Some Thank-You Flowers...

Where did August go? 

For a brief moment, I thought we were just finishing up 

the delightful Summer Faire class. 

I had a blast as a guest teacher in Junelle's ecourse. 

It's such a joy and privilege to be part of her tribe!

Not to mention how inspired I still am, 

from all of the lovely work that was posted.

For a lot of us, this is the time of year 

that brings a season of change.

The sunlight is changing, 

traffic is picking up, as kids are back in school.

Bands are practicing, 

with anticipation of a fabulous football season.

Summer flowers are saying goodbye 

to make room for Fall blooms.

In this time of transition,  

I'm filled with inspiration...

working hard on creating some online goodness 

for the launch of my official website, 

painting away to fill a gallery show,

and sharing whatever artsy goodness I can 

with all of the lovely supporters 

surrounding me.

Stay tuned for more of that artsy goodness, 

coming down the road...

and enjoy this video I made 

to share with you all

with gratitude….

xo Valerie

Are You Ready? It's Getting Closer!

Just wanted to give everyone a sneak peek 

at some more lovely goodness that will be coming up 

in Junelle Jacobsen's online artsy class...

"A Summer Faire".

I'm so jazzed to be a part of the fun. 

I've been getting more and more excited with the postings 

Junelle has put up, giving us a sneak peek at the projects we'll be doing.

Her wreath.... oh my oh my!

And recipes from Rhetta...yummers.

Also getting more and more excited myself, 

making video's and projects to share with a most artsy 

tribe of  lovelies!

There will be herb pots and seed packets...

along with a lovely birdfeeder and birdies of summer.

Sure hope you'll feel inspired to paint, sketch,

and get silly with us. 

There's still time to sign up for the discounted price... 

Time to get your seed packets on!

It's right around the corner....

I can feel the gesso on my hands already!

I am always inspired by the artsy tribe that love all things Junelle!

Hope you'll join us...

Class starts Friday July 10th...

Open House is in one more week and

the discounted price of $32 

ends on July 1 

3 weeks of Summer Art Inspiration.
Click the link above to sign up today!
regular price 44.95 ~July 1

Seasons, Seeds & Summer Faire!

My oh my… I can feel the beginning of summer happening here. 

There's the sound of 'Pomp & Circumstance" in the distance, 

and names being called as diploma's are handed out. 

There are sounds of skateboards on concrete in the the neighbor's driveway, 

and the harmony of kid voices, full of excitement...  

knowing they are at 

the doorway of summer break. 

Every season brings it's own freshness… newness… 

and shift from one routine of life to another. 

As much as Spring is known, as the time of seedlings and new growth

summer brings a growth of it's own.

Brightly colored flowers, 

vegetable gardens, 

bike rides, outdoor play, 

barbeques and outdoor eating, 

summer camp, 

ice tea and lemonade…

Soooo... with all that in mind
what better way to usher in the "newness of summer" 
than with a Junelle class!
I've been busy busy working on a few projects to add 

to her wonderful Summer Faire lineup!
After having the opportunity to do a little offering 
in her Art of Spring class, I couldn't be more thrilled 
to be invited back as part of Summer Faire.

Look at the lineup she has in store for us all!

a favorite mailbox collection
market fresh wreaths
kitchen window cottages
ice cream & gelatos
tomatoes & "basil" the cat
potted herbs and vintage seeds
bikes & blooms - stops & smells
street fair treasures
summer porch art
garden steps, stoops, and stories
a big summer canvas (or creative art journal pages)
...and more!
(guess who's got the potted herbs & vintage seeds up her sleeve and more… hint hint!)

I hope you'll be as excited as I am to be part of the summer fun! 
I am always inspired by the artsy tribe 
that love all things Junelle!
Hope you'll join us… 

Class starts Friday July 10th
earlybird sign ups are 
happening now..
for only $32 

3 weeks of Summer Art Inspiration!

Click the link to sign up today! 

regular price 44.95 ~ July 1

pssst...I've got a secret…an Online Class...

So here it goes… I am over the moon and a little cray cray here.

A few weeks ago... one of my favorite online teachers, 

bloggers, and all around wonderful human beings 

asked if I would like to do a segment on her next online class.

Enter the "woot! woots!" and "happy dancing".

After spending the past couple of weeks figuring it all out, 

and prepping… 

I am thrilled to announce the launch of 

Junelle Jacobsen's 

Art of Spring!

Sign up's are taking place right now 

for the early bird price of $29

Open House is March 28th

Class starts April 1! 

I guarantee there's nothing more fun than getting creative with Junelle. 

Between her loosey goosey journaling style, 

happy flowers, recipes and her forever loving farm family of sheep

there will be plenty to play with as Spring arrives!

Oh, and then there's my part too… 

I've decided to teach a project using watercolor, 

wherein I can demonstrate some wet into wet watercolor technique 

and lots of glazing of color.

