Workshop over at Willowing

Tam has a new workshop out over at Willowing.. She does a Summer Whimsy Gal... It took me two days to do mine. Why? because it's so damn hot out my Studio is an oven.. I'm upstairs and the air isn't working well on these 104 degree days.. Did I ever tell you guys how much I hate hate hate Summer!! It reminds me of my years in Tucson where every day was the same. no rain and 125 degree weather.. Well Indianapolis is getting to be just like that! I know whine whine whine. LOL

anywho here is the piece I came up with after sweating for hours working on it.

I'm satisfied with it. Not the happiest but I got so damn cranky fighting the heat.

p.s. I had a ball doing the background. LOL

Hey you!! Thanks for stopping by.

Using Clayboard

I used Clayboard as my substrate in this Abstract painting. I carved into it in places using these tools that grind and engrave. Then I added a bunch of different mediums like Modeling Paste, Tar Gel and Glass Bead Gel... Talk about Texture overload!! LOL  The strings were made by taking tissue paper and dunking it into some Gel Medium and rolling it like a snake.. cool huh?

The Tar Gel is soooo cool. It drizzles on ... That's what's on the far right of the piece.

I guess I'm into doing Abstracts now... so what's next? LMAO!!

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Workshop over at Motley Soul

Im taking this workshop over at Motley Soul.. But the question is who paid for it? Did I win something and no one told me? Do I have a guardian angel who bought me this workshop? I got an invitation to it. Clicked on it and there I was!! Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth I got into and enjoyed it very much. It's called Face 2 face Drawing Workshop.. 


This is one of my finished pieces. She taught a lot about Value.. The difference of Light and Dark.. Using different colors on the face she illustrated "Value" in this lesson.. 

I just love how this came out.. I really can see the shading and it helped me a lot .. I have been struggling

with blending and shading and hopefully when I go onto a piece that just has a one color shade or maybe even two I can apply this lesson to it.

I used Pan Watercolors on this piece to begin with

then finished off with Prisma Color Pencils 

and even a little bit of Pastels..

First time I ever used Pastels and loved it.

uh oh I feel a search for a workshop on using

Pastels coming on.. LOL

If you are my Guardian Angel and have bought this workshop for me please come forward

and let me know so I can Thank you , Thank you, Thank you!!! LMAO!!

will I ever know?

Hey!! Thanks for stopping by.

Another Textured Abstract

I'm really getting into doing abstract paintings... and especially using a lot of texture on my substrate. On this piece I used Molding Paste and Glass Bead Gel.  Doing an abstract after doing a portrait is very freeing.. There are no lines to stay in and you just let yourself go..

On this Piece I worked in my small Strathmore Mixed Media Journal.

It sure can take the heavy gels and lots of wetness..

Hey!! Thanks for peeking..

Butterfly's Take Flight

I love Butterfly's and have quite a collection of butterfly stamps... When I saw a portrait with butterfly's done by Tamara Laporte of Willowing I was so inspired to do this painting. I used mostly my watercolor crayons in this... I thought maybe it was a bit too busy in the background but hey I like busy! LOL

For my substrate I used Strathmore Bristol Smooth Paper.. I think I'm liking the Bristol Paper a lot but in

the Vellum.. Have to get some more of that...

As a matter of fact it's the Bristol Vellum that is used in the Strathmore Mixed Media Journals..

Nice and sturdy and you can wet it all you want with all different mediums and it doesn't curl like

the Canson Mixed Media Journal does. 

I use both but hands up I like my Strathmore's the best.

Hey!! Thanks for stopping by!

Another Abstract and Tar Gel

I created another Abstract this morning. I am loving creating these... I used a new medium on it called "Tar Gel".. no it doesn't look like tar. In fact it's white, creamy and you drip it on into little strings like. When I was using this medium I didn't know if you were suppose to paint it or leave it clear .. so I did a little of both. It's hard to see in this photo.. If you look closely at some of the circles I left it clear on them.. Cool Stuff!

