Posted on April 3, 2017 by adriablack — Leave a comment

#The100DayProject – Making Mandalas

For #The100DayProject 2017, I am making mandalas. Artwork by Adria Black

Tomorrow begins the #The100DayProject by Elle Luna and Lindsay Jean Thomson. The 100 day project begins April 4, 2017 and continues through July 12, 2017. This project is a great way to start working towards your goals, whether that is writing, drawing, or cooking homemade food every day. Whatever your goal to living your life better, take the next 100 days and really focus on working towards creating something you can be proud of. Check out the official website for the 100 Day Project for more information on this awesome project!

Making Mandalas for #The100DayProject

For my 100 day project this year, I am going to be creating mandalas in some form or another every single day for the next 100 days. I will be posting weekly updates on Mondays so that you can check out the projects I have completed. Plus I will let you know how I’m currently feeling about the project as the weeks progress. You can also check it out on Instagram where I will be using the hashtag – #the100daysofadriablack

My History with #The100DayProject

I have attempted the 100 day project in the past and it was a big fail. April is always a really busy time for me. With the changing seasons, I also seem to get more migraines and they seem to last longer than usual. So getting through the month of April itself can be hard for me. But I’m going to try again this year.

Last year, my project was not specific enough for me. I wanted to fill a journal that I had made by hand. However, my inspiration quickly dried up and the project got neglected so I could focus on life instead. This year, I am hoping with a specific project like making mandalas I will have plenty of inspiration. I’m allowing myself the freedom to make my mandalas in whatever medium or method is easiest for the day so that I can fit it into my day. I do not want to stress out because I have to get a full piece done! So if I only have a few minutes to work on a mandala that is perfectly acceptable.

First Mandala

On Saturday I did a test run of my mandala project. I created this lovely piece on Yupo paper using watercolors, pen and ink. I sketched out the mandala first with pencil on a piece of cardstock paper. Afterwards, I placed the translucent Yupo paper on top and painted over it, using my pencil marks as a guide. Although, Yupo paper and watercolors tend to do their own thing! When I had painted the mandala and achieved the effects that I wanted from the Yupo paper, I proceeded to outline the whole piece with pen.

I really love how this first mandala turned out. In addition, I also inked the original pencil sketch so it is ready for tomorrow. I can add color or paint or whatever I feel like when that day arrives! In order to be prepared for the next 100 days, I also got another batch prepared on the white cardstock using a compass and various round objects from the studio to create some guidelines for my mandalas.

The Next 100 Days of Making Mandalas

I’m not sure where this project will take me in the next 100 days. But I am excited to have a specific project to work on every single day. You can definitely expect to see some mandalas in April’s new Mixed Media Collection, coming at the end of the month. I would love to record these new mandalas, but somehow in the process of moving the art studio and reorganizing, I have lost the power cord to the camera. Hopefully it will turn up soon!

I also want to incorporate some of the kaleidoscope photography techniques that I have been working with in March to create a series of mandalas. So stay tuned for those pieces as well!

Digital Versions of My Mandalas

While I was uploading my mandalas to Society 6, I decided to add a couple of color variations through editing in Photoshop. I did two different versions of each piece for a bit of variety.

The original mandala sketch converted to shades of pinks. Artwork by Adria Black

The original mandala sketch converted to teal and green. Artwork by Adria Black

My first mandala for #The100DayProject converted to reds and blues. Artwork by Adria Black.

My first mandala for #The100DayProject converted to purples and teals. Artwork by Adria Black.

Have you ever tried #The100DayProject? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below! These pieces are available on Society 6, simply click the photo and it will take you to the purchasing options.

Posted on March 20, 2017March 20, 2017 by adriablack — Leave a comment

Mixed Media Monday – Printmaking with Paper Towels

Printmaking with Paper Towels from Adria Black Art

I love playing with paint, stencils, and stamps and all kinds of other goodies. Despite being March, in the midwest that doesn’t mean it won’t snow. So during a recent snowstorm, I decided to have a printmaking session. I recently watched a Creative Live class on printmaking, How to Create Collage Paper and Andrea Chebeleu had used paper towels soaked in liquid acrylics for her printmaking. Which I thought was an awesome idea and I’ve wanted to see how it would work.

The supplies I used for my printmaking session - Golden Fluid Acrylics and Daler Rowney Liquid Acrylics that have been mixed with equal parts of water. — The supplies I used for my printmaking session – Golden Fluid Acrylics and Daler Rowney Liquid Acrylics that have been mixed with equal parts of water.

