Happy Monday Blog Friends!!

Christmas Break has officially started for me!  Lots and lots do do on my list of things to get done during this break!

Like.....get back to my art journal...

 

It seems like forever since I have done anything in my journal except demo...
So I soent some time over at the Art Bar in Raleigh....imagine hours of uninterrupted journaling time...

Its a start....

I have about 6 pages left in this journal....I REALLY want to get it finished by the end of this year...we shall see...

I also know that I REALLY want to learn to draw...always, always have...yes...its that nasty word called practice that is to make me better at drawing...

I started this journal for practicing...
No pressure, right??

 

 

 

Yikes!!!!  Lots and LOTS more practice needed!  I have also signed up for Sketchbookery with Mary Ann Moss...I have always enjoyed and definitely wanted to learn sketching---like Urban Sketching.  I am simply amazed by the sketchbooks of people that sketch on location.  So, I am rxcited to begin my journey on December 26th!

Anywho, I hope you all enjoy your day.

Until next time,

Back at It...

Good Morning Blog Friends....

After some time in bed with the worlds worst sinus infection followed by pneumonia...I am finally back in the studio.  I just didn't have the energy to even make it upstairs to my studio...so for the last month or so, there has been no art play around here...sigh.

It seems like forever since I created in my journal...FOREVER!!!  So, I just played around with some leftover paint!

This past weekend, I did get over to the Art Bar in Raleigh, and oh what an amazing place it is!!!
 

There is a Visual Journaling group that meets on Saturday, so I got a chance to spread out and play with a new set of watercolors that I got!!. I think I have found my new hangout!!! 

Not much else to share today.....

I hope you all have a great holiday surrounded by family and friends!

Until next time,

In Love With The Process...

Hi Blog Friends!

I am so honored to be asked by Susan Carrol over at Faith Words Faith Expressions to take part in a bloghop on the creative process!

 

1.  What are you working on at the moment? 
I am currently loving working on canvas, canvas boards and gessoboard.  Seems like a giant step for the girl that was afraid---completely afraid of canvas a few months ago.  To make myself get over that fear, I challenged myself to paint on small - very non threatening 8x10 or smaller canvases, and complete a ginormous number of them....yes, ginormous, 1,032 to be exact!!!  I figured, to complete that number, I would definitely get over my fear of working on these little gems called canvas, and I would learn a lot in the process.

2.  How does your work differ from others in your genre? 
I'm not sure if my work is any different.  I absolutely adore the work of Mindy Lacefield, and Mystele.  I love their playful approach to painting, and that is exactly what I love to do....just play.

3. Why do you create? 
I simply have to.....If I don't, I am frustrated, and feel as though something is missing.  I simply adore getting my fingers covered in paint.....and attacking a surface to erase the stress and strain of the day.  I usually work very early - the wee hours of the morning are best for me.  I get up around 4am, and that is my ME time.  Everything is quiet, and I can play uninterrupted.  We have a busy household - insanely busy, so, any afternoon time in the studio is not guarenteed.  If I have had a particularly rough day at work, I come home, and steal away to my studio to let paint fly!!

4.  How does your creative process work?
I have found that I do not plan anything out.  So...lets begin:  I start by prepping my canvas/surface with random bits of paper, that I adhere to the surface to create texture.
 

I use matte medium to glue things down.

Once dry, I put a light coat of gesso over the entire surface....

Once it is completely dry, I pull out my crayons and inktense pencils, and just scribble.

Now, its time for some paint.  I will pull several colors....

Without rhyme or reason, I just put color down....

Then, I pull out a stencil, and my ink sprays.....

 

With my most favorite pencil, a Jerry'sArtarama Jumbo Jet Black pencil, I start scribbling again....  Just making marks, or adding words that come to mind.

I found a piece of paper on my table....ripped it up, and glued it down.

I added stamping...

I drew in a leaf shape.....

Then painted out all of the background around it...

 

 

Then used a stencil to come back in and wipe away wet paint in certain spots...

I had a jar lid sitting on my table, and into the paint it went to stamp circles...

 

The word that I kept randomly scribbling, was peace, so it made its way to the end...

 

I realize that this was an extremely long post....filled with way too many photos I'm sure....

So....if you are reading to this point....I would love to send you one of my absolutely favorite pencils...the Jumbo Jet Black pencil by Jerrysartarama!!!  Leave a comment, and I will select a  few winners this Thursday!!!

Thanks again so much for being a part of my creative tribe....so, to show my absolute thanks for having you all here...I will select one winner this Thursday, to win this piece!  Thanks again for being here.

Until next time,

Days Gone By...

Good morning blog friends!  Hope you all are having a great week so far.

I had an incredibly inspiring art filled weekend that went by in such a blur.

Yesterday, was my little guys 15th birthday.

If you can tell me where that time went...I would happily get it back.  I can still remember how clueless I was as a young, 30 year old mom of a 4 pound baby boy, and now, in what feels like no time at all, I am the mom of a 15 year old.  Overnight, he grew up!!

