Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas......

May you enjoy the spirit of the season.

and keep it in your hearts all year long.

Wishing you the merriest Christmas and many blessings for the New Year.

See you in the New Year!

xxoo

Ursula

A Time of Thanksgiving

Connected Together through art......

Thankful for the opportunity to share what I have been working on and opportunities that have come my way.

The first being, Soul Sisters United Artist Collective.  This is a group of ten very talented artists that I have been asked to be a part of.  We will have a live themed auction each month.  

My hope is that you join us and see all the beautiful art created for you.  Our first auction will be November 29 and then again in January.  

Our administrators have worked very hard to bring this together and each artist has created beautiful works of art to send to your homes.  You can't but help love our theme and realize it has a very timely message.  "Healing the World One Painting at a Time".

Secondly, I am working on an on line class that will launch in February through Kelly Hoernig's web site.  I am very excited to share some of my techniques and paintings with you.  The focus of the class will be creating texture, depth and color.  Using different mediums, techniques, and putting your personality into each project.  

I will close with a quote from Robert Henri.  "Every artist dips his brush in his soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures".

Let's create a more colorful world together.

Blessings;

Ursula xo

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Life has been a little busier than usual.

It seems as though everything  happens at once.  Which has been the case in my neck of the woods.
I have had some great classes going at Splatter Art Studio here in Springfield for the past month.  The girls amaze me with their talents and excitement for each new project I present.  Keeping up with new projects each week sure has kept me on my toes.

Here is a peek at the last project they painted of a rooster with a barn wood background.  I planned most classes to go two weeks, but they surprise me and finish them each session.

                                A sample of a few of the paintings. There were seven all together.

During this month, I was asked to do an art show at the design store I work at part time.  So, I got busy and painted every chance I had.  Because of the internet, I sold 5 pieces and am very pleased.  
I struggled with the oil painting below, but it became the shows favorite and I had more than one offer to purchase it.

This past weekend has not only been busy with the show, but I attended a conference for three days.  It was and is sponsored by a local church and has grown and over 7,000 women attended from all over the country.  This years them was "She Believes"  A wonderful Alice In Wonderland theme and production at the beginning, great speakers such as Sheila Walsh and a few others.   

I cannot put into words what I received from this conference and the message still resonates with me.

"She believes and everything changes"

Yes, it has been a whirlwind month, but treasure each experience even though my body feels a little weary at the end of the day.

We are all exactly where we need to be.

See you soon.

Ursula 

xo

                                               Hello Fall!

                                        "Autumn is a second Spring when every leaf is a flower."

It is hard for me to believe that fall is actually here and I do wonder where the summer has gone.

 So many fun things and activities seem to happen during the fall months, beginning with October.  I love to see the mums and pumpkins on people's porches.  The crisp morning air, sweaters in the evening, bonfires and fall sunshine glistening on the turning leaves.  Only to mention a few favorites.

I adore painting pumpkins.  This particular painting is on a fabric canvas and has a 2 inch burlap edge, so it is ready to hang.  The fabric and the paints interacted well together, adding unexpected washes of color within.  I couldn't resist but to add a little alcohol ink and watch it spread into the other colors.  These are the fun, scary painting techniques where you don't have much control.  It could have been a huge mistake, but I took the risk and liked the outcome.

I will be participating in my first art show in October.  Speaking of scary, it is a little, but then I am excited as well.  It will be a small sampling of my work inside an interior design and gift shop in our town.  It has forced me to finally get moving and order those business cards I have been putting off!

I Just finished this piece on a 9x16 cradled wood canvas, using a mixed media background.  I have been inspired by the wild sunflowers and Black Eyed Susan's that grow along the country highways this time of year.   I picked a few on my way home from the Kansas City workshop.  Not only did I bring the flowers home, but also some poison ivy as a souvenir! 

One more thing to mention before I sign off.  My first e-packet is available for download. Hooray!!

 I just listed it on my Etsy shop.  The link is over to the right of this post, click on and shop. Or, leave a message on this post, with your email address, I will email the pdf download directly into your mail box via paypal for a promotion cost of $10.00.  

