I wish each and every person the very best blessings of the season, not just for today, but for each and every day ahead of each.
Season’s Greetings!
Mandala
Finishing up a Zentangle Greetings Card ‘Mistletoe’ and Winter Solstice 2021 Mandala
Link to today’s video on YouTube.
This card is now almost finished. I have learned some things from yesterday’s debacle. Mainly that I’d make a much wider border for the embossed background.
I did add Speckled Egg Distress ink to this embossed background, but it’s such a lovely, subtle colour the camera hasn’t picked it up well.
The embossed layer is so tactile! I used some Micro Glaze to seal it so that being touched won’t affect the distress ink.
Actually, I used Micro Glaze on the top layer too!
I could only find cream coloured card blanks and envelopes, and these layers really didn’t look too good on them. So, hopefully I’ll remember where my card blank stash is, or I’ll make a blank and envelope.
In the video I try embossing an envelope – a case of ‘envelope art’. I’m glad I did. The embossing works well. However, the areas where the flaps are glued together on the back of the envelope make indents in the front. Distress Ink brings these out so much. So, I’ll be sure to emboss the front of the envelope, and colour with Distress Ink, before I glue it all together!
All in all, I’m much happier with this card. Mind you, I do have ideas for others! Probably too late for Christmas now, but … there’s always lots of other reasons for sending greetings cards, including ‘just because I can’.
Winter solstice 2021 Mandala
Winter Solstice Greetings and Wishes to you all to the north of the equator! Summer Solstice Greetings and Wishes to you all south of the equator!
Some sunshine on a chilly, dull Winter Solstice day here in the Valleys of South Wales, UK.
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Template Thursday!
Today, I have two wintery mandalas for the members of the Angela Porter’s Coloring Books Fans facebook group.
Number 1 has some really intricate details in the inner rings of the mandala. Number 2, not quite so many.
They may be tiny, but I managed to add colour with the bullet tip of Arteza Everblend markers. So it’s not impossible to do, just a tad challenging. But I do know some people like that challenge.
One way is to colour the whole section in one colour, or a gradation of colours, and let the drawing just be like it’s etched into the colour, a texture if you will.
Another way is to take a larger section of pattern, and just colour it all in, like the small squares in template 1.
Whatever you feel comfortable doing is fine!
There’s no video today. I’ve tried a couple of times, but have spilled ink on the paper, made a total pig’s ear of colour, and so I need to focus on getting as many of the templates for Adorable Dogs inked in as I can. I only have a few left to do, and I haven’t done any over the last two days due to the stress of appointments. When I’m totally stressed/anxiety-ed out, I become incredibly tired and lacking any kind of focus for anything. The priority then is self care. Naps, quiet time, nothing that will get me stressed again as it will be all to easy to get stressed once again.
I’m not saying I’ve totally destressed, but the frustration with videoing today shows there’s still a fair amount there. Self care. Do what I can. If I get frustrated, take a break, even if it’s a break until tomorrow. When I’m not stressed, work flows and gets done more quickly than pushing myself and I end up redoing it all when I’m calm again.
Sometimes, you have to go slow to go fast. Not an easy lesson to learn, given the way that being productive is in your face everywhere, from adverts to social media influencers.
I’ve learned, the hard way, that taking care of myself has to be a priority. Taking those breaks knowing that by nurturing my mental and emotional wellbeing and getting that into a good shape I’ll soon get all the work done that I need to do.
Slow and steady …slow…and steady.
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Template Thursday…on a Wednesday?
A Sneak Peek at this week’s coloring template
Wednesday is sneak peek day! A bit of a preview of this week’s coloring template for the members of the Angela Porter’s Coloring Books Fans facebook group.
This week I’ve drawn two, both mandalas. This is just the central part of one. But will I post this one, the other, or both? A secret to be revealed tomorrow!
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Template Thursday, Thanksgiving and a Draw with me video!
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you in the USA and around the world who celebrate.
I’ve created a mandala with a thanksgiving theme for the members of Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans facebook group.
In the spirit of the day, I’m so grateful for everyone who supports me in my artistic journey, who so kindly communicates with me, who brings my drawings alive in so many, different, wonderful ways. Thank you once and all!
There are so many other people in my life I’m grateful for too. And, there’s so much else I have to be grateful for.