So, Friday night was the opening of my show down at Blake Street Studios in Raleigh.  I love being downtown.

The show was great!  The energy there was just amazing!!

Saturday, I attended an amazing demo/lecture on the Winsor & Newton watercolor sticks and crayons...WOW!!

Such a ton of fun...and oh so inspiring!

The rest of Saturday as well as Sunday, I demoed at Jerrys..

There is just something about playing in paint that makes my world so much better!  All of my worries get pushed to the side as I pick up a brush or get paint on my hands...every single one of them!

Enjoy your day everyone...and thanks for being here to share part of mine.

Until next time,

Back to Reality...

Happy Monday Blog Friends!!

I have to say...back to reality is simply no fun!  I have truly learned that all good things just must come to an end...sigh...

I spent last week at the Pebeo North American Headquarters in Sherbrook, Canada learning their Mixed Media Line of paints...W-O-W!!!

Here is a glimpse of our studio space!!!  Just luscious!!

What an amazing experience!!

I learned to paint with Resins!!!

And had the opportunity to play and experiment for hours on end!

I can not even describe how amazing this was!  Talk about living a dream!!!

On Friday....it was time to say goodbye to the new friends I made...

And head back to reality from my gorgeous, clean and quiet hotel room...

Goodbye beautiful view...

And....back to this great view for a Monday morning...

Ouch....I will be grading for a long time!!!!!

Until next time,

T Minus 24 hours....

In a little over 24 hours, I will finally get to use this little guy!  Tomorrow morning, I leave for Canada to train with Pebeo and their new Mixed Media line... total excitement!!!  Talk about dream life!!!

In the studio, I continue to plug away at the 30 paintings....Maybe a bit more like a painting a week, but, its a whole lot more than I have ever done before!!!

I hope you all have the greatest day ever. I will try to remember to stop, breathe, and get my camera out during my adventure!  Oh, and thank YOU all for being a part!

Until next time,

Day 10....

If you ever want to make your month fly by...join a challenge!!!

Its day 10 of Leslie's 30 paintings in 30 days...and welp....I find myself already behind...sigh....

Most days I cone home too exhausted to even head upstairs to my studio...

I have been invited to have my very first show!!!  The show will be held at Blake Street Studios downtown Raleigh, and will go up with a reception October 3!!!  Sounds great...but this gal has a lot of work to do to get it done!  My plan is to paint like crazy all weekend long...paint, grade papers, get lessons done...and paint some more!!!

Hope you all are having a great week!

Until next time,

Day 4...

I am blogging from my phone tonight as I almost let this day slip right by.

I taught a class at Jerrys tonight, and did this piece for the 30 in 30 challenge...

It was again wonderfully nice to let paint fly after a very hectic day at work... And even more wonderful to end the day with a great art journaling class!

Until next time,

Day 2....

Technically it is Day 3 of this challenge...

I truly enjoyed coming home yesterday afternoon and letting go of the day in my studio.  I don't know about you all...but it feels so wonderful to have this outlet!!!

Thank you Leslie for such a wonderful challenge!!!

Until next time,

Back in the Studio....Finally.

Good Morning, blogfriends!!!  Hope that you all have had a great weekend....and, if you had the day off yesterday, I truly hope that you enjoyed it!  I know that I did!!!

I can't believe that it has been since August the 19th that I have visited my journal!  I have been in my studio...but working on something a bit different that consumed me.

 

 

I was asked to work at an outdoor festival this past weekend...where kids would be able to work on a craft.  My task was to prepare for 1,000 kids!!!  So, for weeks, I consumed with preparing tags like this one...

 

It was a lot of fun, but, wow was I tired!!!!  Luckily, the weather was simply perfect....

 

This morning, it was all about me.....getting my hands dirty in paint, and getting back to work on things just for enjoyment!!!  I am participaing in Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days...of course, today is day 2, and I'm just beginning...sigh...but I am here, and created this!!!



I will come home after work today, and head right back to my studio to get busy on creating todays painting.  I just love the idea of a new painting every day....especially for me since I want to grow and "learn" to paint.

I hope that today is amazing for you!

Until next time,

Goodbye Sweet Summer...and Great News!!

Today was my first day back at it...

I am already frazzled beyond belief!!  No matter how much I try to prepare during the summer, I am simply overwhelmed going back.

Goodbye long days of playing in my studio, and naps, dear sweet naps, You will be missed incredibly...sigh..

 

So, on to my news... 

A while back, I posted this piece that I did on canvas...

You may recall all of the "issues" I have had to face with painting on canvas.  These issues have kept me from a long time goal of submitting work to shows...well, I found the courage to submit this to The N.E.W. Show at Visual Art Exhchamge in Raleigh, and you know what...it was accepted!!!

 

I could not even believe it when I saw my name amongst all the artists that were juried into the show!!

 

Again...I can not thank you all enough for such encouragement along the way!!!  This small accomplishment feels so amazing!!

Until next time,