Orange Spiral Arts

Play with Color and Tend to Your Whole BEing

I want to shout it from the rooftops!! 21 Secrets-Color, Color, Color is OUT TODAY! 

Dear Creative One,

I want to tell you a few things. You are so important. You matter. Your feelings are what they are. Sometimes they are your inner guidance system trying to tell you something about yourself. What do you need to feel more whole, happy, and fulfilled? Are you taking good care of yourself? Are you allowing yourself to dream of having what you really, really, really want? This is your life. You have power and strength, wisdom and courage all built right inside of you. I am not saying life is easy. I just want to remind you of your worth. I want to remind you that there is hope.

If you are wondering how the above paragraph fits with the announcement of the release of an online art workshop series, allow me to tell you. What I know is that art making and creativity are powerful avenues that lead to healing and personal growth. Through imagery, through moving the body, through shifting your focus away from worry and pain to love is what heals us. Art journaling, which is the focus of 21 Secrets, is a safe space for you to get to know yourself better while playing with art supplies. Play, and you learn. Learn more about who you are, and you grow. Your heart gets filled back up. Your thoughts shift to something better. You start dreaming of greater possibilities. Your whole body starts to feel better in the moment, because the mind, body, and spirit are all connected. 

With all of that being said, I want to invite you to take a look at this incredible offering called 21 Secrets-Color, Color, Color. Even if you don't consider yourself an artist, have no fear. The 24 teachers in 21 Secrets-Color, Color, Color, walk you through each step of the creative process. It's a joyful, eye opening, wonder-filled, and incredible journey, and you're invited along! We're all in this together. As Glennon Doyle Melton says, "Life is brutiful." That's brutal and beautiful combined into one. Let us walk together through the power of art making. Now is the time to take better care of yourself and to share your experiences with others. (There's an online Facebook Community for 21 Secrets participants). Best of all, we'll be playing with color in your art making! Each teaching artist has a unique approach, so you'll get to try various techniques and find out what rings true for you!

If online art workshops aren't for you, I completely understand. I hope you still read something in this post that made you get curious about your life, and sparked a desire to make a shift.

Many Blessings and Gratitude to You,

Briana

PS To find out more about 21 Secrets-Color Color Color, please click here. I get paid as a contributing artist when you use the link from my site, so I thank you in advance for your support. 

21 Secrets-Color, Color, Color Giveaway Winners Announced

Congratulations to Jennifer Maroney and Lisa Walker!

You both are receiving a FREE PASS to 21 Secrets-Color, Color, Color!!!

You can expect to receive an email by Monday, September 26 with all of the details!

For those of you seeing this for the first time, 21 Secrets Color, Color, Color is not to be missed!

It is due for release on Monday, September 26, 2016, and I am sooooooooo excited for it!!

You'll be learning art journaling and mixed media techniques from over 21 teachers from around the globe.

Click the picture below for more information or to sign up!

Blessings to you,

Briana

 

21 Secrets-Color, Color, Color Giveaway

Hello Creative Ones!

Would you like a chance to win a FREE PASS to 21 Secrets-Color, Color, Color that comes out on Monday, September 26, 2016?

Here's what I need you to do ASAP!

If you know me and my work on Orange Spiral Arts, I would appreciate your feedback on what you would like to see here:

A. On the Orange Spiral Arts blog

B. Online class offerings

C. In person class offerings 

If you are receiving this via email, simply hit reply and respond to the above A, B, C options.

I will choose a winner Saturday evening, by 9pm CST. I will post the winner in a new post on OrangeSpiralArts.com

To save time, please include your name and email address with entry to the giveaway.

If you are reading this post on my blog, please write me an email here OrangeSpiralArts (at) gmail (dot) com

Thank you kindly and GOOD LUCK!

Blessings,

Briana

 

Watercolor Wednesday-The Importance of Play

Greetings to You!

