Orange Spiral Arts

Here's Why I am Signing Up for Life Book 2019

Here's the truth: I am not into creating faces and portraits. Even though 30-40 percent of the lessons in Life Book will have some sort of face, that leaves 60-70 percent of the content that does NOT focus on creating a face. What I appreciate about Life Book is that there is a focus on personal development and healing. I completely believe in the power of the arts to help us heal our emotional wounds. I know that imagery is a powerful tool that helps the subconscious deliver messages to our conscious mind. Once we are aware of what's going on inside our hearts, bodies, and minds, there is the opportunity to shift, change, and transform our lives for the better.

It is important to note that Life Book does not take the place of professional therapy. The offerings in Life Book are tools for personal growth and development. 

This year, I am particularly excited about Andy's offerings related to NVC (Nonviolent Communication). As an expressive arts facilitator, I am always looking to add to my own list of resources and skills that will help me to be a better facilitator. 

If you are interested in developing your mixed media skills, in being playful and experimental with art supplies, or in creating a Life Book for 2019, I hope that you will join us. You may click the image above, or click here. Don't forget to enter coupon code "LOVEBOMB2019" to save 20%, valid through December 31, 2018.

Sending Blessings to you,

Briana

PS I loved the Life Book Creativity & Wellbeing Summit, and that content is included once you register for Life Book 2019. It's truly a win-win.

New-COLLAGE PAPER PIES online class is open for registration

It has been a dream of mine for nearly twenty years to create what I call a "collage paper pie." I had been seeing them created by several artists, in many different styles. They seem to be a modern art motif. They kept grabbing my attention and entering into my psyche, as something I wanted to create "someday." Well, finally something clicked, and I am making them, and I want to share this process with YOU!

Come read more about the story of how this online class came to be. And if you feel inspired, you are welcome to sign up today! You receive unlimited access to the course material. Learn more by clicking here.

Paint, Paper, and Stencil Play with Briana

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

Greetings creative one! I hope this post finds you well.

Today we are going to play with a pre-painted piece of copy paper, some Dina Wakley acrylic paint, and the Old World Maps Series stencils from artistcellar.

Step 1:

Place your stencil of choice underneath your copy paper.

(In the picture below, I have the stencil on top just so you can see how the size matches well with my paper.)

Step 2:

Squirt out a few small drops of the Dina Wakley acrylic paint in a contrasting color to your painted paper.

Step 3:

Use a plastic card to scrape the paint over the paper, leaving a “rubbing” of the stencil underneath.

Doesn’t that look awesome? (I would like to give credit to the fabulous LK Ludwig who taught me this stencil under the paper technique.)

Step 4:

Let your paint dry. TIP: It does not take long, as the scraping process, plus acrylic paint, equals fast drying time.

Step 5:

Use your imagination and create something out of your painted paper.

I chose to create an envelope for some mail art.

I folded the paper to make three sections.

Step 6:

Use decorative tape to seal the sides closed. Also, fold in the corners on the top fold to give it more of an envelope shape, if desired.

After gluing down the corners of the top fold, I’d like to show you the front and back of my envelope.

Here’s the front:

Here’s the back:

Now all I need to do is add a sticker address label and a stamp!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial using the Old World Maps Series stencils by artistcellar!

Have a wonderful day/night, wherever you may be!

Blessings and Gratitude,

Briana of OrangeSpiralArts.com

PS Did you know I have a NEW online class starting on Tuesday, October 16th? You can get in on the pre-sale, as well have the chance to receive some artful snail mail from me! Sign up today!

Register for Mixed Media Paint Scraping-NEW Online Class

I am so excited! I am working hard on my next online class, Mixed Media Paint Scraping.

Go here for more info and to register!

Class opens on Tuesday, October 16th, 2018 and runs for five weeks through November 13th, 2018.

After November 13th, 2018, the class will be self-paced.

 

Sending Blessings and Creative Vibes your way!

-Briana

September Visual Journal Collective Meeting Summary-Gesture Drawing

Greetings! Thank you for being here!

