Day 6. I have been doing some art journaling lately, experimenting with a lot of background techniques, which is fun. It’s an adventure since you don’t know how it will turn out. Art is very forgiving so usually everything turns out okay in the end.
In the two pictures below, I wet my heavy duty journal paper thoroughly with water. Then I used very diluted acrylic paints and dripped them on the water-logged paper. The paints spread in a nice, sometimes subtle way. You can use any craft paints or finer art paints as long as they can be diluted with water. Watercolor paints would work well if you want a more soft and subtle background.
Star angel
This is another version on my freebie art tutorial Star Angel. You can get that video tutorial HERE.
Splatter background detail
In the picture above, you can really see the background variations. Lots of fun. 🙂
Leather effect with tissue paper.
The one above is a faux crinkled leather background. I used medium spread liberally across the paper, and then I glued tissue paper over it. It’s important to crinkle the tissue paper into a ball in your hand, and then spread out the wrinkled paper on the medium. Let dry thoroughly, and paint whatever colors you like. I used some raw umber on my fingertip to brush over the ridges as a last coat to make the creasing more dramatic.
Art journal page with glued paper background.
Fantasy flowers painted on top of decorative paper, which was glued down in my journal.
art journal page
Just for fun! Grow wild and free. Hell yeah!!!
What are you working on today?
Please share in the comments.
…because Life happens NOW!
xo
Maria
PS. If you’re interested in a fun self-study art journaling ecourse, please check out my e-course site HERE.
Lots of people like to rain on your parade, but nothing new there, right? It’s all in how we allow it to affect us.
So many artists say that they get a lot of negative feedback about their choice of career. This affects their self-confidence, but it doesn’t have to. If they feel passionate about art they need to stand tall and make the decision that no matter what, they are not going to cave to other people’s opinions.
The choice is about who you hang out with. If we have low self-confidence we hang with people who put us down.
A boost to your self-confidence: DITCH the people who put you down.
If you feel heavy and anxious around them, they don’t belong in your universe. Simple, right?
My dad used to say when I came up with some good idea;
“that will never work,” with sarcasm in his voice. I proved him wrong a number of times, to his surprise.
DITCH the people who hog all the attention all the time and those who are envious of your progress. They never followed their dream, but you don’t have to drink their poison. Ditch the angry people.
The friends who only show up when they want something from you BECAUSE they know you did all the research already (on your own.)
People who make you feel angry for no obvious reason. Those are the “needle-nose” manipulators.
People who drain your energy in a sneaky nebulous manner. I call them the “black hole vampires.” They don’t have a life, only a black hole.
I DO feel compassion for people’s predicaments, but there comes a time when you have to make a choice. Do they stay or do they go?
If you don’t make the choice someone else will. You don’t want an energy vampire to choose what you do with your energy, right?
Hang out with those who cheer you on and uplift you in every way. If you don’t have such connections, find some. Find some friends who are passionate about their own lives.
As an artist you let your vulnerability hang out for all to see via your art, and the beauty of your vision feeds their soul. Being vulnerable is your offering to the world, so don’t let anyone rain your parade!
Know your worth (as a person and artist) and if you feel that yours tips toward minus on the scale, find a way to remedy that.
Know that if you get lots of criticism and “hate” comments, you’re doing something right. 🙂
Don’t worry about others and their feelings, follow your passion. You’re not hurting anyone.
You are responsible for how you feel and how you take criticism. Try not to take it personally and don’t allow DRAMA into your life.
Don’t argue or try to prove yourself. Just smile like Mona Lisa and carry on.
Passion grows and nothing can stand in its way. That is the power of passion. You’re in it for the ride.
Create with passion today!
xo
Maria
P.S. I could use an art sale from my etsy shop if you feel so inspired. Check ’em out HERE.
I was sitting down by the lake appreciating peace this morning at about 6:30am. I live with my back yard facing a big city park that borders on a pretty big lake full of gators. Day 4 of the blog challenge.
I was sitting in a grove of trees feeling the peace coming out of the trees and the ground. It was indescribable. More often than not I don’t notice it as I hustle by on my power walk. But lately I have taken the time to sit down on a park bench and let myself be washed through by this sense of belonging. I feel the park is holding the positive energy in this busy area where I live. So I thought I’d join with nature and send out some peace and love to the area and beyond. It’s even possible to send it around the whole earth just through the imagination.
I pondered what the art would look like if I attempted to paint the feeling I got. I’m going to drive over to that grove with my art supplies soon and see if I can capture the feeling on paper. So elusive but still tangible.
