Henri MATISSE Style Flowers on Canvas

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One year ago... the very first online class I ever took was Nathalie Kalbach - Creative Jump Start. I learned a lot and it gave me courage to keep trying since I was so new to doing artwork.  

Now... I have come full circle!!  I am again enrolled in Nathalie Kalbach - N*Studio - Creative Jump Start.  And already... I am learning.  YEAH!!!!   How exciting is that???!!!

This tutorial lesson was done by Rae Missigman.  Wow - what a wonderful tutorial she did in her beautiful studio.  Such a fabulous treat in every way to watch her work. She taught us how to do a "bloom" in the style of Artist: Henri Matisse. 

Here is my complete project on 10 x 10 canvas.  As hard as I tried... mine did not turn out very similar to Rae's fabulous finished piece. I'm still happy with it as it is!!! It's a super great learning process! 

Not too many pictures since this is from a paid workshop etc etc. 

But... I began by just putting paint on a canvas. I used DecoArt Media Fluid Shimmer Mister Acrylics.  

At one point the painting looked like this... FUN huh!!!???

And I added some stamps too - by Nathalie Kalbach - of course!!!

And after awhile of playing... it arrived here!

Kept playing and finally... called it done!!! 

This week is all about Henri Matisse style.... wonder who next week will be!!!??  Back soon with another Henri Matisse project!!

Teaser: I cannot believe I did this next one.... WOW!!! 

  

Thanks bunches and bunches for stopping to see me!!!

Hugs. j

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There is ALWAYS a plan! RIGHT??!!!

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THERE IS ALWAYS A PLAN.... 

NOPE... not always!!!

I don't have a plan to fix todays Ahhh Ohhh moment!!! 

HELLO all my little art makers... AND...

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Believing it will be a year filled with "favor" for you!

Today... I have to admit defeat!!!  

But don't worry... I'm not upset... just learning acceptance.

I absolutely LOVE all of the folks associated with:

Anything But Cute Challenge. 

From the very beginning of my creative journey... it has been members of that group and some of their friends that have encouraged and inspired me bunches and bunches. 

So.... I love participating in their challenges.  OH YEAH!!

But this time... I tripped on the finish line!!!  

Yes... I know... excuses, excuses, excuses.  And you are so right. 

Nevertheless....  Heheheheh... here I go with mine!!! 

Why? Because even though I have had this "happy mail" done for awhile... I had decided not blog anything and just let the challenge go by without any artwork from me.  BUT.... then I felt like I wanted them to know that I really did think about the challenge!! 

First of all, I should tell you that I have only ever sent out one Happy Mail... and I had no clue what I was doing so the poor person that got it had to have wondered what on earth was going on!  I didn't decorate the envelope at all and what I put inside - ugh.

Since then I have received three Happy Mail envelopes... so I have a little better understanding of the goodies that should be given!

Sooooooooooooo.....

Here are the instructions for the ANYTHING BUT CUTE 

"You've Got Happy Mail"... challenge: 

Niki writes....

For this challenge I would love to see some mixed media Christmas cards, tags, ATC's or whatever papercrafts you are mailing to a friend.  Make sure they are inspired by the Spirit of the Season!

You KNOW how they say... if all else fails read the instructions????  Um hum..... well... I did but I didn't. :)

So in my head... I thought - oh... it needs to be small... immediately thinking I could use a small/tiny canvas.  I had never done a tiny canvas before so that sounded like a good challenge for me! 

WRONG.... Joi - Joi - Joi... READ... you silly goose.  One would never know that I have a Master's Degree... errrrrrrrrrrrr.  

It says..... PAPERCRAFTS.... cards, tags, ATC, or papercrafts. And then... it says.... inspired by the SPIRIT OF THE SEASON - OOPS!!!!!  

Here is my project without many pictures due to total brain malfunctions.....heheheheh....

Oh and I even left the Ranger Library Green Archival Ink out of the picture too. That's what I used for the sentiment stamp. 

ERrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr - so now you know why I tripped on the finish line.  It's light and flat and makes great Happy Mail... it's just not "Papercrafts" or in the "Spirit of the Season"!! 

 But hey... at least I "did" something and was challenged to do a tiny canvas for the first time so it's all GREAT!!

Now PLEASE KNOW... I am smiling... hope you are too. :)

Upwards and onwards to the next challenge...

and YES - YES - YES... I will read ALLLL the instructions!!!  

Well.... hopefully!!!  Heheheheheh!!!  

Hugs. j.  

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For the following challenge: 

ANYTHING BUT CUTE

Challenge 8, You've Got Happy Mail

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Silver and Gold Winter Wonderland 20x24 Mixed Media Canvas

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HELLO Sweet Creative Friends.... 

 HAPPY Day after Christmas to you!!!  

It is hard to believe that it has come and gone - wow.  

I have been playing in a wintry landscape!!  

I began with some Pebeo Masking Fluid painting it on where it seems there should be white between the branches - SNOW!! 

Then the adding of the Pebeo Iridescent Precious Gold and Silver studio acrylic paint.  Love the shimmer in these paints!  It sure makes it hard to capture the finished picture though. :)

Using the Lost Coast Designs Snowflakes Set with a Ranger Emboss It Dabber and Lindy's Stamp Gang Queen Shebas Silver - the snowflakes began to fall!

Next came the DecoArt Media Titanium White Antiquing Cream painted onto the Lost Coast Designs snow flakes from their Snow Flakes Set.  Love the variety of lovely snowflakes! 

Using Golden Fiber Paste mixed with DecoArt Ebony Black along with more Pebeo shimmering gold paint - it was time to create the deer. I used a Artplorations Christmas Reindeer Stencil as well as an Plaid Folkart stencil from my stash. 

