My First Mixed Media Video!

Well, I finally took the plunge into video!  Obviously videography is not my strong suit so this will be a work in progress but I am excited to finally share the process of creating one of my mixed media pieces!

I used a small piece of cardboard that I had prepped with a layer of gesso.  I didn't really have a plan for this piece so I created on the fly which is typically how I work.  

Hope you enjoy this peek into my process!  I hope to be sharing more of these eventually with instruction!

xo

Do You See Her ??

Late last night I had the beginnings of a headache.  Disgruntled and tired I tried to meditate on my Chi Machine in an attempt to get rid of my headache.  I was sure it had to be from a tight neck.  And while the machine helped I found myself still not wanting to go to sleep.  

So I grabbed an 8x10 piece of birch wood I had laying around and some payne's gray paint.  I squirted some of the paint onto the wood and smeared it around with my hand and a paper towel.  I didn't put any gesso on the wood and forgot how the wood soaks up the paint.  I used to paint this way and loved it.  You never know what will show up.  I also love the look of the wood grain coming through.  

So very quickly I noticed a face presented itself!  It is a side profile of what looks to be a woman.  I took a black crayon and shaded around the image to bring it forward more.  

I was happy to be playing with paint again and I feel like my work on wood with these images that always seem to appear feels the most like "me".

Do you see her too??

Butterflies . . . More Art Therapy For Me

"Dream"

mixed media on 6x8 flat canvas board

available on etsy

Thanks so much to everyone for all the amazing comments on my last post! It makes my heart happy to have so much encouragement and support here in blogland!!

This is my latest painting and I have to say I love it! The color palette is not typically what I am comfortable with but I went for it. I had new paper I wanted to use for collage with lots of butterflies. So I collaged the paper on and then used glazes of teal, gold, and yellow. I used bubble wrap with ink for texture and my crayons to color in the butterflies. I didn't realize until I had finished that those crayons made everything pop! It made me wish I had shaded my last piece.

Today I am just relaxing . . . I haven't had a late night out in forever! The concert was AMAZING last night!! I didn't want it to end! It was alot of driving but well worth it. Def Leppard and Heart rocked it!! When I was out and about years ago dating and doing the clubbing thing I don't know how I lived on such a lack of sleep! lol It will take a few days to catch up!

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend and creating lovely things!

xo

Candle Still Life Finished!

"Candles in the Window"

acrylic on 8x10 canvas board

Hope you all had a lovely weekend and for those that celebrate Easter a great holiday! For our Easter Sunday it was just me, Lou, some ravioli, and homemade pizelle cookies that he made! And I ate way too many of them! I also had some studio time this weekend so that I could finish my candle still life. I continued with my monochrome palette and let me just say that painting in monochrome is teaching me a ton about color theory especially about lights and darks. My hubby was the one who suggested the window in the background. At first I was unsure how I could do it but I sketched it out and just started adding color.

The more I paint without the intention of perfection I notice that I paint better and get in the zone more. And I am trying to listen to what I vibe to as far as colors. I saw this color in my head and for a second hesitated because I thought it wasn't bold enough but just went with it.

This above image is the stage when Lou suggested the window. My original plan was just to add some flowers coming out of the smaller candle which was going to be a tiny flower pot! In the end I really like the depth the window frame gives the painting.

The more I do this type of painting with acrylics I am learning to love the forgiveness of this medium! As I paint I constantly think "Hey, if I don't like it I can just paint right over it and start again!" And that in itself is helping me to loosen up in my painting and enjoy the process much more.

I am thinking of starting a landscape next. In my mind I see it with a limited palette of yellow and purple!

WIP . . . Inspired By Wordless Wednesday

Today I dragged out my standing easel. I was disturbed at the fact that it took me so long to figure out how to open it up and get it standing! It was dusty! I had been using my table top easel but it is hurting my back because I like to stand. After many minutes of putting together the easel I was able to get some paint on my latest canvas.

I was inspired with the photo I shared yesterday of the candle so this is where I am at for now. I am painting a candle with 2 votives which may end up containing some mini flowers! Not sure yet. I am going monochrome with this one and chose the color I used in my last still life from the vase.

