{FLY}

My husband really likes this one (which is so fun!) and so do I. It was nice to just sit down on a weekend and do some creating!

{FLY}

I started it with just a light watercolor background… I knew it would not stay all bright and cheery (not that many of my pieces are bright!) I made the background in the middle of the week- actually did it on the bus on my way running a few errands last week. (Gotta love water brushes and watercolor crayons!)

Then the other night- I woke up around 2am and couldn’t fall back asleep- so at 3am I decided to just get up and work on this piece. I had been thinking about it while I was trying to sleep! LOL So with some yummy leftovers (why was I HUNGRY at 3am?!) and Jimmy Fallon on the DVR I added the branches and then the molding paste to the bird stencil and voila!

 

So yesterday all I had to do was to “grunge” it up a little. I didn’t use any paintbrushes (Well except for the white lines in the corners at the very end!) Thanks Tracy W for showing us the “baby-wipes” painting technique! I used baby wipes, and that small piece of bubble wrap and lots of smaller movements to get the color I wanted… I even employed my own body parts! (Just a finger! What were YOU thinking?!) The final step was gluing the piece of twine I found in my “box of goodies” to make the branches have more texture. 🙂

Supplies! (Totally going crazy using that stamp on everything these days!) 

And again- here is the finished product… Just enjoying the process… Already have an idea- it’s an old one resurfaced- for my next piece. It’s kind of large- so it could be a while in the making! We’ll see!

Finished Product!

 

Did you create this weekend?

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On the Table Tuesday

I spent a long time making this post yesterday and scheduled it for today… and it is gone! DANG IT!!

Here is what I have been working on… I am STILL loving painting and doodling with the watercolors! It is a ton of fun and very easy to just go with the flow when working on them. I got a new 24 color set of Grumbacher watercolors… so I played with them a bit this week too! YAY ME! New stuff is fun!!

I have been so blessed to have some flexibility in my schedule these days. This kind of schedule doesn’t happen for me often- so I wanted to be sure I took advantage of this time and did some creating! The other day I had a few hours in between appointments… so I took my time- brought my stuff and my iPad to my favorite local coffee shop. I drew flowers, watched Netflix and totally enjoyed my time!

Art & Me time!

This is the piece I started in that coffee shop and finished once I got home that afternoon and evening. I really love the way it came out and I love the Signo pens (Gold and White) for outlining. This is one of my new favorite pieces! I think I need to learn to do these watercolors on canvas or something so I can put them up on the shelf/wall.

Close up

This is the piece I started in the coffee shop.

These little guys were fun and quick to create. I wanted to play with the browns and tans that I don’t usually use.

Fun and quick…

I started this next one- then after painting just a few scales left it out on the table and didn’t work on it again for a few days. When I was working on it this time- I showed it to my husband- in progress- and he said… “Oh, why are you doing that fish again? You already did one like that in all browns and golds.” I DID? LOL I guess leaving it out on the table allowed him to fill in the colors in his imagination! LOL Thank you sweetie for the idea to add the tan and use gold for the tail and head! FUN! I love the outlining on this too- just gave it a little more dimension. Fun! I didn’t have any words or quotes to add- I didn’t think he needed anything else.

Here Fishy Fishy

The other day when I posted- I promised to share the piece I had done that was NOT watercolor. So here it is! I LOVE IT! I painted the background with baby wipes a la Tracy W, and used acrylic paints. I used paint pens for the details. This was a lot of fun too and I think I might hang this one up in the house too!

This was fun to do…

 

Close-Up

So- this has been a very fulfilling and artsy month and a half.. and I am loving every minute of it!

What have you been working on?

La-

On the Table Tuesday

So what are you working on these days? I am still playing with watercolors and doodling… and still being inspired by Tracy to do it!

I came to art late in my life but I have always been surrounded by it with my sister and my mom was a super crafty person too- so we always had something creative going on at our house! But here is the thing… I cannot draw. I seriously cannot. I am learning- but I will never be a drawing artist. However- I do feel like the drawing and doodling that I am learning to do and embrace and love- will help enhance all my other art forms- if for only my creative process and an embellishment here and there.

My sister… now my SISTER is an artist too. The difference is? She is GOOD! LOL She has been an artist her whole life. She went to art school in NYC. She can draw and paint and sculpt and knows how to use more mediums than I even know exist. SHE can draw. http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/jessica-murray.html?tab=artworkgalleries This is her gallery. She is really getting to be a really great photographer too- which has always been MY arena. But then again I am getting to be pretty good in mixed media, which used to be HER area! LOL

I love to call her now and ask… so how do I do this? And I tried this- but… and talk “shop.” It’s really kind of fun. We have found another thing that we have in common that binds us even closer together. COOL! 🙂

So without regard to the fact that you just saw her amazing drawings and sketches and I am about to show you my cartoonish crazy doodles… THIS is what is on my Art Desk this week! 🙂 Doodles and watercolors!

HA! This is the worst- but I am working on it. MUST make the yellow less bright! Not finished yet.

What I love about this yellow bird picture is the brown leafs along the bottom. I know odd right? But they are done free hand with the watercolor paints- not doodled first- and I just love the way they came out. I did them first on the one below- to the right on the turquoise flower. I don’t know- but it is something I just liked! 🙂

I like this. I did the background before I did the other stuff on this one.

