Hello Beautiful You - mixed media painting

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.

Proverbs 16:24

Wouldn't you like to hear your inner voice say "hello beautiful you"?  My inner voice isn't always kind and gentle but it should be.  I pray each night for God to help me use my words to uplift and enlighten my girls.  Maybe I should include myself.

Just a bit of trivia... the penny in the corner is from Greta.  She gives me little thoughtful trinkets all the time.  It makes my day.  She also like to drop money on the ground in hopes that whoever finds it will have a brighter day.  I found this penny in front of my closet door.  It might have fallen out of a pocket but I chose to believe the good, that it came from Greta.  She wouldn't admit to anything when I asked her about it.  She just smiled.  And now I smile every time I see it.

Roll Tide - Alabama Message Boards

Football season is almost here and I can feel the excitement in the sweet home Alabama air.  I was asked to make a few message boards similar to the Auburn message boards in my previous post.  Knowing how fanatical dedicated the Alabama fans are to their team, I made a a couple extra and I'm pretty certain they will quickly find a loving home.

These are one of my favorite mixed media paintings to create.  They have a practical purpose, they can function as a message board to hang notes/pictures or you can remove the clips and string and enjoy the painting by itself.  Painting these gives me an opportunity to try different applications and really have fun.  If I don't like what I see, I put a new coat of paint over the previous work and start again.  That's how the red board and the vintage board (my favorite) was created.  They were originally black and very busy... too busy.

I hope my Alabama fan friends enjoy these.  Roll Tide!

Take Your Kids to Work Day - Free Labor

This was the first time I was lucky enough to have a child on Take Your Kids To Work Day.  Gene's a soldier and there has always been a big day planned with workplace tours, activities, and lunch for the whole family.  The down side of that is that it is geared mostly to younger kids and ours are getting a little to old for it.  His loss is my gain!

Greta and I started our day with a working breakfast at Cafe 302, the hole in wall dinner down the street.  They make the best breakfast for $5 - two eggs, grits, sausage, and a biscuit with gravy.  I'm always waiting for Flo to come out and say "Kiss my grits!" (that's a nod to Al's Diner for all you young'ins)

Greta went to work helping me start paintings that are yet to be discovered.  We had a busy day and finished eight backgrounds. That is a big accomplishment.  It felt so good to have my helper with me but I think by the afternoon she was finished.  When we called it a day she headed to her room and announced that she needed some alone time. What?!?

Here are a few textured backgrounds.  Greta picked out the chandelier pattern and polka dots below and applied modeling paste.  The texture will be awesome on a painting... when inspiration hits and  I decide what it will become.  I do know that I plan to use the petroleum jelly painting technique so I will have layers of color but still maintain the patterns.  All in all, it was great day with my girl and hope she enjoyed it as much as I did but I doubt it.  As I watch my girls grow up, I find myself grasping for and hanging onto days like this.  I cherish them.

The Oak Sleeps In The Acorn

The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.
James Allen

 Pursue your dreams.

Discover - steampunk banner

It started out as Christmas craft with the kids...

I found a ton of cute paper clay sculptures on Pinterest and decided it was a craft I would have to try.  During down time on Christmas break I brought out the paper clay and gathered the girls around the table for some mother-daughter craft time.  Greta didn't last long but Gigi and I stuck to it and decided to make steampunk inspired pendants... and a few birds.

We started by rolling and cutting out the clay into mostly squares.  I had some adorable little "cookie" cutters in the shapes of squares and circles that I bought when I picked up the paper clay.  I also had a bunch of steampunkish bits and pieces that Gigi and I found on a late night trip to Micheals Arts and Crafts, and when I say a bunch I mean more than I will ever use in a lifetime.  

We made our basic clay pendants and arranged the steampunk pieces into the clay.  After that was finished, we took a break for about... two weeks.  In our defense, the clay had to dry and we all know that crafts dry better when they are left on the kitchen counter and forgotten.  Just a note, very few of the steampunk embellishments stuck in the clay and most of them had to be glued to the pendants after they were painted.

Then one day while cleaning, I decided that was impossible to truly clean my kitchen unless I stopped what I was doing and painted the clay pendants.  Isn't that how all crafty people clean?  So, I transferred all the tiny little clay and metal pieces to my art studio and started smearing paint on them.  I literally used my fingers and smeared them with watered down black craft paint and then started rubbing them with a dab of different colored metallic craft paint.  I love the outcome.

 When Gigi got home from school I had to have her remind me where the different steampunk pieces went on which clay pendant and then we glued them in place and enjoyed our accomplishment.  We had a pile of pendants that we loved but didn't know what to do next.

A bolt of lightening struck and we decided to make a banner.  So after the completed pendants relaxed on my desk in my art studio for another handful of days, I came up with an idea for a banner.  It only took an afternoon to put together and now it proudly hangs in her room.  All the pendants on the banner are the ones that Gigi designed.  It is absolutely one of the coolest things we have made together.  

We still have pendants left over for other projects.  I have a purse that Gigi and I designed to show you next... which uses more of her steampunk pendants.

Quality materials are a must - don't be cheap like me.

