Category Archives: Challenge

The Simplest Things Challenge

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Amy Maricle @amymaricle at Mindful Art Studio hosted a challenge this week called
The Simplest Things which I participated in. The idea was to create art everyday, from the simplest things. It was a 5 day challenge which started Monday and ended yesterday.

Originally I wanted to create a handmade journal for this challenge but it’s been a busy week so I ended up using a 6×6 inch mixed media spiral journal instead. I normally like heavier paper for journaling but the 90 lb mixed media paper worked well for this challenge.

Day 1 Prompt: Cursive Letter L

The photo above is for Day 1 and since I’m in mega love mode painting my hearts for the Expressions of Love Collection I couldn’t resist painting a few watercolor hearts that I cut out and glued into the journal.

Day 2 Prompt: Thread

Now this one was pretty funny because I started with threads which turned into seaweed which turned into an underwater world 😂 You never know where your imagination will lead you!

Day 3 Prompt: Leaf

I painted watercolor leaves which I cut out and glued into the journal. Technically the prompt is leaf, meaning only one but it depends on how you look at it. Plus I was having so much fun playing with my gold pen I had to make some extras.

Day 4 Prompt: Write then Cover with Watercolor

I’m not the type to put all my thoughts and feelings onto paper for the everyone to see. So I poured my heart out into the journal with a watercolor pencil and then did a very colorful watercolor wash for the background. Since I did actually pour my heart out into the journal I thought it was only fitting to add the heart inchies I previously made to these two pages.

Day 5 Prompt: Watercolor Wash and Marks in Pen

I decided to keep this one simple with painted watercolor circles and patterns using a Sakura Micron 05 pen. But the white space was just too plain for me so I added some glitter and now it feels finished!

This challenge was lots of fun and Amy was wonderful in teaching new tips, techniques and different ways of thinking about art! If you’re interested in learning more, please visit Amy Maricle’s site at MindfulArtStudio.com. She created a new online course, The Simplest Thing Journal which is based on some of the practices used in this challenge. It’s currently on sale sale through 2/13 so don’t miss out!!

I hope you enjoyed today’s post. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!!

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“Art is not what you see but what you make others see.” ~Edgar Degas

Photo by Daian Gan on Pexels.com

Inchie Challenge – Part 3

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Almost done with my studio, thank goodness. This is the end of the Inchie Challenge. It was quite fun creating these little 2×2″ pieces of art. I’m sad it came to an end but I plan on continuing the practice.

I hope you enjoyed coming along on this journey with me. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for stopping by!!

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These are all of my creations:

Inchie Challenge – Part 2

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My studio is taking longer than anticipated. It’s the last of the art supplies that need to find a home in the studio that is giving me a bit of trouble. But despite that I’m continuing with Amy Maricle’s Inchie Challenge at Mindful Art Studio.

These are my next 3 days of prompts. What I’m loving about this challenge is working on a 2×2 inch piece of paper forces you to keep things to a minimum. I also love that I’m creating lots of mini pieces of art that I will eventually use in a journal.

These are my creations for Days 4 through 7:

  • Day 4 – Sprinkle
  • Day 5 – Simple
  • Day 6 – Nesting
  • Day 7 – Mussel

We’re going on day 8 and it will be completed by day 11. There’s still time to join, just visit Amy’s website at Mindful Art Studio and click the link to join the Inchie Challenge.

You can also find Amy on Facebook and Instagram at @amymaricle

Thanks for stopping by!!!

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Inchie Challenge

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I’m still working on getting my studio back together but really needed a little bit of artsy fun so I joined Amy Maricle’s Inchie Challenge at Mindful Art Studio. This is my first time joining and I’m having lots of much needed fun.

Everyday Amy releases a new prompt for a total 11. The rules are to create a mini piece of art on a 2×2 inch square piece of paper. Since I love using my watercolor paints, I’m using watercolor paper for my inchies but really you can use anything.

These are my creations for the first three days:

  • Day 1 – Leaf
  • Day 2 – Twist
  • Day 3 – Ocean

We’re up to day 5 but I was working hard on my studio the last few days so I need to catch up. You can still join just visit her website at Mindful Art Studio and click the link to join the Inchie Challenge.

You can also find Amy on Facebook and Instagram at @amymaricle

Thanks for stopping by!!!

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Vibrant Art Journaling

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Jodi Ohl recently hosted a Color Lovers Challenge that I participated in. I loved every moment, especially the challenging ones. But for Day 12 which was Vibrant, I used a canvas I was working on for the challenge and saved a place in my journal to come back to and finish at another time.

So this was the vibrant watercolor abstract painting I made in my journal. I added a quote by Zig Ziglar which pretty much summed up the challenge: “If it doesn’t CHALLENGE you, it won’t CHANGE you.”

Have a wonderful weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Color Lovers Challenge – Days 29 – 30

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Well, I made it! 30 Days of Color Prompts. I really enjoyed this art journey. I found some of the prompts to be easy, while others were a real challenge and took me out of my comfort zone. But as a result, I found new colors that I fell in love with 💖 I also learned new techniques and had a few happy accidents, lol.

Thank you for joining me on this wonderful adventure! These are my last 2 entries. If you missed my earlier creations, I’ll have links at the bottom of this post.

Day 29 Clouds/Sunset or Sunrise

For this prompt I’m used my sunrise art I previously made with bright fun colors. This is a mixed media piece made on wood using pyrography, also known as wood burning. I painted it with acrylic and watercolor paints and added fabric and a few rhinestones for a little bling.

Day 30 – Artist Choice

This is the last prompt, Artist Choice. I thought I’d try painting something new. So I painted the night sky in watercolor with a little scenery. I added a little shading with colored pencils and of course, glitter for twinkling stars.

In case you missed my previous pages, just click the links: 

Day 1

Days 2 thru 5

Days 6 thru 9

Days 10 thru 13

Days 14 thru 17

Days 18 thru 21

Days 22 thru 25

Days 26 thru 28

I hope you enjoyed coming on this journey with me for the ColorLoversChallenge. Your support was greatly appreciated 🥰

Thanks for stopping by!!

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Color Lovers Challenge Day 1

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In case you didn’t read my earlier post, Jodi Ohl, a very talented mixed media artist is hosting a Color Lovers Challenge. It runs for the next 30 days until October 15th. Yesterday was Day 1, Summer Vibes.

When I think of summer, I think of the lounging on sandy beaches and enjoying the ocean with it’s beautiful colors of blue and green. So this was my creation in my Arteza 8.25” x 8.25” Watercolor/Mixed Media Journal. I added a quote by Wyland: “The ocean stirs the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul.”

You can still join if you’re interested. The rules are, there basically are none. You can create a piece of art of any kind, big or small, using colors of your choice. All you do is follow the daily prompts. The link to the list of prompts can be found on her Color Lovers Challenge page.

So join in on the fun!!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Underwater Watercolor Journal Page

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I gave myself a challenge to create a journal page in 90 minutes or less and this is what I ended up with. I started with a quick pencil sketch in my Strathmore 9″ x 12″ Visual Journal. Next I used watercolor pencils to paint the page and let it dry. I added detailing and shading with colored pencils, Sakura Micron Pen 005 and a white Posca Pen. For a little texture, I filled in the bubbles with Inkssentials Glossy Accents. And of course, lets not forget the bling with Stickles.

Give yourself a challenge and see what you can come up with. You’ll be surprised!

Have a fantastic week!

Thanks for stopping by!

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