Thrift Store Finds and Creative Art Journal Tutorial

I don't know about you, but I get totally excited when I run across great deals at the thrift store! I found  13 of these books for $1 each at Goodwill the other day. The reason they are so great is that they are all hand bound with gorgeous heavy weight, slightly textured paper with deckled edges. 

These books will make beautiful art journals and I'm thinking I will prepare the pages for journaling, create unique/artful covers and then list them on my Etsy shop. When I finish a few of these I will be sure and post pictures.

 

Don't you just LOVE inexpensive "Retail Therapy"! This is just what I needed to get back on track.

Summer vacation with kids out of school has thrown me for a loop for some reason. I love spending more time with my kids, but can't seem to balance that with my creative, art making, blogging side.

So........Sorry I haven't posted in so long! I'm feeling really guilty about that. I've set a new goal for myself to post at least twice a month until School is back in session, and then at least once a week.  

At any rate, thanks for sticking with me. I promise new and fun things to come on this blog!

Finally, I found this great video tutorial on how to make a great journal recycling your collection of greeting cards from various occasions. I really enjoyed the creativity that went in to creating these journals, and the simple technique used to make them.  

For more great journal tutorials and a very fun blog visit Jennibellie at Jennibellie Studio. I just discovered her today on Youtube and really enjoyed her blog as well. I think you will too!

Have a fantastic, creative weekend!

Break Free from the Mold...Express Yourself

Break free from the mold and express yourself...I borrowed this description and photograph from my artist/painter friend Jani Freimann.  What an awesome piece of art/sculpture!  I love it.  And doesn't it fit perfectly with the struggle that most of us share...finding our own style and breaking free from repeating what we see other artists doing.  

Jani and I were just discussing how we wish we could find our "Niche", our own unique style, recognizable not just by our signature, but by our individuality shining through our work.  Here are some of my thoughts on how to eventually create art that speaks of your unique art personality.

1. SCHEDULE TIME TO CREATE:  this has to be the number one thing that will lead to your unique style. The more you create, the more you'll discover the Who, What, When, Where and Why of your style...Who do you admire? Who inspires you? Who makes you want to be your best? What do you enjoy drawing, painting, sculpting? What art supplies do you enjoy the most?  What techniques do you tend to use most often? What is your favorite substrate? When are you most creative? Where do you find inspiration? Where are you most comfortable creating? Why do you enjoy the creative process? These are just a few of the things you'll discover along the way...as long as you continue to allow yourself the time to be creative.
2. FIND INSPIRATION:  take a field trip to a local gallery...what type of art are you most drawn to? Start a notebook with inspirational art from other artists. Keep a journal of words, phrases, subject matter and other things that get you inspired to create. Interview another artist whom you admire and find out more about their journey. Take time to slow down and be inspired by the world around you. Be in the moment and observe your own thoughts (easier said than done, especially for us ADHD types).
3. EXPERIMENT: Try something new. Try a new technique. Play with some different art supplies.  Create in different mediums and/or Genres. Take an online art workshop, or a local art class.  Keep an art journal to play and experiment in, you'll discover all sorts of new things about your creative style by doing this. For me, an art journal is non-threatening and allows me to feel less inhibited, less attached to the results. With an art journal anything goes, and you don't have to share it with anyone if you don't want to! This is one of my biggest tools in developing and improving my technique and process.
4. PLAY:  Just have fun with your art. Make art for the sake of the joy you find in the process rather than the product. Relax and let go of any preconceived notions of what your creations should look like. The whole idea behind the name "Art Play Today" came from my firm belief that art/creating should come from a place of joy and passion. You should find time to play each and everyday! Even if it's just a doodle on a scrap piece of paper while your on the phone or watching TV. It all makes a difference!

SOLD...My First Painting at the Bluewater Artworks Gallery!!!

I just received a phone call from the gallery where some of my artwork is displayed! They sold my Triptych. This is the first of several paintings there that has sold, and my first ever gallery sale ( other than a few pendants). I'm doing the happy dance. This is just what I needed for an extra shot of confidence and inspiration! Woo Hoo!




Now I'm really curious about who bought it!
Happy Father's Day, hope everyone is enjoying their family today! Which reminds me, I'm off to call my own dad!

New Domino Pendants

Here are some new pendants I've been creating the last couple of days. About 2/3rds of them actually have another, different image on the back side, so when finished they will be "2 pendants in 1". These are not the greatest pictures of them, but oh well. They look better in reality.

Works in Progress...

It's a busy, busy time of year.  As the assistant coach for my daughter's select soccer team I have been busy with a recent  soccer tournament, and soccer try-outs this week.  I haven't had much time to myself for painting, but I thought I'd share what I started yesterday.

This painting is on a 24" x 30" stretched canvas with a 1.5" profile.  It will be one of my bigger pieces when it's done.  I love the sturdiness and feel of this size canvas, especially the 1.5 profile.  It just feels solid and quality built.  I think I'm done with the thinner profile canvas's from now on, unless I plan on framing them.

Of course, this probably won't look anything like it does now when I'm done with it.  But I think it's fun to see it progress through out the process of creating it.

Random Mark Making 

More Marks and Drips

Trying to find some shapes...

I'm also trying to fit in two online art courses, thank goodness I can work at my own pace on these!  This next picture is the result of a 30 minute painting exercise from Wyann's "Paint Free" class.  I have to admit, I went over the 30 minutes, so now I feel like I need to repeat the assignment with a better handle on the time.  I guess I sort of cheated on this one because I think I painted for more like an hour.  Oops! Here it is:

I hope everyone has a fantastic and safe Memorial Day weekend! Hopefully we can all get some creative time in there too!

Kristen

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly: 155 Faces Video

Not too long ago I talked about sketching 100 faces and then sharing them here.  I've finally put together a video featuring 155 faces from past and present...and I'm still drawing and sketching and painting them!  Stylized, whimsical, fantasy...I like them all.  My "face" art doesn't seem to interest the art gallery much, but they are still one of my favorite things to paint and just have fun with! Most of these are from my art journals and sketchbooks but a few of them are actual paintings on canvas.

As always, I'd love to hear what you think, comments are always welcomed and appreciated, and serve as a huge source of inspiration for me.  Even constructive criticism is okay:)

My first Check from the Bluewater Artworks Gallery...Yay!!!

It's not much, but it's my first! Having never sold anything from a gallery before, this is very exciting for me!






I only sold a few pendant necklaces, but it's a start and I'm still doing my happy dance today! Now just keep your fingers crossed that a few of my paintings sell as well!

I had a few more paintings accepted into the gallery as well! This one and my triptych I blogged about a few weeks ago.





It should be a good time to sell art at this gallery in particular, as it's located in a small waterfront town that gets a lot of tourist action when the weather gets nice and people visit by boat.

I'm hoping I sell something soon to help offset the cost of some of the framing!

My husband commented that this check was a nice "souvenir"...I didn't like that comment!!! So if I sell a few paintings, maybe he'll be a little more impressed! It's been a struggle to get him on board with my "art thing"... But he's slowly coming around!
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