Happy New Word for 2018

hope

1. This time of year I begin thinking of my word for the year and this year I have chosen the word hope. I usually create an art journal page to remember it, just in case I should forget, lol 
2. It's also nice to look back at my previous words I've chosen over the years. 

I love angels

I admit I've never been good with New Year's Resolutions so I began choosing a single word to guide me for the new year instead. A single word that will sum up the essence and focus for the next 365 days of my life. 

Dresden trim, washi tape and stencils...my oh my!

I like to do an art journal page on my WOTY. 

It helps me to keep seeing my word.

How do you display your word? Or do you?

Don't box yourself into only choosing one word if multiple words or a phrase resonates with you. There is no word limit on this, so choose something that resonates with you! Write journal your word down!

I love all the shimmer!

Don't box yourself into only choosing one word if multiple words or a phrase resonate with you. There is no word limit on this portion, so choose something that resonates with you! 

Do you choose a WOTY?

I would love to hear what yours is if you do.

Supplies:

Gwen Lafleur Studios

Khadi Papers Sketchbook

Vintage Vibe - German & English Scrap

German Dresden Trim

Decorative Filigree Ornament stencil

Decorative Folk Flower Screen stencil

StencilGirl

Layers stencil 

Crowns and Scepters stencil

ColourArte

Buttercup

DecoArt

Americana Acrylic - Lamp (Ebony) Black

Dazzling Metallic - Splendid Gold

You still have time!

Linking up to Paint Party Friday

Happy New Year to everyone!

Challenge 5 - the Americas

I almost let this weeks ITAC challenge go by without an entry. I found a previous background page in my journal that sorta fit the green portion of the challenge  (green is just not a color I use often) and took out a pipette and some India ink and started playing. 

I always try to "let go" when pipette painting, I mean really, it's a must-have mindset when painting this way. Especially when your surface is covered with ColourArtes Silks Acrylic Glazes which you can see adds a lot of glossy shimmer. The ink really slides around and it's pretty much an 

"It is what it is" moment

....lightbulb moment!!!!

I have a Rubbermoon stamp that says just that!

I love it when I am thinking in tune with my stamps!

 Kismet!

Then I thought I really wasn't into adding a currency element until I remembered a coin from Gwen's Going Global Turkmen Jewelry Parts which I thought would be a cool element to hang off the journal.

• Shades of green👍
• Something transparent or sharp, like ice
• A large format feature, XXL size
• An element suggestive of money and currency👍
• One or more elements inspired by music and/or Samba👍
• Decorations made of feathers, metal, leather…

One door closes and another one opens

As sad as it is to say that July's watercolor month has come to end I am happy to report a new adventure begins for me. I have received a couple of commissions to do my Vingette Art from a couple of people and that really excites me! I was only doing "Pierson's Great Adventures" to write and illustrate a small book for my grand-nephew to give to him at Christmas but I get to continue on working away at what I love!

How lucky am I?

day 29
Currently the last of Pierson's adventures BUT I am hoping to write that book
( just for him ) so hopefully, you will see more of that in the future

"I am 3! Hear me Roar!"

day 30
starts the work on my commissioned piece


day 31
Pen work rates as one my favorite things to do! I love how it really brings out the details and makes everything pop!


August
As #WorldWatercolorMonth is over, I've decided I'll be continuing on with my weekly posting of art instead of blogging every day...
and so this begins August
 😘

day 1
Finished "The Little Mermaid" and I love how it turned out.
I swear I could keep this for myself it's so darn cute!
Hahnemühle #Leonardo paper

"Little Mermaid"

day 2

Started on the next one...

it's too dark right now so I'll work on lightening it up some.

day 3
much better and I've decided she will be a fairy in this one!


day 4
And the second one is completed...not sure which one I like the most, but I can say this, I'm pretty darn happy with them both!

"Moon Child"

Oh and I finally got a proper phone and now have an Instagram account. Talk about teaching an old dog some new tricks, whew! I never knew hashtagging was like an Olympic sport! lol
#WhoKnew
😜
#IdoNow

BRB...need a bigger water-gun #WorldWatercolorGroup - day 9

Picking back up on Pierson's Great Adventures, this time we find him preparing to go to battle against a giant octopus only to discover that he needs a much bigger water-gun to fight this guy! But never fear, he will be back!

