Thursday, June 06, 2013

Pink and Gray spells Hooray!!!


Ever since I randomly put these 2 colors onto the background of my journal page, I have been crazy mad about it.  I used a neon red paint and a greyish green and wiped them both down with a paper towel while they were still wet to mute them.  This is a work in progress (which I hope is obvious)...

So, when I started painting some extra pages in my moleskine today to get it ready for an upcoming trip to los angeles, I had to use this combo again (although this one is neon pink and grey) and I thought...I should blog about this since I LOVE IT SO MUCH!
I suddenly realized that I was wearing it too!... (I told you I was crazy for this combo...or am I just crazy?)
I think this is key...to use a little neon with a dull color.  SO awesome.
neon pink and brown!!!  or khaki...or army green...I'm getting excited again...
My new neon red liquitex paint pen with some grey montana paint pens.  ooohhh...yum...
 Are you getting my drift yet?  
 I know it seems like these shots are staged.  I assure you they are not.  I had no idea that I had inadvertently assembled little collections here and there with this yummy color combo.
I found these little storage bags at target a couple months ago.
 I found this betsey johnson design (betseyville) from JC Penneys...$30 and had to have it.
 see how handy these are?
wood and neon...I will have to play around with this combo more.  Try it.  You'll like it.








Thursday, May 16, 2013

new stuff finally!

 I have been so immersed in life and work that I have neglected my much treasured blog readers.  I am so sorry.  I've been doing alot of blogging on my Mermaid Circus Online workshop site, so I haven't been thinking about it here too.  Anyway...here are the latest.
 These weird yellow ones were completely done during the last 2 art romps we held.  I find it interesting that they look so different from my normal stuff (at least to me).  They sorta don't look finished and yet I am in that state of liking them the way they are and being afraid if I go further I won't like them as much.  I think I'll call them done and move on.

 Being influenced by gazillions of mermaids on my brain the last few weeks.
This is a strange little page too.  no explanation.  it's just what came out.  ;)