I decided to use Golden fluid acrylics (Green Gold, Teal, and Quinacridone Magenta) and some Daler Rowney liquid acrylics that have mica (they are the pearlescent kind). I loved these colors together! I wanted bright, vivid colors that also felt like spring – which I just can’t wait for its arrival!

The paper towels acted as a giant ink pad, which created wonderful prints when placed onto the paper.

I used two droppers of the colors and two droppers of water into some old lids. After I had the colors mixed up, I folded the paper towels into a triangle shape, kind of like doing a tie dye shirt. I dipped each end of the triangle into a different color until the paper towel had soaked up the color fully. I carefully unfolded the paper towel and placed it onto a piece of white cardstock. I then used stencils, stamps, and other textured items to create prints using the ink soaked paper towel. The prints turned out really cool and I got a ton of different really cool pieces from this process. I tried recording the printmaking session, unfortunately, my daughter wanted to help me so I wasn’t able to record. Maybe next time!

This project is definitely messy! I always feel wonderful when my hands are covered in paint!

We also a clothesline that we have hung up in the hallway that acts as our dryer rack. It was so exciting to see the clothesline full of these gorgeous prints!

Our clothesline in our hallway is our universal drying rack for both my artwork and my daughter's. — Our clothesline in our hallway is our universal drying rack for both my artwork and my daughter’s.

I also took snapshots using my phone of some of the really cool bits from each print. I loved all the texture that the prints have from the bubble wrap and the star stencil, and even the lines that I drew onto the paper towels while I was printing.

I scanned the prints and then played with the colors through Photoshop. I also scanned the actual paper towels that I tie-dyed and used kinda like a giant ink pad. So I ended up with a ton of different variations from this one printmaking session.

Abstract Tie Dye #2 Print - Adria Black — Abstract Tie Dye #2 Print – Adria Black

Abstract Tiedye #3 Print - Adria Black — Abstract Tiedye #3 Print – Adria Black

Abstract Tie Dye #4 Print by Adria Black

Abstract Tie Dye #5 Print by Adria Black

Abstract Tie Dye #6 Print by Adria Black

Abstract Tie Dye #7 Print by Adria Black

Abstract Tie Dye #8 Print by Adria Black

Abstract Tie Dye #9 Print by Adria Black

Abstract Tie Dye #10 Print by Adria Black

Abstract Tie Dye #11 Print by Adria Black

I learned all kinds of new things during this printmaking session. I’d love to hear what you think of the abstracts! More goodies from this printmaking session will be coming soon in the March Mixed Media Collection, so stay tuned! All of these prints are available on Society 6, simply click on the photo of the piece you like and it will take you directly to the shop!

Posted on March 13, 2017March 12, 2017 by adriablack — Leave a comment

February Mixed Media Collection

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!

February Mixed Media Art Collection

This month, I stuck to playing with watercolors and earlier work from my sketchbooks. So I don’t have any photography in this collection. The largest part of the artwork this month is my new Quoteables series, which features hand-lettered quotes that I have layered onto watercolor backgrounds. I also included several pieces of artwork that are original drawings and paintings from within my sketchbooks that I felt went with this month’s theme. This series of artwork are Giclee prints, available at Society 6, and are printed on archival paper using archival inks. The colors are as fresh and vibrant and they won’t fade or decay over time, so they are sure to bring some colorful happiness to your life!

Quoteables #10 - When Life Gets Blurry - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Quoteables #10 – When Life Gets Blurry – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Handlettered Quotes and Phrases

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.

Quoteables #2 - Feel Beautiful Quote - Original Artwork by Adria Black — Quoteables #2 – Feel Beautiful Quote – Original Artwork by Adria Black

Quoteables #3 - Out of this World - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Quoteables #3 – Out of this World – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Quoteables #5 - Be Good to Yourself - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Quoteables #5 – Be Good to Yourself – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Quoteables #4 - Create Your Own Sunshine - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Quoteables #4 – Create Your Own Sunshine – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Quoteables #6 - Win or Learn - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Quoteables #6 – Win or Learn – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Quoteables #8 - You Are Braver - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Quoteables #8 – You Are Braver – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Mixing Original Sketches and Watercolor to Complete Collection

I also wanted to incorporate some other original sketches into the collection from my sketchbooks. I choose a dreamcatcher and a cityscape that I had originally done in pen and ink, some abstract dancers that were done with watercolor, a mixed media girl with stained glass hair, and a watercolor mushroom.

This series of artwork are Giclee prints, available at Society 6, and are printed on archival paper using archival inks. The colors are vivid and vibrant as the original paintings, and they won’t fade or decay over time. These pieces add a bit of whimsy and fun to your home. They will surely be treasured pieces for years to come!

