Another Mixed Media Canvas for the Jump for Joy Characters

I just can't seem to stop designing these fun canvases and then love adding the Jump for Joy Characters to see how they will look and I love them!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm seriously considering doing some smaller sized canvases for example a 4"X4" or a 3"X3" or even smaller and using my stamps from Jody Stacy at Treasured Time Rubber Stamping to stamp the image and then then paint them.  When Jody gets my Christmas stamps finished I think these will be darling as ornaments and the size is perfect.  Can't wait to try this!!!!

This canvas is a 6"X6" gallery wrapped canvas and I first started with neon Deco Art Americana Paints and a variety of scrapbooking papers that I decoupaged onto the canvas.  The scrapbooking papers that I used were left over from another project that I did and they seemed to work beautifully on this canvas.  Then I started layering stencils onto the canvas in a variety of random locations.  These were new stencils from Mary Beth Shaw at www.stencilgirlproducts.com and I loved them. 

Spider Web Stencil L081 This is one of the best spider web stencils I have ever used.  The quality is amazing and I would recommend it highly.  I'm sure you can look at the canvas and see where it was used.  One of the best things about stencils is the ability to place the stencil on the area and so see how it will look once the paint is applied.  I love that about stencils. 

 

This is another Stencil Girl stencil and I love how versatile this one is, so many different uses in this 9"X12" stencil.   This is the Eights Stencil L130.  I would recommend this company very highly to all of you who love stencils like I do. 

 

Here are the photos of the finished canvas and as you can see I also added another of my faves, Washi Tape.  Tomorrow I will start sharing the canvas with the Jump for Joy characters added to it so stay tuned. 

 

What do you think? 

Tin Tooled Poinsettia Part 5

Use scissors to cut out each petal of the flower. 

Position the flower onto your surface and hot glue it to the canvas.  Cut out a piece of scrapbook paper for the center of each flower. 

This is obviously not the canvas background but instead a different background as I had already completed the canvas piece, this will give you the idea of how to position the petals to form the flower layering the smaller petals over the larger and hot gluing them into place. 

Enjoy!

Tin Tooled Poinsettia Part 4

After you have finished tin tooling it is time to add color.  I used alcohol inks to color this project using a variety of colors depending on the color variations that I wanted on the piece.  Experiment with a variety of brands and colors to find something that works for you.  Adirondack Blending Solution is an interesting product to use to achieve creative results in addition to your alcohol inks.  I dropped the Blending Solution onto my colored petals and it dispersed the color to add an interesting effect.  Use shades of red, orange, and yellow for the flower petals and shades of green for the leaves.  If you prefer you can always color the petals with colored permanent markers, I have found that over time the permanent markers may eventually fade depending on the amount of sunlight they are exposed to.  Colored tin is another option. 

Tin Tooled Poinsettia Part 3

Once you have achieved the deep ridges turn your tin over and refine on the front of the tin by pulling your stylus next to each line you drew working on a hard surface instead of on the soft mat.  This will allow each line drawn to pop out of the tin.  Refer to the techniques tutorial on my blog for detailed instructions. 

Tin Tooled Poinsettia Part 2

Tin Tool the Poinsettia:

Transfer the large and small Poinsettia petals; decide how many you will need to complete your flowers.  Use the attached line art.  Remember to transfer enough to use some as green leaves as well.  The smaller petals will be layered over the larger or can be used as a smaller flower.  Transferring is very easy, place the line drawing onto the tin and using your stylus draw over the lines working on a soft mat or a magazine.  This will transfer the design to the tin, go over the lines again to deepen the ridges on the tin.  Remember this side will actually become the back as this is a reverse embossing technique.  To allow the tin to stretch you will need to work on a soft mat or a magazine. 

 

 

Tin Tooled Poinsettia Part 1

Tin Tooled Poinsettia

This canvas is a follow up to previous tin tooling projects that I have shared with you and will allow you to use those techniques that you’ve been practicing but will encourage you to incorporate tin on a canvas surface.  This is meant to be a loose project where you can be very creative and use the media in a slightly different way.    This project will take a few posts to share the entire project with you, stay tuned. 

