Silvia Klassen

Whimsical Watercolour Registration is open!

2017-11-09T12:33:00.000-05:00

Registration for my upcoming class, Whimsical Watercolour is now open!

Watercolour is a flexible and versatile medium

{that sometimes has a mind of its own}

and if you are interested in learning more about how to use it

in a fun and whimsical way,

this is the class for you!

No experience is necessary, and I'd love for you to join us.

Silvia

I'm back!

2017-11-03T20:21:00.004-04:00

I'm back.

{again}

I've had a long hiatus from blogging for many different reasons

{which I will share in future posts.}

But for now, I'm happy to be back.

Back to blogging.

Back to sharing art

And life.

So here's my most recent news:

I'm sooo happy to announce

that I'll be teaching an art class at a local community art school.

Its called Whimsical Watercolours

We'll be covering a few watercolour basics

and then launching into some fun whimsical projects.

Here's a peak at two of my project possibilities:

Silvia

I'm back and I've got some exciting news...

2015-09-28T21:23:00.000-04:00

Hi Folks! I hope you all had a great summer,

and are enjoying the beautiful fall season!

In my part of the world, the tress have begun

to turn into their glorious autumn colours.

We put on sweaters, drink more tea

and marvel at the beauty and colours around us

as we witness the seasons change once again.

Life has been very full for us,

and change continues in our lives as well.

Over the summer, I took a blogging hiatus

so that I could focus on other parts of my life,

and chip away at some of my art goals.

I'm really excited to let you know that I have been invited

to participate in an upcoming art show

which will be held right downtown in our nation's capital!

The show, which is hosed by Roger TV's Barbara Laurenstin,

is called Art in Fashion 613

{because "Art can be Fashion and Fashion can be Art"}

You can find me in one of the booths,

selling my art.

A bit about my art:

One of the things I have been really enjoying doing

for the past two years or so,

is painting whimsical girls.

I often scan through fashion sites, magazines and Pinterest

for inspiration for my girls' outfits.

Here is a peak at some of the art I'll be selling:

Some of my art will also be sold as prints in various forms.

Here are a few examples of the accent cushions I'll be selling:

If you are in, or near, Ottawa I'd love for you to come on out to the show!

Tickets are available here.

Silvia

more exciting news

2015-05-03T20:26:00.000-04:00

Hey Friends,

Happy Spring to you!

With spring comes new life,

new seasons

and new opportunities.

I'm so thrilled to announce that I have a new opportunity

that has come my way...

I will be teaching

six week series on art journaling!

We will be delving it all sorts of techniques

with acrylic paint,

sprays and inks,

water colours

{and some other yummy

mixed media supplies}

If you want to launch into a fun new art journey,

or if you've already begun,

and want to learn more skills,

this class is for you!

{No art experience is necessary}

Here's the when and where:

beginning Saturday, May 16th

from 10am to 12pm

at the

Bluesfest School of Music and Art

Don't delay, classes start soon!

{Barcode is: 99686}

I sure hope you can join me!

Silvia

free download for you

2015-04-23T16:19:00.002-04:00

It has dawned on me that some of you reading this blog

might not know what art journaling is.
Please allow me to explain...

Art journaling is a way of keeping a journal

in which you use a mix of art and words

to express yourself, to practice drawing or art techniques,

or to document your life, thoughts or discoveries.

{Art journals have been around for a very long time.

A quick google search of "Leonardo da Vinci art journal"

will prove that.}

In my recent workshop,

I created a couple of pages that had words

which could be used in an art journal.

They were included in the welcome packets I gave them:

Today, I thought I would share them,
and make them available as a download here
for you to use in your own journal.
{Please keep these for personal use only.}

Enjoy!

Silvia

art journaling workshop

2015-04-14T20:05:00.001-04:00

What a wonderful Saturday morning I had!

This past Saturday I ran an art journaling workshop

at the Bluesfest School of Music and Art (BSOMA).

I went into the morning with such excitement,

which was equalled by they enthusiasm

of the wonderful people who registered.

We had full registration

{with some others who also wanted to join in!}

Here's a peak at the morning, tables set up and ready to go:

I created a little packet for each person. With only two hours, I was definitely pressed for time, but I wanted to introduce some colour theory, along with a quick talk about the many different ways to keep an art journal.

