He{Art} Canvas | Birthday Gift – “Angelic Butterfly”

On May 5th, Cinco de Mayo, my niece — Akaela — turned 12 years old! She has grown so fast that I feel like I barely blinked. I can still remember the days when she was still a little girl, playing with her and taking care of her, before I had any children of my own.  Now she is a tween and it amazes me how she has grown into such a beautiful, young lady.

Akaela just moved into her own room and no longer shares a room with her sister, so I thought I’d paint her a gift to hang up on her wall. Because butterflies remind me of change, new beginnings, and transformation, it was only fitting to me to paint her a butterfly…. Her room was repainted with purplish walls so of course I had to paint it in compatible colors with purple in it.  By the way, purple is one of my favorite colors so I already knew that this would turn out beautifully.

 After painting the background, I sketched out the butterfly and painted it an ivory white. I wasn’t sure if I was going to paint over it with other details, but later on I realized how pretty the white looked against the purple. It spoke out to me as something innocent and pure and angelic which resembles my niece. So, I decided to only add subtle details and not do too much to it…

Next, I just painted in lighter shades of purple on both the outer and inner parts of the wings to give it a shadow affect and to add a little character.

With a fine tip round brush, I dotted the same shaded areas with purple and white paint for visual interest. If I had glitter on hand, I probably would have sprinkled some on to make it look even more whimsical.

 This was one of my favorite projects so far and I felt especially happy to have given it as a gift to someone special to me. I wrote a special message on the back from me, letting her know that she is loved and will always be loved by me. Akaela has 3 other sisters whom are all very unique and each hold a special place in my heart. So far, I’ve painted two canvases (including this one) for my nieces and will be creating 2 more later on this year… It’s always such a blessing to bless others with a handmade gift that I hope they will treasure as they grow older…

Mixed Media Art | SHE ART Canvas “Beautiful Pinay” No.1

 Hello!

I’ve been meaning to post about the latest online workshop that I was taking,

SHE ART 3 — instructed by Christy Tomlinson.

This is my second workshop that I’ve taken from her and it was through my discovery of this amazingly talented artist, that I first became introduced to Mixed Media. My love for this art started 2 years ago in 2010 when I took my first online class with her called “She Had Three Hearts”. This is where the doors to a whole new world of creativity opened for me and I have been learning, growing, and evolving in my passion for mixed media art ever since.

Most of my artwork on canvas is abstract and is an expression of creative freedom and experimentation. I usually don’t know what it is that I’m painting until the very end which is one of the reasons why I love mixed media. However, seeing that a lot of artists are drawing or painting faces or girls, it was something I felt was somewhat challenging to me, but was intrigued and inspired to learn.  I’ve always wanted to take a class that would give me the chance to learn how to effectively paint these girls and was indecisive about which artist or what class to take since there are a lot to choose from. It wasn’t until Christy’s opened up her She Art 3 Workshop, that I finally took the plunge. I was ready to take my art further. And because I love her teaching style, her sweet personality, and her overall unique ways of painting, I immediately knew that this workshop was the right one for me…

However, to paint an image that is two dimensional isn’t easy and takes a lot of practice. So even though I’ve learned a lot from this workshop, I know it will take some time before I can truly feel comfortable and confident in the girls I paint. Below is the process of what went into creating my FIRST, SHE ART canvas. I decided to create a Filipino girl or ‘Pinay’ which means Filipino female in the Tagalog language. I am a first generation Filipino American and take pride in my roots so I’ve decided to represent the women of my heritage, especially because my very own mother was the first member of her family to come to America. She came to the U.S. after graduating from college in Manila, Philippines on a working visa, then later met my Dad and was married. Soon after, my grandparents, aunts and uncles also migrated to the U.S. I have only been to the Philippines one time in my early 20′s and it was then that I’ve really come to appreciate the ethnicity and culture of my Filipino ancestors.

Check it out…

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The first week of the workshop was all about getting inspiration, sketching a rough sketch in our sketchbooks, color theory, and creating interesting backgrounds using different techniques and methods.

Sketch #1

 Sketch #2

 Sketch #3

Sketch #4

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 My favorite part is the collaging and getting messy with paint!

After adding a collage of torn bits and pieces of scrapbook paper, I layered on acrylic paints using vibrant  corals, oranges, reds, pinks, and yellows with some hints of green and turquoise.

