Tuesday's List of Favorite Art Supplies

Are you surprised? I'm writing 2 days in a row so far! Been a busy day. I bought the Caran d'Ache oil pastels I've been wanting. I went with the 12 pack and bought 2 other colors that I love. I can't wait to play with them! 

So here are today's supplies:

These are my favorite! You can see me using these often in my art and in my art videos. Those with the wooden stick handle are called Catalyst Blades. They come in 6 different blades, and in 3 sizes. They come in sizes 15mm, 30mm, and 50mm. I use 15mm and 30mm. The other items are called Catalyst Wedges. The come with 3 different shapes. You can buy them at Hobby Lobby, Dick Blick, and Amazon. I use them a lot for creating texture. It's fun to apply and scrape off paint with all of them!

These are cheap and easy to find tools. I hoard old gift cards. If I lose one, I won't be sad! :)  I use them to apply paint. The others are palette knives. The palette knife in the middles is perfect for scraping on paint or applying modeling paste. The palette knife on the right is what I like for applying collage papers with matte gel.

Last on the list for today is the glues and adhesives I use. Decoupage is a wonderful matte glue. I apply it with an older abused brush. It's perfect for collage on canvas. Collage Pauge (in the middle) is awesome because it pours/squirts out the top. It's perfect for traveling and making art on the go. I took it camping with me last fall. The jar on the right is matte gel. I use it to apply with my palette knife. It's great for working out the globs of glue when collaging.

That's all for today. I'd love to hear what your favorite art supplies are! Check back tomorrow for more supplies!

My Favorite Supplies Week

I'm trying to work on writing more often. It's something that I really use to do in other ways and all the sudden it's like I fell off the face of the planet. 

I am done homeschooling until the end of summer! Feels good to take a break and have more time and energy for making art and taking care of everything else. My first year of homeschooling went well. It was tough at first. After my boys understood my expectations and I found better ways of working with them, things got much better. 

I thought this week I would tell you a little about my favorite supplies. Every day this week I will write about a small selection of my go to tools.

These are my favorite pencils! I usually sketch with my HB Staedtler pencil or my Prismacolor Ebony pencil. I use a black Prismacolor colored pencil to outline my girls' faces and clothes. I also it to outline other things in my art. I use a medium charcoal pencil from Prismacolor for shading on my girls faces. The General's Sketch & Wash pencil for shading around quotes on washi tape.

My favorite black pen in the world is the Permaball black pen. I order mine from Scarletlime.com. The Signo Uniball white pen is the best white gel pen I've tried yet. Sharpie has pens made with water-based paint. They are my favorte. I'm not a fan of those made with oil. The sharpie posterpaint pens are great in my art journal. The Liquitex paint marker was a trial I got for free. I love it to make bands of color with the chisel nib and then write words on the lines created.

Caran d'ACHE makes the best water soluble crayons that I've tried. I've used them mostly for marks, scribbles and doodles in my art. The 7 shown are my favorite for that use. They are Payne's Grey, Prussian Blue, Lilac, Indigo Blue, Malachite Green, Toledo Brown and Greyish Black. I've also created some beautiful art in my journal with just the crayons. Sometimes I use them for shading or adding color to my girls' faces. Their possibilities are endless!

Portfolio makes some really creamy, delicious, water soluble oil pastels! I love to add these to make marks, scribbles, or doodles on my art too. They are great for art journaling too! These are my go to colors! Pink, white, yellow, slate grey, light blue, and black. You can buy them in packs of 12 or 24. They can be easily found on Amazon, as Michael's and Hobby Lobby don't carry them. Blick does carry them too.

Lastly, I'm sharing my favorite oil pastels. I use them like the other pastels, but I also use them for my girl's faces. My favorite Cray-Pas colors are pink, light blue and dark blue. I think I only have the 25 pack of those. Gallery has some awesome fluorescent oil pastels. I love the hot pinks, neon red, purple and teal-ish color. My new favorite is Caran d'ACHE! I only have a couple of color so far, but I'm hoping to get more for my birthday. The blend so beautifully, without lifting in color. 

Well, that's all for today. I'd love to hear about your favorite supplies! Check back the next 4 days for more of my favorite supplies!

Upcoming Online Class

Keeping busy! I've been recording videos for an upcoming class. This is super exciting! I've been wanting to do this for a very long time. I hope to post more information soon. So far I have a few tutorial videos done, as well as ideas to get your creativity flowing. Keep checking back for more information! I hope you will join me on this journey!

http://dhawkes77.wix.com/danielladaydreams

https://www.facebook.com/danielladaydreams

https://www.etsy.com/shop/DaniellaDaydreams?ref=si_shop

She Matters

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted.  Things sure have been busy!  :)  I've created lots of art lately.  I've loved taking a workshop from Mindy Murphy Lacefield from http://timssally.ning.com/.  I highly recommend any of her workshops.  She really helped me connect to my inner child.  So much fun!!!

So back in mid December I created this painting.