I love learning how the watercolor shows up. How to use water to make it light or dark or to blend it in… it is fun to just see and play and try without really worrying about if this is going to be a piece I want to hang on my wall or not…

I pinned a few “block” style pictures to get some inspiration from (and then Tracy did some on her page- making me totally jealous! LOL) I also have a few butterflies started… I am sure you will see them all soon enough! 🙂

So what are you working on? What is inspiring you? Are you brave enough to just play and not worry? (I mean look at that yellow bird for goodness sake!)

ENJOY the process!

La-

These are my new watercolors. LOVE!

Watercolors and Doodles

I have been playing with something totally new to me… Watercolors and Doodling! I have been on that website again- you know- the one I post about all the time! LOL Tracy Weinzapfel Studios. The Facebook page- where are the lovely ladies are always inspiring me. I also have been back doing my Brave Girl Art Classes. (I am signed up for both Art School 1 & 2 and what fun!)

Anyway- I just played around with this first one- crooked buildings! LOL Then I colored in the buildings with watercolor crayons. It was easy, relaxing and a good learning experience.

 

Watercolor Crayons before the water…

With water… so bright!

Closer up

 

So then- as I was realizing that I am truly enjoying this fun play process- Tracy and Co have been doodling more and more and even taking their “gear” on the road. It made me realize that instead of playing on my phone or reading a book when I am on the bus or waiting for an appointment- I could play too.

So with that end in mind- I grabbed my PITT Pens, my watercolor crayons, a pencil and an eraser and headed out. It took me a few days of playing with it on and off before I ended up with this! I LOVE IT! (I have to admit- at the end I added regular watercolors for the background- I mean I bought them- so I should use them right?! LOL)

Day 1- Mostly done on the bus and waiting for the Chiro…

Stage 2- bit more details…done in bed watching the news- LOL

Just about done! All I need to do is add the water!

 

FINISHED!

 

I just love the way the colors get so bright and fun! This was a lot of work- but it was fun and I enjoyed the process. So much so that I asked a lot of questions from Tracy and the gals and well.. then I went to the art store… (Did I mention that it is only 5 blocks from my place? Dangerously close and easy to walk to!)

And well, look at my haul! Watercolors, white pens to doodle on top with, PITT Pens in lovely bright colors, a landscape pad, a circle template for flower making and a bunch of paint brushes, including water pens! OH I can’t wait for the fun!

The “goodies!”

What new techniques or products are you trying or being inspired by?

Free Bird

Free Bird

So we have established that I love birds. Good- because here is another piece of my “bird art.” I like her.. she is frilly and lacy and was a lot of fun to create.

This is a loose piece of canvas with masking tape layered on top for the background… I used the end of the paint brush to create the dots. She was one of the first birds I painted when I started taking the class on birds.

And she touched a life…

I was heading to the hair dresser when I thought to myself- I should bring Julia that bird. Then I shook it off thinking… oh yeah sure- that’s pretty full of yourself- that you think someone would want one of your art pieces- let alone one of your first. Silly Girl.

So I went without the bird. While I was in the chair and we were chatting away- “somehow” the subject of birds came up… She started telling me how caged in she used to feel and how she is learning to fly all over again and how a bird is symbolic to her of that. I told her that I ALMOST brought her the bird… she said BRING IT! I WANT IT! I showed it to her on my phone and promised that in the next few days I would stop by again with the bird in hand.

Two days later I left it in her chair and went about my business. A few weeks later when I called to make an another appointment to have my hair cut she said “I am not doing hair there anymore! Your bird gave me the courage to put an end to something that was just not working for me in my life! THANK YOU” WOW! REALLY?

She told me she has framed it and it hangs in her living room and reminds her to do things in her life that will enhance her freedom and keep her from feeling caged.

WOW! MY art did all of that? Art Heals. Art Speaks. And you don’t even have to be a master painter for the “magic” of art and the kindness of your heart to speak to people!

COOL BEANS! Now who is going to cut my hair??!! LOL

-La-

Trending Here…

You will soon notice a trend in my work… I like Birds.

Saying it like that- is actually an understatement. I REALLY LIKE BIRDS! (Even that may not be enough emphasis- but if I go too much BIGGER then I will start to come across as a freak and well… we can’t have THAT now can we?!)

 

My first Eagle Page

I like birds. There- we got that out of the way- so when you see most of my work these days involves birds- it will make sense. You also need to know- I am currently taking a class that is all Birds, Butterflies and Wings! So you will be seeing a lot of the last two as well- though I really have been having too much fun with the birds to really move on to the next topics… though I started the Wings section this week and I am already ruminating some ideas!

Anyway- this Eagle is on my Mixed Media 14X17 Sketch Pad. Love this size. This is the first thing I really did in it- and it wasn’t nearly as scary as I thought it might be. I still at times prefer my 9X11 pad- but this has been a fun exploration!

I drew the bird, then covered the whole thing with a clear gel from Golden. Let that dry and painted over it to get the texture on the bird. The texture under the nest is just modeling paste smeared on there any ole way! LOL There is another spot of paste “smearing” up by the sun.

My sister- who is an amazing artist; (Dare I say a REAL artist? I say that without demeaning my own talent and joy in creating- she is jut not only good- but she excels in multiple mediums and shows her work, is on the board of a Community Arts Council etc.) she says she is always kind of surprised how I mix colors you wouldn’t think of together- together and make them work! So there ya go!

Do you find that you have themes in your work? One subject, topic, item, that comes up over and over? Does it have particular meaning? Or is is just something that is easy for you to draw? How does that work for you?

La-