Orange Spiral Arts

Getting Started with Visual Journaling-Class at Wet Paint in October 2019 (3 Wednesdays, starting October 9)

“Our creativity-that is, our fearless engagement with the world around us- is the source of our happiness and purpose on this planet.” –Peter Himmelman, Let Me Out: Unlock Your Creative Mind and Bring Your Ideas to Life

 

Dear Creative Ones,

 

I’d like to invite you into the wonderful world of visual journaling. This is a world where anything goes; there is no right or wrong way to express yourself in your journal. My style is not going to be your style, and that is the beauty of sitting with others who are also engaging in the process of keeping a visual journal. You are unique, and your own artistic style will show up. You don’t even have to think of yourself as an artist; you are born a creative being.

 

In my upcoming class at Wet Paint, Getting Started with Visual Journaling, I have a few goals. The first goal is to help you overcome your fears of the blank page. The second goal is to have you feel seen, heard, and loved while you are in class. The third goal is to have fun playing around with various mixed media supplies, so that we may breathe a little easier, let go of the stress we carry, and just be present to the moment.

 

I will be guiding you through creating initial backgrounds, adding to those backgrounds, as well as doing some low stress drawing and journaling exercises.

 

This experience is for you, and I want you to see yourself reflected in your visual journal.

I have been keeping visual journals for over twenty years. Some of my journals have tons of writing, and other journals are explorations into various art materials. The journals that mean the most are the ones where I’ve included bits and pieces of my life. Those bits and pieces could be photographs, ephemera from the day, or a deep writing session.

We are all on a journey, and a visual journal is your companion along the way. Whether you are in a place of healing physical or emotional pain, in some sort of transition, or riding life’s waves with ease, we all need a safe space to express ourselves. That’s what a visual journal is for me. When I am present to the creative process, I connect to something greater. To illustrate this, one woman at a recent MN Visual Journal Collective meeting said when referring to her journal, “It’s time I start working on a better relationship with myself.” That resonated with so many others in the room. Can you relate, too?

 

Gather your supplies, begin to open your heart, and let’s create together.

Register for Getting Started with Visual Journaling here: http://info.wetpaintart.com/index.php/event/getting-started-visual-journaling-taught-by-briana-goetzen/

 

 

“Without dreams, without risks, only a trivial semblance of living can be achieved.” –Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Finding Flow

 

May we all go about our days with a greater sense of aliveness.

May it be so.

 

Sending Blessings to you,

Briana

 

Artist’s bio

 

Briana Goetzen, MA of Orange Spiral Arts is an expressive arts coach, artist, writer, photographer, and teacher. With a background in Elementary Education and Human Development, Briana brings gentleness, a sense of calm, and a never-ending enthusiasm for the arts wherever she goes. Briana’s art teaching philosophy is “process over product,” and her personal mission is to inspire your creative spirit.

www.OrangeSpiralArts.com

Briana is offering a variety of classes at Wet Paint in 2019 for children, youth, and adults. Please look at the Wet Paint site for upcoming Events and registration information. Thank you! I am ever-grateful for your interest and support.

 

 

 

Liquid Watercolor Mandalas Online Class

Greetings to you! 

I am thrilled to share that one of my signature classes, Liquid Watercolor Mandalas is now being offered online.

Benefits to you

I am so excited because I have seen the benefits students have received over the last 4 years of teaching this workshop in person.

Liquid Watercolor Mandalas offers a process that helps to put you in a meditative state, while thoroughly enjoying the moment.

The benefits of meditation include:

• your heart rate will slow
• your breathing will become easier
• you will relax in mind, body, and spirit
• solutions to problems seemingly come from nowhere
• feel more grounded, centered, and clear 

Additional benefits former students have reported:

• loosen up creatively
• increased positive self-talk
• learn to let go and trust the creative process 

What you will learn

• a variety of approaches to creating liquid watercolor and mixed media mandalas
• all about liquid watercolor and where to purchase it, including Colorations brand, Ecoline brand, and Dr. Ph. Martin's Radiant Concentrated Watercolor
• how different sized brushes can be used for different effects
• how to source inspiration from nature, textiles, art, jewelry, food, and human made objects
• how to combine 2-3 different art supplies in one mandala to create a unique look and design
• how to keep a mandala journal as a creative practice that will add meaning and understanding to your life
• an inside out approach to creating mandalas, which often comes with benefits of healing emotional pain

IMPORTANT NOTE: I am not a therapist or a doctor. I recommend that you have professional support ready before exploring areas of trauma or abuse, or additional issues you may be going through that require professional help.

