Wild Roses Mixed Media

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!!

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

Photo by Valeria Boltneva on Pexels.com

Flower Abstract Painting

This is the finished 18×24″ flower abstract painting that I’ve been working on. It was painted with radiant colors to brighten the decor in any room. The background has lots of texture and I added splashes of white pearl paint for more interest.

I love the dreaminess of this painting. It reminds me of the aurora borealis lights. What do you think?

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

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“Let the magic of life remind you of your own miracles.” Shaa Zainol

Abstract Painting

I finished this 18×18″ abstract painting. It has lots of texture and interesting design elements. I really love this color combination, it’s very happy and uplifting.

Now I need a name for it. The center reminds me of a mountain peak so I thought maybe Pinnacle or Summit but I’m not sure. What do you think is a good name?

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

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“Climb mountains not so the world can see you but so you can see the world.” ~Unknown

Abstract Paintings in Progress

I have several paintings that I’m working on in the studio. The two square canvases are 18×18″ and the rectangle is 18×24″. They all have lots of interesting texture and beautiful color. Each one is also in a different stage of the process. When I look at each one, the colors just make me smile, they’re simply happy paintings.

What do they make you feel? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Hope you have a lovely weekend ahead, thanks for stopping by!!!

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“A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.” ~Salvador Dali

Photo by Trung Nguyen on Pexels.com

June Roses Art Journal

Growing up my dad had the most beautiful rose garden. He grew roses of all kinds but Don Juan roses were his favorite. I wanted to have my own and when I asked some of the best nurseries in our area for help, they said it can’t be done in South Florida. I answered, “You didn’t know my dad💖”

I have a Don Juan rose bush and a very fragrant Abraham Darby bush. They’re beautiful but nothing compared to dad’s. I just don’t seem to have his green thumb I guess but I’m still trying 😂

But at least I can enjoy my love for these flowers in my art journal. I started the pages with writing out some of my thoughts. I covered those with paint and added collaged images over that. Then I painted loose roses, made the rose garden gate a bit bigger. The paint doesn’t match exactly but close enough. I love how magical it turned out. What do you think?

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

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

Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels.com

Handmade Birthday Cards

I started creating birthday cards when I was very little. Dad showed me how to draw flowers and I’d color them with crayons and cut them out to glue on the card. He always told me a handmade card is a special gift because it’s made with love and there’s nothing more special than that.

I’ve created many cards over the years. Some were simple that I put together fairly quickly, while others took hours with lots of layers and intricate moving parts. But the idea of creating a small work of art and giving it someone to see the joy in their eyes as they’d revel in it’s uniqueness is what puts a smile on my heart.

There are so many designs you can make and it doesn’t have to be complex if you don’t want it to. You could make a card using a special photo or create a small painting that can be framed. The possibilities are endless and handmade gifts are are gifts that touch the heart. Why not give it a try?

Hope this inspires you, thanks for stopping by!!

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Here’s a sampling of birthday cards I made:

Flower Abstract Painting on Canvas

The first image is the colorful flower abstract I painted on watercolor paper and it inspired me to create a similar painting on canvas. The second image is my new painting, a work in progress.

I love the texture and the bright, happy colors. But working on the canvas has been challenging. For one thing, this is a 18×24″ canvas which I have to paint on the easel. The painting on paper was created on my desk. So how I handle the large canvas as I paint is quite different.

Even though I’m using the same paints, I’m having a harder time creating this dreamy affect on the canvas. But at the end of the day, I’m having fun on this journey and enjoying the process because I know it will all come together. So stay tuned….

Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend, thanks for stopping by!!!

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

Photo by Tabitha Mort on Pexels.com

Flower Abstract Painting

I was working on a new abstract painting and had some extra paint left over. So I thought it would be fun to play with the colors and see what happens. I quickly got a piece of watercolor paper and started.

I had no intention as to what to create nor was I concerned with the outcome. I just let go and had fun. Lo and behold I ended up with this very happy, colorful abstract. It came into being purely by accident but I loved it. I loved it so much that I decided to paint a large canvas using the same techniques.

Would love to know what you think about this painting. How does it make you feel? What do you see?

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

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“Art should be something that liberates your soul, provokes the imagination and encourages people to go further.” – Keith Haring

Photo by Muhammad Syahroyni on Pexels.com

Weaving Magic Art Journal

With summer fast approaching I thought it would be nice to squeeze in at least 1 more spring art journal layout. I love bunnies and trees and wanted to create something magical with the two.

I started creating lots of layers and used paper doilies for the top of the tree. I found the words “Weaving Magic” that I had cut out from a magazine and saved in my stash and thought it would be perfect for this layout.

I was originally going to add more critters to these pages but I liked the idea of keeping it simple and focusing on the bunny’s wonder of all things magical. What do you think?

I hope this inspires you to create some magic this weekend✨

Thanks for stopping by!!!

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“Everything is magical when you see it with your heart.” ~Unknown

Create Some Magic Art Journaling

This was one of my very early art journal layouts. I’m not totally thrilled with it but there are things I like about it. I love the bright yellow background, it’s just very happy. The stamped watercolor flowers turned out pretty nice too. Looking at this I probably should’ve added leaves to the stems but it’s okay the way it is and I do like the green against the yellow. I also love the quote “create some magic.”

I remember when I created these pages I was trying out a new stencil and modeling paste. I like the stencil but not the modeling paste. The texture and consistency wasn’t the best and thankfully I’ve found a much better paste to work with. So even though this isn’t my favorite journal layout I did learn new things in the process.

Journaling doesn’t always go as planned and that’s okay. It’s a fun place to learn and try new techniques and to let your creativity run wild. My advice is always find the silver lining in the clouds that may visit you from time to time. Most importantly, enjoy the creation process and have fun😊

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

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