
Making Mandalas for #The100DayProject
My History with #The100DayProject

First Mandala

I love inspiring quotes. They just make me feel warm and fuzzy, when I read the right words at the right time. So for this month I decided to focus on creating some inspirational quotes that could help you feel that same way!
February’s Mixed Media Collection is focused on these quotes, soft colors, and some coordinating sketches out of my sketchbooks. I wanted to create a fun, inspirational collection that brings a spot of sunshine to your day. The next time you feel down in the dumps, you only have to look at this month’s collection to feel a bit brighter!
I began this collection of artwork with hand lettering some quotes and phrases using various materials such as markers, pen and ink, and watercolor. Below you can see the original pieces before I added in the watercolor and extras.
Atizle loves to pick out fresh bouquets when we go to the grocery store. In an effort to preserve this month’s bouquet, I decided to have a mini photo shoot with them. In this way, this gorgeous mixed bouquet lasts beyond the few days cut flowers often do that we purchased in the store. As the colors of the cut flowers fade and the petals fall, these images will remain frozen in the perfect condition that they were captured in.
January’s Mixed Media Collection is focused on love and Valentine’s Day themed. I wanted to create a fun, whimsical collection that is perfect for gift giving to your loved ones. Have you ever found yourself in the situation of trying to find the perfect gift for your loved one, only to dawdle until your only remaining options are flowers or chocolate? Giving unique and personalized art lasts much longer than chocolates or flowers ever will!
I also wanted to mix in watercolor for this collection, and I had a blast creating several backgrounds in the red, pink, and purple color scheme. The abstract watercolor backgrounds led to the words and phrases and the heart icons. I always love playing with watercolor and seeing what fun things the paint will do. These turned out to be some of my favorite pieces once they were layered over the watercolor backgrounds.
This series of watercolor abstracts are Giclee prints, available at Society 6, and are printed on archival paper using archival inks. The colors are soft and muted, and they won’t fade or decay over time. These watercolor abstracts add a touch of color to any room in your home. Plus, they make wonderful room accents in the form of throw pillows.
This post originally appeared on The Hippie Art Studio in 2016.
I love to experiment with new medias and toys just as much as any artist or crafter! Recently on a trip to Michael’s, I discovered a display of Pebeo Paint. The sample on the display looked like glass. The sample was textured and yummy looking and also glossy and smooth. I just couldn’t stop touching the sample piece that are part of the display. I just couldn’t wait to get some and play. The effects of these paints simply fascinated me. I just couldn’t resist buying a small mixed media discovery kit so I could check it out. I did no research before hand on how to use this new stuff and simply pulled out my art journal and started to play.
Pebeo Mixed Media Paint Experiment
I’m still learning and experimenting with these cool products but there are some great resources that I highly recommend you check out if you, like me, think these products rock! First – Pebeo makes an online free magazine that highlights artists that are using these products. Plus there are a ton of great videos online on YouTube (you know you can learn almost anything on YouTube…).
Since my first round of play, I have done some minor research and gotten some tips from some lovely people on Instagram. I’ve watched some YouTube videos to get some idea at what I’m actually trying to do. Then I decided to create another series of pieces on wood panels. I first prepped the wood panels with gesso, and I applied some modeling paste with stencils. Once everything was dry, I started to layer up the Pebeo paints. You can check out the video below to see how those wooden panels ended up coming together. My next step on experimenting with these products will be to use the Carne Relief. I originally bought it when I bought my mixed media discovery kit, but for whatever reason it didn’t work, it was like all dried up and wouldn’t even come out of the tube.
Pebeo Mixed Media Paint on Wood Panels
I’d love to hear from you if you have any experience with these lovely paints. Please leave a comment below about any tips or tricks you have found with them! Even if you’ve never used these Pebeo paints before, let me know what you are currently experimenting with.