Plans, Projects, Art & Song

Tuesday already! Where are the days going? Passing too quickly as I work on projects, plans and art.

 I wish I could hold certain  days in my hand forever

I just came across this song and singer Mindy Gledhill I love her voice and  this song. A reminder,  I have to remember that no matter what I wish for, no matter if I have to climb, it is about the journey. Life and art are one in the same that way to me. It is always the journey isn't it? Making the most of special moments and even the simple moments. Like dipping your brush in paint and touching the canvas. I hope you enjoy this music video & my message after it~ 

If I had a hundred wishes I would give them all to you~ 

Now I hope you go and take a chance! Live your crazy dream~

 I'll be back later in the week with my color inspiration & more art. I've been working on my great big plans, making wishes & following my heart.  

What big plans do you have today?

Artwork In Progress, Photography, The Waves of Change

Two days left on the count down to the kiddo going back to school. How this summer flown by! I thought I would share another  couple of shots of my painting in progress and our goodbye to summer photo.

 
 Ok, maybe your thinking this is.....but the thing about painting what you feel is it morphs the ideas you had on canvas or in this case paper.

And  morphs it some more so you can see changes happening and like the wind you never know what direction it is going to go. Although now I can see more of the nature theme coming about here and off to finish this up in the few days ahead and get some photos taken so I can share some more!

This week I will be pushing myself to get back to a routine of more regular painting ( starting Wed. when Sammie is back to school) and I have even started a new to do list. Big challenges, leaps of faith and things on the drawing board. I am attempting a few things I have wanted to do for some time. Please have positive thoughts for me and even prayers will be accepted gratefully as I answer to my callings.

click images to see larger

Sorry no journal post this weekend. I hope to get back on track to inspire your pages again this fall. Sorry for failing this summer between the Blogger crash and other things. I will keep you posted when it going regular again. This past weekend was: A large dose of migraine, a helping of back to school and nothing getting accomplished. I hope yours was more fun than mine and the week ahead full of accomplishments, creativity, happiness and good health.

You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. C. S. Lewis

Have you given yourself some new creative goals or challenges to enter into? I would love to hear~

Mother Nature

Hello, I finally have  some beginnings of art to show you.  I thought I would practice a little on some faces and then inspired from my trip to Tahoe I just added in some nature elements. Yes, I am a nature lover! When I was a teen I wanted to work with various organizations, I was very passionate. Then life takes you on different journeys but I always like paying homage to my love of nature via my art.

This is just a pencil sketch with humble beginnings with my thoughts.

I love layering, gesso and painting and although I may start out with a sketch I always seem to travel on.

Thus the morphing continues. She is made with scrapbook  papers, pencil, color pencil, acrylic paint, gesso, matte medium on Canson mixed medium paper. I am longing for a trip to the beach, it has been intensely hot inland and I am a coastal girl at heart. I need breezes, cool air, pine trees and the ocean, destination Cambria. So I hope we make our way there this weekend prior to Sammie's start of school! I promise some photography from the coast and sharing mother nature when she is done!

What are your favorite places of nature?

Art Bag Inspiration

I thought I would share a few things that inspired me this morning while looking for something to post on my craft blog. It just happens to be Art Bags that I am posting about today and if you would like to see some summer craft inspiration I have a round up of tutorials I started and that will be added to over the summer months, just pop over to MsartistSewCrafty and follow along if you like. You will be inspired to try some crafty tutorials when you see them! Now onto the Art Bag Inspiration;

Crafty with an artistically inspired flair
The Art Bags~

Source: google.com via Kathy on Pinterest

 *The Crafty Chica

Kathy-Cano Murillo

Artyshils
Shilpa Ruchandani 

Source: gulfsprite.com via Christy on Pinterest

Gulfsprite.com 
Christy Sobolewski

These artistic ladies have shared their images but another I found and just fell in love with was DJ Pettit!

DJPettitt -Art Bags

Source: djpettitt.com via Theresa on Pinterest

Now are you as inspired as I am to make an art bag? This is totally on my summer to do list too busy or not!

Have you or do you think you would like to make an art bag? 

Don't let not sewing stop you! Check out these canvas bag options; be sure and use fabric paints or techniques for painting on canvas.

Journal Prompt "No One Should Be Like A Caged Bird"

This weeks journal prompt is continued  from my post on Friday.It isn't about making a page related to what I wrote.. It is about looking at found objects differently. I used old Polaroid film that I found expired from a yard sale camera the Mr. found for me. Maybe I will never have the film to work the camera, but I have used the expired film in my journal page and it will also be on my canvas when I rework the journal page onto canvas.

*Please note that in the previous post I in no way was indicating anything wrong with being stay at home mom. I am one. As is my second youngest daughter. You can read my response to a concerned reader, in the comments, should you read prior post.

 I took the expired film glued images on them then wrote and painted after writing on them.

Also you can use imagery not only from magazines but to cut out shapes to represent items from page content. I found an image of the rustic wood and cut an image of the women out of it. Then I used graphite pencil to enhance edges and blue paint on the outside. This was all painted over writing I had first done on the orange painted page. Later not shown here I outline the heart with wings with graphite pencil having it show up more.

I don't let rips, mistakes stop my process I let my intuition guide me

Sometimes imagery can tell a story

My ah ha moment with this piece is that you don't have to have the perfect cage door open, or the perfect image of a woman running painted, imagery can represent those actions without having to be that thing. Example the bird flying at her head representing freedom, being freed. The white on the cage representing a light of freedom, the shape of the woman in white with textures to simulate movement.
If you would like to read the full post of what this journal page was about just visit the prior post here.

 

 What ah ha moments have you had when painting or creating something?

