Documented Life Project Featured Artist

I am super excited to have been asked to be a part of the Documented Life Project this year! Thanks for joining me! I love the movement with this project. Exploration and discovery... doing what you love and keeping some records of your life along the way. Here is the challenge prompt for this week:

May Theme

Touchy Feely (Texture)

May 16

Art Challenge:  Modeling Paste

Journal Prompt:  "Rise to the Occasion"

I am a texture freak. I LOVE it. Modeling paste is so much fun to play with. Some brands also call it molding paste and there are different types you can get. For working in a journal, you will want to use FLEXIBLE modeling/molding paste so it won't break off your page over time. The occasion for my page is my birthday, I'm turning 42. Supplies and more pics are below!

After you watch the video, come hang out with Mystele and I at Community Thrive, our online art community. We have just set up U Thrive (University Thrive), a totally new learning experience with new instructors, classes and even one on one mentoring! You seriously don't want to miss this!!! There are both free and paid classes available along with art challenges, art swaps, free demos,Stash Talk and other features and opportunities to encourage each other and grow together... to Thrive!

Music in this video was generously provided by Kristen Nelson.

Click image to enlarge.

Supplies used: Liquitex Flexible Modeling Paste, Liquitex Acrylic Ink, Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay India Ink, Adirondack Alcohol Ink

Thanks go out to Lorraine Bell and the rest of the DLP team for inviting me! Check out more projects on their blog!

Community Thrive...

http://www.communitythrive.com/learn

A photo posted by Heather Santos (@heather.santos) on May 14, 2015 at 6:35pm PDT

U Thrive Instructor Sarah Trumpp

Sarah Trumpp from Wonderstrumpet is one of our wonderfully weird instructors teaching for a short time in U Thrive's Flourish 201. In her class called "Fly Your Freak Flag," you'll work with Sarah to unleash your inner freakyfreaks.

But there's more! In Flourish Beyond you will get some one on one mentoring with her! Meet her in this video and come over to Community Thrive to read all the details about her classes!

In Progress...

I started this canvas I January and it's been waiting all this time. I've seen her there for quite a while, but haven't had the time until tonight. Still in progress...

A photo posted by Heather Santos (@heather.santos) on May 12, 2015 at 6:34pm PDT

Announcing U Thrive AND Two New Mini Classes from Me!!!

Mystele and I have HUGE news at Community Thrive! We have been working long and hard on a new course setup at Community Thrive. A whole new learning experience with new instructors, classes and even mentoring! We are just bursting with excitement about it! We have launched the new U Thrive! We have set it up into four different levels, Electives, Flourish 101, Flourish 201, and Flourish Beyond. You can read all about it in our newsletter that just went out or you can head straight to Community Thrive and read about it there.

I am also releasing two mini classes that I'm excited about as well! In the past year or so (as of this writing in May 2015), I have become absolutely enamored with clay. I have done tons of research and experimenting and PLAYING! These little classes are a result of my early experiments with polymer clay. These are simple, inexpensive necklaces that make beautiful handmade gifts. It’s so fun to experiment with color combinations and different shapes of pendant trays. Click on the images below to find out more and register.

In my journal...

Tonight in my journal...

A photo posted by Heather Santos (@heather.santos) on May 6, 2015 at 4:01pm PDT

It's ruff to be a studio assistant.

A photo posted by Heather Santos (@heather.santos) on May 6, 2015 at 5:02pm PDT

May Flowers...

Our art swaps and art challenges are up and running at Community Thrive and I'd love it if you'd come check it out! This  month, I've played along with the art challenges there and will be sending this little piece home with our random winner for May.

Owl and Bird Pendants

Fun double-sided pendants I made recently. Each one has an original mixed media painting and collage. The silver ones are just over an inch square and the copper ones are an inch and a half square. These are available in my online shop as well as at The Vault Arts Collective.