iPhoneography Inspiration To Paint

Last night, I was going through my iPhone photos and kept coming back to this photo I took of the blooming Cherry Blossoms that are starting to make its appearance everywhere. I love the colors of the pink and white against the blue sky. It is so gorgeous.... Spring is definitely in the air and I cannot wait to see more signs of spring reveal itself as we begin to see flowers in bloom and hopefully more sunshine... Because this girl needs me some SUN and I'm so looking forward to feeling its warmth up here in Northern California.

Spring, just come now already!!!

Anyways, onto what I was saying.... with Instagram and my latest favorite photo app, Tadaa, photos are instantly turned into works of art. I love playing around with the filter affects and making colors pop or give it that retro affect. If you think about it, long gone are those days when cell phones were merely used for just calling peeps, but now its used for almost everything from email, shopping, social media, planning, listening to music, watching videos.... my goodness, technology has definitely changed and evolved. But, I absolutely love the fact that smart phones have the ability to transform into a camera or video recorder. NOW, that is such a huge breakthrough for us photo geeks.:)

One thing I knew I had to do when I came across the photo above was to paint it and practice my still life painting skills. I came across another artist on Instagram--@bettyann--who has truly inspired me to learn this other concept of painting. I'm sure there are many still life artists out there who are amazing, but seeing this lady's work led me to give my hand a try at it... Betty, if you're reading, thank you for inspiring me :)

Down below is my painted picture of Spring Blossoms using Caran d' Ache Neocolor II crayons and a water brush pen and that's it. I lightly sketched out the branches and from there I painted the flowers first, then branches, and then filled in the blue sky last. I wasn't sure how it would turn out as I randomly painted the blooms with no predetermined idea of how to do it. Everything just flowed so freely, something that doesn't happen too often as I'd like. To me, although it may not seem like a big thing, it's a pretty huge accomplishment. Yay! So, here's to my first watercolor still life painting in my art journal! I have lots of practicing to do and as I go about life, I'm going to keep my eyes open and will continue to be inspired by the beauty around me and paint, paint, paint...

He{Art} Journal | Let It Rain...

My recent He{Art} Journal -- LET IT RAIN...

Its been over a month since we realized the fact that it's time to sell our home and move. Most of my art supplies were already boxed up to get our home in order for the open house showings.  I was dealing with so many emotions that I needed to paint and express it through art. It was a cold and rainy week, so it only added to my depression. But, in between those days I had caught a glimpse of a rainbow which reminded me of God's promise in the Bible, only to remind me of the promises He personally gave me a long time ago... So, I went and dug through my art box and got what I needed to create this page. 

Rain.

So many times I forget how important it is for us to have RAIN. Rain makes things grow and washes the earth. Rain cleans the air and refreshes it. Without rain, there are no rainbows. :) To me, I relate it to the moments that I struggle with problems and go through trials. But, then how could I appreciate my blessings if I have never suffered grief or felt pain? If we had a perfect life, how can we be thankful for what we have? Could it be that God puts us in these situations where we're cornered by our worldly problems only to find ourselves in desperate need of Him AND to not take anything for granted? I believe so. At least, that's the pattern I've recalled in my past experiences. The times that I've been most vulnerable and broken, were the times that I felt the closest to God. He would show me in ways through loved ones, strangers, through unexpected places or things that I am loved and not alone in my suffering. I've also found what it means to exercise our faith, how to live a life of hope, and most of all, how to receive His perfect love. He promised us He would never leave or forsake us. I sometimes think to myself, "God, do you even care? Where are you when I need you, God?" But, as always He does come through. Just not on my terms or my timing, because His plans for me and His timing is always perfect.

Real life lessons are never learned the easy way, at least for me, it was always the hard way. If being shaken up by our circumstances causes us to stop and wake up from complacency and indifference, I know it's only because He loves me too much to allow me to live a life apart from Him. So when troubles arise and I'm stuck between a rock and hard place, there's only one place I can run to... to Jesus. As much as my stubbornness wants to tell me, I don't need ANYONE to fix my problems, I can do it ALL. BY. MYSELF. (Something my kids tell me all the time!) Ha! But, what do you know, I don't have all the answers and I don't exactly have all the strength to fight a battle that is bigger than I. So, if God is bigger than my problems and His power and strength is greater than mine, than I need to surrender it all to Him. 

So although, I am still human and life will never be perfect, I have to choose each and every day if I'm going to trust in Him or give up, even in the most precarious moments. Rainy days are blessings in disguise and when it rains, I have to remember that I need the rain as well. I need to be tested and walk through valleys if I want to gain a heart of wisdom and increase my faith. And when the rain ends, I hope to see the growth in my life. When I've finished the test, I hope to see the rewards. When I've finished crossing the deep valleys, I hope that I'll reach the mountain top and have a clearer understanding of the big picture. Then, I can testify that GOD is GOOD, not sometimes, but ALL THE TIME. Most of all, I will know that I was never alone and that God's grace has carried me through it all, and it was only to get me to a better place and to become a better person.... Selah.