I think we portray in art all the strands of energy that come across our path daily. That why a basically “ugly” painting can have such a draw. The energy draws you in. So, I think it’s important for artists to be connected to the larger picture (no pun intended) to get more depth in the art.
When we give ourselves time to slow down and ground, we open up the door for more authenticity and a deeper connection to the source of all art and life.
Slow down to hustle.
I know, it sounds ass backwards, but what do we gain by running so fast through life? Nothing positive. Disconnection and stress. Have you ever taken the time to really look at a person and HEAR them, not just listening to the words?
Same with nature. Do you hustle by it mindlessly or do you stop to feel your place in the fabric of creation?
I’m learning to live more in tune and show up to really see and hear what is going on around me. That is the best support you can give to anyone, just as nature supports us daily with comfort and oxygen.
Take a breather today!
And create some lovely art?
xo
Maria
P.S. I have some cool paintings for sale in my etsy shop HERE.
You can also check out my self-study art e-courses HERE.
Patience is a virtue is an old-fashioned saying, but one that is truly vital to a good life experience. It is as relevant now as it was in ye olden times. I looked for the saying in Bartlett’s but could not find any reference to it. There were however lots of references to the word “virtue,” as in females who lost their virtue basically lost everything. That is a whole other post.
This is day 3 of my 30 day blogging challenge.
Patience
Patience, when practiced, gives us pause to be present and allow things to unfold. We live in a “take charge” world so it’s not easy to release that insistent pattern and allow patience in. One place to practice patience is while driving in heavy traffic. Another is when someone bugs the crap out of you and you just want to leave the room or slug them.
To allow oneself to be patient is to open up to new possibilities and to be vulnerable. I don’t have to be right. I can allow others to step ahead or be right. That can be tough since the tendency is to always want to be right. We proclaim that loudly and ferociously.
Patience and art are kind of the same thing, if gentler. It can be uncomfortable to sit with the art that is going nowhere and see what unfolds (if anything.) If it doesn’t what holds you back?
I ask that question of myself all the time because more often than not I meet that old specter “Resistance” when I venture into my studio.
Patience allows the moment of NOW to unfold and show where the art wants to go. But I want to hang out of my “virtual car window” and yell at the art to get a move on. So, if I had infinite patience, I would:
be able to see the spirit of my art and where it wants to go.
allow more.
be patient with people in every situation.
be patient with situations that need solutions and see what genius idea might come up instead of barging in and fixing things or people.
know that my turn will come at the right moment. Trusting.
be able to relax and stay in relaxation.
On a larger world scale:
there would be no wars since all people would slow down and see what is really going on.
people would take the time to go within and experience their inner life since there is no need for stress and hurry.
people would slow down enough to see the value in everyone else and want a harmonious relationship with their neighbor–and nature.
people would not chase after money like crazy since patience might unfold better ways of dealing in the world and make money that is based on respect for self and others. That is a personal experience, but what if everyone was doing it?
Patience would show everyone the true value of life since there would be no rat race.
Let’s all wake up and start looking through the eyes of patience.
I know something holds me back from fully allowing and letting go. It is my fearful mind, the one that says “be cautious” don’t give it all away. Hold back…showing vulnerability is me coming from a point of weakness. If I let it “all hang out” I might get punished.
That is bullshit that old experiences created. Fear to be oneself and live out loud.
What to do about it?
Sit with whatever it is and wait for some inspiration, or take some action that is contrary to the status quo. Patience is doing the right thing at the right time.
Patience always leads to inspired action but it will always challenge the go-go-go tendency we have.
Splash some mad color over the art and then wait and see where that leads. Experiment while practicing patience and there will be an opening, a step forward (probably not some action you expected.)
That is how art moves in a new direction and you follow the lead. Trust your gut and let it all hang out!! Yeah.
Fearless
Create something today! Don’t waste this day of possibility. Cruising Facebook is not worth it. 🙂
xo
Maria
P.S. I offer 1-on-1 coaching using my psychic abilities and help you set up a plan of action for more creativity in your life. It’s not all about art, it’s about a better life experience. CLICK HERE.
I am hundred percent nature, and so are you. Day 2 of the 30 day blogging challenge.
I get a lot of inspiration for my art in nature. Every form, color, and impression can be found there. Basically, it’s all outside and all in my mind. Mind in this case would be imagination.
There is a difference between imagination and fantasy. Imagination is a way to travel through time and space whereas fantasy is something, some item or scenario, we wish we had.
Imagination is accessible to everyone. Have you ever tried to connect with metaphysical nature?
Live oak
All you have to do is to be willing and ask for a connection, say, to a tree you like. Then you have to be still and listen. That is often the hardest part. You can ask the tree questions and you might get a sense of an answer as an impression, or a thought, like a revelation. Nature will use your imagination to communicate.
