The Art Bundle #7 Giveaway starts today! Win Over $5700 of Art Classes

Do you want a chance to win the all-new Art Bundles for Good #7? 

Three lucky winners will have a chance to win the entire Art Bundles for Good #7 including $5700 worth of art courses and other great resources. There are over 111 art resources from more than 90 of your favorite artists this year.  I am contributing one of my new courses - Mixed Media Art Bowls

You get to create a set of 3 mixed media art bowls in my online course - Mixed Media Art Bowls

It doesn’t cost anything to enter the giveaway, so don’t miss out. and see if you can be one of the ones who win the whole bundle. The Art Bundle Giveaway only lasts for 1 week, starting today! The more you share, the more chances you have to win. 

GO TO THE ART BUNDLE GIVEAWAY

Art Bundle #7 Sale is Coming on November 3rd for 5 Days!

The all new Art Bundles of Good #7 is coming next week. This is the best deal in online art classes you will find. There are more than 90 artists contributing 111+ art courses and resources with a value of over $5700 at a low price, a great time to treat yourself for Christmas!

25% of the profits from the sale are going to Courageous Kitchen, a Bangkok based charity helping refugees. We’ve raised US$101,782 for charity so far.

Visit the website to enter the Art Giveaway. Three lucky people will win the entire bundle of art resources!

GO TO THE ART BUNDLE GIVEAWAY

Good luck to all that enter for the giveaway!

Check out some courses while you are at it!

Click HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

Veil of Wax - Mixed Media and Encaustic Portraits

I am delighted to bring you this class where we explore the beautiful combination of luminous encaustic wax and portraits!  For years, Ivy has adored this marriage of mediums and now she wants to share some of her favorite techniques.

Whether you are looking to combine photography, collage or your mixed media paintings with wax - this is the class for you - as Ivy will guide you through all these processes.

Encaustic wax creates a glowing layer of mystery and mood to your portraits and allows for much experimentation and exploration of other mediums too! You will create truly expressive and unique portraits that will have you hooked on this gorgeous blend. 

A Veil of Wax

Check out Studio Works FREE for 30 days

Click Here for more information

Handmade Foam Stamps, Miracles & Neurographic inspired Art

How are you getting on creatively?  Today I shared Week 10 of my 100 Days of Foam Stamps - each week I create a painting out of the stamps for that week.

I am on stamp number 70 and there are 30 left, it is amazing to think when you put your mind to something the results that you come out with. What were you doing 70 days ago? 

Similarly I am combining the Blog challenge which combined has really been challenging me to consistently show up. Even thought I was going to plan my posts for the Blog challenge, it didn't quite happen - had a wobbly period, so I have to regularly push myself to show up for the rest of the challenge each day.

Still experimenting and being inspired and creating daily in my Art Journal - it is a place of comfort where you can express yourself with words, imagery or both or just add color to the page.  It is important that you try and do something creative on a daily basis.

By continuing to show up, whether it is in my art journal or on my blog, I honor my word to myself about self nurture.  When was the last time you kept your promise to take time out, or have a break or treat yourself with kindness.  I love the boldness of these pages and as well as creating them just looking at them fills me with peace.

Waiting on a Miracle - there are miracles all around us.  This Art Journal Page is a reminder to look at the all the things that we have around us, sometimes perhaps the miracle that you have been waiting on is the very thing you hold in your hand.

I like the science fiction feel to it, and would love to do more work in the style.  Are you working on any new styles in your creative practice or found any new tools and supplies to play with?

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Filling the Creative Well Mixed Media Art Course - Easter Discount!

Filling the Creative Well is a self paced course Mixed Media Art Course with lifetime access, that will help you establish your creative practice while helping you to increase your Creativity & unlock your hidden talents!  