 Here’s a close up of the leaf stencil I used cut out from my Silhouette die cut machine.

After the background was dry, it was time to think out where I was going to sketch in the head, face, and shoulders. This process took quite some time. I took several days to really think and plan it out before I could move forward.

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The next two weeks of the workshop, took us to that next level where I felt vulnerable, yet really anxious to see where it would take me. Painting a face was one of those fears that I needed to conquer!

  I found the courage to just go for it and I was thrilled to see my girl starting to emerge. What I had envisioned in my mind started to manifest on the canvas. The coolest feeling ever…

Here I began sketching in the face and painted in the bodice of her dress. She is wearing a traditional dress that is worn on special occasions called a ‘Mestiza’ dress, known for its elegance and butterfly sleeves.

 The most challenging part of it all was painting in the face with the eyes, nose, and mouth. Yet, I can honestly say that I didn’t do too bad. I really love her eyes the most. Don’t you?

After adding the flowers in her hair which are actually cut out from a scrapbook paper and adhered with modge podge, I used Faber Castell Pitt Artist brush pens to add shadows and dimension to them. I also went ahead and softened up the background a little because I felt that it was taking away from her face and dress. The butterfly is actually a transparent sticker and I purposely wanted to include a butterfly not only because of the sleeves, but because to me it symbolizes ‘New Life’, which carries out the story of my Mom’s migration to America.

I named this first SHE ART canvas — “Beautiful Pinay” No. 1

This is HER story, my Mom’s story:

She is young and beautiful. Smart, but with a little bit of attitude. She is not afraid to dream or to take chances, she holds a courageous spirit and follows her heart. She trusts and has faith in God. She loves selflessly and unconditionally, always sacrificing for those she loves. She forgives. She seeks peace at all times. She believes in miracles…

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I plan on creating more beautiful girls and each will have its own, unique, story. It’s been quite fascinating to see the other students’ in this workshop paint their own perspectives and visions of beautiful women. Love the support and inspiration that came through the connections I’ve made in this class. I hope you feel inspired to take one of Christy’s Workshops! It will be one of the greatest decisions you’ve ever made….

Thanks for reading and stopping by! Leave me a comment, I’d love to hear from you!

xo,

Mixed Media Art | My Soul Rebirth Canvas

 SOUL REBIRTH 

This is my latest canvas that I recently finished. If you recall this post about “Perfect Failures” here, regarding how I had several attempts to paint something, only to start over again and again and AGAIN…. Finally, I came to my ‘happy’ place with this final version and it’s actually one of my favorite canvases so far. I don’t think I’ve created something like this before and it made me realize how far I’ve come. I definitely need to post and share about my evolution as an artist…

The reason I titled it “Soul Rebirths” is because of the lotus flower that I was inspired to paint. One evening, I was inclined to find out the symbolic meaning of the lotus flower and discovered it to be very inspirational. It has different meanings in different cultures, but for the most part, it is associated with rebirth or spiritual awakening because of the nature of how this plant disappears at night and then emerges from the water when the sun rises… The transition from darkness into light is also why in some cultures it symbolizes the act of unfolding and opening oneself  to divine truth or to resurrect from the old into new.  For that reason, this flower personally speaks to my life. I’ve been through so many dark places in life and through it all, I’ve grown and matured into a new person, better than who I was yesterday. I’ve become so deeply connected to things that only bring enlightenment to my mind, body, and soul.  I find myself drawn to things/people that are only positive and uplifting. I am free from my past and each day, I have this renewed sense of appreciation for life, for my family, and for art.

I am looking forward to painting more and hopefully with each piece, I will grow more and more confident to paint intuitively and freely. It is my deepest desire to inspire and empower others with my art through the love and compassion that I pour into it…

This is only the beginning…

Day 17 : 3 Good Things {Best Buds, Art Life, Beignets}

 Day 17 of 21 | 3 Good Things

 1. Only 19 months apart and everyone things they are twins. When I discovered I was pregnant with Lucas, Josiah was still in diapers. I remembered how concerned I was about having to deal with two kids who are so close in age. It was definitely challenging, but now that they are a little bit older, I see how special it really is for them. Regardless of how they sometimes argue and fight, for the most part they are best buddies and get along super well. The picture above was taken before they were headed off to school. I was admiring their new haircuts, thinking how handsome my boys are…Love them to pieces!

