Category Archives: Famous Quotes

Studio Update

Posted on by
2

I wanted to give you a little update on what I’m working on in the studio. I thought I should get a head start on making mini Christmas ornaments. I have some fun ideas and can’t wait to get these all going. I have the abstract, shown above that I’m working on. It’s a soft and dreamy painting with the feeling of flowers. Plus I have another larger abstract, shown below also in the works. Let’s see where these paintings go😊

What is really exciting me at this moment is I’m finally seeing a shift in the daily shadows in my yard which means cooler weather is coming, yay!! This was a scorching hot summer and I’m ready for fall with the official first day on September 23rd. How’s your weather been lately?

Hope you enjoyed your holiday weekend, thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

“Make visible what, without you, might perhaps never have been seen.” ~Robert Bresson

Inchie Challenge Handmade Journal

Posted on by
Reply

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!

Thanks for stopping by!!!

Share the Happy 💖

Crescendo Abstract Painting

Posted on by
2

I wanted to share with you my latest 16×20″ abstract painting titled “Crescendo.” I like to think of this as a reminder to go for your dreams and reach for the stars. Never give up and keep climbing to the top. Set your goals high and climb, climb, climb till you reach them!!

Hope this makes you happy and inspires you to create today. Thanks for stopping by!!!

Share the Happy💖

“The best view come after the hardest climb.” Unknown

Rose Mini Canvases

Posted on by
Reply

Laly Mille’s online course, “Wild Roses” has rekindled my love for painting roses. So I decided I would work on two 4×4 canvases and paint a single rose on each one. These canvases have lots of layers. I thought of creating the usual layer of texture like I’ve done on my other paintings but that didn’t feel right. So I opted for lace doilies and tissue paper for a more romantic feel.

These paintings aren’t finished yet as there are still more layers to go. It takes a bit of time creating the layers but it’s so much fun. So stay tuned and let’s see where these go…

Hope this inspires you to create today, thanks for stopping by!!!

Share the Happy💖

Inchie Challenge 2023 – Part 2 Finale

Posted on by
2

I can’t believe yesterday was Day 12 and the last day of Amy Maricle’s Inchie Challenge at Mindful Art Studio.

I had such fun creating these inchies in varying sizes. I guess what I liked the most is that you’re given a starting point on what to create with the prompts given. You don’t have to burn a fuse trying to decide on “what” you’re going to create. You only need to think about the “how” part of the creation process.

Plus I love seeing everyone’s creative muse at play. There were so many wonderful designs, loved them all! Now I have to make a mini journal to put these into 😊

Hope you enjoyed this adventure in art with me, thanks for stopping by!!!

Share the Happy 💖

These are my creations for the last seven days:

  • Day 6 – Knot
  • Day 7- Touching
  • Day 8 – Box
  • Day 9 – Fern
  • Day 10 – River
  • Day 11 – Art-Poem
  • Day 12 – Moon
  • Day 6 – Knot
  • Day 7 – Touching
  • Day 8 – Box
  • Day 9 – Fern
  • Day 10 – River
  • Day 11 – Art-Poem
  • Day 12 – Moon

Wild Roses Mixed Media

Posted on by
2

Growing up, dad kept the most beautiful rose garden. I used love to walk through and look at all the different colors and varieties of roses. Each one was unique and absolutely lovely.

Laly Mille is a very talented mixed media artist in France and has a romantic style of painting. When I saw she offered a course on roses I couldn’t resist. So this past weekend I immersed myself in her online course, “Wild Roses.”

It was a well taught class where you create this beautiful mixed media canvas. Laly did an excellent job teaching how to paint the roses plus color mixing, composition, tips and techniques. She also explained about adding light and shading to the painting.

I learned new things that I’ll be using in my paintings including new supplies that I hadn’t thought to use before. So I’m looking forward to creating art with these new techniques.

I need to work on my composition a little more because my painting is a bit busy and should’ve left more to the imagination. But after painting the roses, I fell in love with them and didn’t have the heart to cover them up. So I decided to leave them as they were. I plan on doing a few more practice runs on paper before doing a large canvas to see what speaks to my heart more.

