Inspired by….playing with color, a tutorial!

What a week! If I had have known what the past week had in store for me I may have increased my caffeine levels a bit.

Lots of very big changes are happening here around our household. All plans in the making up until now, all talk and dreaming rather than action ~ until this past weekend ~ I am not sure what lit the spark, but trust me when I say it has been ignited.  Its go time. The next 6 months will be full of lots of positive change for us as a family.

Pick up the phone and start dialing…

I wont share too many details right now, but they include lots of moving parts. Moving homes, moving lives, moving ~ a 5 year plan is in place. Lots of balls in the air, now just a matter of timing and making sure they all fall in the right places.

Ah.. the ball in the air metaphor. A favorite around this household..

My husband thrives with all his balls in the air. I like mine lined up in a row, preferably color coded and all the same size. The only similarities between us being that we both like momentum and lots of it….

Enough about me. Oh,wait, this blog is about me…it may be the only thing that’s all about me. The rest of me has somehow become all divvied up between life and family.

Today, in my world, my issue is with color. This is not a new issue, but one that I am slowly discovering needs to be addressed. I have the books, the links and all the information I need to be a master colorist. Now is the time to actually absorb all that I have read and instead of haphazardly throwing color around, placing it where it is supposed to be so that my paintings start to SING. Oh goodness…

Somehow it just seems easier to go out and buy the perfect shade!

But, no,I have been told, many times, I only need 12 colors ~ with a bit of black and white mixed in.

Taking that in mind I set out on an exercise to understand just how many colors can be mixed with 12 colors, a bit of titanium white, titan buff and black. This lesson was a little something I picked up from Julie Pritchard. Check out her site for some great online art courses!

All you need here is some white paper, a few transparencies, paintbrush and paint.

On the top of your white paper and transparencies write out your colors and a dark line

Along the side of your transparency and white paper write the following…

pure, white, white++, titan buff, titan buff ++, black, white +, titan buff+

Grab your paints, paintbrush and palette.I used 24 colors because I am not very good at following directions. I laid out my paints according to the color wheel, starting with my yellows and working clockwise to green, blues..and so forth.

Using the example above with Quin Magenta

First square = paint a square of pure color.

Square below= add quin magenta with a bit of white mixed in.

Square below = added the quin magenta+ white + a bit more white. ( ++ white)

Square below = add quin magenta+ titan buff

Square below = add quin magenta + white + a bit more white ( ++titan buff)

Square below = add quin magenta + black

Square below = add quin magenta + black + white

Final square = add quin magenta+ black + titan buff

Proceed on..complete above exercise with all colors. It takes time, but you will be very happy with the results!

1 color + white, titan buff + black = 8 colors

I completed this exercise using 24 colors I had on hand which  = 192 colors.

THIS is before I even began to mix colors…which I wont be doing, but will definitely take into consideration the next time I dive deep into my pocket to buy yet another tube of the perfect shade of green!

Imagine the possibilities!

Why the transparency you ask?

Ever feeling a little lost wondering what color to add to your painting, maybe a little stuck wondering what color to use for glazing, or simply wondering how transparent/opaque your color really is??

The transparent color chart is your friend!

Well friends, that’s all I have to share today. Come back soon for more color info over the next few weeks. Don’t hesitate to comment if you need further explanation!

Off to hit “publish” and wait for the phone to start ringing…..

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Inspired by …a little spontaneous expression

For Illustration Friday
Illustration Friday is a weekly illustration challenge. A topic is posted every Friday on the Illustration Friday site. Then participants have all week to come up with their own interpretation. Anyone is free to join, regardless of skill or experience – just draw!!

This weeks challenge ~ Puzzled.

The capacity to be puzzled is the premise of all creation, be it in art or in science ~ Erich Fromm

Playing with a bit of spontaneous expression for this challenge. A bit of spontaneous mark-making, mindless scribbling if you will, with ink on paper.

Lets see what happens…

Add more marks, obliterate others (its only paint!) discover shapes, follow your intuition..explore.
 Add some color..

