Encaustic love…

Artwork and Photo by Bridgette

Just because I'm so obsessed with encaustic paintings nowadays… check out this post on images + wax. And because I can't help myself, here are some more pieces to drool over.

All Roads Lead to Forever by Michelle Belto
18”X18”
Encaustic, Tar, Torch on Handmade Paper

Antique Garden by Michelle Belto
Torch, Tar, Beeswax, Damar, Cotton, Abaca on Artist Made Cast Paper
18" x 18"

Judy Wise

I don't care what the rest of the painting looks like, even though the finished painting is stunning.  I'm so blown away by the pieces Judy Wise creates.  I stared at these pictures for a half hour, studying every nook and cranny of the textured surface.  It looks like caramel dripped over white icing.  Oh, Lord, why do I need to turn everything into a food reference? I NEED to know how she created this!

Artwork and Photo by Judy

Artwork and Photo by Judy

Who inspires you?

Playing with NuPastels...

I'm playing today.  I'm taking a break from marketing, emails, Facebook, and my to do list to just play.  It feels good to ignore my responsibilities every now and again.  Let me rephrase that... it feels good to focus on my artistic side, instead of my business side.  Better?

It's been awhile since I taped a cravings, and it's been even longer since I tried out a new product.   The NuPastels have been sitting on my drafting table for the last month, ever since I taped this Haul.  Yes, it's been that long.  I broke out the tortillons, mineral spirits, and my new brushes and dug right in.

I played around with my pencil.  Sketched lightly, without hesitation.  I didn't worry about how far apart my eyes were because there were none.  I had only one focus.  Experiment.  It didn't have to be perfect, just practice.  

Want to learn more about the NuPastels?  I'm getting down and dirty on Friday with a new video.

First Stage of a layered background...

A follow-up to Wednesday's quick video... here are two videos that go through my process of starting my first couple layers of a painting. I decided to focus on Chloe, on Gessobord, but I will working with Delores, on the Claybord, over the next couple weeks. Next month's Cravings (scheduled for February 9th) will be about these two great Ampersand bord's, so stay tuned!! This background is by no means complete, and it may look completely different by the time the painting is complete, but it's how I start. Call it a "warm-up". Sometimes I hate my first couple layers. As I add and add on to them, that first "unwanted" layer leaves a beautiful underlying texture to all the others. Don't stress, just play!

I talk a little bit about mixing your own shade of Titan buff, so here is my formula (approximations... I don't measure): 10 parts Titanium White, 1 part Burnt Umber, and a couple small drops of Indian Yellow. I use mostly fluid body acrylics, but you can use whatever type you have available.

Links from the video

Ampersand Gessobord

PVA glue

Golden Acrylics fluid and heavy body

Portfolio Water Soluble Oil Pastels

Prismacolor Watercolor pencil

If you ever have any questions about the products I use, or talk about, please don't hesitate to email me. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to be the first to view my videos (they usually are posted on the channel a couple days before the blog post is published). Thanks for watching!

Week 9... 2nd stage of a painting.

In this post I talked about the first stage of starting a new piece. Due to the fact that I fell out of love with my watercolor pencils, only to rediscover them in this class, I wanted to try out this new technique on a real piece. This meant I had to ditch my birch plywood and wood burning (briefly, just briefly), and try out Ampersand's bord's (yes... bord's, not board's... I don't know why). Today I'm trying the Clayboard and Gessobord with little Miss Chloe and Delores, my first of many paintings in the coming year.

Time to take off the training wheel of the sketchbook and put on my big girl britches. Hope you enjoy the video!

Links from the video

Ampersand Claybord

Ampersand Gessobord

Prismacolor Watercolor pencil in sunburst yellow

If you ever have any questions about the products I use, or talk about, please don't hesitate to email me. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to be the first to view my videos (they usually are posted on the channel a couple days before the blog post is published). Thanks for watching!

Finishing my logo painting...

1. Finish PeachHoney logo painting... Completed January 10, 2011.

One of my favorite things to do is search on YouTube for for speed painting videos. I love to see how other artists start their paintings, and how they work through a piece to get their desired end result. I've had my logo painting sitting on my drafting table for awhile, staring at me as I work on other things. It was something I wanted to get done on my two weeks off work, so I decided it was time to clear my schedule and focus. Although I was almost finished with the painting, and you can't get a clear picture of my start-to-finish process, I wanted to give you a little taste. Hope you love it!!