I based the class around some of my art journal pages,
teaching the techniques I used here:

And then the wonderful process of creating began.

A few of the folks had art journaled before,

but for most this was the beginning of a beautiful journey for them.

The ladies {and one man} were so open, friendly and engaged.

They were truly a pleasure to teach.

I absolutely loved teaching this class and had such wonderful feedback,
with requests for more, and longer workshops.
{Do you guys know how humbled and excited I am about that??}

I am working with BSOMA to create series of classes, so stay tuned!

Silvia

workshop time

2015-04-10T17:28:00.002-04:00

Hey Friends!

I'm excited and ready for my art journaling workshop tomorrow.

I heard last week that it is sold out!

Yes, sold out!! Wow, I'm blown away.

Thank you to those who love, support and keep believing in me.

You are a gift in my life.

Here's a peak at the cute {and info-packed} little packages I'll be giving out.

I am hoping to bless the sweet folks who have signed up,

and send them home inspired with a new passion,

and some skills to fuel it!

I plan on posting some pictures from it, so stay tuned.

Silvia

art journaling workshop

2015-03-25T19:02:00.000-04:00

I'm seriously excited to announce that in April,

I will be teaching an art journaling workshop

in partnership with the Bluesfest School of Music & Art!

I'd love to have you join me in this two hour class!

Together we will talk about a whole slew of art journaling techniques,

you'll see examples from my art journals

and we will create some fun pages.

You will leave the class with ideas and resources

to help you continue to explore, create and discover

in the world of art journaling!

You can register through:

The Westboro Brainery
or
Dovercourt Community Centre

I sincerely hope to see you there!
Silvia

my bird love

2015-03-18T12:06:00.000-04:00

If you've followed my blog for a while

you probably know that I love birds.

My art journals pretty much

always have some bird pages in them.

They usually aren't detailed pieces of artwork,

but quick sketches and doodles

that capture my love of birds.

Is there something that captures you?
Something you tend to find yourself drawn to over and over again?
I'd love to hear what that is!

Here are a few of my bird pages...

Silvia

water colour love

2015-03-07T17:01:00.001-05:00

One thing you might not know about me is that I love using water colours!

They are my go-to supply when I want to add colour to a sketch or doodle,

and a carry a travel pack with me in my purse at all times

(as well as a small journal, a water brush,

and several pencils, black pens and a white gel pen).

I like to vary my styles,

and I don't feel that I have to confine myself

to using them in one specific way.

Their versatility is definitely something I love about them!

I've mentioned before that one of my favourite artists is Danielle Donaldson.

Her work and style continually inspire and influence me.

Check her gorgeous work out here.

(She will soon be teaching another on-line class. and that makes me very happy!)

Here are a few water colours I've done in the past few months:

Silvia

creating dynamic backgrounds

2015-02-18T20:01:00.001-05:00

A while back I said that I would write a blog about possible supplies

for creating a background in a painting or an art journal page.

As I set out to do that today, I realized that the possibilities are endless!

So, I picked some basic ones to show here and I will list more ideas

at the bottom of the page.

Creating backgrounds with many layers is not only a lot of fun,

but it gives your work of art a great deal of depth and interest.

It is a great way to experiment,

so be creative: cut, tear, crumple, form your supplies!

One of the great things about layered backgrounds is that there really are no mistakes.

Anything you don't like can get pushed into the background and made to fade away,

which simply creates more beautiful depth.

Here are a few of the things that I use to create a background:

Handmade paper: this paper is often art just the way it is!

Napkins/Serviettes: There are so many designs out now. One great place to shop for this is your local Dollar Store as they often have an inexpensive selection.

Tissue Packs: like napkins, you can find many patterned tissue packets

and they layer beautifully in any artwork.

(Hint: for both napkins and tissues,

peal away all the layers expect for the top patterned one.)

Every craft and art store sells patterned paper!

I have found that I personally tend to prefer the smaller sized paper pads

(around 6"x6") as they tend to have finer patterns on them.

I use doilies both directly on my artwork or as a stencil.

Thrift stores always have old clothing patterns.

