New Orignal Art and Happy Friday

Happy Friday! I am always happy to greet Friday morning, aren't you? It may be cold, dreary, and rainy outside - BUT, it is Friday - so it is alllllll good. :) Rain is perfect for a cozy, relaxing day inside anyways. That is exactly what me and my little guy are doing today. Yesterday we celebrated my daughter's 8th (what!?) birthday, but came home from our dinner out to my son getting sick. Boo! So my daughter ended her celebration in tears because she was worried about her brother (super sweet). He is feeling MUCH better now thank goodness, but the slow morning has finally allowed me to get some computer work done - MY word! 

Before I get to the new paintings, I wanted to show you my daughter's decorated birthday seat. This is one of our family traditions. Each year for the kid's birthdays I decorate their seat for their birthday morning. The excitement they get from running downstairs to see their special space warms my heart and make is SO worth it! This year I decided on hearts (let's be honest - because it was easy!) and had fun laying out a bunch of pictures (old and new) too. I had to hold back Mama tears seeing my baby girl...as a baby! I know we say it all the time but, it all goes WAY too fast. Sigh...

On with the art... I finally listed this angel I painted with textured wings. I just LOVE using modeling paste on angel wings. It has sparkle too!! Gotta love the sparkle. :)

I wrote about this beautiful color combo back here and now she is in the shop. I am slightly obsessed about this color combo. Throw in some aqua and I am weak in the knees. ;) I am loving her trendy feather too.

AND, a bright - oh so happy - abstract 6x6 that I created on cradled wood. Ready to hang cradled wood = my absolute FAVORITE - hands down. Big, gushy love.

It's funny. I love painting whimsical girls, sweet girls for room decor, inspirational girls with positive messages... but, I would be more likely to hang abstract art in my own home. Well...or flowers maybe. But, not really girls. Funny how that works. Look at this fun circular wood panel (about 7 inches across) that is heading into the shop. Isn't the shape fun!? This wood panel is too thin to attach a sawtooth hanger, so I am selling it as is. BUT, it looks wonderful in a stand. So it is perfect for a shelf or top of a dresser. I am definitely going to try and find more of these wood circles!

That's it for now. But I feel a creative burst coming on so I am hoping my creative mojo explodes. :) I hope you are having a wonderful week full of joy, smiles, and artsy goodness. Are you planning any projects this weekend? We are planning a Dr. Seuss themed birthday party for the following weekend, so I will probably be somewhere between Whoville and the land of Truffula Trees. :)

Come share your creative happiness with us at Studio JRU's Sneak Peek Friday!

Recycled Trash Canvas

 I guess that is kinda a funny title...but, I am going to go with it. Last week I was opening a package, getting ready to toss the cardboard into our recycle bin, when I caught myself. One of the pieces would make a perfect little recycled canvas. (It is amazing how much "stuff" companies use to package their things...especially children's toys. Yikes! It can take hours to free a Barbie.)

I find that "trash" is freeing to paint on. Lol. It is not a canvas I bought, so playing with what I create on it comes much more naturally. :)

I am finding myself really drawn to aqua (of course, not a shocker there), oranges, yellows, and pinks together. It is such a pretty color combo. So, I decided that I would work with that color palette and whimsy little abstract flowers.

I used acrylic paint, pen, and my fingers. I am not sure if I am finished yet. Sometimes I struggle with knowing when to stop. Does that happen to you? 

For now it is hanging on my studio wall, which is much better than the recycle bin. Yes!

Do you have any recycling projects in the works lately?

DO tell! :)

Find some wonderful inspiration right here and here!

Wild and Reckless Inspiration

 I had the best day yesterday. My Hubby surprised me with a new beach cruiser and we decided to take it to the beach for a bike ride. We went to a very familiar place - where we grew up. It was so fun to ride along the path that I had ridden hundreds of times before with my girlfriends. So many memories flooded my mind. It reminded me to cherish each day. To slooooooowww down sometimes and just relish in the moments that don't seem so huge. Do you ever feel like that too? We finished our ride just as it started to rain. So I got to stand in the rain and watch my hubby surf. I loved it! But, then headed to the car. :)

Waiting for the rain to stop.

So today when I started (yeah, I meant to already have this finished...dang!) the weekly color challenge for Summer of Color 2 today, I was feeling full of inspiration! I loooooved the color combination this week. Look at these colors! OH....and the name - makes me laugh! My personality is so far from Wild and Reckless. But, I think I have a little "wild" in there somewhere. :) Don't we all??

source

After collecting all my goods...

I started an abstract in my 9x12 visual journal. I already use a lot of blue. Shades of aqua and turquoise are my "comfort" colors. Adding purple and bright green makes the colors really pop off the page. I already had the perfect colors of Liquitex Acrylic Basics - Bright Aqua Green (opaque), Brilliant Yellow Green (translucent), and Prism Violet (translucent). I added the words "Cherish the day" using words printed off from my computer. (Little tip: When I want to use printed text, I always brainstorm a bunch of things and type up a whole page. Then I have a file folder near my desk with loads of words, phrases, and quotes ready to go.)

 After finishing my page, I was still feeling the color combo mojo and decided to make a small wooden painting. Wood is my favorite substrate to paint on (although chipboard and cardboard are fighting to take the lead) so I love to use these little plaques from the craft store. All you have to do is attach a small sawtooth hanger on the back and it is ready to hang. :)

Finally, (Geesh! I told you I loved these colors.) I painted a quick portrait in my smaller visual journal. The title is Capture the Joy. Just a tiny reminder to myself to not let others steal my joy. Things will happen day to day...but, ultimately we determine how we let these things penetrate our hearts and attitude. Find the bits of joy each day (some days are harder than others!) and grab them. Hold on tight and cherish them! :)

Which bits of joy are you grasping for today???

I am linking up to Paint Party Friday, Studio JRU, and of course SOC 2!

Come visit the wild, reckless creativity!
Oh, and if you haven't read my interview at Tell All Tuesday - Please come read here! :)

Shoe Box Canvases

You Can Fly on shoe box lid

 Back to School inevitably means new shoes in our house. As I was taking some of the empty boxes down to the recycle bin...I stopped and thought, wait a second...these lids could pass as canvases. I love transforming normally useless things into something meaningful. Not to mention that I love making something fabulous for hardly any cost (which means besides loving art blogs...I obsess over home, craft, & DIY blogs. This is exactly why laundry does not get done while my little Love naps!). I have a project list that runs down the block & new art for the walls is top priority. 

So I thought, why don't I just cover these with gesso and give it a try. 

I am glad I did. I painted a cute little bird canvas for my daughter's room (we are slowly decorating with a bird theme) and started another. The second "canvas" is the beginnings of something abstract. We'll see how it turns out. :)

WIP Abstract box top

 So for pennies, you can create a little something to brighten up your walls and make recycling artsy. They would be great canvases for kids to create on too. My daughter is always asking to paint on my stash of canvases. I could prep a bunch of these and have them ready for her. 

AND... what a great reason to get some new shoes. Maybe I'll try that one on my hubby. :) Do you think he will go for it? 

"No, really Babe. I needed these shoes...look at that box!" 

Hmmmm.... :)

Happy, Happy Monday!