A Jump On The New Year

This week I decided to jump start my New Year creatively, and work on some projects I'd put to the side before the holidays. I began a painted journal a while back, An Artful Journey, and after a couple of false start, I've picked it back up again. I may do another video as I begin the pages ... but for right now, I wanted to give you a peek at my progress. Anyone else out there getting a creative jump start?...or are you still recovering from the holidays?

There's A Give-Away Going On...

..all you have to do is read each day's entry and post!! Check it out on Scraps Of Color E:spire

Have A Wonderful Christmas!!

I wanted to wish all of my online friends the very best Christmas and New Year! My wish for all of you is to have good health, prosperity & blessings throughout the New Year.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Santa's Coming!!

Can you believe Christmas is in a couple of weeks?? Where in the world did this year go??

This weekend I had Christmas on the brain, as I started going over my holiday decorations ... and came upon some rusty tin tree toppers, that I'd bought about 5 years ago. When I first started decorative painting in 2000, I went berserk buying all the latest paints, brushes ... and surfaces. I can't tell you how many surfaces that I still have - that at the time I felt was "too good to mess up" with my beginner painting skills.

Luckily, I curbed my spending somewhat on surfaces ... and I feel as if my skill has finally caught up with my confidence - or vice versa!LOL

Anyhow ... for years I've wanted a nice tree topper- but never felt as if I had the skills to create my own ... until this weekend. I pulled out one of the tree toppers I'd purchased so many years ago ... and decided to paint it. This year, I am going to have the Santa Tree Topper that I've wanted to have. This took me about 7 hours yesterday .... and I'm really happy with the way it came out. I have Santa on the brain now, and I'm thinking about painting the other star that I have sitting on my paint table.

Check Out Scraps of Color E:spire in 2011 - I'm On The Team!!

I'm so excited to have been accepted as part of the first Creative Team!!!

I feel blessed to have been given this creative opportunity. I've always thought in colors, so they say ... and last year after many starts and stops - I found Tiare Smith online, an extremely entrepreneurial sister who is determined to let the world know that Sisters Scrap Too!!.

Tiare is the genius behind Classy Coordinates. I found kindred spirits on her Scraps of Color ning group, other women of color who loved to play with paper. LOL

Tiare is on the move again, launching Scraps of Color E:spire, and has offered me wonderful opportunity to share my art with you and my love of history. I hope you all take the time to join and become a part of this exciting adventure. I can't wait to share with you what I have in store for 2011.

Santa's Sistah

Hello Everyone!!

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. I have been making cards this weekend - for Christmas - and I decided to make prints of a painting that I did over the summer .. and incorporate it into some cards.

I don't know if I'm done yet - but I like how they turned out so far.

Phases

I've been working on this piece all weekend...and when I went to bed last night, I was really frustrated. I'd planned on sanding down the entire piece and starting again ... but I worked my way through it.



Its not finished, its still a work in progress, but what I learned was to not force anything..that when I get to the point of frustration - I need to walk away.

Creative Columbus Day Weekend

I hope everyone had a nice relaxing holiday weekend here in the States. For any Canadian bloggers - I hope your Thanksgiving weekend was an enjoyable on with family and friends.

I had plans that unfortunately fell through, so I spent the long weekend working on cards for swaps and a custom order lap-desk for a friend's daughter.

I'm not finished, but I got the bulk of the painting out of the way. Now I will be able little details...some charms I found...some painted details on the sides and bottom...and then I'll put the hinges on.

Weekend Painting

Hello Bloggers!

I hope everyone is enjoying the last weekend in September. I have been busy painting boxes that I'll be putting on Etsy next weekend. These boxes are really cute - big enough for ATCs, gift cards ... I love them.

The angel boxes with no hair I painted, to honor a special friend who is battling cancer right now. Its such a hideous disease, and my prayers are always with her.

Happy Fall Y'all!!

Hello Bloggers!! I know it isn't officially fall yet - but I am sooo ready! I love the fall, and these weeks leading up to the official start of my favorite season - I've been busy painting.

Here are some things I've been working on - getting them ready for Etsy:

The larger box I've posted before - but the little portrait box on top in purple is a new piece. It's a perfect size to hold ATCs, business cards or other little trinkets.


