Sometimes I like to do a practice run in my journal before painting on a canvas. Because I do a pencil sketch first, it allows me to easily change the design before I start adding the color.
This is “Marvelous Martha,” and she was created in my Strathmore 6×12 inch watercolor journal with watercolor paints, colored pencils and pen. I’ll have to make some adjustments when I paint her with acrylics on the canvas but the overall design will be the same.
So stay tuned, more to come with Marvelous Martha…
As you know I’m a collector of inspiring quotes and came across this quote by Marilyn Monroe which is featured on one of my watercolor art journaling pages. It’s a gentle reminder to be true to yourself and be uniquely you as only you can be!
“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it’s better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.”~Marilyn Monroe
Don’t forget there’s still time to take advantage of the Exclusive Sale going on now my Etsy Shop, just enter code MERRY25 at checkout to receive 25% Off Original Paintings and Christmas Ornaments (Sale ends 12/15 at midnight).
I’m a collector of inspiring quotes and came across this one which I wanted to share with you. I added it to one of my abstract paintings with bold autumn colors. It’s a motivating quote that rings so true:
“Your success is measured by the strength of your desire; the size of your dream; and how you handle disappointment along the way.” ~Unknown
You can set all the goals you want but if your heart’s desire isn’t in it, if you can’t envision your dream or get discouraged after a few bumps in the road you can bet your bippy, you won’t be successful at it.
Hope this inspires you in some way today. Thanks for stopping by!!
I needed to take a little break so I made a few inchies. Creating these mini pieces of art is the perfect way to destress and unwind. And for some unknown reason, I find drawing the tiny little circles very calming😊
I like to paint a handful of inchies in advance so they’re completely dry and ready to use when I feel the need. I store them on my desk in a handmade ceramic bowl. The designs were made using a Sakura Micron Pen and of course I couldn’t resist adding some glitter✨
How do you destress and unwind?
Hope this inspires you to create art this weekend, thanks for stopping by!!
I thought I’d share with you a fun art journal layout I made a while ago. I love the fall colors in this one and cupcakes are always fun!
It was a pretty simply layout that I started with collaged pieces of printed tissue paper by Tim Holtz for the background. I lightly painted over them with pink and orange acrylic paint making sure you could still the collaged papers peeking through.
I have a large cupcake stamp that I used to create the stacked cupcakes. I added a few designs to the background using white acrylic paint and then printed the quote from my computer and added it to the page:
“The more you thank life, the more life gives you to be thankful for!”
It’s fun to see where your art ends up because when I made this I started with my cupcake stamp and it grew into a stack. There wasn’t a lot of planning involved but rather going with the flow. So when you’re journaling and leery of the blank page, just start even if you only add a few scribbles. The important thing is to start and let your creative muse take over and have fun!!
Hope this inspires you to create today, thanks for stopping by!!
I painted this Autumn abstract a while ago but thought this beautiful poem by George Cooper fit it perfectly:
“Come, little leaves” said the Wind one day, “Come to the meadows with me and play. Put on your dresses of red and gold; for summer is past, and the days grow cold.”
Hope you enjoyed this today, thanks for stopping by!
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!!
Share the Happy💖
“Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.” ~Claude Monet
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!
As you may know I’m a collector of quotes. These “Words of Wisdom” have the power to lift your spirit when you need it most. I thought it would be fun to create a collection of inspiring quotes on a deck of 3.5×4.5 inch watercolor cards with art. So this is the first one in the deck by Tom Ziglar:
“Never put the key to your Happiness in somebody else’s pocket.”
These words are simple yet so true. Sometimes I think it’s just easier to put your happiness in some else’s pocket. But the truth is happiness comes from within and we all have the ability to create our own happiness. Some days can be a struggle but but it’s well worth the effort.
On days when I’m feeling off, I’ll meditate, go for a walk or create some art to get that happiness powerplant inside of me a kick start. When your day goes sideways, what do you do to create happiness?
Hope this inspires you in some way today. Thanks for stopping by!!
I had an absolute blast creating the inchies for Amy Maricle’s Inchie Challenge at Mindful Art Studio. I made this 4 inch square journal for the inchies. I painted each page with coordinating watercolor paint and decorated the outside covers with pens and doodles.
This is a short video of my journal hope it inspires you to create something fun this Labor Day Weekend!
Flowing Waters Art 