EVER AFTER 2018 | blog hop & giveaway

Ever After 2018

Hello everyone!
I have some wonderful & exciting news! I am going to be teaching on Ever After this year! I’m excited for the opportunity to present my passion and my work through a new platform.

Even MORE exciting than that? I can give away 1 space on this magical new collaborative art course! Keep reading if you want to find out more about Ever After and if you want to find out how you can win a spot!

First, let me tell you a bit more about Ever After in case you haven’t heard about it yet! “Ever After” is a mixed media art & style development course with a fairytale theme hosted by Tamara Laporte from Willowing Arts. Tam is joined by 14 popular mixed media art teachers who will all share beautiful fairy-tale & myth inspired lessons with you AND they will also divulge all their hints and tips on how they developed their own style and how YOU TOO can find your own unique voice as an artist! Yay!

SIGN UP NOW | early-bird pricing

RAGGEDY ANN STORIES

My chosen fairy tale is not your traditional one but a classic series of stories, nonetheless! I'll be focusing and sharing my love of the Raggedy Ann Stories by Johnny Gruelle. My lesson will be inspired by this fairy tale-ish storybook, and my love of my first Raggedy Ann doll that I was gifted when I was oh, so little. Although, I've not fully developed my class idea yet, but I'm excited to be sharing how to create a sweet-with-a-modern-twist storybook character (kinda like this piece but totally different, of course).

Image

Registration opens on May 15th 2018 and the class begins on July 1st 2018.

So if you want to start your summer drawing and painting fairytales, exploring your own personal story and style and hang out with a wonderful creative community of like-minded souls, be sure to join once registration opens! Keep this page bookmarked so that you can sign up the moment it goes on sale! You can join now! REGISTER FOR EVER AFTER 2018

Now then, onto the giveaway and blog hop! I can give away 1 space on this year’s Ever After to 1 lucky winner, yay! And if you follow the blog hop (see below for links and dates) you can up your chances of winning a space by entering all the other giveaways also!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED – WINNER IS KIM PHEBY! WOOT!

Please note that it’s really important to support the artist who inspires you to join and purchase the course through his or her site. This is how artists get to keep sharing the good stuff! If I am the lucky girl who inspires you to join, just know that I really appreciate the support! You can sign up using that big, pink button above!

BLOG SCHEDULE

30th April  | Tamara Laporte - willowing.org/blog
1st May | Ady Almanza - adrianaalmanza.blogspot.de
2nd May | Andrea Gomoll andrea-gomoll.de/blog
3rd May | Renata Loree renataloree.com
4th May | Cristin Stevenson pantheartist.com/blog
5th May | Danielle Donaldson danielledonaldson.com/blog
6th May | Effy Wild effywild.com
7th May | Tiare Smith tiaresmith.com
8th May | Kara Bullock karabullockart.com/blog
9th May | Katrina Koltes katrinakoltes.com/blog
10th May | Lindsay Weirich the Frugal Crafter thefrugalcrafter.wordpress.com
11th May | Lucy Chen lucychenfineart.com/blog
12th May | Marielle Stolp mariellestolp.wordpress.com/blog
13th May | Micki Wilde thesecrethermit.blogspot.co.uk
14th May | Regina Lord blog.creativekismet.com

Have a great time following the blog hop! 

down to earth | start-to-finish workshop

a new online workshop!

I had such an amazing response to my most recent mushroom-filled illustration that I have decided to share the process and create a workshop based on it. I think it will be a wonderful way to see in the New Year and I hope you’ll consider joining me.  I’ll walk you through my process from start-to-finish. The course will include instruction on drawing, painting and inking using Daniel Smith watercolors, Faber-Castell Watercolor Pencils and Pitt Pens and my handy-dandy white marker techniques. We’ll stay focused throughout on creating a pleasing composition through placement, shape, size, color and pattern choices. I am especially excited to introduce a few new learning tools in this class as well! It’s my hope that they will serve you well as you move your own art forward after completing the class. This piece took me almost 20 hours to complete so you know the content will be fun and creatively character-building, right?

Sign up now for an extra-early-bird price of $40.00 (20% off) (offer expires 11/5/17)

SIGN UP NOW | extra-early-bird pricing
Join my troop today!
If you aren’t already a part of ART TROOP NO. 5 it’s not too late to join in on the fun!

