Quick Little Catch Me Up

Hello Beautiful Ones! Ready for Some Atsy Fun!

I hope your new year has been skipping along nicely.  Personally, I've had lots of artsy fun lately. Most everything is in various stages somewhere between sketch and background.  I sure hope I can get a little time to finish up a few this weekend.  I thought as a tide me over I'd post a one of my "Star" ATCs (artist trading cards) which I will be sending off to swap tomorrow.  I hadn't gotten out my watercolors recently and it was fun playing with them again.  I have a relatively large word painting that I am going to do in watercolor and I figured it would be prudent to practice with a mini painting first. 

Next, I'm showing off a photo of my version of the "Beacon of Light" art journal page based off the Life Book lessons.  I'm actually pretty happy with her.  The flying heart and floating key are elements that came to me during a meditation and fit the theme of an artistic muse or guide perfectly.  I think the most challenging part of Life Book will be participating in the lessons and prompts but still keeping them wholly my own.  (Not that if something is completely new I'm against copying parts to get the hang of a special technique before taking it in to my own direction -that's part of the learning process)  

I'm totally excited about seeing so many artist's versions of art and hearing what inspires and moves them.  I will probably be able to manage the time for about half but the great thing is I can download the rest and then one year's worth of lessons actually becomes two year's worth.

Well, I'm going to keep it short and sweet tonight.  

Have a blessed week and keep on creating :)

Music (so much fun -I love this song!): 

Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars

ACEO Addiction

I just finished posting several of my ACEOs on Etsy.  These little "snapshots" are such fun to draw.  I can explore ideas or poses relatively quickly and without my usual mess.  Thus allowing me to continue to procrastinate the final bit of paper organization in my studio.  Here is a peek of a series of girls in black and white.

And below a few that I've taken in to Photoshop and colorized bits.  I declare I get such glee playing with hues, saturation, contrast, inverts, etc.  Pushing the little sliders around is simply addictive.  It reminds me of watching a sunset -the sky goes from light to color after color then dark.  Mesmerizing.  I can entertain myself for hours.

I know I have a tendency to overdo the color's intensity sometimes. Yes, I can border on the glaring. My carefully arranged sophisticated palette I so struggle to maintain (LOL) disintegrates in to the mind of a five year old. HAPPY HOT PINKS, VIVID BLUES, and oh my even the occasional NEON GREEN. All the joys of flipping up the top on the 96 mega pack of Crayola crayons back in Kindergarten. Remember the one with the built-in sharpener. Certainly my variations are not all "correct" or even arful but I do hope they make you smile :)

Have a very happy day!
Music to Enjoy: Cyndi Lauper's - Girls Just Want to Have Fun