A color paint chip that has been pegged up on my inspiration board for some time now. Colors I would not usually use, but am intrigued by.

Recipe ~ alizarian crimson, yellow oxide, carbon black, titan buff and titanium white.
(ok…I know there is no yellow in the chip, but I just happen to have some slowly drying out on my palette so thought.. waste not..why not?)

A little spontaneous expression for you!

I can imagine you may be a bit puzzled as to how this all fits into the topic “puzzled”

Well, for me, this whole idea of spontaneous drawing ~ intuitive painting ~ is really just a matter of putting together the pieces of a puzzle. You have your marks, your shapes and your colors. Play with them ~ Move your paper around, discover shapes, add more marks  take away (paint over!) those that are not working. Follow your intuition. It either fits or is doesn’t!

A perfect quick and dirty art journal exercise. Challenge yourself with new colors and  new marks. Be free and most importantly be prepared to possibly discover something new and fantastic!

I am off to find more info on this topic so that I can expand on this topic at a later date. If you have any interesting links on intuitive painting, expressive drawing, spontanous expression…I would love to have a read. This intuitive road to creation definitely intrigues me!

Until next week…

Inspired by…a little creative license

When nature calls I come running. I work well with the sun shining, windows wide open, birds chirping and lots of life surrounding me. My perfect world.

My reality?

Dirty snow, mediocre temperatures, drizzle, socked in by low-lying clouds.  I love my home, but  I lust Hawaii. (Unless of course I can have a bluebird, spring ski day…)

I give Whistler the love it deserves most of the year, but I just have to work a wee bit harder to find inspiration during this time of the year. Spring is long and summer short. The grass is always greener…

Call it my own personal creative license, but as I slowly work myself back into my reality I am just going to keep dreaming (and blogging) of Hawaii.

Ahhh…doesnt that just make you feel better!?? All the senses  are activated by a little ocean time…

Lava tube formed by hot lava flowing down into the ocean. Looking for an active volcano and a goddess to go with it? The Big island has it!

A little heaven on earth. Ranch land, lush, tropical rain forests, waterfalls,volcanic desert, snow capped mountains…

The Big Island has 11 of the 13 ecosystems. Its the youngest island, but the biggest and still growing, thanks to Pele, the  volcano goddess. Home of the most active volcano, Kilauea, the tallest sea mountain, MaunaKea. ~ and it also has a Walmart, Target and Pier One,scheduled to open in September!

Still working on my comfort level in the water having lived in the mountains for over 20 yrs now… waves get my heart  a thumping. I will conquer them.

In our backyard~ free! $15/stem at my local flower store, here in reality. Mango, papaya and avocado ripe and ready to go.

And always more flora and fauna…

 Big Island graffiti ~ lava rock and coral. The perfect contrast.

A perfect end to a perfect day.

Bear with me a little longer as I transition back into my real world…but a girls got to dream!

Where’s your perfect world? The internet makes our big, beautiful world so accessible…I would love to check yours out!

Inspired by…the way of Aloha

My Bliss list runneth over this week. I have a lot of Aloha in my life right now.

Most believe Aloha is just a greeting, but the word is a way of life for most living here on the islands. Here, Aloha is an attitude, guidance towards living  a certain way of life ~ the Aloha spirit.

A, ala, watchful, alertness
L, lokahi, working with unity
O, oia’i’o, truthful honesty
H, ha’aha’a, humility
A, ahonui, patient perseverance

For us, it is a time to reconnect as a family. Time to reconnect with ourselves, regenerate and reflect. A time to sit back and relax.

A time to fill all of the senses. A time to feed the soul ~ soulfood.

All my senses are stimulated here. The morning birds, the sound of crashing waves, sweet papaya, warm rays, fully saturated flowers.. color!

BLISS!

My daughters Facebook status update ~ home, sweet home…

…that makes me very happy…

Please join us over at Livs blog with your own little Bliss list. By sharing, it gives each of us a chance to reflect on all the different things that others feel grateful for and a chance to appreciate all that you have.