There are over 40 Mixed Media Arts Video and Audio resources to help you establish your Creative Practice, 90 Page Meditative Mandalas, Collages, Mixed Media Art Background papers, Art Journaling practice and more.  See the Easter Special details below

Some of the things you will learn

• Creating your own backgrounds
• Creating your own ephemera for your art journals and art activities
• Creating your own set of cards - for encouragement and motivation
• Learn a selection of ways to encourage yourself with your creativity
• Learn to repurpose your art work and create gorgeous collages
• Learn mixed media art techniques to create bowls from fabric and paper
• Learn to nurture yourself
• Private Facebook group to get feedback or share your work

·     Learn to use art and words to encourage yourself on a day to day basis and much more

You get several downloads to use in your creative practice

• 90 Page PDF of Mandalas and Affirmations
• Mixed Media Art Background Pages PDF
• Encouraging Words PDF
• Inspirational Shorts Audio
• Daily words of self care PDF
• Daily Questions to side step the critic PDF
• Ideas and prompts for self care PDF
• Phrases and Affirmations of Success PDF

• 1:1 Session to talk about your creative development

Easter Special - Receive $10 OFF the cost of the course when you use the code - create2 at the checkout (Until the end of April 2022)

2019 Podcasts, Courses and Bonuses

Well we made it through to the 2019, and I started working on a new series on my Podcast called 'Creating in Faith' which helps you look at your creative practice and with suggestions and journey insights.  What happens when you are asked to do something that takes you out of your comfort zone?  Say 'yes sure I can do that' while I freaking out on the inside?

I was asked to lead an online group in a weekly practice and by the time it came for me to get on with it I realized that it wasn't as big of an issue that I was making it and if I just let go of the doubts and the fear I could actually enjoy the process.

I want to share that journey with you in which I had to lean upon my faith to get through, some days I didn't want to create in such a disciplined way but I pressed through, because I realized that the growth was in the journey.  

Each Monday I will be sharing insights - using a different word each week as a starting point, and encourage you to take some time to be creative in some way.  Don't make excuses why you can't, would've or could've but find some solid reasons to give yourself the time and stick to it.  I suggest that if it is not something you are used to doing then you start off with say 10 - 20 minutes - you should be able to find that time for yourself on a daily basis, or break it down if you have to into smaller chunks say 5 minutes - there is a lot you can do in that time.

This weeks title 'Leap' encourages us to step up and step out - feeling the fear, but doing it anyway!   I encourage you to make time to work on yourself, your dreams and goals and put things in place that will see you achieve those things that you always wanted to do.

While you are there, check out some of the other episodes that I have created.

The Mixed Media Play Date Online course that I will be teaching on has started!  I would love you to come and join us.  I have a selection of bonuses that you can get when you sign up using my link - Check them out HERE.

May 2019 be the year that you unfold your gifts, shine your light and be a blessing to you and others.

Mixed Media Play Date Online Course

Mixed Media Play Date. Giveaway and 

Teacher Intros. Day One!

I am so thrilled to share with you that I will be one of the guest teachers on the the Mixed Media Play Date hosted by Tiare Smith. As teachers we all want to help you put PLAY in your art and your day!

Tiare has assembled an AMAZING group of artist instructors to do just that, and we are gonna fill your creative wells with inspiring ideas, Fun, JOY and gratitude!

The Mixed Media Play Date - a new mixed media collaboration will bring you endless inspiration,  fun, freedom in your creativity and a community like no other.  I have taught on a number of courses hosted by Tiare Smith, and you are guaranteed to come out of your comfort zone, find your happy places and pick up so many hints and tips and fun from day one.

There will also be LIVE STREAMED MIXED MEDIA PLAY DATES 

and PAJAMA PARTIES and MORE!!!!

 LEARN MORE HERE!

We all worry about finding enough time to create, and our inner critics voice can often get overwhelming, but as your guides we are here to help you tune into your inner voice, guide you as you see new things in your art and creativity, we will be your companions, supporters and cheer leaders, it will be a friendly place for you to be yourself and thrive!

Daily Giveaways!!!

Do you want to WIN A FREE Year Long Spot on this Online Course with Us?