Friday, May 03, 2013

intention


The following is one of the write-up's I did for our mermaid online class but I'm including it here because it's good information to be reminded about.
One thing I know a thing or two about is INTENTION (or The Law of Attraction).  I have seen this concept work it’s magic time and time again.  I recently was talking to a group about it and reading them my intention list out loud and wouldn’t you know, the 2nd thing on the list came true a week later…I was the proud owner of a camping trailer.  I had written on my list “Airstream” but in my mind any kind of camper would do as long as it was cute and clean.  Tracy and I want to create more out in nature and this has been a wish of ours.  Out of the blue, I was googling something else and a page popped up from craigslist.  The second listing from the top was for a camper for $700.  When I clicked on the pictures, it was the cutest thing ever.  I emailed the woman and sat and waited.  In the meantime she told me that she received 100′s of emails about it but “since I was the first one”, she was offering it to me first.  Somehow I had managed to see it right after it posted without even looking for anything like that.  We had just made $700 in sales from the art romp retreat (selling pens, collage sheets, a journal made by Tracy and some thread).  So it was like we traded a journal and a few supplies for a camper!  It was a sign that it was a gift from the universe.  When Tracy went to get it, he texted that it was a 1963 Artist model!  That was the year we were both born.  What Tracy had mistakenly read as “artist” ended up being “arist” (short for aristocrat), but we both laughed and took it as another confirmation that intentions work.
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How it works
Make a list of 20 things you want.  Keep it personal.  World peace is fine…but we generally don’t really think about what WE want and it is OK to think about ourselves!  This can be material objects, prestigious honors, emotional desires, resolution of physical or psychological problems, etc.  Make every item on your list personal to yourself and completely selfish.  It was extremely difficult to come up with 20 things.  It took me days to write mine because I tend to be happy with what I have and who I am.  But it’s only those who dream big that achieve it.  After you have come up with your list, shorten each thing into a one or two word name.
Now, translate each item into a visual image that suggests the wish has already been granted.  Choose images that are ends and not means.  Don’t imagine yourself with a big pile of money.  Instead, visualize the yacht or condo or all the art supplies you would buy if you had the money.  Don’t think about the bad knee you want healed.  Imagine yourself playing tennis or doing something else you couldn’t otherwise do.  Don’t think about ways and means.  Seize on each image as if it were already a reality.  One of my wishes is to lose weight which I translated into “new wardrobe”.  In my mind I envision me buying it from anthropology (who only sells skinny sizes).
Invest at least 5 minutes in each image.  Enter into it by using all your senses to make it a real and present part of your life (maybe even do a journal page on each wish).  Imprint it onto your brain.  Once you’ve compiled the list, regard every item on it as equal.  The desire for a new computer is therefore no more or no less important than imagining your name on the cover of a book or president of your company.
Consider your list dynamic.  Redo it at least every week to see that it continues to reflect your current desires and concerns.  As soon as a wish has been realized, remove it from the list.  Otherwise, you’re expressing an unconscious fear that you’ll lose what you already have.  If you stop wanting something, replace it with something you do want.
It’s best to memorize the list and cycle through it while creating.  This will help in distracting your mind from the creative process and work on your intentions at the same time.  At the very least read through your list as often as you can and speak it out loud whenever possible.  Spoken words have SO MUCH power.
I really learned this last year when I was under enormous constant pain in my arm that even the heaviest pain killers couldn’t help.  Well meaning people would ask me how I was feeling and I would truthfully tell them “not so good!”.  One day I was tired of talking about it…it didn’t feel right to go on and on about the pain and then hear stories of other peoples pains and aches.  It just didn’t seem to serve any purpose at all.  So, I decided from that point I would say “I am well” even if I had pain.  I focused on the fact that I was happy it wasn’t much worse so I could say those words with conviction.  Believe it or not, the pain subsided within days and has not been back since.  Think what you will , but I believe it was a different mind set that changed everything.
I have always felt that my journal was not the place for negativity.  Some may disagree but for me, I want to focus on what is good in my life, not what isn’t.  I truly believe that giving energy to the good makes it even better, just as giving energy to the unpleasant parts of our lives only amplifies it.  Besides, at this point in my life I can look back and see that those unpleasant times were all part of growing and really the “good stuff” when all is said and done.
One more thing that is in this same topic is to write an affirmation list.  This is different from your wish list, but kinda the same.  Things like “I am an amazing artist” or “I relate well to my children” or “I love myself”…the list could go on…is just more confirmation to the universe of what your intentions are and what you are trying to achieve.  Read it aloud every day and you will see changes.  I can promise you that!
note: some of the above ideas are from a book called The Energy Cure by William Bengston.  An amazing book about hands-on healing but so much of it I related to the creative process as well as great tools for using intention.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Mermaids Galore

I just have to show you all the work that is being created in our Mermaid Circus Online class!  I am amazed and astounded at not only the sheer creativity so far but the camaraderie and the ideas that are being shared so freely.  I think that being able to watch videos any time and then being able to create in your own home is making a huge difference in the level of art being created.  The facebook group that is included with the class is such a great forum to see each others work and make comments and ask questions.  The excitement is so amazing!


 AND THIS IS ONLY WEEK 1 OUT OF 8 WEEKS!
 Some of these are still in progress but already they are amazing.
 The cool thing is that you are free to work at your own pace.
 So much inspiration!
 These are shots of some of the students thinking outside the box when they made their book.  As a teacher, there is no greater joy than to see this amount of creativity being produced.

Some of the mom's are even getting their daughters involved by helping them make little miniature versions of mermaid circus's.  This just couldn't make me happier!!!  and this is just one of the many projects we will be showing & teaching over the next 2 months.

It isn't too late to sign-up.  the videos will be up till end of august.  and you'd only have a few days to catch up if you want to create with the rest of the class.  Honestly...I am so impressed by this forum for teaching.  I am LOVING it and cannot wait for the weeks ahead.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

My Gallery Show!