 2. The next stage of painting the canvas from this post here, was what turned out to be a butterfly. I don’t know if I want to keep this one to myself or sell it!

3. My sister-in-law was so thoughtful and bought these for us. I only tried beignets once before and I remembered that it was sooooo yummy! I cannot wait to make some of these and indulge. Thankful for you Sis!!

Perfect Failures

Life is about perfect imperfections. What I mean is, we all have flaws and weaknesses that we like to hide and cover up, BUT if we learn from them, they are our most valuable lessons. Every lesson develops our character, strengthens our faith, opens our eyes and changes our perspective. Some lessons have a way of deepening our appreciation for life and those we love. Maybe it even teaches us that regardless of our failures, making our dreams a reality is possible if we don’t give up.

How many iconic leaders and celebrities have found success or made their dreams a reality because they had a perfect life?

***

After  so many years of dealing with insecurities due to negative experiences whether it was due to poor choices or circumstance beyond my control, I eventually learned to embrace them and accept that they are opportunities to grow. I am who I am because of every experience, good or bad. Letting go of high-expectations and understanding that life will never be perfect has helped me learn to adapt and rise up to challenges in both my personal life and in my artwork.

Instead of beating myself up over my mistakes or failures, I’ve found the courage (my one word this year) to allow my failures to help me grow. It isn’t always easy to do, but my painting process has been a constant reminder to me. I don’t always create from start to finish with a perfect plan. Sometimes, I can’t help but start all over again whenever I end up with something I am not totally satisfied with. I found out through some of my favorite artists that I am not alone and its a creative process that proves to be cathartic and healing. Making something old into a new creation is very rewarding…

***

This canvas has been through a few transitions and is still sitting on my table. Not sure what will happen next…

Version 1 | Birds and paint on collaged vintage music sheets and ephemera.

 Version 2 | Covered it with gesso, collaged a new layer of painted papers from my scraps, drew a lotus flower with Neocrayons II, sprayed Ranger’s color wash inks.

Peeled and tore away top layer of papers. I was feeling anxiety and overwhelmed, so this step really felt good.

Version 3 | Threw down some paint and let loose. I was inspired by Flora Bowley’s abstract, intuitive painting techniques.

Turned up some music and let myself “let go. be bold. unfold.” ~Flora Bowley

GIVEAWAY : Graffiti He{ART} Butterfly Print

Hello!

I’ve been meaning to share this hybrid piece that I did awhile back and finally decided that I should share it. When I say ‘hybrid’, basically meaning that I scanned some of my original mixed media art into digital files and then played around with it on my computer using Photoshop. What started off as a simple experimentation, resulted in this digital collage. I had a lot fun with it, adding digital brushes and shapes, layering the background and adding texture, just as if I was really working with my hands except its all digital.

 This my friends, was bringing back love for digital scrapbooking and fusing it with my new passion for mixed media. And truth be told,  I think I found LOVE. <3 The heart with the butterfly, was actually from this art journal page that I created a few years ago.

Inspired by Christy Tomlinson’s workshop – She Had 3 Hearts

After scanning this page, I extracted the heart element and turned into a .png file and placed it as a new layer on top of some of my scanned paintings that I already had on my hard drive. After playing around with the placement, color adjustments, and digital embellishments, the title and quote came out into play. Part of my process almost never begins with an idea, theme, or quote in mind. With digital or mixed media, most of the time I just start with a blank canvas and let my artistic intuitions lead me, not worrying about the outcome. I love letting my art unfold gradually and allowing it to take on a path of its own as my heart wills. For me this gives me a sense of liberty and freedom to express my deepest emotions that I otherwise would have kept bottled up inside. Art is my therapy, a deep connection to my soul and is one of the selfless acts I can do for myself.

Butterflies, as some of you know, hold a significant meaning to me so I felt that I had to put down one of my favorite quotes on it — “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” The story of my life which seems to be the constant theme that I find myself facing, over and over again. The moment I think my world is falling apart, it becomes a chance for new beginnings and opportunities for change. These are priceless opportunities to grow and learn from our weaknesses, discovering our strengths, and embracing who we are.

One of my close friends wanted to give this digital art as a gift print for a close friend of hers and had asked me to customize the title and quote. It was definitely a pleasure of mine and I would have not expected that anyone would have asked, but since she did, I thought maybe others would like to have a copy too.

So, guess what?????

