoming an artist but his father felt he would do better to stay in the family business as a grocer. Luckily for all of us, he chose to pursue his passion in art.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries (1867 – 1886), Impressionism art was born in France. It was a major movement of that time. Impressionism is a style of painting that attempts to portray visual reality with transient effects of color and light.
Claude Monet became known as one of the principal painters of this style. It is his work that inspired me to try impressionism painting which I love. It was much harder than I had anticipated and as a result gave me a greater respect for the amount of work that goes into creating one of these paintings.
Claude Monet, Frederic Bazille, Pierre Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley along with other well known artists would work together and influence each other’s art especially during exhibits. But it was Edouard Manet, an established artist who greatly influenced Monet’s work in the 1860’s.
The painting above titled “Woman with a Parasol” was painted by Monet in 1875. It’s an oil painting on a 39.4 x 31.9 inch canvas (100 x 81 cm). This painting belongs to a series that Monet created during the summers of 1875 and 1876. His wife Camille and his son, Jean served as his models for this painting which were set in the gardens surrounding his 2nd home in Argenteuil, located in the suburbs of Paris.
At the age of 85, Claude Monet passed away on December 5, 1926 in Giverny, France. He left us a legacy of stunning art that is admired and inspires us today.
Hope you enjoyed this art history post, thanks for stopping by!!
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“Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.” ~Claude Monet
Kolbie Blume’s new book “Mastering Light in Watercolor” was released last week. As a celebration for her new book she hosted a 5 day watercolor challenge that made a good companion to the book.
It was an interesting challenge that I enjoyed immensely. I learned a lot to say the least and it was lots of fun! I got a late start but finally finished my last painting so I’m sharing them with you:
Day 1 – Night Falls
Day 2 – Sunny Skies
Day 3 – Dusky Skyline
Day 4 – Beach Bonfire
Day 5 – Golden Wood
Day 1 – Night Falls
Day 2 – Sunny Skies
Day 3 – Dusky Skyline
Day 4 – Beach Bonfire
Day 5 – Golden Wood
Hope this inspires you to create today, thanks for stopping by!!
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“In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary.” ~Aaron Rose
In just 2 short days, summer will officially end and Autumn will begin. This is such a wonderful time of year with cooler temps, changing scenery and delightful crisp fall breezes. It’s a time to slow our pace, get out the blankets and relax with a cup of hot cocoa in front of the fire place.
With one of the hottest summers on record, this Autumn is a welcome change. We don’t normally see too much color changing this far south in Florida but I can at least dream of the magical hiking trips I’ve taken in the past. The breathtaking views that Mother nature blessed me with on my autumn hikes was to say the least, awe-inspiring.
Being outdoors during this time of year has a way of slowing your thoughts and offering your more clarity in return. It gives you the chance to refocus on your goals and what’s most important to you. We live such fast paced lives and this process of slowing down is literally a breath of fresh air.
🍂I took these photos while hiking the Appalachian Trail. I hope you enjoy them🍁
What do you like most about autumn?
Thanks for stopping by!!
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“Notice how autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.” ~Freidrich Nietzsche
Kolbie Blume at This Writing Desk, is a talented watercolor artist who has written several books and teaches online. I came across her YouTube Channel and found a tutorial she made for this painting called “Night Sky.”
I have to say she did an excellent job teaching how to create it using minimal supplies. It was easy to understand and follow along. I love how it turned out especially the light in the sky. What do you think?
Hope this inspires you to create today, thanks for stopping by!!
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“The stars are olden love stories in a sky spun of soul.” ~ Angie Wyland-Crosby
I’m starting a new handmade journal inspired by Margaret Peot’s book, “Inkblot.” The book is suitable for all ages and it brings out the kid in all of us.
Remember when you were a kid and you used your imagination to create images in clouds that floated by in the sky? The premise behind this book is basically the same. You create ink blots on your paper and then turn them into some type of image using your imagination.
I haven’t designed covers for it or even sewn the pages together yet because I’m changing the orientation of the pages as I go. So the layout isn’t quite final. But one thing’s for sure, I can’t stop laughing at these little monsters as they come to life. When you view the pages below you’ll understand why. Hope this inspires the kid in you to be a little silly today and create some art. If you’re interested in Margaret Peot’s book, “Inkblot” it’s available on amazon. I highly recommend it!
Thanks for stopping by!!
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“The imagination is the pathway to everywhere.” ~Terence McKenna
Did you know, art in any form has a monumental affect on your brain? Having art in your home is as important as having a bed. Studies have shown that when looking at art it can trigger a surge of dopamine which affects your mood. Depending on what you’re specifically looking at you can feel love, calmness, relaxation, joy and happiness to name a few.
Bare walls can be make you feel sad, depressed and even lonely. But having art in some form in your home whether a photo, print, painting, sculpture or anything else you can think of can completely change the mood of a room. Looking at artwork can reduce stress levels, increase awareness, boost creativity, improve problem solving skills and much more. Plus it can be a great investment too!
Express yourself with different forms of art throughout your home. You can use it as a color palette for decorating your home or strategically place it in a room as a conversation piece. You can also add artwork to a room to create a feeling of warmth and serenity.
Whatever your style is, collect art to evoke happiness and well being throughout your home! It will most certainly have a positive impact on your life!
Before getting back to business in the studio (and there’s lots to do), I had a bit more fun creating in my Simplest Things Journal. I’m finally getting that fall vibe going on and made this new page with splashes of fall colors. I don’t know why, but I really love the messiness of this design. It’s a bit chaotic but also calming.
I also used a few of the wildflower inchies from my stash to create several more pages. For the most part even though they don’t have a fall vibe going on, they’re dreaming they do😊 🍂🍁 My favorite flower inchie is the red one, it really pops!
Which is your favorite page?
Hope this inspires you to create art today, thanks for stopping by!!!
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“I can smell the autumn dancing in the breeze. The sweet chill of pumpkin and crisp sunburnt leaves.” ~Unknown
I’ve been busy with so many things that I’ve been neglecting my Simplest Things Journal. So I thought it would be a good idea to create something new and give my mind a break. The original inspiration for creating these journal pages came from Amy Maricle’s Simplest Things Challenge at Mindful Art Studios.
What I love most in creating these designs is it’s a great way to unwind and destress. You create interesting art, in a short amount of time with simple elements like lines, circles, droplets or anything else you can think of. There are no rules, just create and have fun!
I’m a huge fan of color, the more, the merrier! So for me to leave a design mostly black and white or with minimal color takes great restraint on my part. Sometimes my inner muse, you know the one who’s color crazy, wins the fight 😂
These are a few new pages in my journal. They’re similar but different.
Hope they inspire you to create art today, thanks for stopping by!!!
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“Color is a super power that directly influences the soul.” ~Wassily Kandinsky
Flowing Waters Art 