Art Journaling in The Dina Wakley Media Journal {3} . . .

"Just keep taking chances and having fun."

-- Garth Brooks

Can't stop. Won't stop. Playing in The Dina Wakley Media Journal. 

But at least I keep recording the process so you can (hopefully) join in my latest obsession. This time, it's the KRAFT paper's turn. . . 

Part {3} - here we goooooooo:

With love,

Kristin xo

Playing in the New Dina Wakley Media Journal . . .

"If you find yourself really asking yourself, 'Am I REALLY a good writer? Am I REALLY a good artist?' Chances are, YOU ARE. The counterfeit innovator is wildly self confident. 

The real one is scared to death."

-- Steven Pressfield

I'm. So. In. Love. with the new Dina Wakley Media Journal! 

Have you seen it? Tried it out? The smoochy thing about it is that it has four (yes, 4!) types of paper within; burlap, watercolor (in a lovely cotton rag), canvas fabric and kraft paper.  

It's unique, exciting and has me wrapped around it's little finger. So much so, that I've decided to do a bit of a series using it on my YouTube channel. 

Wanna see how the first pages came together? Check out the following videos (parts 1 and 2) below:

Thanks for taking a peek! 

Until next time, 

Kristin xo

Playing - But Not Actually Completing Anything - in my Art Journal

"We're all a beautiful, wonderful work in progress. . . Embrace the process!"

-- Nanette Mathews

New YouTube video is up!

Join me as I play - but not actually, technically, realistically finish anything - in my art journal.

I hope you enjoy the colorful, sparkly process:

With love,

Kristin xo

Tutorial: Water COLOR Bubbles!

"Novels are like paintings, specifically watercolors. Every stroke you put down you have to go with.

Of course you can rewrite, but the original strokes are still there in the texture of the thing."

 -- Joan Didion

The word is obsession. 

Total and utter obsession. All over a bit of water in a bubble.

But honestly, it is So. Much. Fun.  

Wanna know more? Check out the following video for details. . . . 

Please let me know if you try it! I'd love to see your play of color and water, and I dare you not to become as obsessed as I am. . . .

With Bubbles of Love,

Kristin xo

Abstract Art Journaling w/ Jessica Sporn Designs!

“What goes on in abstract art is the proclaiming of aesthetic principles. . . It is in our own time that we have become aware of pure aesthetic considerations. Art never can be imitation.”

— Hans Hofmann

Helllooooo!

Abstract Art Journaling?! I know. I haven't heard of it either, although I wouldn't be surprised if there really was such a thing. 

I had so much fun playing with pattern, form and color (and not much else), that I'm not sure I'll ever "journal" the same way again. But I digress. To hear the entire story, and to see to how I used the following fabulous tools, pop over to Jessica's site over here. . . .

For more on the products used, check out the links below:

"Dots and Dashes" Stencil by Jessica Sporn for Stencil Girl

"Build-A-Villa Window Cube" by Jessica Sporn for RubberMoon

Until we meet again,

Kristin xo

Teeny-Tiny Art Journal & Video!

{3.5 x 6.5 Teeny-Tiny Art Journal}

"Someone once said it's the good girls who keep diaries because the bad girls never have the time.

 Me? I just wanna live a life I'm gonna remember even if I don't write it down."

- Anon

Hellloooooo! 

I hope this finds you happy, well, and in the throws of stuffing your face full of candy. (Oh wait, that's me). . . . ANYway, I had the time to play this week, and wanted to share what I did. 

Truth be told, I knew I wanted to create a video, but I had absolutely no idea what to do. It was only when I took out a big piece of watercolor paper to cover my work space for filming, that it occurred to me to create a Teeny-Tiny art journal from a scrap of it. 

So I got out my ruler and wax thread and started making a bitty book inspired by artist Teesha Moore's Amazing 16 page Journal. It's a really small version, but it was fun, easy and done within an hour.

Thank you for watching! I hope you like it and maybe even create a Teeny-Tiny journal of your own. If you do, please let me know! I'd love to feature it on my Facebook Page. 