In my first series, we have created sweet hedgehogs, bitty rhinos and the sassiest green goats! Each series contains five monthly lessons that focus on a specific technique using a limited color palette. With over 300 happy members already, it’s an easy way to build up your creative tool box – one sweet little creature at a time! And you earn badges as you go – and they are so cute!

If you are already a member, your badges are not only on your monthly handout but on YOUR COURSES page, too! If you don’t see them, go back to each lesson, scroll down and click on MARK COMPLETE” – super easy!

If you would like to have the real thing, you can buy them in my shop HERE

BIG WHEEL O’ COLOR | sometimes boring browns

I recently added 9 new Daniel Smith watercolors to my palette and I thought I would share my thoughts on them and I how I envision using them in future work. Here are the next two for you to consider adding to your ever-growing Daniel Smith palette!

DANIEL SMITH | yavapai genuine Apache legend speaks of a single dove that left the edge of the original well and saw the world. When the great floods came, this dove led the first woman to the safety of the Yavapai. Today, the enfolding security of the Yavapai stone provides a sentimental glimpse through time. The endurance of the stone symbolizes the endurance of the human spirit. The warm, reddish, yellow-brown color, similar to a sienna, remains unchanged. Made from Arizona rock, Yavapai Genuine is transparent with a surprisingly smooth texture in washes. This legendary pigment can link your palette to the indomitable past and the bright possibilities of the future. We’ve captured the strength of the Yavapai in an historic mineral pigment that exemplifies the perpetual energy of art.

  • ASTM Lightfastness Rating: Excellent
  • Transparency: Transparent
  • Granulating: Yes
  • Staining: Non-Staining

DANIELLE’S THOUGHTS | yavapai genuine is one of those colors that I added to my wheel because of the story behind it. I haven’t discovered its magic yet – it seems to be a bit boring to be honest. It’s a pretty color but not particularly responsive to salt or splashes of water – its very sturdy. Which makes sense given the story, right? Please note that I could not find this color on the DS website so I am wondering if it may have been discontinued. If you love the story as much as me and are a color hoarder – grab it while you can. I will say it mixes well with strong color like Quin Coral as shown – softening it just a bit to make very autumn-like color!  (At blog publication date – Amazon link price below is $14.42)

DANIEL SMITH | bronzite genuine is a warm honey-bronze color with lustrous sparkle provided by very fine films of iron oxide.  The fibrous, fairly fragile Bronzite stone from Brazil is occasionally used in jewelry but excels as a watercolor pigment. It’s a warm golden-brown in masstone – somewhere between ochre and sienna, but distinctly different – that lets down into pale washes of soft, always warm, sandy beige. In a wash on cold press or rough paper, the brown settles out of this intriguing special-effect color.

  • ASTM Lightfastness Rating: Excellent
  • Transparency: Transparent
  • Granulating: Yes
  • Staining: Non-Staining

DANIELLE’S THOUGHTS | bronzite genuine is quite sparkly for a boring brown – an oxymoron of sorts. It reminds me of the infields at little league games after they have been given a nice spray of water to keep the dust down. Salt creates subtle blooms – if you don’t like really dark edges forming on your washes, this will be a great addition to your palette. And it does SPARKLE – especially with Hansa Yellow Deep as shown. (At blog publication date – Amazon link price below is $13.44)

DANIEL SMITH | brown iron oxide at full strength this deep umber is useful for warm shadows and dark values. Mixed with water, a brilliant granulating wash displays warm cinnamon tones with a darker pattern of granulation. Enviro-Friendly pigments are reclaimed and refined, giving you an earth-friendly option without sacrificing color quality.  DANIEL SMITH Enviro-Friendly Watercolors-the colors aren’t green, but the process is! To make these paints, we use pigments from the earth’s crust, obtained through a process known as Iron Oxide Recovery (IOR). This method removes colored iron oxides that pollute mine water, cleaning the water so it can re-enter a receiving stream-and resulting in a cleaner natural environment. The recovered iron oxide is thoroughly washed, then used to create a trio of rich colors ranging in tone from a warm golden yellow to a deep red earth to a beautiful saturated dark brown with a bluish undertone.

