some days need serious color!

Some days, your leaves (or your life) needs some serious color! I have had a few of those days for sure, as I am sure many do. Color is so powerful. One color alone, or specific color combination, can create mood or stir emotion, recall a memory, it can even change your heart rate. Truly amazing!

Some days I feel like I need ALL the colors! As many as possible. I love them all. I want them all. xo

Vintage Book Page, Pen & Ink, Prismacolor Colored Pencils (approx 4.75"x7.25")

the Lord is my rock!

The Lord is my Rock....and Thank God that He is!! Everyday my relationship with the Lord grows and in that, I grow as well. As a mother, a friend, an artist, a person. I have learned patience, forgiveness, compassion, faith and so, so much more. I am Blessed.

"The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge..." Psalms18:2

Vintage Bible Page, Pen & Ink, Prismacolor Colored Pencils (approx 5"x7.5")

I have been creating artwork on vintage book pages for a very long time now and have recently been adding to the collection, almost daily. I have always been in love with old or vintage books and papers and years ago when I came upon a few vintage books that were falling apart with missing pages, I knew I was going to bring them back to life using my artwork. Using vintage book pages is nothing new in the art world these days, but you will often find them used with something printed on top of them, versus an original piece of artwork. I didn't want to do that. I wanted to create something that was unique, original, beautiful, accessible, and affordable. On the creating end, I could take a limited amount of supplies with me (like I often do with ACEO's) so I could work on them almost anywhere. Working on the Bible pages have especially been rewarding for me lately, allowing me to spend even more time in the Word. It's a win-win!
Blessings to you!

for the love of ink

No matter how often I engulf myself in paints, brushes, fabrics, papers, or a universe of color and textures....I always find my way back to pen and ink. Black and white. Simple. Clean. Precise. Detailed. Meditative.

I have always doodled or used patterns in my inky art and although I still combine pen and ink with paints, colored pencils and ephemera, I will always love the beauty and  high-contrast of black and white using pen and ink. These are some of the pen and inks from my Moleskine from recent. Forgive the poor photo quality.
May your days be filled with Blessings! and of course, ART!

barn owl beauty

  'Barn Owl Beauty' Acrylic 20"x20"

Exploring I have been. And I do love where this is taking me. Oh, the colors! It's amazing how a color can change the way you feel. Can set a mood. Love it!

This little guy makes me happy. Something about his face. His surroundings. The colors. I loved the process of building it all. I put the brush down, once again, and used my fingers mostly and all kinds of objects. It's not a new process for me, using lids from bottles or jars, bubble wrap, crumbled papers, tubes, old gift cards...anything I could find that would add dimension, depth, design. It is such a freeing process and I am especially enjoying this continued exploration. I am especially enjoying painting objects and characters of nature lately. I always have, really, but especially now. So peaceful. There is so much beauty to be found in nature. Can't wait to see what I find next.....

elephant painting

I was just reading through my posts and realized soooo much has occurred since I last posted here. Too much, really, to be able to catch everyone up completely. How about a quick overview...we moved (always so much work!), school started for the kids, participated in a little art show that I almost sold out of everything I brought (it was exhilarating!), sold every single wearable art handbag I talked about over the past several posts (They were a big hit! Getting ready to paint and sew up some more!), I started a fantastic job with Wine and Canvas where I get to teach groups of people to paint while we sip wine, eat, sing and just have the best of time (I love it!), and among other things, I found time to paint and create!!

  'Elephant Majesty' Acrylic 20"x20"

I really loved working on this elephant. Well, I always love working on whatever I am working on at any given moment. It's like falling in love...over and over and over again. The mystery of the blank canvas. The excitement of the blank canvas. The first touch of paint to the surface. The textures. The colors. Explorations. Transformations. The growth. The comfort. The building of layers until something amazing transforms. It becomes you. How can I not want to experience that all the time, right?

This year I am trying to work differently than I have in the past. Working on getting out of my comfort zone. Loosen up. Paint from deep inside. I also want to take my work away from my studio. Go to the park. To the Slough. Change my surroundings. I know these things will take me places I don't even realize yet. For my elephant painting, I put the paint brush down through most of it and my hands became my main instrument. I loosened up and just 'experienced' the painting at a different level than I have been used to. Get that type A personality out of the room and experience the process, the birth of the elephant, the colors, the layers. I didn't want to lose my style, my techniques. But I wanted to experience something new. I have had a lot of positive feedback and inquiries, so I guess I am heading in the right direction. It's exciting.

I have several more to post and I promise..I really, really promise....to post those over the next few days.
See you then....

wearable art shoulder bags galore!

Bags, bags and more bags. Here are some more!

