Monday, May 26, 2014

The Summer of Color 4: One Week To Go!


"But I can hardly sit still. I keep fidgeting, crossing one leg and then the other. 
I feel like I could throw off sparks, or break a window -- maybe rearrange all the furniture."
- Raymond Carver


One. Tiny. Week. Left.

And the anticipation is killing me.  I can't wait to share all the messy details of this year's Summer of Color 4: Smudge, Splash & Pop with you. 

If you've always wanted to play along, consider making this your year. I promise, you don't want to miss all of the creativity, connection and fun during the lazy days of Summer. Wanna know more? Check out our Flickr pool, Facebook page or all of the SOC details here.

And remember, there will be no art the opening week. Just a lotta beans spilled. Oh, and our first of seven pretty fabulous giveaways (but I bet you already knew that ;). 

So get your thinking cap on and your supplies out: it's gonna be a colorful ride . . . .

But before you go, we must play what has become an SOC tradition. Check out this updated version of what has to be my favorite video for color inspiration:




Until Next Week . . .



Eeeeee,
Kristin xo


Monday, May 19, 2014

The Summer of Color 4: Let the Countdown Begin!


"Don't you long for something different to happen, 
something so exciting and new it carries you along with it like a great tide, 
something that lets your life blaze and burn so the whole world can see it?"
- Juliet Marillier 


Are. You. Ready?! 

The Summer of Color 4: Smudge, Splash & Pop is just around the corner. . . . that's two tiny weeks left before all the secrets of this year's event will be spilled. And let me tell you, it's gonna be a crazy-colorful journey. . . .

Don't know what I'm talking about? Oh no, you're gonna want to hear about this. After all, what would a fabulous year be without a little Summer of Color? Wanna see more? Check out our Flickr pool here. Wanna start the conversation? Join The Summer of Color Facebook group here.

Can't wait to get started? (I don't blame you). How about a little video about the effects of color while we wait:





Now: let the countdown begin! 


Colorful Kisses,
Kristin xo

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

#BringBackOurGirls

 "I Am Made of Stars" 
9 x 12 mixed-media on watercolor

"It's not about how much we give but how much love we put into giving"
- Mother Teresa

On April 14, nearly 300 girls were abducted from their school in Nigeria by a radical group that believes that girls should not dare to dream about becoming anything but wives and mothers. To date, there is no information about these girls, other than the group leader's boast that they will be sold into slavery. One month later, artists are coming together for these girls. 

Please join me, our host Jessica Sporn and artists from around the world in doing what we can to support this cause. Many of us have donated original work for auction here. All proceeds will be donated to girlrising.com, a global campaign for girls' education. 

To participate in the auction, please pop over to #BringBackOurGirls. The auction will start at 7 am EDT on May 15th and last until 3 pm EDT on May 17th. 

For my part, I am proud to offer the following (a favorite!) mixed-media painting. The original post describing the work can be found here



Oh! One more thing: as an added incentive, I'm offering a free mug matching the painting as my gift to the highest bidder. And of course all shipping costs will be absorbed by me.

Free 10 oz art mug is my gift with the purchase of this painting

To read more information about the girls and their plight, you can go here. To learn about what actions you can take, please check out the Facebook page here. And to see all the blog posts from other artists who are contributing to the cause, please join the hop below:

Marjie Kemper   http://www.marjiekemper.com


From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. Together we can make a difference. . . .

UPDATE: And together WE DID! I'm thrilled to report that the auction brought in over $3,900 for the girls. Thank you for all of your help and support! 

Thank you Kristin, Eva and Paint Party Friday!

Kristin xo

Thursday, May 1, 2014

We Are All of Us Stars . . .

Ava Lee
 6 x 6 Birchwood Canvas

 "We are all of us stars, and we deserve to twinkle."
- Marilyn Monroe

Oh how I love this quote. And really, anything related to Marilyn Monroe. As a child, I would stare at big picture books of Hollywood Starlets for hours, hoping of course, to be just like them one day. And Marilyn Monroe was my favorite. Her bird-brained demeanor never fooled me. I thought she was brilliant.

But anyway . . .  Happy PPF

This week I played with a little 6 x 6 Birchwood canvas. It was made for the newest baby-to-be in our family, a little girl. (Hopefully her Mommy doesn't read this. No, I think I'm safe ;) Her nursery is being made pretty as we speak, and I hope she'll like this tiny addition.

I took some process shots again: in case you'd like to see how I got here. 

 Began with the "peeling paint" technique. 
Once dry, I added another layer of watered-down gesso for a softer look.

Pencil Sketch 

Colors added with watercolor crayons, acrylic and acrylic paint and gel pens. 
A second layer of oil pastels was laid down for a shot of bold color. 


And here's what became of her:

A decorative paper crown, Swarovski crystals and look - more iridescent stars - Hmm.

The sides. The entire piece was sanded and sealed before adding the final accents.


There we are. I hope she likes it. And thank you for taking a peek.


To Twinkling, 
Kristin xo