Supplies:
Tin of your choice, I used 36 gauge aluminum. 
Stylus, tracing paper, scissors
Canvas size of your choice, I used a 6”X12”
Assorted scrap booking papers. 
Alcohol ink colors of your choice
Assorted acrylic paint colors to be used on the canvas
Stencils
Rubons
Deco Art Decou-page
Hot Glue

I love mixing media and am thrilled with how creative you can be by using different media on a variety of different surfaces.  This project mixes tin, canvas, scrapbooking papers, and I even added Washi Tape to the stems. I opted to tin tool poinsettias that are added to a canvas that I painted and added a variety of fun stencils.  This canvas will be beautiful during the holiday season or would be a lovely gift for a friend.  In my opinion it is never too early to start thinking about Christmas gift giving. 

 

Paint the Canvas:
Choose any paint colors that you prefer, I used shades of blue, greens, and metallic gold that I blended together onto the canvas using a slip slap triple loaded brush technique and my fingers.  Use paint colors that work with your décor and eventual plans for this project.  I had just purchased a set of Dyan Reaveley’s Dylusions Stencils and chose to use them on this canvas with various shades of pink and white.  This type of painted background is very subtle and is meant to showcase whatever is placed in the foreground.  I then added Washi Tape onto the canvas for interest.   

 

 

I also added green Washi Tape onto the canvas to form the stems that you can see in the image at the beginning of the instructions, I like to decoupage Washi Tape onto the canvas to make sure that it doesn’t come off.  I also cut out a variety of leaves out of scrapbooking papers and decoupage them onto the canvas; you can use the attached line art as your leaf shapes as well as your flower petals.  I also had rubons that I added to the canvas as an interesting detail as well as adding veins on the leaves and some random written phrases using a permanent black marker. If you are going to use Rubons it is important to add a coat of decoupage over them so they stay put.  I love rubons and love how creative they look on a canvas.  This is your canvas and should be completed using materials that you have at home and are fond of. 

 

 

Mixed Media Halloween Part 3

Time to add the color!  Of course I couldn't just leave the white canvas and added shades of orange and yellow, as well as Glamour Dust Black Paint.  As I stated in my earlier posts I often paint using my fingers and like to be able to smooth the paint out onto the patterned papers, for whatever reason I feel like I have the control to blend the paint and smearing it precisely where I want it to be thinning it with water to achieve a random wash of paint.  You should feel free to use paintbrushes if you prefer, often people do not like to get paint on their hands but that isn't something that bothers me. 

Can't you just see the Jump for Joy Characters displayed on this as well???? 

Mixed Media Halloween Canvas Part 2

Welcome Back!!!  As I looked at this piece I felt that something was missing and decided to add Washi Tape.  If you have never used Washi Tape it is awesome.  Washi Tape is a transparent masking tape and is currently being produced by a number of companies here in the states.  I love the colors and patterns and especially love adding it so that it peeks out between the other layers and you see a spark of color, like a little surprise.  Give it a try, however I would definitely add a coat of Decou-Page over your Washi Tape layer so that you are assured that it sticks and stays in place.

Mixed Media Halloween Canvas Part 1

My goal in the past few posts was to share a tutorial hoping to spark your creativity to come up with ideas to display your Jump for Joy Characters. I suggested using a wood 12" clothespin and developed a Mixed Media Display piece using paint, patterned paper, and stamping materials.  I thought it was darling.  What if you wanted another option using a different surface?  How about a canvas?  You could actually use any size that you want, I chose a long narrow gallery wrapped canvas and designed it so that it would sit on its side or end, it could easily sit on end similar to the clothespin.  Using a canvas is such a versatile option, easily accessibly, and easy to store.  Not to mention super easy to prep!!!  No Prep!!!  What a plus.....

