JUST PAINT...Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Sometimes in life, we worry about THINGS that don’t need to be worried about!  AND the reverse is also true—we DON’T worry about the THINGS we SHOULD worry about…crazy, huh!

When I did the tutorial the other day of THAT KISS, I told you a couple of times NOT to worry about a mistake BECAUSE it was JUST PAINT…That is WHAT I believe…

I paint because I enjoy it…NO, I LOVE to paint!  Painting has given me so much joy and I know, many of my paintings have also brought Joy to others…THAT is what I try to do…

Painting relaxes me…it allows my mind to go places that my body can’t go…it fills my life with COLOR and more than that…it reminds me EVERY time that I pick up my brush that I am blessed…

God gave me some talent…He did NOT make me a great artist, but he gave me some skills that I could develop.  I have chosen to develop those skills.  I paint so much better than I used to and I hope one day to make that statement about WHERE I am today…I WANT to improve…

I paint WHAT I like.  YES, I can paint more difficult things and I enjoy a challenge sometimes, BUT the bottom line is that I want to ENJOY what I do…I want to help OTHERS enjoy this art that I love.

With that said…it STILL is JUST PAINT…If I make a mistake, all I have to do is start over…IF I make a mistake, no lives will be changed~~WELL, IF I’m doing a special order and mess up and send it messed up, MAYBE it will change a life…sigh…

FOR whatever reason, and I’m just about to the point of not asking WHY anymore, I was given the task of caring for my elderly parents.  They struggled.  They had to endure moments of declining health that were HORRIBLE…I did the best I could and neither I nor they wanted things to get as bad as they got at times, BUT you know, we made it.  They are now in their new HEAVENLY Mansion and having a BLAST with those they love dearly and one day I WILL join them and the circle will be complete, BUT for NOW, I am here to SERVE my fellow man and to hopefully be used as God’s hands and heart to help people…

PAINT is JUST PAINT…IF you are spending time fretting if you signature is perfect, or you don’t have the exact color that is called for in a pattern, or what color a smile should be, or on and on…THEN I THINK you have lost ALL perspective and you MIGHT need to get a new hobby or living, BECAUSE in the grand scheme of LIFE…it is JUST paint…PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE…

I have three examples of WHY I say that a mistake is not a big deal….

As always, I use Americana DecoArt Paint...I think it is the BEST available, AND it is made in the USA!

I painted this owl on a canvas and I think his "ears" are well, HILARIOUS…

I added some of the background color and covered part of them and MAYBE it looks a little better…I will look again to see if I wish to do something else…BUT I’m not going to lose any sleep over it!  As a matter of fact, I THINK I just decided what I will do...It should be very easy to do what I want....

I made this sign in honor of how Mother and I laughed so many times about this saying, I did NOT like how the shading of the head showed through the hair…

I added some flesh tone to the top of the head to cover the shading, and added more hair and it is fine now…EASY PEASY…took me less than five minutes and I’m happy with it.

This magnet was cut out and painted during the night for today’s post…

WHEN I photographed it, I didn’t like the white on the beak, so I covered it…I saw a whanky dot above the right eye, so I covered that…AND I thought I needed to add a float under the bristles of the brush, so I added a dark float of color under it…DONE…I’m happy again…BUT you know, I wasn’t miserable BEFORE…=)

Life is so fragile…THINGS are THINGS…YES, I LIKE my things…YES, I heard my mother tell me DOZENS of times, “Anything worth doing, is worth doing WELL.”…I understand WANTING to do a good job of painting and I try to turn out a product that I am proud to offer, BUT at the end of the day…It is JUST PAINT…Blessings to YOU…~charlotte♥

THAT KISS...tutorial...Friday, January 31, 2014

I thought I would show you the process I went through to paint this heart that is featured on my Facebook post today.  As you know, I paint and design QUICK and EASY projects that can often be finished in a matter of moments, but I LOVE to use BRIGHT, Happy Colors and designs that, while simple, will make you feel happy...

