For the first time I joined the Scrappy8Challenge on Instagram. You’re given a month to create the art you want to submit for the challenge. This is ideal for me at the moment because it’s not overwhelming with everything else I have going on.
My sister gifted me this beautiful handmade 4.5×5″ watercolor journal that I thought would be perfect for this challenge. The February prompt was “Inspired by Art” and this was my creation.
There are so many wonderful artists who inspire me but the inspiration for this watercolor painting is the ever talented Joanne Sharpe. She has such a wonderful whimsical style and I love her use of bright, fun colors which makes her art scream Happiness!!
Hope this inspires you in some way today. Have a fantastic weekend!!
I started a new botanicals journal using a Strathmore Mixed Media 5.5×8″ Journal. It’s a medium weight paper (90 lb / 190 gsm) that works pretty good with watercolor paints as long as you don’t get the paper too wet because it will buckle.
I love roses and creating these in watercolors was so calming and soothing. There’s something truly magical about blending delicate hues of pink and crimson, letting each stroke tell its own story to create a dreamy yet whimsical floral painting🌹
Hope this inspires you in some way today. Have a wonderful day, thanks for stopping by!!
I wanted to have some fun creating watercolor abstracts in my Strathmore 8.5 x 5.5″ watercolor art journal. To create this fun design simply add your watercolor paints to the paper (leaving them fairly wet) and cover it using plastic wrap. Set it aside to completely dry. Then remove the plastic wrap and see what fun shapes you have.
For this design, I saw mountains emerge and went with that. Some areas turned out too light so I used colored pencils to give it more depth and to define the mountain tops a little more. It was still needed a pop of color so I added I added pink flowers and of course finished it off with a little bling.
Hope this inspires you in some way today. Have a fantastic weekend and thanks for stopping by!!
I remember shopping at the grocery store when I was a kid with my mom and being able to buy fruits only when they were in season. I also remember everything bursting with flavor and aroma. But if you go shopping today, pretty much every fruit is available year round from all around the world and sadly they don’t taste or smell as good as they used to.
After doing a little research I found that many fruits are artificially ripened using different chemicals and here’s why: In order for fruit to ripen naturally, it must contain ethylene, a gaseous plant hormone. Green, unripen fruits have low levels of ethylene. But as the fruit matures ethylene production increases and signals the plant it’s time to ripen the fruit. Even after the fruit is harvested, ethylene continues to be produced and as a result it decreases the shelf life of fruits.
Scientists came up with a way to extend the shelf life of fruits by picking them while green and ripening them with artificial ripening agents. However, this process is highly contested around the world because of the health risks associated with these ripening agents. It is said that consuming fruits, on a regular basis which have been artificially ripened can cause heart conditions, lightheadedness, and even skin ulcers depending on the ripening agents used. Thankfully most of the world banned the use of the really toxic agents but there are a few countries which still allow them to be used.
The reason the fruits don’t taste as good as they used to is because by artificially ripening the fruits only the external peel actually ripens. The inside of the fruit will basically remain green and raw. I’ve had avocados which I left out to ripen on the counter but they never did. After some time I ended up cutting them open only to find they were rotting from the inside out and now I know why.
With almost 80% of fruits being artificially ripened, I’m left scratching my head. It’s hard to tell what has been artificially ripened and what hasn’t unless you contact the companies and find out. Apparently, organic fruits aren’t excluded from this process but are less likely to be artificially ripened.
So what do you do? Fruits are very important for a healthy diet. Your best bet is to go back to the old ways and buy locally grown produce that will “hopefully” not be treated with these artificial agents. An even better idea is to plant a small garden and grow your own food. Mother nature made growing many plants fairly easy and you’ll have better control over your health plus you’ll reduce your grocery bill too.
Hope you found this post helpful, thanks for stopping by!!
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“A garden feeds more than the table, it feeds the soul.” ~Unknown
Painting trees and mountains is something new for me. I got a card in the mail with a beautiful sunset painting on it and thought it would be fun to create it in my Linden Art 5.5×8.5 inch watercolor journal.
