Tag Archives: Whimsical

The Simplest Things Challenge

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Amy Maricle @amymaricle at Mindful Art Studio hosted a challenge this week called
The Simplest Things which I participated in. The idea was to create art everyday, from the simplest things. It was a 5 day challenge which started Monday and ended yesterday.

Originally I wanted to create a handmade journal for this challenge but it’s been a busy week so I ended up using a 6×6 inch mixed media spiral journal instead. I normally like heavier paper for journaling but the 90 lb mixed media paper worked well for this challenge.

Day 1 Prompt: Cursive Letter L

The photo above is for Day 1 and since I’m in mega love mode painting my hearts for the Expressions of Love Collection I couldn’t resist painting a few watercolor hearts that I cut out and glued into the journal.

Day 2 Prompt: Thread

Now this one was pretty funny because I started with threads which turned into seaweed which turned into an underwater world 😂 You never know where your imagination will lead you!

Day 3 Prompt: Leaf

I painted watercolor leaves which I cut out and glued into the journal. Technically the prompt is leaf, meaning only one but it depends on how you look at it. Plus I was having so much fun playing with my gold pen I had to make some extras.

Day 4 Prompt: Write then Cover with Watercolor

I’m not the type to put all my thoughts and feelings onto paper for the everyone to see. So I poured my heart out into the journal with a watercolor pencil and then did a very colorful watercolor wash for the background. Since I did actually pour my heart out into the journal I thought it was only fitting to add the heart inchies I previously made to these two pages.

Day 5 Prompt: Watercolor Wash and Marks in Pen

I decided to keep this one simple with painted watercolor circles and patterns using a Sakura Micron 05 pen. But the white space was just too plain for me so I added some glitter and now it feels finished!

This challenge was lots of fun and Amy was wonderful in teaching new tips, techniques and different ways of thinking about art! If you’re interested in learning more, please visit Amy Maricle’s site at MindfulArtStudio.com. She created a new online course, The Simplest Thing Journal which is based on some of the practices used in this challenge. It’s currently on sale sale through 2/13 so don’t miss out!!

I hope you enjoyed today’s post. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!!

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“Art is not what you see but what you make others see.” ~Edgar Degas

Photo by Daian Gan on Pexels.com

Expressions of Love Update

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A quick shop update. I always felt that we should express our love and appreciation to those we care about every day and not limit it to one day a year. And that was my motivation in creating this new line, Expressions of Love.

These 5×5 inch paintings were created on a thick 1.5 inch canvas so have the choice on how to display them. You can hang them in a small area or you could buy several and hang them as a nice grouping on your wall. The other option which I love with this thick canvas is that you can easily stand it on it’s side making it perfect decor for a desk, shelf or counter.

They are happy and fun paintings that will brighten up any space. They’ll come packaged in a pretty cellophane bag and tied with ribbon. These are the first two paintings I have available in my Etsy Shop and I’ll be adding more this week.

What do you think?

Thanks for stopping by!!

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True Love Whimsical Village

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I made this little village a while ago and bring it out every year as part of my Valentine’s Day decoration. It was created on an 8×10 inch canvas which I painted first. If you don’t have a canvas, a sheet of watercolor paper would also work just as well.

While the paint dried, I designed and cut some wonky, whimsical homes from Valentine themed cardstock. The doors and windows were made using shaped punches but you could easily cut them by hand.

Once I had all of my parts cut, I made sure everything fit together before gluing it on to the canvas. I added a few stickers, rhinestones and sequins for interest. And finished it off with some doodles, shading and highlights. Of course lets not forget the glitter for the bit of sparkly magic.

There are so many variations that you can make, just use your imagination and supplies you have on hand!

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

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“Love one another and you will be happy. It’s as simple and as difficult as that.” ~Michael Leunig

    Sunday Afternoon Art Journal

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    I recently came across a pencil sketch I did a while ago of this vintage 30’s girl. I really loved the styles back then so I thought it would be fun to create her in my 9×12 inch Strathmore Watercolor journal and bring her to life with some color.

    I named this one A Sunday Afternoon because she gives off a vibe of being completely relaxed wearing her pretty Sunday dress and hat. Her eyes are closed as she takes in a deep breath and gives thanks for all the beauty that surrounds her 😊

    How do you like to spend your Sunday afternoons?

