There Is Nothing Like A Dream To Create The Future

I made these two pages during 21 Secrets Live.  They have absolutely nothing to do with the program covered. She came out of the background, I hadn't intended to do a portrait at all.

This started out with torn book pages and layers of paint.  Then I added some acrylic inks and lifted and re added over and over. Its very yellow and orange underneath it all. Then I decide to throw images on top.  All the collage is from an old calendar.  I often like to cut up old calendars and use the parts for new pages. I liked the quote "There is nothing like a dream to create the future." If you want a certain life, start dreaming it and then make it happen.

Here is a sketch I drew on Sunday. I was speaking at church so I didn't have too much time to devote to the sketch. Normally I would have written on the dress or something but this will have to do for now.

The Dancers And More

I have been diligently working in my Canson Mixed media journal. There are so few pages left that I am ready to end it and focus on another journal.

The Dancers - acrylic.

Ravishing redhead.

Oil pastel, just playing with color.

I started with all the scraps of papers lying on my art table. Mostly remnants of projects done earlier in the week.

Then I ended up with this.  I love how that happens.

and lastly the fairy forest.

Some Fun Links

Since Link Love changed and I have gotten in the habit of sharing links I decided to occasionally do them on my blog. I've got 3 for you today.

Using a Map for your sketchbook  This is from Jane LaFazio and is really cool. I have a map from when I went to Europe and I think this is what I will use it for.

Make your own Glimmer Mist  This technique uses liquid watercolor.  It looks like it would work really well.

Using a Gelli Plate to print on fabric. I don't know why I never thought to do this.  It looks awesome.

I did some painting in my journal today.The background I did months ago with some inexpensive oil pastels.  The face I added using Golden fluid acrylics. I seem to painting redheads lately. They are a lot of fun.

If you are local and reading this I'd like to tell you about a class I am offering in September.  I be teaching a class on making Vision Boards.  Its a fun way to to set goals for yourself. You can find details on my website.

Pastels and Collage

I got the stitches out of my hand on Wednesday and have been going to a therapist to get my hand back in shape. It has 25% of the strength of my left hand. So I have some work to do.

Meanwhile I managed to finish one of the Rose Tyler fingerless mitts.  I like the way it turned out.  Now I need to make the other one.

I am still doing exercises in the Pan Pastel classes I am taking.  This was made with a stencil and modeling paste.

This one is from the class on Poppies. These have an abstract look to them.  I have always liked poppies so I am enjoying learning how to draw and paint them.


Pam Carriker is painting a face with PanPastels in this video.



She does a really nice job.  She uses a stencil to draw the basic face and then paint with PanPastels. It looks so easy when she does it.

These two pages are from the altered book journal I have been using for some time.  The book is all about whaling.  I had removed some pages because the book is getting to big.  I use Tim Holtz tissue paper for the background and then took one of the pages I had removed and used them on this page.  This is a letter written by Laura to her husband who is a whaler, I added their pictures for emphasis.

On the facing page I added tags and ribbon and a journal space.  I will add some words about the couple on the tag. I love this tissue paper. Its so see through that it lets the color from the page come through.  You can also color on top of it. I found it at scrapbook.com.

Inspiration is Everywhere

I am finding inspiration everywhere this week. In new books, nature and just letting go. I am finding a  burst of creativity coming out of me and the feeling is awesome.  Early this week Connie Hozvicka gave the lesson on Life Book.  She had us dancing with our paintbrushes.

So I started a few backgrounds, they are all works in progress. I started with the dancing paintbrush and kept adding layers. Of course I couldn't contain myself to just one page.

I am still playing with this one. I have been using some of the techniques in this book. I love painting with my fingers.

It really goes along with what I have learned in BIG and the whole idea of Fearless Painting. Its what I am really resonating with lately. You just follow your intuition and paint what you are called to. Just let go, its only a painting after all.

