Mixed Media Canvas: Wall of Inspiration OPEN

It has been a while since I created a canvas for my wall of inspiration. In case you missed it the wall of inspiration is a wall in my craft studio that I'm filling with little canvases of inspiration. Each canvas has a word or a quote to encourage, uplift and remind me that life is beautiful! Today's word is OPEN...open your mind, your eyes, your ears, open your heart. Open the door to the beauty of the world, to its possibilities and wonder!

I created the background with tissue paper and Gelatos. I kept the colors bright and happy. Then I created the letters. I used a blank white paper and added the same colors as the background. Then I cut the four letters and added zentangle patterns on them. I didn't plan the patterns ahead I just played with my pen and I was happy with whatever came out of it. The idea about this type of doodling is not to think too much...just doodle!

I glued the letters to the canvas and shaded them a little with Artist's Big Brush Pens. I also colored inside the letters, but just a little to add vibrant colors to compliment the background colors on the paper and the canvas.

Have you ever doodled? Are you planning to try? Please leave a comment telling me about it!

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Have fun creating!

Wall of Inspiration: Abstract Painting

"Abstract painting does not depict a person, place or thing in the natural world, even in an extremely distorted or exaggerated way. Therefore, the subject of the work is based on what you see: color, shapes, brushstrokes, size, scale and, in some cases, the process". Beth Gersh-Nesic Art History Expert

In a continuation of my Wall of Inspiration adventure I decided to explore abstract painting. it wasn't easy. Not because I didn't know what to paint, that was easy. I found myself letting go and just having fun on a canvas, trying new tools and techniques with acrylic paints.

The hard thing was resisting the urge to add text. I know I could have done that. After all there are no rules to this kind of painting but the traditional abstract is suppose to be without anything real, so I wanted to stick with that. But for someone like me, an art journal enthusiast, not using words was difficult.

The only materials I used on the canvas were acrylic paint and a little bandage. A cheesecloth could also do the trick. I used that to add a little texture. Oil paints would have been great to use here especially for texture, but I don't have any. Oil paints are more difficult to clean, you need different brushes and I just don't want to start with that.

I used different kind of brushes and a credit card to create different effects with the paint on the canvas. It was really fun to just paint without thinking or planning ahead. If you want to see the entire process check out the step by step video.

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Wall of inspiration: Spray Ink Background

This is the second canvas in the "Wall of Inspiration" series of mixed media canvases I'm creating for my studio's wall. I know I said small canvases but I couldn't resist creating a full size 12X12 canvas for this amazing tree branch I found one day. You can find the first Wall of Inspiration canvas here.

I found the branch on a trip we took with the kids and a group of friends. This is how I found it, on the ground, among other branches that fell from the trees around. It was so perfect, I didn't have to cut anything or make it smaller. The size was perfect, it looked like a miniature tree more than a branch. It had a movement to it, because all the little branches were growing in the same sideways direction, which was beautiful almost like it's blown by the wind...like I said...amazing!

I knew when I saw it - it would look great on a canvas! I love adding natural elements to artwork. It's like bringing nature in and creating an art in synch with the world and mother nature. I wanted to create a simple background that would be colorful but not too layered with patterns and colors so my tree branch would be lost in it. I created a two tone colored background using only spray inks. They were colorful on one side but transparent on the other so unlike acrylic paint they gave a colorful yet light background.

I attached the tree branch and added the sentence. After all the point is to be inspired by words and not be distracted by the design. Check out the step by step video tutorial for the full process.

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Have fun creating!
Einat