UPDATE!!! ----- SLOTS are filled. thank you for participating in this circle of LOVE. watercolors will be sent out in the next few days.
Last week I posted a lil princess watercolor on my instagram, and someone inquired about purchasing it because the words that I put with it had spoken to her since she had been going through something at the time. I decided then, that since I was going through some healing stuff too, that I would just send it to her as a gift of love and in hopes that it lifted her up. Afterwards, my brain began swirling and getting excited about the idea of giving more away!
This is where you come in. I need your help in giving away my little watercolor originals. I thought if I got you involved that it would be a way you could touch someones life as well. And then we all get that spirit-filled feeling when we give something away .....and I get to experience it x30!
Here is how it will work:
I am giving away 30 small original watercolors. (I'll update the blog post when the 30 slots are filled)
Here is a sampling of what I will be giving away....
Is there someone in your life who is going through something....sickness....heartache....loss....grief....depression....anxiety....or simply just having a bad week or month. Do you know someone who needs lifted up and loved on? Is it a friend, family, or acquaintance, or stranger....?
Email me your loved ones mailing address (I kindly ask that you not send me personal information of what they are going through for privacy issues...just that they need lifted up and loved on)
SLOTS ARE FILLED........
use LULO as the subject line
I will select one random watercolor to send to your loved one. (they range in size from 2.5x4" to 3x6" and fit nicely in a standard size envelope)
international addresses are welcome!
include your name
there are 30 slots. the first 30 to email me will have a watercolor sent to the "loved on" one that they mentioned.
Your loved one will be sent a watercolor and a sweet note from me that says:
____________ and I want you to know that you are lifted up in prayer. We want you to know that we love you and we'd like to send you something beautiful in hopes that it may lift your spirit and bring you a sparkle of Joy. Our hope for you is healing, peace, and happiness.
__________ specifically requested this to be sent you. You are LOVED beyond measure and you are LIFTED up!
Just a quick reminder about Wanderlust 2017 while it's still available at the special offer price!
Wanderlust is an online mixed media workshop experience featuring 26 amazing tutors and 50 inspirational video classes over the course of a year. The fantastic line up includes Alena Hennessy, Sandra Evertson, Jessica Sporn and Dyan Reaveley to name only a few! Plus me, of course!
I'm writing this reminder now because Wanderlust is only available at the special offer price of £79 until 31th of December 2016 - after this date it will go up to £99 - so you might want to get shopping now while you can grab a bargain.
I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for. - Georgia O'Keefe
Let the Paint Speak: language of the soul is all about finding our voice through direct contact with the paint. It's about getting up close and wrestling with the layers....the colors.... the marks. This class is about communicating on a deeper level....using art as a way to speak from our soul. This language has no words. It has magic and color and line and bold marks. We are bringing together simplicity through paint to speak with a voice so loud that it cannot be heard..... only felt.
Have you ever felt like the art that you are creating is not what you want it to look like?
Are you struggling to put onto canvas what you are feeling inside?
This class applauds the happy accidents, making mistakes, and being better for it. That is where the magic is unveiled....through the wiping away, through the gentle thumb-print on a cheek. I don't know about you but I want to see something NOT work for an artist. I want to see the artist struggle. To fight for their art. If it comes so easily, I am quickly bored. I want to see scratches and splotches, and wisps of paint found from the accidental grace of an old t-shirt. There is the magic. There is the rawness that can only be found by peeling away from your "vision" ....going deeper than "what you want it to look like" and extending a hand to what is inside rather than surface. That is the depth I want to take you! There in the veil of magic and divine....we will meet up and converse in the found, the lost, the mist, the TRUE YO
Will it be hard? Oh yes. But the reward of the striped down - simple - complex - hungry - struggle through - YOU will show up. And it will be from your hand. The hand that dug, scraped, scratched, and wiped paint until it became something more than itself. It becomes your soul.
