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
Growing up, my family and I would embark on a wonderful adventure to Flamingo Gardens located near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was founded by Floyd and Jane Wray in 1927 as a citrus orchard and was originally named Flamingo Groves. Getting fresh squeezed orange juice from the trees on the property was one of the highlights of my trip.
The Wray’s built a weekend home up on the Live Oak hammock in the groves. They would have annual bar-b-ques on the grounds surrounding their home and they’d give daily tours of the citrus groves and botanical gardens. Plus they even had a fruit shipping area.
According to Mrs. Wray the property came with flamingos that would nest there and she decided in the 1940’s to bring peacocks to the grounds for the visitors. With alligators inhabiting most parts of South Florida they introduced an alligator exhibit in the 1960’s with daily shows.
Sadly Mr. Wray passed away in 1959 at the age of 68. To honor her late husband, Mrs. Wray established The Floyd L. Wray Memorial Foundation in 1969 to preserve the property for future generations to enjoy. The name was changed to Flamingo Gardens and it was expanded to include an Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary with the Bird of Prey Center and a Free-Flight Aviary. This was the first of its kind in the country and permanently injured or non-releasable native Florida wildlife would call the sanctuary their home. More wildlife exhibits were introduced and included River Otters, Bobcats, Florida Panthers, Tortoises and Bald & Golden Eagles.
The 60 acre botanical gardens showcase over 3,000 rare and exotic species of tropical, subtropical and native plants and trees. If you have the chance to visit South Florida definitely add Flamingo Gardens to your travel plans, you won’t be disappointed!
I hope you enjoyed this travel snippet, thanks for stopping by!!!
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All photos taken by Maria Vidaurre at Flamingo Gardens
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!!
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“I am seeking, I am striving, I am in it with all my heart.” ~Vincent Van Gogh
I made this cute whimsical zentangle journal page a while ago in my Strathmore 5.5×8″ watercolor journal. It’s one of the smaller journals I like to create in. It’s also less intimidating than the larger ones because you’ll fill a page pretty quickly and you get the satisfaction of completing a new art piece in a shorter amount of time. So it’s a win-win!
I love the wonky houses and the rolling hills in this one. What’s your favorite part?
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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“I put my heart and soul into my work, and have lost my mind in the process.” ~Vincent Van Gogh
I started this journal layout just before Easter but didn’t have the time to finish it until after. Better late than never I guess. This is a pretty simple design but cute and very happy.
I created this in my Strathmore 8×5.5″ Watercolor Journal. I love the heavy 140 lb watercolor paper because I tend to use a lot of water and it holds up nicely. Most importantly, it doesn’t bleed through to the other side which is something that I really don’t like.
You don’t necessarily need a plan to journal. Just start with one thing. For example, I started this layout with the idea of one big Easter egg. Everything else just followed as I went. So it was quite a fun surprise when I finished.
Hope this inspires you this weekend, thanks for stopping by!!!
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“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainty.” ~Eric Fromm
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
This was a fun and colorful mixed media artwork I created a while ago on an 8×10″ canvas. I used a lot of different techniques in this, so there are a lot of interesting elements to catch your eye.
I started this canvas by collaging torn pages from a book along with paper doilies and any other paper I had on hand. Once that dried, I painted the background in bright, fun Easter colors using acrylic paints. Next, I used a stencil with modeling paste to create the yellow flower and stars. I also added stamped images of script, butterflies and an Easter bunny.
I cut out Easter eggs from five different pieces of coordinating cardstock and glued them to the canvas. The basket was made with crumpled tissue paper that I collaged on top of the eggs and later painted. I added shading, highlights and a bit of glitter for a little bling.
I had a couple of crocheted flowers in my stash so I thought they’d add some 3 dimensional texture and more interest. Last, I printed the “Happy Easter” from my computer and glued it to the canvas and it was done!
This is a beautiful Easter decoration that you could even make with kids and treasure for years to come😊
Spring flowers are blossoming! I thought I’d share this fun painting I did a while ago because her name is April, and she has a quite dramatic spring time flair to her. I went a bit color crazy on this one but I loved how she turned out.
The flowers were made from a separate piece of watercolor paper that I punched and adhered onto the painting. I distressed the edges a bit and added glitter to the centers of the flowers for a little bling.
Hope she inspires you today. Thanks for stopping by!!!
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!!
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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
Flowing Waters Art 