If you’re interested, I highly recommend Laly Mille’s online course, “Wild Roses.” It was an absolute delight!

Hope this inspires you to create, thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy💖

“The rose speaks of love, silently in a language known only to the heart.” ~Unknown

Photo by Valeria Boltneva on Pexels.com

Inchie Challenge 2023

Posted on by
2

Amy Maricle at Mindful Art Studio is hosting another Inchie Challenge. I participated last year and had so much fun I couldn’t resist joining again.

The idea is to create a small piece of art based on a prompt provided by Amy, every day, for 12 days. You should use 2×2 inch squares of paper but I already have varying sizes cut so I’m using what I have in my stash.

These are my creations for the first five days:

  • Day 1 – Frothy
  • Day 2 – Woven
  • Day 3 – Bark
  • Day 4 – Magnolia
  • Day 5 – Spill
  • Day 1 – Frothy
  • Day 2 – Woven
  • Day 3 – Bark
  • Day 4 Magnolia
  • Day 5 – Spill

You can still join in on the fun. 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!!!

Share the Happy 💖

“Imagination is the most marvelous, miraculous, inconceivably powerful force the world has ever known.” ~Napoleon Hill

Thoughtful Thursday Words of Wisdom by Gandhi

Posted on by
2

We all face challenges and struggles. At times you may want to give up and call it quits. But when you dig deep, you’ll find that all of the challenges you’ve faced in your life have made you stronger and wiser. So as unpleasant as they may seem, keep going and get through it. You’ve got this!!

These words of encouragement are by Mohandas Gandhi and are featured on my abstract art:

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggle develops your strength. Whe you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”

Really love this quote. I hope you’re having a great week so far!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

Mountains Art Journal

Posted on by
2

I was clipping images and words from a magazine to add to my journaling stash and came across an image with a lady in a black dress and large hat. I really liked it and thought it would make a nice journal layout.

I needed her to be looking at something beautiful, something that could take your breath away. What kept coming to mind was my dad’s love for the mountains. I remember gazing at them on our trips in awe, they were absolutely serene and majestic. So that’s what I went with. It’s a simple journal layout but I love the color combination on this one.

I finished it off with a quote by Helen Keller that reads:

“The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.”

I hope this inspires you to create, thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy💖

Thoughtful Thursday Framing Your Art

Posted on by
2

You’ve seen art that you fell in love with but didn’t buy it because where would you hang it? Do you need a frame or no frame? What style of frame? Should it be a frame with glass or without?

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with all these questions? I know I have. Buying art to decorate and hang in your home can be a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be. So here are a few things to consider:

  1. When buying a work of art, photo or print think about where you’d like to hang it in your home and make sure the size you pick will fit in your space. If it’s a small piece you may want to group several together, otherwise your are will be lost on the overwhelming wall..
  2. Choose a frame style that goes with your decor. Whether it’s modern, traditional, gallery, floating or anything in between pick a frame that fits your taste. Most artists however, will create paintings on canvases that don’t require a frame. But if you want to make more of a statement or increase the size of the art, then a frame (without glass) is recommended plus it’s a nice finishing touch.
  3. Photos and Giclee prints or paintings created on paper will need a frame with glass. You may want to consider getting a frame with UV glass to protect your art from fading and becoming discolored over time.
  4. The depth of your frame will depend on your art. Canvas paintings will need a deeper frame to hang flush on the wall so make sure you measure the depth and buy the frame that will properly fit. A print or painting on paper won’t need anything that deep since it’s flat.
  5. Matting is another option which will increase the size of your finished piece. In general, canvases should not be matted. But prints and paintings on paper can be matted. When selecting a mat choose a color, texture and thickness that complements your art.

You want to create an eye catching display with your art that enhances the harmony of your home. Remember, if you change the style of your living space nothing is set in stone. You can easily change the style of the frame and give an old painting a new look.

One last thing, Jane Seymour wrote in one of her books that she changes the art in her home frequently depending time of the year and her taste. The extra paintings are simply stored until she’s ready to switch them out. I like this idea because you can buy several paintings for one room and change them whenever you feel like a refresh!

Hope you found these tips useful, thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy💖

“Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.” ~Oscar Wilde