Sometimes I like to do a practice run in my journal before painting on a canvas. Because I do a pencil sketch first, it allows me to easily change the design before I start adding the color.
This is “Marvelous Martha,” and she was created in my Strathmore 6×12 inch watercolor journal with watercolor paints, colored pencils and pen. I’ll have to make some adjustments when I paint her with acrylics on the canvas but the overall design will be the same.
So stay tuned, more to come with Marvelous Martha…
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!
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“A true artist is not one who is inspired but one who inspires others.” ~Salvador Dali
I added a few new pages to my Simplest Things Journal before taking my break. I had 4 similar tiles and wanted to make them a home in my journal. These first two were quite interesting. I kept waffling the idea of merging the two designs, I twirled and flipped and flipped and twirled the tiles until I came up with this layout.
I ended up extending the patterns from the tiles into the journal to make them look like they merged into one. I thought it turned out pretty cool looking. So I did a similar design with the next two tiles shown below. Although these two weren’t merging I extended the design from the tiles into the journal. Plus I didn’t want to cover up all the sparkly glitter ✨
Well I’m off taking and taking a much needed break but I’ll be back after the holidays.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and all the Best for the coming New Year!!! Thank you so much for your love support, it means the world to me!!!
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!!
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“Color! What a deep and mysterious language, the language of dreams.” ~Paul Gauguin
Pyrography also known as wood burning is a beautiful form of art. I made this piece a while ago but love it because it’s unique and very different from my other art. I initially thought it would’ve been easy to create so when I made this I just dove right in.
I played with a scrap piece of wood trying to get the hang of it before starting on this piece and quickly learned there’s more to it! After doing a bit of research I found books on this art form and learned that not all wood is the same. I also learned that how you use the different tips in your pyrography set will greatly affect the outcome. Very important: Do this in a well ventilated area and wear a mask because there will be smoke from burning the wood.
There are some very talented artists who make super detailed pyrography art pieces that are just stunning. This is a simple piece which I loved plain, but as most of you know, I’m a bit of a color nut. So I ended up adding watercolor paints to the wood. Since wood is porous, it absorbs the paint giving it a softer look and allows the grain to show through. I finished it off with a few embellishments for more interest and bling✨
If you’re interested in trying pyrography, I highly recommend getting a book or watching a few tutorials online so you can decide if it’s something you’d enjoy.
Hope this inspires you to create art, thanks for stopping by!!
I needed to take a little break so I made a few inchies. Creating these mini pieces of art is the perfect way to destress and unwind. And for some unknown reason, I find drawing the tiny little circles very calming😊
I like to paint a handful of inchies in advance so they’re completely dry and ready to use when I feel the need. I store them on my desk in a handmade ceramic bowl. The designs were made using a Sakura Micron Pen and of course I couldn’t resist adding some glitter✨
How do you destress and unwind?
Hope this inspires you to create art this weekend, thanks for stopping by!!
I ended up making this mixed media canvas a while ago which was inspired by their book. I used a page from an old recipe book for the base of the cupcakes. If you look closely, the cut pieces of the book are actually part of a cupcake recipe and I thought that was a cool factor.
The letters for “Celebrate” were cut using a die cut machine. I stamped the word “Everyday” onto premade inchies I found in a stamp store and distressed them. Plus there’s lots of texture in this piece, especially the frosting which I love.
If interested, the book is available on Amazon and I included live links (including the book image) in this post. They also have a blog: “Everyday is a Holiday.”
Hope this inspires you to create this weekend, thanks for stopping by!!
The idea is to create ink blots on your paper and then turn them into some type of image using your imagination. My inkblots are all weird but somewhat cute little monsters and these are my new pages. I don’t know what’s more fun, creating these little monsters or coming up with the fun names for them 😂🤣
Pearl and her entourage
Fluffy Muffins and her BFF, Jams
Agnus and her eclectic brood
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“You have the greatest magical power within you, it’s called imagination.” ~Nitin Namdeo
This started as a plain, unfinished wood birdhouse which I transformed into a fun spooky haunted house. To get that old vintage painted look you need Folk Art Crackle Medium which is available on Amazon. It’s super easy to use. I simply painted the house with black paint first, allowed it to dry and then applied a coat of crackle medium and allowed that to dry. Last I painted it orange and as that layer of paint dries, it begins to crackle. Very cool product!
I added embellishments I found at the craft store but was having no luck at all finding a ghost. And you can’t have a haunted house without a ghost👻 So I made this one using a Styrofoam ball and covered it with a small piece of sheer fabric.
This is a fun Halloween decoration and would also be a great and easy project to make with kids! Hope this inspires you, thanks for stopping by!!
I’m starting a new handmade journal inspired by Margaret Peot’s book, “Inkblot.” The book is suitable for all ages and it brings out the kid in all of us.
Remember when you were a kid and you used your imagination to create images in clouds that floated by in the sky? The premise behind this book is basically the same. You create ink blots on your paper and then turn them into some type of image using your imagination.
I haven’t designed covers for it or even sewn the pages together yet because I’m changing the orientation of the pages as I go. So the layout isn’t quite final. But one thing’s for sure, I can’t stop laughing at these little monsters as they come to life. When you view the pages below you’ll understand why. Hope this inspires the kid in you to be a little silly today and create some art. If you’re interested in Margaret Peot’s book, “Inkblot” it’s available on amazon. I highly recommend it!
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“The imagination is the pathway to everywhere.” ~Terence McKenna
Flowing Waters Art 