Vacation!!

Just a quick post to let you know I'm gone on vacation till July 6th.  I'm going camping in Kern River with my husband and baby boy, and we're meeting some of our family and friends up there (yay, babysitters!)  I'm really looking forward to much needed quiet and downtime.  I'm going to miss you guys though.  I might try to sneak a look at some of your blogs while I'm there, and maybe even post, but I'm not sure if I'll get a chance, or internet access.  If not, I'll have fun catching up with you when I get back.

Toodles (did I really just say that?),

Esther

Serene Wishes Painting

I hope you guys don't mind me sharing some older work, but I just rediscovered this piece, and I wanted to share it with you.  I want to do a bigger version of this one day (this is only 5x5), not exactly the same, but using similar techniques and colors. This one was an experiment from a few years back, and I love how it turned out.  The colors seem to give it a nice serene feel.  

I used a great flower stamp by Stampendous that reminds me of dandelions, and used copper embossing powder to give the stamped image a bit of a raised texture. I added a piece of soft aqua paper-tape that has holes in it , cheesecloth, twine, and a bit of copper wire (see above). 

Then I added white paint here and there and used a jar lid to stamp circles to draw more focus to the flower image.  To finish it, I painted a coat of beeswax over all of it to give it a nice soft glow.

Mixed Media Ocean Collage

I love the beach, the sand, the shells, the water, and the sound of the waves.  Whenever I'm having a tough time, if i go to the beach it all seems to melt away.  All my worries, hurt, anger, or whatever is troubling me, all seem to get washed away with the tide.  And the crisp clean air....ahhh....so cleansing and refreshing.

                            Here's a 8x8 mixed media piece about the beach and ocean that I just finished.

This piece started with inspiration from this paper from  Cavallini with star fish on it (pictured above), combined with these cool pewter shells I bought a while back(one is pictured below). 

I first glued down the papers, then spread crackle paste all along the outside and sides of the canvas.  When it dried, I did an antiquing glaze over everything to age it and bring out the beauty of the cracks.  Then I added bits of yarn, fibers, red spiky fake plants, etc.. to look like seaweed, coral, and whatever else might be found in or near the ocean.  I also added some shells that I collected long ago, along with tiny broken shell bits that I found at a craft store and a piece that reminds me of driftwood.  To finish it off I painted and doodled a wave pattern around the main image, and wrote a list of things you'd find at the beach all around the starfish image.

Bird Journal Collage

Here's a collage I did in my journal a while back.  There is a quote on a teabag tag that says "Live from your heart, you will be absolutely effective".

Soaring Collage

Here's a cute little 5x7 collage I made on canvas board for my son while I was pregnant with him.  I fell in love with this cute 3-D rocket sticker (I think it's by K&Company, let me know if you know for sure), and imagined him soaring around in it, leaving a trail of stardust behind him...

Doesn't it look like you could just hop on into the rocket, and go for a little ride?

Painting In Progress

Here's a painting that I started last night.  I told my husband that I had an idea that I needed to draw out "real quick" and I disappeared into my studio with my art journal.....20 minutes later he comes into my studio to see what I'm doing and sees me in the middle of painting this branch onto a 16x20 canvas .....umm.....what?

                                                                           

 I figured that if I was going to take the time to get out my paints anyway to do a sample of it in my journal, then why not just get it started straight onto a canvas and cut out the middleman?

So at first I grabbed a small 4"square canvas...nah.....

a bit bigger....

hmm....6x8?

The next thing I know, I decided on this large 16x20.  It already had book pages collaged onto half of it from years ago.  I once had another idea for this canvas, which involved glueing the pages to it,  but I never finished it, and can't even remember what my big idea was.  So the canvas gets a second chance...

the underpainting

I started with this soft rusty-peach wash, then loosely painted branches, then leaves.  This bottom picture is how it looked when I left it last night after working on it for about 30 minutes.  I liked the underpainting so much that I almost couldn't go over it, but I decided I could just do another painting like this later if I want.

 Today I couldn't wait to get back to it to get started adding the aqua over it.  I'm letting little bits of the warm underpainting and paper show through here and there.  I'm not sure exactly where it's headed, but I can't wait to find out.

You ARE an artist

Here's a painting that I started and finished in one day last week.  I was feeling very inspired and figured I would just start a piece, but once I got started, I couldn't stop.  I love when that happens!  I just went with it and let it flow through me, and didn't even acknowledge my inner critic.

I feel that this piece is for those of you out there who struggle with being able to call yourself an artist.  It took me a long time to be able to say it without feeling like a liar.  I would be able to say "I paint",  or I make art", but I couldn't call myself an artist.  It's funny that we can so easily recognize the ability in others, but can't see it clearly in ourselves.  

So here it is, say it with me OUT LOUD...I AM AN ARTIST!  Come on, you can do it!  Say it!  Or even better, you can call yourself an artiste!  Fancy.

You ARE an artist, and you know what?  It's not an accident that you like to create.  God gave you this gift, so trust Him, He doesn't make mistakes.  Trusting in Him and His abilities, means trusting in yourself, and your abilities.

Green Crown Collage With Proverbs 4:9

This collage was completed a while back

 and is the first in a series of mixed-media crown collages that I'm working on.

                                  

I used a wonderful Bible verse from Proverbs 4:9 

"Wisdom will set a garland of grace on your head, and present you with a crown of splendor".