I chose a number of Halloween themed papers and using Deco Art Decou-Page glued the papers down in a random manner to the front and sides of the canvas.  I am a huge proponent of the Deco Art Decou-Page product, it is exceptional and no, I don't work for the company.  LOL! 

Next I chose to add a vintage musical score that I had found at my local second hand store and cut out just a small portion of it.  You can find these for next to nothing and the paper already has that vintage aged color which looks fantastic. 

 

 

HMMMM?????  What are your thoughts?  I'd love to hear them, this is always such a one sided conversation.  (Giggles and Grins!) Of course it allows me to be the star of the show.  LOL.  

Display Your Jump for Joy Characters Mixed Media Piece

DRRRRUUUUMMM ROOOOLLLL PLEASE!!!!  It's time for the big reveal!!!!  LOL  Seriously I think this is darling and would make a great display piece for your holiday decorating!!!  And the best part, it was sooooo easy!  I actually attached the characters using Sticky Tack because I wanted to be able to change out what I put on this piece, you could easily use Velcro if you prefer or even glue the pieces directly onto the clothespin.  As you can see there are only 3 characters on the piece so you could change them out over the course of time to add interest to your display.  Or do a second display piece, maybe a smaller clothespin.

These characters would be so cute painted on a treat bag, bowl, painted on a banner or so many different surfaces.  I can see these painted on those adorable triangle shaped banners and hanging on your door, in fact that is so appealing to me that I might do that myself.  LOL. 

How about adding these characters to a canvas?  Watch for my next series of blog posts where I will work on a canvas piece which would be perfect to use as another option. 

Do you have other great ideas? 

How to Display Your Jump for Joy Characters Part 4 adding in the Mixed Media Element

I recently purchased stamps that I felt would be great for mixed media, Tim Holtz has a set from Stampers Anonymous called Ultimate Grunge and Dyan Reavely has a Dylusions set called Bits and Bats.  I thought both of these would be perfect for this project.  I stamped the web from the Dylusions set using Ranger Archival Ink in permanent black onto a couple of locations on the front and also the checked stamp from Tim Holtz using the same ink.  Because this is a permanent ink you can feel safe to use it with your paints and will not run if you choose to varnish.  You wouldn't have to use the stamps if you didn't want to, you could easily either paint a spider web or stencil one onto the piece and could also use a stencil to add the checkerboard but as I've already established I like to occasionally use "easy" for my painting technique and love the way this looks.  Mixed media is all about using the techniques and materials that work well for you.

I like thinking outside the box and coming up with new creative ways to use existing projects and hope this gives you some great ideas for displaying your characters. 

What do you think?  Stop by tomorrow and see the characters added onto the clothespin.

How to Display Your Jump for Joy Characters Part 3 adding in the Mixed Media Element

Mixed Media is all about adding layers which then gives your piece the illusion of depth.  I love that about it and I love the creative freedom which is generated by the process.  Often I will use my finger to paint with because I want a certain look which I can't achieve with a brush.  As I looked at the clothespin I felt that it was too bright, consequently I thinned Deco Art Jack-O'-Lantern Orange down with a drop of water using my finger on my palette and smeared the paint onto the edges and over some of the patterned paper areas to soften the harshness of the paper and then using the same technique smeared Deco Art Snow White over some of the center to lighten it just a bit.  I like this technique, it is so random and I love the tactile feel of the paint on my fingers that I feel particularly connected to the project.  Sounds crazy and guru I realize but it give me a freedom that a brush won't give. 

Thought?  Do you like the idea of working like this?

