Full Swing!﻿

Full Swing!

1/8/2016

Hi, Beautiful People!
I hope you had an amazing holiday season.

I had a very relaxing break. In fact, it's been a little hard to get back into the swing of things after 2 weeks off! I spent my time with my family, playing board games and video games, working on a puzzle with my daughter, playing The Sims 4 Get Together...and just generally being lazy. It was great!

Oh, we also saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens! (I've revealed my geek-ness!)

And, I made a little art :)

Sunny Day by Jessica Sanders

Now, everyone is gearing up for the new year. Planning is in full bloom! Starting the new year off with intention is very important to me. It may be better to plan in October/November for the next year, but I always find myself doing it in January! I'm not sure that it's procrastination..I think it's more that I am caught up in the busy-ness of fall, so planning has to wait.

I want to share a few things I'm working on in art + life :)

This year, I am involved in two groups --
Creative Sandbox &

Lifebook 2016

I'm also working toward teaching local art classes, which is a continuation from 2015. And, I'm exploring YouTube as a means of sharing my love of art, experimenting, and teaching.

There are a lot of moving parts, and I'm not sure how it will all fit together, yet! One thing I'm sure of, it is going to be a great year!

So, read on to get a peek into the life of an artist :)

Please note, some links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I’ll earn a commission if you click through and buy.

Creative Sandbox

I know you've heard me talk about it many times now, but the Creative Sandbox, led by Melissa Dinwiddie, is an integral part of my planning this year. You will definitely hear more about it, if you follow me. It has been such a God-send in my life. Melissa and the group have really helped me put my dreams into action. I am so grateful! I really wanted to give back, so I'm excited to be creating quarterly classes for our group! For now, they are only available in the Creative Sandbox.

Lifebook 2016

“Life Book, a celebration and honouring of YOU”
is a year-long mixed media art class
organised by Tamara Laporte from Willowing Arts.

I am over the moon excited to be diving into a WHOLE YEAR of art classes from Tam, and 23 other amazing artists, incluing 2 of my favorites, Donna Downey and Tracy Verdugo! Tam doesn't hold back! Even the first week was jam packed with beautiful, soulful, inspiring content + teaching. I already feel it is such a loving and nurturing space for creating.

Grumbacher/Michael's Arts & Crafts

I am also still working toward teaching at Michael's Arts & Crafts. I've been certified by Grumbacher, so the next step is working for Michael's as a Fine Art Instructor...can you believe that?! I may be a Fine Art Instructor....I've never thought of myself that way!! It's a process to get started, but it look promising :)

Color Me Creative Art

Last, but definitely not least, my own art biz. Of course, everything I've talked about is part of that, but there's more...

I'm gearing up to create (almost) weekly vidoes, to compliment my blog -- I haven't exactly figured out the format yet! My plan is to let the show develop organically, over time. I want to keep sharing art tips, techniques & play with lots of types of media :)

I would love, love, love to know what you want to see or learn! I work in acrylics and inks, and I'm experimenting with drawing and watercolor. I am continually exploring new ideas. I'm definitely going to need your input..but I'll save that for another day...I just want to get you thinking about what you would like to see :)

Ok, now, on to the really fun stuff!

Inky Goodness Mardi Gras Mask - New Videos

I've been toying with an idea for a while, that Ranger Alcohol Inks might work great on smooth plastic. I have some really fabulous plastic forms (I'm not telling you what they are yet!) that I think would be super cool to work on, but they are too big to test. I was in the hobby store last week, and I came across these lovely masquerade masks! Perfect for testing my theory that the Ranger Alcohol Inks would work on smooth plastic.

Naturally, I decided to record the process. I did not test before recording, so you are seeing the 1st practice run. I saved 2 versions for you.

Enjoy!

Alcohol Ink Mardi Gras Mask - Extended Version - 01.07.2015 (34 minutes)