To enter (each action gives you an additional chance to be entered):

• Sign up to my Mailing list
• Follow and Like my Facebook Page
• Subscribe to my YouTube
• Follow on Instagram
• Share this blog post and use #amandatrought so I can find it

Contest closes Monday 26th November at Midnight (AST) 

Each day up to December 1, Tiare will be introducing you to a different Artist Instructor,  and we will be making daily giveaways, so you will have extra opportunities to win a spot by visiting each artist!!

I will be sharing more about the course and share some hints and tips on the 21st November and over the next 7 days. So be sure to check back HERE to have an extra chance to 

enter and see who is sharing for that day.

Stay blessed and be a blessing

Do you want to get your Creative Juices flowing? ....#101010

Hey there, we are counting down the days for the start of the online Course – One BADASS Art Journal.   It officially starts on 6th February 2017. There are some great teachers, 19 Lessons with lots of juicy videos, inspiration and lot and lots of FUN!!

Sign Up HERE

With only a few days left before we start the course I wanted to give you a great opportunity before the class starts - totally FREE - 10 prompts, in 10 days for 10 minutes #101010:

Take part over the next few days with 10 mini exercises to kick start your creativity - every day for 10 days I will be giving you a creative tip/prompt/idea.  I want you to spend a minimum of 10 minutes, longer if you can to do the exercises and let me know how you feel after the 10 days.  

While you prepare yourself for the BADASS Journal course, or if you are still in-between stages of making up your mind I wanted to bless you over the next few days.  These 10 prompts  to kick start your creativity come from my bigger publication of 65 Ways to kick start your Creativity, and you get 10 different ways for free!

The great thing about these ideas is that anyone can do them, you don’t need to be an artist, so if you are looking for ways to unwind or give yourself that much needed time then these are things ideas that you should try.

For each activity you can try it using different mediums or surfaces, colours - do not limit yourself.  I want to give you ways in which you can experiment if you want to.  You can adapt it anyway you like to suit, and there are no right or wrong ways to create, so do not put any boundaries on yourself. The most important thing is to have fun. 

I am really looking forward to have you join us on the One BADASS Journal and I have a lovely lesson to share with you, and some of the creative tips you can take part in over the next 10 days will help loosen you up a bit, and whether or not you take the course they will be useful to you as you embark on your creative journey.

When you take the opportunity to purchase your class through my link you will get two great bonuses sent to you and they include:

25 Way to fit Art and Creativity into your life and is filled with some great ways to find the time to be more creative.  

Canvas Embellishment art class with over 2 hours of training and together they are both worth over $30.  If you have taken this class before don’t worry there are additional hints and tips that I have added, a great workbook, with lots of process photos for you to see as you create your work of art.  In the class you will see the way I approach painting on a canvas and embellishing, and you are totally welcome to do the painting as I have done, or you can use the tips and create something of your own.  You will walk away from the class with a selection of useful tools that you can go on and use in other paintings.

While you make up your mind for the BADASS Art Journal course you can play around with these tips. 

Join me HERE tomorrow - totally FREE - 10 prompts, in 10 days for 10 minutes #101010 You will get the first tip tomorrow, if you don’t want to miss a day and get them straight to your inbox, then you can sign up to my Mailing list for the 10 prompts, in 10 days for 10 minutes #101010.  

I will also be giving you some inspiration via Instagram so check me out there as well, and if you are sharing what you do over the next 10 days on Instagram add the hashtags #101010 and #realityarts

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Happy New Year - 2016 - What's in Store!

I am late in wishing you all a Happy New Year, but better late than never.  There are so many things that I have planned for this coming year, I feel as if I am a roller coaster ride, and its one of those ones where you say 'I'm ready to come off now' before you go up another steep climb and let out the loudest scream you can muster:)  

I will be reflecting on 2015 this coming week, that seem to go so fast as well as share on the exciting developments that have been taking my attention away from the blog.  I have been painting and creating and exhibiting, but I guess we all go through the moments where we hide ourselves away, and work through things, and get a sense of where you are in it all.

2016 has found us in a very different location than last year and we have been able to enjoy the warmer weather of Barbados.  Many of you know we have been spending more time here and I have yet still to share that transition and the ups and downs, and it's also coming as we continue to go through a process of change!