Display Your Jump for Joy Characters Part 2 Adding the Mixed Media Element

So here we are with step 2 of the clothespin display piece and I decided that I wanted to use pattern/scrapbooking paper on the front of this, that is why we didn't need to paint the front of the clothespin in the last step.  I love patterned paper and use it frequently.  I can't see a good reason to not use it, someone very talented has been paid a great deal of money to design gorgeous papers and I for one think that is brilliant.  I love streamlining my painting and do not feel the need to always use traditional painting techniques, in fact love how creative you can be when you are mixing it up a bit.  That is what mixed media is all about.  You don't have to use premade paper, you can make your own pretty easily if you prefer.  These were scraps from another project which makes the frugal part of me do the  happy dance, I cut them to fit and used Deco Art Decou-Page to glue them to the front of the clothespin.  Another fantastic product from Deco Art that you should try if you have not.  How fun is this, you basically are designing your own project by choosing patterned paper that you like. This is the just the beginning of the process of building layers to add depth to the background.

What are your thoughts?  Are you interested in where this is heading? 

How to Display Your Jump for Joy Characters

I'm jumping for joy over these little characters!!!!  Can you just imagine me jumping all over my house.  LOL.  SCARY!  I love how cute and whimsical these characters are and I would use them just as ornaments, as I've said before I have a display piece that I bring out at Halloween to display all of my adorable decorations.  I think I found it at Hallmark a number of years ago and have used it for years, my children loved putting it up every year.  I would add these Halloween Jump for Joy characters to my display piece but what if you don't have a cute display piece but still want to display your darling characters?  I started searching through my stash of wood pieces and found these 12" wooden clothespins.   I thought Ahhh Hahhh, these would be perfect.

Of course I prepped the clothespins by sealing them with Wood Sealer, I used Deco Art which is a fantastic product.  I also used Deco Art Acrylic for the remainder of this project. I wanted these to look a little random with a mottled painted look and I also knew that I wanted this one for the Halloween characters and chose to use shades of orange.  I started by painting it with Tangelo Orange and washed the paint onto the sides and back of the piece.  Why not the front?  You will see in a while, I am building the suspense here in case you were wondering.  I liked being able to see the wood grain through the paint but really wanted it to have more color, I used a 3/4" flat brush and loaded the end of the brush with Tangerine, tipped one corner into Tangelo Orange and the other into Jack-O'-Lantern.  Took the brush directly to the piece and began using a slip slap brush technique to apply the paint, randomly blending the paint back and forth, reloading as I needed to achieve the look that I wanted.  PERFECT!  Just as I had hoped it would look. 

Check back later this week to see how this progresses!  Again building the suspense. 

Beach Photos.

These photos show how quickly the fog would begin to roll in and the day would go from nice and sunny to cold and foggy.  LOL.  The beach was gorgeous in spite of the fog and was very large, we didn't walk the entire beach only a portion of it.  The cooler sea air was refreshing and invigorating.  We just bundled up and continued to enjoy the location.

Check back later on this week for a new project using the Jump for Joy characters.

Lighthouses on a Foggy Day

One cold foggy afternoon we decided to head to Tillamook and do some sightseeing and went to the lighthouse out on the point.  I'm sure had the fog not been so thick we might have seen gorgeous scenery but unfortunately only saw a vague hint of the shoreline far below us and this beautiful lighthouse. 

My husband and brother in law took the boat out in the bay near this lighthouse and did see the gorgeous cliffs that were below when the fog briefly lifted.  They also saw many seals out in the bay while they were crabbing.  We did eat fresh crab most days that the guys caught fresh and it was fantastic.

Vacation Photos Part 2

I loved this photo, you can see in the foreground of this photo the rock outcropping and when the tide goes out this area is accessible as Tide Pools.  We enjoyed walking down at the beach and seeing the star fish, mussels, sand crabs, and small fish to name just a few of the sea creatures that we saw.  We showed our nephew and his friend the Tide Pools but honestly they were more interested in sand surfing that sharing in the Tide Pool discoveries.  LOL. 

Have you ever watched sand surfing or sand boarding?  It is a fun activity and was new to me, the boys used boogie boards or an actual sand board which looked like a small version of a snow board and would literally board down the sand dunes.  I think they had sand in parts of their bodies that I'd have preferred to not but they loved it. 

