Art journal tutorial: how to paint a mixed media portrait

how to paint a mixed media portrait in your art journal

Painting whimsical faces in my art journal is one of my favorite things to do. They add expression and personality to my pages, and offer me a way to access my innermost reaches and bring forth a variety of emotions. Often, I will journal the emotions and thoughts that arose during the painting process while waiting for layers to dry, building up a narrative that is deeply personal and meaningful to me. And by the time I have finished a painting, I will often find either a few words or a snippet from my journal or a quote to encapsulate what was going on during the painting process.Continue reading→

Art journal flip through to spark your creativity

Art journal flip through

I have a confession to make: watching art journal flip throughs on YouTube is one of my favorite things, ever! I love seeing completed spreads from other art journalers; all the different styles and color combinations; the layout ideas; and a little bit of a talk on the page, when it was created, why…oh, it is so much fun!

So for this week’s art journal video, I decided to share a flip through of my moon journals from last year. I hope you enjoy!Continue reading→

Why you should take part in the 100-day project

Kick start your creativity with the 100 day project

What is the 100 Day Project?

What if you did something creative every day for 100 days? You could spend as little as 10-15 minutes each day on this creative project, or longer if or when you have the time. Ideally, you would finish this project in 100 days, but you can give yourself some grace. The point is to do said creative thing for 100 days – be they consecutive days or not, that is up to you.

That is the simple premise of the 100 day project.Continue reading→

Easy abstract painting for beginners

Easy abstract painting technique for beginners

Over the years, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with abstract painting. While there are some abstracts that leave me completely baffled, there are some that have a lot of depth and interest, which prompted my fascination with this art style. But abstract painting can be difficult, and there are times when I struggle too. But today, I’m going to show you a very easy abstract painting technique that is perfect for beginners (like me!).

All you need are a few of your favorite colors, a paintbrush, and your fingers!Continue reading→

Art journal tutorial: how to paint a loose watercolor portrait

how to paint a loose watercolor portrait

Watercolors can be really tricky; and trying to paint portraits using watercolors can be a nightmare! The key, for me, is to keep it loose and whimsical, and today I’m going to show you just how to paint a loose watercolor portrait.

Loose watercolor portrait demo

This video will show you how to paint a loose watercolor portrait from start to finish. You’ll find some watercolor portrait tips and a supply list below the video.Continue reading→

Art journal tutorial: intuitive painting demo from start-to-finish

how to paint intuitively intuitive painting demo from start-to-finish

I really enjoy intuitive painting – it’s freeing and challenging at the same time! The freedom to make marks, experiment with color palettes and mediums, and to make bold moves delights my inner wild child. The challenge of bringing so many elements together; of not knowing what the final piece will be like; of wondering if you can manage to salvage it all, is exciting. Each painting session becomes an exploration of something new; each canvas or art journal spread a delightful revelation.Continue reading→

31 lessons from 31 days of painting

I spent May immersed in the 31 days of painting project. This wasn’t about creating 31 paintings {I’m crazy, just not that crazy!}; rather, it was about spending 31 days painting a single canvas. It also wasn’t about how much or how little you painted on a particular day; rather, the only rule, per se, was that you had to alter the canvas in some way. That could be the addition of a ton of paint or the making of a few simple marks.

The entire process is a meditation on painting, and life. About releasing attachment and being open to the process. Of enquiry and allowing instead of forcing and imposing your will. And as expected, a process like this one, can teach you a lot – about painting and about life.

So without further ado, here are 31 lessons from 31 days of painting.Continue reading→

On my art table: The Buddha’s Blessings + a speed painting video

Sometimes, I come to the painty table to play; at others, to relieve stress. Sometimes, I approach my art practice as therapy; at other times, I allow my emotions to direct my colour choices and mark making. And sometimes, I come to the page with deep reverence and to give gratitude for the many blessings in my life.

This was one of those times.

I’ve long wanted to paint a Buddha, but I didn’t want to paint Him with the usual peaceful face and closed eyes - you know the kind of Buddha painting I’m talking about, right? The ones that you find hanging in most home interior stores - pale blues and calm yellow tones, with a huge Buddha face, eyes closed, a serene look on His face.

Continue reading→

Tracking the moon + a look into my new moon art journal

tracking moon phases, cyclical time, moon baby

I’ve been tracking moon phases since a few years now – new moon to full moon to new again. Initially, it was simply a way to make sure I got at least one art journal spread completed every month, especially in the hot, often humid summer months. Then I started adding in moon lore – looking at the astrological sign where the moon is and what its energetics are.

Slowly, I started looking at the moon phases as cycles of time, which gave rise to a fascinating question:

What if time was not a linear progression, as we've been led to believe? What if it is cyclical, which means we can always circle back to something over and over again? Click To TweetContinue reading→

On my art table: 2-minute art journal page

You’re busy, you have NO time, and you have NO space. You have NO art skills and NO supplies.

{Don’t you think there are too many NOs here?}

Anyhow…. I am here you to tell you that YOU CAN STILL CREATE ART!

I painted this piece in a tiny 3.5×5″art journal using only watercolor pencils and some white paint and yellow acrylic ink in the last step to bring it all together. And I love how lose and abstract it looks.

I created it as part of a 7-day speed art Instagram challenge hosted by Eli Trier. Her original idea was to have challenge participants do each prompt on a different sheet of paper, as an exercise in learning how to loosen up and get over the fear of a blank page. I decided to combine all the daily prompts on one page {without even knowing what each day’s prompt would be}, and it turned into the perfect summer art project {you can see it evolve, step-by-step, on my Instagram account}.Continue reading→