Painting With Bloom Stamps: A Quick and Easy Step by Step

I have been having so much fun with Prima's new line of stamps by Jamie Doughtery ... and I wanted to share the fun I had painting these stamps with watercolors. For this project I am currently working on, I am using PH Martin's Hydra watercolors. Papers are by Prima - The Romantique Collection - "Hedgerow"

SOUL FOOD Lessons 2014 - Zorana Technique

Brrrrr...it's cold out there baby!! 17 degrees here in the Northern Virginia area! While I am waiting for Spring to officially arrive, I am keeping busy with the Soul Food 2014 Lessons. This lesson by artist Zorana, was interesting using bronze acrylics and our chalk pencils. It's fascinating to me how these mediums can be manipulated. This lesson showcased the hidden patina in the paint. I love simple palettes too ... so I was very happy with how Zorana's lesson turned out for me.

SOUL FOOD 2014: Lesson Two

Lesson 2 on Soul Food is by artist Gwenn Seemel, who encourages us to sketch using our markers. I felt much more comfortable with this exercise - and I chose to draw my reflection from my Kindle. I used my Pitt Pens, going from light to dark as Gwen instructed. This is definitely something I will do more of - sketching and drawing with not just my pencils - but my markers.

SOUL FOOD 2014: Starting The New Year Off Creatively

The beginning of 2014 is starting off with a creative bang for me. I am currently doing Mystele's Soul Food course - and so far it is taking me far out of my comfort zone.

The first lesson, was a warm up = using a Gelli plate and finding inspiration in the shapes and colors of our print. Well ... I don't have a Gelli Plate - so I used what I had - which was a recycled mouse pad from years ag0, when I suffered from carpal tunnel. This particular mouse pad is almost the exact consistency of the Gelli Plate - so it was perfect for Lesson 1.

While Mystele used an embossing stamp, I chose to add texture using a stencil and Decoart Modeling Paste - then I added color with some gelato sticks.

Since this lesson is a fun - warm up - I tried to go with it...and chose my shapes from what I saw with the paint. I'm not sure this is what I was looking to create - but this is what came out ... I may have to revisit the Gelli Plate method later on - at leaast experiment more with backgrounds.

Trying Bigger Canvas

I've been in such a slump ... and FINALLY I have the urge to paint again. Normally I paint canvas boards and mini canvas ... but this time, I decided to really take my time and try a larger canvas. The size I'm painting on now, is 12x30 ... and it's called a Studio Canvas - the sides are about 3.5 inches wide. This piece is slated for my bedroom ... it will be an angel. PHASE ONE:

PHASE TWO - working on my skintone

What's On My Paint Table

I am using up my stash .... and this weekend I decided to create a cover for my new Summer Art Journal. it will be the cover to my Summer Art Journal. The surface is an 8x8 canvas board - the back is covered with scrap paper from my stash (not shown). As you can see, I've already added eyelets. Also used from my stash - luminare glitter spray that I have had for over 3 years...and this was the spray that convinced me not to ever buy spray again. Well, I transferred the spray to larger Ranger Mister bottles ... and they worked. Another thing on this cover are the little flowers....flowers I've had for about 5 years, LOL. They are the ones you dye .... so I dyed them with the Luminare glitter spray. Her dress and leggings are cut from old papers (Studio Calico) that I've has in my stash for about 3 years. Everything else, I painted using Jo Sonya acrylics.

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.