As soon as mom re-supplies him, lol

I love this picture of Pierson, he looks so confident for a 3 ½ year old!

BRB...need a bigger water-gun

Painted with my ColourArte Twinks , of course!

and the original picture 😉

#WorldWatercolorGroup day 7 "Leap Frog"

I see all these "loose" watercolors and I try, I really do, but I end up using my watercolors just like acrylic paint. I think it's like the old adage of trying to learn to play golf and tennis at the same, they don't mix because of swing fundamentals. So, I am going to back away from painting with acrylic paints and try to focus on watercolor...at least for 24 more days.

day 7 "Leap Frog"

 Meanwhile I am linking up to Paint Party Friday and I thought I'd show off my first week of #WorldWatercolorGroup month. For those just seeing them, these are photographs of my 3½-year-old grand nephew who strikes the most interesting poses, well, at least to me they are. 😜 I always see something "extra" in them and I decided to finally do something about it by cutting them out and superimposing them onto surreal backgrounds.

day 1 "Take me to your leader"

day 2 "Rock On"

day 3 "Magical Forest"

day 4 "It's raining cats and dogs"

day 5 "Riding the curl"

day 6 "Three wishes"

So far, I am having a blast and will try and do one each day this month.

#WorldWatercolorGroup day 6 - "3 wishes"

I guess that would be my expression too if I had a genie by its tail!

hmmm...

1. That I could eat whatever I wanted and not get fat 👀

2. To have lots of money to retire with 💰

3.world peace, blah, blah blah 😎

What would you wish for?

#WorldWatercolorGroup day 5 "Shooting the curl"

Water is one of the hardest things for me to do, but I kinda like how this turned out. I was trying to capture the mercurial power of the ocean and looked at tons of photos in an attempt to emulate them. 

You can see from the photo below that I had to photo-shop the top of his head since it was cut off in the picture...sighs...lol Let me just say I am not the photographer here, but you manage with the photos you are given. :)

His mom said he was looking at a crab that was on the beach but all I could think of was he's surfing!

Here's "wishing" you come back to see day 6!

( that's a hint btw )

#WorldWatercolorGroup - day 4 - "Raining cats and dogs"

When my grand nephew came to visit me the other week it was raining, like every day so he wanted his own umbrella and I got him this cute little monster-brella. He got loads of attention from other adults who thought it was just the cutest thing ever...and OK, it he is. 💗💙💚💛💜

If you've never tried ColourArte's H2O's then you are missing out. I love how they just sparkle, but not like glitter sparkle....more of a shimmer.

See ya tomorrow!

#WorldWatercolorGroup day 3 - "Magic Forest"

Sometimes the picture needs to speak to me, like this one. My first thought as a traditional scrapbooker was to extend the ribbon off the photograph but that just didn't have enough "magic" for "Pierson's Grand Adventures" so it became a magic wand and sorcerer walking stick with an "all seeing" crystal on top.

original picture

Not only am I enjoying painting with my ColourArte Twinkling H2O's...I'm also having fun staging pictures with them, lol

#WorldWatercolorGroup "Rock On! little dude"

Day 2...

Pierson is quite the character and I love these funny poses he strikes. This just looks to me like he is playing an electric guitar in a Rock band, complete with a Rolling Stones Mick Jagger tongue hanging out. 😋

I did have to paint the guitar separately, cut it out and then glue it on. I know nothing about guitars but it said it was vintage Gibbson, I just wanted something that looked cool.

I did use some gouache to cover the background since I didn't like how the first "draft" came out but still continuing with the ColourArte Twinkling H2O's.

And I thought you might enjoy seeing the original picture.

#WorldWatercolorGroup "Take Me to your leader"

I love the funny pictures my niece takes of her son and I'm like the only one it seems that wants to "caption" them, little did they know what also lurks in my brain...HA!

Take me to your leader!

I created an imaginary background and had the photo printed then I cut out the picture and glued it to painted page. What do you think?

I know, I FREAKING LOVE IT!!

I used my ColourArte Twinkling H2O's.