The First thing that I do is gather my supplies...This is a picture of the actual plate I used to paint the design...You will notice the edges of the plate where I rubbed MOST all of the paint from my brush to "dry brush" the design...I try my best NOT to waste paint, so seldom is there a lot of paint left on my pallet. 

I use Americana Paints by DecoArt.  I LOVE the color selection and when I open a bottle, I KNOW exactly what the paint will be like~~it is consistent and covers so well!  I've been using this brand for over 20 years AND they are made in the USA!

I've been painting these 4x4 "coasters" so that I could make them into a pattern packet.  This is the 6th and final design that will be included in the pattern packet that will be ready in a few days.

I sanded the coaster and painted it with my base coat...it always takes two coats on this surface and I sand between coats.

I use old pieces of cardstock to cut my hearts...I cannot draw a balanced heart for anything...I get it a little closer by doing this...

I then trace around the heart...

I paint the heart...it will take two coats...

I could float a darker color around the edge, but I decided that I wanted to double load my brush to give some more texture to the piece...I load my flat brush with the base color and drag the edge through the darker color, keeping the darker color on the edge of the heart.

This is what the heart should look like....

 

This would have been fine to leave it like this, BUT I added more paint and re-painted the entire heart, hoping that I could leave several shades of color showing...I call this process wet-on-wet because I am mixing wet paint INTO wet paint, whereas, I usually add wet paint onto dry paint...I also added some light colors to the center of the heart to add highlights...DO NOT over mix your paint or you will end up with MUD...but don't worry if you do...let it dry and try again...it is JUST paint! 

I cut some lips from more cardstock...I normally would just paint them directly onto my design, BUT this gives me a chance to SEE the design BEFORE I paint it and tweek (no, I am NOT twerking) my placement of the lips...

I painted the lips with the darkest color and used the double-load process again to add a line to separate the lips...I used a light color to do this...I could EASILY have done this by floating a wash onto the lips, BUT I want to show you the process of wet-on-wet for those who have not yet mastered floating colors...The is such an easy technique, but like everything else, it does take some practice and you might have to play with your colors to get it as you like it...NOTICE the lighter and darker colors on the lips...

  

The above picture shows that I DID float around the edge of the piece so you can see what the float looks like...the picture below shows that I floated a dark color around the designs...see how the color FADES and should leave no harsh lines...

This picture shows what I was talking about earlier when I mentioned dry brushing...It is similar to stenciling...I got as MUCH of the paint off of the brush as I could and lightly DRY BRUSHED some highlights...DO NOT worry if you got them TOO light, just go over them with the darker colors...I tell you again...IT IS JUST PAINT!...don't stress...you WILL learn by making mistakes...embrace them and get out that blow dryer and just try again!  HAVE FUN!  =)

 

I printed off a font from the computer to add the writing...I usually freehand most of my writing, BUT I have used the computer a LOT of times...no need to be embarrassed...LOTS of people do that...it is STILL hand painted!  =)  I used Curlz~my FAVORITE font!

That is IT...I will attach a hanger before too long and it will be a small sign...I'm happy with it...I HOPE you have enjoyed seeing HOW I create a design and how simple it is WHEN you break it down step by step ...

I BELIEVE that anyone can do ANYTHING they WISH to learn...It might NOT look like someone's design, BUT I love the idea of making something YOUR OWN...we are ALL UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS and WHEN we learn to LOVE ourselves and learn to EMBRACE our talents, THEN we are on our way to being the WONDERFUL REFLECTION of our MASTER CREATOR....Blessing to YOU...~charlotte ♥

Christmas Swaps and Gifts...Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Holidays are NOT my favorite things anymore...Since it is only me now, they seem to be days to just REMEMBER how things WERE...I'm not saying that is BAD, because I've had a great life, but they just make me miss having a family.

WITH that said, I ALSO am aware now, probably MORE than ever before at how GREAT my friends are!  I'm in the process of trying to Re-invent holidays and these friends put a smile on my face that helped me get through the long holidays of Christmas.