PS... I'm starting my "Chloe" piece tomorrow and will be taping the entire process... start to finish. No talking, just painting. Maybe some music... hmmmmm. It will post on Monday!!!

Links from this video

Golden Heavy Body Acrylics in burnt umber, cad yellow, carbon black, and white

paper flowers

PVA glue

Golden Fluid acrylics in white and iridescent bright gold (fine)

Martha Stewart glitter

Distress ink pad in Walnut stain

Ranger Beeswax

Melting pot

Wood burning tool with shading tip

Music by Roisin Murphy

If you ever have any questions about the products I use, or talk about, please don't hesitate to email me. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to be the first to view my videos (they usually are posted on the channel a couple days before the blog post is published). Thanks for watching!

Setting my stage with an Art Journal Page

My husband bought me a FlipVideo for Christmas (after I hinted that the future of PHL depended on it's purchase)... a little dramatic, but it got the job done. After an afternoon with my best friend and sister-in-law, and a pitcher of margaritas, we went on a shopping spree in Downtown Sacramento. In addition to a rockin outfit for New Years, I bought a tripod for my Flip Video. Score!!!

It's been a while since I showed you an art journal page, so I decided to show you my process, instead of just showing the end result. I set my stage, I taped the video, and downloaded the clips to my computer. When I sat down to edit them I discovered, somewhere between taping and editing, my clips were cut off. I can't explain how fuming I was, and of course I deleted the video clips before I realized my work had been inadvertently clipped... AHHHHH!! I spent the next day searching the internet, trying to find the answer. I downloaded a couple video converters, that promised to convert my files to MAC compatible ones. Alas, my video remained clipped. My drafting table was a complete disaster after completing the page. I couldn't bring myself to tape another video after what happened, so I'll just show you the finished product, and hopefully the next time will be a little more successful. If anyone has answers for me, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP!! Better luck next time, I hope :(

Here's the finished product. The journaling reads... Good friends are hard to find, but worth the wait. Thanks for being a friend

Supplies used...

Golden gesso

sponge brushes

Ceramacoat acrylic paint

texture tools

Golden Gel Matte Medium

Stewart Gill Byzantia paint in Cardinale

Sumi ink

Yasutomo Bamboo Sketching Pen

My sketches with a little color...

My sketches from last Friday lit a fire under my butt... since then, I've been sketching my little heart out. A little before work, some on my breaks, and then painting them when I get home from work. This has lead me to my current problem... I can't sleep. I used to take Benedryl every night to sleep, and finally weaned myself off after the wedding. Well, my old friend, Insomnia, is back due to my new friend, Inspiration. Well, I can't take Benedryl because Joseph and I are trying to start a family and my Eat Clean lifestyle is back, so I guess I have to paint until the sleep comes... it's terrible *wink*

I've been playing around with the eyes of my girls to make them look a little more mysterious. Blues, greens, even purples... a little Perfect Pearls to make them sparkle. I'm discovering a whole new dimension of possibilities, and it's staying with me all day. Is this what it feels like to live your dream? I've uncovered a whole new life leaving me fulfilled and completely at peace.

Joseph has even joined my party and has been naming my girls lately. He's really good at it!! It feels like he has a hand in this wonderful part of my life, and he should be because he's my biggest supporter. My cheerleader without the pom poms. Here is Delores, and the progression of what she came to be. I think I like the way she looked before I added all the dark eyeliner and mascara. I like the natural look... something to keep in mind (thankfully, I only sketched her).





Here's another love I've been working on... I adore her!! Joseph has named her Chloe... fitting, don't you think? I'm really enjoying my sketchbook, and writing notes in the corner about techniques I need to keep, or change. I'm growing as an artist, and it feels great. If only I had enough time to go back to Art School... one of my other big dreams. Maybe someday...




Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season... wishing everyone love and success in the upcoming year. xoxo

The logo...

