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)

The In-Between Spaces...

I've been away from my blog for a bit...

well... okay, maybe for more than a bit.

(g u i l t y)

I got to thinking...

sometimes in the craziness of our lives

when no words will come...

we just need to be 

quiet,

need to be 

still,

just need to 

be...

I like to think of these times 

as the 

in-between spaces...

...much like 

that dark crack in the concrete 

where you see a tiny bloom

poking through 

making you wonder...

I'm finding...

there's beauty in the 
in-between spaces...

it's where we grow.

During this time of 
in-between spaces

I find myself drawing & sketching,
planning  & gathering... 
  (for bigger, more scary things)

journaling & exploring ideas...

teaching & sharing with those I love...

painting, painting, painting...

and building toward my "art future".

(website, & video's are coming together)

Time to be accepting, 

of the time it takes to grow... in the 

in-between spaces.

What are you growing in your 

in-between spaces?

BLOG HOPPING...on a Saturday

Welcome to the official 

Art of Wild Abandonment 

bloghop post!

If you've made it here, you've probably popped by after visiting with the lovely

Valerie Hebert at

www.valsartstudio.blogspot.com

(wasn't her birdie just grand! Love her work- and she has a cool name too!)

This bloghop was created to showcase some of the work that we've created 

after learning from two absolutely fabulous artistes

Junelle Jacobsen

& Christy Tomlinson

There are around 50 artist's that are part of this lovely group 

who have been using watercolor, acrylic, pan pastels, gesso, pitt & scarlet lime pens,

fabric, parchment paper... and the list goes on... 

to create and express in their journal books in their own style.

I first came across Junelle's blog... yes and amen

a year or so ago, 

and I was fascinated, enchanted and just downright hooked 

on her every word and every image.

Immediate connection~ girl crush~ kindred spirit~ God connection....

But it was the journal pages that she posted 

that would touch the inner most part of me! 

I often thought how I'd love to learn to express like that!

And along came this class!

I am forever grateful to Junelle for her teaching...

What a joy it has been creating this book- my art life is forever changed 

having learned a new way to express and create 

alongside a fabulous community of people.

So, I've decided to complete the cover of my journal book 

"a la Junelle"...

Ta DAhhhhhh!

I'm loving the nest feeling, stuck on my watercolor poppies, 

enjoying making leaves out of the pages I tore out from the book, 

and always layering paper and paints to make interesting things happen.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Here are a couple more spreads from the inside of the book. 

I do  L O V E  my watercolor paints!

My previous post highlights one special spread and the story behind it.

Gratitude to all of my bloggy, wild & artsy with abandon friends!!!

When traveling on, be sure to stop by and see what Gina Lee Kim is up to.  

 http://ginaleekim.blogspot.com/ 

Many thanks to Claire at 

http://clairesmillie.wordpress.com/

for her hard work in organizing this bloggy good time!

It's a matter of TRUSTing...

...courage in the heart 

a r t i s t

within the soul...

...I was presented with an art challenge last month...

Did you ever pray for something,

to find that your prayer was answered... 

but not quite in the way you had expected??

I am solid on the thought, to ask God for what you want or dream of, 

be prepared to accept what you get, 

and know that God had a sense of humor.

 I giggle while stating this...  

as I was tested on these very words last month.

The past year or so, I've been in a transitional stage. 

For those of you who know me well, 

or who have been kind enough to follow along...

you've known that I've been working toward a transition

 from my graphic design business

to creating my own art, as the main "soul business" in my life. 

I long to paint, develop my work, and share an art story that connects with others 

and encourages others to grow in their gifts.

Along with various e-courses that I've taken and shared here on my blog 

(Flying Lessons, Hello Soul Hello Business and The Art of Wild Abandonment) 

I've been hard at work, developing my direction, 

figuring out my path, and planning 

the who's, what's and how's of it all. 

And then along came a request- 

to paint a "live" painting at church on Easter Sunday...

seriously??? Live??? 

(In our house we say "thub, thub, thub, thub, when there are no words....)
Uh... I don't get up in front of groups of people. 
(That is why I have no singing voice- God knew exactly what he was doing- no performing for her!) 
I am not one to speak in front of crowds real well. 
I am not one to "perform" in any way to a group.
I looked behind me to see if that question was truly asked of me, 
or if there was someone else behind me 
that was being spoken to.


A lot of things started to become very clear 
in the fearful moments, days, and weeks leading up to this 
a r t   c h a l l e n g e
I know that I was challenged to do this for a many layered purpose...
I needed to listen, trust, and know that if I ever wanted to create a body of work that speaks to people, it would be a most invaluable  
gift

to create in front of a group.


It would prepare me in so many ways, for all of the things I've been asking for... 
especially sharing an art story that connects with others 
and encourages others to grow their gifts.

 and so, 
through the fear... 
(and it was real FEAR- ask any of my friends 
that I spoke incessantly to leading up to the event! 
And the thub, thub, thubbing....)

and through the deafening thoughts
of the how's and what's...
I was put in the ultimate place of 
trust
and I am grateful! 

The journal expression above, 
that came from my worries, 
my thoughts of inadequacy, 
and my fear's... 
was created through the process of preparation, 
for that day.
It was born from such a tender place
and brought much clarity.
Whether you have a belief in God, 
spirit, 
or an inner voice...
it's an amazing experience to learn to 
trust.


By the way... if you like seeing journal pages-
the lovely creatives, that I've shared an e-course with  
(The Art of Wild Abandonment-taught by Junelle Jacobson & Christy Tomlinson)
and I, are sharing in a bloghop tomorrow. 
We are all going to post a project that we've created, 
having been inspired by the techniques
we learned together and link to each other's blogs. 
If you stop by tomorrow, there will be another post to enjoy, 
and a lot of other journal art to connect with. 

I'm also sharing a special surprise tomorrow 
that has to do with one of my watercolor paintings...
hint: discount code: TRUST