Day 31: that's a wrap!! {31 days of watercolor}

WOW!!!! Here I am at the finish line!! 

 

31 days of watercoloring completed!!

 

while it may not have seemed like it, some days it was haaard for me to find the time/energy/ideas to keep at this little commitment because i love making artwork, learning new things and figuring them out and sometimes failing too, 

but here i am at the end and here is what I learned:

1// don't stress, watercolor {and life} is a learning process, the best things happen when you let go of the stress and embrace the mess :)

2// if you never set goals to learn something new you will never do it! pretty basic huh? but so true.

3// i have some amazingly sweet friends {some whom i've never even met before!!} who were so kind to support and encourage me forward with their comments both on the blog and on my facebook page... THANK YOU my dear friends!!! what would I EVER do without yall!! much love!!!

4// MY KIDS INSPIRE ME!!! looking back on how many of the last 31 days were inspired directly by them amazes me!! they are the absolute BEST part of my heart and soul :)

5// days when i allowed my sweet girl to be a part of my activity were the BEST ones!!

6// quick and loose works for me in watercolor, overworking it = awe.full.

7// practice is key... even on days where it seems impossible {my nana would have been proud. she was a teacher for 33 years and she always said repetition, repetition, repetition....}

8// it doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!!! taken directly from the queen of the 31 days herself, Nester. and i just couldn't agree more.

9// don't be too scared to try something NEW!! that is of interest and worth pursuing. even if it means failing some days and just trying again tomorrow!!

10// on days when you JUST. DON'T. HAVE. ANY. NEW. IDEAS. and you feel like you've been at it for faaaaar too long just push through and do it. even if it's just a little 5 minute thing, that's great!!!

thank you SO VERY MUCH!! from the bottom of my heart if you have followed along this little series of daily watercolor practice... congratulations to YOU!!! :) surely more watercolor to come!!

 

...so now what?? 

i mentioned that i've been working on mosaics behind the scenes, so i will be posting some new mosaic coasters and things in my etsy shop soon... hopefully friday!! i'm super excited to be working on mosaics again!! 

xoxo!!

Day 30: art in the sky {31 days of watercolor}

i'm really, really... reeealllly not a wake up early kinda person.

{as you probably guessed by my late night posting}

but i'm MISSING OUT yall!!

...on the most gorgeous of watercolors painted across the sky by our heavenly father, 

the ultimate master of the arts.

and don't be fooled, that photo wasn't taken by me...  my sweet girl woke up and found that outside her window. she came downstairs and found her mama snoozin' so she grabbed my phone, took it back upstairs, took the photo and then came down and showed me what i'm missing!! 

isn't she the BEST!!!! 

and because i like to find my inspiration for painting in things with completely unattainable beauty i decided to have fun with that phone photo and my measley watercolors...

 

i did a couple different versions but liked this one the best.

it was so much fun to do... and, i'll bet you God has fun with it every single morning!

i really should try and wake up in time for the color show tomorrow...

Day 29: wet into wet {31 days of watercolor}

day 29, i know yall are getting sad... only 2 more days to go!!

but don't worry i will keep posting about other things too!!

thanks for checking in!!

xoxo

Day 28: aquaboard {31 days of watercolor}

today i decided to paint on a different surface for fun. i picked up this aquaboard at the craft store the other day and i really liked it. while it has a paper like texture and absorbs water just the same it doesn't bow with the addition of water. it stays flat and that is SO NICE!! i think the color is consistent with paper as well.

it also says that you can seal it {not sure with what} but then frame it without glass. it says it will never tear, shrink or buckle... also good qualities. the best part is that this brand is not only made in the usa, but it's made right here in texas!! so, of course, i'm a fan :)

for this landscape i used a photo from our trip to kansas earlier this month.. open skies and cows :)

another tip i'm finding useful is watching watercolor artists on youtube. i find it interesting to watch other people and their styles of painting, how they lay on paint, build it up, and move it around their paper. not only interesting but insightful :) 

kind of takes the pressure off, so if you're semi-interested in trying it you can watch and copy or watch and learn!!

what a fun week we have ahead... hope yours is full of sweetness and dress up!!

Day 27: abstract and assemblage {31 days of watercolor}

i went simple abstract for today... 

just a little old fashioned piled rock wall for inspiration and a few cool colors to delight the eyes...

behind the scenes i've also been doing a little mosaic work... 

{which the above kind of reminds me of, funny how that happens} 

but have yall ever seen the work of sculptor louise nevelson...

take a peek...

Louise Nevelson Dawn's Wedding Chapel II, 1959

 i've been thinking on it lately as i work on mosaics. looooove it!!... and have since i first saw it in art history 101. 

she used an artistic technique called assemblage, fancy word for assembly :)

but in all seriousness she made these amazing sculptures from found wooden objects and then painted them either all black or white...

really, SO COOL!!!

okay, that's all for now... adios amigos!!