This year I am teaching in two exciting online courses that you are going to love, there are so many inspiring artists taking part, I feel honored to have also been chosen to teach.

The Journey Within - Click here for more information

The Journey Within starts today and I had two seats to give away, the two lucky winners who have been selected will be announced shortly.  

You can still register for the course HERE

The other course is One BadAss Art Journal which starts on 1st February 2016 - we are currently on a Blog Hop to meet the artists.  It will be my day to share and show a sneak preview of my class on Sunday 3rd January, so please do come back to see what's in store for you!

Click HERE for more information

The other great news about courses for this year is that I will be a guest artist on Embrace Your Art 2016 JAM, and will be sharing some more information about what I will be creating on this.  

I know that creatively 2016 will be a year where the seeds sown in previous years will begin to bear fruit.  I am excited at all the creative possibilities, the revelations, ah-ha moments and more and look forward to connecting with you as you dive into your creative self where ever you are around the world!

I would love for you to join me on the journey, that is going to be bursting at the seams, so strap yourself in for it is going to be an extremely exciting year!

Blog Hop - The Journey Within - A Year of handmade art journals

I am doing a happy dance at the moment as I share with you that I will be a teacher in The Journey Within: A Year of Handmade Art Journals with book maker, Kiala Givehand and 17 other artists. The class begins January 1st and continues the entire year, and is incredible value for money!

Each month, Kiala will teach you how to make your own handmade art journal, give you prompts, tips and techniques for filling the pages, and bring in guest artists to share their ideas.

To kick off this great course, Kiala has created a December book and asked each guest artist to give her a challenge to complete this month. All these challenges are set up to create an opportunity to “Blog Hop.” play along as you “hop” from blog to blog. see below for the blog hop schedule.

My challenge will appear on December 8th. so do check back to see what I’ve suggested

If you decide to play along, let me know by checking me out on Instagram (@realityarts) and tag me. Use the hashtag #journeywithin2016 so we can all see your lovely work. 

Here's the blog hop schedule. Make sure you visit each person so you can see what they have in store for you. It is going to be an exciting year during The Journey Within: A Year of Handmade Art Journals.

December 1 -- Mimi Bondi -- MimiBondi.com

December 2 -- Cindy Gilstrap -- Junque Art Studios 

December 4 -- Tiare Smith -- TiareSmith.com 

December 7 -- Julie Baker -- Creatively Onward 

December 8 -- Amanda Trought -- Reality Arts 

December 9 -- Andrea Gomoll -- Cre8tive Cre8tions

December 10 -- Nicole Piar -- GhostKitten.com

December 11 -- Lisa DeYoung -- Mountain Mermaid Studios 

December 15 -- Kelly Johnson -- Wings, Worms, and Wonder 

December 17 -- Sadelle Wiltshire -- Tangle Vermont 

December 18 -- Barb Owen -- HowToGetCreative.com

December 21 -- Hali Karla -- HaliKarla.com

December 22 -- Yuko Miki -- Honeyberry Studios 

December 28 -- Virginia Simpson-Magruder -- Kentucky Girl Designs 

December 30 -- iHanna -- iHanna.nu 

​Looking forward to seeing you in the blog hop journey!

My Color is Beautiful Art Online Course - Week 1 - Courage

We have been having a great time on the first week of My Color is Beautiful Art Online Course, and despite drawing on a regular basis, it is quite easy to forget to play and enjoy the work, rather than stick to rigid routines.

You can watch me in action in the video below to see how I got from a blank piece of paper to the image below.

This week saw me starting out playing with backgrounds and using a limited palette and enjoying the process. The colors I chose to use were ones that I rarely take out and they have been sitting at the back and out of the way, and together they seem to blend well.  This is a great exercise and one that I want to keep up and creating background pages.

After I had finished the background page, I then went on to create an image from the page, seeing what I could pull out of the paint,  Little by little a character began to come forth and had a message or a reminder to me, and that was to take courage.  I guess at some point or another we all have to face things that can be a bit challenging, but once we take that step we can be surprised at how much we had in side that was better than we had originally thought.