Full instructions and photos are attached.  It is a fun and easy mixed media project on a canvas board.

                                                              Title:  Under The Rose

Enjoy the cooler temps and the new season.

                                              Keep believing, keep going and keep your heart open.

                                                                         Ursula xo

Alla Prima, meaning wet-on-wet.  A painting technique used mostly in oil painting, in which layers of wet paint are applied to previously administered layers of wet paint.

I just returned from a three day Alla Prima workshop, creating and learning with Kelly Berkley at her studio just outside Kansas City.  This was the second workshop I have attended in her lovely country studio.  The drive is a little less than three hours.  That is unless you are with a good friend and the two of you miss the turn off because you are engaged in stimulating conversation.

We went up a day early to take advantage of the spa amenities at the historic Elms hotel where we stayed.  It is the largest spa of it's kind in the state of Missouri.  The experience was like none other!

We had a smaller group this year and it was so good to see familiar faces and to meet new friends. 

                  Here we are with our completed pieces, missing Lisa, who had to leave early.

We had time to relax and sit out by the creek, walk on her land and enjoy the gourmet coffee and treats that were served each morning.

Just being around other creatives is a learning experience in itself.  Having a community (tribe) to help and support you, throw ideas out, share their journey, all make for a great time of learning and fun.

The evenings were always entertaining and Tryphena even played the piano for us inside the restaurant.  The weather was so mild that we were able to eat outside in the garden surrounded by flowers, urns and statues.

This was my favorite piece that I created.  Learning to use the oils and mediums was a bit of a challenge for me.  Even though I have been using the water soluble oils at home, I had to think a little differently.  We all chose various Malcolm Liepke images.  It was most fun to see everyone's choices and the finished paintings.

Lauri's grandson was just born a few days prior to the workshop and she chose the technique on her own photo of this precious boy.  She did a remarkable job!

                                       This was my final piece, full of challenge and learning.

                            Here is a table full of completed paintings, joy and inspiration.

I hope you enjoyed this brief journey of my weekend workshop/retreat.  It was worth every penny and I will remember, the fun and laughter (lots of laughter) the three days produced.

The final evening was spent out on the large deck, overlooking the woods and creek.  Enjoying music, food and home made wine.  Priceless!

I hope to return next year for our guest artist, Stanka Kordic.   Same time, same place........................

Until next time!

xo

Ursula

I went to look for a new spiral notebook and found the perfect one at TJ Maxx.  It was the only one of it's kind, and the words seemed to jump right out at me.
So perfect and has become my mantra over the past year.  Working more diligently towards my goals.

My friend and I are headed to Excelsior Springs (up near Kansas City) this weekend. We will be staying at the historic Elms Hotel and spa.  Pampering ourselves for a spa day before heading to Kelly Berkey's studio for three days of painting.  It will be like a homecoming, as we were there for a workshop last year.  It will be so fun working in her free standing studio and seeing familiar faces once again.

Painting in oils is rather a new medium for me. Exploring it this past year.  I am enjoying working with the water soluble oils.  Easy clean up, no odor and can even do washes with it. The workshop is mainly oil, an Alla Prima Portrait Workshop, capturing expression.  I will take tons of pictures and share our three days of painting and exploring the local restaurants and activities of this quaint town.

This is a painting I have started in oils this week.  I will post progress and or finished still life in my next blog post.

                                                                 A nice beginning. (even snuck some acrylic in there)

And speaking of flowers, my latest project just went live on the DecoArt media blog.  This however is not in oils.  All you need to paint your own is a vintage book cover, ribbon, torn watercolor paper, fluid acrylics and gesso.  decoart.com/mixedmediablog

Hope you try and enjoy!

Looking forward to sharing the workshop journey with you on the next post.  

Plus, something new is on it's way!  Stay tuned.

Ursula xo

Let Your Imagination Soar....

                                 and allow yourself to play!

I have been listening to Kelly Hoering's Periscope segment each night.  She will broadcast again tonight and through the rest of the month.   We need to hear things over and over again.  Each time we hear them, they resonate with us in a different way.  Or sometimes don't even hear the message the first time.

