Live Your Life's Purpose

“You are one thing only. You are a Divine Being.

An all-powerful Creator. You are a Deity in jeans

and a t-shirt, and within you dwells the infinite 

wisdom of the ages and the sacred creative force 

of All that is, will be and ever was.”
~ Anthon St. Maarten

I am so happy to see so many peaceful demonstrations around the country this weekend.  A heartfelt thanks to all the caring women, men and children who participated. We have come so far, to turn back the clocks on knowledge and compassion in place of misinformation and fear.

I am still participating in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge and have painted and posted 22 tree paintings in alcohol ink so far. You can see my daily entries on my website blog here.

First 20 Trees in the 30 in 30 Painting Challenge

  
There are only two weeks left before my Valentines Alcohol Ink Playshop!

I still have three spots available and I am keeping the Early Bird Discount Price until it's filled.

I have some very special projects planned and of course, there's all the usual extras!

"You can do anything if you want it enough.”
~ Cherise Sinclair

Thanks for stopping by. Hugs and Happiness!

X ♥  O

You and Me

“Sometimes the smallest things

take up the most room in our hearts.”

~ A.A. Milne, Winnie The Pooh

Here are two of my regular student's paintings, based on my class demo today.

It was their first time using masking fluid on Yupo paper and they both loved the technique.

I don't use masking very much, but have been utilizing it recently for a few of my 30 in 30 pieces.

We used slate and black for the birches. I wrote down the colors that

were used for the backgrounds and listed them under each piece.

Ranger Inks - Bkgd. - Terra Cotta, Pool, Slate

  "Thanks It was fun. Happy with my piece today. ( : Time flies when we are so focused on our art. Never enough time. Grateful that your willing to share your talents." ~ Buck
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I really love how the unique, individual personalities of the makers

always shine out in these alcohol Ink pieces.

Ranger Inks - Bkgd. - Lettuce, Bottle, Denim, Slate

"Thank you Sandy, I was thinking today how blessed we are to have you in our lives.

What wonderful creators we are to have manifested the perfect art teacher and friend." xx ~ Lynne

My colors (see tomorrow)  - Ranger Inks - Bkgd. - Sunset, Willow, Meadow, Latte, Slate
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Thanks For Stopping By And For Your Friendship,

X ♥  O

An Old Acquaintence

"I frequently tramped eight or ten miles
through the deepest snow to keep
an appointment with a beech tree,
a yellow birch or an old acquaintance
among the pines." 

~Henry David Thoreau

I based today's painting on one I did for the first 30 in 30 in 2013.

I used masking to preserve a few white areas in the painting.

See today's painting, Day 13, now

and the finished painting for "An Old Acquaintance" - Day 14
tomorrow here on my website blog.
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Thanks For Stopping By And Thanks For Your Friendship,

X ♥  O

The Oaks Ignored Their Pleas

"There is unrest in the forest
There is trouble with the trees
For the maples want more sunlight
And the oaks ignore their pleas.
 ~ Neil Peart
 

I based today's painting on one I did for the first 30 in 30 in 2013.

This is one of the many stages this piece went through.

I wanted to revisit the theme of this favorite, very visual quote.

And after squinting at this for a while, I realized that the light sky value at

the bottom right was distracting, taking emphasis away from my focal point.

I decided to try to make it better, so I changed one thing, and then another ...
Please check it out and let me know if you think I achieved my goal.

See today's painting, Day 12, now

and the finished painting for "Unrest In The Forest" - Day 13
tomorrow here on my website blog.
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Wow, we are quickly coming up to the half way point of the challenge.

It's all down hill from there my friends!

Thanks for stopping by. Wishing You Much Happiness,

X ♥  O

The Ancient Law Of Life

“For me, trees have always been
the most penetrating preachers.
I revere them when they
live in tribes and families,
in forests and groves. And even more,
I revere them when they stand alone."
~ Herman Hesse

I based today's painting on one I did for the first 30 in 30 back in 2013.

Penetrating Preachers - Watercolor on Yupo - Sold

Willow - in progress - I flipped the painting and just winged it.

After letting this rest for a while, I realized it was missing something.

See the finished painting for Day 10 tomorrow on my website blog.

Wow, we are already 1/3 of the way through the challenge

and I haven't even broken a sweat yet, lol!

Thanks for stopping by. Hugs and Happiness!

X ♥  O

Friends Forever

“We’ll be Friends Forever, won’t we, Pooh?,
asked Piglet.

"Even longer,” Pooh answered."

~ A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

Here's a few in-progress shots of the second "Love Birches" painting in alcohol ink
on Yupo paper in my I Love Trees series.

8 x 10" matted alcohol ink painting on Yupo paper

Background painted over masking. Colors -
Slate, Mushroom, Cloudy Blue, Denim, Pitch Black, Rust

Masking Removed

Small Branches and heart added - Ready to ink the trees.

"You and Me"

• Sold

Hugs and Happy Creating!

X ♥  O

I Love You!

"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love."

 ~ Albert Einstein

Here are some of the 30 paintings in 30 days tree series, in-progress shots for my eighth challenge. I've learned to work ahead a day, so this was actually what I did today - Day 4, but I'll be posting it as Day 5.   I've already got tomorrow's painting finished, photographed, blog post written and scheduled for the morning. It's a big load off my mind doing it that way.

I'm revisiting some of my trees on Yupo from my first challenge, back in January of 2013. I'm using masking fluid on some of these, and usually don't use it, but we'll be covering its use - among other things, in the 5th week of my fast approaching FUNdamentals of Alcohol Ink E-Course, so I wanted to experiment and have some fun with it.

