I painted this little spring tea cup birdie to add to my Jodi Ohl Color Lovers Challenge journal. For the color challenge she hosted last year I used a canvas for the Spring prompt but held this spot in my journal to come back to later.
This tea cup design was created by a talented watercolor artist Lori May. I have a larger version of this painting but I liked it a lot and thought it would go well for the spring prompt. I added a quote from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that reads “Came the spring with all its splendor. All its birds and all its blossoms. All its flowers and leaves and grasses.”
This is another painting from Jodi Ohl’s Abstract Interactive 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 😂😂 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?
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?
You may or may not have noticed I’ve been MIA for the last few weeks. I ended up getting pretty sick just before the holidays. So Christmas and New Year’s celebrations skipped my house this year. It felt strange but was necessary.
I’ve had people say to me, wow that’s a terrible way to end the year. But I don’t see it that way. Life threw me one heck of a curve ball. Instead of going crazy during the holidays trying to get everything done, I was forced to take it easy. It was the most chill holiday season I’ve ever had. And when someone says it was a terrible way to end the year, I say no it was great because I made it through it all and I’m still here ready to make this a better world, one day at time!
It’s taking a little more time than I expected to get my mojo back. My creative muse has also taken a hiatus. But I’m slowly getting myself rolling again with short workouts and super healthy eating habits. I’m grateful that I can continue to share my happiness with all of you 💖
Today I start a new course called Interactive Abstracts with Jodi Ohl. I’m really looking forward to this class and getting my creative muse back on track. With all of the rest I got I feel blessed to be more focused on what I want to accomplish this year. So you can expect great things from me in 2022!
When life throws you a curve ball, and believe me it will, don’t fight it. Go with the flow. Life is perfectly imperfect. Sometimes these curve balls give you a lot to think about. So find that silver lining in the cloud. Pick up the pieces and move forward with gratitude which is the best attitude!
I hope your holidays were awesome! I wish you the greatest success in 2022!!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Share the Happy💖
“Gratitude: It’s not happiness that brings us gratitude. It’s gratitude that brings us happiness.” ~Unknown
Most of you know I recently participated in Jodi Ohl’s Color Lovers Challenge. Since I used a canvas for Day 24, Red & Green, I saved a place in my journal to come back to and this is what I ended up with.
This journal spread really makes me laugh. The poor little red bird doesn’t seem too happy with the notes the little green one is belting out. He’s almost looks like he’s freaked out by it 😂
With that said, I chose this quote from an unknown author that I thought went well: “No matter what people think of you, always keep singing your own song.”
What are mirror neurons? Mirror neurons are the part of the brain that cause us to mimic or reflect back what we are seeing in another person. For example when you see some one hurt themselves, you may winch and feel their pain. Or when some one yawns, you’ll have to yawn yourself even though you’re not tired. The same also holds true for when some one is in a bad or good mood. Their mood may rub off on us. This is because of the mirror neurons in our brains.
When I first started my morning walks I’d smile at strangers and most often I didn’t get much of a response, much less a positive one. But I didn’t let this stop me because I was determined to share my happiness.
As I continued my walks day after day, I’d smile bigger and longer. If that didn’t work I’d follow that with a twinkling wave and a cheerful “Good Morning!” I completely understand that not everyone wants to be happy and that’s ok.
But smiles are contagious and are universally understood. If you smile at some one long enough, you’ll most likely get a smile back due to the mirror neurons. Whether you’re in a good mood or not, the fact that you’re smiling instantly raises your energy and you can’t help but feel uplifted.
After a couple of weeks something magical started happening. These strangers who were not the happiest little campers suddenly became friendlier. I began to get big smiles, twinkling waves and morning shout outs of “Good Morning!” So much so that some would go out of their way to greet me. It made me feel even happier that I was able to share my positive energy with others. I may not have changed the world, but I changed my corner of it, just a bit.
Imagine if everyone tried to “Share the Happy” with those around them. Life isn’t always perfectly happy but when we put more of that positive energy out there, it will surely come back to us ten fold. So what are you waiting for, get out and share a great big smile with some one today 😊
Thanks for stopping by!!