It can be quite an adventure to work with nature. The God of Nature is Pan. He has gotten a bad rap with the horns and the cloven feet in history, but he has a very high, pure, yet earthy vibe. This morning I asked him which part of nature to work with and he said: “there is no part of nature that is not you. You are all nature, nothing else, so there is no separation.”
Consciousness is the spirit part we also share with nature besides our physical manifestation in the world. His simple words were profound. I am all water, minerals, other matter, and spirit. Most of the time, I feel separate, but that is the mind, the chatterbox upstairs that doesn’t like to be silent and just BE.
When I AM I do feel the connection without beginning or end.
Modern people are often afraid of nature. All they see is the challenge; the bugs, the “dangerous” wildlife that carries all sorts of diseases, the creepy crawlies on the ground. How many times do you interact or touch, say, a raccoon or possum? Pretty much never, so why the fear? It’s the programming we receive. Living a fearful antiseptic and sterile life to shut out any connection with the “earthy” part of life equals a deep lack of something. A bit of earthiness will not harm you as any farmer will tell you.
A connection with nature is healthy, natural, and healing. No reason to deprive oneself of that. Concrete buildings and streets are not as conducive to communing with nature even if the energy is present everywhere.
What does nature have to do with art?
Since art originates from within, it’s totally part of me, and since I’m one with nature, art IS nature. I don’t have to go to the park and paint a tree, but by feeling into my inner self, how does a particular tree feel like? I can paint that feeling. It might not end up looking like a tree, but the energy will be there.
energy art journaling
Communing with nature is a truly exciting journey. It is inspiring and inner growth inducing. That can be uncomfortable, but it’s even more uncomfortable to live with all the hang-ups we carry around.
Nature is free and filled with inspiration. Art is free and nature can be like a vitamin injection to one’s inner life, which then shows up on the canvas or in the art journal.
Nature wants to work with you! Bring a new level to your art? The sky’s the limit as they say. It’s up to you. 🙂
Many creative blessings flying your way today.
xo
Maria
P.S. Please buy one of my art offerings on etsy! Makes a great gift to yourself or someone special. 🙂 HERE.
I love to write, but having to come up with interesting posts every day is not easy. I do love to inspire where I can, so expect to see some inspirational posts and art of course.
Life is truly about following one’s dreams and that is what I’m doing, but I have found that my dream is morphing into something slightly different. I love art and art classes that expand my skills and imagination. Art is a constant exploration, not a fixed “dream” per se. Being immersed in art is being inside the dream, so it’s process. Nothing new there but sometimes I look at art as something concrete and inflexible.
In the nineties I was obsessed with communicating with nature and learning about flower essences. I lived in Upstate New York at the time and then I moved to Florida and all that work went by the wayside. I have not had the same connection with Florida nature since it’s very different. Think savage and tough to survive the heat. Lots of prickly and biting things, but every landscape has its own beauty.
I have always been fascinated with the metaphysical aspects of nature.
nature
Have you ever stopped by a tree and felt its presence? Why are we drawn to certain areas of nature but not others? It is an intuitive reaction and the body might feel more comfortable by the beach than in the mountains.
Working with nature metaphysically takes patience and stillness. The challenge is to still the mind and be in the present. All of nature lives in the present, so the gateway is NOW. The more we practice being in the moment of now, the more open we become to energies.
I believe the destruction of nature will end if people become aware of the beautiful life force of everything. We won’t be so eager to do, make, and use things that destroy.
Since I’m aware that nature is highly intelligent and a totally AWARE Being and WANTS to work with us, I feel it’s only right that I endeavor to inspire others to grow that connection Nature can help us with every aspect of life. Nature spirits are not a myth, but they only exist on the inner plane, though people have seen them. They can appear as any form. 🙂
Next time you go out in nature, pick out a tree that seems friendly or any other plant. Take a deep breath to still yourself and see if you can tune into the energy of the plant. It might surprise you. The energy is usually loving and fun.
That would be a first step to connecting with nature. If you don’t feel anything, keep trying. It can take some time so practice the connection. If you can, go to the same plant each time. You can also use a house plant.
How does this connect to art? Art is energy and if I were to translate nature’s energy into art, it would be mostly colors in an abstract way for me. I believe we recognize the energy that flows through everything and that’s why we like good art.
All for now. More tomorrow about the wonders of nature and other things. 🙂
I wish you a creative week!!
xo
Maria
P.S. I have three evergreen mixed media art e-courses available for self study. CLICK HERE.
Artist and writer
FREE art e-course!
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