The image above shows my rooster and a couple of flower pieces 

that will be part of the little watercolor booklet we'll design...

along with the fun script lettering styles I'll teach how to draw.

Just enough of a simple project to share some watercolor 

love with you all!

So, here's the dealeo… sign ups are going on now…

I have one "FREE" spot to give away in this lovely class.

If you leave a comment HERE on the blog mentioning the class

or on my FACEBOOK page, (include the code: SPRINGART )

your name will be entered into a drawing 

for that FREE class space.

A name will be chosen by 4pm on Friday March 27th

and that person will be notified by email or personal FB message

or on the blog if I don't have your contact info. 

Good Luck everyone! 

This class is truly a blessing in so many ways!

http://yesandamenblog.blogspot.com

 p.s. my website is getting all spiffed up and ready for a launch in the very near future…

keep your eyes open for  http://valerieweller.com  …more watercolor… coming soon

It's That Time of Year… again...

I've been thinking about this past weekend…
that weekend of 

t h a n k f u l n e s s… 
that begins the lovely season of  

g a t h e r i n g...

gathering
our thoughts 
our lists
our plans
our food 
our gifts
our connections with friends
our connections with family…
g a t h e r i n g…
all the little pieces that 
will make up the 
coming weeks.

As I work on some gifts from the heART

and prepare for boutiques...

and as I

g a t h e r

I am continually reminded of all the blessings 

that have been put on my path. 

It is in the spirit of gratitude, that I approach this season 

with eyes wide open and a full heart.

p.s. those sweet little woodblocks above, were created by moi in a wonderful online class 

by Junelle Jacobsen… the Art of Holiday Goodness - still available for sign ups.

Check out my etsy shop if you are interested in any woodblocks for gifting.  

Stretching Out of the Comfort Level.

“Creativity takes courage.” 

~Henri Matisse 

Have you ever worked on a piece that caused you 

to stretch a bit out of your comfort zone?

Don't laugh... but initially, for me it was the use of textural products...

unryu rice paper, gesso, modeling paste and more. 

I was so accustomed to how my paints worked on a flat surface... 

on what I was most comfortable with.

It took quite a bit of trial and error to get my color to look pleasing over texture.

It was such a stretch in the beginning... 

and yet it became that gentle reminder 

to be brave in the "process"...

because that's where the

magic 

happens.

I chose to share this piece because it was based on one of the projects 

from Junelle Jacobsen's Wild Art Summer

I know I mention Junelle a lot here, 

but I am a big fan of her online classes.

I've come to know the comfort in her style of teaching.

She has a way of connecting, sharing, and teaching to everyone.

from the beginner to the seasoned artist...

from the "baby lamb" to the "mature ewe"...

(she's a little cray cray for sheep)

all from her overwhelmingly big heart

and her most grounded soul.

If  you are interested in working with watercolors,

stretching your wings,

while learning some fun and playful techniques, 

that will free your soul to create beautiful art...

I highly recommend her Fall/Winter class online.

It starts October 22... with a warm & welcoming 

Open House on October 15th.

sign ups going on now...

Can't wait to see what she has in store for us.

I give it 10 hearts up!

the Art of Holiday Goodness by Junelle Jacobsen

Palettes of color....

"I think palettes 

are a glimpse 

into the soul 

of a painter. 

Yep, you're going to heaven."

~Brian Schnetzer 

(friend extraordinaire)

When I posted a photo of my watercolor palette on facebook recently, 

one of my dearest friend's 

left the words above on my page.

I was so touched...

(well, he's that kind of person- one of those rare & cherished friends)

...he gave me cause to think...

our palette says a lot about who we are 

and how we approach our work.

If you've been on this blog space of a journey with me ... 

you are probably well aware of 

my affinity to 

w a t e r  C O L O R. 

(with an emphasis on the color part.)

 So many sweet friends have been asking about what colors I use, 

what type of paint, how etc. 

I thought it might be fun to start sharing some posts 

on the "how to's of what I do's".

I kind of see myself as a "rebel" when it comes to following (NOT) 

hard core "tradition" in watercolor. 

The very essence of the medium, evokes freedom and lack of control...

which is probably why I love it so. 

I am always learning lessons on 

 l e t t i n g   g o

a n d

t r u s t i n g,

when I create with watercolor.

Upon taking a deeper look at my palette, 

I noticed that I didn't have all of my colors lined up exactly 

with warm and cool colors in their proper place. 

I tend to put random bursts of color 

"outside of the box"

so to speak.

I also noticed that a lot of times, those random bursts of color 

are used in my work, as that color gem- that little sparkle added to the page.

Wow, there's more to your palette when you start to really look at it.

It's kind of a metaphor for how I like to create

and live my creative life.

What paint?? I am asked often...

