Registration Closes Tonight!

“Who you are tomorrow begins with what you do today.” ~ Tim Fargo      

If you don't enroll, how many of your questions will go unanswered?
How many times will you be frustrated or do something the hard way?

  Take the stress out of creating and have FUN in The FUNdamentals of Alcohol Ink E-Course. Registration Closes SOON for this highly anticipated E-Course!

Birds Of A Feather

“A heart without dreams

is like a bird without feathers.”

 ~ Suzy Kassem 

The hummingbirds are fattening up for their long fall migration.

I hate to see them go. I have enjoyed their company immensely.

And even more now, that I know they'll soon be leaving me.

"The way to really appreciate and love something is to realize it might be lost."

~ G.K. Chesterton

Learn.Love.Create

“Love is a feeling completely bound up with color,

like thousands of rainbows superimposed

one on top of the other.”

~ Paulo Coelho

"There's a calm surrender to the rush of day
When the heat of a rolling world can be turned away
An enchanted moment, and it sees me through
It's enough for this restless warrior just to be with you

And can you feel the love tonight
It is where we are
It's enough for this wide eyed wanderer
That we got this far
And can you feel the love tonight
How it's laid to rest
It's enough to make kings and vagabonds
Believe the very best

There's a time for everyone if they only learn
That the twisting kaleidoscope moves us all in turn
There's a rhyme and reason to the wild outdoors
When the heart of this star crossed voyager beats in time with yours"

~Elton John

Come feel the love and join me on this maiden voyage here.

Finding Excuses


"The person who really wants to do something finds a way;

the other person finds an excuse."

4 x 10" Alcohol Ink Painting on Ceramic Tile

 In case you might be wondering if my new Learn • Love • Create E-Course
is a good fit for you …
IT IS IF …
• You want to find more inspiration and joy in the creation process.

• You want to loosen up and experience more spontaneity in your art.

• You want to learn new ideas and techniques, without feeling pressured
   to perform in front of others or produce a "keeper".

• You love to create, but need more structure, inspiration
and motivation to get started and to keep you going.

• You like the idea of learning at your own pace, in your own place.

This is just a sampling of what this course is all about!!
See for yourself. Click here to learn more!

The FUNdamentals of Alcohol Ink E-Course is open for enrollment!


The private part of the  Learn • Love • Create website is available to Members NOW!
Videos, tips, supply lists, starter kits, links and downloads are already online.
Hugs And Happy Creating From Your FUN Bringer,

FUNdamentals of Alcohol Ink Registration Open!

"Anyone who stops learning is old,
whether at twenty or eighty."
~ Henry Ford

Early Bird Registration is finally OPEN for my "First Born" Online Workshop -

'The FUNdamentals of Alcohol Ink'

 

See price, details and save 20% off registration now!

Learn • Love • Create

"The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies,

can continue growing as we continue to live."

~ Mortimer Adler

The Portals Of Heaven

“To live continually in thoughts of ill will, cynicism, suspicion, and envy, is to be confined in a self-made prison. But to think well of all, to be cheerful with all, to patiently learn to find the good in all;
 such unselfish thoughts are the very portals of heaven. 

  

To dwell day by day, in thoughts of peace toward every creature,

will bring abounding peace to their possessor.”

~ James Allen

I'm designing my new online course with beginners and accomplished inkers in mind. I'll be teaching classic design principles and demonstrating professional techniques for more advanced aficionados.

But I'll also be breaking lessons down into simple, easy to follow, baby steps for those just getting started with alcohol inks.

I'm developing simplified versions of more complicated lessons in the K.I.S.S. (KEEP IT SILLY SIMPLE) Section of ‪#‎LearnLoveCreate‬ . I will also have a basic K.I.S.S. Starter Kit and Material List available for those of you just testing out the inky waters.

So check out my very first online workshop "The FUNdamentals of Alcohol Ink!!
I'd love to answer your questions! See a sample lesson here!

X ♥  O

Have a great weekend and EnJOY!

Ten Rules For Students and Teachers

 "Be happy whenever you can manage it.

 Enjoy yourself. It's lighter than you think."