 OMG...I could not be more excited to show off Tracy's and my show at Habitude Salon in Ballard (owned by Inez Gray).  We just hung it today and I think it turned out really good.  But...holy cow was it exhausting!
 They had so much wall space that we could use, so I took advantage of it.
 I ADORE the colors on her walls.  They make my stuff look great.
 Tracy brought a couple guys (thank you Ken Moore and Brad Moore!!!) from work to help us hang and it still took a solid 3 hours.  So thrilled they found a way to get this one in this huge space cuz you can see it from the street and it looks cool.
 Matches the shampoo bottles perfectly!  ;)
I really hope you come down to see it.  I will be there this saturday, april 13th from 6-9pm for the Ballard Art Walk.  But it will be up till June 5th.  Inez has the coolest gift shop within her salon too with really awesome stuff that I have not seen elsewhere.  It would be well worth your time to stop by.

Thursday, April 04, 2013

Intuition in Making Art

I'm often asked "Where do your ideas come from?".  There is always, to some degree or another, intuition involved.  Most people would do better work if they relied on it more.  I wish they would teach it in schools.  It has played such a huge role in my life, pointing me in directions that I would not have ventured into if I was ignoring it.  But has led to an amazing life that I am super grateful for.

Everybody has intuition.  We need to believe in it and let it happen.  I think it's really cool that we have this unique "thing" that helps us in the art making process.  A lot of times people get it beat out of them. They're taught not to rely on it and sometimes it's looked at as something bad.  But this "thing" called intuition really allows your artwork to get interesting and is the main way that your work can become truly original.

It's a matter of being open to intuition, knowing how to use it, how to trust it...that is the hardest thing.  You have to allow it to dictate certain decisions.  With my work, there is no way these pages would get to where they inspire people without that intuitive force flowing through me and spilling out.  How do find your own intuition?  Remember those times when you "just felt right" about something?  That is intuition.  It comes from your gut, NOT your mind.

Paul Rand quotes "It's all intuition, that's all there is".  I wouldn't say that it's only intuition, but it is perhaps intuition that allows the work to get to the next step, to a different level of connection.  Without it you are stuck at a level that might get the job done, but it is not going to be the stuff of people's loves and hates.  What we need to realize, is what the significance of intuition involves.  We have to open out to a larger vision of how the world works, how communication works, how our creativity works.  Intuition is a way of involving the do-er more in the process, as well as bringing in other basic things they have to be aware of, and are a part of themselves.

With everything, the more you do it, the more comfortable you are with it and the more it integrates into your life and makes you who you are.  It becomes second nature to use your intuition on every type of decision you make from what color to use on your page to the big life decisions.

The Journal is the best place to explore your intuition because it is your own private playground.  Create pages that are expressive...personal...intuitive...with no rules at all.  Trust the process so entirely that you aren't thinking about anything anymore.  You are creating blindly, allowing the colors and images you pick up to all make sense somehow.  If you can do this and get in the flow to where it is happening without you (your mind involved), you will be surprised at what you create.

Intuition is my crucial ingredient in my artwork.  Without it, the work feels flat and dull.  I always can instantly spot intuition in other artwork I see as well.  I think it's because I am so familiar with it that I see that spark...that "thing".  Connect with your intuitive self.  It is the best tool an artist can have!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

shows and workshops and more!

 As I write this, I can't help but think that this is the time for Artfest...something I did for 13 years around Easter time.  Do I miss it?  yes and no.  I miss seeing all my friends, I miss the excitement on people's faces, I miss the sheer creativity that would erupt during the event.  I don't miss the extreme stress that I would endure during this time of year.  I have certainly been busy filling my time however.  We have gone through 2 Art Romps now with 8 people sharing my house & studio for 7 days, roughly 12 hours a day.  They have been fabulous (but sorry to say...they are all full with waiting lists).  I also wrapped up
recently that will be starting on april 8th (see below).  It's something I have wanted to do for a long time and I am so excited about it!  and lastly, I am gearing up for
in Ballard, WA. during the month of April.  Come see me and my show on April 13th from 6-9pm during Ballard's Artwalk.
 Oh, and wait...there's more!  I am beyond thrilled that I am the featured Artist in Somerset Studio's Art Journaling magazine (april issue).  A full 10 pages of my art!  Also...we (husband and I) have some 
at our studio in Issaquah that we think will be a blast!  So these are exciting times!
I cannot WAIT for this party to get started.  We had so much fun putting this mermaid online class together and I know it will be even more fun as we see what people create from it.

Sunday, March 03, 2013

Incorporating Stencils!

