Art by Candlelight Encaustic Collage

If you've checked out my blog in the last week, you'll know that I started a new tradition - Art by Candlelight. The premise was to celebrate Earth Hour at 8:30 p.m. local time, by creating art by candlelight. My husband is a great supporter of my art hobby, and went to find tapers for me so that I had enough light to work with. 

I set up an event in Facebook and had other arting friends going along. Some may even being finishing up their art as I type this. It was fun to see people getting excited about this, because there wasn't a lot of publicity this year locally about Earth Hour. So I set up my dining room table, and started to work on my collage.

I've been taking the Act Natural course by Julie Prichard, and it's been wonderful. I love the grungy (yes Liz, I said grungy again) style of the pieces she created designing the course. I couldn't wait to dive in. So I watched Lesson 1 again, and then started to gather my media. I had printed several vintage papers found on Graphics Fairy's website for free download. And I got out my acrylic glazing liquid and titan buff heavy body Golden paints, along with my soft gel matte medium. And I pulled out a 12X12 wrapped canvas and got to work. 

Once I had completed the collage, I realized that I wanted to seal it somehow, and well, here I had all this hot wax around me from the candles. So I sealed it up in a sort of encaustic style.

How did you celebrate Earth Hour? Did you celebrate Art by Candlelight too? Link me up to your artwork. I'd love to see what we all created during our 'dark' hour.

Celebrate Earth Hour with me - Art by Candlelight

Hi everyone. As you may know, Saturday is a day to celebrate our connection to the earth and a time to show our support for conservation of energy. Earth Hour is the largest environmental event in history. Be a part of it and show your support.

Celebrate Earth Hour with me, this Saturday, March 31st at 8:30 p.m. local time for you, and art by candlelight. Many of us would agree that 2012 has been an unprecedented year for global warming, and we are definitely feeling its affects. Send your message to local governments to push for change when it comes to climate control. How?

Art by Candlelight is my first annual art event to encourage you to celebrate Earth Hour doing something you love, in a completely different way. Turn off your lights at 8:30 p.m. and pick up your brushes, your papers, your media and paints and Art by Candlelight.

Spend the hour creating something meaningful to you about Earth Hour, whether it is what you see in the dark, what you love about nature, how you make efforts to conserve the earth, or your feelings on climate change. Art about whatever you like. Just come back to share your work at this Flickr group.

To find out more about Earth Hour, check out their website. Sign up to show your support, or donate to help make a positive change when it comes to climate change and our world. I hope you will join me. If you plan to, please comment here and be sure to post your art work so that we can all enjoy it!

Hope to see your art work there next week!

A little romance

Sometimes you just need to sit down and create. Go with the muse. Despite what you thought you were sitting down for. And then a little romance might show up unexpectedly.

"Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze." - Amanda Cross

Have a great Saturday!

There's always room for improvement

Do you ever have those days where you were arting and just getting rid of some excess energy, good or bad, and just so into it, you forget an important detail?

Like getting the quote straight on the canvas? ;)

Texture paste hit with distress inks

 Texture close up

Many layers of paint with texture paste on paper

I'll be doing another canvas tomorrow...this time I'll write straight!

Get it in writing...

Don't think about whether or not you should document that great moment just now. Just do it.

Sometimes you just have to keep hoping

After a very weird winter, we think that maybe, just maybe spring has arrived. But then, we thought that happened a couple weeks ago. So here's my art journal entry from Sunday. It kind of reflects how I have felt about the last few weeks - very messy and a whole lot of everything thrown into the same arena.

 I just love playing with textures.

Closeup of some textures and details.

Have a wonderful week!

Sketchbook Peek

It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit.  ~Robert Louis Stevenson

Sunny Sundays make me happy!

There's nothing better than sleeping in on a lazy Sunday, waking to a glorious day, bright sunshine with no clouds in sight, the smell of coffee wafting up from the kitchen, and your art journal waiting for you to bring your feelings to life on a clean page.