I like a combination of Holbein & Windsor Newton brand.

You can see from my journal book pages 

that I am a big fan of wet on wet and glazing techniques.

I believe those techniques, allow me to achieve a lot of depth, 

as well as an organic feel to my work.

The "pear and lavendar" spread above, is from one of my journal books-

inspired by all that I learned from Wild Art classes with Junelle Jacobsen.

I am sooo in love with journal pages...

as it allows the freedom to explore and create 

for a larger work.

Tomorrow starts a "new session" of Wild Art  called 

Wild Art Summer.

I'm feeling like a little kid... so looking forward to creating new projects, 

and connecting with an incredible group of people.

If you like the idea of creating in a journal, exploring with watercolor 

and so much more... 

I would highly recommend signing up for Junelle's class. 

It starts tomorrow, but is a go at your own pace online e-course.

It's most inspiring for those who like to

"color out of the lines"... like me.

photo above: Junelle Jacobsen's wild art class

What colors are on your palette?

In my next post, I'll share a little on how I go about painting with glazes 

using my "out of the box" color palette.

Hope to see you in the Wild ART Summer group. 

Tu Tu Tutorial Time...

Ever since "Wild Art" classes... 

I've been looking at the concept of the journal book 

in a whole new light.

It has become a place to experiment,

a place to p l a y 

a place to  e x p l o r e  and make mistakes

and a place of pure f r e e d o m !

I am sharing a technique that I 've been using with kids for years.

It's funny how the simplest ideas can sometimes 

translate into the loveliest of creations.

Grab yourself some foam sheets at the craft store 

and see what artistry you'll create!

Foam sheets? 

Who would think 

these handy dandy foam sheets 

would serve as a cool base 

to make a basic monoprint with?

You'll need two brayers, some block printing ink, a sheet of glass 

and a ball point pen to play with.

Use the ball point pen to draw some designs into the foam sheets.

I chose organic images, as I was planning on 

making subtle background patterns on my journal page spread.

The harder the impression you make with the pen, 

the better the result you will get when you transfer the design.

mmm... pretty...

I already had some block printing ink, but bought a fresh tube of white. 
I chose white, because I wanted to go over 
some other colors that I had previously put on my pages.

When you are done drawing the images, 

roll out some ink on the glass with your brayer.

The plan is to get a good coat of ink on the drawing side of the foam sheet.

Getting a fair amount of ink, should insure a good clean transfer of image.

When ready... flip the foam in the position you want it on the page, 

apply pressure and roll evenly with your second (clean) brayer. 

(oh- did I mention... the transfer will come out backwards from the drawing...

usually not a problem, unless you are writing words...)

This sample shows my first sneak peek, 

where I can tell 

that I needed to get heavier on my ink.

Much better... now I was ready to print on my pages... 

Below is the finished spread. 

I used two different images to transfer. 

I love how the white ink made a subtle pattern on the page, 

and also picked up some faint blue 

from the ball point pen in places.

So much fun, with such a simple process. 
What will you create? 

(Would love to hear if you try it out)

Planting seeds... and Heart Experiences...

This time of year is a little different for us...

 west coast cali-peeps. 

It's easer to lose track of the seasons, in a way... 

because the markers are much more subtle. 

Cold is 45 degree's and rain is... well...

oh my... blocking the sun from shining. 

The hills reflect light off of a carpet of green. 

Lavender blooms and camellia's burst alive with color.

All of this being  

somewhat of a pre-Spring...

before winter seeds 

come to a full bloom.

I always like this time of year, 

because  

a r t  s e e d s  

planted from the new year

have been taking root.

One of  my seeds included 

creating an art & word journaling class, 

to be shared with 

a Life Group in my home.

 

I've been planning lessons to share with this lovely group of women, 

to encourage expression, spiritual connection and bravery.

I create my sample pages to encourage everyone to 

not   f e a r 

be  f r e e 

and  e x p r e s s.

We talk about "artistic license"a lot...

 and that there are no mistakes, 

just  g r o w t h.

I  have been humbly amazed at the connection that has been made.

The fear that dissolved, and the spirit that is continually felt among us 

when we gather to create.

Take a peek at what a lovely group can do, 

who were fearful of the concept of "self-portrait"

who thought they had no artistic ability...

who all looked at me with raised eyebrows 

when I mentioned the words

"take a picture of yourself on your phone..."

Our h e a r t s became full, 

as the tension went away, 

and everyone got in their own art space.

I am simply  a m a z e d ...

grateful for 

new seeds of growth. 

(Matthew 18:20)

"For when two or three come together in my name, there am I among them." 

...soooo thankful to Junelle Jacobsen for teaching Wild Art to us all, so we can share the process of art journaling in the world and connect hearts... There's still time to signup for Junelle's Spring Workshop~ 

I soooo highly recommend it~ best class ever!