Here is a video that my dear friend, Juby (thank you Juby!), shared with me that has blessed me immeasurably. Listen to the words and take time to know that you are blessed, even through the raindrops and the tears:

"Blessings" by Laura Story

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

First Mixed Media Canvas | My Creative Voice

Last week, I was in this funky mood and it really stunk. I mean, I just couldn't shake it off and it felt like I was drowning within. Ever felt that way? If you want to know why I was in this little funk, you can read more about it here. Whenever I'm feeling that way, words are so hard to come by when I want to express what that is. So, after praying and meditating, I found a way to execute those feelings and thoughts.

I painted.....

Staring at a blank canvas can be so intimidating and a little scary. Before I started to put anything down, I worried about how I was going to do it, what colors to use, what to draw, and basically if it will turn out the way I want it to. Most of all, I was afraid to make any mistakes. Then it dawned on me, that MISTAKES are meant to happen as we go through life, isn't that right?? We all make mistakes and that is inevitable. Life is not perfect and so are WE. So, once I got over that fear, I jumped right into it whether or not I messed up. The only thing I let loose, was my imagination and it just took off from there. Yes, there were moments that I didn't like what I saw, but I kept going by painting another layer over it, redrawing and recreating textures and colors, and simply going with the flow. What was not so attractive before eventually became beautiful to me and that is the beauty of mixed media and art journaling. I felt like it reflected my life, how I've experienced such a difficult upbringing filled with so much pain, confusion, and resentment, but eventually became a life that has been enriched with grace, love, and joy....

On this 8x8 canvas, I gessoed it and played around with what I have on hand--craft acrylics, watercolor pencils, dry watercolor paints, heavy body acrylics, a butterfly rubber stamp, and india ink pens. I also experimented with collage using paper from an old book and gel medium. In the beginning I didn't expect to sketch out a portrait, but it evolved as I went along and in the end, I doodled the title--"I have a creative VOICE."  This is what the journaling reads....

"Creating art is my voice. Silence is my canvas where ideas begin to unfold and expressions of my heart can only be spoken through color and the creativity that flows through my hands. Spread your wings and fly."

I was a little reluctant to share this at first, thinking that I'm so new at this and cannot compare to the amazing mixed media artists out there. But, you know what, I'm doing this for me. This is what helped me get through the funk and gave me a sense of hope. I know that whatever I create is unique and straight from the heart which is authentic to who I am. Every artist starts somewhere and this is where my journey begins into mixed media art and art journaling. More to come....

xoxo,

He{ART} JOURNAL | CHERISH

Hi everyone! Hope you had a fabulous Easter weekend :) It's such a great time for our family to remember what we believe and no, not just in the Easter bunny, lol, although we love candy and egg hunts.  Our faith is such an important part of our heritage and I love how my children have really come to understand so much about the love of God. Because of it, they have a strong sense of what it means to love and respect others, not out of fear, but out of their own desires to make this world a better place and to bless others...

I created another page for my art journal over the weekend and this time experimented with dry watercolor paint. Michaels has a really inexpensive art brand, Artist's Loft, and found this assorted palette of dry watercolor paint for only $5.

I found them really nice to work with and just love all the colors! The first layer of course was Gesso and then I experimented with the colors which at first, I wasn't too happy with. But, the wonderful thing about the art process, is I can always paint it over and that is exactly what I did. Later on, I used a standard sand paper to scrap the top layer which allowed for some of the interesting color to peek through and give it a really nice texture and depth of color. 

He{ART} Journal | Cherish

This page is simply about the things that I do CHERISH at the moment and what I take time to appreciate as much as I can... Not only are some of them the big things, but most are the little things that really matter to me...

xoxo

HE{ART} JOURNAL | Eagle's Wings

Today, was just another chaotic day that took me completely by surprise. I woke up feeling super tired and sluggish more than usual. My husband has been coughing most of the night which must have disrupted my sleep because I felt like I hardly slept even though I had went to bed early. I also started to feel like I was beginning to catch a cold with a sore throat which I probably caught from my hubby. So, you can imagine how much I wish I could have stayed in bed, but with the little energy that I had, I got up to get Josiah ready and fed before school.

After my hubby left for work, five minutes later he calls me saying he had car trouble and is parked off the of the highway. I'm feeling a little frazzled because I was already rushing to get my son to school on time. After dropping him off, my hubby and his car get towed back home and he tells me that the transmission went out. Oh crap. :( Knowing that our car's warranty expired meant that this would cost us a grip of money that we knew we didn't have considering that he is the only one working full-time while I stay home with the boys and even with my income as a independent designer, it just doesn't make all ends meet. So with this financial burden on our shoulders and the transportation issues that this will cause him since his job requires a 45 minute commute, has left us feeling disheartened and helpless. So we prayed together as we always do, putting our complete faith in God's hands because it's just beyond our control.