I do have a master's degree in Human Development. In my program, I studied creativity, spirituality, and healing. I went into my graduate program with the question, "How can people heal from emotional pain?" 

I have also since become a certified facilitator for the curriculum called, "Renewing Life through the Expressive Arts."

Educating myself and learning how to serve others on their life journey is something I care deeply about.

Teaching workshops that combine my background as an early childhood educator, where the children are so free in their art making process, and my formal training in Human Development, where I focused on adults, is the sweet spot which makes me unique as your guide. I also have been making art and writing in journals for most of my life. My goal when creating is not to about the end-result, but about the process that occurs while the creative work is happening.

What you will receive

• detailed supply list
• resource list, including recommended books and online classes by other instructors
• a mini mandala (original art by me) in the mail as a thank you gift
• videos, lots of them, sharing the various approaches to creating liquid watercolor mandalas and a few mixed media mandalas
• a simple breathing technique to help you relax, feel calm, and empowered
• tons of inspiration via photos I have taken over the years of nature, textiles, etc. that can all be used as references while creating your mandalas
• information about liquid watercolor-from children's paint to professional grade ink

Supply Tip

If you know you are going to sign up for this course, the most affordable source of liquid watercolor is from Discount School Supply (which I have used for 15 years). If it is in your means, I suggest getting the set of 18 colors, 8 oz. bottles. There is also a set of 6, 4 oz. bottles, at a great price.

*Prices subject to change

My current favorite supply is Royal Talens Ecoline Liquid Water Colour. To support my favorite local art supply store, Wet Paint, go here. Wet Paint will ship your order, has curbside pickup for local Twin Cities folks, and has international shipping options. Read more about Wet Paint's Shipping & Ordering Policies here.

I am taking $100 OFF the regular online class price, so you can buy yourself some supplies, and support my favorite local art supply store. Wet Paint has FREE SHIPPING for orders over $99.

There are many papers at a great value as well, such as this one, this one, and this one. I will most frequently be using 140 lb. watercolor paper by Canson.

For paint containers you could use one of the following:

Artist's Loft Plastic Paint Cups-set of 12

Masterson Air-tight paint cups-package of 20

Watercolor Paint Jar set with 6 jars-2 oz.

 

Final details and FAQs

Class begins on Tuesday, October 1, 2019 and runs for at least 3 weeks.

Registration confirmation will come through via your email 24-48 hours after payment is received.

Content is delivered via a password protected site that is for registered participants only.

Share your work on Instagram with the hashtag #liquidwatercolormandalas

Class Outline and Plan

Session 1

• Introduction-What is a mandala? (written)
• What is expressive art? (written)
• Supplies (written, images and links for easy shopping)
• Loosening up with liquid watercolor (video)
• Making color charts of various liquid watercolor brands (video)
• Basic watercolor techniques demo (video)
• Setting intentions (written)
• Setting up your space and supplies (written and photos)
• Creating your first liquid watercolor mandala(s)
• Crayon resist mandala (video)
• Resources (written and linked in online classroom) 

Session 2

• Breathing technique (video and written)
• Mandala art and journaling as a creative practice (video-journal flip-through)
• Journaling prompts (written)
• "Art show" of Briana's liquid watercolor mandalas (video and photos)
• Mandala technique-rays and doodles (video and photo example)
• Gathering inspiration from the world around you (written and photos)
• Structured mandalas vs. free-form (written and photos)
• Using a compass and/or circle template (video)
• Concentric circles mandala (video)
• Finding your symbols exercise (written)
• Symbol at center mandala (video)

Session 3

• Moving beyond the circle mandala (video and photo examples)
• Nature inspired mandala (video and photo example)
• Q-tip as tool mandala (video)
• Blown paint mandala (video)
• Mixed media mandala (video)
• Using photos for reference and inspiration (written and photos)
• Mandala painting using Ecoline watercolors (video)
• Mandala painting using Dr. Ph. Martin's Radiant Watercolors (video)
• There may also be extra bonuses, like printable art, or additional videos.