I'm nesting... organizing closets and the kitchen pantry, making placements to coordinate with the drapes. I haven't tackled the studio yet... that's a big job... one that takes concentration and more than the 30 minutes I have before work.



Even though I haven't started on the studio, I did clear the drafting table to start my logo. I felt an extreme desire to paint and I needed to address it before I went completely insane. I can't tell u how great it felt to pick up a paint brush... the inspiration came flooding back to me. Simply exhilarating.
I remember painting penguins in preschool and showing it off to my mom because, in my head, it looked exactly like a penguin. I felt the same way when I started painting my logo... proud of my gift and excited about what I could turn it into to. It feels good to be proud of something. Here's the beginning of the logo... I still have to add a little spice and sassiness, but it's definitely a strong start.



I'm still working on my color combos... I want the "brand" to be perfect, and I want it to be me, so I'm on the hunt for the perfect coordinating combo. Any suggestions?

The Censor, The Garden, and Mary

Miss Suzi Blu has inspired me again!! Damn that woman!! :) If you haven't already gone to her ning network, please, I beg you, GO!!! (http://www.suziblu.ning.com/) There are so many workshops to fall in love with and they are sure to unleash the creative passion that you thought didn't exist. One of the newest FREE workshops is centered around a book called "The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron. The first chapter is about creating a sense of safety by acknowledging your inner critic (you Censor) and basically telling him to shut the heck up... he's the one who plants "Negative Nelly" thoughts in your head anytime you get a compliment. Have you ever really payed attention to children... they will compliment themselves with such conviction and without hesitation because they're free from self doubt (that negative crap we adults force feed ourselves). Go ahead, try saying something nice about yourself and just listen to your Censor weasel his way in... We don't need to hear any more from the peanut gallery, so could you kindly SHUT UP!!!... I still have to do my positive affirmation homework, but so far I'm loving this book...

On the gardening front... After all my stressing over my bulbs not sprouting I went out on my patio Saturday morning and found that two of my bulbs had indeed broken free (and a couple days later a couple more made their debut).... I tell you, I have never been so freakin' excited and I must have gone out to "check on them" about 20 times throughout the day just to bask in my success. I was all ready to dig them out and "force" them, but I guess all I needed was a little faith and patience. I was so inspired by my newly discovered green thumb that I went out and bought lavender and star jasmine plants and a bunch of herb seeds... and yes, I will sow them myself... that's right, Martha Stewart, there's a new girl in town... Watch out!!!

Some other good news... I have finally finished my commissioned piece for the The American Cancer Society. Her name is Mary and I am completely head over heels in love with her. All day Monday I painted away at this background... I lost count on how many layers I put down, but the end result is beautiful, I think, so it was all worth it. I couldn't bare to not have a remembrance of her, so I dropped her off at Sacramento Giclee this morning so I can have a print all to myself (and anyone else who loves her)... Her she is...

Three Things to love... About Mixed Media Products

1. Acrylic Glazing liquid by Golden... I'm sure there are other products that are comparable to this one, but I gotta say that this stuff is THE BEST... I use this for everything, but my favorite use is to blend colors... It cuts down the drying time of acrylic paints and makes the paint glide over the canvas... well, I have been using birch plywood more and more these past couple months, which really absorbs the paint, so the Glazing Liquid helps to prevent that when you're trying to mix colors... LOVE IT!!!

2. Watercolor Colored Pencils... I use Prismacolor and Derwent and they're both wonderful... I use these more as a base for my shading... I put down a layer and then blend with water. I then go over it with different glazes of acrylic paint until I get the color that I want. I love it because if I don't have the exact color I want I know that all I have to do is add some more layers of color glazes until I get it just right (that's if I don't completely muddy up my colors first... haven't done it, yet, but there's a first time for everything)...

3. Gel Matte Medium by Golden... I have a lot of glue around my studio, but this is my favorite for mixed media pieces... and the part I absolutely love about it is that your application doesn't have to be remotely perfectly... just glob on a chunk of it, place whatever paper or 3D object on top, and messily smoosh with a brush... it's not perfect, but when it dries it sure looks like it is...

Reunion and Polly has a sister...

I was a bad girl... I called in sick all weekend... Bad nurse!!