Then last night my friend Jolene came over for an Art evening. Would you believe we painted till midnight.

This is what she worker on. Fine delicate and beautiful work.

This idea started earlier in the day.  I was cleaning my studio for Jolene's visit and saw the masking tape I use to put big pieces of paper on my painting wall.  I usually throw it away but got a brilliant insight.  I will just put it in my art journal. So this is how it looked at the start.

This is after I added all the paint. I just love it now. Can you see the face hidden in there? I think I will be saving all that tape from now on.

There are lots of layers here. I ended up working in three different journals. Its hard waiting for things to dry so I just moved to the next journal.  That worked really great.

There is just one layer and then I added the chevrons from one Jolene's stencils. I imagine when I am done it will look nothing like this.  I really like Flora's idea of using cool colors, letting them dry and then adding warm colors and on and on.

I saw a figure in the background and will expand on this some more. I like to add some warm colors now.  Maroon reds are calling to me here. I ended up painting with brushes, chopsticks, fingers rags, sponges and other pointy tools.

There are a few pieces of tape underneath, more on the circle theme.

This one is only 2 layers so far. I love how it glows in that one side.

The one thing I took away from last night is how important it is to have art friends.  Someone you can get together with and play.  Besides all the painting we shared book ideas, boards on Pinterest we loved, ideas we had seen on the net and more.  Thanks Jolene for such a fabulous time.

This got me to thinking about having a google+ hangout with virtual art friends.  I have done this with writers but not artists.  We could all be in own studios sharing as we work.  I may have to try it with one friend and see how it works.  I'll keep you posted.

Tell me what is inspiring you this week?

29 Faces in September

I was reading April Cole's blog and found out about this challenge called 29 faces in September and decided to take part. Its being hosted by Ayala  There is still time to join in so why don't you have alittle fun this month.  I always find that my faces get better and I am more satisfied when I do challenges like this.  First I have some collage pages to show.

These were made in that old book on whaling that I am using for a journal. Often I need to cover the whole page so its perfect for collage.

This page had lots of dark pictures so it needed to be covered in paint and lots of texture. I used heavy bodied acrylics and stamping.

I started this one with the image and built around the neutral color scheme.  I think it needs a poem or some simple words at the top.  It will sit while I figure out what that is.

This was another experiment, the page was mostly text with one small image.  I covered it with absorbent ground. Its a medium that makes any surface ready for watercolor. My idea of little squares of color was fun to do. I outlined it in black and then thought 'now what do I do with it'.  I decided to use it as a background paper.

I cut out a page in an old dictionary and drew a simple face.  She was made with gelatos and white acrylic paint. She is nothing fancy but will be my first face for the challenge.

Paper scraps everywhere

image from the net

I went in the studio today to look for my Christmas scrapbook paper for a new project and it turned into an overhaul.  I seem to have several drawers full of scraps. yikes!  So I spent the next hour tackling one of the drawers, putting all the scraps in color piles. Now how to store them.  If I had a big space with lots of drawers I guess I could put each color in a different drawer.  So far I have red, pink, blue, green, purple, yellow, orange, brown, black and white.  Now that is 10 drawers, no I don't have that much space.  As a temporary measure I put them in folders and then in 2 drawers.

So my question to all of you out there.  How do store your paper scraps?

I thought I'd play with black and white images, no special meaning or anything with this page other than reading books does let you travel all over the world. I love the image of the little girl reading to her dog. So maybe it has meaning to me after all.

A little beauty for you, she was found art and I painted her over a watercolor crayon background.  The flowers are cut out from old walpaper.

After a long search I finally found one of these,

so that I can make these tags at the Artistic Life.  Shona Cole has the most fun little projects on Wednesdays. You would think that a simple square punch would be an easy thing to find.  Of course now I am punching inchies out of everything....  I love how new tools can lead to all sorts of new ideas and just plain fun.

Have you had any fun today, turn off the computer and go to your studio and play!