Day 28

Making marks....is my favorite thing to do when painting...
Here, a simple line takes the show.

Marks are my go to when it seems that nothing is working out....or when I get lost and have no idea of what to do next.

Until next time,

Ophelia

Day 26 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days...

Good Morning...
I lost count...sigh....
I have been painting daily and realized today that I have failed to post...that is my norm.  It is a tough balancing act - paint, social media, promote, blog, post and reply to comments...know what I mean.
I am usually only good at painting daily and not all of the other stuff that goes along with it.  Am I the only one that struggles to keep up with everything?

Its Monday, and after a busy weekend away, I kept things simple...as I was just so tired this morning.

Anyways, have yourself a great day.  Lets show Monday exactly who is Boss.

Until next time,

Ophelia

30 in 30, Days 10, 11, and 12...

Good Morning Blogfriends,
Hope that you all had a wonderful, restful weekend.
Here, it was a rainy 70 degree weekend...I spent a ton of time inside - catching up on naps.

I continued to paint - between naps....daily, and I am loving this challenge for that simple reason - painting daily.  Showing up even when I don't feel like it...because excuses or things can quickly take over for me.

Hope that you have a beautiful week of creativity!!

Until next time,

Ophelia

30 in 30

Day 6....

One thing that I am learning is that the more I paint the more, the more confident I feel in painting...and also, the more I paint, the more comfortable I am with my style.  Does that even make sense??
I think this is another reason I simply love participating in challenges.
I know that I love making marks...I just do....and color....I love color.
See you all tomorrow.
Until next time,
Ophelia

Day 2 of 30 in 30...

Good Morning Blog Friends,
Its day 2 of Leslie Saeta's challenge, and although its early, I am feeling pretty good about what I have been creating so far.

8x8 Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas

One thing that I am enjoying is just the practice...the process....not the finished product.  I just absolutely am in love with the process.

Enjoy your day.

Until next time,

Ophelia

30 Paintings in 30 Days

Day 1...
Good Morning Blog Friends!
I look forward to Leslie Saeta’s 30 in 30 challenge every single year!!

Acrylic Painting on 8x8 Canvas

The challenge usually begins January 1st, which for me, is a great way to kickstart my year of creativity, and to make painting a daily habit.  Leslie was away in January, so our challenge begins today.

I am thinking I will work small for this challenge.  8x8 or smaller, just so that I can keep it going.

What do you do to keep yourself inspired?  I find a challenge a great way to get me going!

Until next time,

Ophelia

Studio Happenings....

Happy Monday, everyone.
I hope your day is off to a great start!!!  Around here, things are chugging along with goodness.
I am not sure if I have shared with you all before, but, I am having the greatest time ever making these little 4x6 paintings.

I begin with sheet of Mixed Media paper by Strathmore and cut it down to 4x6.

I then begin by simply making marks and just playing....my mark making is done by favorite pencil, the Jerrysartarama Jumbo Jet black pencil

I just love the black line that it gives.  With lots of play in paint and many marks, I get to this.

I attach them to a  5x7 Strathmore Mixed Media greeting card base...

...and this is how I create my hand painted greeting cards that are available in my Etsy shop.

I find that I create them daily and it is a great way to stay in my creative practice.  Especially before I move on to a larger painting.  I offer them for $6.00 each, or in a bundle of 6 cards for $30.  

Head over to my etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/opheliastaton to have a look!!!

They are all blank inside so that you can send with your own greeting, give as a gift, or frame them for your wall.  

I hope you enjoyed a little peek into this process.

Until next time,

Ophelia

How Things Have Changed...

Good Morning, Blogfriends,
I hope that you had an absolutely amazing Thanksgiving holiday. 
 I have missed this blog and definitely have plans now that things have calmed down quite a bit to be back more often.
Things for me have been busy - a great kind of busy, but busy in a different direction.
Despite the busy, I still show up daily in my studio....as I am never too busy to play in paint.

