2010 review

I did this kind of a photo-review last year and liked seeing everything in one place so much that I decided to do it again. I think that it might be interesting for some of the new readers of my blog, and maybe not so much for ones that followed me through the year. I hope you have fast web connection and a cup of something warm beside you. 

January

January was so long ago... I remember how I sketched the little girl and bird while on my day job, daydreaming about my studio. I painted my first journal page ever with oils, played with our friends' dogs and dug the world's smallest radishes. I also held my breath and posted my first video on YouTube. It seemed like such a big deal at the time.

February

I enjoyed Sharon's workshop, continued painting angels, and encouraged by comments added more videos to YouTube. This one is my shortest (1:25) and I think my most favorite.

March

In March I played with rosin paper, used crackle, planted a vegetable garden, and was interviewed by Magickal Meliss (here).

April

Celebrated Easter, painted very unblended portraits, explored crackle paint and wrote about different cackle products here.

May

I picked up the biggest rose ever, purchased pan pastels, painted purple hydrangeas somewhere (I don't know in which journal and I can't find them). 

June
 June was super cool. Baby boy graduated from college and made us all very proud, the weather was beautiful so I sketched outside, I went crazy with all the beautiful Pan Pastel colors so I created a ton of same faces just so I can enjoy blending and combining the colors.

July
 In July I painted with light from my camera, rocked my Vibram shoes, jogged 20 minutes without stopping for the first time in my life. I was unbelievably proud of myself!

August
I failed at trying to capture Hana and her red hair (not red anymore - she's black-haired now), had a little talk with a bird, enjoyed my camera. I also visited Grand Canyon for the first time, almost lost my head from all the beauty and didn't post one photo... I couldn't pick the right one from hundreds I took.

September
This was a difficult month. Not one of my faces was happy. I was mentally and physically exhausted. I stopped working at my day job and the day after painted my lion lady, trying to give myself some strength.

October
I stopped drinking coffee and mourned it (so I started again in December), painted a lot, made the best ice-cream with only two ingredients, created journals with a secret, re-opened my etsy shop.

 

November
In November I made many, many little ACEO/ATC cards. I had so much fun with them! I also made digital ATC collage kits and heard very nice things about them from people that bought them. I loved seeing all the creative ways my images were incorporated in someone else's work.

December
I think I cooked much more than I painted in December... I also launched my first online workshop. I should have probably waited for January, as almost everyone is too busy in December, but since it's an ongoing workshop, with all the videos readily available online I thought that any time would be fine.

Did you make it through? This was my longest post ever, longer even than last year.
I liked this year. It was mostly kind to us, and I can't wish more for the next one. With that said, I wish you a happy, healthful, prosperous and creative 2011!
xoxo

Brown-red-orange again

Same colors as in the previous post, but this time all three (+ white). I think I am done with the limited palette for now. Expect to see all colors of the rainbow + texture + collage very soon.

I am preparing the world's longest blog post ever. Either prepare a cup of coffee/tea for tomorrow or just skip it... it will be extra very long. xo

Brown-red-orange

Because I enjoyed the blue-brown portrait a lot and because my painting time is very limited these days and because painting with just two colors doesn't require too much brain power, I decided to try again.

This one is Van Dyke Brown Hue + Pyrrole Red (+Titanium White).

And this one the same brown + C.P. Cadmium Orange (+white)

I painted them both in my moleskine journal. Wish I had a layer of gesso, the paint would look more creamy, but I didn't have the patience to wait for gesso to dry.

Interesting how the left one seems cold compared to the right one...

I think that this is a fun way to explore color, so I'll probably continue.

Which one do you like more - red or orange?

Feeling like a kid...

My daughter had a confident smile on her face while she was giving me her present. She said that it is something that kids would like, and that she is sure that I will like it too. 150 crayola crayons!!! In a fun three-tier container! With metallic and glitter crayons too! I couldn't be happier! She knows her mom well. 

The boy was smiling too.... he said he thought that I would enjoy the picture of Ricky Martin (maybe the book also) and he knows that I completely adore Zelda and her wisdom. He knows me well too.

And, yes... it's not about the gifts. I need nothing more than to look at their smiling faces and they know it. Still, it's fun to get presents and right now I don't know whether to read or color first (actually - I did both already). 

A really good morning

 This is how we started the day - with freshly baked, crusty bread.

Do you know about the no knead bread? Have you tried it?

I followed this recipe and it was really easy....

Merry Christmas! I hope you're having a happy day.

Merry Christmas!

Instead of working down the list of things I should be today, I'm playing with my camera. No matter what I tried I was not able to capture how nicely the lights are twinkling and how happy and pretty the fake tree looks. I'm going to let the camera rest, computer to sleep and I'm off to my kitchen duty.

I hope your day is beautiful. Merry Christmas!

xo

No inspiration

You really don't need to be inspired to paint. I know that it sounds weird.... but it's true. I didn't get a chance to paint over the weekend until last night. And then I was in my studio itching to make something, but I didn't have energy for the usual mishmash of mixed media and I didn't know what to paint. So I just sat there with my moleskin, crayons, gesso and ink and layered color after color after color for the background. So relaxing! At the end I just sketched a face and decided to write what I was feeling. I left the room without finishing a masterpiece (like that will ever happen), but very happy and with a clear mind. Ms. inspiration will hopefully visit some other time :-)

Not afraid

When you purchase bed sheets do you throw away the piece(s) of cardboard that were in the packaging?

I didn't think so. Neither could I. I had to paint on them...
I mean, how could I resist to let such lovely already-there texture slip out. 

I need white ink... I wish I used white instead of red. I actually had white ink, but haven't used it in a while and was surprised when I opened the bottle - completely dried out! I didn't know this can happen... Maybe I didn't close the bottle well. Did it ever happen to you?

 Happy Friday!

Workshop update

I wanted to say a big thank you to everyone that signed up for my workshop. Thank you for the support, for trusting that I have something interesting to teach and for the sweet comments and emails you have been sending me about the videos. You are all very 'gutsy', like this owl.

I just finished uploading 13 more videos.
Now all the projects are up and running and available for you to watch them whenever you like (or can).

 The final project (13 videos) shows one of the ways how I create a very textured, colorful and whimsical painting. If you ever wondered - there it is, step by step... I recorded every minute and presented it in real time. 

I received several emails asking if I will offer this workshop again in January when most of us will have more time. There is no reason for it. It is offered at all times.... 24h a day.... there is no start date, actually - you can start any time. All the videos are up and I am here to answer any questions or give additional instructions as you work at your own pace, in your own time. More information HERE.

Thank you, once again.

I think that now I can go and trim the tree... it's about time :-)