I've Gone Doodle Crazy!

I'm loving Traci Bautista's Doodles Unleashed class over at Strathmore.  I've gone a little doodle crazy...
Here are a few of my doodle pages!

If you haven't all ready, go to Strathmore and check it out.  They are offering 3 free workshops.  Doodles Unleashed is the first one and we are starting week 3 tomorrow!  I'm thinking you can still sign up, but I'm not positive on that.  Anyway,  I'm having a lot of fun can you tell?

Have a Happy and Creative week!!!

Kristen

Is My Art "Good Enough" ? Have you ever asked yourself this question?

If your answer is yes, than this little gem is a "MUST" see.  I discovered it at just the right time in my journey.  This question "Am I good enough to be an "Artist"?" has been pestering my brain for a while now.  When I first started to create, I was excited and so inspired...but  as I have continued to create, I find myself having a lot of self doubt and questioning whether I deserve to call myself an artist.  My message to anyone who experiences the same bullying from their inner critic, is to WATCH THIS VIDEO and continue pushing forward and doing what you love to do!!!!

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

YOU and your art are more than "Good Enough".  You are an inspiration to those around you and following your passion is what you must do!  I hope in sharing this video you will find the courage to continue on your quest, squash that inner critic and if you found this post to be helpful... pass this message on!

Playing around with Spent Brass Bullet Shells...

I have a whole bunch of brass bullet shells (all ready been shot, no danger involved) that I'm dying to use in my art jewelry.  I am wondering if anyone can tell me how to cut through them?  I've tried a dremel, but it doesn't give me enough control.  I've also tried a jewelers saw, but I keep breaking the blades.  If anyone out there has any advice or ideas on how I can cut these babies, please...let me know.  They have so much potential.

Here are a few more photos of what I've done with them so far.  I have many more ideas and would love to hear your ideas as well!  What do you think?

Doodles Unleashed: A Free Class with Traci Bautista

If you like to take online workshops and you have the time...this is a great workshop to sign up for and it's absolutely free!

(NOTE:  If you can't see the whole video, double click on it and you can see it full screen.  To exit the full screen video just click your escape button.)



You can go to StrathmoreArtist.Com and scroll down until you see the Strathmore 2012 Online Workshop Series box.  Click on it and you can register for 3 different workshops that Strathmore is putting on for free.  I can't tell you enough how great these workshops are.  Each instructor puts together a series of video lessons, downloadable PDF's and different discussions and forums to share your work, ask questions and meet other students.

Don't be shy!  These workshops are for all levels!

Last night I completed the first weeks lessons.  Here are the results...and for the most part I'm fairly happy with what  came up with, but I think when I have time I'll probably give it another go and try to be a little bit more original.

Step One:  Using found objects for background stencil patterns

Step Two:  Use Acrylic paints to further the development of  shapes

Step Three:  Use pens, india inks and oil pastels to doodle ...

Step Four: Final embellishing with white correction fluid pen!

Merry Christmas to You and Yours...Loving this time of year!

Oh the Holidays! I love them.  We finally got our tree last weekend and the girls decorated it beautifully!  I love watching them, lovingly adorning the tree with the ornaments that they and we have collected over the years. Our tree is a mish-mash of ornaments that they have made in school, or have picked out themselves with their Papa every Thanksgiving (he takes them out to pick out an ornament every year).  It's beautiful! I tried to take a picture of it.  But it just doesn't do it justice!

I am trying to make most of my gifts this year and am loving every second of it. I am keeping busy, busy, buys!  I hope everyone is really enjoying the things that matter this season.  Take time to cherish the moments and remember that it's not all about the hustle and bustle, the entertaining, the decorating, the gift giving and receiving...but more about the love we have for our family, our friends, our neighbors...and for some of us our Blessed Father who gave us the most important gift mankind has ever received,  His Son.  I am so Blessed in this life and am thankful for everything big and small.  Thank you for your friendships, your support, your love, and I hope I can give to other's as much as I have been given.

Merry Christmas everyone! Be Happy and don't sweat the SMALL STUFF!

Love and Hugs
Kristen

Today's Little Painting

Here is today's painting I did this afternoon.  I love the colorful face!  I went a little overboard with the markings on her face though. 

50 Pieces of Art in 50 Days...Progress???

Well folks, I am not the most disciplined person in the world and I'm having a hard time keeping up with my friend Jani from This Redhead Can Paint.  She challenged herself to make 50 pieces of art in 50 days and I'm kind of tagging along (lol)!  Her art is pretty amazing!!!

Here are a few of the items I have created so far.  I'm kind of cheating and counting jewelry as a piece of art.  While my jewelry pieces are not always "new" (because I use prints from art I have all ready completed)...they are "re-creations" of my art into something different (that counts right?)!!!

My style of creating art is usually not a "cut and dry" process I can complete in one day.  I am all over the place, so I may sketch something one day, go on to something new....and then 2 days later go back to the first and maybe lay in some initial color....by then I'm on to something new again, come back again and add some background or collage, or more layers.....You get the picture!  But someday I would really like to get to a point where I can just whip up a work of art in one day like Jani can!  I'm not quite there yet!

But it's okay that I'm not quite there yet, because for me it's all about the process, the learning, the practice...So I'm okay with where I'm at right now.  I know in my heart that I am capable of so much more, I just have to be patient with myself and let it happen.  I am so thankful

for websites like Flickr and Youtube and Ning sites like Hands & Heart, Little Glimpses Community Studio, Willowing, Loving Mixed Media and Suzi Blu just to name a few!  There is so much inspiration and talent out there!

If you are new to mixed media or art in general and want to learn more about a particular technique or style I suggest trying an online workshop.  They are less expensive than others, some of the instructors even let you download the video lessons so you can have them forever.  You can work at your own pace, watch the lessons as often as you want and you get the encouragement from not only the instructor, but also from the others taking the class.  I have made so many new friends in the art community online and will continue to take workshops online, probably for the rest of my life!

If you have the passion for creativity, in whatever area it may be, writing, painting, poetry, woodwork etc....Make some time for PLAY....everyday!  It feeds the soul and allows you (even if only for ?a moment) to forget the pressures of everyday life.  It's good for

YOU!

Happy creating everyone!