On Saturday I had a good excuse... One of my very best friends and fellow scrapbooker, Tricea, who now lives in Atlanta (Booo!!!), came to visit and we spent all day shoppin' and gabbin'... all the good stuff I miss about her... Love her to death!!!... we even ended the day with margaritas and Mexican food with my Joseph at Chevy's on the River...

When I was driving home after dropping her off at her folks, I realized I hadn't taken any pictures... Duh!!! I was so mad at myself... I will hopefully visit her for the Taste of Atlanta in August, so we'll have an entire weekend to document our friendship :) I can't wait!!!

Then, I called in sick again on Sunday.... The excuse wasn't as good as Saturday's, but Polly has a new sister!! She's my first commission and she's so incredibly lovely. Her name in Becca, and her new home is with a friend of mine from work...

I have to say that I was a little stressed when she asked me to make a piece for her... my art has always been for me, and I love it, but now I was faced with the task of making something that someone else had to fall in love with... I was freakin' out!!! But, I just told myself, "She wouldn't have asked you if she didn't already love your art, so get over it!"... I eventually got over it, and all day Sunday my creative juice cup runnith over, and here she is... All I have left to do is beeswax her and then she's off to her new home...

I was on such a high from Sunday that Monday and Tuesday I started on a snowman!!!... His name is Edward, and he is keeping me from finishing my Italy scrapbook... I'm so stinkin' bad...

Mixed Media with Tim Holtz...

I had a class with Tim Holtz on Monday... it was so much fun!!! He is such a sweetheart and so down to earth and helpful... I had so much fun!!... and of course I acted like a complete groupie (I'm such a dork)... he signed my apron and took a picture with me... It was the last class of the weekend, and I was happy to see Tim as perky as ever...
I was surprised at how many techniques were involved in this one 12x12 canvas... I can't wait until he comes back next year... and this time I'm camping outside to shop, so I can sign up for more than one class... I have to admit though that it was the one I really really wanted to take... LOVE HIM!!!

The class was a mixed media Christmas collage and we used everything but the kitchen sink to put together this holiday piece... I loved the way it turned out... My plan is to put together a few of these for christmas gifts this year... a little something for family and friends from my humble little studio...
..they are sure to be filled with lots of love from yours truly...

Polly... Italy... Crap!!!

So I finally finished my polly from Suzi Blu's class... the class is over and I'm so sad... that was BY FAR the best class I've ever taken... I'll miss the weekly Suzi Love videos... so many techniques... so much love... Her mixed media network is still up and running, and we have tons of creative godesses to play with!!!... So much fun...

Anyway, here's my finished Polly... my favorite part of mixed media is how versitile it is... you can use whatever you have lying around!!!... in this painting alone I used woodburning, colored pencils, acrylic paint (three different brands), stencils, stamps, tissue paper, scrapbook paper, paper flowers, gold leaf, and beeswax... Tons of fun beautiful layers!!!... I can't even explain how much fun I had working on this piece... anyway, enough of my babbling... here she is!!!

I finally started working on my Italy scrapbook from 2007 (ummm... yea... a little late)... and thanks to the espresso I bought from that trip (mixed with a little sugar-free Swiss Miss hot chocolate... OMG so friggin' good!!) I have gotten the first three pages done before work over the last couple days... still have to work on the journaling... I may have to take Jessica Sprague's new FREE CLASS to get the ideas flowin'... I'll post my finished pages in a few days...

On another note... I am FUTURE TRIPPIN'!!! (a new term I picked up from my Karen)... with the economy the way it is and my CNA contract due to be renegotiated in 2011 (I know, I know... and little early to be flippin' out), I'm just a little worried (ok, ok... A LOT worried) about the future of my job and wages... anyway, just thought I would share my thoughts... enjoy your weekend...

Oh, by the way, my 30 mile ride turned into 12 miles... so, yea, I'm pretty pathetic, but Natalie assured me that she's going to start kickin' my ass, so we're doing a whopping 15 miles next time... I'm still hoping for some motivation to stick with it...

I love you my Honeybush!!!... Muah!!

Mixed Media Page

Go visit my Suzi Blu Mixed Media Page... xoxox