100 Days of Watercolour Whatevers

At the end of August, I decided that I wanted to do another 100 day project, but I wasn't sure where to start or what to do. I knew that it needed to be something I could do quickly and with limited materials.

I set a start date for myself of August 27, and then totally forget to get supplies and figure shit out until the day before! Thank goodness for local art stores, gift cards, and understanding boyfriends!

I picked up a pad of watercolour paper, and cut down the pages into quarters for exactly 100 small pieces. Each card got a date stamp on the back so I could keep myself on track.

Where do my ideas come from?

I am usually inspired by something I saw or did during the day, or something from my Instagram feed.

What supplies am I using?
The paper is what you see in the image above. The watercolours are a $5 pack of Crayola. The black is more of a dirty brown, the two bright blues are actually the same exact colour except one is shimmery. And the red leaves much to be desired. BUT I didn't want to go out and spend $100 on art supplies and maybe hate it! I am still figuring out how to best manipulate these cheap materials, but I am definitely enjoying that process.

 

I really like painting people, but the combination of these watercolours and this paper makes it very difficult for me. But I am committed to practicing and perhaps when I am more comfortable in this medium, I will invest in some watercolours that cost a little bit more!

I absolutely LOVE the concept of the 100 Day Project, and I can't wait to see what the next two months look like for me and my 100 Days of Watercolour Whatevers!

It's no secret that...

I want to paint a rainbow in the shape of a heart.

I want to paint the stars as they are seen by the Chandra X-ray Observatory & the Hubble telescope with all their x-rays and gamma rays and ultraviolet light showing.

I want to tell a story with a line and a splatter.

I want to write out all the words in my heart. One at a time.

I want to share all of this with as many people as I possible can...
 

I will be teaching a basic watercolour class at Treasured Memories at 6:30 pm on Thursday, August 21. I am really in love with how these turned out, and I can't wait to share this excitement with my students! Won't you join me...?

xo Lis

Happy Birthday BFF!

We had a lovely celebration on the weekend, but today is Dan's actual birthday. If all goes according to plan we are headed out to see a weird sci-fi movie (made in 1972...of course) in 12 hours. Not that any of this is of interest to y'all out there, but this might be...

I kind of went a little crazy with his gifts. Including painting the wrapping paper with an image of our favourite going-out beer, La Chouffe.

The first time I ordered this, it was solely for the funny gnome on the label. Yep, that's how I choose beer.

And then I painted this re-purposed mailing envelope.

It started out as a moleskine sketch...and then snowballed out of control from there!

And this was one of his actual presents. 

This is where we go for coffee and movies. This is where our friendship was born (aww....mushy). And on the marquis sign I even wrote the titles of the movies we've seen there! I am feeling quite proud of myself for this one. I dug down deep in my brain and made use of all my (high school) drafting skills. Man I missed using a ruler. I've never done a watercolour like this before...I might have to make one for myself now.

It's fun to have a best friend to spoil on his 30th birthday!

Dork Alert!
(I really hope he doesn't hate me for posting this photo on my blog for the whole world to see....tee hee!)

later loves

Making Me Happy

I was feeling kind of crummy last Saturday. I spent all day cleaning, and got a lot accomplished, but also felt like I was kind of going in circles. By the end of the day I was very tired and very grumpy. Like, "texting f-bombs" grumpy.

So I did a little painting & sketching, and I felt way better. Like a completely different person. And it took BFF telling me he was glad I was painting, and then pointing it out to me to recognize that painting makes me happy...thanks friend.

I thought I would share some of my recent happy thoughts...

And this is what I was working on at the end of my crap day...Hi Nadine.

So many things bringing me bliss...

later loves

p.s. Many thanks to my Instagram followers for loving these first!

Arting lately...

Not so much. I haven't been able to find a moment's pause to get the paint and brushes out. I write in my book every now and again, but not a feverishly as I was only a couple of months ago. Early nights and early mornings don't make for much art time for me. I'm having trouble enough keeping up with my regularly scheduled tasks. But maybe next month...

later loves

The Last Starfighter

I figured I should post the last of my "Colouring Book" pages before I start posting pages from "The Wedding Book" (which is coming along nicely, I might add).