 Close up of the textures.

It's the first time that I've used my India ink on finished page, and the first time I've randomly stamped over collaged, gessoed and pasted elements. Love the effect!

Enjoy your weekend!

Let love rule the day

Yesterday wasn't your typical Friday. You know, the kind where you just can't wait to get out and head home. You wish you could just get up and leave and head home for the weekend. Get it started early. Only yesterday, we didn't want to leave early. In fact, it was probably safer to stay in the building. We had a false alarm at work, a suspicious package. And while some were disappointed that they didn't get sent home early, I thought the contrary. Staying at work meant that no one got hurt, and no one was in danger.

So all afternoon I thought about what I would have done if I had been. Had I told my husband that I love him when I left that morning? Could I call him at work in case of an emergency? Did I even have his work's number programmed in my phone? When was the last time that I spoke to my mom, my brother, my niece and nephews? It all comes to the front of your mind when you are thrown into a situation like Friday's. So this weekend's art is dedicated to letting love rule the day instead of fear.

I might make this a digital card for prints.

A closeup of the inked fabric rosette I made.

Enjoy your weekend!

Art Journal updates

Sometimes you just have to record the little things that make you happy.

Have a great week!

Are you ready to tumble?!

Are you ready to tumble?! Then let's get arting!

I adore these SEI Tumble Dyes! Awesome stuff for art journaling, especially when you work with lots of layers! They don't reactivate like some inks and dyes. They are permanent when dry, or better yet, heat set them. 

I don't think I could art without them now. For those of you looking for a place to get them online, check out Roben-Marie's store Paperbag Studios! I've had nothing but great service and selection from Roben-Marie, and even if I could find them cheaper elsewhere (which I haven't), I would still get them from her as a show of support for the art community.

So, a little arting tonight with a side of chocolate? Why, yes, thank you I think I will!

Some weekend fun

There's something satisfying about sitting down to your art desk or craft table, and pulling out some materials and just getting your hands busy without worry about the outcome, but loving the outcome all the same.

I love just playing with different textures with pretty colours.

And playing with different styles. After just completing an online course that has its basis in doodling, I thought I hated it. I tried to work with it, just to try. And weeks later, when I sat down to the desk, doodling came out with a whole different feel.

Make sure to take time for yourself, to care for yourself first. Say to yourself every day, "Love Me" so that you can love others better.

Polar Opposites

Every notice how sometimes depending on your mood, using the same products you can get totally different end results?

That was my weekend.

This is a canvas I did, using KCB digital scrapbook papers, after I was inspired by this pin in Pinterest.

And here's what I did with the leftover hearts I had cut out from the papers.

I guess my art this weekend would be what you could think of as polar opposites in style. And that works for me.

A new canvas - a new love

I found a new love this weekend. A love of making an unexpected canvas using mixed media techniques in a whole new way. I kinda love this one.

This piece was made using inked up papers, tag, scrapbook paper, texture paste, neocolour II crayons, Portfolio oil pastels, paper towel, cardboard, fabric and a Prima flower on an 8X10 inch canvas. 

 I may make postcards from this.

 Details of the petals made with texture paste.

I love inky paper, fabric, lace and cardboard together.

Want to see how I did this? Check out my video recording of the live broadcast I did earlier today.


Give this style a try. It's guaranteed fun if you decide to use what's on your desk, like scraps, gesso and paint, or pastels.

Check in again later this weekend for more. I'm definitely not done yet!

Last but not least for this long weekend...

I think I've fallen in love with this style. So much fun and so much to gaze on.

Here are some close ups of the textures and layers.

The weekend's not over yet

I had lots more fun with trying out a new style. Here's a page or two that have kind of inverted layers; that is, the gesso, texture paste and paint are on top of the elements, especially on the first page.

And this is my first ever tag. I can't believe it took me this long to do one. Had fun with it, and now it will go up on my dream board/inspiration board.