Saturday, December 20, 2014

Mixed Media Journal Pages

This past year I participated in the Life Book 2014 class with Tamara Laporte. It was my second year to take the class and as always, I really enjoyed it. I'm very behind on lessons, so I'll probably be downloading them and working on them into next year! The middle two photos below were inspired by a class from Flora Bowley. I have two larger sheets that I've started as well...I just haven't had time to work on them lately! (I've been creating bath and body treats for the holidays!)

The flower pages were just exploration and play! I'm looking forward to more of this over the holiday break from school.



Practice with lots of layers....there were quiet a few different
looks prior to the final page!
Flower on watercolor paper, acrylics

Practice using found objects for making prints: cut potatoes, ruler edges,
plastic card edges, dandelion and other out door objects.
Watercolor paper and acrylics

More practice with making prints with found objects. 

Practice with layering and texture. Even though it's tough to see
in this photo, there's quite a bit of texture on this page. Collage pieces,
gesso texturizing with plastic card....lots of color exploration too! 

Hopefully, in the next day or so, I will be able to share my DIY ink tile coasters project. I started it last year as a gift for my parents, but never completed it.

In the meantime....HAPPY CREATING!!!

Saturday, November 8, 2014

My Imaginary World

It's been several years since I created something crazy with Keri Smith's book titled, Mess: The Manual of Accidents and MistakesHer book was SO MUCH FUN and I always hoped to start another one. Just recently, The Imaginary World of (fill in your name) was published. So...I bought it!

Today I did the first project! To get started in the book, I needed to record some of my favorite things...books, weather, artists, landforms, and so on. I completely filled the page in a short amount of time. After I recorded my favorites, I spent some time just doodling on the page. I had some new colored pens that I wanted to use and couldn't resist brightening the page!


Building the database for my future Imaginary World.....

I decided to personalize the front cover by using collage and and a few Posca Pens.

I couldn't resist decorating the cover with my Posca Pens!

I'm looking forward to creating and exploring MY IMAGINARY WORLD!! 

Friday, October 24, 2014

Update and Return to Blog!

Wow....it took me a long time to get back into writing and posting on the blog.  The summer was enjoyable but very busy and the start to the school year, well, it's been a challenge as always. I've pretty much put everything creative on hold as other things were more important. I feel like it is time to get back into doing some of the things I love, so I'm putting my words into action with my first post in a very long time.

Much has happened since my last post...even prior to that post, so I've chosen a few of the highlights, some of my favorite things, amongst the last several months to share.

In June, we traveled to Sequim, WA (xoxoxo) and decided we were close enough to Seattle to run the Rock and Roll Half Marathon. Well, it actually wasn't that close, as we had to get up at 3:00 AM...(YES 3:00 AM!!) and drive to Seattle. Even with the long drive and challenging course, we had a blast! It was the first time that we signed up for the VIP tent and it was definitely worth it. We met fellow runners while there and enjoyed hanging out before and after the run. The day was absolutely beautiful!


                                        
                                                 Seattle Rock and Roll Half Marathon, June 2014

Rog and I hanging out after the run...

After the run, we enjoyed many things in Sequim. There's so much to do! We visited two different Lavender farms (Purple Haze and Victor's Lavender Farm), ran along a trail to Port Angeles one afternoon, hiked to waterfalls, spent time on the beach, visited Hurricane Ridge and Dungeness Spit...and so much more. I could probably write a blog post about each day and what we saw along the way. I always love visiting the Pacific Northwest and this was definitely another amazing trip. There's nothing better than the ocean, the mountains, and perfect weather....

Purple Haze Lavender Farm. Lavender ice cream, lotion, spray, just about anything you could
dream of...made of LAVENDER! I would love to work here. 

My favorite running trail....right beside the ocean. It was incredible listening to the waves
and the rustle of the leaves in the trees (along the side not in photo). I wish I could run on this trail every day! 

Running along the trail to Port Angeles....we stopped in town and shared a
Dairy Queen float before running back!