I've been fortunate to visit a number of tropical regions and have watched surfers in Hawaii and in the Caribbean but for some reason surfing in the Pacific seemed more impressive to me probably because it was too cold in my opinion to get into the water to wade let alone surf.  Naturally they all wore wet suits but even with a wet suit I'm afraid that it would have been too cold for me. 

Tidepools and Sandstone Cliffs

You can see Haystack Rock shrouded in mist but you can also see the sandstone cliffs above the beach with the Tide Pool areas.  Loved those Tide Pools. 

 

Also loved going to the coffee shop most mornings after our walk on the beach which is in the building on the right where there is a yellow flag outside. That was our treat after a cold morning on the beach.  LOL.   Another favorite spot of ours was the Pelican Pub which is directly to the right of the parking lot, great micro brews and awesome local food.  If you turn around and looked out on the beach you would see the scene shown above.  

Vacation Photos

My husband and I just returned from a glorious week spent on the Pacific Coast, we rented a beach house with my sister and her family and had an absolutely marvelous time.  What a restful restorative week we had!  We have been to the coast a number of times but this is the first time that we stayed in the same place for any length of time and enjoyed the scenic beauty of the area.  We stayed at Pacific City which is a small town a 30 minute drive south of Tillamook and has a really glorious beautiful beach.  The town is small and quaint devoted to the tourist trade and water sports that are popular in the area.  The house that we rented was a short walk from the beach and we spent all but one day walking the beach and enjoying the tide pools, shell collecting and were finally brave enough to wade toward the end of the week.  We were actually forced to wade since the surf came in and washed all around us while we were collecting Sand Dollars on the beach.  No swimming for me in the Pacific without a wetsuit, much too cold.  I am a very warm water ocean swimmer, I admit it I am a baby when it comes to the cold, surprising considering that we live where we have winter 9 months of the year.  During our numerous trips to the coast we have rarely had the experience of a really warm weather  and usually freeze and this trip was no exception however, maybe because it has been so hot for much of the summer this year the cooler weather was really refreshing.  The fog shrouded the coast much of the time but when the sun was out we quickly snapped photos and unzipped our jackets and enjoyed the brief but glorious sunny moments.  LOL.  We did not let the cooler foggy weather change our plans and did everything that we had planned just bundled up!  Most mornings during our walks on the beach we wore pants, polar fleece jackets, and a rain jacket to protect us against the mist and were usually comfortable.  By the afternoon we could change into shorts but still needed a sweatshirt or jacket, but by evening we were turning on the gas fireplace to keep the house comfortable.  We laughed that in August we were using the gas fireplace, we wouldn't have been doing that at home.  LOL. 

The Pacific City beach has a gorgeous rock out in the ocean which is a landmark for the area and is called Haystack Rock, I snapped a number of photos of it during those brief moments of sun and of course when it is shrouded in mist.  From this beach we watched surfers, the Dory Boats take off and land and watched kids sand surfing.  I used my phone to take these photos and was really pleased and surprised with the quality. 

Haystack Rock is a favorite subject for artists around the area and I can see why, it was beautiful. 

Angel Jump for Joy Ornaments

I have been working on these all week trying to get them ready to put on my website and get them out.  These are so fun to paint, I used scrapbooking papers for their dresses which really sped up the painting process and wanted papers which were more of a neutral tone and I also wanted to make sure that I had a blonde, a brunette, and a redhead in the mix.  I will be carrying the wood pieces for this pattern as well and the laser cut wood pieces are so fantastic.  I can't wait to start selling them so you can see the quality.  Each wood piece is approximately 4"  tall and 3" across which is just the right size for a Christmas ornament although I can see these painted on so many different surfaces.  Do you have an angel that you'd love to paint these for?  I'd love to hear your thoughts and I am hoping to get these on the website very soon for sale. 