The paper is nice and thin which is great for layering.

Sometimes I cut out the lines on the pattern and simply lay those down on my backgrounds.

Practise paper and test paper: save all of these!

They are usually filled with colours you like,

and are a wonderful way of making your background

even more personal!

Gift tissue paper: so may colours and patterns to choose from.

Like napkins and tissues, this paper is very thin

and is great for adding translucent layers.

Acrylic paints, watercolours, guache, daubers, inks and sprays. I don't think there is anything more versatile for a background than paints and inks. Be aware that some (like acrylic and many inks) are permanent when dry. Others, like watercolour paint, will bleed and move when any liquid is applied. To make water-soluble supplies permanent,

seal them with a sealant (like this) before adding your next layer.

Stamps, stamps stamps!

These are soooo great for adding texture to the background

(and the foreground) of a painting.

Again! Remember to seal your layer if you are not using a permanent ink pad like this!

Oh my! I love washi tape and am *somewhat* addicted to it!

I bought the sheets of washi from Christy Thomlinson's on-line store (Scarlet Lime)

(Confession: I'm not showing you all the washi tape I have,

and I haven't stopped buying it!

Hmm... I wonder if my husband is going to read this post!!)

So, this is just a start. Really it is!

There are sooooo many other things that I use

(and that I don't use, but you might!)...

• sheet music (I use this a lot!)

• newspaper

• magazines

• wrapping paper

• wall paper

• post cards

• greeting cards

• postage stamps

• envelopes

• ephemeral of all sorts

• on-line images that you print

(*you can can glue these directly,

or use a transfer technique to put the image onto your artwork)

• pens & markers

• inktense blocks and coloured pencils

• mark making tools of all sorts

(perhaps that will be another blog post)

• gel mediums to glue papers on and to add texture

(such as: this or this or this or this or this)

• book pages

(yup, I have some books that I rip the pages out of

which is an accomplishment for someone like me who loves books!)

• paper towels

• rub-ons

(I usually leave these to the final stages of a painting or journal page,

but they certainly could be used in a background)

• gelli plate mono printing techniques

I'm sure there are other ideas out there ... if you use something that I haven't listed,

please comment below. I'd love to hear what you use.

Happy art-making folks!

Silvia

celebrate progress // try something new

2015-02-02T20:40:00.000-05:00

One of the things I've wanted to do for a long time is try my hand at stamp making.

While I have been pretty busy with some new initiatives around art

{which I'll certainly share when I am able to!}
I decided to give it a try.

In a world of Pinterest and perfection
trying something new can be intimidating
to say the least,
but forcing yourself to step out
bit by bit
will open new doors,
and illuminate parts of yourself
that you may have never seen.

Here is a truth
that God whispered to me one day
when I was fretting about areas of personal struggle:

"Look for progress,
not perfection.
That way you can celebrate
any small advance."

So, with that I mind,
I tackle new things,
and I celebrate small advances in my life.

I have had a high density rubber block for quite some time.
It sat in a drawer,
patiently waiting to be used for just over a year.
Today I pulled it out and carved my first rubber stamp.

I did not remember to take a picture of what it looked like before I unpackaged it,
but here is the chunk that remained after I carved into part of it.
{my carving tool, self-healing cutting mat and the product label are included
in case you want to try it yourself.}

I made a simple leaf pattern and drew it directly on the block.
For more complicated patterns,
I think I would draw the image on a separate paper
and then use transfer paper to get the image to the block.

Here are a few pictures of my process and the result:

It is very simple and flawed, but I don't care.
It was totally fun!!
I'll add this to my stamp collection
and use it in other art initiatives.

I'll leave you with this quote I saw today
{author unknown to me}

"Embrace imperfection,
its a sign that you are not afraid
to try NEW things."

Silvia

my Christmas wish for you...

2014-12-24T14:36:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

My Christmas wish for you is simple,
and deeply heart-felt:

May you encounter the God who has always loved you

with a relentless, unconditional and passionate love:

may you encounter Jesus
as you never have before.

I wish you every joy, happiness and peace this Christmas.

