A Creative New Year to you!

Happy New Year to you from me!

My new year has been a bit late starting.

I was fortunate enough to be away on the Big Island with family and friends over the holidays. While my intentions for goal setting and lots of productive time, writing, soul-searching and creating art were a top priority, reality got in the way and it was replaced with lots of meal making and carting kids around to hot surf spots.

Oh woe is me:)

So here I am starting the New Year with no set plan in motion, but instead a feeling of gratitude and contentment. I would say that is a good start to any year!

I spent my spare time painting and cutting paper into shapes inspired by all the crazy, tropical foliage surrounding me. I played with some different textures and colours and I experimented with their placement.

I will admit to running out of medium to glue it all down, but  soon discovered that I loved the freedom of being able to move it all around.

I had more than one moment of frustration as the wind blew it all away..

I think I could be very happy playing with bright colors and designing this way everyday. I love that feeling of excitement that comes with the discovery of something new, a new idea, new colours…anything new.

These will all be made into prints for art licensing soon.

I am excited about the new year, but here I sit, almost 2 weeks in to the new year, with no set plan of action written down. I have lots of ideas and goals for this year, but right now they are flying around with no accountability whatsoever.

My plan for this week is to take a half hour out daily to reflect and get these intentions in action. There is no time like the present. Just start!

A little pep talk from me to you.

Sharing with you a few resources that I always find helpful to help start me on my way:

Word of the Year – created by Christine Kane

New Years Revolution  – created by Do What You Love

Wishing you health, happiness and lots of creativity in 2016!

xoxo

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PaperLove bloghop

My love for paper runs deep! My heart beats a little faster, my mind starts racing and I get a little giddy. All the colour, texture, pattern and weight is enough to make me a little speechless.

The opportunities with paper are endless. It is for this reason alone that I have become a bit of a paper hoarder. I have stacks upon stacks of different types of paper in my studio ~ old envelopes, cardboard, kraft paper, handmade paper,wallpaper, old magazines,tissue paper,  stationery, maps, and even some good old scrap- booking paper. It has been bought from far away places and travelled the world and it has also been found dumpster diving in my very own community. Interesting paper is everywhere!

floral papercuts for handmade business cards

Paper can be stamped, glued, painted, sprayed, crumpled,cut and of course, written one. Oddly enough, I often forget about the good old traditional method of writing on paper. I am usually to busy ripping it up and gluing it down.

I love to be inspired by my paper collection. I can admit to you, because I know you will understand,  I often sit surrounded by my papers. I put them into pretty piles playing with colour and texture. I imagine them in my art journal or all collaged up onto wall art. I imagine all the different textures that can be made in my paintings with them or how they will look with a transparent dab of paint – a glimpse of their original state peeking through. It makes me want to pull out all my papers right now and get working!

More mood boards focused around scraps of paper. I love the natural feel of paper~ it can be mixed with so many other types of medium such as wood, bamboo,birchbark, and even material, yet still keep its natural feel.

papertags,birchbark,cardboard,old packaging, paint chips, wallpaper,rice paper

Below is one of my “collage everyday” pieces. I hope to continue on with this project again one day. I had fun creating daily collages based around the woodland theme. It’s a great way to put all your paper scraps to good use.

wallpaper,handmade paper,tissue paper,ink and thread

And, of course, we can’t forget the lovely feel of a good, old fashioned dip pen and ink on paper. It almost inspires me to sit down and write a letter , unfortunately, I have a feeling I   would make more of a mess than anything else.,

Guess who else loves paper around our household? Yup~ Cariboo. He wanted to be part of our paper love bloghop today so here he is. Any paper that hits the ground is fair game in his eyes.

The PaperLove Blog Hop is a celebration of all things paper! Follow the links to discover more bloggers who love paper and use it to inspire and delight. And if you want to explore a whole world of paper, and stretch your paper passion further with a host of creative projects, why not join the innovative new online course PaperLove (starts March 31). Led by book artist Rachel Hazell, PaperLove is a five week creative adventure for paper lovers. Find out more here.

Come visit the other paper lovers in our bloghop today. I am sure you will find loads of inspiration!

