Travel Art Journaling

While on my holiday break I enjoyed working on inchies for my art journal stash. I love taking these on trips because everything fits inside a small ziploc bag. All you need to bring are the tiles and 2-3 different sized Sakura Micron pens.

I do a little prep work before the trip like cutting the watercolor paper into varying sizes. Then I’ll splash paint on a handful of tiles while leaving the rest plain. That’s it! When you have a little spare time, you can create some really interesting and fun pieces of art. There’s no mess and it all easily fits into your purse or bag. I love bringing minimal supplies and creating on trips because it helps to keep the creativity flowing😊 Plus this would also be a great idea for kids to use their creativity on trips!

Hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy💖

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

Art Journaling

I needed a change of pace so I went to my art journals. I got carried away with this one and went crazy with color. The paint was flying in the studio as the colors exploded off the pages. I think I had more paint on me than in my journal😂

I added some wording to each page and it was just really good medicine, exactly what I needed. That’s the beauty of journaling, it doesn’t need to be neat or pretty. It can be a total explosion of color. It can be anything you want it to be!

So if you find you have some time over the holidays, take a much needed break and just have some fun. You’ll be less stressed and much happier for it!!

Hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy💖

“Color! What a deep and mysterious language, the language of dreams.” ~Paul Gauguin

Simple Art Journaling

Just wanted to show you how easy journaling can be. I made these fun doodles in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8″ Mixed Media Journal using nothing more than a ball point pen.

Most of you know I’m a bit of a color nut, so I prep pages in advance with splashes of watercolor paint and let them dry. Normally I’ll prep a handful of pages at a time so I have them ready to go.

Then when I’m on a trip or waiting for an appointment I just pull out my small journal and pen from my bag and let the fun begin. It’s easy, relaxing and calms the mind plus the supplies are minimal. Journaling doesn’t have to be complicated to make it enjoyable. Simple art is extremely fun and satisfying to create.

There are a lot of holiday sales coming up so make sure to buy a small journal and create some art!

Hope this inspires you in some way today!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

You are my Sunshine Watercolor Art Journaling

This is another flashback art journal page I made a while ago in my Strathmore 6×12″ Watercolor Journal. It’s a bit of an odd shaped journal that challenges me to create something fun in. I love zentangle designs and that’s what I ended up making here.

I made this while on vacation with my kids when they were little. My daughter was always my cup of sunshine and she was the inspiration for this page. Every time I look at this page I think of her 😊

I remember prepping a few pages with watercolor washes before leaving on the trip so I could travel with less supplies. All I ended up taking with me was this journal and my micron pen set.

If life is too busy for you to find time to create, then a vacation would be ideal. Journaling helps you to capture lovely memories with your creativity. You can even add pieces of memorabilia to your journal pages to make it even more special. Take as many supplies as you want or prep pages before leaving like I did here. It’s fun, easy and makes a great keepsake.

Hope this inspires you to create!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

“Don’t think about making art, just get it done.” ~Andy Warhol

Courage Watercolor Art Journaling

I thought I’d share with you today a painting I created a while ago in an online class with the very talented Andrea Gomoll of Cre8tive Cre8tion Designs. This was a different style for me but I loved it.

This is a pretty simply painting but it definitely pulls you in. The watercolors seem to run off the page creating a dreamy and magical feeling. She has intense green, piercing eyes filled with strength and courage. Plus the colors blended beautifully especially in her long flowing hair which is my favorite part. What draws you in?

Hope this inspires you in some way today!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

Flower Princess Watercolor Portrait

I really enjoyed creating my Butterfly Girl in the online class hosted by the very talented Katrina Koltes. I created the sketch for this painting a while ago on 12×16″ watercolor paper but it just sat. I wanted to do something different and didn’t know what for the longest time.

After finishing my Butterfly Girl I thought it would be a good idea to practice using a similar color palette. It takes me out of my comfort zone but I love how these colors blend together to create a soft and dreamy look. What do you think?