This mermaid box, I haven't finished yet, I need to add some details. It's a really nice size, and I'm already thinking of painting up a couple more mermaids to add to Etsy in October:



I plan on really focusing and painting through the winter, as I am moving next September and NO WAY do I want to pack all the wood surfaces I've been saving/hoarding!!LOL So the more I paint and sell - the less I have to pack!

Happy Fall Y'all!

I've Been Out An About

Hello Fellow Bloggettes!! (I don't have any male followers) I'm enjoying the last days of summer with my son before school starts. I hope you all are having a wonderful time as summer wraps up! I've made a little something to explain my Artful State Of Mind.

An Artful Journey Painted Journal

Good Morning Bloggers!!

I am making pretty good progress with my painted journal, which I've been documenting on you tube. Here is a still shot of where I left off this weekend. I'm not finished, but so far I am pleased with how she is coming along.

I haven't begun to think about the background .. but I have put aside a coule of stamps that I may use.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!!!

I'm Still Painting ...

...and posting my progress on YouTube. Feel free to leave me some critiques!

An Artful Journey Painted Journal

Hello All!

I've been under the weather with a nasty upper respiratory infections, which inflamed my asthma. Seems as if the antibiotics are working now ... and its a wonderful feeling not to have to suck on that wretched inhaler!

Anyhow, I'm starting a new project - a mixed media journal ... and I've decided to tape my progress and post it on You Tube. I have no idea what the finished product will be..I'm just going to wing it. Here's the continuation of the first step. I'd taped the very beginning, which included the sketching and initial basecoat - but my camera didn't tape it!!LOL

***SCROLL DOWN AND PUT THE MUSIC ON PAUSE BEFORE YOU WATCH THE VIDEO***

Carving Your Own Stamps

Last weekend I spent most of it playing with my lino cutter! I decided to try my hand at carving my own stamps. It is actually quite addicting!!! I love that you don't really know exactly how it will come out. I did a little trial and error on YouTube the week before last ... the results were too funny.

Then last weekend, I decided to give it another try .. but this time I made sure to use the right ink. I learned that my reg ink stamps didn't cut it, so I got some ink specially for the stamps .. and boy, what a difference!

Self Portrait

Hello all!! I hope everyone has been taking it easy. It has been ROASTING here in my part of the world. Northern Virginia temps have been over 100 degrees!! Wonderful for sun worshippers, I'm sure, but terrible for asthma sufferers like me!

While hibernating inside, away from the heat, I've been doing lots of sketching. I took a ton of photos of myself, from different angles, different expressions, etc. My goal is working on my sketching and face skills.

I've never done a self portrait before ... but here's my first try. Any and all critiques are welcome!

KayTee_Faces in Technicolor_Third and Final Face

Happy Saturday Everyone!!!

I'm in the last phase of Sharon's Faces in Technicolor Class. The third and final face is where we incorporate colors from a napkin that we adhere to our canvas.

The wonderful thing about this particular class, is that you REALLY focus on colors that are non-traditional ... kicks you out of all your comfort zones. I'll be working on her today, and submitting for critique from Sharon later on.

Are We Happy With Who We Are?

I feel as women, we shortchange ourselves in so many ways. Yes, there are a ton of things I can change about myself. There are also many things that I love about myself. Take the time, everyday, to say what you LOVE about yourself.

Weekend Fun

I decided to take a break from Sharon's intense online classes (I still have 1 more face to go) ... and I did a little freehand art. Just fun, funky, off the top of my head stuff.

Face Two_in Technicolor_Completed

I must say, I didn't know how this would turn out when I began. I am so happy with it .. and I am so thankful that there are sharing artists online such as Sharon.

Face Two in Progress

I still find these colors hard to work with, especially since my particular drawing has the models face so deep in the shadows. I still have a lighter blue to add to the "shadow" ... so I'm not sure how this relates to my drawing?? But I'm forging ahead.

Face Two_Faces In Technicolor Online Class

This is the second face from my 3 sketches. This palette is so bright - and I'm not used to bright colors like this ... so I'm having a hard time. As long as I have the pic though, I think I will be alright with following the shadows. She is definitely in the ugly stages.

Faces in Technicolor_Face One_Completed

I love the classes that Sharon has on her Ning site. This is the first of three faces that she has us doing, in technicolor. I've completed this one - the surface is a canvas binder, as I did not have any canvas' or boards.

