Just Be Yourself

January 2012 Creative Color Challenge - Tangerine Tango

2012-01-28T19:06:31-06:00

This year I'm going to attempt to participate in more online art challenges. I love participating, but I've found that sometimes in past challenges it's been difficult to "keep up." I'm also finding, that after my successful run with the Summer 2011 Color Challenge, I make more of an effort when it's something I really enjoy!

When I read about Louise Gale's 2012 Creative Color Challenge, I knew I had to give this a try! Color is one of my strongest sources of inspiration. I also love doing a challenge because it pushes me...it makes me stretch my creative wings a bit, especially when it's something I normally wouldn't do or use, like the color orange. Not long ago, Pantone announced the color palette for 2012, and the color of the year is Tangerine Tango...so the first challenge that Louise gave us was to create with it.

So here it is! This is actually a larger adaption of a pattern for a dress and pinafore I used last summer, and I changed it up a bit...my goal? Completing 52 paper dresses in my art journal! Of course I haven't posted any yet...so this piece was completed in Photoshop...I'll share my "real" dresses later!

Click on the 2012 Creative Color Challenge badge in the right sidebar to check out more info about the challenge and to check out pieces from other artists.

And, as always, thank you SO much for stopping by!

Hugs and toodles!

My First Pinterest Board - Fashion Illustration

2012-01-14T16:09:29-06:00

I just finished pinning my first board on Pinterest! I could SO easily become addicted to spending most of my waking hours there...talk about overload for inspiration!

Anyway...here it is (click here)...if you like fashion illustration, maybe you'll find some interesting books...have I ever mentioned I'm a bibliphile?

Source: Uploaded by user via Anita on Pinterest

Thanks for stopping by today!

Hugs and Toodles!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T17:45:41-06:00

This year we once again are enjoying an extended weekend with our children and grandchildren, except our youngest son who is in the Navy and unable to come home until next year. We miss him, however I will still cherish the time we have with our other three children and two granddaughters.

We enjoy the laughter, the sharing and reminiscing, making meals together, last minute shopping...my husband's parents are both gone now, and I think back to the holidays we enjoyed with them. The Christmases we enjoyed when we used to live in the country...the tree-lined lane that led to the house...the fresh winter air...the crunch of the snow...the Christmas Eve candlelight services at our little white church in the country...but always, at the center of everything, at the heart of it, is always the joy of being with family...and the celebration of our Savior's birth. Without the birth, there would be no redemption. Christmas...the promise...and Easter, or Resurrection Sunday...the sacrifice and fulfillment of the promise...the two most important holidays celebrated by those of the Christian faith. So, because of the promise and the fulfillment, there is still the joy that we'll see them again...so truly Jesus Christ was "Joy to the World."

I thank all of you for visiting my blog, I thank all those art instructors that have taught the remarkable workshops that have instructed and inspired me, and I especially thank those who have taken any of my workshops this past year! YOU all have helped me to get back into designing, creating, and teaching, and hopefully I'll see some of you in my e-courses this coming year! It feels good to do what is my heart's passion.

So, I leave you with a beautiful, inspiring Christmas video! I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy, Healthy, Prosperous New Year! May you live the life you desire, and may it be full of good things.

And, as always, thank you for stopping by!

Hugs and toodles!

heart sounds - the newest offering by Bonita Rose!

2011-12-20T23:52:18-06:00

I'm a little late in getting this out, but I was weeding through my myriad of emails, and totally missed this! However, it's not too late to sign up and it's a great deal!

Bonita Rose and I have been friends for about a year...we "met" online in a mixed media class, and discovered she lives in the same city as three of our four children! She is highly creative...she's a great writer, and unlike yours truly, she loves taking photographs, and she shares all things goodness on her blog. She is one of the most prolific and inspring artists I know, and shares it all on her blog, a life unrehearsed. She just began a new creative journey called "heart sounds." She says it way better than I could, so without further ado, here she is!

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Introducing Heart Sounds

For the last few months, I have been devouring books, reading blogs, and chatting with a few of my dear online friends and friends in real life, about what I really want to do and accomplish with my art, with this one life I'm living.

There is always one thing I always get back to. I want to share about my art process. I want to write. I want to write more. I want to share more of my heart with the people that love me and support me. That believe in me. That come to my blog and get inspired each and every time. I want to share more of my life, my heart, my art - with these people. I don't want it to just be art, I want it to be so much more. I want it to be the sounds from my heart.

When I've shared my heart with a few of my dear friends about this concept, this idea - they've all said I should do it. They told me I have a powerful story to share. I create art that always comes from the depths of me. I have so much more to tell. So much more to share. Each one of my friends I've mentioned this to -- have told me to go ahead, to believe in myself more - and do it.
They've told me to leap.