In this post, I am sharing the pages I created during the September 2018 Visual Journal Collective meeting. We had special guest teacher, Erin Maurelli. Erin brought along one of the models she uses when she teaches gesture drawing to college students. Erin gave the Visual Journal Collective participants a crash course in drawing the figure. We had tons of fun, and we learned a lot, too! Thank you, Erin and Ashley (guest model).

We did a series of one-minute drawings, where the model switched poses every sixty seconds.

Drawing quickly is my preferred way to draw, as there is not time to think and critique your own work.

I decided to use a Tombow Brush Marker for most of the one-minute gesture drawings.

I worked on top of pre-colored background pages (most done by monoprinting with a Gelli Plate) in a large Canson Mix Media XL journal.

Other students used charcoal, pencil, or water-soluble graphite sticks.

After the one-minute gesture drawing warm-ups, we drew for longer periods of time, like ten or fifteen minutes. (Below I tried the charcoal that Erin had available for us to use.)

Below, I went back to my Tombow marker. I had extra time, so I sketched the model again using a Dixon crayon.

It's good to try out different sketching tools, as they can make quite a difference in your experience and results.

We had a quick sharing time near the end of our meeting, but I didn't get any photos. This was a new experience for many in the Collective, and I didn't want anyone to feel "on the spot." The drawings were truly amazing, though. Everyone's unique style came through, which was awesome to see!

We'll be doing another drawing activity at our meeting in October, so mark your calendar for Monday, October 15, 7pm-9pm, if you're curious. All you need to do is bring your sketchbook/journal and $5, which goes to space rental at MCBA.

Feel free to request to join our MCBA Visual Journal Collective Facebook group here. Also, we have a Google Group for those not on Facebook. Leave me a comment with your email, if you wish to be added to the Google Group. We send out meeting reminders a few days before each meeting. 

Thank you again to TJ, Erin Maurelli, and our guest model. We appreciate your time!

Sending Creative Vibes and Blessings to You,

-Briana

Life Book Inspired Art

Life Book Inspired Art by Briana

(Post written as artistcellar design team member)

Many of you may know of Tamara Laporte and her online course creation called Life Book.

You may also know that in 2018 Tamara got her book published called Create Your Life Book.

As I was flipping through the book referenced above, I noticed some stencils that I recognize and adore. They are stencils by artistcellar! Feeling inspired by this, I decided to try my hand at one of the lessons. I did my own version of “The Zen Butterfly” lesson on pages 16-21.

Supplies Used:

Watercolor paper, 140 lb., 9 in. x 12 in.

Dylusions Spray Inks

Artistcellar stencils

Paintbrush

Jar of water

Roll of paper towels

Micron Pen

Step 1: Choose a few stencils and spray inks.

Step 2: Spray the ink through the stencils and blot with a paper towel roll.

Step 3: Continue to add stencils and spray with ink.

TIP: use another paper to cover up areas you do NOT want to spray with ink.

Step 4: Allow spray ink to dry completely.

Step 5: Add writing about how you want to live your life.

For reference, here’s one more photo of the stencils I used:

As you can see, Tamara Laporte is one of the AC (Artistcellar) Signature Series stencil artists! How fun is that?

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. May you go out and have some fun with your stencils and art supplies!

Blessings to you,

Briana of OrangeSpiralArts.com

Dynamite Dye-Na-Flow Art Journal Mandala

Greetings to all! Thank you for being here.

Art supplies, especially ones with rich colors, are a true joy.

Have you ever tried Dye-Na-Flow? It is made to work on fabric, but also works on paper! There’s a great description on the artistcellar site listing all of the wonderful options for use. In case you don’t have time to hop over to the artistcellar site, I will quote the description for you here:

Jacquard Dye-Na-Flow Liquid Color

“This little bottle of liquid color is like magic. Originally intended for fabric, it can also be used on paper and in journals! Our favorite way to use this dye is with a water brush! Just take an ink dropper and fill the water brush with the dye, and paint away! Use it for calligraphy, journal writing, painting faces, and whatever else you would use a brush for. You can also put it in the empty Fineline applicator to make scribbles and fine lines in your paintings.

