The May Queen

Hello my lovely artsy peeps! I've been taking a break from the frustrating problems I have been encountering with blogger as of late.  I  have not been able to leave comments on many of your blogs and yet amazingly you all have continued to visit me and leave gloriously lovely comments on mine!  I have not checked to see if my google I.D. is working yet today 'cuz I want to post first.

Before I share any more with you I would like to give Kristin over at Twinkle, Twinkle a shout out for her new event, "The Summer of Color" commencing June 6th. If you haven't linked to her event button, pop on over and check it all out!  It's going to be a fun, colorful summer!

Guess what?  I've done another doodle girlie! (surprise, surprise).  Ha, the magic chair strikes again...

She is the May Queen.  I figured I'd better get her posted while it is still May!  I had a lot of trouble with this one 'cuz I gessoed the face with golden's gesso and the colored pencils wouldn't work. (I usually use liquitex artist grade gesso - not the basic.)  So I used copic markers and they didn't like the gesso either!  It's a little sticky feeling but I played around with it, adding sparkly gelly roll pen work to it.  I got tired of working on this before I could add the glitter to her crown.  This was really a bit of a mess!  I guess there are certain mediums that just don't mix well!  Golden's gesso is so much smoother than the liquitex and I love it for painting faces on canvas but not for these doodles ever again!

I am starting a new project in the studio, The Green Faerie.  She is mixed media on canvas and already a challenge.  I hope to be able to share her soon!  Maybe I will wait for Kristen's color event and hope she has a "green" week in which I can showcase her!

I want to also give a shout out to Sung-Hee Hong (Regina) who has been sharing her amazing soulful work by video lately.  I've become addicted to her process and insightful way of expressing herself.  Thank you Sung-Hee!

Well, I'm anxious to get into the studio and mix up the green paint for my faerie.  I've been listening to Enya while I work on her...

So keep creating and wear that paint around your fingernails proudly (as I do)!

Forever in art,

Jessica xox

"Goddess at the Garden Gate" Journal Page

Hellooooooo out there!  Hope you are all doing well!  I am sitting in my magic chair and blogging to the thunder and hail that is pounding down on us.  True to my intention, I started my goddess doodle last night and finished her up this afternoon.  

She is the Goddess at the Garden Gate.  I've been reading about various goddesses and gardening and thought I'd put it together in my girlie doodle.



I started with a watercolor background then I layered some stamping with gesso and random craft paint marks.  Next I collaged different flowers scanned from magazines onto my girlie sketch.  I got up around 2 this morning and went into the studio, found and cut out the book text to paste onto the page.  It says "gardens with mossy shimmering pebbles and tender pink rosebuds." - then I went back to sleep.  I did the pen and colored pencil work on her this afternoon and finished with the writing and scribbles.  She was very fun to do and definitely looks better in person! 

I want to thank you all for your support of my stenciled journal page on my last post, I Heart Art.  I was so far out of my comfort zone in that I have only sprayed large canvases and done the graffiti thing to them.  To try and hold myself back without ending up with a muddy mess was very challenging for me!  I think now I know what is missing - some sewing!  I might add some later if I remember.

O.K., I started this post last night but wanted to wait and take a better photo of the goddess this morning...

There was no music in the studio this time.  Just my magic chair, the storm and my fur babies for the sound of gentle snoring...

Creatively yours,

Jessica

I Heart Art!

Helloooo my artsy peeps!  This week I tried making some layered backgrounds but was not that successful at it.  I'm still at a loss as to how or what I'm trying to accomplish.  There is one I might be able to use as a doodle girlie background. 

Between this and blogger being down 2 days for me, I've felt very disconnected from myself.  I need my art and I need to see others creating and enjoying art too!  It's how I hold on to my sanity right now.  I just didn't realize how much I depended on the blogging community to lift my spirits and make me feel down right arty.  I so appreciate all of you!!!

As I try to reconnect with myself, I will be doodling tonight!  Here is a boring journal page I did on "I heart art", my mantra this week...

 Glimmer mist, colorwash, stencils, book page text, dip pen and ink...

Here is a pic of a freesia that volunteered from a pot of something else my mom gave me from her garden last summer - Canterbury bells I think...  Such a fragrant surprise.

I will be posting again in the next day or two with a new girlie and maybe some other art too.  Stay creative - I know you are all busy but we need this arty outlet to keep our creative spirits nurtured!

Now I'm going to relax my nerves with a cup of chamomile flower tea - more on that next time...