Faces in Technicolor

I added the Diox Purple to my palette last night ... and I have to admit, I like her. She doesn't seem so scary!LOL Sharon Tomlinson's classes are a must if you are looking to push yourself as an artist.

I will probably do a little more with her ... but so far, so good. I never thought I'd be able to do something like this ... and NEVER thought I'd be painting faces with colors other than my normal fleshtone palettes.

Face One in Technicolor!!!

WOW, okay, so this is scary to me. I am not quite finished, but managed to begin applying color. I always get a little nervous before I start painting ... and this time...boy oh boy, was I nervous!

At first she was really looking like a monster .. maybe its the blues and greens ... but I kept going. This is the first time, outside of doodling, that I'm using non-familiar colors to paint a face. Not reaching for my normal fleshtones was hard for me. In this exercise, my "fleshtone" is light green.

My palette is Jade Green, Midnight Green, Barn Red, Golden Yellow and Prussian Blue. I used Jade Green as the eye and lip highlights as well.

I'm not done, there is still more to the exercise and one more color to add. I also may add a lighter green .. maybe tea green? I don't know yet.

Sharon has really pushed me waaay outside my box on this one!

Sketches_Face Two

This is the second sketch of the same pic. I tried to change the focus, and the direction of the eyes.



This is an ongoing class at All Norah's Art ning group.

Faces In Technicolor _Sketches

Hello All!!

After fighting a nasty cold and asthma ... I finally feel well enough to tackle Sharon Tomlinson's new online class, Faces in Technicolor.

LOVE these classes of hers, as they really make you STRETCH. I'm playing catch up, so here's where I am so far.

I found an ad that I want to sketch, and I sketched it out this evening. I need to do 2 more, so I will have the 3 sketches she asks for ... but I'm already excited to begin.


My surface of choice is a large canvas binder (Sharon is using smaller canvas boards). I used Jo Sonja texture paste and a small amount of green acrylic for my background.

So far, so good. I'm staring at her now seeing what I need to TWEAK...and then I will prepare my palette.

In Remembrance on Memorial Day

Before barbecues and parades ...
Before hitting the road to beaches and friends...
Give thanks to the men and women of our Armed Forces who are giving their lives...
And have given their lives ...
To protect us.

Legacy Box

This is a wooden box I painted over the last couple of days. While I was painting it, I kept thinking about the girl thinking about her past (hence the image transfer on the opposite corner. I am going back and forth about adding the actual lettering to say Legacy or Legacies ... or leaving it plain. I kind of want whoever sees it to not be lead by any words that I happen to put on there....does that make any sense?

Thank you Sharon for releasing all this for me ... I am finally able to pull whats floating around in my head onto what I'm holding in my hands.

Find A Face Exercise

Another exercise from Sharon Tomlinson, finding a face from watercolor. I purposely didn't look at the videos or the work of too many others ... trying not to be influenced by anyone elses' style.

I suck at profiles, but when I did the background...that is just what I saw. The watercolors I used were Grumbacher and Twinkling H2O's. I thought about adding line work - but for right now I'm going to let it sit somewwere and see if anything else pops out at me.

Painted Tin_Progressing

Well, I added a bit more shading and finally found something nice to put on the other side of the tin. I don't know if I will add much more, since the tin isn't that large ... but I do know I still need something...

A Season Of Artful Orange ...Concluded

Well, I'm done with this one - and I like how it turned out. I painted this on a canvas sheet - I buy the pads from my local tole shop. I don't know if I'll frame it or adhere it to something else ... but for now it's hanging above my paint table.

Millande's exercise pushed me out of my comfort tone, using the oranges ... and it also prodded me to play with the different complexion tones and shapes of faces.

There are wonderful mixed media groups out there right now. Some of the classes are free and some you pay for. I encourage all of you to dip your toes in the water and have some fun.

Right now I'm waiting for Sharon's next class to start up. I'm also doing a journal class on Jan Fox's site - which starts today. It's a 4 week class.

Speaking of Jan - I watched a video of hers this morning - making your own alcohol inks!!! For a frugal gal like myself, this was right up my alley!!! And these pens are always laying around and they dry out before I use them.....so why not make some inexpensive alcohol ink? I know I'll use it more so than I do a Sharpie.

A Season Of Artful Orange ...

