an art journal of an expressionistic spirit
it's me, it's you in creative fun
Silly me! This morning I realized that I forgot to check the allow comments box. So here we are.
What’s your favorite tool? I roamed the isles of a Dollar Tree. Nothing sparked my curiosity. I’m browsing Amazon and Blick for flat brushes and an art journal. Have any ideas?
I’ve been watching artists create beautiful art with random tools. I used to paint like this! Used to? I wrote There’s No Right Way to Paint a Flower. Seems I’ve forgetten the delight of having the time to listen to the voice. The voice is always here. All we need to do is let the moment be. I posted about this on someone’s instagram post. Beautiful art is about putting you in your art. It’s the way you hold the brush or not use a brush. Art is about your weirdness. Art is the the way you dance, the rhythm you carry. I want to paint all the time because I want to. Art just is for me. It’s my breath of fresh air.
I was deleting old work photos on my phone. I found my paper roll flowers! There’s a thrill in not knowing what the flower will look like until you’ve finished.
Back to these roses
Here’s a breakdown of what I used:
I think that’s all for the supplies. I created a step-by-step idea pin here. I selected a tool. An idea came with it! I painted! I added a little magenta to the green and then a little yellow. I love this shade of green! I use my art rag to dap the wet paint off the paper so I could repaint it. I was all, let me fix this instead of just letting it be. I love the advice someone recently gave me. There’s no good or bad.
What’s your favorite tool? A few days ago, I roamed the isles of a Dollar Tree. I’m browsing Amazon and Blick for flat brushes and an art journal. Have any ideas? Thanks and if you enjoyed this post then subscribe to this blog. Tell a friend.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
I was going to share an update on roses but this story is just too good! For the past few days, I’ve been drawing birds are living organisms illustrations. I sketched birds and nests with a pencil. I added colors with crayons. I didn’t even use an eraser. Not once. Today a student said,” You draw so well! Are you an artist? “I just draw a lot,” I said. He said,” I want to be an artist when I grow up. Do you want to be an artist when you grow up? I quietly said,” I am an artist. The student said,” Wait a minute. If you’re an artist then why are you a teacher?
Teaching gives me purpose but art and I, we just are. I am an artist. Oh and the Oh the Places We’ll Go made me question my actions too! Is the world telling me that I can do this? I can do this! I am an artist!
Make sure you subscribe if you haven’t. I’ll be posting weekly artist tips and updates on my latest project. See you Sunday with some roses and fun!
Siempre,
Mireya
Don’t think about making art, just get it done! Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.
Andy Warhol
What an awesome quote!
I was listening to this YouTube video and the artist basically said these words. Paint a dot. Paint strokes around the dot. Begin with a dark dot and get lighter. I painted I don’t know how many roses. Not a single rose is worth a spot on my blog. That’s right, I have no picture to share. I keep layering with watercolor on the mixed media grumbacher paper. The paper is great for acrylic paint but awful for watercolor. Maybe I should practice the curves with markers? Yes, I should try a nice quiet quick lunchtime draw. Maybe I was too focused on producing something great for my blog? I forgot to have fun. Color schemes? I didn’t even have my book out. It’s ok. I’m proud of every rose that went in the trash. I practiced. I know I need to loosen up. I go this! Has this every happen to you? Any tips? Should I begin with me rose at a time? Learn color? Then move toward photos?
You know what, I am posting a sketch because I can paint. Here’s my proof. I need this right now. These flowers are beautiful! Oh my goodness. I just realized the most wonderful words. Embrace ugly work. In the beginning, your work may seem ugly. Embrace it. Keep layering and the strokes will bloom.
Now I’m going to go find videos. I have some fun Valentine’s day project ideas. I’ll probably start that Friday.
Thanks for reading and sharing this moment with me. These moments happen. I believe in my art. Don’t forget to comment below? Subscribe if you haven’t.
Siempre,
Mireya
All you have to do is believe in your work. That is a very powerful sentence. And yes, I believe in my butterfly.
The hero of my palette is pink. I worked with three colors: turquoise, magenta, and white. I did use a little indian yellow to have orange for my blue. My colors are bright and joyful. The Roses are looking good too. I like referencing my favorite paintings and nature of course. My three colors were on my mind. I thought about the great day I had with my students. I painted.
Today’s bloganuary question is about procrastination. Procrastination scares me. I like to plan. I think too much. I like James Victore’s advice. Learn it. Forget it. Create. I have the skills. I believe in my work.
Siempre,
Mireya
I found this incredible quote. It’s part of my momentum right now.
What every artist must learn is that even the failed pieces are essential.