Halloween Jump for Joy

I'm working on it and am in the final stages of editing the pattern so............... it is coming very soon.  I'm anxious to get it out to all of you and see what you think.  I love these guys and spent all day today taking photos trying to get close-ups as well as the pattern photo.  There will be 5 photos included in the pattern showing close-ups of each character.  I will be carrying the pattern as well as the ornament pieces that are laser cut and a fantastic quality.  A quick coat of sealant on the front and back and you are ready to start painting.  Because they are laser cut there is no sanding to be done on the sides of the piece, absolutely fabulous.  I have a Halloween display piece where I display small Halloween ornaments but if you don't then paint these on different surfaces.  How about a canvas, a treat bag, as an insert to a picture frame, on a bowl to give out candy, a plate, etc.  I can't wait to share these with you.  What do you think? 

Halloween Jump for Joy

Another whimsical design that isn't a pattern yet but will soon be ready for publication.  This is a sneak peak of my Halloween Jump for Joy pattern.  I love these chubby little characters and would love to see these painted on a different surface, a treat bag, or Halloween candle stands, a photo album.  I like to design projects that have potential for other uses other than the one that I have completed.  Wouldn't these be cute on small canvases?  Any ideas? 

Samplers

I am known for my whimsical designs, at least I think so.  LOL.  When I was a child I always wanted to be an animator for Disney or a book illustrator.   Are you starting to see where the whimsical side comes from?  Needless to say neither of those aspirations came about but I do love designing whimsical designs.  These seasonal samplers are very whimsical in nature and in my opinion speak to a more vintage time period of quilted and needlework samplers.  Curious to see what all of you think.  This pattern called Samplers through the Seasons is available on my website and the wood pieces are available from the guys at Ideal Wood Products Inc. 

Designing

I love to design, I love the potential and the ideas that come to mind whenever I dream up a new project.  When I was younger I sewed most of my own clothing and always loved picking out the pattern, fabric, but then when it was time to get started had a hard time getting started.  Once I was going it was all good but it was that boring, monotonous time period of pinning the pattern onto the fabric and cutting it out that I hated.  Because I was a 4-H sewer I always had to finish my seams which I also found very boring.  Can you hear my voice saying boring????  Well times have not changed and I am still a procrastinator when it comes to getting a new project started, I still dislike the boring parts of painting.  Oh don't get me wrong I love to paint, it is an important part of my life but base-coating?????  Seriously does anyone like to base-coat.  I suppose there are folks out there that do but I find it tedious and unfortunately a necessary part of the process.  So I set myself down at my painting table and force myself to do the boring, tedious things that I find distasteful.  So imagine my jubilation when I decided on one of my last projects to use scrapbooking/patterned papers for the coat on  my characters.  I've done this before, it wasn't anything new but I am happy to report that I eliminated the boring step of base-coating by doing this.  Will I use paper on all of my projects?  Probably not but I do like it on this one.  I decoupage the paper onto the wood piece and then added some shading and highlighting to make the areas pop and loved it.  Like I say this isn't anything new but I have to say that I enjoyed this part of the process more than base-coating.  LOL. 

This is a pattern that I did called HO! HO! HO! Santa Picket Ornaments and I love it!!!! The patterned papers just added the visual punch that these guys needed.  This pattern is now available on my website and you can purchase the picket ornaments from the guys at Ideal Wood Products Inc www.idealwoodproductsinc.com  You might have to call them to get the wood pieces as I'm not sure if they have had time to get them on their site yet.  Loved them. 

Copic Marker Journaling and Papers to Use

Copic Markers are an amazing media and the best thing for is that they travel really well.  I take them with me whenever we travel choosing a limited palette and can work wherever we happen to be.  There are amazing tutorials out there on You Tube that will actually help you use this media if you are interested.  One tip that I'd like to mention is to use paper that will hold up to the alcohol inks or to at least put a couple papers behind to catch any bleed through that is bound to happen.  Someone asked me the other day if they should use watercolor paper with Copics and my response was to use a paper that has a smooth finish because your markers should glide across the paper rather than just being absorbed.  Watercolor paper will absorb your markers and you will not be able to blend as easily, not to mention will use up your marker rather quickly.  Of course you can always refill your marker but why not use papers that will lengthen the life of the marker?  There are numerous good quality papers out on the market that you can use very effectively to have a beautiful result, look for papers that are designed for marker use.  Canson, Strathmore, Stillman, Stonehenge just to name a few, most scrapbooking/stamping stores carry good quality paper that they recommend to their customers.  Try some out to see your personal preference. 