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'Spotted Floral' OOAK Handpainted & Embellished Artsy Shoulder Bag

SOLD

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'Vintage Floral' OOAK Embellished Artsy Shoulder Bag

SOLD

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'Sea Treasure' OOAK Handpainted & Embellished Artsy Shoulder Bag

SOLD

paper art earrings

I love wearable art!!
In all its forms, in all its styles, created by artists from around the world. A little piece of artistic expression that you can wear or carry to embellish an ensemble or a mood or event. Special and unique, often one-of-a-kind and hopefully treasured. Sometimes these little treasures are affordable! And that's my goal...

'Blue & Green Dangle Paper Art Earrings' - OOAK Handpainted Watercolor & Pen/Ink

Click here to purchase

Other Dangle Paper Art Earrings - OOAK Handpainted Watercolor & Pen/Ink

Click here to purchase

These earrings I started quite some time ago and for one reason or another, just never got around to completing them. I finished quite a few and these are just some of them. There are many more in my Etsy shop now. I wish I had taken photos of the process though. They start out as a watercolor. Nothing specific. Just a collection of beautiful merging colors and shapes. Then I add layers of vintage book pages onto the backs of the watercolor paper.

Add caption

For all of these earrings, I used pages from a beautiful vintage bible that I found years ago that had most of it missing and was completely falling apart. I really think it adds to the beauty of these tiny pieces of art. Next, I start cutting the paper into specific shapes. I try to match up pieces that have similarities in color once they are cut. Then I get to add pen and ink work to them. I love this part. The watercolors and shapes of the paper tend to dictate my design and essentially I have no idea what I am going to draw until I see the colors and designs from the watercolors. When all is said and done, I add layers of thick, clear, archival safe resin. Of course, this isn't where it all ends. Nope! The final stage is adding the jewelry findings and embellishments.
Whew! That's a bunch of steps.

No two earrings are alike. They are delicate, yet sturdy and they have such beautiful movement when worn. Photos just never do justice. My confirmation though, was when my 14-year Hannah told me..."Mom, these are sooo cool. I love these! Will you make me some?"
Score!!!

more wearable art shoulder bags

As promised, more bags ready to post. Many more to post...stay tuned!

'Funky Floral' OOAK Handpainted & Embellished Artsy Shoulder Bag

SOLD

'Natural Beauty' OOAK Embellished Artsy Shoulder Bag

SOLD

'Bird of Blue' OOAK Handpainted & Embellished Artsy Shoulder Bag

SOLD

'Floral Trio' OOAK Embellished Artsy Shoulder Bag

SOLD

wearable art shoulder bags

I have been working on numerous projects around here in the midst of...well, Life! One of the newest projects is wearable art in the form of shoulder bags. I have created these types of bags for years and years, and have even created a few of these styles for a little boutique here locally. So now, it's my turn!

'Blue Shell' OOAK Handpainted & Embellished Artsy Shoulder Bag

SOLD

'Heart with Wings'  OOAK Handpainted & Embellished Artsy Shoulder Bag

SOLD

'Starry Owl'  OOAK Handpainted & Embellished Artsy Shoulder Bag

SOLD

One of the things I have wanted to do for a while now is incorporate my actual art into the piece. Something simple, fun, unique, impressive...all wrapped into one. I finished about 25 shoulder bags so far and will start posting them here and adding them to my Etsy shop over the next week. Sadly, my camera has decided to break down, so getting the images completed has been a fiasco. Keeping faith though! A good camera is in my future!! Amen!

Each bag is crafted from scratch using mostly repurposed or upcycled fabrics and other fiber materials, beads and buttons (mostly vintage), and visible freeform and hand stitching. If the bag has artwork attached, I painted that separately on a lightweight muslin and attached that to the piece, allowing and adding further imperfections and artful tattering to enhance the personality of each piece. The final bag ends up a wearable piece of art that is sure to turn heads! I do hope you like them and stay tuned...there are many more to be posted and listed!

'the beauty of zentangle'

As life sometimes presents itself, there have been some tough times around here lately and I have just tried to stay positive and keep faith through it all! and know that through it all...I AM BLESSED! Today? Tough day! In the midst of my work and updates, I thought I would check to see if I could find out when the publish date was for a book I was asked to contribute to a few months ago and to my surprise...

'The Beauty of Zentangle' - Favorite examples from 137 gifted tangle artists worldwide

Cover art from my 'Morning Song'

Click here...To pre-order

...I AM THE COVER ARTIST!! This was a complete surprise to me! I fell to my knees and cried...and cried...and cried!! What an honor!!! and just one more Blessing and confirmation that God is working in my life and all that He has Blessed me with. This is the only piece I can confirm so far, but there are at least a couple others that will be included inside the book. The book will be available November 1, 2013 late September 2013 and apparently available in all the usual places; Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc. You can find out more here and here for starters. It's so exciting! Sometimes your day changes and you just feel like shouting from the rooftops!!

There are actually a couple other recent publications that have occurred in my life and will post those very soon, too. Stay tuned....I'm back!! :)