Dreamcatcher Drawing - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Dreamcatcher Drawing – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Hand-drawn Cityscape - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Hand-drawn Cityscape – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Dancers - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Dancers – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Stained Glass Girl - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Stained Glass Girl – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Hippie Peace Mushroom - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Hippie Peace Mushroom – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Mixed Media and Watercolor Abstracts

I also wanted to mix in watercolor and some mixed media abstracts for this collection, and I had a blast creating several backgrounds in the blues, pinks, and purples color scheme with a touch of yellow. Watercolor has such an interesting way of doing whatever it wants to that each piece is not only an experiment but a surprise!

This series of watercolor and mixed media 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 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.

Mixed Media Abstract #1 - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Mixed Media Abstract #1 – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Watercolor Abstract #1 - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Watercolor Abstract #1 – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Watercolor Abstract #2 - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Watercolor Abstract #2 – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Salted Watercolor Abstract - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Salted Watercolor Abstract – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Watercolor Abstract #3 - Rainbow Streaks - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Watercolor Abstract #3 – Rainbow Streaks – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Mixed Media Abstract #2 - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Mixed Media Abstract #2 – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Learning Digital Art Techniques

This was the second collection that combined digital art techniques, mixed media, and watercolor pieces (backgrounds and elements) from my sketchbook. This month, I really wanted to enhance my word art and quotes with the watercolor effects. So I worked on changing up the feeling of the artwork by placing it on different backgrounds from my sketchbook, combining different pieces into a whole new composition, and incorporating watercolor washes and splatters to enhance the final pieces of artwork. The final results were gorgeous pieces that look fantastic not only as art prints, but also on a variety of home decor products from throw pillows, comforters, shower curtains, notebooks, and tons more! I sooo love how this collection turned out!

Dreamcatcher - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Dreamcatcher – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Combining Elements to Create New Compositions

It was a lot of fun to create whole new compositions using digital art techniques. This grouping of artwork combined mixed media abstracts, watercolor, and hand lettering in a way that was completely new for me! And I’m so very much in love with this process for art making.

This series of artwork available as Giclee prints, at Society 6, and are printed on archival paper using archival inks. The colors are as fresh and vibrant as the original artwork, and they won’t fade over time. These unique artworks will be a treasure in your home for your whole life. These pieces will remind your loved ones how much you care with the perfect piece of fun and sunshiney happiness for their home.

Catch Your Dreams - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Catch Your Dreams – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Quoteables #1 - Feel Beautiful Today - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Quoteables #1 – Feel Beautiful Today – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Quoteables #7 - Make Your Own Sunshine - Rainbow - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Quoteables #7 – Make Your Own Sunshine – Rainbow – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Salted Watercolor Dreamcatcher - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Salted Watercolor Dreamcatcher – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Quoteables #9 - Win or Learn on Watercolor - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Quoteables #9 – Win or Learn on Watercolor – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Quoteables #11 - You are Braver - Watercolor - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Quoteables #11 – You are Braver – Watercolor – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Dancers on Pastel - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Dancers on Pastel – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Quoteables #12 - Adjust Your Focus - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Quoteables #12 – Adjust Your Focus – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

Quoteables #13 - Create Your Own Sunshine on Abstract - Original Artwork by Adria Black Art — Quoteables #13 – Create Your Own Sunshine on Abstract – Original Artwork by Adria Black Art

I’d love to hear what you think of the February Mixed Media Collection. Let me know what your favorites are in the comment below! To purchase any of these pieces, simply click on the photo, which will take you directly to the Society 6 shop page.

Posted on March 6, 2017March 6, 2017 by adriablack — Leave a comment

Mixed Media Monday – January Art Collection

January Mixed Media Collection by Adria Black Art

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!

January Mixed Media Art Collection

These photographs showcase four flowers – Dahlias, Daisies, Carnations, and Alstromeria. I created several different still life layouts of these flowers both together and separate and using flower petals from the daisies. This series of still-life flowers are Giclee prints, available at Society 6, and are printed on archival paper using archival inks. The colors are as fresh and vibrant as the flowers were when they were first purchased, and they won’t fade or decay over time. Making these flowers a piece to treasure in your home for your whole life. These still-life bouquets will remind your loved ones how much you care with the perfect piece for their home.