We then realize that we could use our tax refund, but we were still waiting for it. This led us to question why it was taking so long and what do you know, we called IRS and apparently our taxes were never filed by our accountant like we had assumed. WTH??? Immediately we contacted our accountant to see what the problem was and to our disappointment, he admitted that he dropped the ball and forgot to send it. Ok, so maybe this was all supposed to happen to the car just so we can find this out before the deadline, right? If that's the case, I guess I can't really be too upset. We totally believe that this was divine intervention as this occurred immediately after we prayed. ["And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God..." Romans 8:28]

As the day wore on, I couldn't really focus or feel up to doing anything but lay down since my lack of sleep the night before. I suddenly felt this urge to paint and create another page for my He{ART} Journal to document what I was feeling today. Knowing how liberating and therapeutic it was for me to create my first page the other day, it was like my body or should I say my soul, was reminding me to take my dose of medicine, but in this case, to let it all go and express through my art journal. Before I sat down to work on it, one of my favorite verses came to mind and right then, I had a vision of the page I wanted to create...

"Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint." ~ Isaiah 40:31

As soon as I finished, I felt a weight lift off my chest. I cannot explain it. Then, later on tonight we receive a substantial amount of money from a close relative who felt the need to help us out and give what they could. Again, God took care of this and was faithful like the Bible says He is, to those who honor and praise Him:) Before the kids went to bed, as always we pray together as a family, and we could not help, but be so humbled and thankful that although this day started out awful, it ended with peace and assurance that all is well and everything will be okay....

I hope you enjoyed this post although it was a little more personal than I usually write. Maybe you've felt like you had one of these days where suddenly you're faced with unforeseen circumstances that leave you in despair. Don't hesitate to pray about it and stretch out your faith because little miracles can and do happen.

xoxo,

HE{ART} JOURNAL | The Beginning of a New Journey

"I think that once you are completely aware of your true identity, only then can you really begin your journey towards your destiny of who you are meant or called to be as an artist, otherwise you will always be trying to be like others or something other than your TRUE self." ~ By Dahlia Co

Happy Wednesday!!

Just wanted to share a little bit of what I have done lately. I'm actually really thrilled about it and really happy that it's opened a whole new chapter in my creative journey. It's called ART JOURNALING, which I'm sure many of you have heard of or maybe have tried. In a sense, it's like scrapbooking or memory keeping, but using entirely different methods, tools, and mediums. The common purpose for both is that it allows you to capture those special moments and enables you to reflect on the details of your life, in hopes that it will inspire others and leave a legacy for your loved ones.

Recently, I created a digital kit called, Journal My He{ART}, which I had no idea that it would leave such a big impression within me, especially because it allowed me to step out of the box to create something new and completely different. For some reason, it just felt like I had discovered a new part of me and my affinity for this type of art/design style. I really felt like I was in my own element, something I haven't felt before. Since I started designing, I have not been able to define a specific style for my designs that I know other designers have. When asked what my design style is, I simply called it 'eclectic' because I still had yet to figure it out. Although I'm attracted to clean and modern, shabby chic, whimsical, or vintage art styles, I just can't say that those styles resound in me or give me that fulfilling sense of it reflecting my true identity, which I truly believe is important. I think that once you are completely aware of your true identity, only then can you really begin your journey towards your destiny of who you are meant or called to be as an artist, otherwise you will always be trying to be like others or something other than your TRUE self. This is my deepest desire, that each day will lead me to discover who I really am as an artist and be confident in my work and who I am, otherwise I don't know if I could ever reach my full potential without having that one simple revelation.

So, yesterday out of a spontaneous desire to express some of my inner feelings, I decided to take out my acrylic paint set, brushes, and canvas paper that I've had for quite a long time and has been collecting dust. I purchased them several years ago from my local craft store where I once worked. I had made an attempt to teach myself to paint using instructional books and created a few pieces that I ended up giving away as gifts, but that was it. Now many years later, they are finding its way back into my life and I hope that it will stick around from this point on... Who knows where this will lead to, but I'm hoping and praying for much greater and better things, so we'll just have to see what happens...

{04.05.11 | HE CATCHES ME}

The actual process of creating an art journal is so INTRIGUING. It dawned on me that my journals in the past, filled with drawings and bits and pieces of memorabilia, were never considered as 'art journals' to me. The pages of my past, were very dark and emotional, so I wrote a lot to release all the pent up thoughts and feelings that would have otherwise deterred my faith, my dreams, my hope, my entire well-being from thriving. It was a way to cope with my struggles, fears, and challenges as I was growing up from a adolescent to an adult. Looking back at them, I feel empowered to see how much I've matured and grew in wisdom, strength, and love. I now realize how those journals impacted my life and really gave me the chance to bring healing and restoration to my soul. Life is always changing and I am facing a whole new set of challenges within myself. Growing older, my perspectives about a lot of things that I once believed, have evolved or should I say it has gotten so much deeper than before.

Like I said, I am on a creative journey and I hope you will come along with me as I take each step in creating this art journal. There's so much I want to learn and so far I have found several great, inspirational and educational sites about Art Journaling, that I will collaborate a list and share them with you as soon as I can!

Be back with some updates and guess what?? Another giveaway is on the horizon! Stay tuned.....

XOXO