tropical coolness...

decided to try my hand at a total abstract - and that was WAY fun. 

this is a 16" x 20" stretched canvas, using acrylics and ink... and no brushes - all fingers and applicators.  available in my etsy shop - $225.

the hard part is photographing this - the copper is shimmery and wants to reflect any little bit of light that comes in. 

recovery heART...

near and dear to my heart.  ;-)

this heart is fully customizable with word, years of sobriety, pin back if wanted.

the AA recovery symbol is beaded and wired onto the heart.

paper clay, paint, sealer, wire and beads.

what celebrant wouldn't want one? or for that matter, anyone at any stage of recovery as a 'thinking about you' gift?

free shipping on this item... order thru my storenvy shop...

click here to order!

hearts, hearts and more hearts...

when i was teaching in folly beach, sherri held a class using paper clay.  we each made a heart and painted it.  i fell in love with the process - and i am crazy about paper clay.

last year i decided to try my hand at polymer clay and ... well... that didn't go well.  we will just leave it at that.

so last week i picked up a package of paper clay at michaels (with the 40% coupon it was $5.99) and sat down to make some hearts.  i shaped them by hand, and by using a clay tool that looks like a slender bone folder.  then i used some stamps and my chip art letters and images to stamp into the clay before it dried. 

once they dried, about 2 days later, i painted them - all one color, using regular old cheap acrylics, and a few of my favorite golden liquid acrylics.  i added a little water to the paints to thin it, making it sink into the cracks and crevices easier.

then i added a wash of other colors, layering color and wiping it off.  

after it looked the way i liked it, i used gold shimmer gloss mod podge and sealed the entire heart front and back. 

i loved my bowl full of hearts, all 30 of them... but they needed... MORE.  so i grabbed my dremel, my copper wire and beads... and went to town.

higher power

still feeling blocked, frustrated and mad at myself - spending too much time THINKING about creating and NOT creating.  so with the help of my friends, i forced myself up into the studio today, pulled out a canvas and paints and had NO idea what i was going to do with them...

and all of a sudden the thought of how good it felt to paint came into my soul... and i raised my arms and thanked my higher power for what i had in front of me...

and that's what i painted.

she is a 12" x 24" stretched canvas, acrylics... and love.

busy busy...

Got a new tablet from my boss for Christmas, a Surface. So I used it to take a pic of what I'm working on... a preliminary sketch for a watercolor piece, and a large doodle...

i doodle, do you?

have you been considering it?  now's the time... january 1st the price goes from $10.00 to $15.00.  still a great value... but if it's something that's been roaming around the back of your mind, now is the time to click the button.

the button over there -------->

this is a technique based class, lifetime access, work at your own pace.  tons of content, lots of videos, plenty of fun.

it's $10.00 people... what's stopping you?

there's a tab at the top of this blog that says 'online classes'.  that will give you the details... come join me.  :)

moonshine 2014...

effy's done it again... this time with a year-long course - making 2014 a year to go down in art history.  i can vouch for the woman behind moonshine, she's an artist, a teacher, a friend, a cohort in silliness, a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen.

i think you'll enjoy it.


Click here to view more details


this is an affiliate link, i do make a commission if you buy a class through this link.  but that's not why i'm touting this class.  effy's a great teacher.  there is a ton of content.  you will learn lots of good stuff, with tons of great art techniques.