Her advice last night was to take time to play with things in your studio.  Things that have been sitting on a shelf for some time.  I get so use to grabbing the same supplies each time and forget what I actually own.

So, after stressing and painting for a new class project over the weekend, I had time to explore and play.  What fun it was.!  I used some texture tools I received from DecoArt.  Applying them to this mini oil canvas.

                                          Loved dragging it through the paint and the effect it gave.

I got out my crackle medium and added it to the background of another canvas that I had already started and scraped off.

It was so fun creating and moving away from the usual.  Playing with what I had on my shelf.

The first painting was one that I started a while ago.  I did not like the direction it was going, so I put it aside.  Another tip, finish something that you have started!

  So, I began to play with the shapes I had first put onto the swan painting.  Added more color, collage and began to enjoy and like what was happening on the page.  This is a 12 x 12 sheet of 140lb cold pressed watercolor paper.  

I began to feel the freedom of the running paint and actually enjoyed what was happening on the page.

I added the words, "Let Your Imagination Soar"

Have some fun today.  We don't always have to create a masterpiece, but you never know what will happen when you just take the time to PLAY!!

See you soon.

Ursula

"Every Flower is a Soul Blossoming in Nature"

This collage piece was inspired by an open painting day at the studio where I will begin teaching in August.

Many of the students have been working with collage so I decided to create a fun piece on  a sheet of 9x12 watercolor paper.  

My little box of mixed media collage pieces is brimming full of images and torn pieces of my own art.  I like saving little snippets of past work as well as vintage book and journal pages.  Even making colored copies of some to use and tear at a later date.

Simply begin by sketching out  your design.

Cut, tear and apply pieces of collage to some, not all of

the design.  Leaving some blank and some raised with the collage image.  Giving the piece texture and interest.  

        Using American Decou-Page, Antique Medium to apply.

             Add washes to the background with fluid acrylics and allow drips and colors to run.  *Keep a spray bottle of water near by to help.

Begin adding color to the design.  Stipple in centers of flowers with golden tones.  Add pinks, white, yellow and purples to the flowers.  Love how the various shapes bring on more of an abstract appearance.  Keep layering colors until you are satisfied.  Working wet on wet. You can even see my signature in one of the  flower pedals.

                                         Spatter, define and brighten. 

A fun and easy project to enjoy on a hot or rainy summer day.  This could even be done with your kids or have a floral painting party.  Each blossoming in their own way.

Have fun creating your own collage and garden of flowers.

See you soon!

Ursula

xo

Unexpected things await us this week.

Just like the unexpected flower that seems to pop up over night.  This is the first year that my Rose of Sharon is in full bloom.  We have had our share of rain and unlike some to the other flowers in my yard and garden, it flourished.  Others wilted and  have decided not to bloom for a while.

Taking advantage of my property and the beautiful landscape this morning.  It was a perfect morning for a little walk in the woods.  Being present in the moment, enjoying the gentle sounds of nature.

Something I need to do more often.  It is so easy to just start the day and get busy with things.  

I so enjoy the daily message from Ann Voskamp that I receive on Facebook.  Her thoughts for today were to look for the new things as the new week begins.  Unexpected things!  "We need to be present to the grace of this moment."  What beautiful words to live by, not just today, but every day.

      I love how the sunlight peaks through the trees and the beautiful melody of the birds I heard.  A peaceful and beautiful start to a new week.  

See you soon.

Enjoy!

Ursula

Sometimes we just need to step out of our comfort zone, believe and move forward.  Take some chances along the way or we will never know what could have been.  Because, in the end, we only regret the chances we didn't take.

I find this so true in my own life and am ready for the next chapter.  Not sure what it is, but I am stepping out and trusting God's timing.  "It takes courage to listen with our whole heart to the tick of God's timing rather than march to the loud beat of our fears."  Ann Voskamp

As I began this journal page, these words kept resonating with me.  Going back to my journal pages and enjoying the process of an image transfer.  These are always fun and the outcome is never the same and sometimes it doesn't go as planned. The paper isn't dry enough, the ink wasn't right, not enough transferred, the paper tore and so on.  As is in life at times.