~ John Cage 

John Cage's Rules For Students and Teachers:

• 1. Find a place you trust, and then try trusting it for awhile.
• 2. General duties of a student--pull everything out of your teacher;
  pull everything out of your fellow students.
• 3. General duties of a teacher--pull everything out of your students.
• 4. Consider everything an experiment.
• 5. Be self-disciplined--this means finding someone wise or smart and choosing to follow them. To be disciplined is to follow in a good way. To be self-disciplined is to follow in a better way.
• 6. Nothing is a mistake. There's no win and no fail, there's only make.
• 7. The only rule is work. If you work it will lead to something. It's the people who do all of the work all of the time who eventually catch on to things.
• 8. Don't try to create and analyze at the same time. They're different processes.
• 9. Be happy whenever you can manage it. Enjoy yourself. It's lighter than you think.
• 10. Break rules. Even your own rules. Leave plenty of room for X quantities.
  

To Celebrate 1,000 Likes on Facebook, I'm Having a
Christmas In July Giveaway!

Six Original Alcohol Ink Paintings Are Up For Grabs!

Get Updates About the Online Alcohol Ink Workshop with Me this September!
Learn • Love • Create

X ♥  O

A Dream Is A Seed

“A dream is a seed. Vision plants it.
Imagination nurtures growth.
Opportunities create blooms.
Thoughts become things!”
~  Donna McGoff

“Of all the words of mice and men,

the saddest are, "It might have been.”

~ Kurt Vonnegut 

Ever wanted to try watercolor?

Want to try something exciting and new?

Well here's your chance ... 

Join us for the July 23rd, Summer Symphony Watercolor Workshop on Yupo Paper 

Only 2 spots left! NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY!! Starter Kits Available.

Get Updates for the Online Alcohol Ink Workshop with Sandy this September!

Learn • Love • Create 

X ♥  O

 

Online Workshop, Discovery and Joy

“Do anything, but let it produce joy.” ~ Walt Whitman

Learn • Love • Create 
Online A.I. Workshop Starts September 2016

Sign up to join the E-Course Special Wait List
And Be The First To Know When the Doors Open For Enrollment

 (You will also get my FREE CMY / RGB Color Wheel  PDFs - 

delivered to your inbox within 24 hours when you sign up!) 

 "People who thrive on their creative energy are 

tapping into something that is innate in the human race;

 the ability to discover something new. 

What makes them different is the

desire and motivation to create."

~ Faith Puleston)

Happy Summer AND Cool Creating Everyone!
X ♥  O

The Way You See It

“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. Thus it is impossible to ever 

compare two people because each stands on such different ground. 

When you compare yourself to others, you are inviting envy

into your consciousness; it can be a dangerous and destructive guest.”

~ John O'Donohue
 

"Buttercup" ~ 4 x 10" alcohol ink on ceramic tile ~ Sold

Framed to 6 x 12" - 10 x 16" outside dimensions

The cat's out of the bag -

The Wait List For The September 2016 Launch Of The Very First
Online Learn.Love.Create Workshop is Now Available Here.

Develop your own voice without the fear of judgement or
preconceived expectations (from yourself or others).
You are spirit, pure and eternal, one of a kind, special and unique.
Lets uncover ways to make your art more powerful and distinctively you.

"The FUNdamentals of Alcohol Ink"
 GET UPDATES and STAY IN THE LOOP

Thanks for your friendship and feedback everyone!!
I am grateful for you all.
Happy creating!

X ♥  O

With Spirit Full, I Live

"With arms outstretched I thank.

With heart beating gratefully I love.

With body in health I jump for joy.

With spirit full I live.
"
~Terri Guillemets

I have been under the weather with a summer cold, turned upper respiratory ailment for the past week or so and haven't had the energy to do much of anything. This morning, I received this wonderful note from one of my June 11th, first time workshop participants, Lynn Pechinski, who owns 1st Straw Marketing and Promotions. I rarely get much feedback from participants. Her card really made me feel great! Lynn clearly knows the power of gratitude and of making people feel special.

You can see amazing art from the last workshop here, where 5 of the 7 inkers were first timers!

The next scheduled "play"shop here is July 23rd. You can see details about the watercolor on Yupo paper "art experience" here. The early bird registration discount ends tomorrow, June 25th. 

It's not just a workshop, it's a full bodied "art experience"!

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that

the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thanks for your friendship and feedback everyone!!
I am grateful for you all.

X ♥  O

Jerry's Yard Art at Sandarosa Studio

“I am enough of an artist to draw freely 

upon my imagination.

 Imagination is more important than knowledge. 

 Knowledge is limited. 

