Tag: creative confidence

Expressive Flowers

Art and Bravery

Mireya

How are you brave?

I’ve been thinking about this question all morning because am I brave? Just now, I have an answer. Bravery is in the small big things. Bravery is knowing what’s you, what’s the outside, and choosing you. Who you are is a light shining so bright, it’s a gift and like a cup of water versus the shores of Lanikai Beach, we all make a difference. Any time you can stand against the talk, or see spring amid a storm is that not bravery? Maybe one small act will lead to something bigger?

This is a hand painted collage art animal book about self love. It's dedicated to us.

I have published 8 books. I have written, edited, and illustrated these books. Do I have a degree in these subjects? No. All I have are the words I’ve written. I like writing! I wrote in college. I write for this blog. I do all of this despite the small voice that says I shouldn’t. There’s an even bigger voice that says I should. That’s brave right?

Thank you, WordPress for encouraging me. Art dreams here we come! WordPress is doing #bloguary daily prompts in January. I’ll be using these prompts to share my work every day.

Do you know of a video, course, or post that will help me paint roses? Comment below and thanks! Feel free to share a link to your art as well.

Siempre.

Mireya

Expressive Flowers

Textures of 2022

Mireya

One of my techniques is texture. I love the surprise of trying a random tool to see what happens. These are the ideas that satisfy my curiosity.

Stamping with a candle lid is one of the best texture ideas I’ve ever had. I don’t want to say best because there are many more textures to come.

The textures that come from stamping with a paper roll are random and beautiful. Oh, this makes me think of the ceramic pitcher at Anthropologie. I’ve got to work more with this kind of texture.

Creating writing paper by stamping with ribbon? What an idea!

pink flower pattern on textured paper.

Stamping with a facial sponge creates a rough vintage texture. It’s fun to do this and then paint over it.

This was absolutely random. I used a semi-dry flat brush. I love it!

There are many textures that I painted for paper collage purposes.

Expressive Flowers

Pink Roses

Mireya

I wrote this post a week ago and somehow it stayed in draft. Finally here we are.

It’s the holiday season. We are about to begin winter. I can’t wait for spring. Last week I wrote about my obsession with roses. Have these lovely shades of pink always been there? Have they? I could be walking along in thought and suddenly I stop. Pink and peach roses catch my eye.

My next project should be pink roses? I could work on creating pink tones. Ettavee wrote this wonderful post on how to use fluorescent pink. I have been working on painting roses. I have! I am working on the layout and working on flower arrangements. Yes, I can use my art journal for this exploration. Pink Roses is a good book title? Ok there we have it. Pink Roses it is!

I love the pinks in these blooms.

Yellow mug with pink flowers done in collage

Siempre,

Mireya

Expressive Flowers

Pink and Purple Blooms

Mireya

There is strength in letting go and painting. There’s pink, purple, blue, and a little sparkle. These colors are the creativity, faith, and play that should be in every painting session. I layered, splattered, painted and you know what, this is the best painting I’ve done in a long time. I say best because this is me, my ideas. Yes, my influences come from everywhere. But I’m not painting with outside forces. It’s just me. It’s the tools. Sure I’m holding the brush and gliding it along the page but the idea takes over. It isn’t about me. It’s the idea.

Kute Blackson had this amazing quote in one of his posts. Surrender your attachment to the outcome and get into the flow. Yes! That is what I did for this painting. I need to keep going.

Siempre,

Mireya

Expressive Flowers

I forgot how fun it is to…

Mireya

paint with tempera paint and on copy paper. Morgan Harper Nichols had this amazing video on abstract strokes and fear. I can’t paint on canvas either. I fear I’ll mess up. I can’t afford to go through canvases like I do paper. It’s been a week since I’ve painted. I had to paint.

My goal is to paint better roses. I love roses. Like the other night, I found this artist on Instagram. I too want to pick up the brush, lather up the paint, mix tones and have my roses bloom before my eyes.

Here’s a few notables:

1. Paint the petals using curved lines. When the paint is almost dry use a moist brush to spread the paint over the white space.

