Week 6 Project of Paint Your Heart and Soul 2017

I am enjoying Olga Furman's year long painting course (online)  It is just what I needed to get motivated to learn more and do more!  This was our lesson for week 6.

"Butterfly Dream'

I love the out of proportion whimsical girl faces but learning to paint more realism  (or attempting to) in the portraits is a great challenge for me and I'm so glad I've taken this step.

The Online Course

is still available if you'd like to join me!

Actually, I'm not sure I'm even talking to anyone but myself (and maybe Ryan...Hi Ryan!).  So many of the people I used to follow are not active on their blogs anymore.  Not sure if many of my artist friends blog anymore.  Hopefully they're just too busy creating beautiful art!!

 For now, this is probably going to be an online journal for me to track my life and that's ok too.  

You're more than welcome to tag along if you are here :)

Want to win a spot in this fab workshop??

Great news!  Olga Furman is giving away 2 spots in this great class!

Please check it out here!

I'm taking a class from her and other artists right now and am enjoying it so much!!

How the brushes flowed this week and a giveaway announcement!

This week I was able to spend some nice time painting during the evenings.  Our third class in Olga Furman's Paint your Heart & Soul class was from Nikol Wikman and we learned how to do some fun techniques.  Here is the project we completed:

It got a little dark and I didn't have the proper sponge to get the sky clouds soft like I wanted, but it is what it is :)

Here is a colorful little happiness bird 8 x 10 canvas

I thought I'd try and make a few 'lovey dovey' Valentine pieces :)  

Here's one, 8 x 10 canvas:

Here's the start of four 6 x 6 chunky canvases:

Here's where they ended up last night.  Hope to finish and even add a couple more!

CHECK THIS OUT!!

Carolyn Dube has 7 new stencils and is having a giveaway!   This is just a quick post to let you know too because it ends on Tuesday, Jan 31st!
Click here to enter!!

GOOD LUCK and have a great weekend!!

Mixed Media Abstract play day!

 Today I played on 9 x 12 mixed media paper to see what kind of backgrounds I could create and what I could do with them.  All started out pretty similar to this.....

Then this happened to one:

And this happened to another:

ALL three were very fun, messy and   a little therapuetic  to create!!  At times when I start on a canvas or any other substrate I can be more nervous and scared of messing up.  And about 95% of the time when I'm painting for a particular event or person, that is when I WILL mess up!   I mean, I create 'HAPPY ACCIDENTS', right Bob?

Have a great week!

Darla ;)

Recent activities!

It's been a busy couple of weeks!  There are two local benefit auctions here that I was asked to donate to.  I decided to go with some mixed media image transfer pieces.  I made a couple for my granddaughters at Christmas so I thought I'd try again.

One is for a local hockey club family so this is a photo transfer of one of the team players on a 12x16 wooden canvas:

This second one is for an auction in the Grand Forks area so I went with  a UND Hockey player with a Ralph Englestad quote, also on a 12 x 16 wooden canvas:

I've also started a 24 x 30 canvas for my office at work!  It's intimidating to do something so big but this is what I have so far :)

I have no clue where it will end up, but I'm going with the whole 'intuitive painting' plan and we'll just have to see!!

I also am taking advantage of Roben Marie-Smith's free 'Organize Your Creative Space'  series.  Today I listened to her live Q & A chat while cleaning mine!  She has some excellent tips!

I love that I have the space to create, but I'm not gonna lie, someday I'd love to be upstairs with windows and sunshine ;)

You'll find out more about her series Here

I'm off to babysit my sweet little granddaughter tonight, take care!

5 YEARS! Anybody here?

I'm lost .....don't know how or where to even begin again :(

Job loss, ending of long term relationship, new and rather stressful new job, my beautiful dog Mieko passed away, goofy new dog Remi (pictured above) keeps me busy!....anyway, enough of my excuses!!

I'm painting again....for ME!  For FUN!  For REAL!  All I've done these past few years is paint for charity auctions or requests.  I let my Etsy store sit dormant for way too long.

I spent most of today filling it up!  It's really hard and time consuming when you haven't done it for years!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtisticAccents?ref=listing-shop2-all-items-count#items

I'm also taking a couple of classes this year!  A year long class hosted by Olga Furman (online) with many other teachers.  It's going to be so fun!

I'm going to California in June to take a class with Kelly Berkey too!  Can't hardly wait for that!

I hope you all are doing well.....if any of you are still out there.  Seems as if Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest have taken over for ways to share our art with the world but I thought I'd just pop in and see if anyone is still reading blogs.

I might just start a whole new blog...new year...new dreams...fresh start!

Happy New Year!!  May you all have a blessed year!
Darla

Will you?

There are so many areas of my life I want to improve on…..I know I can.  I know I will

Scary dream!

Last night I dreamt that I had a huge, bald spot...right on the top of my head. Well, it was actually most of my head. So devastating! I tried the popular 'comb over' but it was NOT helping!!

I went online this morning to try and find the meaning of a dream like this.

"To dream that you are going bald suggests a lack of self-esteem or worries about getting older. Alternatively, baldness symbolizes humility, purity, and personal sacrifice. You are at a stage in your life where you are confident in fully exposing yourself."

I can tell you right now, for me, it IS the self-esteem issue for sure!! My hair has thinned over the years and I do have hair envy when I see women with beautiful, thick hair. I wonder if they even realize how lucky they are? I have my health and I'm SO grateful for that, don't get me wrong. But I'd love me some gorgeous, thick hair too :) Just say'n.

Listen

A page in my watercolor journal…….

I’m so thankful for my angel and her subtle messages. I’m sure I’ve missed a few and that’s probably what has landed me in trouble from time to time but when I do pay attention, she has saved my life on at least 2 occasions and probably many, many more that I’m just not aware of.

