All posts filed under: Art

A piece of Montreal

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Hello, I did say I would be back to share some of what I’ve been up to right? Well here it is! My newest painting is a Montreal skyline.  My friend moved this summer and I made this for her to put in her apartment.  She loves it and I’m sooooo happy!  She (and our beautiful city) really was my inspiration for this piece!   Society6  is an online venue where I am selling some of my artwork.  There are hundreds of thousands of artists on Society6 doing the same. So I’m just a small fish in a very large pond, but still, I have had some success! Yay! 🙂 For all my friends today I’m happy to offer (in time for the Holidays) a 20% discount and FREE Worldwide Shipping!! This is a really great time to get some art for your walls, or a friend’s wall! You have to use one of these direct links in this post to access my sale. Society6 LINK FOR 20% OFF SALE  I hope you will take a moment to see what I …

April’s Creative Challenge: Collage it!

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This month we are challenging you to make a collage!  Interpret ‘collage’ as you see fit…  Simply put, collage refers to an assemblage of parts such as paper or other materials that are glued or applied to a substrate (canvas, paper, wood etc.) I’ve made you a short 1:25 minute  timelapse video to show you how I used my mixed media painted flowers to create my collage piece.  I’ve listed the supplies at the end of the video.  You can make your own flowers by visiting the FREEBIES page for the download.  I hope you enjoy the video! and here are some beautiful samples for you from our lovely, creative ACN team…! They are using the new digi image Bird Flourish and Script Collage available in the A Creative Need Etsy Shop. Peggy Kitt Merlina Gloria Come join in the COLLAGE challenge. I want to see what you are inspired to do! Have fun, try something new! 🙂 Be sure to link your project on the CHALLENGE PAGE!

Taking on the World Illustration Watercolor

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  I’ve been taking Danielle Donaldson’s new workshop on Jeanne Oliver’s network.  It’s really wonderfully inspiring to see Danielle work and learn some of her techniques!  I’ve been practising character building, and embracing my water colors which I love! After a few evenings of developing characters and finding my own style of character, (long neck, squiggle and dot sketching, wild hair and v shaped line drawn legs) was what seemed to emerge more often than not! I water colored a background around this little lady and was thrilled to see how she just seemed to come to life! I feel like she is ready to travel the world and take on whatever comes her way.

Character Building Excercises

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I have a confession to make…I have a hard time letting go, loosening up, relaxing my control over things.  I don’t need to be in control of everything,  in fact I often like to give up control to others simply so I won’t have to folow my own rigid rules! But the things that I am in control of usually need to follow my self appointed rules and regulations.  I put a lot of pressure on myself. I often place unreasonable expectations and unnecessary limitations on how I do things. Unfortunately, it can be paralyzing.  I am working on it. Really. So, with my art work, I have held myself back in many ways because of this mysterious  list of ‘rules’ that I’ve created.  Anyone else feel like this?  Where did all these rules come from?  They have accumulated as my life has moved along, and I didn’t realize how demanding they had become. I want , no, need to break some rules! I want to unlock  the art that I see in my mind and allow …

From my Heart Mixed Media Art

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I had some time to play with my art on Valentine’s day…my heart was full, and a lot of love went into this one! My amazing husband brought home a beautiful yellow bouquet and my youngest son gave us a pastel painted heart collage and his own heart card that he made in the morning.  My oldest gave us hugs and kisses and the end of the day we all went out for a very yummy dinner together!  So nice to just enjoy time together and also have time to do what we each love to do! Did you treat yourself with love?  Did you do something special for someone else or maybe for yourself this weekend? I would love to hear about it…     I really love how this turned out and I had so much fun doing it.  Here is a time lapse video version of my process…I am hoping it will encourage you to get creative and let go of any creative fears…sometimes a visual of the process can break down the intimidation of the doing. Don’t be afraid to …

The Art of being an Apprentice: My Letter to Vincent Van Gogh

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Dear Vincent,  thank you for the great pleasure of becoming your apprentice!  I hope I do not disappoint you with my humble but sincere efforts at learning from my limited but enthusiastic view of your life’s work.  Though I think you would be happy to know that I am learning to silence the negative voices… “If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” Vincent Van Gogh I regret that you will never know how much you have inspired me, and that you will never know that I am but one drop in an ocean of inspired, admiring souls! “If I am worth anything later, I am worth something now. For wheat is wheat, even if people think it is a grass in the beginning.” Vincent Van Gogh “…But, the sunflower is mine, in a way.” ― Vincent van Gogh Yes, Vincent, the sunflowers are most certainly yours! It makes my heart smile to think that your lovely sunflowers have become near synonymous with your name! It is with no mild timidity that …

What Vincent Van Gogh is teaching me…

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I am currently taking a course called Studying Under the Masters: Portraits and Self Portraits offered on Jeanne Oliver’s network site .  Last year I took the first Studying under the Masters: becoming an apprentice.  I highly recommend any of the courses offered there.  Try one of the free workshops and see for yourself.  CREATIVITY TAKES COURAGE  is a great place to start.  It is a free series of interviews with creative men and women with inspiring information to share.  Two of my personal favourites are Jane Davenport, and Kelly Barton.  I love how casual the conversations are…er, I mean,.. interviews.  🙂 So, I am learning a lot about Vincent Van Gogh right now.  What a unique man he was! I am reading Vincent Van Gogh : The Life, and finding it utterly fascinating.  I never really appreciated his art until last year.  Now I am immersed in it and can’t get enough!  It’s sort of like seeing a photo of a person and thinking, ‘hmm, interesting looking’ and moving on. Then, you meet that person and their personality just lights them up, and …

I heART Journal ART!

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If you want some great tutorials and creative inspiration for your art journals check out heART  journal magazine, a bimonthly digital magazine! Sample a FREE issue HERE.   Jeanne Oliver shares a mixed media art journal tutorial in the newest edition! I’m sooo loving it! Pssst… If you want her issue go sneak a peek at her BLOG to find a special code to get it free too!