Making a record of the colors that I used for future reference was achieved with  a photo of each one with a color recipe post-it note. If I remember, I'll also write it on the back, very lightly in pencil.

Here's the piece after the background was inked and the masking was removed. Check out my blog post here tomorrow to see the finished painting for Day 5 of this month's 30 paintings in 30 days, inspired by quotes about trees.

Thanks for stopping by and
Happy Creating!

Thirty Paintings In Thirty Days - Day Two

"If you observe really happy people,
you will find them building a boat,
writing a symphony, working in the garden,
educating a child, or painting in alcohol inks.
These people will not be searching for happiness as if
it were a button that has rolled under the radiator.
He or she will not be striving for it as a goal in itself.
They will have become aware, that they
are happy in the course of living life -
twenty-four crowded hours of every day."

  ~ W. Beran Wolfe

I decided to participate in Leslie Saeta's January 2017  30 paintings in 30 days challenge this time around. I have participated in every one except the last one in September because I was launching my first  FUNdamentals of Alcohol Ink E-Course. The second session of this online alcohol ink workshop starts this Saturday, January 7th and registration is still open!

I wanted to show you how I added the stag to this winter scene using one of my sketches which I scaled to size on my copier, then transferred using grey transfer paper.

My sketch was scaled to size on the copier.

Then it was traced onto the tile with transfer paper.

You can see this finished painting and all my daily 30 in 30 paintings for this challenge on

my website blog.

Thanks for stopping by and Happy New Year!!

30 Paintings in 30 Days ~ Put Your Soul Into It ~ Day 30

"When you do a thing, 

do it with all your might. 

Put your whole soul into it. 

Stamp it with your own personality. 

Be active, be energetic and faithful 

and you will accomplish your object." 

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Heart And Soul"

~~~~~6 x 6" Alcohol Ink on Gessoed Hardboard~~~~~

email: sandy@sandysandy.com for purchase info.

6 x 6" panels come ready to hang with a display easel option.
These are textured gessoed studio panels from Blicks.
It's got a surface all its own. I really like the way it handles the inks. 
Click on the Blick link at the top of the right hand column here
on my blog and search item # 13612-0066.

I am relieved and a little sad to see the

JANUARY 2015 / 30 in 30 CHALLENGE

come to an end.

I wasn't sure I was going to do the 30 in 30 again this time, but I'm really glad I did. Like all the others, it has been a great experience. I've expand my comfort zone and been inspired by all the awesome art online that was created throughout the month. A big thank you goes out to Leslie Saeta for hosting the challenge and to all the busy people who took time out to visit my blog and especially to those of you who offered your friendship, feedback and support which really kept me going. 

Stop back tomorrow to see my collage of all 30 abstract paintings completed during the course of the month.

Thanks again for your friendship and support.
"No matter what accomplishments you make,

somebody helped you."
~ Althea Gibson

X ♥  O

30 Paintings in 30 Days ~ Color My World ~ Day 29

"I never wanted color to be color. 

I never wanted texture to be texture, 

or images to become shapes. 

I wanted them all to fuse together 

into a living spirit." 

~ Clyfford Still

"Intangible Communication"

~~~~~16 x 20" Alcohol Ink on Gessoed Hardboard~~~~~

email: sandy@sandysandy.com for purchase info.

In need of some color, this lively piece now hangs in our telecommunication center.

I am happy to report that my Feb. 7th Alcohol Ink Workshop at Center for the Arts of Southern NJ has been filled, but there are still spots available for auditing for those of you who would just like to hang out and watch.

Thanks so very much for your friendship.

X ♥  O

30 Paintings in 30 Days ~ Off The Beaten Path ~ Day 28

"The painter, being concerned only 

with giving his impression, 

simply seeks to be himself 

and no one else." 

~ Claude Monet

"On The Way To Giverny"

~~~~~6 x 6" Alcohol Ink on Gessoed Hardboard~~~~~

email: sandy@sandysandy.com for purchase info.

Wow, there's only 2 days left in the 30 in 30 challenge! Woo Hoo! It really was a wonderful adventure into painting abstracts this time around. I began with a basic idea, but as I worked, often the inks took over. "Then there is the struggle between the idea I preconceived and the picture that fights for its own life."*

The hard part for me, is not so much to paint everyday, but it is the pressure to put myself and my work out there without letting it mellow for a couple of days. I know this is also true for many of you other artist friends participating. 

In a sometimes rushed frame of mind, it was hard to be satisfied with something enough to stop, without analyzing and working it to death. There were a few hectic days where I painted and destroyed many pieces. 

So, from a five time veteran, I just want to be the first to say; 

CONGRATULATIONS, you did it!! 

And I KNOW at times it certainly wasn't easy!

* George Baselitz

"We grow because we struggle, we learn and overcome." ~ Robert G. Allen 

Thanks so very much for your friendship and support.

X ♥  O

30 Paintings in 30 Days ~ A Breath of Fresh Air ~ Day 27

“Change the way you look at things 

and the things you look at change.” 

 ~Wayne W. Dyer

"Open Window To The World"

~~~~~6 x 6" Alcohol Ink on Gessoed Hardboard~~~~~

email: sandy@sandysandy.com for purchase info.

“No one else has access to the world you carry around within yourself; you are its custodian and entrance. No one else can see the world the way you see it. No one else can feel your life the way you feel it .” ~ John O'Donohue

Today I did something different and it was the start of a very good day. The world outside is fresh and clean with new fallen snow and the world inside is once again at peace; joyful, productive and invigorating.

Thank you once again for your support, friends;

"Looking out the window, 

I see you looking in. 

You are the sunshine, 

That fills my soul.” 

~ Giorge Leedy

X ♥  O