Somerset Digital Studio Spring Edition !

I am so excited and honored to have two technique articles published in Somerset Digital Studio!  It is THE mag for digital artists!  

I have contributed one article titled "Fun With Faces"  where I share my inspiration and techniques for using face sketches to create cool layered digital pieces.  In "Mystery of the Moon"  I talk about my love of the moon and my techniques for using some really cool apps to add the moon to digital landscapes.  

The issue is on newsstands now!  Or you can order a copy online at Stampington.  

Click HERE to get your copy!

Digital Art Process Video!

I realize I promised to start sharing videos with you guys like 3 months ago!

Well better late than never right?!  

This is a recent piece I created in the Procreate App on my iPad Pro.  Included in the layers is a landscape image of a highway and collage paper I scanned into the computer.  I sketched out the girl on a separate layer.  The glitter was a preset brush that is super fun to use for details.  

If you have yet to try Procreate you must check it out!  It is one of my fav apps and is pretty close to the layering you can do with Photoshop.  

Enjoy!  

xo

Abstract Landscape . . . New Mini Tutorial

"the sun always shines again"

acrylic on paper

I wanted to share this piece with you guys today and hopefully inspire you to let go and let the paint lead.  I created this mini abstract landscape using 3 colors of paint and a few pieces of tissue paper collage.  It was done with only a palette knife.  I don't like using brushes so when I can I use either a credit card or palette knife.  Here is how I created this little painting . . . 

*Choose 2 colors of paint and titanium white.

*Squeeze the paint directly from the bottle/tube onto the surface in the area you want it to go. 

* For landscape typically you create a horizon line which should be above or below midline rather than directly in the middle.  I squeezed the gray color on the bottom with some white and the yellow on the upper portion also with a small amount of white.  

*Using a palette knife or an old credit card start dragging the paint on the bottom.  Use a light hand to gently mix the white in for areas of highlight.  

*Wipe off the palette knife and begin doing the same with the top color.  Continue going back and forth until you feel its done.  

*To bring out contrast while the paint is still wet using the palette knife scrape into areas along the bottom removing some of the paint.  

*When the paint is dry tear a couple of pieces of tissue or any collage paper and glue it to areas along the bottom to mimic land.  Matte medium works well for this.  Or even mod podge if you have that on hand.  For this piece I used tissue paper I had already prepared with my favorite word stamp with Staz On permanent ink. 

*You can also drag the palette knife into the wet paint to create more texture and line.  

One of the things I love most about this process are the images that show up.  Over on the right side of the screen on the painting I see what looks like a couple in an embrace in the gray paint just below the yellow.  

Hope you will try to let go in your own creating and enjoy the process!  

xo

A View . . .

"What you really want for yourself is always trying to break through, just as a cooling breeze flows through an open window on a hot day.  Your part is to open the windows of your mind."

~ Vernon Howard

My Fav Palette And A New Class!

I am taking yet another new online workshop! lol  This time it is with Juliette Crane.  I just started her "How To Paint A Girl" course.  I have been an admirer of her artwork for sometime now and thought it would be fun to get back to some whimsical girls.  

This piece is on an 8x8 canvas panel.  I went back to my very first favorite palette . . . payne's gray and burnt sienna.  Oh how I missed seeing them together.  I was going for a landscape type scene.  As you can see I tried to incorporate my recent love of scribbles with the scratches I made using my palette knife. So fun to scribble.  I tried some drips as well.  And then I splattered some white paint thinking how much it looked like snow.  I couldn't help add some of the abstract techniques I am learning into the landscape.  I wondered how it would look and I like the results.  

I originally made this as a background for a girl but I think I like it as an abstract landscape.  

What do you guys think?

Sharing over at Paint Party Friday.

xo

Fun With Letters And Watercolors! (And New Classes!)

As you know I have a bit of an addiction to online classes. The most recent one I am currently taking is letterLAB with Lori Vliegen. I have one thing to say about it (well actually I have lots to say but will keep it short and sweet for this post) FUN!!! I have long admired Lori's artwork through following her blog. Her lettering combined with amazing illustrations are inspiring. So when I found out she was offering a class I knew I wanted to join! I have been wanting to improve my lettering skills so I could feel more comfortable incorporating my own writing into my art. And I am loving learning from Lori!

