Trying to Find a Balance

After 15 months I finally started doing mini albums again. I love making mini albums ... but I think I set myself up to fail, when I begin watching all the youtube wonder gals churn out masterpiece, after masterpiece .. and I feel as if what I am doing will never compare.

And then I began to ask myself - why should it?

I need to stay on the path I set for myself ... slowly incorporating my designs into all that I do.

This mini album is one that I started a couple of weeks ago - to get back in the wing of scrappin' and making mini albums. I gave this one to my sister, who is here visiting me from Brooklyn.

I used all old papers that I had ... I haven't bought ANY new supplies in a long time ... and I refuse to by more until I get rid of what I have. So ... for now ... I will busy myself with using the YouTube Wonder Gals for learning the marvelous techniques that they share. Though, I will not let myself be deterred from incorporating my art into all that I do.

Playing with Watercolor

Color me surprised!!!...but I had no idea watercolors could be so vibrant! I'm finally getting around to playing with my collection of Dr. PH Martin's Hydrus line. Right now I'm really just trying to get used to the "feel" of the medium ... but I must say - I'm impressed with the vibrancy of these colors!

Painting with Stamps_Journal in Progress_Part 3

Hello out there ... I've started working on the body of my image - incorporating scrapbook papers and other embellishments. It's a work in progress ... so stay tuned!

For Sherise ... Painting Faces

This is for Sherise who commented on my double canvas post regarding painting with acrylics and darker skintones. I haven't done a video in a while - I need to get back to them - but here is a video I have on my youtube channel where I'm painting a face :

Double Canvas in Progress

Can you believe we are beginning the sixth month of the year!!!! I know I need to kick some things up a notch - the year is 1/2 way complete!! ...so not one to let time go a-wasting ... I'm working on my double canvas today - and so far so good.

Have a great weekend everyone~

Keeping The Creative Fires Burning

I started something new ... this time I am painting on 2 5x7 canvas boards. I have an inkling of what I want the finished canvas' to look like ... but I am learning to just let it flow. Basecoating with Jo Sonja and a little glazing medium:

Doing a quick sketch with my charcoal pencil:

Melancholy ....

Her name is Melancholy ... and she is currently on my painting table. I promised myself this year that I would be truer to my art ... dig deeper ... be freer ... not there yet .. but getting there. It's all in her eyes, isn't it? :)

Something Fun Update

Around Mother's Day I posted my initial progress with an old surface I had laying around HERE. UPDATE:  I think I am closed to finished with this piece ... I messed up the front near the hydrangea and covered it up with all the colors that were on my palette ... and here is how I left off...

Here is the inside ...

Many are telling me they wouldn't want to cover up the design with paper plates ... I'm thinking it would be nice to hang on a wall and use the racks to drape something?...I dunno... what do you think?

Custom Journal - Work In Progress

This latest custom order is for a fellow crafter ... she wanted her logo on a journal. So far, so good. Step One: I sketched the logo onto the journal face, using my fav yellow marking pencil.

STEP Two: I started basecoating the headdress, ankh symbol and her face...very loosely...also adding initial shading.

Step Three: I am now adding more colors to the under tones for the flesh ...

So far ... so good...the sixe of the journal is 5x8. The paint I am using is by Jo Sonja

Something Fun In Progress

Good Afternoon .. I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend. I have several surfaces in my stash that I bought so many moons ago ... and I'm starting to dig through it all - just looking for something fun to paint. This surface is a paper plate holder .. so with the coming of summer ... I am painting it up. I have no clue as to how it will turn out - but that's half the fun!! Enjoy the weekend...and have a Happy Mother's Day tomorrow.

Good Morning!!!

Good Morning Everyone! It's Wednesday ... and that means it is all downhill to the weekend! There are a lot of fun things going on this week - want to make sure you guys check it out. On the New Handmade Collective, there is a wonderful sweepstakes going on - lots of goodies to be had!!

So make sure you CLICK HERE and enter to win. Also, over on the Merry Whatever blog, tons of talented artists are offering up wonderful pieces of art ... with Mother's Day approaching, you'd be giving a very unique and beautiful gift! And last but not least, a new group I came across- Etsy Artists of Color who also offer a fabulous selection of goodies on ETSY. So ... wake up!!...get a cup of coffee...and search for something beautiful...and along the way meet a wonderful bunch of artists. Have a Good Day.

Tea Time Tea Caddy .. Making Progress

Tea Time In Progress ... it's coming along ... I'm trying not to rush it. Roses aren't my best or fav thing to paint .. but I'm not done yet - so I'll see what happens. I'm just "winging it".

Tea Time .... In Progress

Good Morning! I have started a new piece .... it's amazing what you can find when you clean your stash room!!LOL This surface is a wooden tea packet holder - and I've just begun a loose freehand sketch with acrylic paint and a round brush. I hope to paint all the tea packet holders I was able to find - they are a really nice size and weight - so stay tuned!!

Hand-painted Wooden Surfaces for Spring

Just a peek at the outside of the surfaces that I did this weekend - which are done....still working on minor details for both pieces.

Both will be listed in my ETSY store as well as included on the Babycakes Merry Whatever blog beginning April 1st. It will be hard not to keep these - I love them both so much ... I love to paint and when it all comes together like this - it's wonderful. I hope they find happy homes.