Art must haves for journaling in the garden

So a few posts ago, I posted a very cool page I create in the garden. I LOVE DOING So during the summer. IT is just so inspiring and fun! So, if you want to spend some time makin art in the garden, just grab a little table and chair or sit at your picknick table. Now garb a lunchbox and fill with goodies:

• Camera(to take inspiring photos)
• acrylicpaints( TO paint with:))
• suncream(you dont want to get burnt and it can be used like gelmedium as a glue)
• paintbrushes and water
• pens for journaling

I only use these basic supplies and then just create whilst listening to craftpodcast such as craftsanity and craftypod. What pod casts do you like to listen to?

Arthistory Crashcourse part 1: Impressionism

I am launching a brandnew series about art history. Every tuesday, I will bring you the history on a time period, artist, art matêrial or piece of art.

The Impressionism offically started in the mid 1860's, when the first exhibition was launched containing impressionist pieces by artists such as Monet, Degas, Cezanne and van Gough.It was a personal way pf portraying the light and colours of the world.The art style was more about painting a reproduction of the true spirit rather than coüpining nature down to the barest detail. I think that art journalers can learn from them that you should depict the world as you see it and never be afraid to include the truth no matter how ugly that might be.

Impressionism is baout how the artist sees the world in that very spilt second and the ever changing reality. Colour was very important, ^the colours should convey the atmosphere of busy life in pure brilliance. It became more popular to go out in the fresh air and to paint face to face rather than being in a studio. These artists also figured out that the sun is not a single colour, but a sum of pure chromatical values.Light was important to impressionists and they use brush strokes to represent the vibrations of light.This could make a fun prompt: try painting a scence, by onld painting in the light or apply a thick layer or paint and then consoiusly create brush stroke texture.

Black became regongnized as a colour of its own and was no longer banished from the palette.Colours were applied in fantastic new techniques that either allowed them to blend or spilt the dark from the light.Basicly they paint reality as it is in the eyes of the painter with emphasis on light and colour. I think this is a cool attitude to have towards art journaling to.

I hope you have enjoyed this brief history crashcourse, as you have noticed, I will throw in some artsy inspirational ideas that came to me when I learned about it.

Now go make art!!!! Do you want to adda ny ideas you get from impressionism, please comment below and share.In order to promote commenting on my blog, I will post everyone's blog adress on my side bar, who leaves a comment.¨

XXO MAKEALIFE

Get outside that studio!!!

My work space outside, a pretty flower,a photo and the painting of the thing I painted.






Today it was warm weather and I had time and I had no ideas of what art I should create, so I went outside. I have a table and chairs outside, so I grabbed a few supplies: my art journal, camera, ipod,acrylic paints, watersoluable pencils, pain tbrush and water and a pencil. Then I simply sat down and started to create a wonderful impressionist painting of this part of my garden.I focused on the wonderful colours and basic shapes of the painting. I let go of thinking, oh that isn't very good and I think that itz turned out great. Yes, I know it does not look really realistic, but I love it. My painting really captures the colours of my garden. The coolest thing is that now that the light has changed, the colours did to, so I have captured my garden in an absolute unique way. The colours will never be the same. Try this experiment to, I took a photo and compared the colours, guess what mine were nicer, more saturated and just generally more realistic, colour wise. Ask yourself what do you feel, is the colour and feel more important to you or is it more important to you for the image to look realistic.To me, the first is way more important when it comes to art.


I dare you to try it to, grab your fave supplies and head out to your garden to create an impressionist painting or some fab photos. Another new thing I ma in to lately is Craftsanity, a fab podcast.I especially love the episodes about artistic people. I love listening to podcasts whilst I create art.

Lastly sorry I have been away for a while, but first I went on a trip to italy and then lately, Until now i did not feel like blogging and to me, it should be fun. But I am back!!! YAY!!!!Here are somethings that will be coming up lately:

1. Some info on great artists, both from art history and present day people.I am hoping to interview some people to, so if you are interested in being interviewed please leave a comment.
2. Ways to grow as an artist, such as how to start my own spin on summer projects
3. More things about art quilting and other creative fabric things
4. How to get active about animal rights( check out www.peta.org.uk )
5. Awesome links

Please leave a link to some art you have done outside.:)

Makealife

Quick prompt 24.5.2010

Drawing really helps you grow as an artist. I think everyone should draw something at least once a week. I do. I sit down with one of my friends and we draw say the pot in front of us. When we are done, we compare and talk about our drawings. You should try it.
Here are my fave drawing links:

Here ,
here

have fun!!!!!

End of week links 23.5.2010

I will post a few of my fave links at the end of each week from now on.

Lets start with daisy yellows 20 things dare, the comments are bursting with inspiration on cool things you could use in your art journal here and here. Have fun with thema nd be sure to comment to.

Over on paperphantom she shares an awesome idea about using foodcolouring and water to create an awesome bubble effect on paper. This would be perfect for a journal background or as patterned paper.

This is a super idea to, painting on brown paper. Who would of thought it could hold so much paper?

If you have never t¨ried splattering in your art journal, this will make you want to.

Using your electronics to help your art!

Yes! I admit, sometimes I'll go on the computer and get sucked in for hours, when all I wanted to do was get some quick inspiration.But there are some things gadgets can really help you with.

Computer:

• If you just need inspiration a tip:Google the first thing that comes into your mind, but search the images. As soon as you have found one to your likeing, print it out and switch your computer off. Now see where this image takes you...
• Search for quotes you could use in your art
• Set yourself say 10 mins(on a timer, i use the one on my phone) to surf the internet and then go off and be creative
• If you have just bought a new art supply, search it in google, till you find a cool technique and then go and try it out
• Print out alphabet sheets: Just go onto word, select a font and blow it up to the size you want, now print and voila!You can now cut these out and use in your Art journal

Moblie Phone:

• Use as a timer for the above
• Connect it to your computer and print and use the photos on it. Your phone will have the best (not best quality) photos on it, as you can just grab it and snap a picture when it seems right

Iphone:

• Listen to music
• Get a quote app, randomly select a quote and use this in your page
• Keep a list of things you love or hate or something like that and use this in your art

Those are my ideas on this subject, if you have any ideas please leave in a comment below also leave any requests for futur blogposts below.

MAKALIFE xo

How to create a Inspiration board

An inspiration board is a very important iteam in any crafty or artistic persons life.On this board you will pin everything and anything that inspires you. Then when you need a little boost with your creative flow, grab an image and go from there.

You will need:

Things that inspire you
Pinboard
pins

1. Gather quotes, images(from fashion magazines or artwork you admire), colour samples, postcards, photos, emphemera from your daily life, fiber and fabric, numbers, letters you like absoloutly anything!

2. Arrange the clippings in a way you like: this can be in catagories like fashion, art and nature, by colour, size or just however looks right

3. pin thesedown and use as inspiration.

SO How can this help inspire me?

• You could write a story based on one of the objects, this could be a made up one or why and how it inspires you
• Use this image as a base for a collage
• Let the theme or colour of a picture inspire your next creation
• Draw the image
• Capture the feel of it on a page
• Use the quotes of lyrics in an art journal page
• Use that awesome picture of a lacebag as inspiration for your next skirt
• If it is a fabric or fiber swatch, use this fabric in your next project

And there you go, an inspiration board is basiclly the place you store all the inspiration you get, when you are to busy to use it and the place you raid for ideas, when you have time but no clue what to do. How do you use your inspiration board?

" Spring is natures way of saying lets party!"-uNKNOWN