05.20.13 | Creative Muse Monday

Hello all!

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been blogging a bit more consistently lately or at least I’ve tried to. I know that over the past months, I’ve been so caught up in my crazy life (mostly in a good way) that I barely had the time or motivation to be creative. A lot of times I would sit in front of a blank page or canvas and I’d seriously feel lost and not be inspired at all. However, it turns out that it was a good thing that I took some time off from my art table because there were a lot of more personal and important issues that needed my attention. Once they were taken care of, all of the sudden my creative mojo came rushing back! Such a GREAT feeling… So far, every day has given me an opportunity to nurture my creative muse and do what makes me happy — get messy and paint!

I decided I needed to make it a habit to blog more about my creative adventures, but wanted to have a specific topic to keep myself focused on what to blog about. One of the reasons it’s so hard to stay on top of being consistent is that I have so many ideas, but don’t know where to start. I’m not saying I need to blog every single day, although that would be totally cool if I could get in that flow, but for now I just need to start somewhere and hopefully it will work out. So, I plan to be blogging a series every week called Creative Muse Monday… It will be random features of different creative aspects of my work from art journaling, canvases, paper crafting, artist inspiration and different techniques that I might try. Basically, I want to document my journey as a way to look back and see how far I’ve come as an artist and maybe inspire others along the way. For me, I love playing in my art journal and experimenting with different mediums without any specific theme or rules. It’s all about letting my creativity take me where it wants to and pushing my limits without feeling pressured or overwhelmed. It’s always so exciting to discover the endless possibilities that arise with each new page or project, even ones that come from making mistakes. It’s a learning experience that every artist goes through because it gives us a chance to grow and expand our creative ambitions to keep trying until we get where we want to be. Besides, our mistakes are our biggest teachers. I hope to inspire and get you to nurture your own creative muse as well so thank you in advance for taking time to stop by my blog!

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For the first time ever, I’ve finally tried my hand at using oil pastels and I am SO in love! I love the smooth and creamy texture which makes it easy to blend and shade and I love the intensity of the pigments. I didn’t want to spend too much on my first set of oil pastels so I opted to purchase Sakura’s Cray Pas Expressionist Oil Pastels. You can find these on Amazon or any other art supply store, but I ended up using my 40% off coupon at Michaels which gave me a pretty good deal.

Below are a few of my first oil pastel drawings in my vintage art journal.

 The set includes 25 colors and are very pigmented. A little definitely goes a long way….

Pretty Petals | My very first drawing was of course, a Dahlia flower.

Cupcake Love | I have an obsession with cupcakes. Who doesn’t?

Creative Wings | Spread your creative wings and soar…. Based on the quote “Creativity Takes Courage”

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog and I do not receive monetary compensation for any of my product reviews. All reviews represent the opinion of Makita Studio, based on personal use and results. At this time all products that I review are purchased by me. I do not receive any free products. On the rare occasion I receive a free or discounted item, I will disclose that in the individual blog post.

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…

He{ART} Journal | Vintage Scrapbook Found at SCRAP

Hello world!

Just stopping in to share a little bit of my world of being messy with my art journal. Nothing is more satisfying sometimes then to fill a blank page with layers and layers of color and texture. Often times, I never start off with a specific idea or object that I want to create. Whatever I start with never ends up what I’d expect it to be. Sort of like the story of our lives… Keeps changing.

A few months ago, while visiting one of my favorite resources for recyclable and reusable materials called SCRAP in San Francisco, I found this vintage 1930′s Scrap Book. It was brand new, never been used, except the papers were discolored from old age. Nevertheless, they were still in great condition. I bought it for $15, which I thought was an awesome deal! I knew immediately that this was going to be such a treasure to use as an art journal. The papers were super thick and had a slight texture to them so I wondered if it could probably hold up to layers of paint and other mediums. Well, I just had to see and find out!

So far so good! I created different backgrounds using acrylics, inks, pastels, watercolor crayons, color wash sprays, collage, etc. and there were no signs of bleeding or tearing to my surprise. After the pages dried, it almost felt like canvas paper. So happy with the results and I look forward to doing A LOT of art journaling in this vintage journal! 

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!!

GIVEAWAY WINNER: Graffiti He{Art} Butterfly Print

And the winner is…..

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONGRATULATIONS, SHAWNA!

I will be sending you an email shortly! Hope you enjoy this print and thank you so much for participating!

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To ALL of you who entered, I truly appreciate you and enjoyed reading all of your answers to what you are thankful for. If you are still interested in purchasing this print, I will be offering it up for sale on ETSY very soon…

And, just for taking the time to enter this giveaway, you will have the opportunity to purchase it at %20 off.

So, look out for an email from me in the next few days!

Thank you again and may you have a BLESSED weekend.

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?

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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…

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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

Day 3 : 3 Good Things {Gold Blooded Invite, Paparazzi, Beautiful Mess}

Day 3 of 21 : 3 Good Things

 1. Thankful that we get to watch the Super Bowl with some of our closest friends that we haven’t seen in a long time. Got this letter in the mail written in gold ink from the “Gold Blooded Family” who obviously are true Niner die hard fans. We were also blessed with a gift inside that truly made us feel special. It’s not just the gift that touched our hearts, but it was the thought and effort that was put into it.

Thank you Jechane Reyes and family! We love you back and more!

2. Last summer, Mr. Co and I made a big step of faith. After shooting weddings for friends and family and other photography gigs, we decided to make it official. We shot our first wedding for 2013 a few weeks ago and this is me behind the scenes. Each wedding or session, I spend a lot of time sorting and editing hundreds, sometimes thousands of photos and I love it, even if it takes me days or even weeks. I love creating beautiful images that captures our clients’ stories.  Although, we are still building our business and learning to be better photographers every day, we love what we do and are passionate about capturing photos for others as well as for ourselves. It’s more than just a photo, its bringing memories back to life, evoking emotions that allow people to relive that special moment. Photos such a priceless gift…

3. I’m addicted to paint and I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of it. My artwork as always been my safe place, where I can let go and be free without the need to be perfect. When life gets messy, I get messy on canvas. This canvas has been my source of therapy which I call He{Art} therapy. The way I cope with stress or sorrow is to paint my heart out. Releasing all my negative emotions in this way is like transforming darkness into light, vibrant and colorful, energetic and peaceful at the same time. If I don’t like a certain outcome, I start over and cover it with white gesso so I can begin painting something new until I come out with something I really like. Sometimes it takes  3 or more rounds until I settle with a final piece. Here is the 4th version and I think I’ll stick with this.

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Would love to know if anyone else is doing a journal — online or not — of 3 Good Things. It doesn’t have to be every day like I am, but if you are or have done this, I’d love to know your thoughts and experiences. 

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