... is the challenge going on at Milliande's Art Community for Women.

I took the challenge - because orange is NOT a color I am fond of. I generally reach for blues and greens ... purples and deep reds. Never pastels and NEVER bright colors like neon anything or orange.

I just tried to go with the flow today ... enjoy my Mother's Day and see what I could come up with.

Here's where I stopped for today:

Painted Tin _ Still In Progress

Here is where I am so far:



I'm going to stop and putz around with the background some more...then return to the face.

Painted Tin In Progress

I found this cool tin in my hoard of surfaces today. I'm determined to paint as many of my surfaces as I can this summer ... and so far so good. This tin is a nice size, and came already basecoated - so all I did was a little sponging to start off.



I used a chalk pencil to sketch a face ... and decided to use the background (without the sponging) as a basecoat for her face.



I'll be working on her this weekend and posting my progress.

Stay tuned.

Adding Roses to My Mixed Media Project

I've been so busy working, I have finally gotten free time to continue with this little box.

I'm adding roses!!

Along with Sharon Tomlinson's FACES class on ning - I also joined an old online buddy's ning group - Australian Artist Jan Fox. I love Jan's roses, and was so excited when she created a rose group!! Jan does FABULOUS mixed media ... so I'm in heaven between Sharon and Jan on Ning.

SO far, here's what I have done with Jan's rose challenge....and yes, I'm combining the 2 mixed media classes on one surface.

STEP ONE was adding the rose collage, which I used gel medium to get on the box. Then I found a line drawing from Deanne Fortnam's Tolefriends project which was offered a couple of months ago.

Here's where I am so far after putting the line drawing on and basecoating.



Corner One


Corner Two



Now, I can't find my directions to painting Deanne's rose - so I'm winging it!!! Wish me luck!!

More Faces!!!

I finally got some time this weekend to finish Sharon's exercises. After the first project, we were to take the same line drawing and change the eyes. Well, I wanted to do mine on a smaller surface than the first wooden purse...and I'd had this paper mache box basecoated for a while now. So, I decided to do another line drawing instead of shrinking the first one - and I put the final 2 faces on different sides of this box.

This first face, I had her looking in the opposite direction of the first - but I changed her hair. Its actually a haircut I've been dying to get!LOL

The second face ... I was thinking of my Grandfather. He and my Grandmother raised my brother and I for the first 8 years of my life...and I loved him so. He was the most handsome man to me, with very dark skin and pale grey eyes. When I did this second face, I was thinking of him - and how much I miss him. I again changed up the hair ... just felt like experimenting with different hair textures. I realized she looks so sad...but its how I was feeling when I painted her...

I have an idea of what to do with the other two sides of this box ... and it will tie in so nicely, I think. Jan Fox has a rose collage/mixed media class going on, so I'm going to finish HER exercises on this box.

Wish me luck!!!

Mixed Media Online Class: Faces_Completed

I finished her!!!! I love it - though the finished product isn't what I expected.

Choosing the florals from the napkins I got from Sharon - not EASY!!!! I settled on leaves and a yellow rose. As you can see - the yellow rose got lost in the background .. its VERY muted. I suck at painting roses - so adding paint to bring out the petals was not an option!!LOL Also - I keep looking in the top hand left corner, thinking I should put something up there ... but ... well ... I am going to leave it for now.

On Sharon's videos, she talks about basically trial and error with the napkins and gel transfers...so what you may THINK you are going to get - you don't get!!LOL

I love this and I am so ready to continue on with her online classes...the next series is taking the line drawing we used for this project - and creating THREE more canvases...or in my case ... well..you'll see the surface I use!!LOL

As always, critiques are always welcome.

Mixed Media Exercise: Faces Continued

Okay ... I took everyone's advice and kept on going. What a difference a couple of hours make! Sharon's technique for building the face is wonderful. I was so excited to see my little face coming together.

I'm not sure about the shadow placement and I feel as if the nose can be a lot more defined .. but so far, so good. Also, the little valley above the lip - I've always hated painting those, LOL, so I'm still working on that.



Her braids .. I need to get some highlights in there .. but this is basically what I saw in my head when I signed up for Sharon's class - and I am so glad I did. I can't wait to finish this, so I can continue on with the other exercises.


So far, so good though .. thanks to all for the encouragement!!