Thank you for reading posts on OrangeSpiralArts.com. My hope is to inspire you to tap into your inner creativity that you naturally have inside of you. We are all born creative, but some of us lose touch with our creative selves along our life journey. I want you to know that you are an important being. You, your life, and your stories matter. You are worthy of love, acceptance and understanding. Tapping into your creative side can help affirm your worthiness.

So, today for Watercolor Wednesday, I will be sharing a couple of quick pages I created in my art journal using Pelikan Opaque Watercolors.

What I want to emphasize is the importance of PLAY! Since I started Watercolor Wednesday nearly a year ago, I have been experimenting and playing around with many, many different kinds of watercolor paint. The best way to learn is to experience something. Get your hands moving and make art! You don't have to call it "art" if you don't want to, but please do create!

The more you play, the more you'll learn about your own color preferences, meaningful symbols, and artistic style. You will also learn about the types and brands of paint that you prefer. One of the reasons why I offer classes where all supplies are provided, is to give people a chance to try out supplies before they go out and buy them. If you aren't local to the Twin Cities and are unable to sign up for an in-person class, check your local Community Education offerings for adults. There also might be other art centers in your area that offer classes and workshops. And finally, YouTube is your friend. Many people share videos where they review art supplies.

Have a beautiful day!  

Remember, you and your creativity matter!

Blessings,

Briana

Nature Inspiration from the North Shore of Minnesota

Greetings!

I hope this finds you well.

I am taking a short break from Mark Making Monday to share a few photos from my recent trip to the North Shore.

Grand Marais, MN and Lake Superior

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA)

Rainbows on the way to Grand Marais

Temperance River

Sugarloaf Cove

I hope you will find inspiration for your art, spirit, and your life from these nature photos.

Thanks for looking!

May you be safe. May you feel happy. May you have peace.

Blessings to you,

Briana

 

Watercolor Wednesday-Painting Little Cards that Nurture the Spirit and Soul

Greetings Creative One!

I am under the influence. No, not of alcohol or drugs, but of inspiration! Have you seen the SoulSpace Series Oracle Cards by art therapist Jen Berlingo? I absolutely love them! Jen now has two sets available in her ArtandSoulSpace Etsy shop! I highly recommend them, as they are magical!

I am also taken with the little mandalas created by art therapist Adele Stuckey. Here's a link to her Instagram account. Scroll down and load the page until you see a little video of her creating some watercolor mandalas. They are the best!!

So, here's what I was inspired to create today for Watercolor Wednesday. I made two sets of little cards.

Set 1-Meaningful Symbols 

Set 2-Inspirational Orbs

It felt so good to create these little cards. I felt my mind ease up. My body was loose and relaxed. My spirit felt filled. And my soul smiled.

If you are in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, I will be offering a couple of workshops in November and December at Green Lotus Yoga & Healing in Eden Prairie. Stay tuned for more information!

Have a beautiful day!

Blessings and Peace to you!

Briana

Mark Making with Nature Items

Hello Lovely People!

How's September treating you so far?

I hope to inspire you to play with nature items and paint in your art space this week. If you want to get really unique and interesting marks, nature items make great tools!

I looked in my kitchen and my garden for the items below.

I love how the painted zucchini end looks (see photo below).

Below is a garlic chive dipped in blue paints. I love, love, love the marks of this plant!

Pictured below you might be able to spy all three nature items printed on my journal pages.

I added more paint layers to the pages. Below is yellow Dye-na-flow, which is sort of like a really runny ink that is saturated with color!

I also added some red Dylusions paint with a cosmetic wedge.

And I couldn't get enough of that sweet turnip leaf with holes in it, so I printed it again.

I am loving the combination of marks from the nature items in combination with those loose circles made with a cosmetic wedge.

I still had some paint to use, so I created another page spread in my journal.

Well, what do you say? Would you like to try making marks with nature items? It's really, really fun! If you do try it, I'd love to hear about your experience in the comments below.