• 1-1/2 oz bottle
• Made in the USA”

Today in my Canson XL Mix Media, 9 x 12 inch journal, I created a simple mandala using Dye-Na-Flow. I used it like liquid watercolor.

Here’s what my set up looks like:

I started by creating some circles, rinsing my brush between colors.

I noticed that some of the pigment settled on the bottom of the jar, so you’ll see me go back over those magenta lines again.

Painting circles is so relaxing. It brings about a sense of calm and peace that feels really good to the whole body.

I like how the darker magenta looks over the lighter magenta. Also, when the magenta and yellow touch, it creates a wonderful orange. Take a look in the center of the mandala.

If you are looking for a new art supply with rich color, I highly recommend Dye-Na-Flow. It’s versatile and a pleasure to paint with.

Happy Creating!

Sending Blessings out to you,

Briana of Orange Spiral Arts

Spray Ink and Stencils in Your Journal

When you are short on time, but would like to make an exciting background page in your journal, I’ve got an idea for you! It involves a little bit of mess and a lot of fun!

Supplies:

Art Journal/Visual Journal/Mixed Media Sketchbook

Artistcellar 12 x 12 stencils

Spray Ink

Paper Towels

A Cardboard Box (a larger rectangular one from Amazon)

The Process

I love to make backgrounds in my journal. I have so much fun playing with acrylic paint. I sometimes smoosh paint together, you know, like how you made butterflies in kindergarten. Or, the fabulous and wonderful Gelli Plate is another great tool for smooshing paint into your journal. You just use that plate like a big ol’ stamp and flump! Your print is made!

So, I am working on a two-toned yellow background that I made in my journal using the Gelli Plate technique I just described.

Next, I am pulling out two of the 12 x 12 Water Series stencils and laying them across the page spread.

As you may be able to see, I am doing all of this inside a large, rectangular Amazon box. (You may need to order a gigantic art book to get this size, or maybe a long calendar would do the trick??)

Anyway, working inside a box like this helps to keep the wild and crazy spray ink somewhat in control. Please note that I said “somewhat in control.”

Once the stencils are ready, grab a couple of spray ink colors that will play nicely together.

I choose a magenta and a blue. You can see some of the lovely purple that they made in the upper right corner.

Once you’ve sprayed your two colors a few times, you’ll need to sop up some of the ink. You can either use a roll of paper towels or a stack of folded towels.

Many mixed media artists like to keep these beautiful towels and repurpose them into their art, once they are dry. The color is pretty spectacular!

Now it’s time to see how things turned out. Remove the stencils, and either clean them with a baby wipe, rinse them under water, or just let them dry. Most spray ink is reactivated by water, so I usually use a baby wipe or rinse under running water.

I am in love with how these pages look right now. The colors and contrast, as well as the patterns from the stencils, makes me really happy.

Below are some shots of each individual page.

I did let you know that using spray ink is messy, didn’t I?

If you are afraid of the spray ink staining your skin, I am here to tell you that it does wash off after a few sessions of soap and water. You may want to use it before you take a shower or something, just in case it makes you nervous. After washing your hair, you’ll be all good.

Summary

Spray ink and stencils are really fun to use together.

The Hot Tip of the Day:

Work inside a large rectangular cardboard box when using wild and crazy spray inks.

The layering of acrylic paint, then spray ink over stencils, creates a dynamic background ready for collage, lettering, or other fun ideas you may have.

Thank you for being here today!

Happy Creating!

Blessings to you,

Briana

The Most Colorful Lily Pads

The Most Colorful Lily Pads-a blog post originally written as a Design Team Member for Artistcellar

Hello Everyone,

Awhile back I had the idea to use some Artistcellar stencils that I had not tried yet. You know, the ones in my stash. (Please tell me I am not the only one with an art supply stash!!) I introduced the following hashtag on Instagram: #artistcellarstencilchallenge. There was not a lot of participation, which is no big deal. However, I still like this idea, as it never hurts to have a little encouragement to use our supplies on hand, or the ones in our stash. Since Instagram now allows you to “follow” hashtags, I would gladly cheer you on if you do ever decide to use some of your new Artistcellar stencils and post them to Instagram with #artistcellarstencilchallenge.

