Art Journal Page - Ideas

Here are a couple of Art Journal Pages that I did recently. The first one is called Triumphant and I start out with a blank page adding gesso and Neo Colors water soluble wax crayons, then the face developed and I allowed it to take shape.

In the second video I start out with two figures on the page and spent time playing with color until their features started to form.

The supplies used are Neo-Colors - https://amzn.to/39DL45d

Gesso - https://amzn.to/3rL98JU

If you have not yet subscribed to my YouTube channel why not consider doing so and click on the notification bell.

Make Art for the Earth with Us! - Check out this Amazing Deal!

 

Do you want to make art and help the earth at the same time? Tam from Willowing Arts has brought together 45 Mixed Media Artists to make a contribution to the 'fight against climate change'. This is how the Art for Earth Project  was born and you can be part of it! 

This is the second time she is running this project, last year she raised £25,000 for Treesisters, an organisation that plants trees all over the world! This year, she is running it again and I’m part of it! 

Each of the artists have all contributed one or more art resources (like an art course, e-book, printable PDF or other art item) to the Art for Earth Package! It contains over 85+ amazing art resources including some brand new courses that have not been published before! They were especially created for this package deal. My contribution to this package is: 

A brand NEW 5 Part Art Course - How Does Your Garden Grow, it comes with an instructional pdf. I have also included a selection of downloadable background Papers, colour pages and 2 of my Garden inspired prints and brings my two loves the studio and the garden together to create a nature inspired painting. Scroll down or click here to see a complete list of all the products in this package!

Click here to see a complete list of all the products in this package! The Art for Earth Package is valued at over £2900+ GBP, but will be sold for only £75 GBP! It will be on sale for 7 days only with 25% of all sales going to an amazing organisation that helps improve our climate. They are called Tree Sisters and they are a group of women spread out all over the world with a mission to plant trees and a focus on tropical reforestation. 

They say: “Vision & Mission of Tree Sisters: Tree Sisters exists to elicit collective responsibility for planetary restoration at the grass roots level with a focus on women and tropical reforestation. We are growing a global network of women who donate monthly to fund the acceleration of tropical reforestation as an expression of collective planetary care. We channel 80% of member donations to exemplary existing reforestation organisations in the tropics with whom we partner to restore ecosystems. The remaining 20% funds our behaviour change and consciousness shift work with women to reinstate feminine leadership, and normalise collective ownership of planetary restoration.” 

This package contains some fabulous art resources by some of the most popular mixed media teachers in our community! I hope you'll buy this wonderful package of awesome art goodies and help the earth while making art!  See the list of resources HERE

 Make Art for Earth! Buy Here 

Arts and Wellness Café - Mindful of your Creativity

 

Welcome to the Arts and Wellness Café week where the word for this week has been Mindful.  In the video this week we look more closely at the word and how it impacts on our creative processes, especially if we get distracted by events.

I show you in the video an example of an event and how you can get yourself to side step, see it from a different perspective and get on with your creative journey.  It does take practice and can affect your whole day if you don't take it in hand.

Earlier during the week I share with you the Podcast recording which started us off looking at the word, you can listen Here or click on the link below

I also shared a book Review titled Intertwined

And you can also see some of the eco dyeing fabric that I have been experimenting with, I have been having quite a bit of fun seeing what plants in my garden will release their color so that I can use it on fabric.

Here are some of the flowers that I used, Mexican Sunflower, Bourgonvillea, Clitoria Tenae and Jacobs Coat (local name)

Here is some of the results of my activity, these are the plant dyes I created

I had previously used avocado seeds to dye fabric, I am still thinking about projects to create with them.

More recently I have been working with clay as a dye and combining with wax and fabric dye to create designs.

I also want to work with some stitched projects and see how you can create designs on the fabric as well as have the stitched design.