I was in my first ever ornament swap with a painting group I am in, Tole Painters Unite.  Because of this group, I have made friendships that are as real as the people whom I see on a regular basis...We have laughed and cried together...we have shared JOYS and disappointments...failures and successes and have loved each other through some of the hardest events of our lives...WE ARE BLESSED!

I received cards and wishes from people ALL over the world...a reminder of how important technology can be!

My FIRST swap was with my new friend, Ann Setaro, from Florida.  She has become a cherished lady in my life.  This gingerbread girl is ABSOLUTELY adorable and I look at it and smile...it is still hanging in a special place because I think it can stay out ALL year...

These next ornaments were a swap that I did with a friend that I met in TPU...Malinda Watkins...I just love her and she lives in West TN, not TOO far from where I went to college...What was so cool about this exchange, was that I CHOSE the pieces that I wanted to paint and then I sent them to her...SHE then painted ME the same pieces and sent them to me...

She even painted the BACK of the SNOWMAN!  

how sweet is this!

This is how I painted the star that I sent to Malinda...

 

And here is the snowman that I painted....

I don't think that I have the Santa Face that I did...It wasn't very cute...I'm sure Malinda will put THAT one on the VERY BACK of her tree...ROFL...it's ok...I sent her another cute one to make up for it...;)

Suzanne Bills from California sent me this darling sticker...I can't wait until it gets WARM so I can put it on my car...I LOVE THIS!

Next came this SILLY ornament from My friend, Ramona...I am STILL not sure that it isn't a replica of HER as she is in ALL of her GLORY!

This is another ornament that was sent to me from a SECRET SANTA from my TPU Groupies!

This is from another friend that I met in Facebook.  His son proudly serves in the Military.  I had the honor of having lunch with Mother's cousin, Richard and his wife when they came to Nashville during the late summer...WHAT a great family...Richard's work is AMAZING....Click HERE  to go to Richard's Facebook page.

My friend, Janice from Colorado sent me this ornament that made me REALLY LAUGH out LOUD...sadly, I don't think I HAVE changed my ways, BUT Janice and others remain HOPEFUL for me...Click HERE to go to Janice's Facebook page...her work is SUPER DOOPER CUTE!!

Another one of my dearest friends that I have met on Facebook is an AMAZING artist...her scroll work is WONDERFUL...she is a contributor to a popular woodworking magazine and well, I don't need to go on and on about her because you can visit her page by clicking  HERE AND also by going to her blog...I have the link on the right side of my blog...PLEASE visit and see for YOURSELF!

I was HONORED to have one this WONDERFUL piece on Facebook by another great friend, Wendy...I told her that people SAY that a picture does NOT do something justice and they say it JUST to have something to say, BUT oh my GOODNESS...this picture does NOT do this piece justice...the details are AMAZING...WHILE I KNOW we all are given different gifts, I wouldn't mind being given a LITTLE BIT of the sculpting gift, BUT NOW I have a REAL gift of this awesome snowman candle holder!  Click  HERE to go Visit Wendy's Facebook page to see more of her AMAZING creations...

The last thing I want to share is from the Adorable Nicole...NOW not many people KNOW her name is NICOLE because her Facebook name is Jandn...LOL...she is our very own WELL KEPT secret.  I have given her the hardest time about her wearing her BIG-A$$ Glasses in ALL of her pictures...she is a BEAUTIFUL lady--inwardly and outwardly--and NOT many people get to see her...SO she sent me this pair of GLASSES so I could be like HER when I grow up...we MIGHT have to wait awhile for THAT to happen...Funny thing about the glasses, Charlie seems to LIKE them too!!

Do you UNDERSTAND WHY I say I am so blessed?  I LOVE my friends...I am THANKFUL for each and every kind act that has been shown to me...THANKS, GUYS...YOU ROCK!  I will have MORE to share before too long because I am currently in four different swaps!  I LIKE to spread the LOVE...I HOPE that EACH of you FEELS the LOVE that surrounds YOU...Blessings to YOU...~charlotte♥