Kamis, 31 Januari 2013

Striped Heart Watercolor Tutorial


I just love hearts..... I can't get enough of them.   I can't get enough of watercolors either, so this project is a perfect combination of both of these loves :)

  Here's my simple tutorial for making your very own unique Watercolor Valentine's Heart Art.

Materials:
scrap paper or heart stencil
watercolor paper
watercolor paints
paint brush
pencil
ruler

Step 1:  Cut out a heart or use a stencil or cookie cutter to fit the size of your watercolor paper.  I used some junk mail to save paper :)

Step 2:  Place your heart stencil on the center of your watercolor paper and lightly trace the outline in pencil.


Step 3:  Using a ruler, lightly draw horizontal lines across your heart drawing to create sections.  You can draw as many lines as you would like, but I think it looks nice with four sections.


Step 4:  Pick out four colors (or as many as you need to fill the sections you drew) to fill in your heart.  If you are mixing colors, make sure you mix enough to fill an entire section.

Step 5:  With the color of your choice, paint in the top section of your heart drawing.  Then, fill in the other sections below it with different colors leaving a small space between the sections.


Tip:   If you want your lines to be clean and distinct, wait for each section to dry before painting the next section below it.  Personally, I like it when the paint mixes a little between the sections, so I painted one right after another without letting them dry first.


Step 6:  Let your heart painting dry and don't forget to sign your masterpiece!



These would be great as Valentine's cards too.  Hmmm...... maybe I'll do that next year.  I've already made cards for this year.

Happy Painting!



Selasa, 29 Januari 2013

Colorful Crochet Hearts

It's my first time making crochet hearts....


They're really easy and fun to make!  I followed the tutorial over at Cornflower Blue Studio. It's a really good tutorial, so you should check it out.


Then I had to turn all my colorful little hearts into a garland, of course. They make me happy!




Senin, 28 Januari 2013

Photo of the Week


Happy Monday! Ok, so Monday is not my favorite day of the week.  I usually have lots of errands to run and laundry to do on Mondays, but the sun is shining today.  It's been a while since that has happened.

Here's a shot of my neighbor's pine tree with the snow starting to melt off of it.  I don't mind the snow so much if the sun comes out after to melt it :)

Kamis, 24 Januari 2013

An Artist's Dilemma

I've noticed that birds are what's selling on Etsy for some time now.  I thought it might be fun to try my hand at birds, but then I didn't want to be painting just for the market, just to sell my art. Somehow I've felt like I'm selling out if I do that.  It's a battle.  Do I paint for myself or for the market? I guess it depends on how much I want to sell my art, right?


 Well, I've taken the plunge and tried my hand at birds.  I've done roosters before, but nothing else.  It's more challenging than I expected.  This bird on a branch is in no way my best work, but I'll still show it.  I don't want this blog to be about being perfect all the time.  It should be about growth.  So here ya go.  


I hope to be growing my skills in bird painting in the future.  And I'm ok with that.  Maybe I can find joy in painting something even if it is mostly to fit the trends.  We'll see!


Selasa, 22 Januari 2013

A Look at my Sketchbook: Owls

Is anyone tired of owls yet?

Not me!

I took a little trip down sketchbook memory lane and came across these two cuties I had drawn months and months ago.  Even with all the hype over owls I still love em :)



Senin, 21 Januari 2013

Photo of the Week


In spite of the cold weather,  I had lots of these little birds hanging out in my backyard in the afternoons.  I was able to get some shots of one sitting on a branch.  I love it!  I love birds!

I have a few bird projects to share this week, so I'm officially naming this week, BIRD WEEK for me.  I hope you enjoy!

Jumat, 18 Januari 2013

When Life Gives You Oranges


Tis' the season for oranges!  I love painting these colorful fruits!

And since my art room had to be condemned and emptied while we deal with some serious water damage and mold from the shower on the other side of the wall, I'm back to painting in the kitchen.  It's not a fun situation, but at least there is better light in my kitchen and it's warmer.

Anyway, back to the paintings.  These little 5x7's are now up in my shop.  Check them out.....