I began with gesso and a couple of images that I printed out.  The leaves were from a botanical book I own and the portrait image was from one of my own paintings.  Adding the copied image onto the page with DecoArt media matte medium.  Allowing it to dry and hoping for a successful outcome.  Sometimes it is best to wait and let it dry overnight and hope for the best. We can take it into our own hands and take a heat dryer to speed the process along, but the results are not always as successful.

I trusted the process, followed the rules and satisfied with the outcome.  Drawing in the details, adding color and defining the features.

Adding collage pieces to the background and to her dress.  Moving along and trusting the process with hopes of a finished painting that I would be happy with.  It was only a journal page, but still wanted something I liked.

Adding washes of paint to the background and to her dress, over the collage pieces that I chose.  A small dot stencil was used to add subtle touches of white to the background. Topping it off with a lace collar and a small bird to the leaves.

                                    When she was dry, I added the word "Believe" to the dress.  

I was happy with the outcome and glad I trusted  and believed in the process.  Even though at times during, I wasn't sure I liked what was happening on the page.  I kept going step by step and trusted the process as I moved along.

Thanks for coming along this journey with me.
Prints are available.  If interested in one, please comment below.  

Talk soon.

Ursula xo

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Painting flowers and enjoying a summer afternoon in my studio.  Love the Psalms and the messages they send to us. I thought I would share one that has been sitting on my desk along with a tutorial of a floral painting inspired by a photo.

Yellow flowers bring happiness and sunshine into our fields, gardens and into our homes.  But after the color fades and the flowers die out, we are only left with a memory.  By painting one of your own, the memory can last through all the seasons.

This is painted on a 8 x 10 wrapped canvas.  Using fluid acrylics and Extender.  The extender gives more freedom and softness to the flowers.  So, begin by washing colors into a wet background, moistened with retarder.  Then add a lacy stencil onto the foreground with light modeling paste and a palette knife.  

                               Begin blocking in the design using abstract shapes with Raw Sienna. 

Begin adding color and white highlights into the design and work loosely, while retarder is still moist.  Wipe brush off between colors and careful not to use too much water with the retarder!  

You can see that I used a reference photo in this image.  This is where to begin shaping the flowers and adding more contrast.  The more you add to a painting and remove, the more life your drawing will have.  So, I work back and forth between dark and light as I develop the painting.  

                                                         Building and Re-Building

As the retarder begins to dry, I use a little more water onto the brush.  At this stage, I like to let some of the colors run and slant my canvas to allow the paint to flow.  Some of it gets into the texture and creates more texture and interest.  I started to add pearls to this but removed them.  You can still see remnants of the area.  Not a bad thing!

I then went over some of the white and darkest ares of the flowers with pastels, just to brighten a little more.  The last thing is to add spray varnish when all is completely dry.  I used DecoArt media paints for this, but you can use any acrylic paint.  

Paint colors used are:  Primary Yellow, Naples Yellow Hue, Raw Sienna, Titan Buff, Sap Green and Titanium White.  DecoArt Media antiquing cream; Patina Green, Medium Grey and English Red Oxide.  Using them just like the other paints, but they have a creamier texture.  

                                       I do hope you enjoyed this quick little tutorial.  

Happy Painting!!

Ursula xo

Summer is here in it's full glory.  Hot, sunny and full of many activities. 

Did you see the gorgeous moon last night?  We were driving home from a concert and it lit up the entire sky.  So glad we were out late, or I would have probably missed it.

Summer means so many things to me.  Going out into my garden early in there morning, gives me hope for the new day.  Filled with sunshine, singing birds, butterflies and bright colorful flowers.

I love celebrating and ushering in the beginning of the season and try to plan some special event so I  don't miss it.

Sitting poolside, by the lake or just out on the deck gives way to dreams.  The magic of summer time. Remembering childhood days of being outside until the street lights came on.  Playing in the woods, building forts, riding bikes for hours, skating and hopscotch on the side walk.  Playing baseball in an empty field.  Catching lightening bugs at night. We didn't have air conditioning back then and slept with the windows open.  Listening to the night sounds.