Today, I am using the following supplies to create the most colorful lily pads you have ever seen!

Supplies Used:

Water Series stencils-12 x12 Lily Pads

Acrylic paint

Foam paint roller

Baby wipe

Crayola Slick Stix

Rag and Bone Bindery Large Blank Page Journal

ProArt Markers-Set of 100 colors

TIP: Back to school season is a great time to find markers and other basic supplies on sale at your local shopping spots, like Target, Wal-Mart, Michaels, etc. I highly suggest getting a set of 100 markers. Crayola makes a set that I have been happy with, as I keep stealing them from my son’s art center. : )

Step 1:

I rolled two tones of green over the large 12 x 12 stencil, using a foam roller.

I decided to use a page spread in my Rag and Bone Bindery journal to clean off the stencil with a baby wipe. (I prefer the Parents Choice Fragrance Free baby wipes from Wal-Mart, or on Amazon.) See images below of the stencil cleaning process that then creates a great journal page.

Step 2:

I decided to add some color to those negative space lily pads.

I used Crayola Slick Stix first.

To move the color, I simply dipped my finger in a jar of water and touched it to the lily pad I just outlined.

I thought about stopping here, but pushed myself to keep going.

Step 3:

Use a box of 100 markers to your hearts content.

I reached for my set of 100 markers for motivation, as color gets me every time.

I noticed that coloring made me feel calm. I also noticed my brain was processing some hard stuff I’ve been thinking about lately, but my body felt calm and relaxed while doing so. This helped me to keep going with the coloring.

Below are some photos of my completed page, where I used Crayola Slick Stix, as well as markers to fill in the lily pads.

I then added a few lines and swirly rock formations into the mix!

The left side of my page has some space for journaling or doodling, which I think will offset the lily pads and swirls nicely.

Step 4:

Add journaling or any other doodles to complete your page spread.

In Summary:

If you feel inspired, post your art to Instagram using the hashtag #artistcellarstencilchallenge. I would love to see what you create using your stash of stencils!

May you make some time to color and play, so you, too may feel a sense of calm and peace in your heart. Art is good for the soul!

Sending Blessings,

Briana of OrangeSpiralArts.com

Rag and Bone Bindery Giveaway Winner Announced

Hello Everyone,

Giveaway Winner Announced

Thank you for being here. I wanted to thank all of you who entered to win the gift certificate to Rag and Bone Bindery! We have a winner! In case you are curious, this is how the winner was chosen. First I wrote down all of your names on loose leaf notebook paper, after reading your thoughtful responses to the survey. Each name was numbered, as I wrote. Then I used a random number generator through the internet to see who the lucky winner would be!

Lucky number winner 33 goes to Kim! Congratulations, Kim! (Kim has already been notified via email, and she is excited!)

Briana's Watercolor Art and 21 Secrets Summer Studio

Since you are here, I thought I might share a little art with you. I have been participating in the 21 Secrets Summer Studio-Just Add Water

Here are some photos of my background art from today's lesson with Mou Saha.

While I had all of my paints and watercolor supplies out, I decided to play around while my backgrounds were drying.

As you can see, I was experimenting and playing with color, pattern, line, and shape.

I have been having so much fun, learning new techniques, and "meeting" artists online in the 21 Secrets Summer Studio. Just Add Water registration is now closed, but you can still sign up for the next 21 Secrets Summer Studio-The Great Outdoors, which runs July 30-August 10, 2018. I hope to see you in our active Facebook Group! 

As always, I am sending blessings and love out to you. May you take a few minutes to play with some art supplies. Let go of any fears you may be holding. It's only paper. Making art feels so good. It's like a little gift you can give to yourself.

Happy creating! Remember, you and your creativity matter!

-Briana

PS Speaking of the great outdoors, I saw this amazing pileated woodpecker in my backyard today! It feels like a positive sign!