I was asked to be part of a blog hop featuring Jane Davenport's new stencils.  I excitedly agreed.  I started by using our copic airbrush system.  The eyes and the face stencils are by Jane.  The coral and the dots are other stencils from Artistcellar.  I don't consider myself to be much of a stenciler, (my husband Tracy does it WAY better than me) but with these it doesn't matter.  They are simply components you can use to create your own style.

 I added one more little stencil on the left side (dots on the nose), then started thinking about the direction it would go.  On the right side, I added some pieces of collage and started filling in the eyes with paint markers

Next I started playing around a little more.  I found the little mouth on the left while looking through my collage box, so erased my pencil mark.  I also started adding more color on the left with some pieces of leaf shaped collage.  On the right, I put dots on the scarf thing (with paint pens) to fill it in and added another "blump" to the hair with copic marker (this was something I wish I had not done but you always have to be brave and try stuff and then be ok with the results).  Because of the slickness of the background paint I found that my colored pencils would not work, so I used caran d'ache to color in the face so it wouldn't blend in with the background.  I also added more details to the eyes with paint markers.

I started adding a little color on the left side as well as adding some white crayon to the eyelids.  On the right side, I started drawing some paint pen lines over the collage and played around with more crayon colors to add shading to the face

I needed some contrast on the left side, so I cut a piece of paper to fit the chin and then filled in around the rest of it with paint pen.  BTW, I eyeballed the curvature of the chin but you could use a piece of tracing paper to make it exact.  I also added more details on the collaged leaves with paint pens and gel pens as well as adding a few more leaves to cover the piece of "fish collage".  On the right side, I started giving her a body with a piece of collage.

The top of the left side was bothering me, so I put more of the dark blue paint pen down and then added some dots with other paint pens.  I also outlined her cheeks with neon pink dots.

 The right side needed a border and since the whole image was so bold I just drew something in with a black copic and filled it in.   I also finished her body with a dark red copic marker.  Couldn't resist some swirlies on the left side (it was scary because there is always that thought..."what if I ruin it"...but you have to try).  and did you notice that I placed an eye from a magazine on the right side?  It looked fine before but I wanted it to look a little off...less refined.  and I just couldn't resist the beauty mark.

I extended the "fish" off the side on the left, put some pink and flourescent yellow at the top and added some dots around the leaves to add detail and color.  When I opened a quote book, this one jumped out at me and wasn't too long (didn't have too much space for anything longer).  After writing it, it seemed to fit both pages so well.

I really do love this stencil.  she looks like a superhero here.

After writing the quote, I had to put an open eye on the left side signifying our third eye and the fact that looking at the world through our third eye is always good too.  My pages always tell me things when I am done with them.  These were no exception.  I had so much fun with these stencils as my inspiration, I will definitely be using stencils alot more from now on.  Thank you Jane and artistcellar for some great supplies to mess around with.
I hope you enjoyed seeing my process.  Make sure to stop by the rest of these blogs to see how others are using the stencils!

btw, Artistcellar is giving away a free set of stencils to one of my readers.  I will devise a fair way to pick someone from the list of comments.  To be eligible, leave a comment by monday, 3/11 :)  Update: I JUST RANDOMLY scrolled down through the comments and picked a name with my eyes closed.  The winner is Roberta Warshaw (who I have emailed).  Thanks for all the lovely comments everyone left me!

Sunday 3/3 - Artistcellar  (www.artistcellar.com/wp)
Monday 3/4 - Teesha Moore  (www.teeshascircus.blogspot.com
Tuesday 3/5 - Jeanette House  (http://www.jeanettehouse.co.uk/blog/
Wednesday 3/6 - Dawn Sokol  (http://www.dblogala.com/)
Thursday 3/7 - Tamara Laporte (www.willowing.org/blog
Friday 3/8 - Effy Wild  (http://effywild.com)
Saturday 3/9 - Kass Hall (http://www.kasshall.com/)
Sunday 3/10 - Mindy Lacefield  (http://www.timssally.com/)
Monday 3/11 - Jane Davenport (http://www.janedavenport.com/)

As a little bonus, my husband, Tracy just created a journal page using Jane's stencil too.  He really knows how to use an airbrush!