Sol Duc Falls in Olympic National Park
Located behind the rental we stayed was a beautiful rocky beach and amazing views...like Protection Island. There's a really interesting story behind this island if you'd like to read it. I loved sitting on the porch and listening to the waves. I also loved watching the wildlife. During our visit we saw a killer whale the first day! We also saw bald eagles, seals, and a variety of other birds.

Ocean view of Protection Island one evening...I'm in love. xoxo

Leaving all that beauty behind was hard! I often wonder if people who live in such beautiful places take the nature for granted or if they truly enjoy it each day.

After arriving home, "Project Declutter" began. It's always a long process, but I did clean out and reorganize a closet and several drawers. We even did a little decluttering in the garage. I'm still not done with this project and hope to work on it more next summer as we have a lot of clutter!! 

Everything pulled out of the closet....

Two very cute beagles, but not such good helpers. ha!
We also had an extra job or two that we worked during the summer. Seems like there was something to keep us busy every day! 

It wasn't long before it was time to start back to school. I'm thankful for the time we had to journey to other places and get some much needed maintenance done around the house. I was also thankful for a little extra time with family.

The days since August have flown by quickly and I'm in denial that it is nearly November! A few things to look forward to in the coming months....Tulsa Run, Tulsa Half Marathon, a new book adventure with Keri Smith's The Imaginary World of ___________,(remember Messy Book?) and more of Life Book 2014. I'm looking forward to sharing each of these and more!

Take care and have a great weekend!





Sunday, April 20, 2014

A Little Quiet Time

A Little Quiet Time...

Where have the last several weeks gone? I can't believe my last post was over a month ago! The last month has been filled with half marathon training, overcoming some health issues, keeping up with the never-ending "to do" list, and squeezing in moments of art here and there. This afternoon, I'm thankful to have a few minutes of quiet time to get back on track. Well, mostly quiet, except for Abbey's cute snoring.

It's the perfect afternoon for napping....I think I should join her!

I was able to spend some time last night creating some cute Easter cards for my mom, dad, and sister. I used the ideas I learned from one of the Life Book 2014 lessons to create two "Quirky Animals" cards....a bunny and an elephant.

My sister chose to keep the pink bunny, while my mom and dad wanted
the purple elephant.



The Quirky Animals lesson..it turned out very cute!


Well, my quiet time is coming to an end. I need to get some house work done, make some body lotion bars as gifts, finish some laundry, get lunches ready for tomorrow, and sneak in an hour run at some point. Too bad the weekends can't be 3 days long! 

I hope each of you had a blessed time with family over the holiday weekend! Have a great week!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Posca Pens

I love getting new art supplies. After hearing so many wonderful things about Posca Paint Pens, I decided to give them try. They aren't easy to find, so I was happy to see them on Amazon. I ordered a set of 8 fine tip pens and received them within a few days.

The pens are amazing. They easily glide over a variety of surfaces such as wood, canvas, paper, and glass. So far I have only used them on watercolor paper and canvas. The colors are vibrant and the ink flow is smooth. Even though they are "fine" tipped, I think I would also like to have the extra fine tip for writing words....adding them to my wish list now!

Here are a few of the mixed media journal pages I've completed using the pens....

Posca Pens used for outlining flowers and drawing symbols. I
used a Sharpie pen to do the writing at the lower left corner.


On this page I primarily used the white posca pen for highlighting
and details. 

Both pages were created based on lessons from the Life Book 2014 class (lessons by Alena Hennessy and Tamara Laporte). Since I am still working on the 29 Faces Challenge (even though it is finished!), I am counting the girl on the swing as face #10.

Work in progress on canvas...posca pens used for outlining and adding
shapes...I'll post the final pic when it is completed. 

I can definitely say that if you are thinking about purchasing Posca Pens, they are well worth the investment. I love mine!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

A Few Sketches

Last weekend I completed a few sketches for the 29 Faces Challenge and I'm finally getting them posted! The challenge is over and I am no where near finishing the faces....not even halfway. Still, I plan on completing the challenge, even if it takes me a little longer.