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

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    “Flowers are the music of the ground, from earth’s lips spoken without a sound.” ~ Edwin Curran

    Expressions of Love Collection💖

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    I love Valentine’s Day but it’s sad that it’s only celebrated one day out of the year. Our love for others should be celebrated everyday and not limited to a single day. So I decided to fix that and came up with the idea to start the Expressions of Love Collection.

    I thought it would be a great way to tell some one how much you care and appreciate them. They could be perfect gifts for weddings, anniversaries, or a simple I love you! You could even gift one to show your appreciation to a special some one for all that they do.

    The four paintings shown here are a work in progress so stay tuned. They’ll be available in different sizes and styles to fit your specific needs. Best of all, they will available all year.

    What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

    Thanks for stopping by!!

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    “Forever and always, from me to you. My love is pure, my love is true. It is gifted to none other than you.” ~Truth Devour

    Fresh Start Art Journal

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    I finally finished my art journal layout. I tried new techniques with this one but wasn’t so crazy about it. I had to keep switching out my ideas because things kept going sideways but that’s a part of the process. So I’ll have to rethink this a bit. But nevertheless, it was lots of fun experimenting.

    Since it’s still just a few weeks into the new year, I found the words “Fresh Start” in a magazine and thought it went well. One thing I really like is how her blue hair turned out with the gold highlights.

    Some of my supplies came in so I’m going to work on creating a few new paintings. How are you going to spend your weekend? Hope you have something fun planned 😊

    Thanks for stopping by!!!

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    “I am open to the mystery and magic this new beginning brings.” ~Unknown

    Valentine’s Day Paintings

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    Can you believe that Valentine’s Day is already knocking on our doors and is only one month away? It’s one of my favorite holidays, but I wish it was longer than just 1 day. I always felt you should celebrate love every day of your life and not limit it to a single day 💖

    I’m working on some new paintings but the ones in this post are currently available in my Etsy Shop. I’ll keep you posted with the progress on the others, but for now I’m waiting on a few supplies to come in.

    I really enjoyed making all of these bright, fun mini paintings filled with lots of love. I love how the confetti makes it look like a celebration, it’s just fun! With that said the canvas panels with the creative lettering are my favorite. Which one is your favorite?

    Have a wonderful weekend!

    Thanks for stopping by!!

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    “I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.” ~Roy Croft

    For the Love of Outdoors Art Journal

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    I came across an old issue of Romantic Homes Magazine and fell in love with some of the images. So I thought it would be fun to cut them out and turn them into a journaling layout.

    I started with blank pages where I wrote thank you notes to all of my family members who are no longer here but inspired me on my artistic journey. It felt good to create this journal layout with all that gratitude as the foundation for these pages.

    It took a bit of time to finish because there were quite a few layers and I had to be patient and let things dry. I was going to for a romantic and dreamy vibe. And I wanted to pull the viewer into my magical garden. What do you think?

    Hope this inspires you create a fun journal layout with some images you love!

    Thanks for stopping by!!!

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    “Gratitude is the single most important ingredient to living a successful and fulfilled life.” ~Jack Canfield

    Thoughtful Thursday Draw Yourself Calm Book Review

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    Last year I had the pleasure of participating in Amy Maricle’s Inchie Challenge which was a lots of fun. I had so much fun that I bought her book, “Draw Yourself Calm.”

    It’s a wonderful book that is well written and teaches you to simply slow down. The best part is you only need minimal supplies to get started. I find the practice of creating these mini works of art very calming and relaxing, a good way to destress. It’s also a good warm up for me to get the creative energy flowing.

    In this video you an see the inchies I made for Amy’s 2022 Challenge that I put into a handmade book I created. I hope you’ll hop over to her site, Mindfulartstudio.com and learn more about Amy and her work. Highly recommended!

    Stay inspired and create some art!

    Thanks for stopping by!!

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    “Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” ~Edgar Degas


    In art she found herself Mixed Media Canvas

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    Thought I’d share with you a mixed media canvas I made a while ago titled “In art she found herself.” I created this on a 9×12 inch canvas using cut pieces of patterned paper, acrylic paint, lace, ephemera and pretty much anything else I could think of.

    The little bows on the kite were the hardest. They’re very small and made from crepe paper that was painstakingly folded and tied off with a thread. Then I had to carefully glue them to the canvas. The style at the time was basically a face without any detailing. But I always look at it and feel it isn’t done. What do you think?

    ✨🎉Wishing you a New Year filled with Much Happiness, Good Health and Great Success🎉✨

    Thanks for stopping by!!

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