What Are Quilters Blogging About Today?

I signed up for Tamara LaPorte's week long painting workshop... sometimes I was inspired to try it sometimes I opted to just hear part of the videos. The first image is poppies done in watercolor, using my kuretaki paints, and my new tube of daniel smith opera pink

I didn't follow her instructions to use masking fluid. I didn't ...

workshop by Kaaren Poole

It was taught by Kaaren Poole who reminded me I want to increase my illustration skills... on two pieces of paper, painted with watercolor over pencil sketch. 

I love the whole thing, and the dandelions floating off.

It will get words when finished

and most of all the little ear...precious

Also love this little guy taught by Willowing's Tam LaPorte....

lots of sewing this week....continuing on my scrap challenge in Fall colors (sent by Jan)

so ...

For this week's painting round up, the focus is on learning... doing things differently but as always enjoying color! 

I am taking two intensive workshops with 3-4 hourlong videos each this week. It's sad when good things overlap and a person has to make a choice of what to leave behind. I started a lot of paintings this week, and hope to get to them later but a few things were made.

the owl seemed plain til I thought to add in mice! The cut out word was done on an index card, then cut into a leaf ...

 Welcome to paint party Friday, let's enjoy color!!!

It made the wonderful energetic flower above!

that became, what if I changed the colors...

and what if I paint cards for some friends who've withstood loss this month? 

Oooooo I like this one a lot... as always, my ...

I watched a video this week, sorry didn't make note of which one, that suggested dropping wet color onto wet paper, sprinkling with salt then scrunching cling film to the surface. I tried it but it's pretty dry here and that seems to change the process. The above pic was painted with blue, purple, orange and gold, salt, scrunched. 

You can see an area in the top left where the salt worked. 

after removing salt and film, I shrugged ...

 welcome to paint party Friday when we watch paint move around on paper

made from this tutorial by Shayda Campbell... so easy...

 I tore a sheet of watercolor paper in fourths and painted. Now I think I might want to add something else maybe... crystals? threads? and send them to friends.

I was inspired by the sprinkler in our back yard last weekend to paint something to capture water droplets...

 Welcome to paint party Friday where we celebrate liquid color!

I didn't have the photo in my computer yet, so I ...

 Welcome to paint party Friday where we celebrate all things painterly!

I wanted to learn how to create depth, and show leaves in front of the trunk, and this pic doesn't do it justice as it looked gilded with yellow on all leaf tips! This is how all three started... rough sketch with pitt black fine point pen ...

 Welcome to paint party Friday, where we share our love of color...

but I'm not one to leave well enough alone... so I began to add detail with ink.

We have been pining for the Adirondacks this week... the sweet pine scented cool air, the gentle views of water, birch and mountains...

This from memory, and from looking at the aspen in our yard. I like the tone of it, and the random size of trees. I don't fret paintings, so what appears is seen as a gift! I like how the shadows look, the blue could be water or mountains.

I like the little ...

For paint party Friday today, I have a series of my creative exercises of morning paintings (done in 5-10 min) They are small enough to turn into greeting cards, often on torn watercolor paper. 

I painted a very quick flower on  printer paper scrap I use for notes... on the left below

I liked it although when you paint on printer paper the color attaches immediately and the water distorts rather than moving the color around like it does on 140 lb watercolor paper (on the right) 

I loved it, the ...

also practiced lettering here

it's a pretty display on my desk for now!

they sometimes end up as cards for friends... tear watercolor paper into fourths and fold. 

this was from last week's workshop with Elizabeth Foley, did I show you? The workshop was a mix of art and finding your mojo to create. I like to write, to put words together so I combined those two loves in this piece. 

Both the Foley workshop and the Kelly Blaser workshop included some meditation before each session. I have "monkey brain" jumping from thought to thought so it was a learning experience to take so much time to just quiet ...

Joann in the Netherlands do you see yours?

so much fun to paint on this shape paper (fluid, 140 lb) and I love my #8 silver black velvet brush

I wanted to remember how to paint this owl, so I painted a companion, and here they are in the studio. When I feel safe again, I'll get someone to frame them for me! (click any image ...

learned from Tamara LaPorte

 At first I thought, maybe I won't share my paintings... but I feel I've learned so much from the Sketchbook Revival artists that I want to remember. Plus the two week lessons got me painting again. 

Isn't she pretty??? The lesson was taught by Tamara LaPorte and I like her style a lot. Of course it's got my own details, and brush strokes and reflects all the tiny decisions made when creating artwork.

The next one was from a class by Jessica Swift who said to start with a message to yourself

I kept drawing and coloring with tombow markers, and at the end I realized I had hearts for love, helping hands, leaves for growth, a strong wall of ...

I went to youtube to learn about meditative sketches. The first video I watched was on drawing mandalas...

I started drawing, badly to my eyes, right in the center of the sketchbook paper. Not liking it much, I moved to another set of videos by... Cher 

I watched how she approached straight and curved lines. So I took an orange pen and drew and drew and drew over the page. I turned off the videos and

 Then the fun started with watercolors in some segments 

which ones to color, and which colors? paint or pen ...

Like most  Americans I've been shaken to my core with the attempted coup to take over our democracy, but like most artists I sought solace in creativity. 

Taking respite from the news, I also toured a few videos on how to view famous painter's work
 

I painted on fabric ...

 just some sketches from the Joanna Basford classes (free on youtube) 

Link to day one (day one!)

I never showed you my poinsettia painting for last week... 

sorry bout that, maybe next week! For now, have a good paint/ink filled week y'all! 

like to see into artist's studios? here's hers