Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Weekly Challenges and other artsy meanderings...

"Heart of a Champion"
Hearts and the Olympics

Happy Valentines Day my friends! Those of you who've been visiting my blog for a while know that I'm not a hearts and flowers kind of gal and I tend to take a lot of artistic license when it comes to any sort of holiday themes the challenges might invoke...hence my holiday default into the Cosmic Garden. 
It took me a while to let this one percolate but when I looked through my eco-printed papers, I saw a cat's paw holding a bouquet of flowers in the imprint of this one and though I backed off from anything too literal, I thought PERFECT! a Valentine from me and Aimee;-)

I've been doing a lot of watercolor this week and was inspired by a Maremi Small Art video about breaking blank pages:

Heart of a Champion
take two
dripping heart garden in my
"Fearless & Fun" DIY art journal

Joey's Weekly Challenge #203
&
 It's a String Thing Challenge #230
Duo-Challenge

This one almost did me in with all the hearts. I started with the 3 corners of "Eddyper" for Joey's challenge on Tuesday morning before I went to work. Getting to the String Thing challenge can be tricky for me because it's published so late on Tuesday, I can't get to it until Wednesday morning and I like to get my blog post up Wednesday morning...so there's that. It's one of the reasons I've let IAST slip from my practice in the past. I can be a little weird with challenges sometimes, because if it doesn't gel with me right away and I've got other projects going on, I won't force it and I'll move on.

Other artsy stuff:
A short while back, I took the plunge and bought the starter set of Daniel Smith watercolors with a Blick coupon. I added a couple more tubes this week and did a "survey" of all of my watercolor sets whilst practicing my leaves and flowers following along with several YouTube videos:

Daniel Smith blues
inspired by Studio Jess

Roses and Ranunculas
inspired by Authentic Frannie

this one's my favorite

"Put that sticky thing away and give me my lubbins"



Thanks so much for stopping by! Your thoughtful and generous comments delight and inspire me;-)














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32 comments:

  1. ARHuelsenbeckFebruary 14, 2018 at 12:40 PM

    Lovely!

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  2. MicheleFebruary 14, 2018 at 2:06 PM

    So nice! Lots of great creative work here!

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  3. LisaFebruary 14, 2018 at 8:26 PM

    Beautiful! I absolutely love those watercolor flowers!! Ranunculas are one of my favorite flowers :-) I really like your cosmic garden piece this week, too. It reminds me a little of an underwater scene, like a coral reef.

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    1. Michele WynneFebruary 15, 2018 at 8:15 AM

      Thanks Lisa😉 they're my favorite too and such a simple flower for a beginner to paint.

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  4. Malerisches FrankenFebruary 14, 2018 at 11:14 PM

    My favorites this week are the cosmic garden piece and the double "heartwarming" challenge. Your combination of the two tiles is very nice and attractive.

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    1. Michele WynneFebruary 15, 2018 at 8:18 AM

      Many thanks Margarete! There were a lot of hearts going on this week ❤💞💕

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  5. Gudrun S.February 15, 2018 at 3:51 AM

    Wonderful :))

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  6. AnonymousFebruary 15, 2018 at 5:33 AM

    Your beautiful diva tile reminds me, Michele, that in the Olympics, as in life, there are many champions, each with his/her own heart to inspire us. And I love all the different shades you're achieving with your new watercolors. Beautiful, beautiful post this week!

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    1. Michele WynneFebruary 15, 2018 at 8:56 AM

      Thanks so much Pat. It's been a fun week exploring new ideas;-)

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  7. IlseFebruary 15, 2018 at 6:05 AM

    Beautiful and inspiring as always! Love your sweet duo-challenge.

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    1. Michele WynneFebruary 15, 2018 at 8:59 AM

      Thank you Ilse! The duo-challenge was particularly challenging this week but in spite of a few doubtful moments, I'm really happy with the finish;-)

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  8. AnonymousFebruary 15, 2018 at 6:15 AM

    Beautifully done all of them. Love the watercolors!

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  9. Michele WynneFebruary 15, 2018 at 9:03 AM

    Thanks Kate! I feel like I've had a nice little breakthrough with the watercolors this week;-)

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  10. ria matheussenFebruary 15, 2018 at 2:36 PM

    You have so much energy Michelle and you show us every week wonderful work, Zentangleart but also paintingwork. I'm really fond of your watercolourflowers and again you did it: an absolute beautiful combination of I.A.S.T. and Joey's challenge and of course your Diva tile is also nice, original and special! Great post, ending with a sweet face!

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    1. Michele WynneFebruary 16, 2018 at 3:50 PM

      Thank you Ria! I do tend to get a little obsessive when practicing new techniques 😉 The flowers and leaves are so relaxing to paint and when they come out pretty, I want to do it again.

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  11. Anne's tangle blogFebruary 15, 2018 at 11:24 PM

    Wow, I love that Diva tile!!!! Also great to see the rest of your beautiful work again.

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  12. Ragged RayFebruary 16, 2018 at 7:13 AM

    I did smile and think of you when all the heart challenges started appearing, but your Cosmic Garden offers you a safe murky sanctuary to retreat to when things get too festive!

    I love your watercolour leaves and flowers. I know it's probably not what you're intending my I feel my pen hand itching to draw tiny tangles inside some of those leaves and petals!

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    1. Michele WynneFebruary 16, 2018 at 3:52 PM

      Thanks Jem! Yes, it's kind of ironic that this a post full of hearts and flowers 😉

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  13. AntonineFebruary 16, 2018 at 10:42 AM

    Oh, these are gorgeous! I understand when you say hearts and flowers are not exactly your thing, but, wow, you managed to present those hearts in such a substantial and gorgeous fashion! I love the Phicops around the top in the first photo. It gives it an architectural feel. The colors are so subtle - you created a truly magical night garden. I love it!

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    1. Michele WynneFebruary 16, 2018 at 3:54 PM

      Thanks so much Antonine! It's always lovely to hear from you😍

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  14. MaggibeeFebruary 16, 2018 at 10:43 AM

    As always, I enjoyed joining your artistic experiments. Like you, I try all sorts of things but I think perhaps I give up more quickly then you do. i love the two Zentangle pieces and that palm leaf has me wanting to get out my watercolours. Here we go again!

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    1. Michele WynneFebruary 16, 2018 at 3:57 PM

      Many thanks Margaret! It's the YouTube videos! I'm a bit obsessed 😉

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  15. ~ joey ~February 16, 2018 at 4:58 PM

    Gorgeous!! I'm not a rosey kinda girl but call them ranunculas and I'm in love! How weird am I?! xo

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    1. Michele WynneFebruary 18, 2018 at 6:21 AM

      Thanks Joey! I'm with you on the roses. Ranunculas are my favorite 😉

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  16. Susie NgFebruary 17, 2018 at 5:22 AM

    You can either fight hearts and flowers and shake your head as much as you like to get the idea out of your head, or you can succumb and draw....one (only one) and feel the burden lifted. Happened to me. I drew so many hearts this Feb I will be burden-free for the rest of my life.
    Oh, your Joey-IAST is once again my fav, but looooove the DIVA with they amazing pokeroot support (what an idea!) as well. I may wake up tomorrow morning realizing I faved the wrong tile?

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    1. Michele WynneFebruary 18, 2018 at 6:24 AM

      Thanks so much Susie! I think I made more hearts and flowers this week than I have in my whole life ❤😉🖌

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  17. Susan TheronFebruary 17, 2018 at 10:41 PM

    Beautiful work. The Diva tile is really a WOW-tile! Hi Aimee.

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