Journal Prompt: for this week is for you to incorporate found objects into your journal page. Also not be afraid to use loose imagery to tell a story. Do not worry about rips, tears or making mistakes.

Food for Thought:

The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Anelou

Quote: Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending. Maria Robinson

Making Time To Create

Yesterday I got to the point where I had to make some creative time happen with paint. I had been feeling like it was too long since I picked up my brushes. There has been so much going on for the wedding, but I needed to sneak in some time for me, my art, my clearing house of letting all go and just being in the moment and creating. I needed this no matter what the outcome of my short session with my paints would be!

Here is the outcome of my creative time.

The tag is something I saved from a flating iron that was purchased. I painted sections over it so its colors would match in with the painting. On the tag it says Glamour, just under it for straight finish /processed hair.
I found the tag in my stash of papers after making my curly haired girl and found it ironic and that is when I added it to my painting.

The two images on the top are pior to adding inks and changing the background slightly.

I wasn't sure if I was done I decided to add inks in the background and see where it went. 

 

Today and over the next week I hope to make a little more time to create as in the days beyond that I know the packing will ensue, travel and all the makings for the wedding will be coming together as will the festivities and family time for my daughter Laura and Charles big day. *I decided to share with Paint Party Friday visit if you would like to see more artwork.

 Do you ever find it hard to fit in your creative time? Do you bring an art journal with you when you travel?

Spring Garden "Artwork In Progress part 2"

Today I thought I would share with you where I am at with my painting of a girl with flowers in the background. If you want to see my first post about this painting you can read about it in this post - Artwork in Progress.  I am at a stopping point. Is she completed? I think she might be. She is soaking in all of springs glory. The jasmine, lilacs, exotic blooms.....

I ended up changing her eye and nose, after getting my little model to sit still for a minute. I also made a collage of some before shots next to the completed painting. So you can see the differences.

I think I need to photograph this painting outdoors to capture its true colors, but I may have taken the photo above before adding pastels making the greens and yellows pop a bit more. I'm loosing track lol, with the science fair and talent show stuff going on for Sammie.

If you close your eyes and smell spring blooms do you see them in your mind? This is how it would look to me if I could capture the word fragrance.

Before are the three photographs on the left, stacked. The purple acrylic paint had more blue and white in it. After on the right more purple added to the acrylic paint. So here she sits like a bloom waiting in the garden to see if she is done evolving and growing like a spring flower. I will share her photograph when I get a chance to get out in the sun and take a good photograph in day time sunlight.

What is your favorite spring garden's fragrances?

Mine favorites are Narcissus 

 

 

Lilac & Jasmine

I hope you are having a wonderful and creative week! 

To be overcome by fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat ~ Beverly Nichols

Magic

A bit of magic,Finite~
Humble beginnings~

A dash of drama~
Needing better exposure~

Honestly I didn't know where this was going to go when I started it. I made this little drawing of the character holding a magic book and wand with the fairy on a stool next to it. So I decided to paint and let it flow and with a little magic this is where I ended up. Sorry these aren't the greatest photos of the painting but maybe later I can get it outdoors and with the right lighting a better capture.

Has anyone else had trouble with blogger lately? Honestly it is doing wonky things when I am trying to make a post which is very frustrating. Like putting the underline on the sentence and not letting me remove it. Grrrr~
PS. Going to take some pictures of my inspiration board and post those soon, I promise.
What have you been working on? Is anyone taking any classes? Have you come across anything fun or inspiring to drive your art or photo shop skills? I really want to sign up for something this fall. Let me know~

Dream

I am sharing with you a journal page I did based off a smaller acrylic painting in another journal. This is done with acrylic paints and colored pencils. I will take pictures of the other smaller pieces I have done soon. (either when the sun is back or I figure out what is going on with the flash on my camera.) I think it is common to struggle with your art goals and how to work it in to a realistic business plan or is it just me? I am planning on taking a class to help me sort out my goals and see what my options might be. I am still planning on opening an Etsy shop. I hope to do that soon!! Any name suggestions? Or should I just use my name? I will be selling prints of some of my photography, art and also some original work. I might have to give a prize to the one who comes up with a name I like! I would love you to give me some ideas!!
Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions. ~Edgar Cayce

Contemplation

Contemplation~ When I did this journal page I was thinking simplicity. I have been using a lot of layers and wanted to just make something not as complex. I think she looks like I am feeling right now, wondering, contemplating how things will turn out. Whether to leave her page as is or layer my written word and a floral paper down to change it completely. I decided to wait. I set her aside for the moment. You'll be surprised when you see what I created next. I was inspired by reading about the sale of some comic book art. I remember when I was a kid living in the city and my brother and I would walk into the comic book store and read them for hours. Always amazed by the art in them. I am not saying I did comic book worthy art, not at all but I allowed myself the freedom to explore with color and in a style I don't normally do. I will post more on that after I take the pictures and upload them. I am just exploring my art trying to find my own voice and embrace my own style~ That is what I am wishing for ~ Until next time, I hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by my art world.

What do you wish to embrace? Here is a link to help you find out @ Jamie Ridler Studios

Petite Marie Stylized Marie Antoinette Almost Completed

Her hair has some raised textures created using Golden's Molding Paste, I tried to bring out the details of that with colored pencils over paint~
Petite Marie has a cake and a pheasant in her hair on the left side an embellishment that isn't showing up in the photograph~
Detailing on the dress~ Some glitter and pearlized buttons~

Petite Marie has not been waxed yet and I may add a few defining details prior to that but overall I am pleased with how she is coming along~ I will try and take some photographs outside in daylight hoping the textural aspects and some other details show more~

Mixed Media Fairy Painting

This is a closer look at the fairy painting. I am back to the work room for some art journal work.