Mixed Media Painting: Solace

Hi there! Wow! I've been neglecting my poor blog so much these past couple of years! Instagram and Facebook seem to distract me so much that I forget about Blogland... but I really have been missing it here so I'm going to try again to get back to it. 

Anywho... let's get to it! Often when I'm stressed or not quite myself the sea will call to me. Back when I was single, after a bad day, there were times I'd hop in my car and drive to Huntington Beach (CA) and walk the pier or just sit in the sand barefoot and watch the waves. It always seemed to help me feel better. There's just something about it (or any body of water really). Sitting by it always seems to soothe me and make everything feel manageable. I can't just up and run to the beach anytime I want now because having a family changes that, but making art with a body of water on it helps almost as much! While working on this I could hear the waves crashing down below. I could almost smell and breathe in the fresh air and feel it's mist on my face.. ahh... there's nothing like it. Come sit by me and let's drink it all in. "Solace" 5" x 7" on watercolor paper. This little mixed media painting is from the beginning of summer and is sold.

Thanks for being here! Have a wonderful, creative weekend!

Three New Paintings!

Hi there!  I've been a busy little bee lately!  Recently I took part in a challenge to paint 30 paintings in 30 days.  This one above was the very first one that I painted for the challenge.  Not bad #1, not bad!  It's on a 8" x 10"x 1/2" canvas. I love Koi and waterlilies so I figured why not paint both!

This is the second one, "I AM here".  This one was much easier than the first one.  It seemed to flow out fairly easily and tell me exactly what it wanted.  I love when that happens!  It's also on 8" x 10" x 1/2" canvas.

close up of "I AM here"

"Island Of Dreams" was the third painting that I did.  Don't you want to take a boat out on that water and just float?  This one was done on 11" x 14" canvas board. 

 I like how the first three paintings all have water and seem to go together.  I think it was a great way to start off the challenge!  

Just for fun here's a photo of "Island Of Dreams" while it was still in progress.  This can almost be a finished painting itself!

So there's the first 3 out of 30!  I only have 27 more to show you!  ;-)  

They're all done now so if you can't wait you can see them all on my Facebook Art Page or Instagram 

Thanks for visiting!  See you soon!

Sail Away Collage

Come, let's sail away.

9x12 inch mixed media collage on watercolor paper that I did a couple of weeks ago.  I started by gluing down various papers as a background and painted over them so they wouldn't be too distracting, but would still add visual interest, texture, and depth.  Then I painted the water and the boat and drew the details with a water-soluable pencil.  Lastly I added the two bits of my hand-painted papers and voilà... a sweet lil' finished collage!

I've been painting and drawing boats more and more the past 7-8 months.  I think it has something to do with the freeing feeling of floating... and/or the thought sailing away to escape all the craziness that is life.  Or just the thought of peacefully floating in the middle of a still lake with just the sounds of nature and your own breath.  Or all of the above.  Yeah, that sounds about right.  Ahh...

For sale $55.  Leave a comment or email me at emakesart@gmail if interested

** Edit: SOLD!  Thank you!!