With love,

Silvia

Supplies used:

art journal
acrylic paint
paper napkins
tissue paper
washi tape
Pitt XS black marker
Jelly Roll white maker
DecoArt Snow-Tex medium
water soluble pencil

Treasures from the Oregon Coast

2014-12-15T17:36:00.000-05:00

Memories ...

our trip to the west coast of the United States

was packed with sweet memories

I have been making a photo book

in hopes of capturing some of the beautiful times

we shared together.

One of our favourite places was Indian Beach, in Ecola State Park.

The beach was stunning and picturesque,

and the shifting tide allowed us to spend hours

getting lost exploring tide pools.

Being a homeschool mom,

I couldn't help but prepare for this much anticipated event,

and I found some tide pool I.D. charts online

{you can see them pinned them here}

I laminated them {to waterproof}

and handed them out before we left home.

The charts came with us to the tides pools,

and were so helpful in identifying the treasures we saw.

From sea stars and anemone to chitons and barnacles,

here are some of our

tide pool treasures...

Here they go, with their tide pool ID sheets, ready to explore!

Thank you Indian Beach!

Silvia

the process

2014-12-04T12:15:00.001-05:00

It is very exciting to have my art being exhibited at Oh So Good Cafe.
I thought I'd share a bit of what goes into creating a mixed media piece,

and then blogging about it.

I have hundreds {honestly, thousands I'm sure}

of pictures that I take for blogging

that never actually make it onto my blog.

Sometimes, I simply didn't have the time

to get a blog post ready

{it takes a good chunk of time}

and quite frankly,

sometimes,

what seemed like a great idea one day,

just didn't have the same appeal the next day.

A lot of the first steps happen in my thoughts

{I often lay in bed seeing images of what I could create ...

oh! if i could just snapshot those paintings in my brain!}

I do a lot of thinking before I start a piece.

And then I...

I sketch it out,

play with it,

do background work,

and layering,

drying time {which I usually rush along with dryer},

paint, paint and more paint!

I often add watercolour or ink

as one of my top layers,

I highlight with a white pen or marker,

{my favourite pen to date: Uniball Signo},

I create shadows,

splatter paint {on purpose}

and sometimes,

I doodle at the very end.

I nearly always I take pictures,

{alone, or with help from my man}

And then, sometimes, I blog about it.

Here is a peak, taken from various paintings:

{drawing stage of a watercolour}

{first layer of mixed media, drying paint}

{collage, more paint, stamping, spraying, dripping, adding wash tape ... I'm almost always on the floor by now}

{another background in process}

{inks for one of the top layers}

{photo shoot}

{Tim, helping me out}

{me, taking some pics}

Stay tuned! I am planning to soon blog about some

useful background-making supplies!

Silvia

oh let's be adventurers!

2014-11-18T21:50:00.000-05:00

Wow, it has been a while since I've blogged!

During the month of October,

my family and I ventured on a trip down

the west coast of the United States,

from Seattle, WA to Huntington Beach, CA.

The trip was a healthy mix of vacation, art and ministry.

and we had a really special time together.

If you have seen the Oregon coast,

the Redwood forests,

or the Big Sur in California,

you will likely agree with me when I say that
"spectacular" seems to be a weak word to describe those places.
Perhaps, "awe-inspiring, heart-stirring, magnificent and dramatically spectacular"
would better describe the beauty that sits on the west edge of the continent.
Okay, okay ... I'll stop.

In truth, I am always so drawn to the ocean,

and I miss it when I've been away from it for too long.

The sheer majesty, the relentlessness of it

communicates deeply to my soul.

I saw a t-shirt once that said,

"adventure is a family value".

I think I'd like to get that t-shirt!

Here are a few of my favourite scenes.
May you be inspired.

May your days be filled with joy and inspiration!

Silvia

exciting news!!

2014-09-29T01:21:00.000-04:00

Whew! Its been a busy few months,

but I did it!

In a few days we are heading out on a 4 week ministry trip/vacation.

{I'm very excited!}
And I had set some goals for myself,
somethings I wanted to accomplish before we left...

I wanted:

• to get 7-9 paintings completed,

• open up shop in a few on-line art stores

{sorry Esty, you didn't make the cut this time}

• and put some effort into having my art displayed locally.

Whoo-hoo!