This project was completed on Strathmore Paper. 

Journaling 2

I have been working quite a bit in my journal this summer and am really enjoying the process.  We've done quite a bit of traveling this summer and my journal travels with me easily. I have a really small travel sized sketchbook and I've always taken it with me whenever we've traveled, it is great for sketching out quick ideas that come to me, fleshing out a project that I'm working on and just doodling for the sheer pleasure of doing just that. In fact I was sketching while I waited for my husband at his eye appointment the other day.  However I've kept my Journal for more formal or should I say finished projects.  I've been using my Copic Markers to complete these pages allowing me to work out some color combinations that I am interested in using, however this page is actually done with watercolor.  Twinkling H20's to be exact.  The beauty is that if I don't care for the combination then I just redraw the image and try a new color combination.  That is my idea of what a journal is meant to do, allow me to creatively and freely explore ideas, concepts, and just have fun without worrying about completing something that is artistically pattern ready.  

This is the third page that I am sharing where I was exploring a variety of different doodled ideas. 

Thoughts? 

Journaling?

I love this term because it makes playing in your sketchbook sound so official!!!  LOL.  Seriously I love the term, it kind of reminds me of when Zentangle started to take off and is such a phenomenon and I thought, "I didn't realize that my doodling could have made me money.  Why didn't I think of that?"  It is a brilliant concept and I applaud anyone who has the vision to take an ordinary activity and make it amazing, and that is what has happened with Zentangle.  Who would have thought that Journaling would take off like it has?  Again, that is amazing to me and I again wondered why I didn't think of that.  Maybe I could have quit my day job, most likely not.  So instead I'll just enjoy the activity, that sounds easier and more productive than bemoaning my uninspired fate. 

In my last blog post I showed you a journal page that I had worked on using my Copic markers. I thought that today I would share with you a page that I did using just black and white.  I don't think that I will add color to this one, I think that at times black and white is very powerful and I like the way that this turned out.  I'm fascinated by lettering and using lettering in my designs.  I've had limited exposure to the art of lettering and really would like to expand my skill, I'm currently looking into different options to do just that. 

Who knows where this new interest will take me?  Maybe I'll become inspired to capitalize on some activity that I've taken for granted all these years and write a book, in my spare time of course.  Most likely won't happen so instead I'll just use all of you as my sounding board.  Thanks for the opportunity. 

  Thoughts?  I love getting comments.  They make my day.   

Doodling 1

Wow, I didn't realize how long it had been since I last blogged.  I have been really busy, you'd think that school was still in session.  LOL.  I've had a number of family obligations that required my time as well as trying to use my time to get some painting done.  And maybe trying to have some fun in between.  So.................... 

Do you doodle?  I'm always in awe of those of you who Zentangle!  I have never really gotten the Tangling bug but I do love to doodle and recently took a class from Joanne Sharpe called Doodle Arts and Letters and it was fantastic.  I've been wanting to take one of her classes and this one just spoke to me. 

I have always kept a sketchbook, in fact usually have quite a few of them in the works and love to just sit while I watch TV and sketch, in fact some of my best designs have come out of a spontaneous opportunity to just let my fingers and mind play. My Jump For Joy characters came out of one of those mind drifting zen moments.  I've also started Journaling which I find hugely entertaining and can be very inspirational as well. 

I feel that my artistic style can easily be considered whimsical and Joanne encouraged whimsy in her class which was right up my alley.  I'm going to share a few of my Doodles that I've completed since taking her class.  I'd recommend her class highly to any of you who have wanted to try an online class. 

This first piece that I am sharing is a whimsical look at flower design and colored with Copic Markers.  What do you think?