To not be afraid.
To believe in the now.
To believe in all I have to share, to offer.
(I have such amazing friends!)

Because besides all the colorful art I create, besides all my Studio supplies, besides all the paints, inks and papers up in my Studio - there is so much more to my story than my art. The art I create day in and day out - is an extension of me, it is. But there is so much more I feel called to share with all of you that want to dig deeper.
That want to hear those sacred sounds of my heart.

I've been asked, "will you still blog?"
Will you still share you art and parts of your life on your blog, on your website? The answer to that is of course. Writing, inspiring and sharing is part of who I am. It's so much a part of what I know I'm meant to do. I honestly enjoy sitting down to draft a post, the writing, the photos, putting it all together - I almost enjoy that as much as I do making art and creating with my hands. It's part of my process. My sacred process. And I wouldn't give it up. I honestly would only stop blogging if it came to the point where I couldn't physically or emotionally do it anymore. So the answer is yes, I'll still be blogging. I'll still be sharing my life right here.

But in my weekly heart sounds, I'll be sharing more.
I'll be digging deeper.

These 'heart sounds', these notes of mine - will come directly to your inbox, once you subscribe, each Wednesday, for $10/month.

If you love what you find here, and want more, then join.
It's really that simple. You can join anytime.

heart sounds every week will include a combination of:

photo inspiration
words to ponder, stories and wisdom
art inspiration and/or prompts

My first heart sounds will be going out on Nov 30th, 2011, after the big Thanksgiving Holiday here in the USA. Keep in mind if you register now or before December 1st, you will be paying for the entire month of December! Every month, on the day you subscribe, another $10 subscription fee will be charged to you. You can cancel anytime. And re-join when it's a better time for you. I want to make this as easy as I can for you!

So there you have it! Doesn't it sound exciting and inspiring? I'm SO there!!! Click on the links for more info or to contact Bonita Rose directly.

And, as always, thank you SO much for stopping by!

Hugs and Toodles!

Panache - Art Journal Workshop only $25 through December 31!

2011-12-15T11:45:00-06:00

I have decided to offer my art journal workshop for my "Christmas special"; only $25 through December 31!

Here is info:

pa nash - noun; a grand or flamboyant manner, style,flair

Panache - Define and Refine Your Style!

For all those who want to develop their own artistic style, whether they are mixed media artists, fiber artists, crafters...anyone who wants to grow...this is for you!

Panache is a six lesson art journaling course for beginners and the more experienced alike! Six fun-filled lessons of beautiful PDFs and video instruction, all materials and videos will be downloadable and are yours to keep. The workshop is ongoing, and will be held on my Ning group, Just Be Yourself.

Students will need to join Just Be Yourself in order to access the classroom, but membership is free! More information is available at http://anitavanhal.ning.com!

Please contact me if you have any questions (anitavanhal@gmail.com).

The popularity of art/visual journaling grows day by day, yet there are so many that say they don't know where to start, or what to do!

You may be asking yourself, "What IS art journaling? And all those art supplies! What are they, what do they do, where in the world do I find them? How do I even begin?"

I've been wanting to do an art journaling workshop for quite a long time, but I wanted to be able to offer something truly helpful, fun, educational...and now the time is right!

This workshop is going to focus on the basics, but will also be challenging for the more experienced. We're also going to explore style...finding your own personal style is really about discovering yourself! This will be a time for researching, experimenting, and discovering what YOU like and what is important to you. There are no rules in art journaling except the ones you set for yourself!

Each of the six weekly lessons will feature a different "style" and the workshop will also include the following components:

Basic Color Theory, Mixing Colors, and Developing Color Schemes- you will learn to be more confident about mixing and using color in your own pages!

Basic Design Principles- nothing to be afraid of, and just learning some basics will give you a creative edge!

Art Supply Video Demos- I'll teach you about lots of art supplies through video instruction, then YOU can determine if you want to buy!

Backgrounds and Borders- I provide you with patterns, borders, and doodles to help you start your pages!

Creative Lettering and Embellishing- you'll learn a bit about creative lettering!

Journal Boxes and Frame Designs- different journal "boxes" for you to add to your pages.

YOUR Turn!- Each week's lesson will include videos featuring techniques, tools, and handcrafted resources including instruction on making and using stencils and masks; making texture using found objects; making your own stamps; mark makers using simple household and found objects; and re-purposing items to add your own flair to your pages! You'll be able to watch me create my pages from start to finish.

Each week you receive beautiful, originally designed, very informative PDF lessons to print out and put in your "workbook." There are also a large number of style sheets and patterns for creating your own stencils and stamps! The PDF lessons each week roughly consist of about 20 pages of info and instruction!