Hope this inspires you to create this weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

“I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.” ~Vincent Van Gogh

Watercolor Dreams Workshop

I’m not sure if you read my Thoughtful Thursday post but it was about excuses and fear. I created this sketch and got stuck. I really wanted to paint her and bring her to life but I was convinced I was going to ruin the sketch that took me hours to complete.

Long story short, I finally silenced the negative nellies in my mind and painted her. It’s funny because after she was all done I was relieved and thrilled with how soft and dreamy she looks (see image below). There are a few things I’d change for the next one but overall I love her. What do you think?

This was part of an online workshop called Watercolor Dreams with the very talented Katrina Koltes who lives in Italy. I have to say, Katrina is an excellent teacher and amazing artist. I highly recommend you check out her site and everything she offers.

Hope this inspires you to create this weekend!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

“I put my heart and soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.” ~Vincent Van Gogh

Watercolor Dreams Workshop

I’m working on a sketch which I’m getting ready to paint. This is part of an online workshop called Watercolor Dreams with the very talented Katrina Koltes who lives in Italy.

Katrina’s portrait paintings are more realistic and have a real dreamy vibe which I love and long to create. Getting this sketch just right seems to have taken me hours to complete. But that only means that I need more practice. So I’m showing up to learn more and improve my skills as an artist.

The portrait below was my first taste of Katrina’s surreal style of painting and I was hooked. I won’t even tell you how long this sketch took me to complete 😅 But it was one of the best realistic paintings I had ever done up to that point.

So I invite you to come along with me on this fantastic adventure of creating magical paintings. Wish me luck 🤞

Thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

PS – I found this quote to be pretty funny because that’s kind of how I’m feeling right now 😂

“I put my heart and soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.” ~Vincent Van Gogh

Thoughtful Thursday Color and Moods

Have you ever thought about how color affects how you feel? Many people associate colors with different things like trees, the ocean, flowers or even a cool summer’s breeze which evoke positive emotions and make us feel good. But you can also associate colors with negative things because we create these associations in our mind through our personal life experiences.

Our brain reacts to sensory impressions. Visual impressions make up 80% of that. And that’s a pretty big chunk. So it’s no wonder that color can greatly affect our moods. Studies have shown these are some of the generalities of how colors can make you feel:

  • Blue: Calming, Dependable, Peace, Trustworthy, Wisdom
  • Green: Growth, Nature, Contentment, Health, New Beginnings
  • Red: Love, Power, Confidence, Passion, Excitement, Anger, Danger
  • Yellow: Happy, Joy, Spontaneous, Hope, Danger
  • Orange: Kindness, Warmth, Enthusiasm
  • Pink: Romantic, Soft, Playful
  • Purple: Wealth, Glamorous, Mysterious, Creativity
  • Black: Sophisticated, Powerful, Serious, Luxurious, Aggressive
  • White: Fresh, Clean, Pure, Truth, Simplicity
  • Gray: Passive, Low Energy
  • Brown: Earthy, Stability, Support

Pay attention to the colors in your environment and how they make feel, especially the clothes you wear. You may be quite surprised and discover new things about yourself!

Hope you enjoyed this post today, thanks for stopping by!!

Share the Happy 💖

“Color was not given to us in order that we imitate nature. It was given to us so that we can express our emotions.” ~Henri Matisse

    Sunflower Photo taken by Maria Vidaurre

    Whimsical Journaling

    Journaling is a great way to have fun and unwind from a long week. This was actually a warm up exercise which is part of an online class I’m working on by the very talented Katrina Koltes.

    Art journaling is anything you want it to be. It can be an abstract or a more serious painting or anything in between. You can write your thoughts in your journal and then cover them up or don’t. But the choice is yours. The main goal is to simply do whatever your heart desires and makes you happy😊 So what are your waiting for? Grab your journal and have some fun this weekend!

    Hope this inspires you in some way, thanks for stopping by!!!

    Share the Happy💖

    “What keeps my heart awake is colorful silence.” ~Claude Monet