  • ASTM Lightfastness Rating: Excellent
  • Transparency: Semi-Transparent
  • Granulating: Yes
  • Staining: Non-Staining

DANIELLE’S THOUGHTS | brown iron oxide is by far my favorite neutral of my new paints. It has a really cool variation of colors that are activated with water and salt. You can see warm and cool shades of brown emerge as it dries and that is a winner in my book! This color holds its own and I like using it to create an earthiness in my illustrations. Check it out mixed with Cobalt Teal Blue. Sigh! (At blog publication date – Amazon link price below is $14.42)

Want to add them to your palette, too? Just click on the color below and you’ll be whisked away to Amazon. At the time of this posting, these links are a good price and the product comes from Daniel Smith. IMPORTANT! Amazon has a mind of its own and prices change based on demand, availability and parameters that are totally out of my control. If the price is more than $20 per tube, please type in “Daniel Smith COLOR NAME” into the Amazon search box and see what other purchasing options you have! Still not sure if it is the best price? Check other online art supply stores!


I have to admit – daniel smith writes such interesting descriptions of their colors that some of them make it onto my palette because I really like their story. Some because I love their sister and brother colors in their family (like the COBALT family, or the ULTRAMARINE family), and some make it because I know that I might not use them as the star of the illustration but as the perfect supporting color.

Descriptions and information about Daniel Smith Watercolors from danielsmith.com –  a site chock full of really helpful and interesting information. All paints referenced are 5 ml or 15 ml tubes. My process is simply filling a pan from the tube, allowing it to dry completely, then reactivating it with water when I paint.

For more of my favorite supplies and my disclaimer, please visit my favorites page!

Are you up for a road trip? Live in Texas? or have the itch to get on a plane and come paint with me? There are a few spaces left at my workshop in Lubbock, TX on September 15-17 with Blessed to be Artists – the ever gracious and super fun hosts. And they have bitty goats, peeps! Who needs goat yoga when you can have goat studio time! We’ll be painting sweet jars with paintbrushes and blossoms and playing with my creative girl stamps! Woot!

Just CLICK HERE to join in on the fun!

 

BIG WHEEL O’ COLOR | all things green

I recently added 9 new Daniel Smith watercolors to my palette and I thought I would share my thoughts on them and I how I envision using them in future work. Here are the next two for you to consider adding to your ever-growing Daniel Smith palette!

DANIEL SMITH (PG23) | rare green earth  is dark green in mass tone and in washes. With the slightest hint of blue, it suggests, in washes, the hue of distant evergreens. It’s good for atmospheric shadows too. Try mixing Rare Green Earth with Rhodonite to make luscious, reticulating grapy purples.

  • ASTM Lightfastness Rating: Excellent
  • Transparency: Transparent
  • Granulating: Yes
  • Staining: Non-Staining

DANIELLE’S THOUGHTS | rare green earth is a subtle, chalky green that reminds me of a soft moss that grows on the rocks and trees on my hikes in the forest. I just want to lay down and take a nap in it. Pictured on the leave to the right, it is a smidge warmer than Perylene Green and a little harder to pull from in pan form. I love green. Every single shade including this one so i might be a bit biased. It doesn’t respond to a sprinkle of salt but if you drop little bits of water or color into it – the blooms seriously look like moss. Lovely. I especially love it mixed with Quin Violet, Shadow Violet, or Perylene Maroon!  (At blog publication date – Amazon link price below is $12.45)

DANIEL SMITH (PBk31) | perylene green -if you want to add atmospheric or emotional punch to your work, then squeeze some semi-transparent Perylene Green onto your palette. It exhibits an almost black mass tone that spreads to a beautiful blue/green wash without producing mud-a color perfect for delineating shadows or creating moody landscapes, ominous horizons and stormy seas. A medium-staining pigment with intensity and softness, Perylene Green is highly soluble and easy to use. It glazes under or over other colors, takes to synthetic and natural DANIEL SMITH watercolor brushes, and works well on all supports-“a very cool color,” allowed one of our more persnickety artist/testers.