Below is one layer prior. . .

It feels good to try and enjoy the process and just get some paint moving again! I really want to make the effort to paint more. I am realizing that I just need to practice and forget about the product! And the more I paint I am seeing the benefit of layers! It even feels better under my brushes to paint over a few layers of color. And of course I am a bit frustrated with my inability to get good photos of it.

Hope to finish it soon and not obsess too much! lol Yeah right! :)

Still Life Is Finished!!

Thank you all so much for your supportive comments on my last post. Again I feel so grateful to have a wonderful community to share those feelings with who really "get it"!

I am excited to share my still life once again now that its complete. I lost count of how many times I painted over the flowers! That was quite frustrating but then I tried to realize that it is all a part of the learning process. Too bad my left brain is always working overtime! If you look at my last post you will notice that I changed the table so it didn't look as if the vase and candle were hanging onto the edge. I wanted more depth and with practice was able to achieve a look I was happy with. I did however need to step away from the canvas before I reworked it too much and potentially ruined all I had accomplished.

Hope you are all enjoying this day. I am off to get some dinner soon with hubby and then we are going to take the pug for a walk. The bad storms we had last night have left nice breezy weather behind!

Getting Back In The Zone With Still Life . . .

acrylic on 9x12 canvas board

Lately I have been feeling scared when it comes to my art. I feel like I am jumping all over the place in the art world which I think is ok sometimes but it has become distracting. I will always do photography (its my first love) but I really want to develop my painting skills. My fear is in doubting my skills, doubting I will ever find where I fit in, doubting that I can even call myself an artist. I hate feeling this way. I hate that I cannot enjoy the process of creating. I hate that I focus too much on the product and what will fit in my etsy store. I haven't been able to focus on painting because I am afraid to paint ugly. But I don't realize that in the "ugly" can be something amazing waiting to happen.

So today I decided that I would get back to a canvas that had been staring me down for months. It was a still life I started last year and repainted it twice. I hated the colors, the way I couldn't stay in the lines, and how I had trouble blending. I wish I had taken a photo of it before I painted over it today because you would not believe how much better it is! And what is more important is that I can see that myself. I can see the progress I have made as an artist (dare I call myself that). I painted today just to paint. Just to feel the paintbrush moving on the canvas, to get in the zone so to speak without worrying what it was looking like. I know that technically this is not right but it looks good to me. And I didn't even fuss over the colors. You all know how notorious I am for that! I like the muted colors, the white candle, the peachy vase against the gray backdrop.

I will be adding some yellow flowers to the vase and highlighting more but I wanted to share my progress so far! I will be sure to post it when I am finished. And I hope I don't leave it in the corner waiting like my urban landscape!

WIP Update . . . Urban Landscape

I thought I would post an updated photo on the progress of my urban landscape painting. You can see the first stage of this painting and the inspiration photo HERE.

I am surprised that I made it this far. I am continuing to use only payne's gray white. I made some tweeks to it in order to continue with the perspective. I added some yellow on the buildings to mimic windows and widened the road in the foreground. I almost attempted a car on the road but erased it! Not sure yet how I will be able to do that.

I actually like the unfinished look to it. Sometimes when I do landscape I am way too rigid, trying to achieve an exact replica of the photo I use for inspiration. This time I am trying to let loose a bit and go for my own impression of it.

Would love to hear your input and or suggestions!

WIP . . . Urban Landscape

I have been itching to do another landscape since I finished the one for my friend. So I started this canvas last weekend. This is just the under painting where I am trying to sketch out some perspective. I wasn't even going to share it at this early stage but figured what the heck! I haven't done anymore to it I think out of fear! lol I am not sure where to go next. I think I need to just not think and slap some paint on!

This is the photo that I am using for inspiration. I took this photo in NYC a couple of years ago. When I looked at it again I saw it with different eyes. I right away noticed the composition and perspective. I wondered if I could paint it.

I will using a monochrome palette in shades of payne's gray. I don't know who I think I am even considering this image but lets see if I can pull it off!