I listed it on Etsy last Sunday and it sold this week!  Here is the story that the buyer included with her purchase:  This piece has really inspired me this week. I am an urban elementary school principal and after 14 years of practice I am faced with a new challenge. One of my sixth graders (12 years old) has recently found out she is pregnant. This piece will hang in my office as a reminder that I am committed to helping this young person discover her passions, receive a world class education and prepare for her life ahead. Thank you for creating this piece, as it brings a visual reminder to the essence of my work.

Her story really touched me.  Such a sad story and a tough situation.  If only there were more principals out there like this!  I've been praying for everyone involved in that situation.  I hope you'll join me in praying!  

I'm so thankful she shared her story with me.  It's encouraging to hear how something I create really helps someone.  When I created "She Matters", I was remembering the struggles I had with my self image and I reflected on where I am now.  God has shown me that I do matter, that I am special to Him.  Just before Christmas, this is what I journaled:  "So  after I made this painting, God gave me the idea to create girl paintings with positive messages.  It reminds me of the art journaling class I want to teach, called "His Esteem".  "His Esteem" can also be the name of this art series.  God has shown me that He loves me and that I matter.  I want others to experience God's esteem for themselves.  Now to come up with sayings to have ready!"

It is so important to me to help others, in regards to how they view themselves, and for them to see how God sees them.  Our self image really plays a big role in our lives.  It impacts how we live and the decisions we make.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope to post more very soon with some of my latest artings!

Art Happenings The Past 2 Weeks

I started a workshop called The Art of Wild Abandonment last week.  I took a break from the projects in the workshop because I wanted to create a journal page of a girl with her heart on her sleeve.  I've had the words "living out loud" running through my mind.  Life is about living out loud.  When I think about living out loud, I don't mean become a loud person.  To me living out loud means sharing my life, sharing the things I'm going through or I've gone through, live authentically, and not hide who I really am.  Everyone has struggles.  If we share our struggles and be real about what is really going on in our lives, we can help each other through...we can encourage each other.  God didn't want us to go through our struggles on our own...that's why He puts people in our lives.  I think sometimes we worry about being judged by others and so we put on a mask.  There is a Scripture I'm trying to find...it's about going through things and helping others through their struggles.  I found it!  2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says:  "God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.  When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

The journal page with the girl who wore her heart on her sleeve, above, has put ideas in my head of making cuff bracelets with words embroidered on hearts...words like love, compassion, forgiveness, grace, and brave.  I made a simple bracelet this weekend, but it's not finished.  It has the word "brave" embroidered on its heart.

I got back into the Wild Abondonment workshop a little.  The instructor was talking about how we can create so many things out of circles.  I thought about making a journal page with buttons into a heart shape and came up with this picture that's above.  Love does hold things together.  People who loved me and cared about me helped me through a tough time in my life.  In the end, things got better than they ever had been.  My love for God, my love for those involved in my life and those who gave me support, helped me make the right choices. 

This picture of the house is a mixed media painting I made for my dining room last week.  I've had a house fetish lately. I put little butterflies all over because it reminded me about the bushes we have in front of our house.  In September, usually there are purple that attract lots of butterflies.  My bushes are sad this year with the lack of rain.  I miss the butterflies.  There would be so many, that when I would walk up my driveway, there would be this cloud of butterflies.  It's so cool!  Hopefully the bushes will be happier next year.

So I started another workshop this week called She Had Three Hearts.  It's an art journaling workshop on the hearts we share.  I've been told several times I'm brave.  That is a part of me I didn't see, but I do understand now.  Brave is my new word that sticks out to me.

I hope you've been inspired or encouraged in some way with all my ramblings.  :)  That's all for now.  Thanks for stopping by!  

Waiting For My Heart to be Pursued Art Journal Page

Girls we are so worried, often times, to have a guy who likes us.  Sometimes we go through many ways to try to get their attention. Some of the ways we do that, we do it the wrong way and not the way God wants us to.  When we go about it the wrong way we create many problems and attract guys that aren't right for us.  The way God designed us is similar to His nature.  God wants us to seek Him, wants us to know Him and to love Him.  This is what us girls want.  We want guys to seek us, to want to know us and to love us.  We need to be comfortable with how we are, who God created us, and don't go beyond His measures to attract guys.  We just need to be who God made us to be and wait.  When we do those things, the right guy will pursue us.  We don't need to change ourselves to something we aren't.  We should be loved how God made us.  God didn't create us to be what others need and want.  God created us for Him and his purpose, which is perfect.  He wired you the way He did and He said you are worth pursuing the way He made you.

