Tag: #bloganuary

Expressive Flowers, Roses Project

Roses-Just do It!

Mireya

In the words of Nike’s famous slogan, just do it! Today’s #bloganuary question is what career did you dream about when you were a kid? In the words of that little girl who loved finger painting, let’s do it! I spent time mixing blues and worked on my greens a little.

I referenced my pink notes and got to work.

Mix pink in various tones

It was amazing. Ok, I did throw out a few sheets of paper but a painter paints. Artists create. I’m an artist! Wait till you see the other roses I painted. The blue background is gorgeous. The roses didn’t come out exactly as planned but this is my art journal. Oh but the pink roses, now this is progress! I want to add details but my pink roses are shop worthy. I believe in my roses.

Siempre,

Mireya

Expressive Flowers, Roses Project

Roses-Color Tips

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

Roses Project

What color describes my personality?

Mireya

Well…let’s see…my favorite colors are blue and lately, it’s pink. Deeply, I appreciate all colors. Spring and summer are such beautiful seasons. Fall is lovely as well. De Colores is a good song. If I were to choose one color it would be turquoise. Turquoise is from the earth. It’s compassionate, creativity, power, mindful, spiritual and brings good energy. I do try. I’m not perfect. Maybe I should paint turquoise roses! I will. My roses project was such a good idea. One idea leads to the next.

If you’re curious, I did paint a rose today. It was the last rose on my page. I took another look at the rose I painted yesterday, and I don’t want to share that again. Now I have a new page and I’ll paint turquoise roses tomorrow.

Siempre,

Mireya

Roses Project

Roses-painting for me!

Mireya

The podcast episode featuring Cat Coq is inspirational. If you don’t know who Cat Coq is, she has her work in Urban Outfitters and recently Anthropologie. Having my work in Anthropologie would be a dream come true! Cat Coq is a print-on-demand queen. She quit her job because she was making more money on society 6. Companies like Urban Outfitters found her. When asked about how she started, here’s what she said: “I painted for me.” She painted for her. All I need to do is paint for me? It’s not about followers, subscribers, or making money. The other important question was what would you say to those who are starting out. If you could go back, what advice would you tell yourself? “I would have shared my work sooner. ” Let that completely be me right now.

Fun story. There I was blending with my finger, layering on the paint with a white brush. It was red, white, then red and white again. The bottom left has a beautiful texture. I sighed. Suddenly I hear these sweet words, “Are you upset because you’re painting roses” So somebody can tell that these flowers are roses! Yes, I’m doing something right! I did work on There’s No Right Way to Paint a Flower. But then, I always go back to doubt. As I said, I don’t know where this project is going, but it’s going to be good. I’ll use Carrie’s flowers as a reminder that all ideas are possible. It’s time to focus on color, and texture, making those brushstrokes taking my time, and capturing how I feel. The artist who’s doing a daily 23-minute painting challenge is inspiring too. Enough writing, it’s time to paint. A slice of cake would be good because that’s my favorite dessert.

Siempre,

Mireya

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Roses Project

Roses-blending with my fingers

Mireya

I was going to map out the activities for my roses project. Roses plan has been on my to-do list for days. Then I realized, ideas come as I’m researching and painting roses. They have been. I believe in my work. It’s going to be good!

pink watercolor rose

What I did first was layer on soft strokes of pink watercolor. I did it in a circular motion. Next, I added red to the pink paint and painted red strokes for the petals. For watercolor, you paint light to dark. For acrylic paint, it’s dark to light. I used my finger to define the petal shapes. Yes, I believe this may be my style! The center of this beautiful rose is a mess. I’m working on that. I’m working on myself. Paint a rose every night. Studio work on the weekends? As I paint the rose, relax, and put fear in the back seat. Paint soft easy strokes. Let go. See and smell the rose as I blend. You can see the texture of the paper. That’s where I was thinking too much, trying hard. Just paint roses right? Maybe I’ll use dots to create the center?

My roses project is a book of friendship and love for the spirit. I’m off to a good start.

Oh, by the way, today’s #bloganuary is about a memorable smell? I don’t have a memorable smell. It’s been raining for days. Since I’m writing about flowers, I long for the smell of grass, roses, wildflowers, soil…the smell of spring.

Simepre,

Mireya

Roses Project

Roses-No Fear Allowed

Mireya

This morning I wake up to my roses, the ones I’ve painted. These are sketches but…

viva magenta flowers in vase sketch
three roses in a ceramic cup painted with blue tempera paint.
sketching flowers with tempera paint
Blue Flowers in a Blue Vase

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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Roses Project

Roses-How do you paint roses?