Share the Happy 💖
“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” ~Buddha
Jodi Ohl recently hosted a Color Lovers Challenge that I participated in. I loved every moment, especially the challenging ones. But for Day 12 which was Vibrant, I used a canvas I was working on for the challenge and saved a place in my journal to come back to and finish at another time.
So this was the vibrant watercolor abstract painting I made in my journal. I added a quote by Zig Ziglar which pretty much summed up the challenge: “If it doesn’t CHALLENGE you, it won’t CHANGE you.”
I’m really loving abstract art more and more. This is my newest piece. It’s similar to my other one but painted with brighter and very happy colors. This piece is simply titled “Happy.” Would love to hear your thoughts.
The mind is very powerful. It can create a happy life for us or an unhappy one. But it all comes down to what thoughts are you planting in your mind.
Mindfulness was and still is a big movement. But how often do you mind your thoughts? There is a constant chatter going on in your mind every minute of every day. Experts guesstimate that the brain has an average of 60,000 – 80,000 thoughts per day, which translates to 2,500 – 3,300 thoughts per hour. This in itself is mind boggling, so how can you be mindful with so many thoughts all the time?
Sadly, the majority of our thoughts are negative. It’s how we’re programmed as human beings. So how do you keep your thoughts in check? Because it’s very easy to have your negative thoughts take control of your daily life, which if left unattended day after day, will create an unhappy life.
Here are a few ideas ideas to help you plant seeds of happiness:
Before getting out of bed, visualize what a great day you will have.
Get up 30 minutes earlier and have some quiet time to relax your body and mind.
Everyday write down at least 3 things you’re grateful for.
Write down positive affirmations and repeat them to yourself throughout the day.
While exercising repeat positive mantras in your mind.
Read inspiring quotes and start a collection of them to have on hand.
Take time off from social media.
Take a break from your phone and set times to check in.
Go for a walk or hike outside, enjoy the sunshine and reconnect with nature.
Listen to a good Life Coach or Motivational Speaker.
Spend a few minutes every morning visualizing where you want to go in life and the person you want to be.
Meditate daily. If you’re not sure what to do, then start with a guided meditation.
Create art like painting, sculpting or drawing Zentangles.
It’s normal to try something new and go right back to your old habits. But pay attention when this happens and make the decision to get back on track. The choice is yours, sow some positivity.
Thanks for stopping by!!
Share the Happy 💖
“Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality.” ~Earl Nightingale
The other week I posted Page 1 of this journal spread. For my focal point on the second page I used a tag that I made a while ago and stashed away for later use. I love this tag because it was embossed with a stamp that reads “My heart is at home by the Sea” which really resonates with me.
I made the little turtles using the same stamp as in the tag, colored them, cut them out and glued them into the journal. I wanted a little texture for the turtle shells so I used Inkssentials Glossy Accents.
I had a lot of fun creating this journal layout and hope you will too!
Supplies
9″ x 12″ Journal
Torn pieces of tissue paper or pages from a book
Gesso
Mod Podge or Gel Matte Medium
Acrylic Paint: Aqua and Royal Blue
Fiber Paste
Wave Stencil
Palette Knife
Assorted ocean themed stamps
Staz On Black Ink
Inkssentials Glossy Accents
Assorted ephemera and embellishments
Ranger Distress Ink – Black Soot
Glue
Scissors
Instructions
Paint your pages with gesso. Let dry.
Tear small pieces of paper and glue them to the journal pages with Mod Podge or Gel Matte Medium. Let dry.
Paint your background in your favorite acrylic paint. Allow the torn pieces of paper to show through the paint a little. Let dry.
Mix fiber paste with a darker contrasting acrylic paint and apply using a palette knife and wave stencil. Let dry.
Stamp sea life images to the pages with the Staz On Ink and add ephemera you have that will go with the ocean theme. You can also stamp or draw images, color them with paint, cut them out and glue them to the pages like I did with the little turtles. I also added a little Glossy Accents for more texture.
Distress the edges with Ranger Black Soot.
Add your quote.
Add any shading and highlights where needed. Add a little sparkly glitter and that’s it!
Flowing Waters Art 