Little Owl Paper Clay Demo

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!

She Who is Brave is Free

"She who is brave is free"

Fierce

“May my heart be kind, my mind fierce, and my spirit brave.”

― Kate Forsyth

16" x 20"
Cradled Wood Panel
$100

Begin Again

This is the first new painting I've done (that hasn't been for a project) in six months! It was an unplanned hiatus because we moved in March and the rest of my free time has been spent on our online class Soul Food which we are now offering a pared down version as a self study with only the lessons from Mystele, Jeanette and I.

I started this on a piece of already used watercolor paper. I've been loving tissue paper lately, so I stamped my favorite stamps in my favorite colors on white tissue paper and built up layers from there. I loved it so much that I was hesitant to put any paint on top!

The music in my video below is courtesy of an artist that is from my hometown in Mattoon, IL named Jenna Jackley. She actually is an acquaintance of my daughter which is how I first discovered her. She has played lots of shows in our region, has a great channel on YouTube, and has now moved on to Nashville to make a go of it there. I am so drawn by her sweet spirit and authenticity in her writing and music. Here's an excerpt from her most recent blog post, Passion, Romance and Joy:

"I’m also learning that you don’t have to absolutely love all that you create. You just have to create. Find what makes you feel and create around that. If you don’t know what you love, hate, or what makes you sad, this is impossible. There is nothing wrong with starting there: exploring what makes you thrive and what makes you tick. This transitional period is, in my opinion, the most fun and gratifying part of life!"

Please take a moment to check her out. She has two albums right now, Little Bird and Day by Day. Thank you, Jenna, for letting me use your music!

Mixed Media Play 2

I have a little video to share this week. I didn't start the recording until I started her face this time. She turned out paler than my norm, but I think it works. 

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I'm sharing this for Paint Party Friday. :)

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Click here to enter my GIVEAWAY

Check out our new class coming December 30, 2013! Join 38 artists over 6 months for a mix of art and craft projects as diverse as the different personal styles of our instructors: cool mixed media techniques, art dolls and other sewing projects, jewelry making, handmade journals, abstract art, portraits, sculpting, works on canvas and in journals. Find out more!

Mixed Media Play

Check out our new class coming December 30, 2013! Join 38 artists over 6 months for a mix of art and craft projects as diverse as the different personal styles of our instructors: cool mixed media techniques, art dolls and other sewing projects, jewelry making, handmade journals, abstract art, portraits, sculpting, works on canvas and in journals. Find out more!

Cherished

I love the way this one turned out. I did if for the challenge over at community thrive to use junk or trash in your project. The "cherish" text all came from some product packaging I had and I love the way it has shown through in the end.

The Things She Loved

This piece was done for a challenge at Community Thrive and for the Paint What You See workshop over at One Little House. Community Thrive's theme for this challenge is "love". I decided that rather than making the painting about love, I would use and paint the things I love - colors, shapes, stencils, portraits, etc. Over at Paint What You See, we are developing our intuitive painting styles where you find the subject in your background layers - sort of like finding shapes in the clouds.

Looking Forward

This was just a quick piece to try out my new camera. I really enjoy doing these quirky girls. I'm not usually a big fan of green, but I love it in the background here.

Linking up to Paint Party Friday!

The Girl Inside

The Girl Inside
16 x 20 Cradled Wood Panel

This painting started with the usual collage papers, but then I wrote out the poem "Hope" by Emily Dickinson. I found it quite interesting that this is where my bird ended up showing through... Hope ("the Thing with feathers") is whispering in the girl's ear. At first, when I finished her, I was a bit uneasy about her... wondering if she was "acceptable". But, you know, it doesn't matter if she's acceptable, she's still part of my story and part of my process of discovering myself and my art.

I have a video below and you will see that I made this bird with a handmade screen. I took an awesome class with Lisa Patencio on making your own screens the easy way and with inexpensive materials over at The Trodden Path. I actually didn't intend for the bird to show through in the end and painted over it. Then, I tried to wipe back to it and wiped too much away. So I just lined the screen up again and reemphasized it. I'm so excited about my screens... but I'm also overwhelmed at the possibilities  I can't decide what to make screens of because there are just so many choices.

This girl in many ways represents the little girl I once was and the little girl that's still inside of me now. An awkward girl who feels ugly and unlovable .. but thankfully, Hope whispers in her ear, back then and today still. I just have to listen for His still, small voice.

Sarah

Sarah
16 x 20 cradled wood panel

This painting is way overworked. I had originally painted her face with a palette knife and she had a vulnerable and almost fearful expression. Like she was afraid to show her vulnerability. I decided that I didn't like the contrast of the palette knife face with the brush stroke hair so I repainted her face with a brush. In the process, she lost that expression. Now her expression is much more sad, reserved, thoughtful. As I thought about this change, I realized how this could represent me so thoroughly. I tend to hide my vulnerability and fear being wounded by exposing it.So I cover it up, hide it with fake self assuredness, but end up sad and reserved. This brings me back to my word for the year - Restore. I'm working to restore my vulnerability and authenticity. Trying to fight through the fear to live life as who I really am... to live life whole.

Linking this up with Sunday Sketches!

Janie

Kooky Girl

New painting using a palette knife. This one seemed a little oddball to me. :) I do love her though. I have a video for this one, hope you enjoy!

Also, I have new prints available in my Shop!

Dancing Queen Series

This series came about after I made Dancing Queen. Every time I look at her, that song gets stuck in my head and it was there as soon as I finished her face as well. After I finished, I realized I wanted to spend more time with her, so I decided to make a series for the first time. I have really, really enjoyed this and may try it with a couple of my other paintings. There is a video below of me creating the final painting.

These make faces 8 - 12 for me for the 29 Faces Challenge. I'm quite behind and hopeful that I can complete this! You can learn more about the 29 Faces Challenge HERE. You can find the list of other participants to visit HERE.

**Please check out my giveaway!

Dancing Queen Original	Dancing Queen 2, Face #8
Dancing Queen 3, Face #9	Dancing Queen 4, Face #10
Dancing Queen 6, Face #12	Dancing Queen 5, Face #11