On Your Mark, get set go.....

What is mark making and why should we add it to our paintings and drawings?  Isn't it fun to doodle and scribble on a piece of paper?  Applying subconscious thoughts and symbols to a blank page?

Mark Making is a term used to describe the different lines, patterns and textures we create in an artwork.  It apples to any art materials we use on any surface, not only paint on canvas or pencil and paper.

I enjoy taking a stabilo or charcoal pencil and connect the collage pieces I lay down on a canvas as I create a mixed media piece.  Connecting the dots so to speak.  Adding vines, lines, flowers, words, circles, whatever my intuitive self decides at the time.  Mark Making!

This allows me to not only connect with the piece, but is a great warm up tool.  Holding back on the pencil as you freely lay down the marks.  Some of the lines and words may be covered up as the painting is developed, but usually not all.  Adding your own touch to the painting and listening to where the lines will take the art work next.

Both of the above pieces were developed into floral paintings and can be found on the DecoArt Media page.  The full instructions and photos are available as you follow along.

This lovely "Fleur" painting was so much fun to do!  I even added more marks as I developed the painting.  This will be available today, March 29 on the DecoArt web page.  Look for the link over to the side  of this page and do your own mark making!!  DecoArt Media and type in my name to open the lesson.
  
Enjoy!

Ursula
xo

Sometimes the challenge is just in knowing where to begin.

Looking at that blank canvas or watercolor paper can be intimidating.  

So, I first gather together supplies and add more as I go along and develop the painting.  I was inspired by some art I saw on the internet and wanted to create that same freedom on my own page.  

Using a piece of cold press watercolor paper, Americana and DecoArt Personally Yours stencils and DecoArt fluid acrylic paints, I began......

Apply DecoArt Gesso before adding any paint to the background.  Once the gesso is dry, wash in the soft colors of Primary Magenta, Patina Green and Primary Yellow.  Spray with clear water to diffuse the color and softness.  Stabilo pencils are my go to for mark making.  Using both black and brown. Adding the vines, flowers and connecting them together.  Giving your piece a personal touch and I love the freedom it allows while creating a piece.

 Spraying with water and apply spatters of Carbon Black, followed by heavy Titanium White applied with a palette knife.

 I used the rose stencil to accentuate my flowers.

Apply thick Titanium White petal flowers throughout.  Now is the time to add more color and deeper colors where needed.

Spray with clear water as you add more color and the white flowers.   

The background is now ready to add a design.  I chose to add a face and washed the image in with Titan Buff.  Adding a few collage pieces and a Titanium White butterfly stencil.  Any image can be added to this background.  A simple saying could be placed into the center.

I chose to add these words to the side; "Let the morning time drop all its petals on me."

Happy Creating!

Ursula  xo

        So much going on in my Wildwood studio these days.

It has been fun experimenting with various techniques and new ways of doing things.  I thought it would be fun to share a few ideas, designs and a tutorial so you can get inspired and create along with me.

Just a little glimpse at what will be featured on the DecoArt blog this week.  A mixed media design using a limited palette and rice paper as the background.  The full painting and step by step instructions will be on the blog site on the 15th of March. 

The Artist Nouveau Gallery is one of my latest adventures.  This is a Facebook site that allows artists to post and auction off their items.  I have participated in the last two weekends and found the site to be so much fun.  Watching your items go up for bid and bidding on other artists as well.  My "Floral Expressions"  will be going to it's new home very soon.  Mixed media, collage and DecoArt fluid acrylics and stencils.

                                       Filling pages within our journals are always inspiring.

                                            The beginning stages.....watercolor roses..

                                   Love this new watercolor journal I purchased from Etsy.....

              Color is loosely applied, skipping around as areas dry before going back into them with more color.  Did you know that DecoArt fluid acrylics work well as watercolors!

The finished painting, tucked away inside the pages of the journal.  Relaxing, therapeutic and fun.  I find that watercolors are my go to when I need to just play or find solace on a rainy day.

Spring is just around the corner.... Stop and smell the roses!  :)

Ursula

Being creative and time to nurture the inner artist.  Stealing away a few hours here and there.  Sometimes just warming up or watching an instructional video.  Even organizing the studio feeds my soul. 

 Intuitive collage is a great warm up tool and the process can surprise even the artist.  I began with a piece of watercolor paper.  Gluing down book pages with Matte Medium.  Circling the words that seemed to resonate with me.  At this point, I wasn't sure this would amount to anything, but as I continued, I saw a theme emerge.  Some of my circled words from the beginning were covered up, but some were still visible.  Can you find them?

I then began to lay down a few colors, using Americana and DecoArt fluid acrylics.   Adding a few pencil marks (mark making), defining the outlines and adding a few more hand written words.

I then began layering stencils throughout.  Using a brayer, I then added more yellow and red tones.  Then spraying on DecoArt Mister in Turquoise and spattering with same.  Make sure you test the mister before you begin and hold back as you sprtiz the color on.

Adding some white to tone down a few areas and then finished off with more letter stencils and if you look closely, a butterfly.  Finished off with the word "Imagine".

Love the depth all these layers create and it is a nice addition inside my journal.  

Hope this inspires you to create your own intuitive collage!  

Happy Painting!

Ursula