New Year, New Life, New Adventures

2016 has arrived

So a new year has arrived again.  Last year was a very hard year for me, but I am finally getting used to my new life.

3 Years ago I left my 30 year marriage.  In these last 3 years I have been trying my best to find myself.  Having never been by myself, it has been quite the adventure.  I have tried loads of different things.  In the art world I have tried mixed media, I have started a planner, I did sketching.  I also tried water colour pencils and water colour paints.  I am always trying to learn new media, and hopefully one will stick, or I will just keep doing different things, just not sure yet.

At the moment I am doing water colour paints and easy sketching.  Or more like simple sketching.  This is a class I have been doing with Junelle Jacobsen.  She is truly inspiring.    I love this, as the sketching part is the starting point, finding a subject and then breaking it down into easy shapes.  After that comes the exciting part of filling it in with water colour paints.  Finally outlining it with a black pen to make it pop.  So exciting.

Another fun hobby, hoping to make it into a business, is making bracelets from belts.  This is a class I did with Christy Tomlinson.  I just love her classes.  Making these bracelets has been so much fun.  Finding belts that are pretty to use and then taking metal sheets, cutting them into discs and then using stamps to stamp in sentiments.  Then putting it all together to make something fun to wear.

I have also been doing something else, that is not art related at all.  I have learnt to ride a motorcycle.  Bought my own bike last year, still have to get my license.  But I joined a women's bike club in town.  This has also really empowered me, and given me a new group of like thinking ladies to hang out with.

So all in all a really exciting new life ahead of me.  I am going to try and keep you updated with all my shenanigans this year.

I am going to add a mixture of pictures for you to look at.  Hope you like what I share with you today.

Art using watercolour pencils

 

 

Water colour paints

 

 

A couple of my bracelets.  You can see more of them in my etsy store at michelesnirvana

 

 

And finally my new toy.

 

Hope you all have a great weekend

 

Michele

 

xxx

 

 

 

And life goes on!!!

Since I was last on here so much has happened.  I went away with my boyfriend on a roadtrip.  He is a long haul truck driver.  It was an amazing week.  We travelled all the way from Alberta Canada to Nogales in Arizona and then back up again.  Such amazing scenery.  And we left weather that was in the -40's and eventually were in the mid twenties.

Of course once I got home not only did I have to catch up at work but I also had to catch up on my art course.  I have been really enjoying the Lifebook course although I have also found some of it really challenging.  But I must admit the teachers have been amazing and every week I learn something new.

This was a class taught by Marieke Blokland.  It was called Sugar Sugar and was really loads of fun to do.  And then put together.  The head is drawn separately and then cut out and glued to your background.

This one was taught by Tamara Laporte.  The background is done with ink sprays and then the side portrait is drawn in.  I must say the portrait was a little difficult for me.  I also did not have many inks, I would have loved to have had more colours to put in there.  But again I am happy with my end result.

This was some real fun, just using so much bold colour.  And really there were not any rules, just go with the flow.  This lesson was taught by an amazing lady.  Just loved how she taught the lesson.  Alena Hennessy you rock.

So this is just some of the work I have done over the last few weeks.  Every lesson has really stretched me, and this way I have been able to learn.

http://mariekeblokland.blogspot.nl/

http://www.alenahennessy.com/

http://willowing.ning.com/

Have added the above ladies sites, hope you will go and visit them and check out their amazing work.

Have a great week

Michele

xxx

Already Missed a Week!!!

Oh my gosh, I already missed a week of blogging.  The time just seems to fly when you are having fun!!!  I have been able to keep up with the art course I am doing, and some of it has been a real trial for me to do.  I love my art and have always enjoyed doing art, but never considered myself an artist.  I just never seem to have my own original ideas.  I always need something to work from, whether that be a picture, a photo, or doing a study of someone's art.  The second lesson went well, but for the third lesson we had to do exercises without any real direction.  We were given prompts and then had to draw.  One liners, drawing with our eyes closed, making something out of blobs of paint, and then my worse given a paragraph and then having to make poems out of the words.  Now I can tell you poetry has never been my thing!!!  LOL.  So needless to say this was really scary.  But I pushed through with my 14 year old daughters encouragement.  I was really proud of my done pieces.  Do need to add some colour to the drawings, but at the moment am caught up in week 4 lesson.  I will share some pictures of my week 2 and week 3 art and hopefully come back with my week 4 one later.  Hope you enjoy the pictures!!!

Have a great week all!!!!

This is week 2!

Week 3, envelope for art work

The artwork to go into the envelope

More artwork!

See you next week, love Michele

2014

2014 Is Here!!!!

This year I am hoping to do alot more creating.  To this end I have joined Life Book 2014 hosted by Tamara Laporte...at Willowing Arts.  I had done some of her classes in the past.  One News Years Eve I was sitting at home alone, going through my Facebook when I came across a post about the year long course.  I sat for quite a while wondering if I was brave enough to do this.  I finally realised that this is just what I needed right now.  2013 was a difficult year for me.  I had to start my life over with my 14 year old daughter.  Never been on my own before, so it was not as easy as it would seem.  So this art course is exactly what I need, to force me to have some down time.  So I will be trying to do a post at least once a week with the art that I have produced.  This last week I have completed two girls and have sketched a third ready for painting.

This one was the homework for this week.  I really enjoyed working on her, and then jumped right in and did another.

Half way through doing her, I started sketching my next girl on a canvass,

I hope you enjoy visiting my blog, and I would like to wish you all a happy 2014.

Michele

Finally

Hi everybody,

My life has been so busy..loads of personal problems that needed sorting out.  But in between I have been busy with my painting, thought I would share some pictures today of a 5ft x 5ft canvass I was asked to do for Halloween....

Hope u enjoy these

Have a good day

Wonderful summer

The summer has been so busy, with no real art time.  I do try and get some things done, but the weather has been so nice that we have been biking and walking, and swimming and all the other summer goodness.

My daughter and I have been working on some portrait painting and I have also done some ATC's for a swap.  Thought I would share those with you today.

The theme was nature, and loved being able to use different techniques and my ladies on these.

Hope you enjoy!

Have a wonderful day

Michele

New art work

Hi everybody,

I have been very busy doing my art these last few weeks.  Trying to get into doing portraits.  I am loving what I am doing.  Life has finally calmed down in my house so doing art has been a little easier.  We are now getting ready for finals, but Storm is in Grade 7, so it is now to much pressure yet.  Her tap exam went great and she got 87%.  I am a very proud mama.  Now for a couple of art pieces.

Hope you enjoy.

Have a wonderful day

Thanks

Michele