Kristin xo

Out Of Practice. And A Video to Prove It. . . .

"My big thesis is that although the world looks messy and chaotic, if you translate it into the world of numbers and shapes, patterns emerge and you start to understand why things are the way they are."

- Marcus du Sautoy

I learned something last time at bat in the studio. As you may have guessed by my lack of posts or art or really anything of creative value this Summer, I've been totally absent. Absent from painting, absent from drawing, and absent from the very room that I usually long to play in. {Although, having said that, I did spend weeks - literally weeks - transforming that hot mess of a room into a real working space with proper storage, organization and a new YouTube set up, so that was exciting}.

I think my absence in part comes from the fact that this was the first Summer that I didn't have The Summer of Color, an annual art event I hosted for 5 years, keeping me busy. And I think in part because of all this time I had on my hands, I just froze. Like a deer in headlights. But like, one that's holding art supplies and stuff. 

So back to what I learned. For me, when I'm out of sorts or out of practice, I find myself waffling when I get back to it. And my waffling, turns out, comes in layers. Many, many layers. I don't know if its insecurity that makes me want to throw every trick or technique or color that I ever learned, used or bought to the table, or honestly, if my picker is just off. You know, that voice that tells you when enough is enough. Maybe that voice is just quiet right now. Or, I guess there's always the opposite, that this page just didn't want to stop being played with.

Either way, I filmed the process and you can be the judge. If you too have been absent from creating, I hope my lack of direction in the above video inspires you in some way. After all, sometimes all we really need is a bit of messy & chaotic to get us back in the game . . . .

With love,

Kristin xo

SaveSave

Turning Old Collages into New Mixed Media!

Turning an old collage into new mixed media

"I curled closer to May, comforted by her warmth."

-- Kiera Cass

Hi there! I've missed you so. 

The last several weeks have been a whirlwind around here, and I'm happy to have found time to play a bit. Actually, it was a few tweens that got me back into the studio! I assist in an art journaling class for kids every Friday, and last week I brought - along with several other collage materials - some colored copies of my old work. I hoped they would like the bright colors and perhaps some of the images, but what I didn't expect was how much they liked the idea of using old art in new ways and, moreover, how much I would learn from them in the process! They completely inspired me to try new things and to look at my own art in a different way. Sooooo, I decided to see what I could do with one of the same copies I'd given them and filmed the process.

In the end, I used copies of one old collage (wayyyyyy back from the first Summer of Color!) and created two new pieces with them: both a loose art journal page & an altered brie box. 

Loose art journal page 

Altered brie box

Wanna see the process? It's all here, and below, and all under 10 minutes . . . 

Thanks for popping by.  Happy May & happy creating from our crazy house to yours.

With colorful kisses,

Kristin xo

The Summer of Color, 2015!

"Darling, it wouldn't be a party without you."

- Anon

Have. You. Heard?

Eeeeeeeeeeeeep! It's here! It's here! And from all you've been saying, it looks like The SOC 5 is gonna be another exciting Summer of creativity, connection & fun! So whether you're joining us for the first time or you've been here from the beginning, I promise that this - the anniversary of our fifth color-splashed year - is one not to be missed! 

But. Wait. You Don't Know About The Summer of Color?

Oh, sorry. (I forget about that). Think of The Summer of Color as a big, international blog party featuring six weeks of color prompts, weekly linking opportunities, fabulous giveaways, creative inspirations and an amazing artistic community. Oh, and it's totally free. And awesome. Just saying. 

So You Said It's Been 5 Years?

Um, yeah. Crazy, right? And to celebrate, this year we're taking the best, most popular aspects of the last 5 years and mushing them altogether. In other words, only the very best bits will make this year's cut. That includes the most popular opening-week giveaway, the most popular color palettes (or versions therein) and the most popular way of approaching the challenges by giving you the final say on what hues you'll choose. Oh! And we're adding a couple of new things as well, including a weekly PDF that you can print out and use to organize your weekly palettes. 