The two pieces I am sharing today were both journal pages done in Lori's class. I used watercolor crayons and my pitt pen. I purchased a Strathmore spiral visual journal for mixed media and really love the paper. I am not big on art journaling but this class has sparked that in me.

This was my first time using watercolors in this manner and I have to say I am loving it! I like the sheerness of the colors and the ease with which they lay down on the paper. I really enjoyed using the watercolors for the landscape in the first image. I also felt very at home combining my own words with images. I think this may be a new avenue for me to explore!

I was so inspired in this class that I decided to take sign up for Sketchbook Delight with Alisa Burke. I have long admired her work as well and been wanting to take a class with her. I love to sketch so I thought it would be a good place to start. More on that class later!

I am sharing these pieces today over at Paint Party Friday this week.

Click HERE to join us!!

xo

Texture Tuesday

click on the image to view larger

This week's challenge was what Kim likes to call her "free and easy edition". The only requirement is that you have to have a layer of any one of her textures. So I chose her new "scripted autumn" texture for this image that I shot in RI. I love this tree lined path. It was taken at the bed and breakfast we stay at out in Newport. We walk it each morning for breakfast from the beach cottage to the main house up on a hill.

For the processing I used 2 layers in soft light, one layer in multiply and for the first time tried a filter in pink and loved what it did for the image. The words came to mind as I was processing the image. I knew that the path would be the perfect spot to add them. I removed a few layers of texture from the path so the words would show up well.

Here is the original image. . .

Hope you will join us over at Kim's blog to see all the great work being shared this week!!

Click HERE :)

xo

Texture Tuesday

I am still loving Kim's new "dream" texture so I wanted to use it again on this tree photo. And since the challenge for this week was "anything goes" I was excited to share another image with this texture!

I shot this image at a walk trail near my house. I used my point and shoot. I looked up and loved what I saw so I couldn't help but capture it.

Here is the original image (wish I could figure out that mouse over technique!) . . .

Come on over to Kim's blog and check out all the lovelies being shared this week!

Click HERE!

New Landscape . . . WIP

Despite the fact that I had a super hard time getting a good pic of this painting in progress I am excited to share it with you! This is the best shot of the twentysomething images I took. I am not sure what I was thinking starting this on a 16x20 canvas! All of that blank space to fill can be quite daunting!

I knew I wanted to use a limited palette of complimentary colors. I just love yellow and purple together. I am using dioxidine purple and cad yellow medium with some titanium white. The composition is from a personal photo. There are trees lining the path that you can't see from this image which are subject to change at any moment! lol

This has been sitting on my easel for a couple of weeks now. I am hoping to get back to it soon! That is if I can tear myself away from photoshop long enough! :)

Wordless Wednesday . . . Love Tree

Love Tree

Botanical Gardens, 2011

Wordless Wednesday. . .

Newport, 2009

Wordless Wednesday. . .

Our Yard, 2010

Wordless Wednesday. . .

Wordless Wednesday. . .

Angel in the Forest . . . Revisited

"Lift Me Up . . ."

mixed media on 8x10 canvas board

Thanks to all who commented on my landscape painting! I am now mulling around ideas in my head for where I want to take it next. I still have it up on the easel where I can see it and each time I pass by I stop and think. Hope to finish it soon and will post it when it is complete.

This painting I started yesterday and finished this morning. I don't think I was in the zone when I started it which made it a bit frustrating. I printed out some photos of butterflies to alter but when I had them on the canvas I hated how they looked! So out came the black gesso! I covered that all up and grabbed this photo which had been sitting on the table for over a week. It is of one of my glazed abstract paintings I had previously posted which I digitally altered in black and white.

Initially I didn't like how it came out but as always after stepping back it all came together for me. Hope you can see the angel being lifted up in the right corner of the photo!

Wishing you all a great day! Tonite I am heading to Radio City Music Hall with hubby to see Janet Jackson in concert!! So excited! She was on my list of icons I had hoped to see live someday! That someday is now!

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!

Wordless Wednesday. . .

View from the top of the MET

April, 2010

Wordless Wednesday. . .

Tilly Foster Farm

Brewster, NY

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday . . . A Winter Scene

Snow On The Lake, 12/2010