Watercolor

Setting up My December Journal: Video

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Today I am easing my way into the holidays.

The Christmas spirit is just settling into my heart and I thought it would be the perfect time to set up my art journal for December. The idea here is for me to have a creative space to come to and create and relax in during the month of December.

I am using my kit and plan to keep everything in the box so I can carry it around with me and make art in little snippets of time.

It’s not just going to be just for art either. I might make lists of some of my favorite things, books I have read, movies I have watched. The idea is for this to be a creative space for me to rest and recharge in during the holiday season.

I also made a list for you of ideas and prompts for what you may like to do in your own journal. You can download it by clicking on the image below.

I hope you are having a wonderful start to your week. Much love!

 

 

Until next time…

 

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

My First Ever Art Journal Kit! Unboxing Video

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I am so excited to share with you my first ever art journaling kit! I have wanted to curate my own art kit for years and I am so excited to have one for this holiday season.

This kit has everything you need to take part in December Daily, memory keep those holiday plans, decorate your planner-you name it. You can check out the video below for all that’s included. I only have a few of these kits available but you can buy them on my shop here.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

VIDEO: Collage Mixed Media Play

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Happy Monday!

Today I am sharing a process video with you. I wasn’t feeling well last week and didn’t make it to the studio. Today I was still tired and trying to find my groove in my warm-up journal.

I spent time last week watching some really fun mixed media artists using collage to make paper dolls and applying alcohol to watercolors for some really neat effects so I decided to give both of these techniques a try. I really love the idea of collage paper dolls and will be on the look out for some images that might work well for this.

I started out applying gesso and then sticking the pages together to get some texture. I used my heat gun to dry them and then applied some watercolor. It’s a gorgeous color from a set I received in a past Art Snacks kit and it really had me thinking all things ocean.

I sprinkled some rubbing alcohol with a paint brush and it really does make a fun effect. I never can stop myself when I am having fun with a new technique so I might have gone a bit too far but I love how it turned out.

I really wanted to use some images I found of a girl in the water but felt they were too small. That’s when I decided to add the original image I had planned and then have some fun with the paper doll type technique. I added some paint pens, more gesso over top a really sweet dog that gets a bit lost in the background-but I just loved him! I finished off with some circles I punched out.

I don’t think the page is done quite yet. I want to add some doodles and a few more layers and I’ll be sure to bring you along when I do. For now, this page is filed under my unfinished art journal pages until my next play session.

How about you? Have you had a chance to play in your art journal? Do you have some unfinished pages awaiting a few more layers? Let me know in the comments below. And you decide to play along with my video below please let me know and share a link to your blog so I can see what you have created!

Until next time!

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

 

Music by You ME and the Piano – Merry-Go-Round – https://thmatc.co/?l=4B20EFD1

Music by Little Boots – Silver Balloons – https://thmatc.co/?l=54B37541

Video: Playing with Watercolors-Create with Me!

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You can watch the video by scrolling to the bottom of the blog post.

Today I wanted to play with my watercolors.

I thought it would be fun to create some images on smaller sheets of paper but really just play with the supplies and see what came about.

Over the weekend I was sketching outside by my marigolds. I was inspired by Anne Butera’s sketchbook class where she showed a snippet of her creating in her garden. The whole family was outside playing over the weekend so I set up a picnic style blanket and plopped on the ground beside my marigolds (dogs clamoring for snuggles).

Initially I started out swatching colors while thinking about the marigolds. Then I tried to create some similar to how I had done in my sketchbook. I learned quickly that my tendency to overwork things lead to more of a circle rather than a flower shape.

Still, I had fun. I was a little bummed that the marigolds lost their shape so I popped over to my favorite color while thinking for flowers. Not any flower in particular I just held the idea in my head and moved my brush around to see what happened.

I used this same technique for some lavender and purple shapes as well.

Lastly I decided to swatch some fall colors and then I made some marks while thinking about leaves-and stopping myself before I could overwork them too much!

Then it seemed fitting to try a pile of fallen leaves. It wasn’t looking like what I imagined but when I let go and just started playing again the colors started to blend and I was very happy with my abstract pile of fallen leaves.

And the tree they fell off of.

I hope you will give your favorite media a try. Perhaps without trying to create anything you just let your media and movements dance and see what they create.

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante

The Week in Flowers: First Week of September

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It has been a rainy week here in the North East. I am not at all complaining as the garden needed a good watering. I haven’t spent much time in my garden really and never got the second round of flowers planted at the end of August like I wanted. Still, the flowers are forever giving and I have some asters and zinnias that are still filling the space with color.

Since there wasn’t much to photograph I thought I would try for something a bit different this week and share some painted flowers.

I am working on painting watercolor flowers at the moment. I really want to combine watercolor images with words, quotes and the like and I thought it was a good idea to start practicing.

So, as I love to do, I found a little course on painting watercolors over on Skillshare. (Not at all sponsored but I am sharing an affiliate link that, if you use and make a qualifying purchase I can earn a free month of Skillshare-so that’s fun!)

I’m still working on the roses. Couldn’t quite get the technique down but I’m going to keep trying!

If you are interested in the exact class I am taking you can find that here. The teacher is really clear and it’s a quick and fun class that will have you painting some watercolor flowers in no time. I also love that she shares inexpensive materials as well. While it’s nice to have the fancy stuff I hate to see someone not painting because they can’t afford the goodies. In fact the images I am sharing with you were painted with an $8 set I found on Amazon-and that I really love!

So I hope you enjoyed this little spin on The Week in Flowers. I am not sure where this will go as the weather gets colder but I refuse to end Summer until it is official and then, I will squeal with delight as I welcome in Fall!

Until next time…

-Michele, aka The Dreaming Dilettante