  • ASTM Lightfastness Rating: Excellent
  • Granulating: No
  • Staining: Medium staining
  • Transparency: Semi-transparent

DANIELLE’S THOUGHTS | perylene green is a stunner! But be careful, this is one of those colors that you need very little of – be sure to put it on your mixing palette prior to adding it to your work.When used at full strength, it can be quite opaque but if you add enough water it transitions into a deep, cool green. It reminds me of  the dark, shiny leaves of a gardenia plant providing a luscious backdrop for its snow white blooms. Pictured on the leaf to the left, you can see white ink markers LOVE this color! I have a feeling this will be making its way into lots of shadow mixtures for me. You’ll love it with Rhodonite Genuine, Sodalite Genuine and for a pretty olive, try Aussie Red Gold! (At blog publication date – Amazon link price below is $16.44)

Want to add them to your palette, too? Just click on the color below and you’ll be whisked away to Amazon. At the time of this posting, these links are a good price and the product comes from Daniel Smith. IMPORTANT! Amazon has a mind of its own and prices change based on demand, availability and parameters that are totally out of my control. If the price is more than $20 per tube, please type in “Daniel Smith COLOR NAME” into the Amazon search box and see what other purchasing options you have! Still not sure if it is the best price? Check other online art supply stores!


I have to admit – daniel smith writes such interesting descriptions of their colors that some of them make it onto my palette because I really like their story. Some because I love their sister and brother colors in their family (like the COBALT family, or the ULTRAMARINE family), and some make it because I know that I might not use them as the star of the illustration but as the perfect supporting color.

Descriptions and information about Daniel Smith Watercolors from danielsmith.com –  a site chock full of really helpful and interesting information. All paints referenced are 5 ml or 15 ml tubes. My process is simply filling a pan from the tube, allowing it to dry completely, then reactivating it with water when I paint.

For more of my favorite supplies and my disclaimer, please visit my favorites page!

Are you up for a road trip? Live in Texas? or have the itch to get on a plane and come paint with me? There are a few spaces left at my workshop in Lubbock, TX on September 15-17 with Blessed to be Artists – the ever gracious and super fun hosts. And they have bitty goats, peeps! Who needs goat yoga when you can have goat studio time! We’ll be painting sweet jars with paintbrushes and blossoms and playing with my creative girl stamps! Woot!

Just CLICK HERE to join in on the fun!

 

BIG WHEEL O’ COLOR | limited loveliness

I recently added 9 new Daniel Smith watercolors to my palette and I thought I would share my thoughts on them and I how I envision using them in future work. Last week we covered yellows – this week, a new favorite orange and a meek little violet.

DANIEL SMITH (PR168) | anthraquinoid scarlet is a deep, transparent orange. In a wash, it’s a light peach tint—at full strength, it moves to a deep, red-orange lipstick color with all the pigment strength, DANIEL SMITH paints are famous for. It’s absolutely beautiful!

  • ASTM Lightfastness Rating: Excellent
  • Transparency: Transparent
  • Granulating: No
  • Staining: Low

DANIELLE’S THOUGHTS | anthraquinoid scarlet is a dreamy, blush color when mixed with lots of water to create a transparent wash. DS considers it an orange but it looks more like a really warm red to me. I just love this color! It mixes beautifully with lots of colors. Try it with Nickel Titanate Yellow or Titanium Buff- it is a perfect peach skin tone!  It lifts easily which is a huge plus since most reds and oranges can be really stubborn. This is a LIMITED EDITION color. I highly suggest stocking up on it while they have it. (At blog publication date – Amazon link price below is $15.01)

DANIEL SMITH (PY49)| cobalt violet creates glowing shadows with interesting granulation. An inorganic pigment, it is considered transparent, non-staining (or low-tinting) and ideal for glazing methods. Cobalt Violet’s ability to create soft edges, to lift and to mix readily makes it a valuable contribution to watercolor palettes.