I decided to do a giveaway and bless someone with my art before I put it up for sale in my shop!

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One person will receive a FREE fine art print of my Graffiti He{Art} Butterfly AND you can choose to have it customized with your own Title and/or Quote (limitations apply).

This giveaway will run until Friday, February 1st, 11:59pm PST.

HOW TO ENTER:

Enter your the giveaway down below by leaving a comment! After leaving your comment, you also have more chances to win when you follow the instructions thereafter by following me on Facebook or Twitter and/or tweet about this giveaway.

Best of luck and thank you in advance for participating!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

He{ART} Canvas | Transformed

 He{ART} Canvas | TRANSFORMED

digital fine art print will be available soon!

see my process below

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collaged the canvas with patterned papers + modge podge

 once the collage dried, i painted + scraped on layers of paint in teal + yellow

 sketched and painted a butterfly with a white wash

added details to butterfly with shapes and filled them in with water soluble crayons

felt it needed a touch of something…. scalloped background was added in to give it some character. 

VOILA!

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butterflies have always fascinated me, not only because of their intricate beauty of their wings, but because of the transformation that takes place from a caterpillar to a butterfly. i know there’s so many deep spiritual interpretations about the symbolism of butterflies in different cultures and beliefs, but to me it holds a special meaning in my journey. my life story can be told through the parable of a butterfly. it’s a bedtime story that i have told my kids at night, over and over again. they seem to love it so much and never get tired of it, always asking me to tell them the same story over and over again. so, if you’d like to hear it, i’ll be sharing it in my next post. hope you’ll come back and be enlightened by this fictional tale based on a true story. a story of my life… and how i was transformed and formed wings like a butterfly.

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{BE YOU}*tiful

{BE*YOU}tiful

BE YOU.

BE BOLD.

BE BRAVE.

BE TRUTHFUL.

BE MERCIFUL.

BE KIND.

BE COMPASSIONATE.

BE MINDFUL.

BE AWESOME.

BE WONDERFUL.

BE HAPPY.

BE HOPEFUL.

BE FAITHFUL.

BE PERSISTENT.

BE CLASSY.

BE FREE.

BE ADVENTUROUS.

BE CREATIVE.

BE CURIOUS.

BE SPONTANEOUS.

BE FUNNY.

BE IMAGINATIVE.

BE COURTEOUS.

BE WILLING.

BE HUMBLE.

BE BEAUTIFUL.

BE YOU

***

Sometimes, I doubt myself and tend to think negative thoughts about who I am. Often times, I do compare myself to others and lose perspective on who I truly am. It’s a struggle that I believe many artists go through because we come across so many amazing artists that we admire and look at their successes and wish that we could achieve the same for us. Then insecurities of our own art and endeavors start to flood us with that feeling of inadequacy and the feeling of not being able to measure up. I don’t realize how harsh I can be towards myself when I allow these lies to enter my mind and it’s true what they say, your mind controls your actions. I know that a lot of these successful artists started out at the bottom and worked so hard to get where they are. Success doesn’t happen overnight and we don’t really know the hard work, sweat, and tears that these artists have endured to push through all the obstacles and challenges they have had to face in order to reach their full potential. And that is basically what I have to focus on, starting where I am and never giving up on who I am as an artist and my dreams that I want to achieve. So in order to keep my thoughts in check, I decided to create this little reminder for me during those days that I lose control over how I’m thinking. It’s just a mini canvas board with acrylics, color wash sprays, and chipboard letters I used to outline my words.

I know I’m not alone in this and I hope this encourages you to remember that YOU are BEAUTIFUL. Just BE YOU. Be TRUE TO YOURSELF and KEEP YOUR FOCUS on YOUR DREAMS.

He{ART} Canvas | Fly Free…

Traci Bautista recently had a number of  giveaways a few months ago during her blog launch party for her new published book — Doodles Unleashed. And although I knew that my chances of winning were really, really, really slim, I entered anyway because I truly admire and enjoy her work. I feel that supporting other artists, especially those that really inspire you, is important. So without really expecting it, I was thrilled to find out that she had selected me as one of the winners to her Doodles Unleashed Digital Collage Kit, a collection of printed copies of her artwork which I could play with and use in my own personal collage or mixed media projects. It definitely made me one happy camper!

So just thought I’d share a recent project I created with her cool papers….

Getting Down To Business w/Jeanne Oliver