Last week I participated in Amy Maricle’s Simplest Things Challenge. On day 5 I created a few simple circles with different designs. I thought they looked pretty cool and wanted to make them much BIGGER! So I did full sized drawings of these two. What do you think?
I love watching the watercolor paints mingle and mix. You never know what they’re going to do and that’s the fun part 😊
Hope this inspires you to create this weekend!
Thanks for stopping by!!!
Share the Happy💖
“We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.” ~Bob Ross quote on creating art
This was my inspiration for the the 2 paintings above 😊
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!!
Share the Happy 💖
“Art is not what you see but what you make others see.” ~Edgar Degas
I’m taking a much needed break before the holidays so I’m sharing with you a very inspiring quote by the late Dr Wayne Dyer on my watercolor painting titled “Change.”
“If you change the way the look at things, the things you look at change.”
Hope this inspires you in some way. Thanks for stopping by!!!
I wanted to share with you a fun watercolor painting I created a while ago. This is one of my favorite happy color combinations. For this piece I actually made 2 paintings. One was used for the background and the other was used to create the birds which I traced from a stencil, cut out and adhered to the background painting.
One thing I love about watercolor is that you can lift the paint off using various techniques. For the birds I used a stencil and a Wet Ones hand wipe to lift the paint off the paper. When using this technique, you want to make sure you have a fairly dark background so you can see the color variations where the paint was lifted.
To make the blue bird at the top even more different from the others I painted it with clear glitter paint. I also used a stamp with white embossing powder to add more interest. The quote in the bottom right was getting lost so I added a border to give it more pop.
You only need a few basic inexpensive supplies to create art and have fun. So what are you waiting for? Start creating some happy now 😊
Hope this inspires you in some way, thanks for stopping by!!!
I finished another segment in Tamara Laporte’s online course, “She Blooms in Ink.” This was my first dark skin girl and she was ever so challenging. Her skin kept coming out blotchy and the more I tried to fix it, the worse it got. So I cleaned it up the best I could and called it a day.
After everything was done, I thought she turned out pretty cool, even with her blotchy skin. I loved the color combination on this one, the green gave it that extra pop. I added the quote using a stencil which I just got on amazon. It’s part of a 20 pc set of inspirational quotes and was very reasonably priced. The stencils are perfect for journaling.
If you’re interested in learning more about the online courses offered by Tamara Laporte, please visit her at Willowing.org.
Having a Labor Day Sale in my Etsy Shop this weekend with BIG savings on my original paintings. Perfect time to get a jump start on holiday gifts or to treat yourself because you deserve it✨
I’m almost done packing up the studio and I had a lot more supplies than I thought. So in the midst of the chaos I thought it would be fun to share one of my older journaling pages with you.
I created this fun whimsical design using Derwent Inktense pencils. I love how bright and bold they are. I like that I can create and finish a journal page in a short period of time. It’s satisfying to complete a piece of art that makes you smile 😊
I’ll do my best to get back on track with my blogging now that the packing is basically done 😅 I’m very excited to get the new floor in!
Hope this inspires you in some way today.
Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by!!!
Mandala is from the ancient Sanskrit language which means circle. It’s normally depicted as a geometric design representing different aspects of the universe. In Asian cultures it is a spiritual and ritual symbol used in prayer and meditation.
I have always been fascinated by the beauty of mandalas. There is something very magical about them. Designing a mandala, helps to focus the mind and create a sacred space within. There is an inner peace that calms you and simply lets the outside world melt away.
There are plenty of books and tutorials online to teach you how to create this ancient art. But looking at the intricate designs created by others can be just as calming. When you need a moment of peace, take the time to explore mandalas.
Thanks for stopping by!!
Share the Happy 💖
“In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.” ~Unknown
This is a whimsical zentangle journal page I created in my Strathmore 6×12″ watercolor journal, Find your passion… With the odd size, it’s always a challenge creating in the journal but that’s what makes it so much fun!
I painted it with watercolor paints and outlined the design with a Sakura Micron 01 Pen. I added some highlights and shading and finished it off with a little glitter for bling.
The whimsical head and tail feathers on the birds make me laugh and hope they brighten your day as well.
Thought I’d have a bit of fun in my Strathmore Mixed Media 9″ x 12″ Journal. I painted her in watercolor paints but with a limited palette of 3 colors. I added a quote by Eleanor Roosevelt which reads “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” What are your dreams for the future?
Flowing Waters Art 