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The Colors of Summer week Two

This week the colors are Mint Chocolate Chip for the Summer of Colors Challenge... Of coarse I had to use Greens and Browns. boy is it hard to stay with just two colors.. I kept wanting to grab my reds. LOL

Here is my Journal Spread for this challenge

Now I want some Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream!! LOL

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Cracker Boxes

I realized the other day when watching this You Tube Video that when I run out of Canvas's I can use Cracker Boxes.. Cereal Boxes and all the other kinds of boxes in my pantry!! LOL

Yup that's what this substrate is... It's a Club Cracker Box altered.. How fun was this to create!!

I used Acrylics and Watercolor Crayons on the gal and Acrylics, Ink and stamping on 

the background.

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Mixed Media Abstract

I'm not normally into doing abstracts but I had to try out some techniques from this book I'm reading. On this piece I used so many different mediums.. I used Crackle Paste, Modeling Paste and some Molding paste.. Talk about Texture!! LOL

I'm not so sure I'm that happy with the piece but then again I don't do many abstracts to know if I even like it... LMAO!!

Hey!!!Thanks for stopping by..

Mixed Media Collage

I got this book, well Michele bought it for me and I'm Loving it.. The title of the book is "Flavor for Mixed Media" by Mary Beth Shaw..... as the title states it deals with mixed media but mostly she goes into using different textures. It is sooooo cool all the textures she uses. So now my wish list has grown much bigger with all the mediums I want , need and have to have! LOL For instance she uses this medium called wood shavings and another is called Tar Medium.. I can't wait to get these and give them a go!

In the meantime I used paint, stamping and collaging on this piece.. Instead of using ink on some of my stamps I used acrylic paint.. wow does it give the piece texture! I had sooo much fun creating this piece. The substrate is medium weight chipboard. 

Hey!! Thanks for stopping by!

Journaling Time

I haven't been Journaling as much as I would like to. I used to do my Art Journal every day but lately because of my health I've been slacking off on everything I love to do... I had a bad reaction to some Antidepressants the doctor gave me and have going through a lot of chit! Like a bad case of the extreme crankies every five minutes whether I like it or not.. also extreme depression much more then I have ever felt. All caused by the pills the doctor pushed as being really good for me! Well as of yesterday I took myself off of them so of coarse now I'm having more of a reaction until they get out of my system.  well anywho I finally got a spread done this morning and got through the crankies creating it.

I used Acrylics and my beloved Watercolor crayons on

a Canson Mixed Media Journal

Hey!! Thanks for Stopping By

The Summer of Color

Over at this Blog "Twinkle Twinkle like a star" they are having an ongoing Challenge called "The color of Summer".."Ice Cream Inspirations" Each week they will give you some colors of Ice Cream  to work with. You are suppose to create a what ever you want using these colors.

The first week the colors were yellow, pink, orange, and a smidgen of white. Just like Sherbet!! Yummy!!

I thought what better then to create a Cotton Candy Gal... This time as my substrate I used an old book cover. I cut out the cover, loaded it with Gesso and went to work using the colors on my background. What fun I had! I could have ate the book cover when I was done as it looked so inviting!! LOL

Once again my camera took a lousy picture... booo on my camera!

Hey!! Thanks for stopping by..

Cotton Candy Girls Class Done

Wow I can't believe how these weeks have flown by. When I started the Cotton Candy Gals Workshop with Natasha I had no idea how much I would learn. I had a Ball in this Workshop plus learned so much about Shading and Blending. Now I have to practice, practice practice!! LOL

This is the Last Piece we did. Oh there is a Bonus Video of a Boy. I'm working on that one... I tell ya if Natasha has another workshop I'm going to sign up for it pronto!! Check out her Blog - Here - Not only does she create the Cotton Candy Gals but is a wonderful artist of many different types of styles. Yesterday I must of spent an hour on her blog just looking at all her wonderful work.

Well anywho here is my last piece. I had a ball creating this..

I used Watercolors, Watercolor crayons and Acrylics on 

Mixed Media Paper

Don't ya just love those Lollipop Trees!! LOL

Hey!! Thanks for Stopping by..