A big sigh...

I have a habit of being thrifty.  I always try to go the less expensive route and more than once, I have paid the price.  My lesson I have learned is to always use quality art material where it matters most - the foundation.


See the slightly messed up lower left corner?

I had a slightly warped and inexpensive canvas I had been saving.  I thought it would be good for an experiment in mixed media.  I mean, what would it matter?  If the painting was a total pile of yuck then I didn't lose much money on my canvas.  It never crossed my mind that I might love the painting.  I have learned my lesson.























I started painting on my wobbly warped canvas, ignoring that it was bouncing all over the table.  It was just a little warped.  I didn't know that the paint would eventually make it worse.  So, now I have this experiment that I love, that is hanging on my wall for everyone to see right when you enter my home, and it drives me crazy.






















Moral of the story... use quality material.  The canvas matters.  Oh, and be careful if you bump up against the painting that is meant to be touched.  It is hanging a bit precariously and may jump off the wall.

Christmas Mixed Media Paintings

Wow, it has been a long time since I posted.  We moved into our new house six months ago and I finally found my camera battery but I am still missing my SD cards.  I'm really wishing I had been more diligent about backing up my pictures.  boo hoo

Christmas is around the corner and I had a great time painting these mixed media paintings.  My husband has been in the Army for over 20 years.  This Christmas I was inspired by all my military friends who have endured and tried to enjoy Christmas during deployments.  It is an unbelievably emotional time.

I always try to add a ton of texture to my paintings.  I want the viewer to pick them up and touch them.  My favorite part of this group of paintings is the snow.  It is molding paste that is swirled, painted, and then sparkled.  That's how I imagine snow looks like when it is fresh and the sun makes it sparkle.  I normally add a saying to my paintings, which are normally inspired by scripture or a song, but this time I left two blank so they could be personalized.  The fireplace painting and the Christmas tree painting now have personal messages.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

... and the fire is so delightful

Goodwill towards men

Joy

Peace & Joy

Peace

Winter Cabin

Mountains and Fireflies

Before my dear friend Jen moved to Utah she asked me to paint her a picture with mountains and fireflies, her two favorite things.  I had never painted a firefly picture before so I was excited about the challenge and wanted the picture to be extra special for her. 

Jen is so vibrant and fun that I decided to make the painting bright and colorful like her.  I normally age my paintings but this time I went for all the joy and wonder I could create.  Gosh, I'll miss this girl.

Late For Class

July is more than half way through and I still have some late June-early July posts yet to write.  I started this post before we moved in early July and have since lost the draft.  No surprise there.  I've lost multiple things in the past few weeks during our move. 

Some wonderful ladies came over for a mixed media painting class.  Their paintings turned out beautifully and we had such a great time laughing.

I am a messy free spirited painter and reminded them several times to PUT DOWN YOUR PAINTBRUSH (Gina).  I wanted them to feel their art... literally.  Paint washes off eventually.

Beautiful paintings ladies. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Painting Smalls - Mixed Media

We are in the middle of moving and can you guess what I am obsessed with?  All I want to do is paint 6x6 mixed media paintings.  This size of canvas is one of my favorite.  I can finish a simple painting in a day or two and since it is a "deep" canvas, the sides become part of the painting.

Maybe I am enjoying painting these so much because I packed up my sewing machine and already shipped it to our new home a few states away - or - maybe it is because I am avoiding the never ending cleaning that needs to be done to move from our rental house.  Either way, I am loving my time in my art studio. 

Believe The Best

Know In Your Heart

Breathe

How to manage time...

There are so many things I want to try to create.  Some are completely full of artistic freedom... I have a stack of canvases sitting beside my painting table just waiting for the ideas to be put into color.  I'm not running short of ideas.  I have a sermon journal/sketchbook full. I also have sewing orders that need to be completed as fast as my little arthritic fingers can move.



Can you hear them calling my name?

Then I look at blogs like this one and I am inspired at Lisa Leonard's http://www.lisaleonardonline.com/blog/diy/diy-dishtowels time management skills.  She has a successful jewelry business, looks adorable, and continues to create for her personal space.  Plus, she has a family who she talks about and the challenges that come with her story.  How does she do it?  I wonder if she feels totally frazzled in real life but pulls it all together for the blog.  I want to make some of these dishtowels for our new house...in my spare time.



these are so simple and cute
 

Poppy Cat Sews is doing well; however, I am struggling to figure out how to successfully juggle all the responsibilities.  Do I fill orders and let my house go to shambles (which drives me crazy)?  I love to design and sew but my heart also desires to paint.  And, how do I manage family and continue with the unbelievably high mothering standard to which they are accustomed (sarcasm)?  It's all a conundrum for me. 

A collection of crossbody bags.

I have one statement that is on my mind... pray without ceasing.  I may not have figured out how to manage my time in the way that I want or with the discipline that is needed but I am thrilled that I am overflowing with the gift of creativity.  I've held it at bay for 20 years and I know I am moving towards living the life God called me to live at this place in time... even if it is a bit chaotic, unbalanced, and messy (just like this blog post).