completing unfinished projects

I am starting to feel a weight being lifted as I progress into completing my unfinished projects before the new year rolls in.  I am clearing the way for new adventures in 2014.  

When I create art and I have excess paint left over on my brush or whatever I put it in 1 of 2 places.  I have white craft paper on top of my desk that collects some paint.  I later will use this as wrapping paper.  It's actually quite cute!

OR

I take the extra paint and randomly apply it on a piece of 7x12 mixed media paper that I have prepped with gesso.  My idea was always to complete each sheet later on.  So I set forth my intention to finish them before the end of this year.  Well.... I have met my goal.  Here they are.  They started from excess paint and I used them to try to techniques, too.  I discovered when I painted these there was no fear about "making a mistake".  In fact, it was quite liberating.  I think I will continue with these in 2014.

it all began with a old cabinet door

A couple weeks ago I set an intention to finish projects I have started.  I just finished this one and wanted to share it with you.   It may need some tweaking so I'll hang in within view and eyeball it to see what else, if anything, needs to be done.

                              

Honestly, I am very excited with the end result!!!  I was a happy girl the whole while I worked on it.  There was so much attention to details rendered to this piece.  It all began with the foundation being an old cabinet door, this set the tone for what would later unfold.  The door measures 13.5" x 20.5".  I know I wanted to create something with a "vintage" feel to it.  Having the background as joint compound,  I textured then applied multiple layers of acrylic paint.  It's impossible to  appreciate the layers in this photo.   The vase is made from small apple sauce containers (go figure!)  that I cut in half, adhered together, then started adding layers of light molding paste.  I wanted the surface to appear aged and I believe I achieved that.  In sections of the vase it even looks cracked.  Yay!  Oh the lovely flowers... they are pieces of a doily that I cut up and shaped.  They turned out awesome!  I painted them with Pan Pastels because I wanted the color to be subtle and allow the original color of the doily to show thru.  I had chalk dust all over me when I was done but oh what joy it was!  

Magical things can happen 

when you let your creative spirit out to play!

sitting on the fence

Have you ever been sitting on a fence waiting to make a decision?  

A decision you even knew the answer yet for some reason chose to still sit on the fence?

One of my FAVORITE artist, Donna Downey, is offering an
on-line course titled 48 weeks.  I highly encourage you to click on the link and read what she feels about her on-line class.  For several years she has been posting Inspiration Wednesdays, where she does pages in her art journal, most of the time she doesn't know what she will be ding when she begins.  The Inspiration Wednesdays are free.  Go see if her style resonates with you.  She was the first person I started following because I love her candid style of teaching.  She often finds herself in a creative pickle she calls a "hot mess", but she keeps moving forward and finds her way out.    Anyway...when I first read about 48 weeks I knew, deep within, that this course was for me.  Yet I allowed all those creepy voices in my head to stop me in my tracks from signing up.  The more I sat on the fence the more pissed off  (and my butt was getting sore) I was getting with myself.  I know better than to listen to those voices yet here I was, once again.  I got to the point of reckoning when I realized this is a good for me and good for my creative spirit.

I am happy to say that I am no longer on the fence.  I signed up and I am more than ready to begin.

 This whole situation aided in solidifying my word for 2014 that I will share later.
There are always lessons to be learned even from ones you repeat.

lucky me

This is a story of how the Universe works.  
I have been wanting to paint on a large canvas.  Yet every time I would consider it I (FEAR) would talk myself out of it.  All my reasons seemed legitimate... how do I begin? - what do I paint? - these are so expensive to not know what I am doing. - I would be wasting my money, so on and son on.  I'm sure you have experienced this negative self talk when you start something new.  Haven't you?  

I have been in the mindset to bust thru resistance ever since I watched an interview, a couple weeks ago, with Steven Pressfield on Super Soul Sunday.  I understand how resistance had held me captive and I am inspired to know that I no longer need to place judgement on myself.  All I have to do is push thru resistance.

Anyway... last night I decided to go to Michael's a purchase a larger canvas.  Much to my surprise one of their Daily Deals was 60% off all canvases.  I am smiling.  Why?  Because I, also, had a coupon on my iPhone that was for 25% off my entire purchase, including sale items.  YES that means I was going to get 85% off my canvas.  I couldn't control myself any longer.  I did the Happy Dance right there in the aisle at Michaels!!!

Needless to say, I walked out of Michaels with 8 large canvases.  I am so frickin' excited to paint on the canvases that I can hardly contain myself.  Stay tuned because I will definitely share with you what I create.

Canvas Create

This past Sunday  I watched an on-line class called Canvas Create by Donna Downey (LOVE her!!!-if you don't know who she is check her out.) and I decided I was going to "just do it".  Here's what my final piece looks like.  It was all painted with my fingers, too.  What fun it was getting messy.  The ultra cool part about making abstract flowers is that they don't have to look like real flowers.  This truly helped me paint freely without being so concerned about it looking perfect.  Because the truth is... it was good just they way it is.  So true for us, as well.  We are good enough, just as we are.   I was beaming with pride to complete this in one day.  The canvas measures 18" x 24" which, to date, is my largest canvas to paint on.  I'm craving to paint larger now!

Oh yah, I almost forgot to mention,   I SOLD IT ALREADY!   (happy dance~happy dance)