  • ASTM Lightfastness Rating: Excellent – Not yet rated by ASTM – Rating based on Daniel Smith’s independent testing.
  • Transparency: Transparent
  • Granulating: Yes
  • Staining: Non-staining

DANIELLE’S THOUGHTS | cobalt violet is a very shy color and quite hard to coax into coming out to play. A bit disappointing to be honest. The color, a light but bright magenta, is beautiful if you grab a lot – it just doesn’t do that much.  If you transition your tube paints to pan paints, you’ll need to spray the pan with a good dose of water to activate. The granulation is really pretty but there’s no variation in color within the granulation or with salt sprinkled in. I am hoping that when I mix it with colors in the future, it will surprise me and become a mixable favorite. If I find that magic mix, I will share!  Oh and if you are a lavender lover – you’ll want to consider adding it to your palette. (At blog publication date – Amazon link price below is $15.01)

Want to add them to your palette, too? Just click on the color below and you’ll be whisked away to Amazon. At the time of this posting, these links are a good price and the product comes from Daniel Smith. IMPORTANT! Amazon has a mind of its own and prices change based on demand, availability and parameters that are totally out of my control. If the price is more than $20 per tube, please type in “Daniel Smith COLOR NAME” into the Amazon search box and see what other purchasing options you have! Still not sure if it is the best price? Check other online art supply stores!


I have to admit – daniel smith writes such interesting descriptions of their colors that some of them make it onto my palette because I really like their story. Some because I love their sister and brother colors in their family (like the COBALT family, or the ULTRAMARINE family), and some make it because I know that I might not use them as the star of the illustration but as the perfect supporting color.

Descriptions and information about Daniel Smith Watercolors from danielsmith.com –  a site chock full of really helpful and interesting information. All paints referenced are 5 ml or 15 ml tubes. My process is simply filling a pan from the tube, allowing it to dry completely, then reactivating it with water when I paint.

For more of my favorite supplies and my disclaimer, please visit my favorites page!

BIG WHEEL O’ COLOR | yellow is a lonely fellow

I recently added 9 new Daniel Smith watercolors to my palette – two of which are yellow. In the next few blog posts, I will share my thoughts on them and I how I envision using them in future work.

If you haven’t heard by naow – yellow is a pretty lonely color on my palette. Given that it is my least favorite color, I hate to give it a ton of space on my palette – BUT it is essential to my work since I seem to paint with every color in all of my illustrations. What can I say? I am a rainbow kinda girl!

DANIEL SMITH (PY43) | burgundy yellow ochre
A warm, glowing earth color, surprisingly smooth in washes. In a light wash, the yellow is very clean, as sunny and subtle as morning light in a French vineyard. This natural ochre was mined from a deep vein that runs near the Loire River in western Burgundy. since the mines were closed in 1970, we feel lucky to have found a supply of this unique pigment.

  • ASTM Lightfastness Rating: Excellent
  • Transparency: Transparent
  • Granulating: Yes
  • Staining: Non-staining

DANIELLE’S THOUGHTS | burgundy yellow ochre is a rich, golden yellow that reminds me of wheat fields and sunsets. It pairs and mixes beautifully with so many colors! I plan on using it to warm up my rainbow palette and give depth to colors in a new way. It does granulate when I add a pinch of salt but doesn’t create additional colors – just pretty, but faint blooms. Its very creamy and consistent and lays down evenly. It does not take much water to reactivate in pan form and doesn’t take much to create a strong wash on my mixing palette.

DANIEL SMITH (PY53)| nickel titanate yellow

This semi-transparent Yellow Green appears opaque in mass, yet lifts cleanly. It is low staining, making it excellent in portrait mixtures for dark flesh tones. Use concentrated to diluted mixtures in florals and field flowers. This lemon yellow hue works well with purples and all the greens.

  • ASTM Lightfastness Rating: Excellent – Not yet rated by ASTM – Rating based on Daniel Smith’s independent testing.
  • Transparency: Semi-transparent
  • Granulating: Yes
  • Staining: Non-staining

DANIELLE’S THOUGHTS | nickel titanate yellow is a delicate yellow with a hint of green – making it the perfect lemon yellow for me! Other lemon yellows have a blueish tint which I am not a fan of so I am really excited about this yellow (which says a lot!) and am excited to add it to the mix and let yellow shine a bit more in my work. It activates on my palette easily and mixes well with water. It is not completely transparent which can make it a little harder to work with but I have high hopes (and expectations!) I get the feeling it is going to play well with others adding a soft glow to my work.

