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

At Long Last… and a Video too!

 Finally… at long last… woo hoo!

Thank-you, thank-you, everyone... for being patient with me.

 This is the second installment of my blog series… 

step by step watercolor.

In my last post, I had shared a bit about what kind of materials 

I like to use when painting my watercolor sketches, 

as well as a bit about my palette. 

I mentioned that I would do a colorful veggie sketch...

but actually was inspired by this lovely bunch of flowers I found 

at the Ballard Farmers Market, while visiting Seattle.

(No worries...I'll definitely do a veggie sketch on another post.)

I decided to put a little video together, so you'd have 

a true step by step experience.

The biggest take away I believe, will be 

the way I like to use my color wet into wet,

 and glaze over color, 

both, when wet & dry.

Many have asked me how I get such vibrant color…

I do believe it's the combination of mixing paint,

 to create great color

(not straight from the tube all the time)

as well as layering, 

one on top of another.

And of course, leaving some sparkling white of the paper 

to keep those little shimmers of highlight, on your subject.

Here's a little

step by step...

Take a peek and see what you think…

Flower Watercolor Sketch Video

The sketch in this video is done in my Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook ...

a perfect paper for watercolor and glazing.

Next post will be another glazing process- maybe veggies… 

then we'll roll into some how to's... of the script handwriting 

that I like to do on my sketches and my signature block.

Stay tuned…. 

Feel free to leave any comments or questions... 

Check back if you're interested 

or join this blog site by signing up on google connect.

( see connect block in left column.)

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

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)

Seeds of G R O W T H... and a G I V E A W A Y!

"We come from the earth, 

we return to the earth, 

and in between we

 g a r d e n."

anonymous

So, for the past year, I've been planting some seeds. 

I've been working the soil of my creative journey. 

Some days turning the dirt and adding lots of nutrients, 

and other days just looking at the soil, 

pulling some weeds, 

and wondering when the sprouts are going to shoot up.

Lately, I've been seeing some sprouts. 

I am starting to see a few glimmers of those colorful flowers 

that I so desperately want to grow.

 I do  b e l i e v e  

the flowers 

are really, really starting to grow!

... and I am encouraged.

a list of my  s p r o u t  sightings...

~ I'm seeing some increase in my etsy sales

(Every time an order comes through, I'm like a child at Christmas- 

the sales seem like they are creeping in slowly, but creeping in, is good. 

I feel a lot like a snail in the soil sometimes!

I've started to "renew" and add items more often- as well as join a couple of etsy teams,

which I think is another contributing factor to the visibility. 

Meeting new people on a team, and supporting each other through team treasuries, 

giveaways, & team blogs, I think has definitely been a boost. 

I am sooo thankful to the people that have included me in a treasury, or a feature, or their blog. )

~ I'm seeing increased visibility

(I'm starting to notice that my work is being recognized at shows, the more I attend repeatedly- 

I had a couple of people looking for me- yea!

Also I am noticing that the wonderful connections and friendships from ecourses, blogging, blog hops, 

giveaways, and social networks that have been continually taking root. 

This is the most wonderful area in this crazy journey of creating art. 

I cherish each and every connection that has been made, and am trying to recognize and support 

each and every sweet person that is on their own creative journey beside me.

It's amazing to see some who have arrived to the place of enormous growth- completely in B L O O M.

It inspires and encourages me always. 

It's amazing to see some who are on a parallel path and others who are just getting started. 

I am inspired by and in awe of each and every one!)

~I'm starting to approach shops  and bigger shows

(Finally being B R A V E and approaching a few shops to see if I can get 

any of my work in another venue- got a couple of consignments started. 

Also doing a show in a couple of weeks that is a much larger venue than I am used to...  

Patchwork Indie Arts & Crafts Show. 

Talk about butterflies and preparation! yikes!

Hey if any of you are in So. Cal and are attending, 

or are exhibiting there- give me a shout out in the comments- I'd love to meet you. ) 

~I'm starting to see a path

(As I am starting to see a path, it feels right, to acknowledge this grateful list of sprouts. 

There is so much soil I want to cultivate, and yet sometimes 

it's good to just stop, 

look for the growth, 

and see the colors as they start to reveal themselves.)

what is on your "sprout list" ?

what new things are happening for you?

Feel free to leave a comment today and I will enter you into my giveaway 

to  C E L E B R A T E  

s  e e d s   o f   g r o w t h

s p r i n g

&  g r a t e f u l n e s s

To enter to win (one of my little birdie houses shown above)

Leave a comment on my blog~ it's as simple as that!

Drawing will be on Friday!

2 entries if you are already a follower or if you become a blog follower.

Thank-you faithful followers!