I'm so excited to announce that

I did it!!

I will be displaying my art at

Oh So Good Dessert & Coffee House

{downtown, on York St)

during December and January!

Please stop by to see it

{and get one of their incredible desserts}

And, you can now buy my art on-line at:

Fine Art of America

and

Society6.

{check out the link to Society6 to the right of this text}

I have hashtaged on instagram

#meetinggoalsfeelsgood
It really does feel good!

If you would like to follow me on instagram

{and see lots of pictures of our upcoming adventure!}

I am silviaklassen

Here is a sample of what you will find for sale in my on-line stores.

I will update it regularly.

Thanks for being a part of this exciting journey with me!

Silvia

a little gallery

2014-09-11T20:40:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd post a little gallery

of some recent art work

{exploration, really.}

Some of them are in my art journals,

and few are hanging up on my

inspiration wall.

{If you follow me on instagram,

you'll have seen some of these already.

If you'd like to follow me,

you can find me at:

silviaklassen}

One of the major lessons I have learned

is to

Just. Let. Go.

{Elsa was right on that}

Art doesn't flow when you are worried about perfection.

Art flows when you release yourself

to the process.

So, the good, the bad and the messy

Are all a beautiful part of it.

I hope you enjoy browsing,

and feel inspired to explore

in your own world,

with the things you love to do.

Silvia

silent but productive // beautiful time

2014-08-30T14:54:00.001-04:00

Hi Friends,

I know I have been fairly quiet on my blog

these past few months,

but it's not because I haven't been creating.

I've created some goals for myself

that I am working towards,

and while I love to share what I've been doing,

blogging does take a good time commitment.

So, with the full life I have

{we all have full lives, don't we}

I have allotted that time to other things.

{I have been reading a great book

by Harold Eberle in which he describes

time

in the most beautiful,

meditative manner.

I can't do it justice here,

but it is shifting my whole viewpoint.

I will say that I am learning

that I am not in a race against time;

it is a gift from a loving God

that is partnering with me

to accomplish my dreams and destiny.}

Here is a sample

of what I've been creating lately.

I may still add a bit of text

beside her, about her.

{**I plan to show more,

and make some announcements

in the near future!!**}

Thanks for reading, and for your support.

Silvia

stolen from / still love watercolours

2014-07-16T22:23:00.000-04:00

It's been a while.

I have to admit it.

I was a bit side-swiped last month

when I learned that one of my photos

{from my post, "Because I love Birds"}

was being used by a photojournalist

across the world in Turkey

{as if it was his own}.

It certainly shocked and upset me.

It was a strange "violated" sort of feeling.

I've learned my lesson,

and I will now be watermarking all my pictures,

and moving on...

I've written before how much I love watercolour,

and here is another playful one that I recently completed.

I don't always name my paintings,

but this one is called "bird playground"

{I like to think of watercolour as my playground

as I often can't help but get playful with it.}

{for those interested: I used:

• 140 lb cold press paper
• Grumbacher and Winsor & Newton watercolours
• masking fluid
• iridescent watercolour medium
• a 0.5 mechanical pencil
• General's sketch & wash pencil
• white Sakura Gelly Roll Gel Ink Pen}

Silvia

Introducing: Super-Power Creative Girl

2014-06-05T22:10:00.000-04:00

Girls.

I have three of my own,

and one brave boy.

They are all awesome and I love them like crazy.

There is absolutely nothing that compares to having a family

{And I mean nothing}.

Girls.

I also really like creating them in my art journal,

and on canvases,

and in my sketchbook...

{you get the point}.

I have been creating them for the past few years

and they are scattered throughout my studio.

This is one of my creations,

based on a recent {wonderful!} class I took

by the super-talented Danielle Donaldson.

Her work makes me swoon.

It just grabs at something

deep inside of me.

It's magic,

It's playful.

It's like looking at a rainbow

all the time.

I love, love, love it.

Assignment #4: Here is my creative, super-power girl

from the Creative Girl class:

Yup, I really like her.

with her rainbow hair,

super-hero designer cape

and crooked little mouth.

Here are her humble beginnings, with a few possible friends:

You can see a few other girls I have created here, and here, and some quick, abstract ones here.

