I’m going on an adventure…

Never before have I taken on a challenge like this one. I’m not even sure what to expect along the way. Starting tomorrow, September 1st, I plan on creating an art journal page following a given prompt each day for the next thirty days. The prompts are from well-known art journal artist, Dawn DeVries Sokol’s Daily Drawing Challenge: 31 Art Journal Prompts from CreativeBug. I’ll share my pages here on my blog as well as on Instagram and cheering on others who are taking this challenge with me! See you tomorrow!

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My Coloring Book On TV

Earlier this year, I traveled to Cleveland to shoot a few segments for the upcoming brand new Make It Artsy TV show. In the video above, host Julie Fei-Fan Balzer and I explore the magic of light and shadow using watercolors on a page from my coloring book, “No Place Like Home”.

There’s more. Lots of cool projects from various artists like Dina Wakely, Seth Apter and more coming this September to PBS!

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Behind the Scenes: Collage Painting

There’s something absolutely magical about squeezing paints out, mixing them and slathering them on a surface. It helps clear your mind. Sets you free to be a kid again. It is soul balm. If only for a second you could drop your inhibitions, perfectionism and complexes, you could feel the joy that is painting!

I have been painting for as long as I can remember. With chalks, with pencils, with crayons. Then with poster paints, finger paints, acrylics, watercolors. Sometimes I sketch first and sometimes I paint first.

As a natural progression to that, I have started pairing my painting with my magpie tendencies. I collect lots of stuff that are radically insignificant to most people. And the only thing that keeps me from becoming a legendary hoarder are my collage paintings. Scraps of papers, fabric, laces and found objects happily find their ways into my paintings and art journals.

This summer, I worked on a whole collection of collage paintings that were inspired by my two daughters. Some of the simple things that they love to do became translated to the joyful movements the girls in my paintings made.

I set these paintings in simple scenes, painted each one of them in bright and cheerful colors. Like my two girls, these paintings make me and those who visit our home, smile!

The originals currently grace my daughters’ rooms. Maybe I’ll have some prints of these collage paintings in the Color Happy Shop too.

See you next week. Until then, make time to paint!

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Behind the Scenes: Inspired by Words

I think you’d agree that some words have really powerful impact on us. Whether you are an avid or an occasional reader, you chance upon written messages that you can never forget, words that can change how you think. Empower you. Inspire you. Remind you of what’s important.

When I’m reading, I jot down the words that I love, in a notebook. If I don’t have a notebook with me, I scribble them on small pieces of paper. At any time, you can find several such small scribbled notes in my purse or on my desk. I clip the notes to the pages and if time allows, I copy them in my notebook.

I read through the notebook pages and mentally short-list the ones that I want to brush-letter. It takes a little time to get into the flow of lettering. I have been practicing brush-lettering for a few months now and my style is still evolving. There are many guides to show you how to brush-letter. But I find that following those guides makes my writing look and feel like someone else’s and I like my handwriting to be as authentically mine as possible, mistakes and all.

So, I came up with a regimen of my own – brush-lettering one quote or saying till I am satisfied. I’m not aiming for perfect spacing or even sizing, but what feels like the best and most consistent visual representation that I can create of each word according to its significance. And sometimes, I add a bit of illustration to a piece.

I choose a few of the finished ones and frame them in my studio. The power of the words give me hope and perspective. They also help me improve my lettering techniques over time.

What are some of your favorite quotes? Please share in your comments!

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Happy National Coloring Book Day to You!

Did you know that there is a National Day dedicated to Coloring Books?

Yes! I was so excited to learn that TODAY is that day.
Of course, I had to celebrate… so, I’m coloring in my own printable coloring book, “No Place Like Home” as pictured above!

And I invite YOU to join in the fun!

I like to take my time with coloring. Here’s my page in progress…

Since these pages are printable, you can print them as many times as you like and color them as many ways as you like! You don’t even have to wait for the mail to arrive. I’ll email you the PDF right away, within 24 hours at the most, so you can get started fast. You can buy the book right here!

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