Nicccceeee! So How Does This Thing Work? 

Easy-peasy. From next Monday on, there will be a color palette announced here on this blog. You will then have until Sunday morning of the same week to complete your piece based upon that prompt. You can share your work through your blog, Facebook, Flickr, Pinterest, Instagram or really, anything that can be linked here to this blog (so that we can all see your beautiful work). A linking device will be up as of next week. There will also be a rather fabulous giveaway each week for those who participate. The winner will be selected at random (via a Random Number Generator) from the link list and announced here the following week.  

But You Haven't Told Us About The Theme, "Color by Number."

Ohhhhhhh, right! Well now, I bet you want to know about that! Okay, here goes: for The SOC 5: Color by Number, you will be prompted to choose a combination of colors that you prefer, based upon a generic color palette that I will provide. Each week the palette will be 2 of one color + 1 of another. For example, if the color prompt for the week is say, Yellow and Orange, then you will be prompted to choose your favorite 2 Yellows + 1 Orange. So while some may be using butter yellow, goldenrod and neon orange, others may be using mustard, citron and perhaps tangerine. Either way, we will all be working with the same basic palette, but our choices within that palette will be as varied as we are.

And As Always:

You'll work in your preferred mediums - creating anything your little heart desires - with color being the only stipulation. 

What Do You Mean By Our "Preferred Mediums?" 

There are so many ways to participate in The Summer of Color. You can create anything that you want, as long as it's based upon the colors of the week. You may choose to develop a body of work using the same materials each week or mix it up and create something new each time. It's totally up to you. 

What Kinds Of Things Will We See?

Oh, there's so much! But if you'd like an idea of what types of projects we've seen in the past, check these links out:

Altered books

Art Jewelry

Art Journaling

Assemblage Art

Artist Trading Cards

Bunting Flags

Canvas Art

Collage Art

Digital Art

Greeting Cards

Inchies

Knitting

Makeup Artistry

Moo Cards

Nail Art

Needlepoint

Origami

Photography

Poetry

Postcards

Project Life

Scrapbooking

Sewing

Quilting 

Did I miss anything? Surprise me! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

I've Got It! Now, Is There A Time Limit?

Kinda. You're welcome to share your work at any time, however in order to qualify for the weekly drawing, you must link your pretty little things to this blog by Sunday morning, 10:00 am (Pacific Daylight Time). Also, this is meant to be fun. If you're away or can't participate every week, please don't worry about it. Each week stands on its own, so like any other party, just come when you can.

Can Anyone Participate?

But of course! Anyone who has a blog, Facebook, Flickr or any other account that can be linked here can play along. You may even want to include the kiddies. Also, this is an international event. Should your name be selected for a drawing, I will happily mail it to you, no matter where you live. Cool? Cool. 

And What About Social Media?

Oh yes, that. You may want to follow this blog (so as not to miss a thing), and there is also both a Facebook group and Flickr pool created especially for our event. I've also identified a hashtag that we can use for all other social media outlets. Just tag #TheSummerofColor5 to keep us all on the same page.  

So, What Do We Do This Week?

For this, our introductory week, the task is simple. Please just help me spread the word. Since the whole idea of our event is to foster creativity, community and connection, the more of us who come out to play, the better. Anddddddd to thank you for your efforts, I'm offering one lucky person the most popular of our opening giveaways. Are you ready for it? 

A $50 Gift Certificate to Blick Art Materials! 

I know, right? (Makes me all jelly inside). Now, I know some of you have already started to share the news, but I want to thank you formally for doing so. So, please let me know how you've helped spread the word (either by posting the SOC button on your blog, mentioning it in a blog post, by letting your Facebook friends know or discussing it on Instagram, Twitter, You Tube or whatever social media that you love) in the comment section below (only one comment per person, please) and you'll be in the running! The winner will be announced here next Monday, June 8th.