Playing daily sets my day, and keeps me grounded.  It seems that no matter what is going on in my world, all is forgotten when I step in my studio and pour out some paint.

For such a long time, I was terrified of painting on canvas---Terrified!!  I have no idea as to why, but I simply froze when it came to painting on canvas.  I have been busy putting those fears to bed and have really been enjoying painting abstract paintings.

This is a small one, an 8x8 but the whole idea of making marks and just painting with abandon completely sets me free.

Things around my house have changed as well.  My son graduated in June, and is now a Freshman at Western New England University - yes, New England!  He is in Springfield, Mass...such a long way from home, but he absolutely love it...

We were able to go up for a visit and to watch him continue to do what he absolutely loves doing.  That makes this mama's heart smile.

Thank you so much for being here, and I hope you have a fantastic week.

Until next time,

30 Paintjngs in 30 Days-Day 5

Tonights mission was to get color down...yes, thats all.  Between a tough day at work, and my daughters basketball game, I did not seek the amazing tonight while working in the studio.  I knew walking in the door at 6:30pm that tonight was not the night to get all fancy.  Working small, and on paper allows me such "no pressure" time in the studio...I love that!

4x6 Acrylic

Greeting Card

I have been loving the idea of scribbles lately...you know, just making random marks.  They make me happy.

I will see you right back here tomorrow for Day 6!

Until next time,

Day 4 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Today was a wee bit easier...ok...who am I kidding.

As tonights painting took me a while to complete, the lighting is quite poor...but guess what...its done!!

I will be right back here tomorrow for Day 5.

Until next time,

Sights from the Studio...

Good Morning Blogfriends.

Hope you guys have had a great day so far.  Around here, we have been gifted with a snow day...my plan, make the day count in the studio.

It seems all I have been doing lately is prep work...I taught a class of 36 last week at the Art Museum in Raleigh...i think I prepped and packed for one solid week!  The class was amazing, and, this was the only photo I took...I had the best intentions...

This past Thursday, I taught a workshop for the lovelies over at Jerry's in Raleigh...

It was a ton of fun just watching them create!

They did all sorts of cool things...

My favorite part...

Totally covered in paint!!!

As you may imagine...my studio is trashed beyond recognition... With this gift of a free day from work, I shall begin the massive clean up and begin prepping for several workshops I have coming...

As for my own painting...well, thats been very limited...

I have been goofing around on this canvas...

...and watching it do what it wants to do...

Until next time,

What A Feeling!!!

Good morning blog friends!

I did a demo this past week at Jerrys...as usual, I had a blast!

Then...

I got to play with my friend Jodi for a day of painting!

Oh...how we laughed, painted, laughed and played some more...

I realized in the midst of it all...that I absolutely LOVE the feeling of playing in paint...LOVE it!

Just starting out by slapping some paint around.

And....just go with the flow....

Push...pull...play...

Just playing...seeing where it takes you...such a great feeling!

I hope you all enjoy your weekend!

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 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,

A Love Hate Relationship

With my studio....sigh....

Affectionately known as The Imagination Station.  Lately, we have been in a love/hate relationship.  I love my space....but I hate the condition that I have let it become....

Pure clutter!!!

Have you ever seen such a mess!!!!

I just honestly love my stuff!!!!!

And, the unfortunate part is I have realized that my space is stifling my creativity.

Yes, the easy answer is just to clean this place up....

But, man oh man, do I have a lot of work to do....its one of those too busy driving to stop for gas...then, you realize that you just have to stop.
Have you honestly ever seen such a mess!!!

I have decided that on Monday....this Monday, August 4, 2014....I shall get order back to this haven that once was mine.

I am going to go through Julie Fei Fan Balzer's Studio Organization that she posted on her blog back in 2011.  It is time......sigh....I am prepared for the fact that it won't be easy...but, it must be done.

Wish me luck....seriously....to tackle this...I'm going to need it!!

Until next time,