2. A round flat brush gives you good texture.

3. You can layer with a light color and then add details with a darker color.

4. Each petal line begins thin, wide and ends thin. Vary the starting points of these lines.

5. The petal lines are small and get bigger as you move away from the stigma of the flower.

I like the shape and petals of 2,3 and 4. Am I wanting to paint an exact rose? Like the roses on my walks? No. I want roses expressive of how nature makes me feel. I want color. I want texture. In a world of classes and social norms, I can always revel in a rose. I can always carry my thoughts to the moon and the stars.

My paper collage flowers have been wonderful but that’s tomorrow’s post.

Siempre,

Mireya

Expressive Flowers

You are blooming

Mireya

This morning was sweatshirt cold. Barely sprinkling, it felt like fall. I walked past white, pink, red, and yellow roses. Even in this type of weather, the roses were blooming with color. Sure some of the roses had brown petals. But the glimpse of color was enough to visualize spring.

And of course, this idea reflects my personal thoughts. Sometimes I write like someday I will bloom. Sometimes I feel like I’m stuck in the I’m not good enough phase. I try too hard. Overthink. Over apologize. I am a fan of EttaVee, James Victore, Ana Victoria Calderon, Carrie Schmitt, Corita Kent, and Morgan Harper Nicols and my favorite artwork of all is School of Athens.

Am I a fan of my work? I read Road Trip. I hand-wrote the words. I drew the illustrations. The story made me laugh. I like my blooms and my peacock. These projects make me say wow, there’s so much more I can do. Think of all the ideas yet to be painted. It feels good to say I’m blooming. I’m growing. Every part of the process is growth.

I am living, breathing, and always blooming. If I create from that place–when I create from this place it’s amazing.

You are bloomg. What a great addition to the wild thoughts flower paper collage book. Your turn. Make a collage flower and write a message. Give yourself the advice you seek. tag me @creatively.hue

Siempre,

Mireya

Expressive Flowers

Here’s a wild thought…

Mireya

Always take time to smell the flowers.

Life is colorful

Daydream and dance

Isn’t life wonderful

Think of all the flowers in your neighborhood

Think of all the flowers in every city and country

Now that’s a love, a language that’s understood

What would the world be without roses, chrysanthemums, tulips, peonies and sunflowers

Let’s not forget the butterflies and the bees

We are different, the same, a masterpiece, now that’s power!

Thanks for reading my poem, my writing and for being a fan. If you haven’t please subscribe. Find me on Pinterest ad Instagram. I want to see your art too.

Siempre,

Mireya

Expressive Flowers

One brush blue flowers

Mireya

I forgot to upload the photo to yesterday’s post. Fixed it.

I’ve been arriving at my art sessions with an idea. Then I start creating. There’s no is this going to sell? Will I write about this project? All I do is create and it’s good. The blue blooms for example, are imperfectly beautiful!

Can I paint flowers with one brush? A blue shade I saw in an Anthropologie ad was on my mind. I mixed a little orange with yellow ochre for the centers. I added a little orange to my green for the stems and leaves. Now these are the colors I can work with.

My spirit is free and has been this entire week. I like sketching. I love painting. Today I painted paper and created wild thoughts collage flowers. I’m going to post the video on Pinterest tomorrow.

I’ve been making idea-pin videos on Pinterest. This is my get-friendly with the camera phase. I’m going to publish a collage course. I need practice. I keep thinking am I ready to publish a collage course? Should I wait? I should publish the course anyway. Pinterest is a good starting point. I’ve been doing nature walk videos and idea pins.

As always thank you for reading, please follow me on Pinterest. Subscribe to my blog. You can find me on Instagram too.

Have a good week.

Siempre,

Mireya

Expressive Flowers

Art makes you…

Mireya

I have written these words who knows how many times. Yes, I want to try new techniques. New color! Oh, I should try the ribbon. I will do that for the words I wrote about a tree. Yes, I sat one restful afternoon, on the bleachers overlooking this beautiful tree. Just feeling the breeze and writing. That’s a wonderful idea!

Yes, I rewrite these words for the process and practice but it’s self-love. Painting this latest version helped me realize that.

Here’s a few others I’ve written.