Oh! And Because I Created A Different Video Last Year:

You can use either one of those too. Wanna see that one again? K, here it is:

Speaking of Next Monday, June 8th:

You'll want to come back here for our first week's color prompt, our first colorful giveaway, our first new PDF, the announcement of our Blick gift card winner and, well, something else that's new. Something that I hope you'll agree makes this year the most exciting and interactive ever. Wanna hint? How 'bout two: One, I'm playing along with you this year and two, well, you'll wanna watch this space. . . .

Ready? Okay!

To Love, Color & The Love of Color,

Kristin xo

Artistic Exploration . . .

"An artist is an explorer. He should begin by seeking himself, seeing himself act. Then, not restraining itself. And above all, not being easily satisfied." 

-- Henri Matisse

Helloooooo! I have a few new Art Journaling pages to share and an update on what I'm calling the world's largest palette cleaner - a huge-to-me 30 x 40 canvas - that has been sitting on my studio floor awaiting extra inspiration or, which is really the case, awaiting any left over paint, bits and/or bobs from my journaling adventure. But I digress. Wanna see my latest explorations? Yay! Here we go:

Days 17 - 18: Inspired by my fav colors and a black-and-white illustration of an octopus

Days 19 - 20: Inspired by the documentary, "Exiled by Choice."

Days 21-22: Inspired by vintage illustrations, ledgers and children's "Word Mastery" lists.

Playing catch up with days 13-14: Inspired by Dina Wakely's new book, Art Journal Courage.

As far as that way-very-big "palette cleaner" I was referring to earlier, here are a few detail / WIP shots of what's currently going on there:

And here she is as a whole:

Thanks for taking a peek!

To love, art and artistic exploration,

Kristin xo

Daily-ish Art Journaling: Still At It . . .

"There have been setbacks, illnesses and other obstacles, so inevitably I've had disappointments. 

But once you realize that things can't always go your own way, you're right on track to being able to handle your own life."

- Diana Quick

Sooooo, yeah. It seems that the moment I declared my joy in having finished the first eight days of consistent Art Journling this year, we all got sick. As in, really-bad-flu-that-made-us-catatonic-for-dayzzzzzz sick. I didn't even have the energy to "art" in bed. Which, naturally, made me question the whole idea of Art Journaling on the daily. Not only do I hate the idea of being "behind," but I also question my ability to get it all done, and in a way that makes me happy. 

Case in point: in last week's post I mentioned that my original idea was to create a page in about 15 minutes per day. Um, ok. How in the world I thought that was possible is beyond me. I take longer than that to gather supplies. Having said that, I truly enjoy playing in my tiny little journal and do want to allow myself the freedom to grow as an artist by doing so. SO, here's the deal: I'm still at it, but the terms are getting looser. In order to keep it up, I realize that I have to be gentler on myself. So, if that means that a page doesn't get done one day, or if a spread is much less detailed than I would prefer, that has to be okay. I have to just move on to the next day if I want to keep it up. So, some days may be fabulous and some may just well, be. 

With that in mind, here's where we are now. "Behind" but still at it . . .

Days 8 & 9: "I was just really sick for days" 

Days 11 & 12: Playing with textures and collage.

Days 13-16 all look like this. Meh. I've moved on out of necessity, but I will do something with these pages (perhaps even adding photos?) by the month's end. 

Having said all that, as far as the creativity begets creativity part, I've started working on a huge canvas (as in, 30 x 40 huge) since the beginning of the year. And so far, it's been the largest palette cleaner ever. I plan to work on this for a while - as it's really being influenced by my journal - but here's a tiny peek at it's beginnings:

And that's it! Back to the studio now for today's page. Until next time. . . . 

To love and Art,

Kristin xo

So I Have This Idea . . .

(Art Journaling Day 1) 

"Writing the little daily journal is fun. I have to set my usual two pages of writing as the day's work. I don't know if I can keep this up from the beginning, but I will try."