Happy weekend to all! I promise I will get back into this whole bloggin’ world soon…I miss it!

Very thankful that I decided to put the alcohol inks in a plastic baggy in my luggage….

Inspired by… Rex Ray and a collage a day

Welcome to the world of Rex Ray~ Great name. Great work.

Have a watch..

After watching this video I just wanted to climb right up there beside him on the desk and have a heart to heart chat about his journey, his experiences and generally what makes him tick. I believe we all need a mentor to help guide us on our journey. I have decided I want him to be mine.

Rex…just text me!    ( because it doesn’t hurt to put it out there..)

I love everything about this video ~ his work, his attitude and how he represents himself. What struck a chord with me was his daily collage work.. Oddly, I stumbled upon this video just a few days after I had made the decision to try to create a daily collage.

Serendipitous?? ..I am taking it as a sign from above..

As you may know, I love paper. I may even have a paper problem. I have stacks of it. I have been known to secretly retrieve it from the recycling.

There are moments when I am not so proud of my artistically afflicted ways…..

I have been spending the majority of my creative time these days working on my intuitive painting skills.Very enjoyable, but I do find that I often need to step away from it every so often just to give my canvas a chance to rest, recuperate and regenerate.

Collage, especially with a limited palette, is a  breath of fresh air. I dont struggle as much with it. Right now I am sticking to homemeade papers, pen and thread… but I know I wont be able to resist adding  some paint in time.

Playing with textures and composition.  The theme for this group is “Out of the Woods”. I have incorporated a lot of my homemade woodlike paper and birch bark from my very own birch tree.

One of my goals for this year is to actually build up a body of work. Instead of flitting around from project to project, my goal is to  concentrate on working within a theme/subject. Spend some time thinking about the subject at hand and finding different ways to represent the same subject. I have been trying to work on this concept with my poppy paintings. Why not do the same with my paper projects?

A small part of my brain also thought it may be beneficial for my upcoming surface pattern design course… Well it seems that Rex also thought it would be beneficial and who am I to argue with his success.

So my friends I leave you with this..

Source: tabletonic.blogspot.com via Julie on Pinterest

Every time I question the what and why of this whole creative journey, I come back to this ~  I love all the possibility. I love the zen like feeling and the a’ha moments I have when creating. I may never reach my ultimate destination, but what entertainment it has been along the way.

Inspired by…crayons. Yes..crayons!?

I got a present!

I love presents. I definitely do not get enough of them. My husband and I do not usually exchange presents,  opting to share experiences together instead. So, I was quite excited…and apprehensive..when he presented me with a gift all the way from Geneva.

Lo and behold…it was not a box of chocolates. I thought it might be. Beautifully wrapped in textured black paper and  tied with a red ribbon. Hours of entertainment with half the calories.

Well, actually who is kidding who. I often find myself cruising the cupboards when creatively frustrated so it’s debatable which would result in more calories consumed. I will save that experiment for a later date and blog post.

Do I dare say he is supporting my art habit? Is this his offhand way of saying that he would like me to give up my homely duties and paint all day.

….of course!

Caran D’ache wax pastels are just juicy. Just add water and watch…brilliant color explosion!

They can be used wet, or dry, on paper, cardboard, canvas and even glass. They are semi opaque so great for mixed media work when you want a little special something showing through. They are great for sgraffito…great for mark making.

Even the white works well…love the dry brush look it creates on canvas.

Check out the greens and yellows too…

My 10 yr old son has been eyeing them, but truth be told…I am hiding them. Pathetic? Yes. Very little in this household is mine and mine alone.  I just need a good couple of hours with just the two of us and then I will pull them out for him to play with.

So who would have thunk I would be inspired by crayons?

The wonders never cease…..

Have a happy week!

Inspired by …my artistic affliction

Blogtoberfest day 18  (for Illustration Friday ~ Scattered)

I have said it before and I will say it again… I am Artistically Afflicted.