Participant list

Majo Bautista / Tona Bell / Louise Best / Cathy Bluteau / Jennifer Bomgardner / Giova Brusa / Lindsay Buck / Beka Buckley / Joanna Caskie / Jonathan Chapman (Mr Yen) / Halle Cisco / Sarah Clare / Cathryn Clarge / Dawn Clarkson / Rhiannon Connelly / Jenny D’Fuego / Molly Dhiman / Ian Dudley / Ayisatu Emore / Akmal Farid / Monika Forsberg / Claire Fritz-Domeney / Louise Gale / Chrissy Gaskell / Julie Hamilton / Emma Hawman / Rachel Hazell / Holly Helgeson / Claudine Hellmuth / Kim Henkel / Sarah Hoffman / Joanne Hus / Paula Joerling / Beth Kempton / Julie Kirk / Eos Koch / Katie LaClair / Kristy Lankford / Michelle Manolov / Doreen Marts / Rosie Martinez-Dekker / Tori Mears / Maria Mederios / Lise Meijer / Debbie Miller / MaryJane Mitchell / Suzy Naidoo / Grace Noel / Hannah Nunn / Camilla Olsson / Jo Packham / Rachelle Panagarry / Monette Pangan / Melanie Paul / Nicole Piar / Jen Pitta / Liz Plummer / Julie Reed / Michelle Reynolds / Lisa Rivas / Angee Robertson / Natalie Ryan / Aisling Ryan / Elisabet Sapena / Kyrrha Sevco / Jamie Sprague / Elizabeth Steele / Terri Stephens / Juniper Stokes / Mary Tanana / Maike Thoma / Linda Tieu / Gabrielle Treanor / Tammy Tutterow / Deborah Velasquez / Jordan Vinograd Kim / Cat Whipple / Brooke Witt / Katie Wood / Amelia Woodbridge

Say YES to 2014!

Happy New Year to all my friends near and far!

I have a few minutes peace here. An hour, maybe two if I am lucky, to just sit, sip tea and think about the holidays.This is a rare moment right now. Our home and life here in Whistler is alive with the hustle and bustle of happy times. Amidst it all, I am finding a spare moment to reflect and set a few goals for the upcoming year. The chaos will continue for weeks to come, but if I can find a small sliver of quiet time daily all will be good.

At this time of year I can’t help but feel melancholic. I am so grateful for the health and happiness that we are  surrounded by right now. I am grateful to have my friends and family together.I am grateful for the supportive and positive community that I have surrounded myself with this past year.

My creative journey has been such a large part of my life these past two years. This blog and everything within – stories and work from fellow creatives, the trials and tribulations of creating,accomplishments (and a fair share of rejection too). All of these stories help make help make up the fabric of my life right now and it all makes me smile. It’s just awesome!

Thank you to each and every one of you!

Sharing my intentions for 2014! I am hoping you will all hold me accountable. I am a bit of a dreamer as you can probably tell as I doodle my way off into 2014.

Thinking of lots great things…for me and you!

If you are interested in creating your very own intentions for 2014 I really enjoyed Do What You Love’s   New Years Revolution. It is very well thought out and a great planner for the year. (it’s free!) I am a believer in pen to paper for all intentions. It has a bit of sticking power and great to review monthly. Have a go!

Wishing you all the best throughout the holidays and into 2014!

Always inspired by Bloom True with Flora Bowley

I am at it again! Spaying, splashing and stamping paint and it feels oh, so good.

We are very fortunate to have the use of the Station house on Alta lake in Whistler to paint, sketch and just be creative. Beautiful views, the sound of the lake and wind through the trees, painting with like-minded souls. Pretty awesome!

It felt so liberating to just play with all my mark making tools ~ exploring different brush strokes and paint combinations. I didn’t produce anything, or I should say, I didn’t finish a painting, but I learned so much in the process.  All lessons  I can apply to my sketching, surface pattern and digital skills.

I love the intuitive approach to painting. No pressure to recreate a picture or get tight trying to represent something. The goal is to be messy. Create lots of layers. Surprise yourself with under layers peeking through.It adds so much depth to your painting.

I find the most interesting paintings are those that have a little something just waiting to be discovered.I love a painting I can come back to again and again, each time discovering something new.

Loose. Free. Big!

Time to get out your mark making tools!  Flora Bowley’s Bloom True class is coming to you!

I have written many blog posts on Flora Bowley. My admiration runs deep for this woman! I love her story.She has put herself and her art out there and it was not an easy task for her. I think she best defines brave and bloom. She has taught me how to let go and discover my own personal painting style and helped me along on my own personal creative journey.