 On this layout I used the big rain drops stencil put out by my fave Julie FFB. I also "made my own" stencil by laying pieces of washi tape over the right page in a grid fashion before spraying over it. It was fun, even though the effect is super subtle.

 The person here was drawn on watercolour paper then glued into the book, while the "halo" was painted directly into the book. I like both looks, but I am going to try and paint only 'in book' with the next journal. Something about the background texture coming through...

On this last page I made use of that chevron stamp I made awhile back. See this post for more.

And that's all she wrote, people. This ended up being a place filled with love and gratitude. Sure I "worked things out" in here, but only in a positive way. No complaining, no ARGH moments. Lots of happy thoughts and smiles.

later loves


p.s. Happy Anniversary Hun! Nine years...oh my! Have "fun" at your board meeting tonight!

Sweet Sweet Nothings

This month I filled my "colouring book" with blessings and gratitude, and positive thoughts. It's my favourite journal yet!

 I was going to post the rest of the pages here, but there are a lot more than I remember! So the rest will be shared later.

 

 until then...

"...and there was such a sweep to the celestial orbit of the moving earth that you could almost hear the heavens humming in glad unison to the rushing movement of it."
(from Stephen Leacock's "The Transit of Venus")

later loves

A Watercolour Family

I have temporarily given up my watercolour pencils in favour of my new bottles of spray ink. Pop the lid, and they make wonderful and vibrant "water colours"...when you add water of course. And I do so with the aid and assistance of my new handy water brush. Handy, I tell you.

 And so I have made a little family for myself. These peeps will eventually end up in a journal or something. But for now they are happy to be gadabouts on this white page, chatting about the weather and about the latest news from out east, or down south, or wherever news comes from nowadays.

 They are bug-eyed and bushy-tailed, and some have leaves for hair. They are sufficiently creepy and I hear a grand susurrus stirring up from within their mix. Do not disturb the watercolour dolls, do not listen to their secrets.

"We all carry a multitude of ghosts around with us: impressions of other people, strong or weak, deep from long acquaintance or shallow with brevity. Those ghosts are maps, updated with each encounter, made detailed, judged, liked or disliked. They are, if you ask a philosopher, all we can ever really know of the other people in the world."

(from The Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway)

later loves

p.s. If you live in Alberta, I hope you go and vote today!

Run Towards It

"When you discover what you fear most, run towards it."

(source)

And get your 10 000 hours in!

Not that I am afraid of my watercolours! The more I play with them, the more I am really enjoying this medium...that's for my 10,000 hours. It's a great first step in my new journals. Those journals are allowing me to explore and play and run towards my fears.

On to other inspiring things...

This post from Dina Wakley is very inspiring to me. She is already a very inspiring lady, but this post really sparks my creativity and my desire to do and make.

I should clarify.

It is the photos contained in the post that are the most inspiring to me. Her books full of hot mess art! This is her studio. Messy, full of life and creativity.

I like it!

I too like having a bit of a mess in my studio, but it has gotten out of control!

I am so desperate for a clean-sweep in there, but I have been putting it off and putting it off some more. I did get rid of some stuff, which enabled me to shut the door for the first time in a couple of months!

But I need more.

I am learning to turn off my need to keep everything. I have been throwing things away (gasp!) that I know I will never use. And I have been using things that have so far just been taking up space.

This is a good place for me!

As a reward for keeping the clutter from accumulating any further, I am treating myself with a night out of scrapbooking with my friends tonight!

In the meantime, I have taken over Lucas' little folding table in the LR to get my "art on". It also helps me stay connected with the rest of my little family. When I get up in my little room, with the music going I tend to forget about the rest of the world! Almost...

On Wednesday morning I painted another big batch of these gesso journaling pages (like these ones). It's not really "productive" and it sure isn't on my to-do list, but it really gets me in a fabulous mood and makes the rest of my day so much more awesome! Next step will be to add these into the journal I am working on at the moment...it's going to be really big!

later loves


P.S. I found a new favourite blog (& artist!): "Every Life Has A Story". If you like "hot art messes" like me, you should check it out!



P.P.S. I went on my first coffee date yesterday!! It was about damn time...


P.P.P.S. This is my 1201st post! Wowee wow wow!