Rob Bell
I mixed up blues and pinks. Did this yesterday. The strokes went from hard to soft. The petal shapes were looking good. My pinks were bright but when I layered over the warm blue…I almost gave up. Instead I took a break and painted these. Good idea!
During the creative process, there will be ugly or doubtful work. The beauty of acrylic is you can layer. You can try to make it work. Many times it will. I think I made these magenta roses work. Other times it’s just good practice. Now I know I need a detailed acrylic brush. Wait, I think I can use all these lessons I’ve learned to paint full-page roses arrangements. Sounds like an expressive abstract roses book of friendship for the spirit. I like it!
Siempre,
Mireya
How about applying the color tips I read about yesterday? Yes! I referenced a few photos of, you guessed it, my favorite expressive abstract floral artist, Carrie Schmitt. Instead of painting today, I will observe the tips I’ve learned.
You can download your copy at the link above. Or, I’ll share the tips with you.
Color Tips
Group your colors
How about a field of pink flowers surrounded by a turquoise background? Turquoise will make my vibrant pinks stand out.
Enhance color by adding it’s opposite
Use a dark saturated color surrounded by an unsaturated very light and slightly warm tone. How about Magenta flowers with pistachio leaves.
Make one color the hero
Use one color and make it pop! How about one orange fish surrounded by blue ocean waves? Orange roses with mint green leaves. Ooh, I like it! What color would the background be?
Use color to move the eye
Have a beautiful red rose somewhere on the page. Then add a few small red flowers here and there to bring the work together.
These are simply my notes from Nicolas Wilton’s Free PDF. I’m so glad I found it. Oh, I almost forgot the tip I’ve used. Choose a main color. Mix a little of that color with the rest of your colors to create unity. I have been looking for the missing puzzle piece. I may have found it! Tomorrow, I’ll sketch and build a color palette. I’ll be painting for my shop. Well, see how it goes. I haven’t forgotten about the turquoise roses.
Have any color tips? Feel free to comment below.
Siempre,
Mireya
This morning I wake up to my roses, the ones I’ve painted. These are sketches but…
What if I can’t paint roses? I keep referencing Carrie. Maybe I should try the referencing a photo technique? I can loosely observe to paint how I feel. Let’s do it! I paint every single day! I love to paint. I want to grow this blog and keep growing as an artist. I’m excited about what I’ll paint today. What if I’m not an artist? What if I’m an imposter? Should I be painting roses?
Oh, fear you have come on a Sunday morning. But look at my sketches. I painted roses. I painted roses. The pink rose is gorgeous. And those blue roses, I painted them in five minutes. Ok maybe a little more than five minutes, but I just painted. Fear can be ugly.
Fear means you are out of your comfort zone. Fear can be that bully who easily influences you if you let them. Fear is OK. Fear will always be here. I can shut down in fear. Or I can acknowledge the fear and alter course. I have that power. We have that power. I’m serious about painting flowers. I am an artist and always will be! Let’s see, what else do I fear? I haven’t published a course in a long time. I’ll be doing it anyway. I believe in what I’m doing. You may be wondering, what about flow? When you’re in the flow like the kid who paints, is fear there. Fear is in the studio but it doesn’t control me.
Have you painted roses? Emai me? Tag me on social media. Comment below.
Siempre,
Mireya
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Practice isn’t about getting good or great. Practice is about letting go. At some point, there’s this voice and you realize it’s there, always has been. I have sat and sat for hours trying to paint something. Nothing happened. On this occasion, I had one color, one damaged brush, and five minutes.
I’m putting together a creative exploration course with a paper collage. Sometimes I go into the process knowing that I’ll be creating flowers but it’s nice to just use random tools to stamp and blend colors. Then I’ll get an idea and start cutting and arranging. The idea blooms right before my eyes. That’s what happened with the letters M and L.
I like to experiment and paint. I occasionally post on Pinterest. When I do the results are awesome. At one point I had 80k monthly views. I had no plan but to share my work. It worked. I am still learning about SEO. I have ideas. Here’s to more traffic.
I know I’m the artist and I get attached to my work but I shouldn’t. I should only be that spiritual connection that comes as I create. I’m not the end result of my work. Nor am I entitled to the fruits of my labor. My best ideas come when I focus on the moment. For example, I many times have the opportunity to paint with my students. I set up the paint and brushes and wonder what will come of the dried-up dollar store palettes and beyond-bent shapeless brushes. These thoughts have nothing to do with me, my spirit. What is me is curiosity? I’m always curious about what everyone will paint? And every time before my eyes, the children mix up interesting colors, and awesome textures and they are artists. No one gives them permission. They just pick up the brush and go for it.
an art journal of an expressionistic spirit 