Daisy and Alstromeria Flowers Photograph by Adria Black Art

Dahlia Close Up Photograph by Adria Black Art

Alstromeria Flowers Photograph by Adria Black Art

Alstromeria and Dahlia Bouquet Photograph by Adria Black Art

A Flower Bouquet Photograph by Adria Black Art

Loves Me, Loves Me Not Photograph by Adria Black

Daisy and Petals Photograph by Adria Black Art

Carnation and Petals Photograph by Adria Black Art — Carnation and Petals by Adria Black Art

Mixing Conversational Hearts and Watercolor to Complete Collection

Another thing we picked up at the store were conversational hearts. Even when I was a child, I loved to read all the little messages on these candies and create sentences and dialogues with them. As I sorted these candies into corresponding messages, I couldn’t help but giggle and laugh at some of the combination that naturally occurred. I knew in that moment that I would have to capture these messages in the collection for this month.

This series of conversational messages are Giclee prints, available at Society 6, and are printed on archival paper using archival inks. The colors are vivid and vibrant and they won’t fade or decay over time (or make your teeth hurt as you eat the candy!). These conversational messages add a bit of whimsy and humor to your home. These whimsical expressions of love are the perfect gift for your loved ones!

Marry Me Hearts Photograph by Adria Black Art

Forget Me Not Hearts Photograph by Adria Black Art

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.

Purple Watercolor Abstract by Adria Black Art

Red Watercolor Abstract by Adria Black Art

Red Watercolor Splatters Abstract by Adria Black Art

Purple Watercolor Splatter Abstract by Adria Black Art

Blue Watercolor Abstract by Adria Black Art

Pink Watercolor Splatters Abstract by Adria Black Art

Pink Watercolor Abstract by Adria Black Art

Learning Digital Art Techniques

This was the first collection that combined digital art techniques, photography, and watercolor pieces (backgrounds and elements) from my sketchbook. It definitely had a bit of a learning curve to figuring out how to digitize my art for the first time. I worked on removing the white backgrounds from my sketchbook, combining different pieces into a whole new composition, and only creating little bits and pieces that could later become a full piece of artwork. The whole process was new and different and a bit challenging, but I love how this collection turned out!

Original Drawings from Sketchbook

These pieces are originally from my sketchbooks and are unaltered using digital techniques. This series of drawings and watercolor brushwork are Giclee prints, available at Society 6, and are printed on archival paper using archival inks. The linework is hand drawn, and these pieces won’t fade or decay over time. So each piece will be a long-lasting treasure in your home for your whole life. These hand drawn pieces will remind your loved ones how much you care with the perfect piece for their home.

Combining Elements to Create New Compositions

It was a lot of fun to create whole new compositions using digital art techniques. This grouping of artwork combined photography, watercolor, and hand lettering in a way that was completely new for me! And I’m in love with this process for art making. This series of artwork available as Giclee prints, at Society 6, and are printed on archival paper using archival inks. The colors are as fresh and vibrant as the original artwork, and they won’t fade or decay over time. Making these artworks a treasure in your home for your whole life. These pieces will remind your loved ones how much you care with the perfect piece of whimsical expression for their home.

Winter Gloves Doodle on Watercolor by Adria Black Art

Triangle Doodle and Watercolor by Adria Black Art

To The Moon Watercolor by Adria Black Art

Small Watercolor Hearts by Adria Black Art

Love You Type Mixed Media Piece by Adria Black Art

Floral Circle Doodle on Watercolor by Adria Black Art

Conversational Hearts on Watercolor by Adria Black Art

Candy Heart on Watercolor by Adria Black Art

I’d love to hear what you think of the January Mixed Media Collection. Let me know what your favorites are in the comment below! To purchase any of these pieces, simply click on the photo, which will take you directly to the Society 6 shop page.

Posted on February 24, 2017 by adriablack — Leave a comment

Pebeo Mixed Media Paint Experiment

This post originally appeared on The Hippie Art Studio in 2016.

Learning about Pebeo Mixed Media Paints

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 Supplies — All of the goodies that come in the Pebeo Mixed Media Discovery kit.

The Effects of Pebeo Mixed Media Paints

The different paints give you different effects. The Fantasy Prisme paints create a look that mimics stone, marble, or precious metal. Once dry, these paints have a shiny, hard finish with an enameled look. The Fantasy Moon paints create an opaque, marbled effect on almost any surface. The Fantasy Moon paints create a hammered, textured appearance with a pearlized, smooth finish with a glossy, hard finish. Pebeo’s Vitrail is a solvent based, transparent paint for creating brilliant stained glass effects. The colors of the Vitrail paints are dense and very transparent.

Pebeo Mixed Media Paint Experiment

In this video you can see what my experiments led to. I did discover that I should not use this in my journal as it is oil paint (or oil based), and it seeped through my mixed media Canson paper within several minutes.

Tips and Resources

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…).

Pebeo Mixed Media Paints on Wooden Panels

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.