The details
Class begins January 1st, 2017
Lessons will post every week for 6 weeks
6 large complete paintings in all
15 videos with over 7 hours of film time
$75 early registration begins Dec 1st
$99 regular registration begins Dec 16th.
lifetime access
videos are downloadable
***This is NOT like my other classes. This is a deep comprehensive, intuitive approach to painting. There will be more abstraction, more marks, more splotches and wiping away of paint. I will be standing at my easel and you will see me struggle through the process. You'll see me switch gears and paint over things that aren't working. You will see me tired and be ok with stopping for the day because today I'm not sure where the journey is taking me.
***I will talk you through the process. I will make happy accidents and applaud those. I will not know the direction at every point in the process. It will get uncomfortable and maybe even a little awkward. I am allowing myself to be vulnerable in hopes that you'll practice getting out of your comfort zone so those magical "mistakes" will show up.
***This class is not meant for you to follow along and make every brush stroke exactly like mine. I love Bob Ross, but this is not a Bob Ross "follow along" type of class. The idea is for you to be inspired and see how the process unfolds and take that and create something magical.
FAQs:
Is this class for beginners? Yes, this is for all levels, however I would strongly suggest that you have some painting experience or take my Paint Your Story or Soul Bird or Paint Like a Child online class as a precursor to this class. This class will stretch you and probably make you feel very uncomfortable so keep in mind that some painting under your belt can only help you.
Will there be a Facebook group? Yes! We will share are work inside a private fb group.
Can we sell the work we make in class? Yes, yes....especially if it is your own voice. (meaning that the composition/marks/colors/figure work, etc is NOT an exact replica of my painting demos) If you'd like to mention that you took my class, I'd be grateful! My vision for this class is for you to find your own struggles and voice and style through happy accidents and paint discoveries.... :-D
If I post my work in the classroom how long will it take you to comment or give critique on my work? I will try my best to comment or critique your work within 24 hours of you posting. (and you may also email me privately at mlacefield13@sbcglobal.net if you prefer not to share your work online with others in the classroom) I also have an admin in the FB group that can help you with questions about supplies and will also provide some "cheering-on support" as we move throughout the class. Her name is Nolwenn Petitbois.
SUPPLIES
Keep in mind to use what you have on hand and don't feel like you have to have the exact colors and supplies that I use. Please improvise!
I strongly recommend using artist grade acrylics like golden, old holland, and holbein as well as house paint samples. (go to homedepot.com and in the search enter "paint samples". There are lots of colors to choose from. Grab some bright colors as well as neutrals and "blah colors". Be careful, some of the samples have a high shipping charge, but most don't. Most ship free to your home! yay for that!)
You can certainly mix in a few craft paints (like blick matte and target) and the like.... but if you want a richness then please pop in some artist-grade paints when you can.
Here are some of my favorite colors:
golden: iridescent gold deep, van dyke brown hue, titan buff
holbein: any of the luminous (like luminous opera) and the aqua blue
golden heavy body: titanium white, paynes gray, light magenta
target: avocado, coral, fuchsia
blick matte: teal green, yellow oxide, green blue light, orange light, violet medium, sage blue
oil pastels: sennilier, neopastel, portfolio, gallery neons (I use a mix of several of these throughout the class. You can use whatever you like. It doesn't have to be all of these)
silver tape - this is what I used to tape the paper down onto the wood panel. You can also use painters tape. keep in mind this silver tape is permanent and will become part of your painting. This is just what I had on hand....but I thought it might also produce cool results. You can also use it as a texture element inside your paintings.
water bottle - fill up bottle and add about a 1/4 - 1/2 cup alcohol (it will make the paint run/move easier)
Using the Sweet Peppermint line as inspiration, I painted this sweet Pinkie girl with the gorgeous Art Alchemy paints in magenta, vintage rose, and steampunk copper. I then created her own little gift box using Sweet Peppermint flowers and chipboard bits. Happy creating this Christmas season!
I sat down the other day with the new metallic watercolor set from Prima and I decided to keep it simple. I used the tiny watercolor pad and a few watercolor pencils to create these sweeties. Remember to keep it simple and do less. By restraining yourself, you can create magic. Sparkle on....
