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!

Auburn Message Boards

There is a battle going on in Alabama and you are expected to pick on side or the other.  Are you Roll Tide or War Eagle?  The battle is revving up as football season is getting ready to begin.  I was asked to to paint an Auburn message board.  Not to worry, there are some University of Alabama paintings right around the corner.

 So, the big question here is do I greet people with a Roll Tide or a War Eagle hello?   I'm neutral.  GASP!!!  See, I went to college at University of Louisville, not that other school in Kentucky that some people know about.  Even worse, I am a basketball fan living in football country so during basketball season you will find me wearing the Louisville Cardinals  Red Shirt.  During football season, you will find me enjoying all the food at the game parties.

Creativity Comes In Many Forms

People would say that my kids are creative.  I mean, how could they not be?  I have made a point of painting, sculpting, and drawing with them since they were tiny.  They had birthday and Christmas themed around art supplies. Even though they have been exposed to all types of art one that I am most proud of is their interest and love of music.

Even though they have been exposed to all types of art one that I am most proud of is their interest and love of music.  I played the piano growing up but my abilities never came close to my teenager's love of the piano.  She's your typical teenage girl who blares her music from her room; however, it is often piano music that she is blaring. 

 My sweet youngest, who can be so quiet around others, is always using her voice.  When she is home she sings, raps, and just makes noise.  Her voice is strong and beautiful and perfect for choir. (She's the tall girl in the middle back row) It brings my heart joy to listen to them both enjoy art and creativity.

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.

My Initial Welcome Sign

I collect scraps of wood.  Nothing makes my heart beat faster than driving by a new build in the neighborhood and seeing a dumpster filled with wood scraps.  I'm a lucky girl because my hubby has not problem diving in and grabbing me the wood scraps I need want.  This scrappy gem has been sitting in the corner of the garage waiting to be made into a welcome sign for our front door.

I painted the background during a craft night I hosted with my friends (see previous post) and set it aside until I had time to add my personal touch.  Thanks to National Take Your Child To Work Day, also known as Free Labor Day in my house, I had extra time to work on my welcome sign. (There will be a post about that wonderful day coming soon)  After Greta got bored painting backgrounds for me, I asked her to pick out a collection of papers that I could use for my sign.  She did a great job, I love the colors!  It was all quick and easy...  I cut out petals for the flowers and printed positive words for the sign, distressed everything and glued it all into place.  I then did  a little shading, applied a  good coat of outdoor sealer and I glued on my initial, Like magic, I have the happiest welcome sign to place at my front door.

Initial Boards and Craft Night with friends

I realized something the other night as I was hosting a craft night with some of my friends, there are a lot of last names that start with "B".  Earlier in the day some of us were at a little antique/consignment store and we saw a simple board with an initial glued to it.  I was so cute that we decided to have a craft night and make our own version.

We collected supplies, most of them we already had at our houses.  One friend had an old board that she cut into pieces (I love a girl that uses power tools).  If you don't have scraps of wood they are easy to get from the hardware store.  I like to have my husband dumpster dive where there are new houses being built.  It's like Christmas for me but free and I am recycling. I pulled out my collection of house paint samples and odds and ends burlap pieces. The colors were mismatched but we made them work.  I recommend that you only use house paint if there is a possibility of these going outside.  Regular craft paint does not hold up well in humidity or you can buy a sealer that is specially made for outside projects.  The only thing that really cost anything was the initials and they were a few dollars from the craft store.

They turned out to be adorable!  The plan is that sometime in the future, we will drill holes and run jute or burlap ribbon through the top so they can be hung.  Maybe that will happen, probably not. 

 

It was a great night with an easy and inexpensive project and lots of laughter.  I can't wait to see what we come up with next.

If you wondered, I have started the background on one but my scrap board is a piece that I have been saving.  It is a couple feet long and I plan to paint a mixed media painting on it and prop it against the brick wall at my front door.  I'll post a picture of it when I am finished.

Message Boards and quotes

My memory is awful.  There, I said it.  I don't remember faces, names, movies, actors, songs, and I frequently read books twice before I realize I've read it before.  A poor memory does not go well with someone who loves quotes.  Inspirational quotes and Bible verses often help me stay focused and not become the guest of honor at my pity party.  I write them down on scraps of paper and in notebooks, which I have scattered all over.  The downfall to this is that the quote or verse that I want to focus on isn't in plain sight.  So, I decided to try my hand at making a message board that is fun and beautiful so it can do double duty as a piece of art.

These have a lot of layers and texture.  You can reach out and touch them.  The cords/ribbons/strings are removable.  I have one that I think I will hang up as a picture for a while and then transform it back into a message board.

With or without a quote or picture, this is fun.

Count The Happies!  I will be using this sentiment on other paintings.  Just reading it makes me happy.

How often does the daily chores take over life?  Sometimes I forget to do just what this message board says - Take Time To Relax & Enjoy Life.