Mireya

Today’s prompt is what is your preferred method of travel? I’d like to travel to Mexico, Spain, and Ireland. Oh, how could I forget the tulip fields of Holland? I’d need to board a plane. It would be great to drive along a country road too. It’s raining right now but I can feel the warmth of all the blooms of the coming spring. As the poets say, I want to frolic in the garden. I want to breathe and wear my big floppy hat. I want to fall in LOVE with it all…again. In the meantime, I’ll paint roses.

How do you paint roses?

I watched a few videos. I have favorites. Here’s what I’ve learned:

The way Carrie takes the brush and layers on color is amazing! I don’t think she even uses a pencil. She just goes for it. It’s inspiring. Her painting parties are the best!

and Betsy’s Color Palette is amazing! I want to know how she creates her color schemes. I emailed her!

Here’s a quick bullet list

  • Roses have random shapes. No perfect circles needed.
  • Work in layers. Let each layer dry a little. Patience
  • Don’t work the paint too much. Soft strokes. Be free.
  • Use your fingers to soften the paint and blend (best tip!)
  • Let your eyes do the painting. You are the artist! You know you are.
  • Mix your paint until it’s creamy. (another best tip!)

I worked the paint too much. Plus this is thin paper. You can’t blend on it. Overall, it’s a great start. I’ve only just begin…

Maybe my preferred method of travel is to freely get lost in myself. Silence everything so I can listen to the voice that’s always ready to paint. Let the magic begin…

Siempre,

Mireya

Thank you for reading. If you have a friend that would enjoy this blog, please share it with. If you’re new and you like what you’ve read then subscribe. Roses are my latest project. I’ll be working on roses for a while.

Expressive Flowers

A billion dollars

Mireya

During a delightful morning conversation, I had the chance to relive memories of feeding pigs at my grandmother’s house. And so if I won a billion dollars I’d buy a big ranch with horses. I’d figure out how to live off the land and hire help. I would donate money to help others reach their dreams. Most importantly, I’d have a studio! I could shut the door to a room filled with paint and a table where messes are made. I can teach classes. It would be a dream true. All I’ve ever wanted was to live a meaningful life. You know what? I don’t think I need a billion dollars to make my dreams come true..

Siempre,

Mireya

Expressive Flowers

Roses-Finger Painting Roses

Mireya

Today’s prompt is what do you find most challenging? Aside from cooking, painting can be a challenge. Right now it’s roses. I love abstract expressive flowers. I don’t want to paint realistic roses. I want to paint roses like Carrie. There’s this other artist. She paints on small square canvases. Then embroiders details over her flowers. Her color is amazing! I hope I pinned one of her paintings because I can’t find her Instagram profile or website. Found her!

Sometimes painting can be a challenge. I could think about what it should look like or finger paint roses! I finished mixing pinks and had leftover paint. The brush, or was it me that wasn’t painting good roses. I could have stayed in that moment or finger painted roses. I’m glad I listened to my voice. I’ll be finger painting lots more roses. Now that I realize, it’s not a challenge to listen to your voice. The challenge comes with turning off the noise.

Next time I’ll keep the paint moist with a spray bottle. Or I can thin the paint. Then I can easily spread it with my finger. I should create a flower finger painting project. A book? Doing it! Yes! Oh and I’ll use watercolor paper.

For the record, I can cook a few things, but I want to be the kind of cook who’s an artist. I want to learn the basics and just cook something good without a 10-ingredient recipe. I try!

Siempre,

Mireya

Roses Project

Roses (More Pinks + Sketches)

Mireya

This is a good video on mixing pink. I want to mix warm pinks. I’m mixing three colors to get my desired pinks. My favorite is magenta+purple. Purple made with red and turquoise is beautiful! Oh, and there’s orange+white+magenta+raw sienna. Plum and pale pink are some of my favorite pink tones. Of course, I love magenta too!

Mix pink in various tones

As I paint I’ll think of today’s prompt. What is success? Success is what happens when you separate the outside from yourself. Did I sketch roses? No. I did but not good ones. Wait till you see the roses I painted with my finger! I painted daisies. Did I mix up beautiful pinks? Yes!

Children are successful. Nobody gives them permission. They don’t have knowledge of the principles of design. Children just paint black and purple leaves. And you know what, this is the best tree we’ve ever painted!

Next, I’ll find videos on how to paint roses. I have a few artists in mind.

Siempre,

Mireya