Moon blessing

Hi everyone, something a little different today. I am up on the ColourArte blog and please visit me HERE and check out my video on doing an

 acrylic Moon Pour.

One of things I didn't go in depth on in the video was the writing of the moon blessing. I know there are many of us that don't like our own handwriting on our art and kinda cringe to even think about it. 

I just think we don't give it enough focus!

This is the finished version, and I think it looks OK, but it does have a few "layers" to get to this point.

When I first write it out with my Signo white pen it looks pretty weak, The lines are thin and have no emphasis so I go back over the "down strokes" with a liner brush and some Siam White Opaque White.

I use stencils to give me flourishes and I use the same method of refining with thicker strokes.

All in all I would say I make at least 3 passes over my writing to make it bolder and pretty much treat my handwriting like my art, meaning using layers upon layers to build it up. 

It, like my art is in no way perfect, but I'm just trying to be the best I can be.

Gnome love

I admit, I have always resisted gnomes in the garden, and wondered why people were so intrigued by them.
Do you have garden gnomes?

I now have three wee gardens on my balcony...

The first garden was Petal's (the snail) garden, Buttercup the fairy loves to visit her friend there and they spend all day laying on the moss, staring into a mystical ball and telling tall tales about the future.

Next came Meadow's garden, my little fairy artist who loves to paint on her canvases and do art journaling...I think she is my "mini-me"...lol

I admit part of the appeal... for me anyway... about a fairy garden is making my own embellishments. I made the mushroom door, Petal herself and the crystal ball stand for Petal's garden. 

Next came the gypsy style caravan for Meadow's garden plus a few other things that you can see in this video. ( Some things have been changed since last year but you'll get the general idea )

 And now my latest is a "faux stone" gnome house, an idea I got from Pinterest for a fairy house powered by a solar light. I tweaked it a little...but you can check out how I made mine by visiting the ColourArte blog, and while you're there, sprinkle some fairy dust around for me so I know you visited...

please and thank you!

I guess the other part of the appeal is just a childhood fascination for all things miniature, probably Tinkerbell began that fantasy and well, there are some things we just don't outgrow, lol

Hoppy Birthday card

Just got my latest card back from the printer, I think it's so cute but then I do love bunnies https://www.colourarte.com/product-categories/twinkling-h20s-shimmering-mica-watercolors https://www.colourarte.com/product-categories/twinkling-h20s-shimmering-mica-watercolors. ♥ I do have a video of me making it and if you would like to watch it then please click HERE. It's very short, just a speed drawing and water coloring.

Painted with ColourArte shimmering H20's

I've been out in my flower garden weeding, planting and watering.

How are you enjoying this Spring weather?

Spring Lamb - #ccbchallenge

"Re-birth"

I am sure that wherever you live there will be an abundance if new births come springtime, even flowers are re-born each year. I live close to the Carl Sanburg home and everyone really enjoys the baby goats born each spring, they even announce their birthing schedules!

 I recently did a video for my ColourArte team called Spring Lamb where you can see me draw and paint the lamb in my 7 Gypsies journal. I also adapted a Stencil Girl stencil that is intended as a rose but I used it as a sun :)

 ( One day I may actually use it as a rose, lol )

But for right now I am entering my art journal page over in the 

March Challenge - Re-birth for Canvas Corp Brands.

Spring officially arrives in 15 days although we've had springlike weather for the last month and already have daffodils blooming. 

water color and stencil are a match!

I am up today over on the ColourArte blog today with TWO journal pages and of course my usual video. Stop on over and give me a wee visit why don't ya...

( oh, I think I swallowed a Leperchan, lol )

Not only do I love this technique ( 2 prints are always better than one, right? ) but I love this stencil. Love Story, designed by Cathy Nichols for StencilGirl, was inspired by her painting “If You Want to Get Lost, Follow Me,” and it depicts a couple holding hands walking through a magical forest. 

Sometimes you have to get lost in order to find your way. This stencil contains rich patterns, trees, and flowers, along with spaces in the tree roots where you can carve or paint in the words of your own love story.

cover girl #5

So what does a sheet of paper so big that I had to hang it outside to dry...

my typewriter...

and a face all have in common?

Check out this blog post up over on ColourArte to find out.

:)

Let me know if you visited and what you think!
Thank you!