 Imagination encircles the world.” 

~ Albert Einstein

Haven't posted here in a few weeks,

so thought I'd post a few snaps from around the yard this morning.

Hubby, Jerry, has been busy beautifying the place.

Thought you might enjoy a peek!

Witchy-Poo is still enjoying the ride!

One of many.

Remember these?

Almost everything traded or found in trash.

New Studio Window - more about that later.

Nice touch Jer!

My new favorite! Jerry's King Crab. :-)

“Logic will get you from A to Z;
imagination will get you everywhere.”
~  Albert Einstein

Happy Summer everyone!!
X ♥  O

MAY MADNESS SALE!

"I started collecting art... simply because 

I wanted pictures to hang on the wall. 

I noticed what a difference a picture 

could make to the ambience of a room, 

and indeed how shifting work around 

could change a room's whole feeling."

~ Michael Audain

IN HONOR OF . . . . BIRTHDAYS - WEDDINGS - ANNIVERSARIES 

GRADUATIONS - CHRISTENINGS - FATHER'S DAY . . . . .
Buy any original painting 

(16 x 20" or smaller)

and get it framed  FREE!! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 10 DAYS ONLY - MAY 21 - MAY 31

Wishing You Much Joy and Many Blessings! 
X ♥  O

Superstitious About Friday the 13th?

"On Friday the 13th,

Don't walk under any ladders,

Don't break any mirrors,

Don't spill any salt,

And don't walk by any black cats."

Friday the 13th happens only once this year; today, May 13th. The belief that Friday the 13th is bad luck is one of the most prevalent legends of the 20th and 21st century. It is hard to pinpoint the exact origins that are responsible for it's popularity because there are so many! Follow the links to see more information about this day! 

Friday The 13th

~~ 7.5" x 5.5" original hand painted watercolor on Yupo paper ~~

Acid-free Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 8" x 10"

Signed and certified by the artist.
Purchase the painting here.

Happy Friday the 13th everyone!

The (Right) Way

"Grace, or Tao, surrounds us always.
Whenever we are open to it for a moment,
it enters into us."
~ Herman Hesse



Tao |dou; tou| - noun
(in Chinese philosophy) the absolute principle underlying the universe, combining within itself the principles of yin and yang and signifying the way, or code of behavior, that is in harmony with the natural order. ORIGIN Chinese, literally ‘(right) way.’

We get caught up in living, "our" way of doing things and sometimes forget
to slow down and ask ourselves what is the "right"way for us.

Are we thinking or doing things in an automatic, rushed, habitual way
instead of savoring our moments by looking inward for joy, meaning and love?

When we are kind to ourselves,
it has a ripple effect and spills out into the lives of others.
While the precepts listed here may seem too idealistic,
perhaps you can find a few concepts that resonate
and inspire you to find more harmony and light in your life.

Miyamoto Musashi describes 21 principles (to strive for) of Tao:
"1. Accept everything just the way it is.
2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.
3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long.
6. Do not regret what you have done.
7. Never be jealous.
8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.
9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself nor others.
10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.
11. In all things have no preferences.
12. Be indifferent to where you live.
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food.
14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.
15. Do not act following customary beliefs.
16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.
17. Do not fear death.
18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.
19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.
20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honor.
21. Never stray from the Way.”

Modern science has recently confirmed that our thoughts
actually change the pathways of neurons in our brain.
Habitual reactions to situations shorten those nerve cell connections,
which in turn physically alters and triggers our own unique conception of reality.



Wishing You Much Joy and Many Blessings!
With Love,

Evaluating Yupo Paper Vs. PI-180

"What works for one artist doesn't necessarily work for another - try anything and everything and go with what works for you."

~ Paul Dixon

Yupo paper Vs. PI-180 Comparison Test

A few months back, Rocheux International in Sommerset, NJ contacted me about trying out their synthetic paper. Chris wrote to me that his company supplies a similar product to Yupo and asked if I'd be interested in evaluating their product. I agreed to let them know how their paper compares.

Provided with some of their PI-180 grade, which was closest to the 74# white Yupo., I immediately noticed that it was not quite as heavy as the 74# and had a slicker surface.

Yesterday, after a little prodding from Chris, some tests were conducted. using alcohol inks - the same colors and process on each set, (Yupo on the left and PI-180 on the right). Each set was painted simultaneously and the sequence and timing were relatively the same for both.