Just a friendly reminder that 21 Secrets Color, Color, Color is coming out on Monday, September 26, and I can't wait! Did you sign up to receive your full color, downloadable PDF, which includes video links? If you love color-of all kinds-bright colors, pastels, black and white, neutrals and neons, you'll love this edition of 21 Secrets Color, Color, Color! Thank you kindly for your support! I appreciate it so much!

Blessings to you!

Briana

 

 

Watercolor Mandalas in Square Journal

Good Day to You!

Do you ever feel like you just need a quick creative release? You are feeling emotional or stressed or distracted by Facebook, and somewhere inside you, there is a voice saying, "Just create. Just make something; you'll feel better."

For me, this happens often. 

For this Watercolor Wednesday post, I'd like to share an idea with you that might interest you. This idea might fulfill that desire to create something satisfying in a small amount of time. Just to reiterate, this doesn't take a lot of time. I would say, allow for 5-15 minutes of creative time.

I am a fan of mixed media, so I like to play with ballpoint pen, pencil, colored pencils, and crayons, along with a set of watercolor paints.

I like using a square journal for creating circle-shaped art. I call these circles "mandalas" as they are leading me to wholeness, understanding, and connections otherwise beyond my logical knowing.

Here are some examples of my mandalas:

I usually start in the center of the page. You can use a compass to create a circle first, or just eyeball it.

For the photo below, there was a dot from the compass used on the previous page. Also, I used a pencil to create the initial marks around the dot.

Next, I keep choosing colors that please me and circle around from the top, back to where I started. I am right-handed, and I circle left.

Below are a few more examples completed in the past two days.

May you feel inspired to begin a simple creative practice that fills your heart and brings you peace.

Thank you for being here!

Blessings to you,

Briana

PS If you are interested in learning more ways of holistic art journaling, I highly recommend Spectrum 2016. (See sidebar button on OrangeSpiralArts.com) I offer a workshop called "Forgiveness Art Cards" where we play with stencils, ink, and paint. Each week, you'll receive an email with links to the latest workshop in Spectrum. I am feeling really inspired by these workshops, so I wanted to make you aware of them, if you aren't already. I feel blessed to be a contributor among so many other amazing women artists! If you do wish to sign up, I would love for you to use this link, as that as I how I get paid as a contributor. Thank you in advance for your support. Have a beautiful day!

Always Look in the Clearance Section at Target-Printing Patterns with a Coaster and the Mini Circle Gelli Plate

Hi There! Is it still Monday?

Here's today's Mark Making Monday post! I don't want you to miss out on this important piece of advice. ALWAYS LOOK ON THE CLEARANCE SHELVES AT TARGET!

The other day I found a total gem! It's a circle coaster with an excellent pattern. As soon as I saw it, I knew I'd be doing some Gelli Plate printing for the Mark Making Monday post!

Here are the supplies to gather:

a soft rubber brayer

a piece of newsprint

a piece of card stock

Gelli Arts Mini Circle Plate

acrylic craft paint

your clearance coaster!!

Here's the process:

1. Roll out some acrylic paint on your mini printing plate.
2. Clean off your brayer by rolling it onto the newsprint.
3. Place the coaster face down onto the plate and press.
4. Remove the coaster and print it on the newsprint.
5. Take your piece of card stock and print the coaster pattern.
6. Look at your print and REPEAT.

Have TONS of fun, and simply let yourself play with color and the printed pattern.

Do you want more ideas for printing, drawing, and painting colorful patterns? Then sign up for 21 Secrets Color, Color, Color! It's due for release on Monday, September 26, 2016. My workshop in 21 Secrets Color, Color, Color is called "Draw, Paint, and Print Artful Color Patterns." It's going to be a blast! (If you do sign up, please use my link, as that is how I get paid as a contributor to this awesome workshop series). Thank you kindly! I super duper appreciate your support.

Sending lots of good vibes and arty playtime energy your way!

Blessings,

Briana