Facing it at Starbucks...with a pile of Stabilos and some Christmas Blonde

After experiencing Dina Wakley's creative energy, teaching style, and overall passion for expression, I had to have more.  So, I signed up for her "Facing the Facts" online class.  She is all about tapping into your abilities and stripping away the "I can't draw"filter.  She uses women and faces a lot in her art journal page designs and this course explains "the formula" for them.  

The first video lays out the challenge...draw 100 faces.  Practice with different media, practice with different colors, practice with different sizes, practice with different perspectives.  It's a little daunting, like being directed to practice playing the piano (which was, apparently, sheer torture for me when I was little.)

Today was my first sit-down-and-draw session down at the local Starbucks.  I got to have a big table space all to myself and I used it.  I took a selection of journals that have random, assorted backgrounds or colors tossed on them.  Dina's "magic pencil" is the Stabilo All pencil.  It's flippin' amazing.  I bought every color they had at my new favorite art store downtown--Artist & Craftsman Supply.  I just discovered this shop and could camp out in there for days.  It's amazing.  But, more on that some other time.  Today it's about the faces.  My first out of the chute... 

She has a kinda long neck, but I still like her look.  The black and yellow makes me happy.

 I went with the grey pencil and like the softer look.  Tried coloring the eyes, too.  

 I started getting bolder with the crazier backgrounds.  I also worked on getting her to smile more.

 Rockstar coffee drinker diva...

I'm ready for more.  Tonight I'm working on more collages that I imagine having done in time to mail for Christmas.  Uh, yeah.  It's probably not happening.  I realized I have 18 different canvases/boards going right now.  I probably need to shove some aside so I don't feel quite so overwhelmed.  Multiple works in progress is a good method, but having them covering every surface probably isn't the point!  haaaaaaaaaa

I think my Christmas resolution is going to be more blogging. I miss my blog friends!  

Luvs

Jenny J.

Less Work. More Play.

Isn't it about time for a three-day weekend?  Whoo hooo...why, yes, it is!

I've fallen in love.  With Stencils.  And painting with stencils.  And spraying ink with stencils.  And layering with stencils.

I took a class with Dina Wakley up in Charlotte a few weeks ago during Art Journaling Live and am hooked.  After a rough, challenging day at work on Monday, I snuck out early (1730...5:30 p.m.) and planted myself at my painting table for about four hours.  It was perfect!  The piece above is one of the most finished set of pages.  I probably worked on about 25 different sheets of paper or pages all at once just because the palette I had out was so fun to play with.

I find that the more paint I have on my hands the better my piece will progress!

I also practiced planning my color combinations.  I tend to just use what I like...pink and orange...but on Monday I experimented with some actual color wheel-based decisions.  Complements are hard since I'm all about making mud, but a little patience actually helps.  I guess I'll just have to keep making more messes, mud and all, to experiment!

Happy Happy Joy Joy