I'm purposely keeping the required supply list short. I encourage you to use what you have on hand before purchasing more, however these are a few items I used:

Recommended Supplies:

Canson XL Mix Media Pad

This is a great starter journal. The pages are heavy enough to hold up to wet and dry media, and consists of 60 pages...just enough to make it through the workshop! Dick Blick has the required 9x 12" size for $6.00. Hobby Lobby also carries them.

Pentel Oil Pastels (set of 50)

Dick Blick has the set of 50 that are inexpensive!

Graphite and/or charcoal pencil(great for adding shading to your art)

Acrylic paint(black, white, blue, red, yellow) - The brand is not important, inexpensive craft paints will work...no need to buy more colors unless you want

Color Pencils(again, any brand will do, even Crayola!) I'll be demonstrating the use of "regular" color pencils like Prismacolor, Crayola, watercolor, pastel, and oil.

A Set of Watercolors -any brand will do, even Crayola!

Gesso(this is basically a white primer used to "base-coat" your pages; the brand is not important, I like to use Liquitex, (which is available at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Dick Blick, etc.), but your can also use Golden's (which is more expensive) and Dick Blick also offers their own brand which is a nice quality as well

Matte gel medium or Mod Pauge, or Collage Pauge, glue stick(basically you will need something to glue "stuff" down)

Scissorsfor cutting paper

Markers(any type will work; for shading your creative lettering, etc.) not necessary but nice to have; Pentel has a nice inexpensive set, and Crayola has a fun set of 50 scented markers I found at Wal-Mart!

Black waterproof pen or marker(for doodling, lettering, etc.) I like a Pentel gel pen...there are several types available with different sized nibs like Micron, etc.

Sakura gel pens(not necessary but fun to have) These work great for art journaling!

Magazines and catalogs like Vogue, W, etc.(resources that you can cut up for the pictures, lettering, etc.) Check your local library to see if they have free giveaways, or a thrift store...you may be able to find resources on Ebay as well. Use any images or text that you like!

I would recommend just getting the basics before class begins, and then after watching some of the videos, you can determine if you'd like to purchase more supplies or not...I'll be demonstrating many art supplies, but this is just to show you what they do and what the properties of each is. You can easily get by with the journal, paint, a basic set of Crayola color pencils and markers, and a good waterproof pen or marker.

This workshop will be open indefinitely, so there is no hurry to finish!

And now for a limited time, you may purchase this online class for only $25! This reduced price is only available through December 25...after that the fee reverts back to $45.

I won!!! Sponsor giveaway: Poorly Drawn Things | Pikaland

2011-11-16T11:55:48-06:00

How awesome is this! I can't wait to get my prize! And wear them!

Sponsor giveaway: Poorly Drawn Things | Pikaland.

The Amazing Lesley Venable – Artist Interview

2011-11-10T11:29:55-06:00

This week's artist interview is with Lesley Venable, altered artist extraordinaire! Lesley has an amazing talent for "putting stuff together," and that makes her art work so unique and amazing…one thing I love about altered art is that no two pieces will ever turn out alike. Lesley puts a great deal of thought into each piece she creates, so that makes it so meaningful. Besides the art that Lesley creates, another thing I love about her is that she's a great instructor. I love when an artist has the ability and the heart to teach what she knows! She has an amazing workshop coming up next week, but I digress and get ahead of myself…so here's Lesley:

How long have you been creative? Do you have any formal art background?

I have been creative as long as I can remember. My mother is a more traditional artist (oils, watercolors, and tole) and taught classes first in our home and then in a private studio setting and we were always going to museums so my exposure to art came very young. I did study fine art and photography in college but my degree is a business one. A career in banking and a not so good first marriage helped me to push my artistic side to the back burner for a while but once I found my creative voice again I've not let it stop talking to me.

How would you define your art style? What are your favorite supplies and/or mediums?

I would say that my creations lean very much to a vintage style whether it is by color or items used. In some way this style is involved in all of my creations which include collage, assemblage, books, jewelry and fabric with the colors, textures and imagery all from a time gone by. Favorite supplies....oh, there are so many things that I love to work with and they change daily but I would have to say that tops on the list are my fluid chalk ink pads followed closely by vintage images (tintypes, cabinet cards, postcards) and textiles (lace, fabric, millinery) then the mediums (gesso, resin, solder, gel medium, Pam Carriker's new Mixed Media Adhesive, sketch and wash pencils, water color crayons), old ledger papers with that beautiful writing, contact paper......it's so hard to just choose a few but those items I listed are what I go to when I need to get my mind started.

What is "altered" art?