If you would like to see more of the 'behind the scenes' join me on my Patreon

Art Journal Flip Through - Restoration Art Journal

Join me as I flip through my Restoration Art Journal, it is a great space to not only journal but to paint,  I love combining both and also use it to work on future ideas.

It is a recycled prospectus art journal that I have repurposed and it has been collaged and embellishments placed on it.

To check out some of the art supplies used check out my Amazon recommended and video reviews check them out HERE

You can also check out some of my art designs that you can now get printed on dresses.  It is a lovely style dress and is perfect as we welcome in the warmer weather.  You can see more designs HERE

Arts and Wellness Cafe - Stillness Revisited

Thank you for joining me today in the Arts and Wellness Café, in todays video we revisit the topic stillness and have a chat, I will also be sharing some of the fabric experimenting that I have been doing, alongside a meditation.  

One of the things that we can forget to do for ourselves is have a time where we can be still and reflect, we live in an ever increasingly busy world with social media on top of life and there needs to be a time where we can reflect and take stock of things.

I also review this book on African Textiles as I have been experimenting with wax and dyes and would love to create more traditional cloths to use in my art  

You can check out the review video HERE

Here are some of the pieces I have been experimenting with, I have laid down a pattern with clay, then applied wax to the spaces.  When the wax is removed you get this finish.

This one is my favourite so far

I am still experimenting so watch this space!

It would be great to know how you go about giving yourself some time to 'catch up' with yourself and how often you do it.

Hope you enjoy,  Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Creating in Faith - Stillness

 

Think about what the word 'Stillness' means to you, and how it manifests for you in your day to day.

This episode is about how we go about having some stillness in our lives and find those moments where we can focus on the things that need to be done.  We have to also think about how we are going to use if for our benefit and navigate our creative walk.

Stillness brings calm, healing and nurturing enabling us to clarify things that may have been on our minds

What does the word bring up for you, and when was the last time you took some time out to be still?

100 Days of Embroidery Stitches

I committed to doing the 100 Day Project and decided to do 100 Days of Embroidery Stitches. Here are the ones that I have done so far.

The 100 Day project is about choosing an activity that you will do and you can choose whatever you like.  A couple of years ago I did 100 Days of Pastel Paintings, it enabled me to spend time with my pastels that I had never used and get familiar with them.

You can join me on Instagram as I share them once every 3 days.  There are some that I initially have difficulty with and that is alright, you just have to try your best and come back to it from a different perspective.

For me the main thing is to enjoy the stitches and use them in some of my other stitched projects.  Not all the stitches that I am doing will be suitable, but at least I will know how to do them.

I hope you are doing a 100 Project of your own and enjoying showing up for your self.

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

 

Creating in Faith - Relationships and your Creative Journey

How healthy are your creative relationships?

Our relationships can take many forms and we have to nurture them, how are you nurturing the relationship that you have with yourself.

We can often be faced with remnants of the negative aspects of relationships of the past and these can spill over into our adult life and then impact on other relationships that we may have.

The inner critic often gets a lot of exposure as having the biggest impact on all of our relationships, but we have to look at ways in which we can work with our inner critic

In this podcast I examine some of these relationships especially the creative ones and look at ways in which we can find harmony

Recycling a Phone Case - Art Journal

 What do you do when you have a phone case that is too big for your phone?  Make an Art Journal!!

Phone Case waiting for the magic!

Check out the video to see what I did to transform it

Here are the finished details with a lot of pattern and mark making at the front and back

The interior has been created with water color paper cut to size and then glue bound.

It is always great to have a new art journal on the go and this one fits quite tidily in my bag.  I shall be sharing some of the pages in the coming weeks and showing a few processes using both collage material and acrylic paints, so would love you to join me.

Let me know if you have recycled and repurposed an unusual journal.  

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Arts and Wellness Café - Matters of the Heart

Come and join me in the Arts and Wellness Café today where we continue on the theme of Heartfelt started earlier this week.

