On my art table: Two Sisters

Art journal spread - two sisters

I love painting whimsical girls, and I love giving them colorful hair. Don’t you think their bright blue hair looks exciting? I almost I wish I could color my hair robin blue! *laughs*

On this spread, I was experimenting with face structure and with using black. Believe it or not, black used to (and sometimes still does) scare the bajeezus out of me! It can easily overwhelm a page and make it seem dark and depressing. But used like this in small quantities to frame the page, and with pops of color added on, I think it looks quite nice, don’t you?

Like these whimsical sisters? You can buy art and canvas prints, notebooks, laptop skins, and more featuring them in my Cupick store. I’ll be adding more stuff on there regularly, so do follow me there for updates!

If you want to learn how to art journal, sign up for my monthly newsletter, Gypsy Wanderings, and get a free copy of my ebook Art Journal 101. Click for details.

On my art table: Evolve

Art_journal_spread_evolve

I drew her in my moon journal this year. A reminder to evolve – to be brave enough to emerge from the cocoon, to break down the walls I’ve built up to protect myself, but which only keep me entrapped and prevent me from growing.

It can be a slow process, this metamorphosis from a protective cocoon to a butterfly. But it’s such a beautiful process. Creation and destruction, much like the cycle of life itself, don’t you think?

Do you need a reminder to evolve? You can buy art and canvas prints, notebooks, coasters, and more featuring this piece in my Cupick store. I’ll be adding more art work on there regularly, so do follow me there for updates!

If you want to learn how to art journal, sign up for my monthly newsletter, Gypsy Wanderings, and get a free copy of my ebook Art Journal 101. Click for details.

On my art table: Zentangle butterfly

Another month, another blogging challenge. This time, it’s a 15-day daily blogging challenge. What can you expect over these 15 days? Gorgeous eye-candy from my art table! I hope you love these glimpses of my work as much as I love creating them.

art_journal_zentangle_butterfly

Kick your Zentangles up a notch by drawing them on a painted background. Add some shading around the image (in my case a butterfly) to make it pop up and out of the page.

I created this piece using acrylics on watercolor paper. I used a Derwent Inktense pencil for the shading, and sketched a spiral fly path with a white pen to use as a journaling block.

This is an easy way to create coasters, greeting cards, or a small art piece for friends or loved ones. Just put on some music, and Zentangle away!

Want to learn how to art journal? Sign up for my monthly newsletter, Gypsy Wanderings, and get a free copy of my ebook, Art Journal 101. Click for details.

And head over to my Cupick store to buy art and canvas prints, notebooks, coasters, mousepads and more featuring my art.

Moving into fear

A quick face painted with acrylics

How do you deal with fear? A lot of people will tell you it’s only by moving into whatever it is that you fear that you can overcome it. But how do you move into what you fear? How do you go boldly (or not so boldly) ahead into a situation that gives you the shivers? I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t have a clue.

Then, I took up painting. And as I tried and experimented and failed and tried again, I realized – this is how you move into fear!

You move into fear by sticking with something even when you’re scared and have no idea what the hell you’re doing. It means taking a piece you don’t like and working it until you do. And if you still don’t like it, chalking it up to experimenting and experience, and then cutting it up to use as the base of another piece, so you can reframe and redo.Continue reading→