Flora Bowleys next Bloom True ~ the e-course starts Monday Sept. 30th! Five weeks  painting in your own private classroom. No one critiquing~ just you, your paints and inspiration. You will have the added bonus of professional video, audio interviews  and a private, online community to discuss your process with.

This little promotional video sums it up nicely!

BUT this is my all time favorite video of Flora painting from start to finish

I have been lucky enough to take both Flora’s e-course and live class. While I loved meeting her in person, I found the online setting to be more conducive to me letting go and playing. No distractions from other classmates or being influenced by what others were doing. Lots of time to review the videos at your own pace and do what she does. I also felt I received enough critique from Flora and my online community as both were quick to answer any questions I had.

Put the music on, move and explore your creative side…

If you paint at night I would even suggest a few glasses of wine because it just never hurts!

I hope this helps to give you an idea of what to expect during Flora’s course. I have many a blog post discussing my trials and tribulations with the whole intuitive way of painting. Just “search”  intuitive painting, Flora Bowley, Bloom true ,Brave Intuitive you or mark making in my “search” box (in the side column to the right) I think everything is there to answer any questions you may have. If you are still curious, please feel free to ask away, either below in comments or, directly at jules@bollah.com.

P.s. I have affiliated with Flora and Do what you love to help promote Flora’s Bloom True classes! This is as close as I could get to buying the company:) If you are interested in taking her class please mention me or click through my site here to register. Help me save up to take more Do what you love courses! I am a little addicted and need  help to pay for my art habit!

Inspired by the global search for talent-part 2

The Global Talent Search showcase is back due to popular demand!  Today we have Round two of The Global Talent Search hosted by Lilla Rogers studio

If you missed Round 1 here it is here.

These are just a small sampling of the 1500 entries, but all of these  vintage, playground inspired, journal covers inspire me!

They motivate me to try new techniques,play with different mediums and experiment. I think Lilla hit the nail on the head when she suggested this theme . It really gives artists a great way to play and experiment.

I have included the artist name below each piece and a link to their blog post about The Global Talent Search.

Simi Gauba of Simi Designs

Tracy Bixby

Lisa Firke

Laurie Baars

Heather Dutton of Hang Tight studio

Ine Beerten

Catriona Robyn

Julie Ansbro of Acadreamia design

Gabriella Buckingham

Tammie Bennett

Pavinee

Jill Howard

Jennifer Orkin Lewis

May Leong

Pretty impressive isnt it? I have mentioned it many times and here I go again, but I am amazed at the quality and the variety ~ so many different interpretations of one theme!

Tomorrow is the big day!  Lilla Rogers and her team will reveal the top 50 who will move onto the second round. Fingers and toes crossed- I am hoping to know more than a few of those who make it.

Making it into the top 50 is a huge achievement in itself when chosen out of 1500 entrants!

Best of luck to everyone who entered! I will keep you posted on how it all rolls out.

Inspired by the global search for talent!

Lilla Rogers is all the rage in my surface design world right now. She has just recently launched her first ever e-course, Make Art that Sells, with Beth Nicholls of Do What you Love and it was a roaring success. Now the two of them have collaborated to host a Global Talent Search.The reward for the winner- a 2 year signed contract with Lilla Rogers Studio.

That, my friends, is kind of like winning the lottery in my world.These are two very clever women!

I am still unsure of how many entrants they received for the search, but my guess is over 700. There are many out there just dying for a shot to be represented by Lilla. Yes, I am one of them…

It’s funny because when I signed up for her course I didn’t realize I would automatically be entered into the talent search. I am not sure I would have participated  considering I am in the throes of summer vacation with kids. But, after 5 awesome weeks with Lilla and Make Art that Sells I was excited to keep the momentum going and was thrilled to have another mini brief to design around.

The brief for the global talent search – vintage inspired playground. I wont lie-my initial thought was ..ugh..

Once again though, Lilla pushed me creatively to create a piece around a theme I had never even considered. Now, I have a whole bunch of playground inspired motifs to play around with for patterns and upcoming art.

My mind at work in the inspiration stage…

The finished project! I am quite pleased with it.I stepped outside my boundaries, used lots of different medium and even tried some new colors.

I thought it would be fun to give you a little sneak peek at some other playground inspired journals for the Global Talent Search. The top 50 get chosen and published August 1st, but that’s just a bit to far away.I love seeing all the different styles and interpretations.