Practicing More Abstract . . .

acrylic on 9x12 canvas paper

I haven't used canvas paper in a while but I ran out of boards. I have a harder time painting on the paper. Its just something about the way the brush moves on paper than I don't like. But this time I used acrylic glazing liquid and fluid acrylics which gave me more time to work with the paint.

I started with a layer of titan buff and then added shades of magenta. I wanted to darken some areas with black and added too much but in the end I liked the result anyway. I tried spraying water in spots and blotting it off as well as using bubble wrap for some texture. I could have done a few more layers but we all know how impatient I am!

I think the colors look better in person. Still tough to get a good picture of some of my work.

Hoping to move on to some complimentary colors but for now am liking the monochrome. That color wheel scares me!

Abstract Turns Into A Flower . . .

Acrylic on 6x8 canvas board

This started out as another attempt at an abstract and somehow a flower came out! I was trying another monochrome piece this time using quinacridone magenta with only white and black to vary the shades. As I started blending the shades together I saw a flower in my head and decided to add it.

I am very uncomfortable painting this way with no reference except whatever is in my head. My mind is so crowded all the time there is no room for imagination sometimes! But I will keep working nicely with my left brain and hopefully find a more comfortable place in abstract mixed media.

This piece and my first attempt at abstract piece are inspired by a new class I am taking with Julie Prichard and Chris Cozen over at Land of the Lost Luggage. I love their abstract art and am learning alot so far about color in the Color Beyond the Basics class.

First Attempt At Abstract . . .

Acrylic on 6x8 canvas board

I have always loved abstract art. I love the shapes and blending of all the colors into seamless composition. I have wanted to try it myself since I began painting earlier this year. It is such a different process for me than painting faces or my landscapes. And amazingly it is the most difficult for me to do.

My analytical brain does not like to work this way! Without a reference point of color and shape I am frustrated with how hard it is for me to just let go and see what the painting does and says to me. But I don't want to give up. I want to learn how to paint this way and not shy away from it.

I think what it can teach me about myself is priceless. So I will continue to push through my fears and my perfectionism moving forward . . .

Open Your Heart . . . Mixed Media

"Open Your Heart"

mixed media on 12x16 canvas board

This painting was done for Tam's free class Art Heart and Healing. I sketched her out first. You can see the initial sketch in this post. In that post I shared my frustration with painting on a journal page. So I decided to paint her on a canvas board. I really had fun with this. It is my first painting incorporating mixed media techniques like layering, stamping, and collage.

I only used water soluble crayons for the entire piece as Tam does. The only paint used was some white acrylic for the background and a bit to mix in with the crayons on her face. And I only had student grade cheapie crayons in standard colors. I loved using them! It made shading the face so much easier for me than when I have used just paint. I may have to invest in some of the caran d'ache crayons I have heard so many good things about! I used my graphite pencil for shading which blended nicely into the color. Using a brayer is also new to me and how fun is that?!

If you haven't joined us already please do! Tam is great and I love her style of teaching! You can sign up for this free class over at Willowing !

Fun With Layering . . . A New Face

untitled

mixed media on 11x14 wrapped canvas

Yesterday I found an unfinished painting of a winter scene done in black and white. I stopped and left it out of frustration because I didn't like where it was going. So I picked it up and decided I would paint one of my face sketches over it.

I took my folk art italian sage and squirted some right onto the canvas spreading it around to cover all the black. And then I grabbed a paper towel to blot around and remove some. I was excited when I saw the design I had created with a little of the black paint showing through. Once that dried I put my sketch on the canvas. I had some trouble as I am used to the hard canvas board especially doing the face. When my girl was done I took out the paper towel with white paint and started pressing it into the canvas. Lastly I used my fan brush to add some black birds, which my hubby thought were bats, ( I wasn't going for bats but I still like the effect they give the piece) and was really pleased with the end result.

This is the first time I have done any layering with paint. I really have no patience for it! I think because I had the old painting it just lead me into layering this piece. I don't like to wait for the paint to dry between layers so I just don't do it. How silly is that?!

Anyone else impatient when it comes to layering?