Ready or Not Here I Come Journal Pages

I finished these journal pages this morning.  It's represents me playing hide-and-go-seek with teach art journaling workshops.  I'm moving forward on this adventure, not knowing how it will go.  I'm trusting God to be with me and direct me.  Now I have to not be a control freak and go with the flow.  I can't get discouraged when I hear no's.  Eventually I will hear a yes.  :)

Take Flight or Stay Still Art Journal Pages

I finished these art journal pages last night.  I had been working on them over the past week.  On the left, there is a note I wrote.  Year ago, I was listening to the Bible on my ipod as I was going to sleep.  I heard "Cover the earth".  I knew God was telling me something.  The next day my husband was prompted about promoting and moving to Idaho.  I thought "cover the earth" meant we were suppose to move.  We went with it for a while.  It killed me because I didn't want to move.  I kept praying about what God meant by "cover the earth".  While praying one day, I saw a sign ... literally a sign and a sign.  ;)  It was the Sherwin-Williams sign.  It had a picture of a paint bucket pouring red paint over the earth.  It read "Cover the Earth" on the paint poured over the earth.  I thought maybe God wanted me to talk to someone who worked at Sherwin-Williams.  Now I'm wondering if I'm suppose to paint or teach others to paint.  I have a choice to take flight or stay still.  The choice is mine.

King of Dreams Journal Pages

I started these journal pages with my new Golden Fluid Acrylics.  I love how vibrant the colors are.  I made these pages last weekend.  It's about my art dreams.  I'm giving them to God to see where He leads me.  That's why the phrase says "Let the King of your dreams give them wings".  We will see where this journey goes.  Last weekend, after making King of Dreams journal pages, I took lots of pictures.  I put lots of my artwork pictures together to use for inquiring about teaching art jounraling workshops. 

Smile Art Journal Page

This art journal page I made last week.  It's about some things that make me smile.  There is an M&M and a Skittle with arrows pointing toward each other.  The story about the M&M and Skittle is my husband invaded the kids candy from Easter.  They mixed M&M's, Skittles, and jelly beans all together in a baggie.  My husband didn't know and ate an M&M and Skittle at the same time.  His reaction keeps me giggling!  :)  There is a paint brush for obvious reasons.  I drew my cell phone with a couple texts from my husband when I was having a rough night ... they made me smile.  I drew a foot with arrows pointing to a big toe.  It's a game my boys and I learned.  The object of the game is to ask a question and the person you ask has to answer "grandma's big fat toe" without laughing.  For instance, I would ask my kids what they brush their teeth with and they have to answer "grandma's big fat toe" and they can't laugh.  It's gets fun!  I was upset one time ... I was crying.  My son said "mommy, I know what would make you feel better".  I asked "what?"  He said "Grandma's big fat toe."  He was right ... it did make me feel better.  :)

Sweet Angel Mixed Media

This is "Sweet Angel".  She is currently for sale on Etsy.com right now.  It is made with acrylic paint, patterned paper, stamped paper, and oil pastels.  It's on stretched canvas.  

Roaring Bear Art Journal Pages

Three weeks ago I was feeling very grumpy.  I tried to take a nap, but I couldn't sleep.  I finally went down to my studio and decided to work in my art journal.  I picked up some bright colors of paint, that I thought wouldn't make a pretty page...my mood wasn't pretty.  After I applied all the crazy paint colors with an old credit card, I found a picture of a bear in a magazine.  I added him to one of the pages.  I felt like a grumpy bear.  I took some foam stamp letters and spelled out roar.  I felt like I was roaring at others.  I painted more details to the word.  Next I took a cloud stamp I picked up the day before, and filled it in with some paint.  I added others stamps too.  While doing all this I kept praying, asking why I was in this mood.  My answer came while expressing all my emotions on the pages.  Grumpiness has other causes....anger does.  There is always a different emotion causing the anger.  There was an underlying issue that I was able to answer before art journaling.  I was upset.  I want to teach art journaling.  I have dreams of helping others through art.  I had negative feelings of my dream never coming true.  After I finished art journal pages, I felt so much better.  I had so much fun figuring out why I was upset.  The photo above is that day's art journaling.  I hope you give it a try the next time you feel like you are in a funk.

An Angel For a Dear Friend

This angel I made for my best friend for her birthday.  She has been there for me during the most difficult part of my life.  Not too long ago she moved.  Was so hard to say goodbye.  I know I will see her again someday.  We write each other weekly when we have time.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of her!  Waiting for her to receive her angel in the mail was hard.  The day she received it, I was having a rough day.  She sent me a text telling me she loves it and that she cried.  Sure made my day go from rough to great.  It's my favorite text!  I get a smile every time I remember it.

New Doll Painting "Love Angel"

This is "Love Angel".  I thought it would be fun to make an mixed media angel.  It was fun!  She might have a home already, I'm still waiting on a confirmation.  If not I will be putting her up on Etsy.  This is my favorite doll yet! I included some close ups of her.  Enjoy!

 

Hawkes' Cakery

This painting I made for my brother in law and his wife for Christmas.  She makes awesome cakes.  :)

Glam Girlz (Mixed Media)

Lately I've been getting into mixed media.  I am loving it!  Years ago I use to create glam girls at work using my peers' faces on glamorous dressed dolls.  Everyone wanted one made of themselves.  Now I'm incorporating one thing I love to do (creating fun backgrounds) with another thing I love (anything girly).  I have made 4 so far and I have so many more ideas for upcoming artworks.  The pictures show (in order of creation) of the dolls I've made so far.  Three of them are for sale on Etsy.com.  You can visit my shop at:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/DaniellaDaydreams  Some upcoming dolls will include a princess and a cheerleader.  Hope you enjoy!