Starry Night Van Got Copy Practice

Another lesson from Artists Studies taught us that to practice we should copy artists both in style and popular paintings. This was a fun copy and I learned that I really like the forgiving blending style and dash type brush strokes for composition. Im sure that pointillism will be a fun one to try also.

Self Portrait Van Gogh Style

Faces are the hardest thing for me to paint and the assignment for Artists Studies was not only to paint a face but to paint my own face! As in the days of the impressionists beginnings we learned that they couldn't always afford a model so in order to practice they would paint themselves. Well I completed the assignment and here is the portion that I have the courage to share. I will continue to practice!

Alcohol Ink Doodle

This started with swiping several colors on glossy cardstock to color the background. Second, draw flowers using qtip. Detail the flowers with white and black pens, stamped centers and a dragonfly. I spent a lot of time doodling, but it was meditative and relaxing.

Art of Artists Van Gogh

Van Gogh and his many beautiful paintings are and inspiration in many ways. This image of Starry Night was painted in 60 seconds in an effort to force loose and instinctual flow. Notice how I said force? Its definitely something I"d like to work on!

Random flowers

The flowers were made using paint blobs and incorporated into context with the greenery. Its very interesting that you can use anything as a jumping off point to inspire and create. This was fun to paint and add some more interest by stenciling text over the background for another layer of detail.

Joy in Art

There is Joy in Art. I always have fun practicing and it does seem to provide more satisfying results in the long run. Life gets in the way sometimes and I got away from my Art practice again and I really missed the outlet. The more I play, the better and more capable I feel.

Art of Art

The canvas is made of paint chips and the easel, paint tube and brushes were laid in using modeling medium, then glazed over the entire spread. It was a quickie and a good reminder of the variety of effects using simple tools.

splats and verse

I haven't learned to appreciate the drips and splats technique yet, but I keep trying. I did like the spray through the stencil effect though and I will try the more often to add a layer of interest.

Colorful Layers

This art journal spread has many built up layers of color, through paint, sprays and stencils. Then it was detailed/doodled on with markers and stamps. They were quick, simple and fun pages.

Watercolor bouquet journal spread

I was excited to try my new Mermaid Markers by Jane Davenport. This journal spread was the first go with them. They have a nice rich color, especially for watercolors. They will be a quick and fun tool to use.

Where"s the tequila?

Practice in still life....

Three limes was fun to paint, but I had a tough time getting the paint to stay put. Maybe it was the layers of different types of paints, its not a problem I've seen before.  

In three colors, What's out your backdoor?

This challenge was to express the new year by depicting what was out your backdoor using only three colors, combined with white, black and gray.  We have spectacular sunsets, which I enjoy. So from those examples I used purple, red and yellow with the others to get the variety I wanted. For me this represents leaving behind the past year and the dawn of the new year. Its a chance to reflect, let go and move forward.

Coffee anyone?

For my art journal, Inspiration Wednesday, I went for a simple coffee mug, with a focus on shading and depth. It was a challenge to not get too heavy handed and in some areas I had to go back and lighten or darken to get to where I was happy. It was a surprisingly fun spread to do.

Blue mountains and yellow flowers -abstract landscape

Abstract landscape number 3 was a struggle which I worked through and eventually enjoyed. I painted over most parts and started over, and I learned that's ok. Nobody even knows, or cares.... I had the hang up about not getting it right the first time, or second, or third, etc big deal! I kept going until I got something I'm pretty happy with and had fun doing. 

Wanderlust fish mosaic

This mosaic was made by designing nine different boards and then sticking them on to the larger backer board. I used cardboard for all the substrates. Which I covered in a collage of different book text, then spread on some paints with a pallette knife and sprayed them with Lindy's sprays. Finally, I designed each tile, then the backer and adhered the tiles.

Wanderlust layered inks, paints and stencils collage

These art journal pages are dylusions sprays, inks and paints through stencils. There are a lot of layers. It gets kind of muddy since I didn't dry the sprays between colors, so I covered them up with painting through the stencils. I also sketched the fashion stamps in white pen to try to lighten up the feel and used a black pen to doodle around some of the elements for interest. It was a fun and simple process.

Wanderlust texture, collaged landscape

Textured landscape. This one started as a collage,which you can still see parts of in the background. Then there was a lot of molding paste, gel medium and crackle paste that was scratched into. Finally, the landscape was loosely defined with color over all that texture. I attempted to paint a red covered bridge since I have an affinity for them, but it's a bit sketchy.  Anyway, I like all the texture, colors and coloring bits!

IW 8/31/16 embedded collage

This collage for Inspiration Wednesday was done without a lot of thought. I just pulled trinkets and piled them on wherever my eye liked them. In the end I kind of like the result, so maybe I should learn to let go and trust myself more. The technique is Embedded ephemera in modeling paste covered in steampunk copper glaze with red highlights. Have fun!

Abstract Landscape yellow sunset

This was a challenge getting the lights lighter and darks darker and keep the tones and values distinctly blended. It was fun to try to get the sky captured in the water and the variations in the mountains surrounding the water.

Wanderlust stamped resist pages

These pages were covered in distressed ink and paints. The white paints didn't take the ink, so the things stamped in white pop out unexpectedly.