Falling Leaves . . . A Landscape

First a big thank you to everyone for all your comments on my sketch! I am really having fun through this process and love sharing my progress with all of you! And I am excited that so many of you have entered my giveaway! A big HELLO to my new followers!

So for today I wanted to share the landscape I painted over the weekend. It is acrylic on 9x12 canvas paper. This is the first landscape I painted without a photo. I just painted what I could see in my mind. That in itself is a challenge for me. I went a little crazy with the leaves but they were so much fun to paint!

Wishing you a creative day!

Getting Back To The Landscape

This painting was inspired by a photo. It is acrylic on 9x12 canvas paper. I love using shades of orange and purple together in a painting. I have fun painting trees. I don't know what it is about them but I especially enjoy painting the leaves. And of course as always I want to rush and see the finished piece! I try to add the leaves before I finish the rest of the painting!

I would like to get back to painting more landscapes. I haven't done one in a while. There are just too many things dancing in my head. But sometimes I feel like I should just stick to one thing and master it. And yet I don't want to limit myself. There is so much to learn and I want to experience as much of it as I can!

Ever feel that way?

Look Into My Eyes . . . Sketch Is Painted!

Look Into My Eyes . . .

8x10 mixed media on canvas board

Once again, thanks to all of you for your nice comments on my last post! I finally had a chance today to paint her! So here she is all dolled up (as my grandma would say) !

You all know how much I struggle with color palettes. Well, I have to say with this one I decided to go with lighter colors. And I really like the tone of the painting. I thought that pink with white would be too blah which is why I have been making myself crazy with picking darker colors, complimentary colors etc when this is truly what I love. So I should do it right?! :)

These words were written in the top left of my last sketch. I didn't want to forget them. And in the sketch I had a barette in her hair. What do you guys think? I am on the fence as to whether she needs it . . .

It is also my first time painting this type of eye. I have so much fun with the eyes. Especially when it comes to lashes, shadowing and that kind of stuff. To me its like makeup! lol

Well, I hope you all like her painted as much as you did sketched!

Love Is All Around Us . . . She's Painted!

Love Is all Around Us . . . Falling Like Rain

8x10 mixed media on canvas board

Thanks for all of your comments on yesterday's exciting news! Later on in the day I found out that my card was featured in another treasury! My little Bosco was quite popular!

Today I finally had a chance to get to painting my sketch of this angel that I showed you last week. I am always on the fence as to whether I like it better as just a sketch. I suppose it is just a different look!

I am thinking my background has too much gray but I wanted to go for a rainy theme. This time I made her wings heart shaped. I kinda like them that way!

Oh, and I signed up for my very first Suzi Blu class! I am excited to jump in and get started!

Hope you are having a beautiful creative day! :)

Let The Sun Shine . . . She's Painted!

Let the Sun Shine . . .

8x10 mixed media on canvas board

Thanks for all of your lovely comments on yesterday's post! I will be starting on the new sketch for this weeks challenge soon and am excited to see how I do with it.

So I finally had a chance to get my recent angel sketch on canvas. I did the background a few days ago and actually thought it made a pretty good landscape on its own! Yesterday I transferred the sketch and the only color I debated was her clothes. Originally I used folk art italian sage but then changed it to white. I almost switched her to another color because I was unsure of the white but left it alone!

Hope you like her!

Painting The Beach

The water has always brought me solace and comfort. One of my favorite places to go is the beach. Of course being blue eyed and fair skinned I need to find a shady tree to sit under! But what really comforts me is the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

Most of the traveling I have done in my life has been to tropical places. I have been to Jamaica, Barbados, Hawaii, Cayman Islands, Puerto Rico, and my favorite of all Aruba. My last tropical trip was my honeymoon 7 years ago to PR. Unfortunately I am not a big fan of flying and since my last trip my anxiety has increased. These days I would rather go on a road trip to the beach.

This painting was inspired by my love of the ocean. It was done on 8x10 canvas board with acrylic. Whenever I look at it I am reminded of one of my favorite places . . .

Do you like to travel? Where is your favorite place?