It's tough to post these faces without color. At some point, I'm looking forward to adding paint, collage, and watercolor to each of them!

DAYS 6-9

More faces are on the way....along with some fun with my new Posca Pens!











Monday, February 17, 2014

Faces, Faces, Faces!

It's an understatement to say that I'm a little behind on creating faces for the 29 Faces Challenge. I had hoped to complete at least a sketch each day, but feel a little obsessed about giving each page color, which takes quite a bit of time!

So, I 'm sharing a few faces that are finished and some that are still works in progress. I wish I had more time to create, but my time has been limited to maybe an hour or so on the weekends. Boo!

DAY 3
Manga style face using Neo colors and acrylics


DAY 4
A work in progress..I'd like to add a background and a
few other things. Created using Neocolor II watercolors.

DAY 5

This was a completed lesson from Life Book 2014 by Tamara Laporte!
I learned some fun techniques.  Created using Dylusions
ink spray, stencils, and acrylics.

I'm not meeting my goal of a face a day....even just a sketch, but I've still completed many more faces that I would have done before the challenge! I'm off to work on another face!

Sunday, February 2, 2014

29 Faces

It's that time again.....The 29 Faces Challenge! I'm excited to participate in this challenge for the FIRST time! The challenge:  Create a face each day for 29 days. I am going to do my best to complete a face each day that is at least a pencil sketch. If time allows, I will make sure my faces are spiced up with color!

My goals for this challenge: Be creative...try new things...HAVE FUN!

While I was getting started, I did have some inspiration from other artists. My first page was a limited color face I created after watching Tamora Laporte's video on You Tube. You can see it here. It's a fast forward view of her creating a journal page using limited colors. 

Day 1


The second page I created was my own version of a lesson that we had with Marieke Blokland on Life Book 2014. I changed the face and hair to make it my own style. I really love how she turned out! While I was creating this journal page, I was having so much fun that time got away from me. When I looked at the clock it was 1:00 AM!! I finally went to bed and finished the page after breakfast this morning. 

Day 2


Sugar Sugar journal page from LB 2014, week 4. 

I have many ideas for upcoming faces....I should probably jot them down somewhere so I don't forget. It's all I could think about last night, which made falling asleep a little difficult! I am looking forward to seeing everyone's faces during this challenge! I've already seen some amazing works!

If you would like to join the challenge there's still time. Go on over to the 29 FACES CHALLENGE blog page and get started!




Thursday, January 23, 2014

Inner Artist Guardian

Life Book 2014 classes are underway and I've just completed my first lesson! The lesson was taught by Tamara Laporte and included a warm up page, a meditation, and the creation of our Inner Artist Guardian.

The warm up lesson...paint dripping, splattering, collage, stenciling, and doodling!
I used the quote, "And the day came when the
risk to remain in a tight bud was more painful than the risk it took to
blossom." Anais Nin
Beginning sketch...with many, many attempts at the eyes! 
Next, a little color to the face...I love her already!
Adding collage papers at random places on the page...I used an old book and
old hymnal for the papers.
More color...Neocolor II (my favorites!) I learned
about them in LB 2013.

The completed journal page.
Part of the lesson involved choosing a word for the year. I really thought about this, as several words came to mind. I kept coming back to the word, "peace." I often struggle with worry and anxiety and realize this is something I'd like to overcome. 




Sunday, January 5, 2014

Welcome!

Welcome to my mixed media journey! While I've been playing around with mixed media techniques a little over a year now, I thought it would be an exciting adventure to journal my experiences throughout 2014. The purpose of this blog is to share what I learn with you...techniques, products/tools and of course mixed media ART!

I'll also be sharing some of the journal pages that I create while participating in Tamara Laporte's amazing art class, Life Book 2014. It's an excellent class that I took last year and had a blast! If you are interested head on over to Tam's page and sign up!


I encourage you to share your experiences, favorite products/tools, and artwork.  Please feel free to leave your blog in the comments below!