Ecclesiastes 3: A Time for Everything

I have had the best time playing with the DecoArt Media Line. 

I am gaining a new voice in my painting through Mixed Media.

I always have loved drawing big hearts, daisies, butterflies, ladybugs~~things I think of as HAPPY ART.

I have sat and listened to fellow artist bashing mixed media and the quick and easy art that I create.  I don’t understand it.

Aren’t we supposed to create what we love?

I do understand that there are people who are blessed with the gift to look at something and to recreate it.  I get that, and yes, I tend to put them on a much higher LEVEL of artist than what I do, BUT I have this passion that I think that EVERYONE can learn to paint.  Sure, they might not be as good as someone else, but, if they are creating something that makes them happy, then, I think, everyone else should go on their merry way and let EVERYONE create with their own skill level.  I know of no one who has the market cornered on happiness!  And, I have met way too many grumpy gusses who paint…they should paint a big old heart with a daisy and a ladybug!

Don’t let someone tell you that you are not an ARTIST!

PLEASE, take time to do something that brings YOU Joy.  We were not created to simply work and pay bills.  We were given GIFTS that we need to use to help to make US and our world a better place.  PLEASE take time to refresh your soul…

I am so blessed to be able to develop the gifts that God has given me, and I hope, in some small way, I have helped to put smiles on somebody’s face…I wish BLESSINGS to YOU…~charlotte

Directions:

I have been watching the videos of Tracy Weinzapfel and her Mixed Media Mondays (MMM).  She is in Germany this week, so one of her followers asked if we wanted to create something this week that was inspired by one of Tracy’s previous videos…WHY, YES, I WOULD LOVE to do that.

I chose a video that was only 15 minutes long, but I LOVED the colors, so that is what I used as my inspiration.

I have been making a small journal that has 16  pages (covers included) available to paint.  My thought is to make one for each of my nieces/nephew since they really know nothing about me, but we will see how that goes…I purchased these handmade journals on etsy and they are beautiful and just the right size for me!

I am calling these pages: Ecclesiastes 3: A Time for Everything

As is always the truth about me, I forget to take pictures.  I remembered this time, but for some reason, blogger will not let me load pictures from my computer, so I don’t have pictures of the first few steps.

I covered the pages with Gesso, going in different directions to add texture and allowed it to dry.

I stenciled images from Timeless treasures with Gesso and my pallet knife, and used my hair dryer to speed up the process~~what would I do without my hair dryer!

Water was sprayed on both pages with the mini mister and then I sprayed Magenta, and dadgumit~~my yellow sprayer did not work, so I just quickly brushed it on.  Purple was also sprayed onto the piece.  I added more water so it would run.  Again, hair dryer time…

Tinting Base was brushed all over to tone down the BRIGHT colors, but not too much, because I love bright colors.

I free-handed the flowers with Gesso.

The heart flower was painted with Q. Red with some White highlights and Q. Magenta shading.

The Blue Flower was based with Cobolt Turquoise Hue, highlighted with Titanium White and shaded with P. Turquoise.

The next flower was based with Q. Magenta, shaded with Q. Violet and highlighted with Titanium White.

The last daisy was based with Q. Violet with some Titanium White highlights.

The flower centers are D. Yellow with Raw Sienna shading along the bottom and on the left side. Titanium White highlights are added to the right side

The ladybugs have Q. Magenta bodies shaded with Q. Violet.  The heads are a mix of Titanium White and Paynes Grey, with the hearts on the body being Paynes Grey.  Antennae were Paynes Grey with Q. Magenta hearts on the end.

All stems are Green Gold shaded with Sap Green.

Everything was outlined using a 10/0 liner and Paynes Grey.

Dots were added to the tops of the 2 daisies with Paynes Grey/Titanium White using a stylus (or a toothpick, or the end of your brush…)

I stamped the little dots with Tracy’s stamp using Paynes Grey.  The “drink marks” were stamped with Burnt Sienna.

The words were added using Black Modeling Paste. 

I free-handed “sing” and “dance” with Paynes Grey.

The piece was lightly sanded to highlight the clock images that were stenciled at the beginning.

Paynes Grey shaded all the edges of the paper.

These are the products I used in making my design.

DecoArt Media Misters:

Primary Magenta

Purple

Primary Yellow

DecoArt Media:

White Gesso

Tinging Base

Black Modeling Paste

Matte Medium

Fluid Acrylics:

Green Gold

Sap Green

Diarylide Yellow

Titanium White

Paynes Grey

Raw Sienna

Burnt Sienna

Cobolt Turquoise Hue

Phthalo Turquoise

Quinacridone Red

Quinacridone Magenta

Quinacridone Violet

Stencils:

DecoArt Americana Timeless Treasures

Word Stencils by Laurie Speltz

Stamp:

Totally Tracy Textures by Dare2BArtzy~~Totally Tracy

Other supplies:

Old Brushes (I usually don’t use my good brushes to do Mixed Media)

10/0 Liner—ALWAYS use a good quality liner for detail work!

#4 Flat

DecoArt Brush Cleaner

Baby Wipes

Shop Towels

DecoArt Pallet Knife

Spray Water Bottle—I use a mini-mister by Ranger