Orange Spiral Arts

Freedom through Painting Friday-Art Journal Jam-Episode 2 from DirtyFootprints-Studio

Hello There! Thanks for hanging out with me at OrangeSpiralArts.com

I can't tell you how thrilled I am about the Art Journal Jam with Connie Solera and Natasha Reilly over at Dirtyfootprints-Studio.com

If you've been here on my blog for awhile, you may have noticed that the Freedom through Painting Friday posts have not been all that consistent. Honestly, I think I kind of needed a buddy. Now I have two! Connie and Natasha.

I am sharing a few photos from the painting I did in my art journal today during Episode 2 of Art Journal Jam.

I simply start with one brush, one palette of 10 colors, some paper towels, and an art journal. Oh, and today I used some crayons, too, but only initially.

I started by taking a few notes as Connie and Natasha were talking on video. I love the whole "Expect a Miracle" mantra.

Next, I started painting over my pages in a random fashion.

Often when I paint like this, I am channeling what Connie lovingly calls, "your inner five year old".

It was Picasso who said, "It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."

As an expressive artist and former early childhood teacher, painting like a child is bliss.

If you allow yourself to simply paint with no agenda, the colors and shapes that appeal to you will begin to appear. For me, circles, spirals, and lots of color are usually a big part of my art.

I love to take a blank piece of paper to my wet pages and pull various prints. The texture makes me oh, so happy!

 

 

A little nugget of wisdom from today's #artjournaljam is that who you are is going to come through in your work.

You can try to escape, but art is powerful and healing. The work is life-giving, which is why I do it.

Thanks for being here!

Sending love out to you today!

Blessings,

Briana

 

Liquid Watercolor, Crayola Watercolor, and a Wooden Stamp

Welcome to Orange Spiral Arts! I am pleased you are here!

Have you ever wondered how to use one of those really cool looking wooden stamps? Me, too!

I am pretty sure they are meant to be used on fabric with fabric ink rolled onto them, but I am a paper lover.

So, I decided to experiment and play around in my art journal!

First, I attempted a resist technique by dabbing acrylic paint onto the surface of the wooden stamp.

Next, I added Blick fluorescent red liquid watercolor paint and some yellow Crayola watercolor paint.

That shifted to applying liquid watercolor directly onto the stamp to add another layer on the page.

The results are subtle, but I like them!

May you engage your playful, creative self and try something just for fun today (or sometime very, very soon!)

Sending you all big hugs, and lots of love!

Blessings,

Briana

Mark Making Monday

Hello and Welcome to Orange Spiral Arts!
Today's Mark Making Monday post is about playing with various types of crayons on a brown paper bag, along with some fluorescent red liquid watercolor paint!

It is back to school season for many of us in the northern hemisphere, and school supplies are at their best prices! If you can, I suggest getting yourself some large or jumbo crayons, as well as the non-washable Crayola markers. Cra-Z-Art is another brand to try, as well. The colors are slightly different from the Crayola brand, which is a good thing!

So, I have had my eye on this fluorescent red liquid watercolor paint over at Blick (http://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-liquid-watercolors/).
I finally got my hands dipped in today, and I looooove it!

Liquid watercolor is not usually lightfast, meaning the sun can fade its color. However, for art journaling or expressive art on a paper bag, that's not a big concern. : )

Back to the school supplies and crayons . . .
I tried Sargent construction paper crayons, Cra-Z-Art jumbo crayons, as well as the high quality LYRA wax giants.

Honestly, I love them all.

So your task this week is to snag some inexpensive markers, crayons, and watercolor paint. Then scribble and play like a child!!! Expressive art is fun, joyful, and brings you to the present moment. Read that as--you let your worry go when you play with art supplies!! Who doesn't want less worry and stress, right?

Okay! Have fun!

Blessings,

Briana