Here is some of the detail of the piece, I created a lot of texture just by using gesso and mark making tools

And the message of courage came shining through

Week 1 of My Color is Beautiful Art has started and there is still time to sign up, you will receive:

• 10 positive, creative energy boosts and exercises, videos and/or pdf’s provided.  

• 1 exercise per week for 10 weeks, resulting in feelings of joy, confidence, happiness, acceptance and love!

• Fun giveaways/prizes! and much more!

• The Classroom access will be open until December 31, 2015.

If you would like to sign up, you can REGISTER HERE and it will take you to the page.  

Looking forward to having you create with us!

My Color is Beautiful Art Starts on MONDAY 2nd February!

I am really excited for the My Color is Beautiful Art Course that is being organised by Tiare Smith and starts on Monday!!!!

Time has surely flown, we are already at the end of January and if you are one of those people who have on their list of resolutions to get more creative this year, or find that creative spark then this course if for you!!  I am not just saying it because I am one of the teachers, but I know that you will be totally blown away.

Along with 7 other teachers I will be sharing an art lesson and over the 10 weeks we will be encouraging you to get immersed in color, creativity and empowering techniques! 

If you haven't yet signed up, all you need to do is SIGN UP HERE and you will be taken to the relevant page the course costs just $49 which is a bargain when you think about all the great creative inspiration you will be getting.

Here is some of what you can expect:-

• 8 wonderful, creative instructors
• 10 amazing video mixed media main lessons, 1 lesson per week for 10 weeks.  PDF Download of each lesson, provided as well.
• 10 eye opening color challenges and background techniques, videos and/or pdf’s provided.   1 challenge per week for 10 weeks, resulting in 40 AMAZING backgrounds, ideas and techniques.
• 10 positive, creative energy boosts and exercises, videos and/or pdf’s provided.  1 exercise per week for 10 weeks, resulting in feelings of joy, confidence, happiness, acceptance and love!
• Fun giveaways/prizes.
• And much more!

If you do decide to join us, Sign Up Here, I will be looking forward to creating with you!

In The News - Paper and Embellishment Kit - My Color is Beautiful Art, Gifts, Fairs and Birthdays!

Well the paper packs are finally ready to send out, and are finding their way to some special homes.  I was glad I have been able to offer them as a gift for signing up to My Color is Beautiful Art Course.  As part of my lesson we will be working on a canvas, and some of the things in the pack will come in handy.

You will also be able to make other things with the materials in the Kit and each week on a Tuesday I will be showing you just how far the resources will stretch and what you can make.

Included in the pack a selection of:

Paper ephemera

Patterned and hand painted papers

Handmade paper

Die cuts

Ribbons

Findings

Handmade Stencils

Beads and embellishments and much more!

CLICK HERE to sign up for the course and receive your 

FREE PAPER AND EMBELLISHMENT KIT

IF YOU HAVE ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR THE COURSE DON'T WORRY!

I created another kit, with many of the items above but a whole lot more that you can purchase for $9.99 or £6.41 aprox which will include postage and packaging!

The packs are waiting to find creative homes - it could be yours, and there is so much you can do with them! Check out the tutorials I will be doing on Tuesday!

Click on the buy now button to purchase 

Other things to report this week is the EEC Christmas Fair, I had a stall there and it was great to see so many people come out and support.  It was a lovely family event that they put on each year, and lot of preparation and hard work is done by Angie Ng and her team.

I have been working on some mini wall hangings which you will get to see closer over the weekend and they make great gifts.

My stall at the Christmas Fair

We had quite a number of people sign up to win..

 Crafting with Nature in a Weekend: Over Twenty-five Inspirational Projects 

and we have picked out a winner who should get their book next week.

Best thing above all is that we still have our mum here with us and she sees another birthday.  We take a moment to remember our loved ones who are not with us and the gift of life that we have alongside the opportunity we have to make a difference each and every day.  Everyone came round to mums along with the grandchildren who helped her celebrate, catch up and eat cake!

Mum making the most of life.....

Stay blessed and be a blessing!