how to paint flowers – an art journal of an expressionistic spirit

Roses-Ornament Peach Roses

February 5, 2023February 15, 2023 Mireya

…because a field of peach roses will make you feel peachy. Surrounded by peach roses. I stand in the middle of it all, like the missing puzzle piece. Everything and anything is possible. I extend my arms. I’m ready to fly. A breeze and warmth of the sun lingers on my hat and my hair.

There is an idea pin tutorial for these roses on Pinterest.

…and my rose project folder begins.

Here’s a list of what I did but check out the video for step by step photos.

Begin with white,green, yellow, red and turquoise
Mix various shades of orange ( red and orange)
Unify palette by mixing a dot of turquoise to warm up oranges
Use a paint brush to paint the bottom of an ornament
In a circular motion stamp onto paper
Mix white with leftover paint
Paint around the stamped circle shapes with a brush
Mix blue, green and a little turquoise for the stems and leaves
Watch the roses bloom before your eyes

Definitely adding this idea to the book. Roses: a friendship book for the spirit here we come!

Siempre,

Mireya

Expressive Flowers

Artist Tips of the Year

December 30, 2022December 29, 2022 Mireya

Practice for Flow Not Perfection

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.

Paper Collage is a Great Way to Learn About Color

Collage pink flowers and lettering the words free soul in Spanish

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.

Social Media needs my attention and consistency

Various papers painted with vibrant orange and pink tones

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.

Focus on the Moment

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.

Expressive Flowers

Pink and Purple Blooms

November 13, 2022November 12, 2022 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

Ornament Flowers Book Cover

May 8, 2022May 7, 2022 Mireya

There’s no right way to paint a flower. That was the title from the beginning. I added a few new flowers. This book has changed the way I create. Even now I found this amazing artist. She paints acrylic flowers. Then she embroiders details over them. Her blooms are colorfully amazing! And then I go back to my work. I feel like I am still looking for my colorfully amazing.

The truth is, every now and then I feel it. I paint with it. Then the carefree painting disappears. I forget that we all walk different, but we are the same. We are the same love. This summer, just like that I decided to let go. I’ll paint flowers. I choose to be inspired by the ideas in There’s No Right Way to Paint a Flower. Yes, I’ll be inspired my book and on a spiritual quest.

You can get your copy

Expressive Flowers

Painting with a napkin?

April 27, 2022April 26, 2022 Mireya

Yes I was playing around with a big flat brush. Some paint splattered on the page. The shade of yellow I mixed wasn’t working. Like a true artist I made it work. I had a napkin and why not paint with a napkin?

You are pressing and blending at the same time. There’s no control of what the flower will look like until you finish. You can create watercolor textures and then write quotes over them. That’s a great idea! When the textures were almost dry I used a flat brush to define the shape of the flowers. The stems didn’t look right so I cut out the blooms and repainted them. Collage you you are a saver. The blue flowers were all napkin. I’m still working on these.

There is no right way to paint a flower. Always work with what you have!

Supplies used were watercolor, napkin, and a small flat brush

Creative Exploration

Keep painting and bloom into beautiful

October 19, 2021October 18, 2021 Mireya

turn a mistake into blooms by painting flowers

I had an idea and wait where is that photo? Oh right. The shapes are all wrong but the color is beautiful!

I chose these blooms today because sometimes you may make mistaks or don’t see the blooms yet. That’s when you have to keep working. Last night I went for an evening stroll. The field full of bright colored daisies are now dry and gray. It is raining today and thank goodness. But I still felt spring. You have to. The first layer was great practice. I painted which is what I need to do to get better! The first blooms led to these.

I’m going to keep painting, dreaming, creating, and writing. I’ll do it all without comparison, perfection, ego, rules, judgment—I’ll paint with love.

Creative Exploration

Walnut Ink Flowers

June 18, 2021June 17, 2021 Mireya

Walnut ink is messy, at least in the container I have. India ink is a better option. It’s cheaper too. Working with one color helped me focus on the feel of the brush and how to work with the medium. I focused on the shapes of the flowers instead of mixing the right hues.

I was working with a big brush and it holds a lot of water. It would be interesting to try inks with cotton paper. On my cheap paper, the paint went all over the place, making it hard to add darker areas.

BUT I don’t usually work with walnut ink. It felt good to try a new tool. Have you painted with inks? Coffee? I will probably use the rest of this ink to paint trees. A bear? Perhaps I should make a list of all things brown? Start a collection?

Creative Exploration

Proteas survive the toughest weather

June 10, 2021June 9, 2021 Mireya

They spout from fire. Not the color scheme I had in mind but my creative mantra is make. Wrong color, keep making. Odd leaves, keep making. Smudged green on the paper, keep going. Well that led to the pink sprinkles. Good idea. Overall good start. The scanned version will be beautiful. Up next are some beautiful purple and orange Zinnia single blooms. I have already selected the colors from my color chart.

Creative Exploration

How to paint flowers with circles

June 7, 2021July 6, 2021 Mireya

I like the idea of one color with various transparencies. Monotones. Thumbnail sketching is great because you get a creative boost and you could create patterns or hills of flowers. Ok these are obviously my ideas but there are countless ideas. Many times we wait until we have the “perfect idea”. Why not simply start?

Inexpensive suppllies like copy paper and tempera paint make it easier. I bought a tube of Royal and Langnicker white. Mixing time.

Creative Exploration

Drawing with two hands…

August 7, 2020August 7, 2020 Mireya

is weird. I started ok with the right hand ( I’m right handed) but kept looking to see what my left was doing. Then the right hand didn’t know what to do. This is a great practice for letting go of how you think you should draw. You have to simply draw.

Lines and blobs are easy. Fun. Yellow and Pink really shows how paitning with two hands made me feel. I really need to find a book or paper that is suitable for acrylic paint. It’s the you never know what you’re going to get that’s exciting.