Forever in art,

Jessica xox
   

Playtime in the Studio

Hellooooo!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend.  I sure enjoyed the time I spent with my Mother.  I got her some roses, baked her favorite banana cake and created a tiny little card for her in watercolor.  Working this tiny is not something I intend to do again.  I just could not control the brush or get the detail I wanted.  But I'll try anything once!

I added a tiny golden crystal to the center of the big flower and a bright pink crystal to her necklace. Even though I struggled with it, Mom adored it and that's what matters most!

Today I played around with journal pages and creating backgrounds.  Here is one of my journal pages for today - "Play".  It was dark when I took the photo and the colors are much more vibrant and prettier in person.  What looks to be coral pink is really a juicy cherry color.  It was all about having playtime and fun.  I made a huge mess and almost wasn't able to get my table clean - I was even scraping paint off the wood flooring...

Too bad the colors are so washed out...

My dark purple lilacs have bloomed and they smell fantastic!

Keep the color flowing through your week - it will put a huge smile on your face.  I know, I'm grinning from ear to ear!

Music in the studio today included:  Enya - Paint the Sky with Stars and Pandora radio...

Yours forever in art,

Jessica

In search of Mystical Mermaids

Good Saturday morning, my artistic beauties!  I've been busy in the studio and in my magic chair again this week.  We had 3 beautiful sunny days and now we are back to gray and rain.  It's o.k. though, I have finally seen the light of Spring and it is beautiful.  Of course now I'm pushing for Summer and warmth!

As some of you may have heard, Kristin over at Twinkle, Twinkle has posted a wonderful blog party for this Summer set to start on June 6th.  It's called "The Summer of Color" and I can't wait!   It's all about color with a new one chosen each week to prompt our artistic creations.  Well, you know I'm all about color so I will be participating enthusiastically!  Check out the blinking blog button at the left of my blog and pop on over there see the whole playful story!

As I began to long for the warmer days of Summer, I doodled up a mermaid girlie face from my imagination to share this week...

 Mystical Mermaid - enhanced

I would like to swim in a warm ocean along with her.  I'm sure she has some mystical secrets she would whisper in the currents...I must get closer and turn my ear her way...

Other artistic bumblings included the beginnings of a journal page...

The background was so heavily painted with acrylics and such that it was very hard to get my letters straight.  This was done on a crinkly brown paper grocery bag - that didn't help the lettering process either!  Not sure what else I will add to this yet.

I hope you all have fun finding your colorful art bliss this week.  I know I will!  Ooh I just peeked outside and I think my dark purple lilacs are starting to bloom.  Pics next week!

Music in the studio this week was the radio - lazy I know!

Forever in art,

Jessica

Celtic Goddesses and Sunny Days

Hello Artland!  We are finally experiencing the most glorious sunny day today and I am beside myself with joy!  It's been a long time in coming.
  
In art this week the goddess and fairy girlies continue to speak to me...  This is "Brigid".  I was thinking "Celtic and Rainforest" while I was doing her.  Maybe an unusual combo but I liked the idea of it.  She conjures up mystical images for me and I was surprised how she just sort of appeared under my pen on a rather blah leftover painted background while watching blah T.V. in my magical art chair.  Now she is one of my favorites! 
By the way, I'm pretty sure that my chair is magical and therefore partially responsible for my art, lol!

Brigid

All her jewellery is done in metallic gel ink but didn't gleam in this particular photo.  The leaves were done with Copic marker and the rest is my usual Prismacolor pencils.  I've decided that the pencils actually give a more intense color and they are blendable.  This medium will remain my favorite for these girlies.

My flowers are starting to peek their heads out and show off their gorgeousness so I thought I'd share a couple of photos...

My pale lilacs always bloom first before my deep purple ones. These smell soooo heavenly!

And here are my bleeding hearts. They just popped up as volunteers in my front planter 2 years ago. So delicate and sweet.

My lovely deck is calling to me as are my puppy and kitty who are frolicking out in the sun. They are so happy!  The gentle breeze wafts early signs of Summer as it ruffles my locks (that are needing a bit of touch up at the root, ha!).  I could bask out here all day!  I went and bought some huge chicken breasts earlier and I will give them a Jamaican jerk rub before I toss them onto the bar-b.  I simmered up some rice but I haven't decided on the veggies yet.  Yum!  I'm hungry!

Oh yes, the sun is out and all is right in my world!

Creatively yours,  Jessica