Courage Watercolor Art Journaling

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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!

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Flower Princess Watercolor Portrait

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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!

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

Watercolor Dreams Workshop

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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!!

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

Watercolor Dreams Workshop

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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 ๐Ÿ˜… 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 ๐Ÿคž

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PS – I found this quote to be pretty funny because that’s kind of how I’m feeling right now ๐Ÿ˜‚

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

Thoughtful Thursday Color and Moods

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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!!

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“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

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    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 happy๐Ÿ˜Š 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!!!

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    โ€œWhat keeps my heart awake is colorful silence.โ€ ~Claude Monet

    Alcohol Ink Bookmarks

    Being a bookworm, I love coming up with new ideas for bookmarks. These are two bookmarks I made using alcohol inks in bright, fun cheerful colors. They’re made with layers of heavy cardstock, stamped and punched images plus lots of interesting embellishments. I added charms to the tassels as a finishing touch. What do you think?

    Thanks for stopping by!!!

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    Alcohol Ink Cards

    As most of you know, I love color. Bright, fun happy colors. I’ve tried creating art with more subdued colors but they just make me sad, so inevitably I brighten them up. It’s stronger than me ๐Ÿ˜‚

    On one of my explorations and adventures in color, I created a handful of birthday cards using alcohol inks and coffee filters. Thought they turned out pretty cool, looking like galaxies. I shared photos of them in different stages of the creation process below. Hope they inspire you to get a little crazy and have some fun with color. Have a magical weekendโœจ

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    Abstract Art Painting

    This is another painting from Jodi Ohlโ€™sย Abstract Interactiveย online course. The color scheme and painting was supposed to represent a warm sunset but after I applied the first layers of paint, I kept laughing thinking it looked more like a quilt than an abstract sunset.

    When I showed it to my daughter, she completely disagreed. She said it didn’t look like a quilt, but a Neal Sweater ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚ I couldn’t stop laughing so this painting is officially named “The Neal Sweater.”

    Trivia question, in what movie is there a “Neal Sweater?” I’ll give you a hint it’s a Disney movie, any guesses?

    Thanks for stopping by!!!

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    Abstract Art Paintings

    I recently joined Jodi Ohl’s Abstract Interactive online course to further my knowledge of art. Painting abstracts takes me out of my comfort zone but Jodi is an excellent instructor and artist which makes it easier. This is a 10 week course with lots to learn so I’ll be posting a more paintings from the class.

    I have to say I’ve been having a lot of fun playing with colors and learning to paint abstract art. The funny thing with abstract art is that everyone sees something completely different. These are my first three paintings I did on paper. What do you see?

    Thanks for stopping by!!

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