For me "altered" art can be defined in a few ways. First, it is taking an item that was intended for a totally different purpose and altering it to serve another artistic purpose; for example using an old metal funnel as the base of a doll or the hat of a tin man or an old wooden shoe last as a candle holder. Also, it can be the actual altering of an old item such as taking an old book and creating niches inside the covers or inking/painting the pages and creating your own story in words or images on its pages or it could be taking an old piece of ceiling tin and cutting it into wings for an angel. Then there are the items you actually create yourself from salvaged pieces and parts of other items. For instance taking an old chain from a necklace or several necklaces and creating a "new" necklace. Altered Art allows you to color outside of the lines, to play and make mistakes because sometimes the mistakes are actually better and, most importantly, it gives you the freedom to take bits of information learned in different classes and use them together.

How do you get and/or stay inspired? What inspires you?

Most of my ideas come from a line in a book, a verse in a song or an image. Once the idea takes root and I start looking at what stash I have that might fit the idea it kind of snowballs into excitement. At that point it almost feels unstoppable. With that being said I also have those days where I just sit at my table and look around and not one idea pops into my head. At those times I just pull out a canvas or a piece of wood, or a tin and I just start painting it, gluing paper on it, sanding it, etc. Sometimes just taking that first step will be inspiring. Something that I think every artist should do is to try to do at least one little something every day that is artistic - make a flower arrangement, create an Artist Trading Card, do a simple collage, etc.. The more you stimulate your creative mind the more it will reward you.

What advice would you give someone who has never created altered art before? Can a beginner create altered art?

Absolutely yes a beginner can create altered art! Truly everyone that is creating altered art now was once a beginner too. Here is what I always tell my students at the beginning of a class - There are no mistakes in art, art should not be stressful, art feeds your soul, all of your creations are beautiful, they are all one of a kind masterpieces that did not exist until you created them borne from a single spark of imagination and inspiration. Try a couple of classes - online or at a retreat - take it for a test drive and see how you feel after you have created a few of your own masterpieces. Leave your preconceived ideas at the door and come in and play. You will love it!

Do you create full-time? What can you tell us about your creative life?

I work full time at what I have often called my "necessary job". You know the one that pays the mortgage, insurance and other bills. Creating full time would be my ideal and it is what I strive for but for now I am grateful to be able to do both. The two things that I struggle most with in my creative life are turning off my analytical brain and turning on my creative brain and having confidence in what I create.

You are offering a fantastic workshop that begins November 15th. Is this workshop for beginners and the more experienced? What can your students expect from the workshop? How long will the class materials be available?

The workshops in the bundles will, I think, hold appeal for both beginners and experienced artists.

The first bundle includes three classes: 1. Collage Backgrounds - Layering, Textures, Composition and More; 2. Embellished Tags - Using fabric, images, ephemera, found objects. Use your sewing machine or your glue; 3. Composition Journals - We will take a cheap notebook and create a beautiful journal for you to keep or give as gifts.

The second bundle includes those three classes AND 4. Mail Art - Creating unusual envelopes and mailers to send to your friends and family; 5. Fabric Flowers - Easy way to create fabric flowers to adorn your gifts, jewelry or other art projects.

Each of these classes will give the student a "tool" or two to add to their creative toolbox and priced as they are I am hoping to reach as many people as I can. This economy has been so bad and I really felt led to offer a bundle of classes that would allow people to make beautiful gifts for their friends and family while at the same time pricing them at such a low price that anyone can afford to take them if they want to. Bundle #1 costs $5.00 or Bundle #2 costs $10.00 - the decision is whether you want 3 classes or 5.

Anyone interested, can visit this link to sign up:

http://flatwoodsfolkart.typepad.com/lesley_venable/2011/10/just-in-time-for-the-holidays.html

Do you currently sell your art? If so, please include links to your Etsy shop, etc.

I have just begun selling my art online. I have always sold vintage items but recently decided to sell what I create too. My shop name on Etsy is A Vintage Season and can be visited by clicking here: www.etsy.com/shop/avintageseason.

Do you blog and/or have you been published?

I do blog and try to post daily though sometimes I miss a day or two due to traveling. The blog address is: www.flatwoodsfolkart.typepad.com/lesley_venable.

If you visit be sure to "Join the Site" so that you can see when I update, have blog giveaways or post links to coupons for art supplies.

I have been published in Somerset Weddings, Somerset Gallery, and Sew Somerset and have been a guest contributor in a couple of books. Our artful traveling is done for 2011 but we will be in Ohio, Connecticut, California, Texas and Arizona to teach and vend. I love teaching at various art retreats and being surrounded by all of that creativity and like-minded souls.

Thank you Lesley, for sharing yourself with us! Best wishes on your new workshop and future ventures!

And, as always, thanks for stopping by!

Hugs and toodles!