Considering matters of the heart in regards to our creativity.  The things that matter most to us, our drive and purpose, why do you do the things that you do and the impact that you want to make in the world.

You can check out the podcast episode

In the video I also share other ways in which you can use creativity to impact on your health and well-being and we look at an art journal page, a sculpture and a book for the week.

Arts and Wellness Café - A continuation of Bliss

 

Have you ever thought about the word bliss and how it relates to your creative walk?  Can you see your work as a vehicle that provides the nurturing moments when you can take stock of your surroundings and feel at peace?  I continue to look at the word bliss and the way in which we can look at our creative journey and find the pockets of bliss within.  

At the end of the video I take a look into one of my art journals and share how you can create one using recycled materials.

PODCAST

Also check out the podcast recording which started us on the journey in search of our bliss!  

I look forward to hearing what things in your creative space brings you bliss.

Creating in Faith - Word for the Week - Blissful Ambition

 

The latest episodes of the words for Today on Creating in Faith is available on the podcast where the words shared are Blissful and Ambition. 

When you think about your creativity do you ever think about how it makes you feel or what you want to do with it.  Many of us find that creativity has a therapeutic effect on our health and well being and it is an integral part of their day to day.  There is also the need for many artists to look at ways in which they can earn from their creative project.

How do you see your growth and development progressing.

You can listen to the Podcast for Blissful HERE and Ambition HERE or click on the link below

100 Day Project - What will you do?

So I decided to join in with the 100 Day Project which started on the 31st January. For my project I decided to learn Embroidery stitches.  With some of the fabric pieces that I have been creating I wanted to add some new stitches, so this was an ideal time to support my daily creative practice and learn some new techniques.

I have had this book of embroidery stitches but never committed to learn any of them so it just stayed in my bag that I keep my machine threads.

I have had embroidery hoops for as long and they too just sat around as I never found the time to try them out.  These are my first embroidery stitches and you can follow me on Instagram to see which ones I complete.

I am looking forward to learning all 100 stitches and the emphasis is on learning new stitches.  I know they are not perfect but the whole thing about the 100 day project for me is the following:

• Committing to the 100 days
• Learning a new skill that I can apply in my creative work;
• Remember that I am still learning the stitches and I can't compare myself to someone who has been doing it for years;
• Showing up for myself;
• Reminding myself that it doesn't have to be perfect for me to share what I am doing;
• Congratulating myself for every day that I do show up
• Have fun!!.

So if you are up for doing a 100 day project come and join us #100dayproject

Looking forward to seeing what you decide to do, remember there is no pressure, just continue to show up for yourself, don't compare yourself and have fun!  Check out the last 100 Day project that I did a couple of years ago where I use pastels for the first time and I have created a few videos of the process - 100 Days of Pastels HERE

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

New Classes have Started - BadAss Art Journal - Sign up!

 

Welcome, well we are off!  The BADASS Art Journal 2021 online course officially started on Monday and we have some amazing classes lined up for you.  Hosted by artist Tiare Smith she has brought together 14 of us to share some of our art lessons

I am looking forward to sharing my lesson with you.  This is my fifth time teaching on this class and we always have an amazing time as the other teachers share their lessons.

I hope you can join us, don't worry about the idea of 'falling behind' you can go at your own pace and the lessons are downloadable.  Here is a sneak peak of what you will be learning in my lesson

Here are some of the supplies we will be using and making lost of lovely marks on the paper.  What ever you don't have or can't get you can substitute, the main thing is to have fun while you are creating.

We will start out be creating a background page like this one, with lots of texture, encouraging words and marks, using some of my not so often used supplies - this is a great time to incorporate the paint that you normally leave or feel uncomfortable using.  You also choose some of you favourite paints to add balance and it works.

We will then create a simple image, which encompasses the word that we want to use in the main painting to encourage ourselves as we go on our creative adventure.

It would be great to see you and you can get more information HERE  or you can sign up below for the course and join me and the other teachers who are excited to meet you too!