I love this time of year! Sending little notes of love to friends and family is such a treat for me. To create something by hand brings back the nostalgia of when I was a child. The pastel dreams watercolor set pairs nicely with the Sweet peppermint line of stamps, cards, and die-cuts. Have fun creating quick cards and little paintings for your loved ones this year!
Autumn.
The changing color.
The dance of light at dusk.
The chirp of a lone cricket in the distance.
Harvest Moon.
Crisp mornings.
I chose to work with Decadent pies and shimmering lights watercolor sets to create this Autumn fairy Princess who sprinkles acorns. She's adorned in the fiery colors of fall. And she dances with the birds. I love to keep my paper where I tested the color. The marks are unintentional and I adore the beauty in their simplicity. I hope you'll have fun playing with the fall colors this season!
This Halloween, I wanted to dress up Julie Nutting's Lil Witch stamp and send her to Wonderland. I used the basic and spring/fall watercolor pencils to create her dress and hat. I cut her out and mounted her with thick craft foam onto my background. This lift allowed me to tuck things under her feet and gave it a 3 dimensional look. I used the harlequin stencil to create a wonderland feel using the matte gel. Then I sprayed color blooms in brimstone wings and dragonfly blue over the top and let the color meander in the cracks and crevices. Art Stones and Sweet Peppermint flowers are sprinkled throughout, creating magic and sparkle! I challenge you to alter the Lil Witch's dress to create your own magical world.
I always hate throwing old brushes away so I thought why not alter it....?! With Prima's amazing products it is incredibly fun to create crackles and textures and make it new. I first used the Black gesso for the base and then scraped a thick icing-like layer of the copper crackle. (the thicker the layer, the bigger the cracks!) I wanted some dimension to the witch, jack-o-lantern, cat, and bird so I glued little pieces of craft foam on the back to give it a lift.
I hope you enjoy this process and I encourage you to alter an old brush. Happy Halloween!
This month I had the joy of creating a project from the incredible Prima products that are featured here. Aren't the colors and textures just incredible? It has such a cozy, yet elegant feel.....! I created a fairy who's in charge of tending the flowers and sprinkling around a bit of magic. She embodies innocence and joy.
I laid down down color first with the Color Bloom Sprays in Sugar Plum and Black Tulip. After drying, I used the floral stencil to add dimension and depth to the bed of flowers. I used the new Rossibelle flowers and leaves and sprinkled a little magic dust (Finnabair's art stones) for texture.
Using the beautiful new Memory hardware artisan powder in Parisian Rose, I tinted her cheeks, lips, and nose. Tip: if you mix a tiny bit of soft gloss gel and the powder, you'll achieve a rich color. I like to dip my brush in the gel then pick up a little powder on my brush. Using the sequins, flowers, and art stones I created her lovely dress and headband.
I hope you enjoy and continue to sprinkle magic wherever you go!!
Cinderella is one of my all-time favorite movies. When I was a child, I watched movies over and over again, especially in the summer as a way to escape the hot weather (as well as a mental escape).
I love using the characters from these movies as inspiration for some of my ornament work. For this Miss Princess ornament, I used the art stones and pearls adhered with soft gloss gel to create a stunning texture area at the top of the ornament. And I finished it off by adding a couple flowers wrapped around the top and as a feature point on the back. Remember to sprinkle a little magic wherever you go!
I just received my ginormous design team box the other day and I just HAD to over-haul my studio. I love how everything is super organized and neat. Now I can get even more creative:
I adore stencils!! I love using the texture paste on top of a black gessoed wood board. The effects are stunning. Then to enhance the designs with the Prima oil pastels and paints really makes them pop. One of the tricks that I love to do is to extend the design out by drawing similar designs out from the stencil work. I think this helps "marry together" the elements of the background. Also, combining organic shapes and geometric shapes are one of my favorite ways to use stencils.