Yummy fun.... this combo made the prettiest color of a dark shimmering gold!

Removing the masking fluid is always so much fun!!  But it sure looks like a scary mess at this point!!!!!

Adding more silver and gold paint! 

And then a rather sad thing happened.... must have been a hunter in the woods because my leaping deer disappeared!!!!!!!!!!!! Ugh - such a bummer but... after I added the little cabin, I realized that the leaping deer was way to huge to work.  And dear me... what a chore it was to try to make him become...."deerly departed"!!!  

And in the place of the leaping deer came a second cabin!

And here are some close-ups of the finished painting! 

Side view:  this is a 20x24 canvas and it is 1.5" thick!!  

 Here you can see a bit of the shimmering gold and silver bling!!! 

Thanks bunches for stopping by and please KNOW how much I appreciate your comments.  My reply button is still broken but... I am always thrilled to hear from you - truly.  

Hugs. j.

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I would like to enter this painting in the following challenges:
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The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge

#19 Silver and Gold

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Country View Crafts Challenge Blog

#34 December, Create a Scene

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Lost Coast Designs

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Carmen's Veranda

Facebook Challenge #2 Winter Holidays

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HO HO HO MERRY CHRISTMAS - with LOVE j.

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THINKING OF All of  YOU TODAY...

It's a quiet day here at the ranch for hubby and myself. I am thinking of all of you and how happy you make each day for me.

Whether it's Christmas time or just a normal day where you live...

thank you for making my life "merry and bright"

with your inspirations, your comments, and your love. 

This past year has been a wonderful adventure for me...

because of all of you.  I am grateful.   

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BRIGHT Life, BRIGHT Future SCRAP AROUND THE WORLD

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Hello to all of you creative friends out there!!! 

Here is my "real" layout for the Scrap Around the World final challenge.  If you saw my last post - you know I had it on my heart to do a little tribute layout for SATW so I did!!!  However, I also wanted to do just a normal project for the final challenge too.  

When I saw the theme on the mood board "the future is bright" it sent my thoughts to my grandchildren.  I remembered this picture of the two youngest at the ranch sitting high up on the flagstone in what we call the pavilion with the flags flying between them. That's our bright future... our children and our freedom - a safe and secure nation... united together in trust and love.

 

I began with Fancy That Pearl Bouquet Gold Foil Paper.

 I wanted the gold foil to look more like the gold "salt" at the top of the champagne glasses in the SATW mood board!  I added Galeria Glass Bead Gel over the top of the gold foil.   

I also added DecoArt Champagne Glamour Dust on each side of the gold foil for sparkle and texture. Love the Glamour Dust too!!

Then Ranger Vermillion Archival Ink & Gold Stickles for the edge.

The finished sheet was lovely and more like the mood board!!! 

Out came the Caran de Ache Neocolor II water colors for making a sunset to match the sunset in the picture... hopefully! 

The little picture was ready but I printed two of them so that I could give a tiny bit of dimension to the little bodies of my "stars"!!

I used Ranger Alcohol Ink to make a frame for the picture. It was fun - just running it on it stripes and then running my old credit card through it to make the checks!!  I also added a piece of gold glitter card stock for another layer behind the kids picture. 

Yes - that is the same piece below but for some reason in the picture it doesn't look as bright!! 

Hubby brought me a "real" horseshoe from the barn.  He was so sweet about polishing it up for me. The blobs of metal at three places are the nails that didn't come out - just melted down! I thought they added such a neat texture to the horseshoe. 

Again, Ranger Alcohol Ink - gold and watermelon. 

Here are more pics of the finished project. 

By the way... the beautiful butterflies came yesterday from Scraps of Darkness... and they were the perfect match... YEAH!!

They are from Renea Bouquets. 

The flowers are from Prima. 

The birds/flowers are Idea-ology Botanical Remnant Rubs.

The horses are a die cut piece that I bought from ebay before I had my Vagabond and I don't have a name for it. 

I made the bow with organza ribbon from my stash.

The letters were just fussy cut from card stock. I enjoy doing that!

I hand painted the smaller barb wire fence on the right using card stock with Ranger Distress Ink to make the smaller posts. 

This is a blurry picture! But it shows added texture - meant to look like dirt and grass!  It is Stampendous Shaved Ice and Art Ingredients Licorice Glass Beads. 

This was great fun for me because it was all about the "RR" which is the ranch and our youngest grandkids!!  

Thanks bunches for taking time to visit!  And most especially - for your very special to me comments!!  One of these days I hope they will fix my reply button so I can thank you personally.  

Hugs. j. 

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Happy to participate in the following challenges: 

SCRAP AROUND THE WORLD

December 2015 Challenge 32 by Valia Katzaki

A Fabulous Finale Mood Board for our Final Challenge

I was inspired by the sentiment as follows: 

When I saw the theme on the mood board "the future is bright" it sent my thoughts to my grandchildren.  I remembered this picture of the two youngest at the ranch sitting high up on the flagstone in what we call the pavilion with the flags flying between them. That's our bright future... our children and our freedom - a safe and secure nation... united together in trust and love.

I also enjoyed creating a background texture to match the "salt" around the edges of the champagne glasses as well as the gold in the jars in the mood board!  I used licorice glass beads to represent the seeds in the fruit. The flowers to represent the flowers in the jars.  And lastly - I used the colors around the sentiment of the mood board for the overall color scheme!

Again, I want to thank everyone at Scrap Around the World for giving me a vast amount of teachings and inspirations. I learned so much from all of you and loved seeing all the lovely creations made for the challenges too. I admire the way the SATW site was run and enjoyed the face book page posting the lovely winners so we could see them each one again.  It was all just done to perfection. Best wishes to you all. XO j. 

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