 

Sign Up

Are you ready to say yes to more calm, more full body relaxation, more clarity, as well as joy in your life?

Sign up today!

Policy Note: No Refunds

IMPORTANT: BE SURE YOUR PAYPAL EMAIL ADDRESS IS CURRENT. THIS IS HOW I WILL SEND YOU YOUR REGISTRATION AND ONLINE CLASSROOM ACCESS.

              $150

               $50

Thank you so much for your interest and support. You and your creativity matter!

I am so looking forward to this online version of Liquid Watercolor Mandalas.

 

September 2019 MN Visual Journal Collective Meeting Summary-Mandalas

Greetings! Thank you for visiting Orange Spiral Arts!

Today's post is a meeting summary about the September 2019 MN Visual Journal Collective gathering at Wet Paint.

Our meeting topic was the mandala. Briana (one of the co-facilitators of the MN Visual Journal Collective) shared some resources and personal journals where she used mandalas and journaling as a way toward self-discovery and healing. 

Briana recommends the online teachings of Julie Gibbons, who taught The Great Round, based on The Mandala Workbook by Susanne F. Fincher, and offers a variety of online workshops centering around the mandala. (Ha! Did you catch that pun?)

Here are some of the resources shared by Briana.

The Mandala Workbook by Susanne F. Fincher.

Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith Cornell

Creating Personal Mandalas: Story Circle Techniques in Watercolor and Mixed Media by Cassia Cogger

Here's a free tutorial by Cassia Cogger for creating a gratitude mandala.

Briana also mentioned a more structured form of creating mandalas called Yantra painting. Find out more here.

Next, the floor was opened up to participants at the meeting to share their experiences with creating mandalas. 

Nell shared her experience with making mandalas at the beginning of a class she took at Split Rock Arts Program many years ago. She said that participants enjoyed the mandala process as a way into the day so much, that often students would also create one at the end of their session. Nell also shared the following mandala book by Kathryn Costa.

Kathy shared some mandalas she is working on for a class on mindfulness and meditation at the White Bear Center for the Arts.

Linda talked about traveling solo in Alaska, and using a mandala making practice as a way to document her experiences of the day.

Kari shared a similar idea of gathering experiences and nature items from a trip and placing them into a mandala in her travel journal.

Lakin shared how she spent a year creating a mandala a day, and then used her images as gift wrap. Currently Lakin enjoys the Koala Tools circular grid journals available at Wet Paint.

Heather mentioned an interest in the dot mandala making process where you use a set of tools of varying sizes to create your dot patterns. This process is helping her let go of imperfection, as any mistakes tend to get magnified as the pattern grows.

Karena shared her expressive art created where mandalas just sort of showed up in her work.

Thank you so much to everyone who shared a visual or a story about how you use mandalas in your creative process. It's so good to see and hear about a variety of examples.

After this initial group sharing, we all worked in our journals for about 45 minutes, and mandala making was encouraged.

Here's everyone hard at work and in their creative zone.

At the end of our meeting, participants were invited to share the mandalas they just created, or any other visual journaling work. This is always such a fun part of the night. Everyone's work is so inspiring to see and hear about! Thank you everyone!

Nell shared her mandala and also mentioned the Sketchbook Project from the Brooklyn Art Library in New York. Find out more here.

Carol used water-soluble pencils for her mandala.

Carol also does fiber journals, as she is a quilter. She generously passed it around for everyone to see and touch.

Below is Linda's mandala from the night. She was reflecting on some labyrinth walks she took in Arizona.

Nan shared some recent paper printing work she did in a class in Duluth, MN.

Molly shared her mandalas from the night, as well as her altered collage journal. Molly is teaching at Artistry MN in Bloomington this fall. Look under Fiber for Altered Book Art Journaling with Molly Anthony.

Briana is offering several classes at Wet Paint this fall. She also has classes online on this Orange Spiral Arts site. Thank you in advance for your interest and support.

