Category Archives: Uncategorized

art every day…july 9-15, 2011

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Long, awesome week, spent teaching and painting.  I had an art camp for 4 days with 9 sweet little girls age 8-14, who made some really fun art.  At night i had two art journaling classes with my “Art Ladies”, a group of my favorite people who come to my studio on a regular basis to share creativity, art exploring and wine!
 
With my busy teaching schedule this week there wasn’t much time for daydreaming and doodling.  My “Sweets Art” art this week was all about color, paints and pattern in this watercolor journal using spray inks, stencils, white paint, and stamps.
 Each page has a different feel, and i used two smaller sheets of paper to create an inclusion. With three sheets of paper i created a 20 page book with a sewn signature down the middle.

 I puttered around in this journal every day, lettering a little….

 ….painting the inked pages…..

 ….doodled some writing……how could i go a week without doodling!!
 …made a lettering grid on one of the inclusions that is now waiting for my profound writings…

 ….okay, a little bit of my drawing, i can’t help it!…
 …some paint…

 This is the kind of book that takes me weeks, months to finish.  I over think what should go on each page, instead of just doing it!  Let that be a lesson to you, just do it!!  
 …the back page….watercolored stamping, stencils, ink…

Here’s a peek into my art journaling class in my teeny studio.  
These are my soul sisters, my local “Art Ladies”…
…this is Meg…
 …Kim…
 …Kelly…
… Jeanne…

 and Kitty….
 and Linda and her beautiful journal!

 …gorgeous pages, amazing journals….
It was a artful week!  It’s my hope you are inspired to go make something “artfully you”!

art every day…july 1-8, 2011

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I love my art journals like cake and candy!  And since i’ve taken the sweets out of my diet (for real), i had to find a gratifying substitute.  Playfully making art pages and filling assorted books with yummy color and sweet inspirations is just the ticket for this “sweets journey”!  Making some art instead of making a cake!
To coin a concept from Jenny Doh, i know “Art Saves”.  Journaling in paint, pens and paper is keeping me focused on some personal goals.
Although i have always made this practice a daily priority, i want to be more accountable and document my progress. To chronicle my “sweets journey”, i’ll be posting a weeks worth of art pages every Saturday.  
Here is my art journaling July 1-8, 2011…..
The fun thing about journaling is that there are so many options for materials and the actual books that to create in.  Moleskines, sketch books, watercolor paper, bristol, vellum, etc.  I have many different surfaces that i work in.  Believe it or not, of the 12 or 13 journals i am working in right now i think there is maybe ONE that is full, every page finished completely!  That will be a next goal. 

   There are a zillion pens and paints to use, along with inks, sprays, mists, crayons, pencils, pastels, etc.  Art journaling enables me to become a different artist in very book on every page.  If i do a whole series in a book, i can keep it forever. 

When i can’t get the artful groove going the way i want it to, i will just make several pages of color splashes, layers and misty watercolored memories, i mean backgrounds!

Sometimes i draw on the pages and my work is linear and “doodley”, loose but deliberate.

Then at other times, i get completely consumed with crazy color and create beautiful surfaces for lettering, writing and soul spilling later.

All of the art this week is inside these 4 journals.  I hope you’re a little bit inspired and can go make some “sweet art”!  Thanks for visiting…..

QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS???  If you are leaving a comment that is a question, please check back to the blog post where you left it , as i will do my best to answer the questions in the section where you left the comment.

Shakey Shakerson’s Premier "Art Friends" Video

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Here’s a little surprise for you, my art friends, a video!  
It’s my very first attempt, and 
it’s a little (alot) rough, so humor me and take a dramamine while you watch it!  

I have much to learn and i would really like to put more video and tutorials on this blog.  This premier rookie version was shot while i held the camera phone and turned the journal pages.  I will “get it”, i promise!  For now i’ll be starting out with just my iphone and a little tripod just to get practice.   iMovie is a great tool, but as you can see i certainly have not mastered the smoooooth transitions to the next frames, oy!   I pinky swear the next one will be good.

But in the meantime, don’t laugh at my A.D.D. artist comments, table shots and off focus tidbits throughout, LOL!!  And at the end, i’m sure you will love the ever so meaningful last frame showcasing my glass table top, aquafina and marker bucket!    It is what it is, and i will look back at my very first blog video with great affection.  I’m just happy that i figured it out, and i did it!

"Blinging It" Tutorial….

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Go on over to the Luminarte blog where, as guest blogger i have posted a tutorial on making some sparkly shiny embellishments with Twinkling H20s, Glossy Accents, and Stickles.  
This is colorful art play!  Create your own beautiful hand drawn decorations for your art journals, cards and mixed media pieces.  One of a kind embellishments unique to you, are so much more special than manufactured store bought things that everyone else has on their artwork.

 Be adventurous, go make your own fabulous embellishments.  And if you’re worried about the drawing part, just draw over and over again until you like it.  And practice too.  You will eventually be comfortable with your personal expression and there’ll be no creative inhibitions.  Enjoy!

artful neighbors…

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card © Jill Foster

There’s a lot of blog hopping, cross posting, guest spots and sharing in the “artful neighborhoods” these days!  I was so flattered when Jill Foster asked me to appear as a “guest artist” on her blog this week.  It’s such a fun way to meet new artsy friends who share your same creative passions.
card © Jill Foster
Jill’s has a beautiful style and makes these fabulous cards.  Evidently we share the same love for color, this orange speaks to me!
card © Jill Foster
 Aren’t they gorgeous?  So simple and sweet.  Go check out Jill’s blog and see how my art inspired her latest card.  I love it!  It’s refreshing to play together in the same “artful neighborhood” (blog world) learn from each other and and celebrate our artistry.  
card © Jill Foster
What fun over at your place Jill, thanks inviting me!

to be true….

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 On Facebook i have a “fan page” called Whimspirations (go ahead, click on the link and LIKE) where i frequently post my inspirational art.  Some people aren’t on Facebook, so i will occasionally cross post the art here on my blog.

…oh look!  Here’s a shot of before i added the first line…..
 So, in some “cyber place” one will always be “whimspired” by these artworks… 
 …be true.