Want to add them to your palette, too? Just click on the color below and you’ll be whisked away to Amazon. At the time of this posting, these links are a good price and the product comes from Daniel Smith. IMPORTANT! Amazon has a mind of its own and prices change based on demand, availability and parameters that are totally out of my control. If the price is more than $20 per tube, please type in “Daniel Smith COLOR NAME” into the Amazon search box and see what other purchasing options you have! Still not sure if it is the best price? Check other online art supply stores!


I have to admit – daniel smith writes such interesting descriptions of their colors that some of them make it onto my palette because I really like their story. Some because I love their sister and brother colors in their family (like the COBALT family, or the ULTRAMARINE family), and some make it because I know that I might not use them as the star of the illustration but as the perfect supporting color.

Descriptions and information about Daniel Smith Watercolors from danielsmith.com –  a site chock full of really helpful and interesting information. All paints referenced are 5 ml or 15 ml tubes. My process is simply filling a pan from the tube, allowing it to dry completely, then reactivating it with water when I paint.

Two Upcoming Workshops — Join me!

Hello, Hello, Hello, adorable gang of mine!!! A quick (down & dirty) Sunday note! I have TWO workshops coming up. Here are the details!!!!
(ps. because I would love to see you there!). If you live in California or you feel like a quick trip….Oh, c’mon! It’s going to be all kinds
of fun!! Just click away below and you will find all the info!

April 9, 2017
a one-day (step-by-step) workshop at A Work of Heart Studio
San Jose, CA

May 13, 2017
a one-day (step-by-step) workshop at Running With Scissors Studio
Sacramento, CA

 

 

A Color Narrative — Join me!

 

Guys!!!!  Only 24 hours left to get the early registration price of $32 for my New course  “A Color Narrative” coming up next month, on the Jeanne Oliver Network!. This course is filled so many new ideas, techniques and inspiration! We begin — March 6th.

Come on! Join in the fun!!!!

. . . . .
Color tells stories and shares emotion in ways words can’t. In our time together, I’ll help you discover the beauty of each color and the stories they are ready to help you share through your art. We’ll begin by learning how to build limited color palettes that travel well and push you to figure out how to create your own beautiful colors. Once we have built our palettes, we’ll learn to mix a plethora of colors with a series of simple questions and adjustments. Next, we’ll work on some exercises that will reveal the importance of composition in storytelling – painting different kinds of watercolor washes with an emphasis on layering techniques and mark-making. We’ll conclude our time together with a pretty give-it-a-spin illustration project that includes a fancy globe filled with color, imagination and a few of your favorite things tucked inside!
. . . . . .

Just click –>HERE<– and join the party!

 

A Color Narrative Workshop — Winner! Winner!


We have a winner! A BIG HAPPY CONGRATS TO — FAYEAOWENS! I will be sending you a DM on instagram with details! I can’t wait to see you in class!
Thank you everyone for the sweet comments and new follows! Stay tuned for more fun!

 

 

 

the stamps are here. get inspired!

You guys! The day is here and so are the stamps! Can we get a big “yippy skippy!!!”

But first let’s give some cheers for the winner from yesterday’s blog giveaway. Are you ready, can you hear the drum roll!

A happy congrats and wahoo goes to…

Courtney Walsh!

The stamps are ready to skip to their new homes and studios. Ready to be filled with color and your very one style and flair. Hop on over to the shop and check out all the sets.  I am beyond happy with this new offering and would love to see how you are using your stamps to create, I mean who doesn’t love sassy girl stamps! ( another THANKS to stamping bella)

…and just for giggles, let’s use #danielledonaldsoninspired and get this party started!

Giveaway note:  Courtney Walsh, we will be in touch!

everyday superpowers. what are yours?

I am so excited to share my new line of stamps! If you loved my bitty, illustrated girls but would like to just skip the drawing part and jump right into the coloring goodness – you’ll love these! I have joined up with stamping bella  to create my first set of stamps – and each one has a story to tell (literally!). Go pick your favorite and comment on this blog post for your chance to win it! (Yep – I am giving one of these sweet and sassy girls away tomorrow. You can see the first five HERE and the second five HERE. Don’t forget to come back to this blog post to let me know which is your favorite (the name) and why! And if you don’t win, don’t be sad – you can buy them in my shop in just a few days!