It was certainly a learning experience. I made a lot of mistakes along the way, some of which I was able to fix while other stayed. Overall it turned out pretty good. I’m not totally thrilled with it but I do love the sunset background and this color combination. Plus I had lots of practicing to paint trees 😊
Hope this inspires you in some way today. Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by!!
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“As practice makes perfect, I cannot but make progress; each drawing one makes, each study one paints, is a step forward.” ~Vincent Van Gogh
Creating in this 6×12″ Strathmore Watercolor Journal can be challenging due to it’s size and shape. But I’m down to my last couple of pages in this journal and wanted to create a little whimsical Valentine painting and this is what I came up with.
I did a sketch first and then painted everything but wasn’t happy with it because it looked too plain. So I ended up adding splashes of color. I finished it off with a little shading using a colored pencil and pen plus glitter for sparkly magic.
Hope this inspires you in some way today. Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!!
This is a new 4×12 inch canvas I finished over the weekend. It’s an adorable painting with a textured background and 5 beautiful little birds. Instead of painting flowers I thought it would be fun to add more interest and accent this piece by using paper flowers and leaves. I also added a quote “Sing your song.”
Since this is painted on a 1.5 inch thick canvas, this artwork is ideal as a shelf sitter making it the perfect décor for a desk, shelf or counter but can also be hung on the wall.
‘Yello’s BIG Solo’ is available in my Etsy Shop, if interested.
Hope this inspires you today, thanks for stopping by!!
I’ve been waffling different ideas of how to combine my love of inspiring quotes and phrases with my art. I love painting angels because they give so much peace and serenity. Then I remembered an old book I had in my library by Kelly Rae Roberts, “Taking Flight.” There was a project in the book that inspired me.
I looked to my past angel paintings in my journals for more inspiration and created a sketch on a 9×12 inch piece of watercolor paper. After I painted her, I added the phrases to her dress that I thought went well with the main motif of believing in yourself.
In the creation process, I experimented with new techniques; some worked out great while others were a complete blunder. But I just rolled with it and ended up having lots of fun. It was quite an adventure to say the least! Below are images for my finished art.
Would love to know your thoughts, thanks for stopping by!!
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 most of you know I’m the mom of two precious little girls, Chanel and Rosie. These two are angels most of the time, well Chanel is all of the time. But Rosie loves to get into mischief every now and then.
Chanel is 11 years old and has been completely blind since she was 3. Rosie the 1+ year old baby, a quick learner, figured out Chanel’s handicap and would sometimes steal her food. As a result, Chanel started gobbling her food and would end up getting sick.
It took some training but Rosie rarely snatches Chanel’s food anymore. However, Chanel isn’t taking any chances and continues to gobble. So I came across this “Slo Bowl” by Outward Hound. The idea is that it makes your pet slow down their eating and take smaller bites. This in turn helps with their digestion and can also help prevent obesity and bloating.
We’ve used this bowl it for about 2 weeks and it’s works great! Chanel is doing much better and is noticeably eating a lot slower and not getting sick.
There are many different types of slow feeder bowls on the market. Some have a more complex design making your pet slow down their eating even more. But I opted for this one and I’m so glad I did. It’s a breeze to clean and is also dishwasher safe. Plus it has a non-slip base, holds 2 cups of dry or wet food and is made from food safe materials (Free From: BPA, PVC, Lead and Phthalate). It also comes in 2 sizes, Large/Regular and Medium/Mini depending on the size of your pet.
Some pet owners reported that using a slow feeder bowl made their pet frustrated. Chanel has been absolutely fine and isn’t showing any signs of frustration eating from this particular bowl. For some pets it make take a little time to retrain their minds but overall this is a great invention and helps to improve your pet’s health. These bowls are available in most local pet stores and online: Chewy, Amazon, Target, Walmart.
I would recommend this product for your pet, but always talk with your vet first if you have any concerns.
Hope you enjoyed this product review, thanks for stopping by!!!
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🐾Thought you’d enjoy a few cute photos of the girls when they were pups 🐾
Flowing Waters Art 