I have included the artist name below each piece and a link to their blogpost about The Global Talent Search (or in some instances just their blog…lots are taking a breather this week!)

Mary Tanana

Deborah Velasquez

Sharon Minchuk

Wendy Flynn of Doris and Fred

Rosie Martinez-Dekker

Claire Lordon

Laura Escalante

Anneline Sophia

Cat Athena Louise

Miki Berman


Rachel Place
Maike Thoma
Tina Devins

Isn’t it amazing to see all the different interpretations and styles?I love all the different medium used from chalk to embroidery. Lots of look at!

Best of luck to everyone who entered! I will keep you posted on how it all rolls out. It should be very interesting!

Inspired by…the art and business of surface pattern design

Six months,one camera, 500 sheets of A4 white paper, dozens of black sharpies,a few strands of gray hair compliments of Adobe Illustrator and countless hours of pure enjoyment = The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design

I am happy to announce I am a proud graduate of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design. Yippee!

When I first heard of this course I knew that it would be the right fit for me. I love to take photos, I love to draw, I love to paint and I am very intrigued by the Adobe digital world.

It is hard to put into words exactly what I have been doing for the past 6 months. I have covered everything from finding inspiration through the lens of my camera, sketching, stamping and sewing,finding my signature style, creating “my brand” and even working on website development to showcase my work. I have progressed from  simple drawings on paper to creating full out digital goodness on Photoshop and Illustrator. I can now make patterns, technical repeats and mock up my designs to products. I have a logo. I may even have a website, but that is a definitely a work in progress. All of this a result of 6 months spent with the lovely Rachael Taylor.

A big bow and curtsy go to Beth Nicholls and Rachael Taylor. They have developed an exceptional online course devoted entirely to Surface Pattern Design.

When asked to describe it, many words come to mind – inspirational,empowering,very educational. Full time also comes to mind! The amount of informative and worthwhile information provided was staggering. I was not only given information, but it was followed up with resources on where to find more information.As I like to say..

All bases were covered

The flow of work from lesson to lesson was well prepared and easy to follow. We were provided with daily creative exercises to spark our imagination and we were given loads of resources.Rachael is passionate about her work and ready to share her knowledge of the industry.

I  will admit I was definitely overwhelmed at times and deflated at others. I am so thankful for the community of people put together by this course. Everyone was so generous, supportive and willing to share.As I prepare to go out into the big world of surface pattern I feel very confident having these people by my side!

This is the  second online course I have taken developed by Beth Nicholls and her team at Do What You Love. Pop on over to her website and have a look around. I love her story! I am still amazed at all I have been exposed to here in my beautiful little world high up in the mountains. Thank you Beth for making it all so accessible!

The next course starts November 12th, 2012.If you are thinking about it, but not entirely sure at least invest in Module One – Designing Your Way. It is a fantastic introduction geared towards finding inspiration and applying it to your creative world. It would benefit anyone with an interest in creating. It also gives you a gentle introduction to the digital world. See what you think. You wont be disappointed!

All information can be found on their website here.

If you have any questions about the course please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Happy Monday!

Inspired by… a creative color challenge

Just a quick post to share my creative color challenge piece for this month. I am loving these challenges and only wish that this challenge was more often.

I love playing around with color~ more so when I am being told what colors to use.

Sometimes I find it easier to concentrate on design rather than fighting with all the possibility that color can offer. It is easy to lose your direction ..fast.

This months color ~ pretty in pink.

My lite version…

And only because I can so easily change this digitally…my dark version..

In the real world it is much more time consuming to pull off two pieces of art. Digitally…a whole lot easier. I could have played all day with this.

You knew it was coming…I did three! I just cant help myself these days…

Anyhow, it’s quite obvious,  I really enjoyed the process. I find it so interesting how different colors speak to us. I am loving the ease at which you can add color to digital art and amazed at how a darker colorway or even a slight change in placement can make such a difference.

If you are interested in playing along in Louise Gales monthly color challenge then drop on by. She has created a great community of people participating in all mediums. I was delighted to find out that Louise is also a  fellow ABSPD student with me.I am looking forward to seeing how she combines her handmade and digital worlds. Guaranteed to be great!

I am loving how this big, whole cyber world just gets smaller everyday:).