Draw with me … Seed Pods
My day started with, unsurprisingly, some drawing. This time of some seedpods that turned out rather ornate and fancy-schmancy! Of course, I created a video showing how I did these.
Even though I’m feeling totally overwhelmed by Adorable Dogs at the moment, I still think it’s important I take the time to do art that is entirely for me. Making these videos, sharing my thoughts, materials, methods is part of that practice now it seems. I’m so grateful to all who watch, comment, subscribe, like and/or share these videos.
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Template Thursday
Here’s a different color palette for this week’s template for the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans facebook group.
Purple, blue, teal and some pinkish mauves is a rather cool color selection, quite wintry in feel. But it’s also soothing and calming to me. Just what I needed today.
I still haven’t got those mugs to look cylindrical! Not enough contrast methinks.
I decided to spend the morning quietly working with Clip Studio Paint, figuring out more about how a couple of tools and settings work. A quiet and peaceful way to spend some time while I continue to recover from being poorly. I’m still not entirely well, but not far off.
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A Sneak Peek…
…of this week’s coloring template for the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans facebook group members.
This week it’s another mandala. I’m still not feeling too well, so mandalas are great to create when under the weather.
This one is full of comforting items – a hot drink, cake (or ice-cream!), flowers, hearts and a lovely star. Well, I think the star is lovely!
I am feeling better today, just not quite well enough to do much. I did get a video posted yesterday. Today, I don’t think there’ll be one as I really need to sleep soon.
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Autumnal Mandala WIP
Usually, my mandalas are line art. However, I wanted to try going ‘no-line’ and digitally paint one. Of course, I started with a mandala that was line drawn as a guide.
I’m not entirely sure of this. I keep trying different ways of adding colour/shadow/detail. The flowers in the centre have slightly darker line details on them. The hearts are built up of layers of different shades of pink. The leaves are, mostly, just two shades of green. But then I have the fancy acorns, more realistic mushrooms and berries …
It’s all a bit of a mish-mash, or is it? I don’t know. I’m migraine-y today after a poorly night. I didn’t want to focus on anything that I feel pressure to do really well, such as templates for Adorable Dogs. I’m not sure I’m up to creating a video today. But I still wanted some quiet time with arty things.
I’ve had thoughts wandering around my head about working with colour instead of black and white line. I think the explorations with colour and pattern that I’ve been doing in my ‘Pattern Explorations series is having an influence on me.
Today may not be the best day to make any decisions on what I’m doing here, what approach to adding colour I like best, if lots of different approaches work in one artwork, or if I should be consistent, and how to add more pattern to the various elements, and on and on.
My head needs to be clearer than it is. One thing I think I know is that I’ll eventually find a way, even if it is to realise that this isn’t my way.
I do keep coming back to this kind of art, and abandoning it as I become disillusioned with my skill and what always appear to be poor colour choices. I know I’m better with colour with limited colours, or even monochrome. Now it could be interesting to work this in monochrome. Why didn’t I think of that when I started? Basically, it’s because I didn’t think – damn migraine-y, brain-foggy, drifty-floaty, brain-achey-ness.
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Template Thursday … on a Wednesday?
Wednesday means it’s time for a sneak peek at this week’s coloring template for the facebook group “Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans”. And here it is!
Autumn is really beginning to show her splendour in the world around me in the Valleys of South Wales, UK. I know that not everyone is in the Northern Hemisphere, but even though this mandala is autumn themed, any colour scheme you like would work with it!
I do enjoy drawing mandalas, and this one was fun to do, that’s for sure. It’s also nice to see how the bare lines become fleshed out with colour.
I always enjoy seeing the many different ways people add colour to the templates I design.
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Template Thursday…on a Wednesday? | 27 Oct 21
It’s Wednesday! So, that means I spend time drawing a new coloring template for the Angela Porter’s Coloring Book Fans facebook group.
Yesterday, I set up a poll in the group so members could vote on options or make suggestions for this week’s template. As you can see, a mandala with a hallowe’en theme, including cats and spider webs, is the result. Of course, there’s some drunken skulls – no party hats this week!
As I created this digitally, I didn’t film the process. I do have, however, a short vlog where I show the uncoloured template and a couple of other pieces of art and waffle on a bit!
Art is the Adventure 