Wild Horses…

I created this wild horse using a masking tape technique recently.  I scribbled copic markers inside the tape as my first layer before adding watercolor.

I hadn’t planned on creating a horse but after I removed the masking tape, he appeared! Lol! 😉   I added pan pastels and watercolor splashes to soften the image.

The masking tape was EXTRA sticky so I tried my next animal creature using washi tape.  Below is a before and after photo:

I learned this technique from Carla Sonheim. I think it would be a super fun activity to do with children.  (The washi tape was much less sticky and worked better than the masking tape for me.)

When I took this photo at the lake Saturday evening, I saw a horse head in the storm clouds afterwards:

Do you see it?  I must have had horses on my mind!

Hope your Monday starts out in a slow trot and not a fast gallop!

Cheers! 🙂

A June Bird…

You have heard of a June Bug, right?

Well, why not a June bird!

I decided to try a little something different for today’s weird bird and collage over a watercolor tree I had previously painted in an art journal.

I “repurposed” the word, June from an old wall calendar in several languages and used a page from a weekly paper calendar… I don’t buy weekly calendar’s anymore since I use my cell phone but I still like to buy monthly calendars each year for the inspiring artwork.  How about you?

Hope your June is taking flight for a fabulous month!

Cheers! 🙂

 

May And June Square Projects

Perhaps you remember my watercolor circles I created in April:  My April Square Project…

After my black and white doodle, I was ready for some color!  So I decided to use my black and white doodle for April:  Finding Balance

And I moved on to May and June!

I recently did this playful watercolor from my imagination:

After cutting it up, I mixed it with my colorful circles:

And got not just one… but TWO month’s projects:

And of course I had to see how they looked next to each other:

So fun to play… wishing you a creative day!

Cheers! 🙂

A Whole New World

I recently purchased two synthetic “Dagger” watercolor brushes from Dick Blick.

I learned about these brushes from my blogging friend and talented artist, Patty Anne. Please check out her beautiful watercolors on her blog:  Patty Anne Art

I had never heard of this brush and loved the results that Patty Anne got with her roses.

I started by just experimenting with the 3/8 brush by “testing the waters” so to speak…

I found it extremely relaxing not painting anything specific and just experiment with the brush and color.  I created this on 300 lb watercolor paper:

Afterwards, I outlined the shapes in a black Micron pen and added a few houses.  It looks like a whole new world to me!

This last weekend, I created this abstract in my small watercolor sketchbook:

It was super fun to add details with a black Micron pen and gel pens in different colors. What do you see?

I encourage you to experiment with different materials in your art!  You may discover a whole new world to explore!!

Cheers! 🙂

Bachelorette Betty

Which “one-liner” bachelor will Betty choose?

Betty is tall and blonde, weighs the size of a peanut and lives to sky-dive from a plane in all 50 states wearing only a bikini…

Meet Mike…  Bachelor #1

Mike pumps iron in the gym 7 days a week… still lives with his mother and likes to ride a unicycle.

Meet Richard… Bachelor #2

Richard is very theatrical and hopes to be an actor one day.   Perhaps you have seen him in the Nursery Rhyme Production, Little Boy Blue? 

And last but certainly not least…

Meet Stan… Bachelor #3

Stan tends to blush easily especially when he eats jalapeños peppers…

Stan is a chef in a well-known restaurant, likes to swim naked with dolphins and rides a Harley Motorcyle.

Which bachelor will Bachelorette Betty choose?!

I look forward to your answers!

Cheers! 🙂

P.S. I drew the one-liner faces, painted them in watercolor and then wrote my stories…. Just a little silliness to give you a smile!

Finally, It’s Friday!

It has been a crazy week for me.  How about you?

I came down with a bad case of food poisoning or the stomach flu on Tuesday.  I’m still trying to get back to normal!  Ugh!

I drew and painted this silly monster in my sketchbook yesterday evening.

It made me smile and I hope it gives you a grin too!

Cheers!  🙂

P.S.  I’ve decided to take a short blogging break.  I will be back in a week or two… stay well!

Oregano And Chives…

Bet you thought I was going to say, Oregano and Thyme! 😉

I used to have “Thyme” but the Oregano kind of took over… haha 🙂

Oregano and Chives are “perennial herbs” meaning they come back each year.  (Thyme is too but more temperamental where I live).

I decided to try painting them in watercolor on Arches 300 lb cold-press watercolor paper.  I went with the wet-on-wet technique at first:

Painting from my memory, I realized afterwards that I didn’t have the colors quite right!

So I added more watercolor paint… and less water.

More paint made it worse, so I let it rest for a day.

Since I didn’t really like it, I added Posca paint pens:

It still needs more pink but decided to call it a day.

I learned that painting from memory is not as accurate as painting from the real life or a photo.

Do you like to grow Oregano and Chives?  I would love to hear how you cook with them!

Cheers!  🙂

Bizarre Blobs

Watercolor + Water + Imagination =

Bizarre Blobs…

What do you see?

Cheers! 🙂

My April Square Project…

My April Square Project is running into May…

Yet, I’m OK with it – don’t sweat the small stuff, right?! 😉

I finally got my watercolor painting completed that I showed you the other day; you can find its beginnings here:  Art As Meditation

Last night I cut it up!  Don’t worry, it was intentional:

This time I cut larger squares and circles to add variety to my monthly project.  (See A Square Project under my categories on the right of this screen).

Next week, I hope to show you my completed collaged piece.

Until then, I’m going to have fun taking photos of these shapes… they are like a puzzle!

And if they don’t all make it into a collage, perhaps they will become part of something else?!

What would YOU do with them?

Happy Friday!

Cheers! 🙂

A May Day Basket

I remember as a young child making paper baskets and filling them with a simple bouquet of flowers from our yard.

Next, I would hang them on an unexpecting neighbor’s door handle, ring the doorbell and run!  It was so fun to give a gift of kindness…

My watercolor reminded me of those simple times as I worked on it yesterday:

Perhaps the swirls of color could be ribbons on a May Pole?

Happy May Day!

Cheers! 🙂