Angel Journal Page

I saw a painting online which inspired me to create this beautiful bright angel in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8″ watercolor journal. I started by lightly sketching her in the journal. Once I was happy with the sketch, I wet the paper a little and added my bright watercolor paints.

What I really loved about creating her was letting the watercolors mix and mingle on the wet paper. You never know what the paints will do and that’s the fun part. There’s a certain sense of freedom with that. No instructions, no rules to follow. Just have fun and let the process unfold in front of your eyes. It’s simply magical.

While the paint was still wet, I added a little sea salt. Then I waited patiently for it to dry. Next I brushed off the sea salt and using a white Posca pen, I added lines and doodles. I wasn’t happy with her face so I added more detailing and shading with watercolor paints and colored pencils. I finished her off with a little bling and added Stickles.

Hope she inspires you to create your own magic in your journal and in your life! Thanks for stopping by!

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Dream Girl Journal Page

I created this fun whimsical girl in my Strathmore 6″ x 12″ watercolor journal. It’s an odd size journal which makes it quite a challenge to create in. I started by doing a light sketch and then I painted her with watercolor paints.

After the paint had dried, I outlined the sketch with Sakura Micron 005 Pen. Next I added a few highlights to her hair with a white Posca Pen and shading with a gray Stabilo Pencil. I also added a little bling to her hair with pink Stickles. Last I filled in the word Dream with Inkssentials Glossy Accents to give it a little texture.

I really love her wild pink hair. Thought it was perfect for the season Lol!

Hope she inspires you to create your own whimsical girl. Thanks for stopping by!

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Autumn Solstice Mandala

This is another mandala I created. It represents the beginning of autumn, when there’s still a lot of green but just starting to change color. I created this on 8″ x 8″ 140 lb, Cold Press water color paper. I used watercolor paints, colored pencils, pen and acrylic paint pen for highlights.

I really enjoy creating these mandalas and hope you enjoy it too. It’s available for purchase in my etsy shop: FlowingWatersArtShop

Thanks for stopping by!

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Inner Beauty Mandala

This was truly a labor or love. I created this mandala with a lot of small areas that took a bit more time to paint than I expected. But I finally finished. It’s painted on 8″ x 8″ 140 lb, Cold Press water color paper. I chose this color scheme because it reminded me of summer and this will most likely be my last piece done like this because I’m slowly switching gears for fall. I’m really looking forward to the cooler weather!

I sketched the design in pencil and then painted it with watercolor paints. Next I used a Sakura .005 pen to outline my design. I added shading with colored pencils and highlights with a white posca pen.

It was very relaxing creating this piece as I had to really focus on what I was doing with all the small areas. I hope you like it!

Thanks for stopping by!

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Empower Yourself – Mini Book

I took an online class by Joanne Sharpe called Art Sparks 1 through Ruzuku.com. It was such an awesome class. Joanne is a very talented artist and an excellent instructor!! I love her work and have been a big fan for a long time.

I can’t go into detail on how this was made but this little book measures a whopping 2.25″ x 3.” I’ve never made anything this small, so it was quite a challenge. But it really pops with lots of colors. And of course, I couldn’t resist adding a little bling to the pages with Stickles. There are lots of mistakes, lol, but that’s what makes it unique.

I had lots of fun playing and experimenting with new techniques Joanne teaches in this class. I highly recommend taking Art Sparks 1. She also launched Art Sparks 2 & 3 which are available on Ruzuku.com as well.

Thanks for stopping by!

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Thoughtful Thursday

Gratitude

Gratitude is defined in the dictionary as:

the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful

Since I was little I always gave thanks for everything that came my way. I even gave thanks when things didn’t go according to plan or when things really went sideways for me. It was in these situations that I assumed there was a lesson to be learned, so I was grateful for that.

A few years ago I read an article where the writer practiced the art of daily gratitude by writing in a journal. I thought this was a really nice idea, so I started my daily journaling practice of gratitude. The idea is to write down 2-3 things everyday that you’re grateful for. It could be something as simple as seeing the sun rise or something more personal and deep, it’s up to you.

You don’t need expensive supplies to start, just a pen and a notebook. I normally practice my gratitude journaling at the end of the day. It helps to ground and center my mind after a long hectic day.

If you want to add a little pizazz to your gratitude journal, you can add art to your pages. It doesn’t have to be anything super detailed, fun doodles work great and it’s just plain fun. It’s a good way to unwind.

Another idea is to start a gratitude jar. Same concept as the journal but instead of writing in a notebook, you cut pieces of paper into 1″ – 2″ squares, write what your grateful for on the paper and drop it into the jar. This is a fun way to involve the whole family, especially the kids. It’s a beautiful practice to do everyday.

What are you grateful for today?

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Thanks for stopping by.

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I am what I choose to be

I’ve been collecting inspiring quotes for some time now. I needed to find a use for them so I thought it would be fun to create journal pages with them. I made these two pages in my 8.5″ x 11″ Strathmore Mixed Media Visual Journal

To start, prep your pages with a coat of white gesso and let it dry.  Pick 3-4 colors of acrylic paint and paint your pages. I painted the background first. Once it was dry I distressed the edges. Next I used a few of the lighter colors of paint to add some fun shapes to background using a bottle cap and a pencil with an eraser. 

When this layer was dry, I used a white Posca pen to draw a few organic doodles. I’ve gone through a lot of white pens trying to find one that worked on various surfaces. Needless to say, the vast majority didn’t work well or just stopped working altogether. The white Posca pen has become my favorite. I’ve had this one for a little over a year and it’s still working great!

The next step in creating these pages was to choose a quote. I chose this quote by Carl Jung, “I am not what has happened to me. I am what I choose to be.” It resonated with me so I printed it on the computer and glued it into the journal. I then outlined each part of the quote with a dark marker. The last step was to add dark green Stickles for a little bling and that was it!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have lots of fun creating your journal pages!!