New Painting: Seek Adventure...be authentic

Creative Authenticity has been an overwhelming theme for me lately in my own work.  What does it mean to you to be creatively authentic?  I find sometimes it's really hard to feel genuine and true to myself, my style, my heart in my artworks when I am stretching and learning and growing.  I am so influenced by everything around me, everything I see, admire, get inspired by.  I often wonder what the line is between influence by inspiration and true organic creating?  If I use lots of ink and scrawled words am I being too Sabrina Ward?  If I use bubble wrap to create a layer in one of my backgrounds, is that just being Kelly Rae?  What about if I use type font stamps to create inspirational phrases, is that just Christine Masons thing?  I haven't figured this one out yet, so I am working very hard to create with as much of all the other influences and images as stripped away from my conscious as possible and do things that make me happy.

What didn't shock me in this process was to see a gravitation in my style away from the folk artsy look that I started with last year and a drastic movement into bright, bold, and kind of grungy.  These are the things that I really love and want to surround myself with in my own home, so it makes sense that this would come out of me.  So I am on a mission to understand more about being creatively authentic in my work.  This pic is of one of my latest mixed media paintings, and it is truly a piece from my heart.  This one was created with lots of layers, vintage papers, paint, inks, vintage lace pieces, stamping, and did you notice the use of my handmade artsy tape from my DIY?  It tells me to seek adventure in all things and not be settled with the normal routine for too long.  I love this idea.  If we arent pushing ourselves into new spaces, experiences, growing and moving, then we've lost opportunities for incredible discoveries and immense amounts of joy.  So take a risk today, seek adventure in whatever you are doing.  It doesnt have to be a gigantic step, adventure can be found in little details and small moments of magic.  I'd love to hear your thoughts about creative authenticity and how you are taking an adventure today.

XO, HARMONY

From My Art Journal: Playfulness and Acceptance

It's time to share a few more pages from my art journal.  The first two were my own, the second two are a collaboration between my 3 year old son and I.  I really love having him be a part of the creative play that I do each day.  He keeps me on my toes, and teaches me to let go of expectation and vision (which can often be stifling boundaries in the creative process.  Hope you enjoy them today!

 If there are any other art journalers out there, feel free to share any links to pages that you've posted lately.  I'd love to see them and learn a bit more about you.

There is still time to enter my sponsor giveaway this week! 8 incredible prizes for one winner! Click Here to Enter. 

XO, HARMONY

How To Make Art Journal Pages With Your Fingers VIDEO

Its only 11:30am and already I am covered in paint.  What an amazing way to start the day! (and a tricky issue when baby boy wakes up and wants a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast.  "Sure honey, would you like that with or without acrylic paint?"  I am finally starting to break out the Art Journal making supplies, and trying to psych myself up for all this craft show prep that needs to happen in 6 weeks time.  I've been wanting to make a few smaller journals that features hand painted pages ready to inspire their new owner, so I decided to start there today.

I have also been hearing from a lot of you that art journaling is something that you've always wanted to do, but just havn't jumped in that ocean of creativity yet.  So I thought I'd show you how I made 12 double sided creatively prepped pages in just 20 minutes.  I only used a few materials, pastels, pencil, white paint, and ink mostly with tools of roller stamps, and my finger (no brush needed!).

It was incredibly fun and fast, and I hope it encourages you that any one can do this with very little tools and very little art technique. 

Here's the video of me creating the pages! Enjoy the colorful messy fun!

Just wait, and I'll reveal the final completed art journal tomorrow!

XO, HARMONY

Try It! A New Perspective in an Instant

The mommy-son team has been at it again.  Last night, right before bath time for my 3 year old, he asks me if we can color together.  Who am I to deny a creative inspiration moment for a silly thing like a bedtime routine?  So we pulled out a large piece of illustration board and my tray of soft pastels and had a glorious time!  Such a mess, such fun, I love those moments with him and am really aware that I have only 3 more months of just he and I before we add another set of tiny hands to our world.  When we finished and headed towards the tub, we had really started something interesting (it went way beyond pastel sticks at this point).  I had recently heard a tip for visualizing a piece differently by cropping into different areas and getting a new ideas from those details for a direction for the entire piece.  Since I had no real thought or idea for this work, I thought I would try it. 

I am officially in love with this technique for seeing things differently.  I totally know where I want to go with this painting now.  Try this sometime.  Take something that you are working on and need inspiration for, photograph it, and then crop into different areas and blow the images up! Instant New Perspective!

FYI: Just a reminder that there are only 2 more days to enter my giveaway for 3 hand stitched hoops, and I'd love to get more people a chance to take these little cuties home.  Click on the button in the top right corner to enter.

XO, HARMONY