Filed In: art
eye candy 03 | blue and graphic
Lately I’ve been making an effort to find new and talented artists. It’s so easy to get caught up in your own art that you forget to take time to notice the creative people around you. There are so many talented people out there sharing and living out their passions. It’s inspiring and encouraging and a reminder to challenge yourself and push yourself to be better. Here are a few of my favorite images I’ve stumbled upon recently – a stack of whales, a lovely lady in her polka dotted swimsuit and an eyewear collection. Who’s inspiring you lately?
hatling | frankenthaler | king benedict | morinerie | pascua | blake | sosa | morin
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It’s still winter here – very cold and lots of snow which is good weather for working indoors but I sure do hope it starts to warm up soon. I’ve been painting like crazy. These days it’s about refining the designs I already have and coming up with new ones. I have the Wells Street Art Festival coming up in a few months so I’m trying to build up my inventory of paintings. I like to do things in stages and steps – I prime all of the canvases first then I flip through my sketchbook and find a few designs that I think will make nice paintings. Then I start drawing them out on a bigger scale and if necessary making a stencil. The last step is applying paint! I’m usually working on a few different paintings at once. I decided to change Adventure Begins to four colors instead of three and I can’t wait to see how it turns out. All kinds of new work is coming soon and I’m also working on a little side project. I will try to show you more here or here soon.
image credit kate zitzer
eye candy 02 | valentine’s
I hope these pretty little images leave you feeling happy and loved today. They’re giving me a vintage retro vibe, and I love the pink color palette and painterly style. The lovely lady with the floral crown is by Judith Geher and that pink geranium can be found here in H. Oomen’s Etsy shop. The pretty pink bouquet is by Stanley Bielen and those funky swirls are called Dhelia from Marc Cinq-Mars. Now what are you waiting for go tell someone you think they’re sweet! Happy Valentine’s Day!
diy striped heart painting for valentine’s day
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner but it’s not too late to make something special! This DIY heart painting would be a great Valentine’s Day decoration or just fun hanging somewhere in your home year round. Here’s how I created mine –
what you’ll need:
• 12x 12 square canvas
• heart stencil
• white acrylic paint
• acrylic paints in your preferred colors
• paintbrush
• water cup
• painter’s tape
• paper
• scissors
• ruler
• disposable plate or scrap cardboard to use as a palette
• paper towels, newspaper or a drop cloth to cover your work area
how to make it:
Begin by covering the canvas with white acrylic paint. You can skip this step since the canvas is already white but I think it gives the finished product a nice, clean look. Using the stencil, trace the shape of the heart onto a piece of paper and then cut out. Do this four times for a total of four hearts. The shape of my heart is approximately 5 inches wide and 5 inches tall. Next, arrange the paper hearts onto the canvas so you can see how it will be displayed. If your hearts are the same size as mine then there should be a half an inch on each side of the canvas, a quarter of an inch in between the hearts and 3/4 of an inch on the top and bottom of the canvas. The bottom points of the hearts should be touching in the middle. Now trace the hearts onto the canvas so you will know where to place the stencil later. Using the ruler and a pencil, divide the hearts you just traced onto the canvas into five one inch sections – this is for your stripes. Cut very thin strips of tape and using your pencil marks as guides secure the tape onto the canvas across the hearts. Apply a thin layer of white paint over the tape – this helps seal the sides of the tape and prevents the other paint colors from bleeding through. Secure the stencil to the canvas on top of one of the hearts with the painter’s tape. Choose five different colors and paint each one inch section a different color. It’s best to apply thin layers of paint especially around the edges of the stencil to prevent the paint from bleeding behind it. Do not remove the stencil until paint is dry. Move the stencil to the next heart and repeat. Once you’ve done all four hearts and the paint is dry, remove the thin strips of painter’s tape to reveal white lines. For a crisp, clean look, use the white paint to touch up any areas where paint bled through the tape or behind the stencil.
If you don’t have a heart stencil, you can make your own. All you need is stencil paper, a pencil to draw your shape and an exacto knife to cut it out. If you have a stencil, you may want to cover it with painter’s tape first so the paint doesn’t ruin your stencil.
If you’re looking for something a little quicker and easier, try making these super simple DIY treat bags from last year!
photo credit kate zitzer | more DIY projects here
studio update
The last few weeks I’ve been able to slow down, rest and take it all in and my wheels have started turning about what to do next. First, you may have noticed that I made some minor changes here – over on Facebook and Etsy too. I thought the beginning of the year was the perfect time for a fresh look! My goal is to have Palettes and Passports be a place where you can learn new things, find all kinds of art and travel inspiration and follow along on my journey as an artist. I also have some new and exciting ideas planned for paintings that I will share with you in the coming weeks and months. I have two shows coming up later this year – Wells Street Art Festival in June and Lakeview East Festival of the Arts in September. I would like to bring back some old favorites, but I’d also like to do a lot of new pieces. I plan to limit the larger paintings and work on a smaller scale this year, and I see myself going with whatever comes naturally in terms of colors and composition. My source of inspiration will always be clean lines, bold type and bright colors, and right now I’m thinking these pieces are going to be inspired by animals, people, houses, fruits and cars. Too many ideas have taken over my brain the last few weeks because I haven’t been able to pick up a paintbrush. To focus all this energy, I started sketching and painting a few Love You So paintings over the weekend. I find I am more focused now and really looking forward to working on some new designs!
photo credit kate zitzer