- John Steinbeck 

So I have this idea. In an effort to create more often and really document 2015, I've decided to make a tiny Art Journal for each month of the year. Each book will be about 30 pages and approximately 5 x 5.5 inches. So in theory, by the end of the year, I should have 12 bitty books to show for it. The original idea was to dedicate 15 minutes a page to just play on a daily basis. (Or um, three days at a time if that's what happens). Point is, I'm giving myself permission to create, grow and learn by allowing myself the time the do it. 

Handmade journal made from a single sheet (22 x 30) of Fabriano Artistico paper.

And as I write this, I've actually completed a page a day since I started. Having said that, the whole 15 minutes a day thing has in reality been more like an hour and 15 minutes a day. Hm. So, while there's still some kinks in the plan, I'm gonna keep trying to make happen as often as I can. So, wanna see what I've done so far? Okay, here we go:

(Day 2: Inspired by the documentary, "I Am" by Tom Shadyac).

(Day 3: Inspired by the unexpected loss of my friend's mother. Quick study in oil pastels)

(Day 4: Inspired by the documentary, "Bound by Flesh," about conjoined twins The Hilton Sisters.)

(Day 5: A "mad" portrait)

(Day 6: Altered collage)

(Day 7: Inspired by neon paint pens, vintage children's illustrations and the idea of play)

(Day 8: A painterly little girl)

And there we have it. 8 days and counting. And the coolest part? I've become incredibly productive in the process. Why? Because at least for me, creativity begets creativity. In other words, the more I do, the more I want to do. And the more time I spend on my art, the more my mind seems receptive to other ideas, other challenges and other, well, other ways to express myself. It looks like I'm in for quite a ride. . . 

Wanna join me? I'll post the Art Journals here on a regular basis, but if you want to see the pages created daily (remembering that daily is a loose term), just pop over to my Facebook or Instagram accounts to take a peek. And, if you decide to try your hand at it, let me know! I'd love to follow your progress as well.

PPF

To love, art and the dedication to our crafts, 

Kristin xo

LIFE BOOK Registration NOW OPEN!

"Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity."

- Bo Bennett

It's here! It's here! Um, can you tell that I'm excited?! (Okay, well if it's not glaringly obvious, then let me tell you, I'm like a kid in a candy store. With an unlimited budget. And no parents around to stop me from eating my face off).  

Why you ask? Because registration for Life Book 2015 is Now. Officially. OPEN. 

As a matter of fact, it's SO OPEN, that I've made a little video to celebrate:

Wanna know more? You've got it! Just click here to read all about it. 

Pretty fan-ta-bulous, right?! (Eeeee, I know). Thank you for considering signing up through me, but either way, I can't wait to see you there!

To Love & Art

Kristin xo

Shameless . . .

"Shameless" (9 x 12 Loose Journal Page on Watercolor Paper)

"Jan could not recall ever seeing a creature more beautiful, though there nagged somewhere at the back of his mind the notion that she ought to have seemed hideous. Why? For she was pure, admirably pure, without a twinge of conscience or shame." - Meredith Ann Pierce

Hellooooo and happy PPF! I hope this finds you happy, well and enjoying the last of your Summer season. 

I for one am so ready to get back to a regular schedule. Summers with a little one are an adventure, but there's something to be said for the comfort of a routine. (Like um, time to actually paint). Having said that, I did do one little thing that I thought you might like a peek at. And I took lotsa process shots along the way. Wanna see? Okay, here goes:

Began with a quick sketch and some basic collage 

Added a wash of acrylic and oil pastels

Layered on molding paste (mixed with white acrylic) pushed through a stencil

Coloring her in. (AKA the "ugly stage")

Defined the eyes and added more color and molding paste

Final touches include the addition of some decorative napkins, more oil pastels, charcoal, iridescent stars, a bit of trim and a racy piece of vintage text. 

Shameless, I know. But when a word pops out at you, you just have to go for it. Especially when you hadn't gotten around to actually "dressing" her yet. Ha: serependity at it's finest! 

Thank you for taking a look. And thank you to Kristin and Eva for all of their efforts in bringing us together.  

See you next week! I have an exciting announcement that I can't wait to share. Hmmmmm . . . . 

To Love & Art,

Kristin xo