Ahhh Summer!

Enjoy the longer days, the sunshine, the water, the hopes and dreams of the season!

Ursula

P.S.  If you would like to paint this mixed media piece, join me in my upcoming class@www.artplaydate.com.  

He Whispers

Sometimes it is hard to hear the whispers among all the chaos and busy-ness of life.  There are messages all around and sometimes I miss them because I am worrying and scurrying about on things that really don't matter or make a real difference in my day to day activities.

I was drawn to these words cut out from an old book..."he whispers..... I knew I wanted to use them in my next painting.  I took an old canvas that had a class project on it.  Loosely applied the DecoArt Media gesso with my palette knife and added pieces from a watercolor project I did as well.   Leaving some of the old painted background visible, giving it depth against the white gesso.

This is my large collage box of ephemera, collage pieces and scraps of my art.  So, I applied some of the watercolor pieces of the portrait and background of the pieces you see in the box. Never wasting or throwing anything worth saving out.  Some would cringe at the thought of tearing up a piece of art.  But, I liked parts of the painting, but did not like it as a whole.  So, I love putting past work into a new design.  
Added some light modeling paste in and around the collage pieces to help blend them into the painted background.

Adding more gesso and using the modeling paste along with a lace stencil to create more interest into the background.  The bird was taken and cut out from my sketch book and applied to the canvas as well.
Since discovering water soluble oils, I decided to proceed with oils over the gesso, watercolor and acrylic background.  A true mixed media painting in every sense of the word!

Work in progress and kept coming back to her over the course of the week.  Tweaking and adding, listening and painting.  Painting and listening.....

She will remain in my studio to remind me to listen to the whispers more closely.  Not to get too busy that I miss them or ignore what I am suppose to hear or learn.

Thanks for stopping by!

Ursula
xo

Summer Memories

The first half of this year has been one of challenges and sadness for my family.  It is hard to believe that June and summer have suddenly arrived.

My 94 year old mother passed away only two weeks after we celebrated her birthday.  She has been in a nursing facility since January, after a fall.  She never fully recovered from the fall, but did rally some and we had such fun seeing her and her three other German friends celebrate her birthday along with us.  Singing German songs, eating cake and laughing at silly things she said.  

We moved her three times in these last few months.  Keeping her as comfortable as we could.  

She left us on a Sunday, May 29th.  She went peacefully as my brother and I sat by her side.  

This summer will be bittersweet, remembering times spent with her.  Not only was she close in heart, she lived next door to me the last 13 years of her life.  

I will miss walking over to her house, watching her walk in the neighborhood with her walker and just knowing she was near by.

                             What is intuitive Painting?  

I have heard it to be a spiritual and creative practice.   To listen and know when it is speaking to you.

Freeing your

 creative self so to speak.  Letting go of pre-conceived ideas as to how your art should be.

A way of letting go of comparison, perfectionism and approval.  The courage to explore and experiment.  Taking some creative risks along the way.

I did have a plan for this canvas board before I began to paint.  I had images of flowers, vases, and chairs available for inspiration.  I began with the background, painting loosely and freely.   Not worrying about the outcome.  It was only the background!  When I stepped back from the first step, I saw a face emerge.  I really didn't think I wanted to paint another face.  But then, I began to sketch it in.

So, I went along with it.  Not having an image to choose from,  I began to block her in and added a few more elements to the background to make it more interesting.

It went through many stages, some ugly, some jut not right. Applying the lips at least five different times!  But, I kept moving the brush, taking off what didn't work and adding new.  Trying to make what seemed to be unconscious conscious.  Opening myself up and beginning to enjoy the process. 
I did add some flowers as you can see.  But, the painting isn't about flowers, it is about " A Strength Within"  The perfect name for the painting, thanks to Ulaunda, a Facebook friend.

I trusted myself, went with the flow, enjoyed the process and let go.

Staying true to who you are.  Making a commitment and taking responsibility for the outcome.

To become the you that you were always meant to be.

Experiment, enjoy the process, don't give up and make your heart happy.

Enjoy the process no matter what the outcome.  It's all yours!

Ursula