Silvia

a trip to Narnia

2014-06-05T20:41:00.000-04:00

Like most of you, my life is super busy.

It feels crazy sometimes,

trying to fit so many things in each week,

while longing for a slower pace.

But there are a few things that I wouldn't trade in

our morning times with God

sweet moments of connection with family

time for art and creativity

time spent in nature.

I try to carve out time for this regularly,

when life is calling me to

do more

I know heaven is calling me to

be more.

I haven't blogged much

{I didn't blog all of May}

I have made time lately

for some of the things I love

{we need to make time for the things we love}

I'll try to show them here in the next few posts.

Recently I spent a few hours with youngest two kids

{while my older two were away for the day}

at one of our favourite, magical spots.

{a friend called it Narnia}

So they did their math, and read their chapters books

{they both happen to be reading the Chronicles of Narnia}

while in Narnia

Inevitably when we are out,

we start collecting.

{Rocks, sticks, dandelions, anything goes}

There is something wonderful about collecting treasures from natures.

We took most of our treasures home

and we are in the midst of using them in some fun and useful projects.

{I'll post more about that another day.}

Lastly, here is a little beauty that stopped long enough for me to snap a few pictures of it:

It was a wonderfully peaceful, happy time,

like water to a thirsty soul.

In our little bit of Narnia.

Silvia

paint, butterflies & magical moments

2014-04-28T20:53:00.002-04:00

any art, when you love it, can be magical

painting with watercolour is like that for me

here is a whimsical scene I've been playing with

I could endlessly add little details

{it is one of the funnest parts}

{I hope you can get magically lost in something you love}

Silvia

tiny landscapes

2014-04-22T21:40:00.001-04:00

One of my all-time favourite words is

'serendipity'

It's fun to say,

it makes me feel happy,

and I love that is speaks of unpredictability.

I love to go on serendipitous vacations with my family

{where we don't have every detail planned out.}

I love to discover new things together,

especially when it was unexpected,

unplanned.

Here is my connection to art:

I love watercolours.

I love how they move across the page,

I love their unpredictability

I love that they can take me on a

serendipitous journey.

This week, I saw an artist post about how she used watercolour paintings

that didn't work out very well

to make new artwork.
{check out: Elvie Studio}

So, I gave it a try with my own twist...

I masked a few little areas for fun.

{Masking fluid shields the paper from the paint until it is removed}.

And then I just played with streaks and blobs of colour:

After that, I cut out a 1" square,

a 1 1/2" square and a 1"x2" rectangle

from another sheet of paper

and I used them as frames

to see what I could find in my painting:

My mind is often on nature a lot these days

and I couldn't help but see it through that filter.

Do you see as many landscapes as I did?
{I loved elvis studio's frames,
so borrowed them for my mini pics}

This was fun little serendipitous project.

It forced me to look beyond the streaks and blobs

to find art.

Silvia

you cannot keep spring from coming

2014-04-01T20:11:00.001-04:00

Around here we haven't seen too many signs of spring. This is pretty much how things look in eastern Ontario:

Piles of dirty, brown-grey snow. We even had 6" of snowfall this past Sunday.

{Nooooo!}

This is not the scene we all expect

{and desire}

to see when April finally enters the scene!

I'm going to share a funny little bit about myself:

I have a daily reminder on my iPhone to "Notice Nature."

Yup. I remind myself each day to look up, look out, to see.

I remind myself each day to

notice

the glory of creation.

It is a soul-soothing discipline/habit/love.

However, I have to admit that lately it has felt like there isn't too much to notice.

Today, with the weather above freezing, I took my two youngest kids out,

and we out to look for

spring.

Amidst all that grey-brown, dirty snow, this is what we found:

Budding trees, dirty puddles of melting dirty snow, gooey, squishy mud, bits of grass trying to awaken, flowers pushing their way up through the snow

... beautiful, hopeful signs of spring.

{Welcome Spring. We have all been waiting for you}

Pablo Neruda once said, "You can cut the flowers, but you cannot keep spring from coming."

After last Sunday's six inches of snow,

I used my sketchbook to remind myself that spring was indeed

still coming...

Happy Spring to you!

Silvia
follow me on instagram at silviaklassen