Out of all the tests, I liked the Yupo the best for the ability to lift the pigment from the paper. The surface of the PI-180, although slicker, seemed to drag more as if working on a paper with more tooth. Notice how the middle paintings differ. Once set, the ink hardly moved with the splattering of alcohol on the PI-180. That being said, I really love the colors on the PI-180 in the bottom set.

Playing around a little with watercolor on them and yeilded similar results. The pigment on the PI-180 surface seemed to drag and not lift as easily as on the Yupo.

Bottom line - These experiments are only the tip of the iceberg. Many more would have to be done, using more techniques and mediums to come to more firm conclusions. The PI-180 may be a viable alternative when using some techniques. Price comparison, where it is made, if and when this paper will be available to the public is unknown to me. If you wish to find out more and possibly get some samples to test for yourself, you can contact Chris at: ykao@rocheux.com

"All life is an experiment.

The more experiments you make the better."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Creating!!

X ♥  O

 

Vincent van Gogh ~ 1853-1890

On May 4, 2012, my family and I went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see the special exhibit, Van Gogh, Up Close. 

Self Portrait ~ 1889

One of the most famous and prolific artists of all time, post-impressionist,  Vincent van Gogh painted over 900 pieces in a period of less than ten years. He only sold one painting in his lifetime and was continually tormented by mental and physical illnesses. At the age of 37, he shot himself in the chest and died two days later. His younger brother and best friend, Theo, who supported him financially and spiritually over the years, died six months after Vincent and is buried next to him in Auvers, France. Theo's widow, Johanna, left all alone with a young child to raise, dedicated herself to promoting and selling Vincent's artwork. She is the main reason Vincent's work finally got the recognition it so rightly deserved.

"It was he [Vincent] who helped me to accommodate my life in such a way that I can be at peace with myself. Serenity - this was the favorite word of both of them [Vincent and Theo], the something they considered the highest. Serenity - I have found it." ~ Johanna van Gogh

Iris, The ~ 1889

The show focused mainly on the work produced in the last four years of Vincent's life. Many of the pieces in the exhibit were florals and landscapes. Featured here are some of the paintings present in the show, many of which, were unknown to me.

"What am I in most people's eyes? A nonentity or an eccentric and disagreeable man... I should want my work to show what is in the heart of such an eccentric, of such a nobody." ~ Vincent van Gogh

Although the perspective seems a bit off in this piece, the power of the gigantic, gnarled trees and the soft, warm, muted color palette really draws you in.

"Do not quench your inspiration and your imagination; do not become the slave of your model." ~ Vincent van Gogh

During the period when Vincent was staying in an asylum in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, France, he painted many close-up, still life, nature pieces.

"I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say, 'He feels deeply, he feels tenderly." ~ Vincent van Gogh

This joyful little painting (about 8" x 12") of a back lit tree in a field of cheerful yellows, red and green, made me feel that Vincent must have had some really satisfying, blissful days. One could sense his delight while painting this one.

"How lovely yellow is! It stands for the sun." ~ Vincent van Gogh

Rain ~ 1889

On the other side of the coin, this one actually brought tears to my eyes. Painted from his asylum window, Vincent's deep feelings of pain, anguish and desperation are evident.

"As a suffering creature, I cannot do without something greater than I – something that is my life – the power to create." ~ Vincent van Gogh

There were few portraits among the many pieces in the exhibit, but I like this painting of him next to this photograph.

"It isn't an easy job to paint oneself – at any rate if it is to be different from a photograph. And you see – this, in my opinion, is the advantage that impressionism possesses over all the other things; it is not banal, and one seeks after a deeper resemblance than the photograph." ~ Vincent van Gogh

Blossoming Almond Tree ~ 1890

"What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything?" ~ Vincent van Gogh

The last painting, one of the best-loved in the exhibit, was this Blossoming tree with a turquoise background. It was painted as a gift to Theo's newborn son, Vincent. He was born three months prior to his namesake and famous uncle's suicide.

All these images are in the public domain and are copyright free in the United States.

See photos taken at the Philadelphia Museum of Art here.

Although Vincent never experienced the validation and fame he deserved, his mission in life certainly has been accomplished; probably more than almost any other artist that has ever lived.

"I want to touch people with my art. I want them to say, 'He feels deeply, he feels tenderly." ~ Vincent van Gogh

X ♥  O