The more I look at her expression in this painting, it's like she's a little worn out and fed up with trying to guide me and somewhat annoyed? ha!

Oh well, I appreciate you angel!

THANK YOU!!

Journal page and an owl

It snowed all day yesterday so I played a little   Today I’m off to sit in an 8 hour sales and use tax seminar.  Words can’t express how much this is depressing me!  ugh

 

Have a great week!

Micki Wilde swap and a journal beginning

First of all, I wanted to share with you the BEAUTIFUL art piece I received yesterday from Micki Wilde!!

Micki had a wonderful plan to swap little pieces of her amazing artwork with anyone who was willing to do the same with her. Such a cool idea!

I sent this to Micki.

And this is the absolutely most wonderful piece I got from her!!

Isn’t she just beautiful!? Love it and thank you Micki!!

The amazing Serena Lewis inspired me to do a little watercolor art journal. My original plan was to try and paint a little something each day to reflect what’s going on in my life. Probably wasn’t a good idea to start it in December when I was swamped with Christmas plans? ha!

I bought one of these:

It’s fabulous!! Nice, sturdy paper and the size is just right, nothing too overwhelming.

Here’s the kind of pathetic part. It’s been 2 months, almost 3 and I’ve only done 4 pages!

It’s actually a fun thing to do, a great plan, I just need to keep up a little better with it. Thanks Serena (please visit her inspiring blog!) for inspiring me to try!

Mixed Media on Watercolor Paper

I started this girl the other night.  She’s done on 90 lb watercolor paper, which I feel is too thin!  I ended up cutting her out and mounting her to another piece.  Not particularly  happy with the sturdiness ( a little warped) so I mounted the entire piece in a frame that I had on hand.  I like her much better framed   I kind of wish I would have adhered her to a wooden surface now, but it’s ok.

Not sure if you can read the wording?  ‘Yesterday is but a dream~and every tomorrow a vision of hope’

Off to a hockey game and then a birthday party!  Have a great Saturday!

Finished….I think?

Gumball-head girl Seriously, I do need to come up with a title for this one and since she’s kinda ‘out there’ it may take me awhile!

Have a great weekend!! (We’re supposed to get a snow storm!)

A work in progress

I thought I’d share a new 12 x 16 canvas I’m working on. I tried the old transfer technique ~~can you see the two globes on there? I think she sees them too and is concerned where I’m taking her…and this project She's looking mighty skeptical at this point, right?

Happy Valentine’s Day my sweets!

Just a quick little pencil sketch….

Sketchbook Project 2012–Limited Edition

Well, I took the plunge and decided to order a sketchbook for this!  I have to admit, I had to look at this little blank book for a few days and it is a little daunting.  So many pages to fill and by April 30th!  I decided I wanted to do mostly acrylics and the pages are only 70lb. cardstock so I used Gel Medium to adhere two pages together to give it a little more sturdiness.

Here’s a sneak peek   My theme is something to do with ‘TIME’ but I can’t remember the exact theme and I can’t find it online so far as the registrations are now closed so there’s not much info for me.  I’ve written them and am waiting for a reply.

First I did a few background painting techniques and then I started.

Sometimes I feel finding the time to even paint is a real ‘stretch’ for me! See the stretched out arm? hehe

This one is a little different than my norm, but this guy’s face just popped out, it was ALL there, I just outlined it and shaded a bit with pencil.  Very odd, but I couldn’t let this one go without bringing him out!

Hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!

My thoughts tonight

As much as I LOVE the internet and all the WONDERFUL things it has brought into my life (including YOU), I think it’s gotten into my head and has stirred up a

wee bit-o-trouble!

 

  Between Facebook and Pinterest………

It’s kind of made me think I need to be perfect or at least try to be.    With a click of a button I can see others, all over the world who appear to handle it all so much better than I can!

            

I see people committed to getting physically fit and I’m inspired by their transformation and dedication and wonder why I can’t quite get there myself.  I try, but I get side-tracked and quite easily I might add.

 

Why can’t I find the time???

  Ok, I could MAKE the time, I know that. 

 

But I’d also like to find more time to paint!  So many out there are creating, sharing, teaching, holding contests, making videos and hosting giveaways and I struggle to just keep a touch of freshness in my etsy shop!

I see beautiful photos that people have shared of their homes.  Why do their homes seem so perfect and ….spotless?  Then I look around and think I should spend more time cleaning and organizing my humble abode! 

People share how fabulous the latest best seller was that they just finished.  I used to read.  Not a lot, but when I did, I really did enjoy it!  I miss sitting down with a good book.  I feel I should be reading more.

 

I should be walking my dog……every day.  On top of the guilt I feel with everything else, he gives me these looks when I slack in HIS department.

There’s also the cooking and baking!  I LOVE that too, but now that the kids are grown and on their own, I just don’t cook like I used to.  When I see all the wonderful recipes and photos, I just wish I could find time for that too!  But for now, I’ll just enjoy the many ‘how-to’ videos on youtube!  They are fabulous, by the way!!  Check some of them out!

While I’m at work, I’m all pumped and excited with huge plans of all I’ll accomplish once I get home, but as the day goes on…I… fizzle… out.

And finally… aren’t we all supposed to find time to pamper ourselves too?  I mean, that’s important too, right?  Yeah, well that rarely happens here!

There are SO many things I want to try, so many things I want to do better, but there comes a time when I need to just sit back, relax and slow down a bit.

I’m going to try very hard to learn to accept what and who I am.

Accept what I can do.

Realize and appreciate that I am doing just fine where I am at this time. 

Accept that I can NOT do it all and more importantly, I don’t have to!

I will learn to accept that I am just fine as is. 

I’m not perfect and thank GOD for that!  Nobody likes being around perfection anyway!

ha!