Mixed Media Night...the power of paper!

This Friday (yep...Friday the 13th! - YIKES!) is my next Mixed Media Art Night workshop - The Power of Paper. It is going to be a blast! I am really looking forward to sharing all of the neat ways that paper can really make a difference when creating art! But of course, as usual, I have so much to do...and little time to get it done!

It was so much fun last time looking at all of the color variations that others came up with! I loved it!

Creating forward...

Well hello everyone...it has been WAY too long since my last post...I know...but I have been super duper busy and have still not quite gotten on the blog bandwagon yet! Each time I think the train is going to stop, my little one Curran is crawling up into my office chair, the dining room table...or I am just plain busy creating!

I am happy to announce that the Lake Eola Show is finally over! This is the one show that I had planned on being a part of that I knew would take up the most amount of my time...and it paid off! I won my very first award as an artist (I have been focusing on mixed media art now for a little over a year). I took 3rd place in the Lake Eola Show in Orlando this past weekend in the fine art category...I know...I create mixed media art, but hey...that was the closest category to choose from!

I have posted some photos of my booth as well as one of my current "favorites"! (see below!)

My mom was kind enough to fly up from Miami to help me with the show! She was awesome!!! Doing typical mother things of course and helping me with everything! Thanks mom!!!







Can you imagine the world if we all had just a little more patience and kindness to spread around...

Day 5 of ARTragious Art Camp

Well - Friday was the last day of art camp! I think it was a huge success! The last day could have been a more productive day...but, hey...it was the first time we at the studio experienced "last day of art camp"! (of course the lights for the bottle lights that we had created on Wednesay were due to arrive on Friday and did not show up at my doorstep until 5:30pm - waaaaaay after art camp was OVER!!!) For those of you artists that are still missing your bottle lights...I will get them to you as soon as I return from Chicago, on Friday! (Sorry!!!)

We or shall I say "I" focused on creating jewelry items for the girls using the scrabble chips and mini domino designs that I create. They had a ball picking them out and pairing their selections with beads! We also finished up on the inspirational signs that we had started on Tuesday! I just fell in love with all of them! The girls did awesome putting them together! You can take a peek at some of them below...

Well - it is sad that art camp is over! But I do look forward to another one! I will keep everyone posted as to when the next camp will be!

And thank you to ALL of the girls that attended camp this past week! Everyone was wonderful...everyone had their own unique and creative style - it was fun to watch them explore and create the projects that I had selected for them! I will surely miss them all because I too made some new friends! :-)







xoxo,
Jennifer

Day 4 of ARTragious Art Camp...Mixed Media Day!

Well...I have to say...I am just thrilled with what came out of the studio today! All of our little artists did a fabulous job with their mixed media creations! Our theme was "Once upon a time..." and it truly was since now our artists can say..."Once upon a time we had no idea how to create a mixed media piece..." and now they can!!! Our day ran over today...and I am truly blessed that the parents did not kill me when it was time to pick up their child and found out they were too busy creating to actually leave art camp! But...with a few extra moms in house at the very end to help alleviate some of the chaos in getting their creations completed...sides painted, front signed and all varnished...we were able to make it!

So...with that said, please take a look at the mixed media masterpieces our little artists created today! I can not tell you how very proud I am of each and every one of them!

xoxo
Jennifer

Day 3 - ARTragious Art Camp!

The art project that we had scheduled today was a little challenging! Vibrant bottle lights was our goal! The little artists just needed to trust me when I said "nope...keep adding to it"! When they did, more color popped and their bottle designs started to take shape! Overall, all of our artists did a super duper job today! I am very proud of all of them! Take a peek at what came out of the studio today!
















Don't they look fabulous once they are all lit up?!?!


Oh what a garden variety makes!

Tomorrow is mixed media day...my specialty! I can't wait to see how the kids do!

xoxo
Jennifer

Day 2 of ARTragious Art Camp

Today was Day 2 of our fabulous ARTragious Art Camp and we set out to create wooden shapes collages! Our little artists did a fabulous job at being creative despite the nasty weather that we had all day! Take a peek below for some of the creations that came out of the studio today...aren't they adorable?!?!?

ARTragious Art Camp Day 1!

Yesterday was Day 1 of my studio's ARTragious Art Camp! We kicked off our art camp with 18 artists in the making! We studied Japanese culture, kimonos and some interesting and fun facts about Japan! Our project was to create a kimono on paper. Our little artists also wrote their name in Japanese on their kimono. Below is a glance of some of the kimonos that were created! So far...our mini ALL GIRL art camp has definitely displayed some major girl power!

Honoring Leah...

