Watercolor and Mixed Media

Finished paintings from the paint retreat in May 2014.

This painting was started last May at the retreat.  I took it with me to work on this year.

 I decided to make it into a mixed media piece.  I really liked it at this point but when I went to frame it, I felt the flower needed to pop out more,

 

so I got out my stabilo pencil and sketched around the flower.

This was my completed page.  It looks fantastic in the brown frame I purchased from Michael's.

 
The boot and deck were painted from a photo.  It was a photo of my sister's deck.  She loves to shop at Goodwill or Value Village and always has lots of fun things decorating her back yard.

Another painting from a photo.  Our community has a yearly garden tour.  I always take my camera and I always find lots of interesting ideas for my artwork.

Watercolors and mixed media projects

This is what I did at the Samish Island paint out.  Mostly started but not completed projects.

 

On Saturday morning we were given a challenge.  Starting at 9:30am until noon.  The instructions were to complete a painting, collage, or whatever, that included the items listed.  I did the collage it was fun to get loose and messy with this page.  Can't do that with watercolor. If you double click on the picture, you can enlarge it in order to read the instructions.

These were watercolors I worked on.  None are completed.  I will finish them soon in my own studio.

Photos taken at Samish Island paint retreat

The moon at Samish Island camp.

 

Photos taken on my walk.  You see the most interesting things in communities like this.  (Out in the country).

 

This photo was taken from the window in the lodge.  I have a very good zoom on my camera, was able to bring it in close.

The following photos were taken in Edison.

Fabulous bakery. Love their shortbread cookies. 

 

Biker hangout.

Fun store. Lots of handcrafted stuff. I bought 2 pairs of tie-dyed bamboo socks. They feel so soft on my feet. Love them. 

The flowers were outside a shop.

 

Midge bought one of the snakes for her golf cart in Arizona.

 

Midge, Carol and I laughed when we saw the dog.  He was so funny looked like he was driving.

 

Watercolor on Canvas

This fabulous photo was taken at Samish Island.  When I took the photo I knew that I wanted to use it as an example for a watercolor.  Not often do you find really cool looking trucks like this.  So I found the opportunity to paint the truck in a class taught be Diane Walenda. 

 

 

 The canvas had to be painted with gesso before it would work with watercolors.  It was a real learning experience.  An advantage was that you could wipe off what you didn't like and repaint it. I found frustration with it as well because of all the rework.  I kind of like the whimsical look of the finished picture.

Zentangle Class

 These were some of the gals who took my class. 

 

These worksheets were made in preparation for my class.  I got the formatted pages from tanglepatterns.com.  You can download several different size worksheets from the website.

The following tangles were traced from embossing templates. 

Art of the 5th, journal pages

Documented Life Project

 

These are some of my pages in my 2014 planner.  Each week we are given a topic to journal on.   

 

 

This page was to include recycled items.  Note the puzzle pieces at the top of the page.  They are collaged with a wedding photo of my husband and I in 1966.

 

 

The topic for this page is ME.

 

Needed to include a bird on this page.  I used a Tim Holtz die cut.

 

Cactus in watercolor

I finished this watercolor a few weeks ago.  I really like the way it turned out and wanted to share it with you.

 

 

Journal with Deli Paper

I love the look of deli paper collaged onto my journal pages.  The faces and some of the designs on these pages are from deli paper.  After gluing the paper to the page, it looks like it was painted on.

 

 

PLAN.JOURNAL.PLAY.

Lorraine Bell  has created the perfect carry along book which has all the characteristics of a calendar/planner, an art journal/sketchbook, and a diary, notebook or smashbook.

Lorraine teaches a mini class showing you how to turn a 2014 moleskine planner into this fabulous book.  You can find out more about this class at this website:

http://everylifehasastory.ning.com/group/plan-journal-play

 

I took Lorraine's mini class and joined the 'Documented Life Project'.  I am loving it.  A fun creative challenge is sent out weekly.  Here is the website where you can learn more about this project.

https://arttothe5th.squarespace.com/the-documented-life-project-details/

Here are some of my pages.

 

 

New Art Journal page

Somedays I just have to play.  That's when I create a journal page.  This page ended up being about lemons.  It all started with the magazine photo of the table and chairs.  There are lemon trees loaded with lemons all around the area so they were on my mind.

Where I Create

This is where I spend many hours working on my projects.  Here my work table is set up for watercolor.  I tend to work on and complete a project then clear off my table and set it up for a different project.

  

 I love these door knobs that I have hung aprons and bags on.  Besides being decorative they are very useful, I don't lose my aprons anymore.

 

 I have another table in front of a large window

 

The cabinets are full of supplies

 

Paper, punches and stamp cabinet. 

 

I have yarn in the plastic container on top of the cabinet