Briana's Classes at Wet Paint, Fall 2019

Getting Started with Visual Journaling-3 Wednesdays, October 9, 16, 23, 10:30am-1:30pm Fee $126

Introduction to Abstract Alcohol Inks-Saturday, October 19, 10am-12pm Fee $56 (includes kit + yupo)

Introduction to Abstract Alcohol Inks-Tuesday, November 12, 5:30pm-7:30pm Fee $56 (includes kit + yupo)

Liquid Watercolor Mandalas-Sunday, November 17, 1pm-4pm Fee $48

Introduction to Abstract Alcohol Inks-Ages 11+ -Sunday, December 29, 3pm-5pm $56 (includes kit + yupo)

You are always welcome to call Wet Paint to register for a class. 651-698-6431

Briana's current online class is Introduction to Abstract Alcohol Ink Art. I cover a lot more territory than the 2-hour in person workshop at Wet Paint. This class makes a great addition to the live class.

More of Briana's online classes can be found by clicking the "Learn" tab from OrangeSpiralArts.com or by clicking here.

You are never too young or too old to experiment with art supplies!

You and your creativity matter. 

Thanks so much for reading this post!

Sending Blessings and Gratitude to You,

Briana

 

 

 

 

How and When to Print a Stencil with Fine Lines

This post was originally written as a design team member for artistcellar.

How and When to Print a Fine Line Stencil with Briana

Hello Everyone!

 

It’s hard to believe that September is here already! We just had orientation at my son’s school. A day later, he decided he wanted to make cards that say, “Thank you for being my teacher.” My heart smiled when I heard what he wanted to do, so we got started right away. (Thank you to all of the educators, teachers, and support staff out there. You matter, and your work is so important!)

 

As my son created his cards, I could not keep my hands off of the art supplies, so I ended up making a background paper for this blog post. I used construction paper crayons and liquid watercolor.

 

For this blog post, I decided that I wanted to see what would happen if I used a stencil on top of this busy background. The stencil I chose is by Artistcellar, and is from the Sacred Geometry 2 Series. It’s called Seed of Life.

This stencil has fine lines. I didn’t want to cover up all of the color in my background, so I decided to use some Marabu Art Spray. This spray ink is acrylic-based vs. water-based spray ink, like Dylusions spray ink.

I liked how the color showed up, and the ink beaded up around the crayon. I got a little carried away though and sprayed a bit too much ink.

 

Instead of using paper towels to blot up the extra ink, I used a piece of 8 x 8 inch watercolor paper.

I pulled up the watercolor paper to check on the results of both papers.

As a mixed media artist and avid visual journal keeper, I love having a lot of papers to work with. I also am working on a series of 8 x 8 inch paintings, and this Seed of Life print will be a great start for one of those paintings.

 

While I am happy with the 8 x 8 printed version of the stencil, I could not see it well enough on my busy background.

That gave me the idea to use the stencil again with spray ink on the 8 x 8 inch paper, and make a print of it onto my background.

 

I used a card scraper to really rub the back of the wet stencil.

Here’s what things are looking like after pulling off my busy background paper. I think this is my favorite image of this whole bunch. I love those pink dots that happened.

 

Here’s a closer look at the print.

Those fine lines of the stencil are showing up much better now, especially since I dug the stencil into the paper by burnishing it with a plastic card.

 

Here’s how both of the papers looked at the end of my session.

 

In Summary, if you are going to work with a fine line stencil on a busy background, you may want to spray it with ink on a different paper first, then make a print of it onto your background. Burnishing with a plastic card is a great way to help the ink absorb into the paper, so the stencil lines are nice and sharp.

Spray inks and stencils are really fun to play with in a variety of projects. If you do not want your spray ink to be reactivated with water, Marabu Art Sprays are acrylic-based, which means they stay in place.

 

I hope you enjoyed this photo tutorial of my experiments and creative process.

 

Don’t forget to grab your Artistcellar stencils at 30 percent off until September 9^th, 2019. Use coupon code BACKTOSCHOOL19. You’ll love the high quality of the material and the fantastic designs!

PS These stencils are what I will be using in my brand new online class called Introduction to Abstract Alcohol Ink Art. Learn more here.

Sending Blessings,

Briana of OrangeSpiralArts.com