I want to share with you a truly unique piece of art that I had the privilege to create for a very bright person. I was commissioned to create a canvas for a local musician...a singer and songwriter in the Orlando area named Leah. The canvas was due to be her present for her high school graduation. Her mother was kind enough to assist me in getting photos of Leah herself, of her guitar, as well as some copies of important pages in her song writing journal. From there...I set out to create a monument of her, offering an explosion of color and "guess what this is" around every inch of the canvas. Of course it does help that Leah is a beautiful girl and the photo provided was just breathtaking.

Needless to say, Leah absolutely loved her canvas...as well as her family and friends. It is such a great way to honor her, and attempt to symbolize what Leah is all about.

It is refreshing to create such canvases as Leah's. I get to learn about the fire and passion in others...and create a truly personal and unique work of art that even though is many layers...these pieces display the multiple layers of those that the canvas is about and beyond...leaving so much left to our imaginations.








xoxo
Jennifer

Getting Organized...

Well...let's see...it has been a little over 3 weeks since my last posting! Sorry!!! In an effort to make myself a more organized artist...I have decided to vote one hour every morning to A. my blog and B. getting my act together in keeping up with my Etsy shop! A task that has yet been accomplished! I have been so busy creating originals I have not had the opportunity to offer everyone else the remains (i.e. prints, magnets, art cards, etc.) I hope that my one hour a day turns into a habit that I hope turns into a successful adventure as well! :-) So, lets count this as Day 1 of a GREAT habit!

Second, I FINALLY found the one item I have been in search of for the art table that I share with my 4 girls! I was seeking an organizer for our table that would hold different kinds of paper (mainly for my girls to create on) as well as a place to house odds and end items such as tape, a stapler, some stamping stuff, etc. Although I have chosen not to share what MY art supplies cart looks like...it does sit on the side of our art table...and it is rather messy at the moment! Scraps of paper are flying out everywhere with scissors and watercolor pencils poking out here any there! But, I did want to share my find with you! And of course, I just HAD to add my personal touch to it! Of all places, I found this item for $10 at Big Lots! I was so thrilled! I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it! Take a look and let me know what you think!







xoxo
Jennifer

Art Hop is tonight!

Well...I am in Colorado! Wow! It is beautiful out here and the little town of Monument is such a sweet little town! The town's Art Hop is tonight! I am really looking forward to it...a little nervous as well...but I know it will be great! The store that brought me here, The Love Shop is such a neat place as well! I love just about everything in it! I have lots of photos to share so far but will need to wait until I return to Orlando!

Wish me luck tonight!

xoxo
Jennifer

First time in the real world...

Hi all! Sorry it has been so long since my last posting!!! I celebrated my birthday last Friday (5/15) and have been trying to get my act together and get back into create mode! I have my very first "meet and greet" Art event this Thursday night in Monument, Colorado! I will be the featured artist at an adorable store called "The Love Shop" in Monument, CO. I am a little nervous since I will have to go out there and actually mix and mingle with adults rather than my own kids (an 8 month old, a preschooler, a kindergartner and a second grader!) Wish me luck!!! Besides my art, I hope I have more to talk about than Dora and Scooby Doo!

I will certainly try and post again before I leave Orlando since I have a few photos to share of some recent creations!

xoxo,
Jennifer

Let's begin...

Okay all...here I go...I want to finally officially introduce myself! I am the wife to a FABULOUSLY supportive husband, mom to four little girls (8,6,4 and almost 8months), mom to two Springer Spaniels named Friday and Jazz, sister to 4 (1 sister, 1 half sister, 2 step brothers) and creator of MANY things! I get bored easily...my mind starts to churn...and there I go again! I have been doing graphic design work for the last 8 years and decided to get more artsy about a year ago trying out different mediums here and there! Needless to say, I have been inspired ever since!

I really wanted to start posting everyday...just to be in touch with everyone...but then lets see...my washer broke, then my dryer needed to be repaired, then a part for our freezer had to be ordered...then my Internet went down...lets see...could anything else go wrong??? Oh...I volunteered to create 51 magnets tonight for my daughter's school...it is Teacher Appreciation Week. It is only 7:22pm at night...I've got plenty of time right?!?!?

Well - there is so much that I have created since I last posted. The problem is...I am not a very well organized artist. This past week and a half, I created several little inspirational pieces with one over sized one in the mix...they sold...and I have yet to get the prints up in my Etsy shop! Some day

Below are some samples of my most recent creations...

I just love the angel...

Adios for now! I will chat more with you soon! I have recently organized my studio a little more so I will be able to post those photos for you soon!

xoxo,
Jennifer

Hola everyone! It was time to start blogging....just so that everyone can see how well organized my life is....not! Anyway - WELCOME to the jungle...happy reading...I will get more up soon! xoxo - JM