I know I am not the only one out there. My goal is to collect all of you like-minded souls and make a community of us.

Are you Artistically Afflicted?

• do you have at least 3 projects on the go?
• do these projects  involve many different mediums
• do you have sleepless nights wondering what you could produce if you just…
• are you brave and fearless? Will you spend three hours creating something and then cut it up? or paint over it?
• do you have glue, paint or any type of medium on your hands right now?
• look around you…is your work spilling over into other rooms of the house?
• do you have an uncanny ability to move from project to project without realizing
• do you think you have a form of attention deficit disorder?

Are you shaking your head thinking “yes,this is me!”

You, my friend, are Artistically Afflicted.

Oh, the places you will go!  It may be just the best affliction you will ever have!

Sorry, got a little side-tracked there. My post for Illustration Friday this week falls under the theme – scattered. (how appropriate..) I have read a number of times now on various art blogs that I should just cut my art work up. Trust me I am often thinking I should just throw it out so this is one step better.

mixed up media

Ok I have cut up. I have re-applied. I have added. Hmmm…interesting.

May have to explore this concept a little further…..

Cut it up...why not??

All part of the creative journey. Explore..create…get out of your comfort zone.

You never know what might just happen!

Please feel free to add any crazy ideas of your own to the comment section. Always thankful knowing I am not the only one out there!

Inspired by..new and different colors.

Blogtoberfest ~ day ?

I have been trying to break free of my usual color scheme. It is not easy.

My home is painted ginger root,  my accents are always red and orange. I have been living with this color scheme for about 20 years now. I don’t know if I will ever be able to break free of it. It’s just kind of who we are now….

Interestingly, most of my art is always on the warm side….until now.

I am trying to break free…if it can only be through my art, then so be it…

My new groove is to “pin” color schemes on Pinterest and then apply them to art. Curious as to what I am talking about? Go here

Source: photocardboutique.com via Julie on Pinterest

Purples and blues. I would never think to combine these colors together.

I will be honest, it’s a bit on the wild side for me. I may be a bit conservative when it comes to color…
So it was decided. My goal was to use these colors in my art exercise..

Here is what happened….

Colors used ~

• cobalt teal
• napthol red
• naples yellow
• titanium white
• mars black

Some fun mark making in above colors and then painting out space around into some standard shapes.

Making marks..exploring texture

Making shapes…trying different mediums..lots of charcoal, oil pastels and ink

Obliterating all…and coming up with something new, but still within the same color scheme.

All of the above pieces created on small 8′ by 10″ inch watercolor paper. Constantly reminding myself to let go and loosen up..its only paper.

Big ideas…small committment. Explore and see if your idea is worth committing more time and energy to..

Next time I am going to try and shake it up a bit more. Less Tapestry and Blooming Blue. More Greenleaf and Natural.

Love to hear and see some of your fav color combinations!

Inspired by…texture with found objects

Day 2 ~ Blogtoberfest

Dont tell anyone around here, but I love a rainy weekend. No excuse to stay in the house and paint, draw, read and now …blog..

After my crazy week I can only sigh. AHHHH… there were a few too many days creative-less. My new plan is to set away 30 minutes a day to just play and explore with my stuff. If I get more time, great. If not, no whining because I have at least had a bit of time to do what I want to do.

So after searching my kitchen for something new and different to paint with, I found this….recognize it?

It’s the mesh bag from my cherry tomatoes(right) and clementine oranges(left). Grocery shopping has become a bit more fun….

These marks are going to be bee hives. More layers and depth..tweak the color and it will be all set for some bees.

I havent a clue what I am going to use these for. I don’t usually use blue. Now I am thinking that maybe these will be for bees. Oh, the decisions…

I am really loving this texture. It’s good as it traps paint in its web. It is also a great over lay to paint on top of another color. Will definitely be using again.
Blue paint…maybe not.

If you have any interesting textures created with found objects, please share!! It’s always good to have an arsenal of materials on hand to get the creative juices flowing. The freer the better!