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 …

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 …

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!

A Color Narrative (Early Bird Alert)

I am so excited to share the news my NEW workshop at the Jeanne Oliver Newtwork — a Color Narrative! 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 …

21 secrets: color, color, color – earlybird alert!

      I am so excited to share the news that I am a part of 21 SECRETS: Color, Color, Color! edition. In short, 21 SECRETS is a 150+ page downloadable eBook filled with 25+ hours of videos, full colored photos, templates, and clear instruction intended to inspire and deepen the way you approach art journaling.  What makes 21 SECRETS even more special is that you receive all the content at once — YOU get to pick and choose which workshops to do and when! No waiting around for your favorites and no need to feel rushed or falling behind — these workshops are YOURS TO KEEP! In this Color, Color, Color! edition, I was asked to focus my attention on how color influences my creativity and is an important element in my art making. You’ll learn how to study, practice and imagine leaves in a very danielle-ish way. I share my alternative way of journaling, a cool way of …

be still. a new online class!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get to teach BE STILL to the most sassy and sweet group of women at Jeanne Oliver’s, THE LIVING STUDIO, in Castle Rock, CO. It was a day filled with lots of color and smiles and a plethora of wonderful food and stunning views. I am a very lucky girl indeed! so I thought I would pass on a bit of the love to the rest of my little online world and capture my process and project for the class on video last week and offer it for immediate viewing yesterday so folks could play along as I taught and the sign ups were overwhelming! Thanks so much to each of you! if you didn’t sign up yesterday – you can still join in on the fun! It includes over 2 hours of video and one of my handy dandy handouts. And it’s ready …

wheel o’ color and texas shenanigans

  Many, many messages have popped into my inbox about my new palette. It is AWESOME! You can see it in action HERE, buy one of your own HERE and at my in-person classes of course. Where can I join in on the fun, you ask? Lubbock, TX is up next and there are a few spots left. We will be illustrating color-filled farm animals and learning how to work with big palettes of color. I hope you can hop on a plane or zoom in by car to join in on the fun! The workshop will be held June 10-12, 2016 in Lubbock, TX and is only $450! You can email jenni@blessedtobeartists.com to sign up!  

creativegirl book donaldson

blog hop book giveaway!

It’s great when you have great friends who also happen to be great artists and authors!  So I rounded them up for a blog hop book giveaway! Annie O’Brien Gonzalez of Bold Expressive Painting Carrie Schmitt of Painted Blossoms Gina Rossi Armfield of No Excuses Watercolor and me (of course!) Danielle Donaldson author of Creative Girl Use the form below to enter to My creativeGIRL Book Drawing! Then, Visit My Friends to Enter to Win one of their fabulous books on their sites… Carrie Schmitt Annie O’Brien Gonzalez Gina Rossi Armfield

so much goodness.

i have so many color-filled things in store this year! so many it’s like a virtual rainbow exploding in my noggin on a daily basis. along with a few dark clouds of doubt that i can get it all in order in time to share it all with you. so lets get to it, shall we? ONLINE my online class ‘all creatures lovely and small’ is only one month away! i am in the midst of making the videos this weekend and it is chock full of goodness. lots of color. lots. earlybird pricing ends tomorrow so if you have been on the fence, jump on over now! you can read/register about it in my post HERE  IN-PERSON i just taught at the ever-so-filled-with-sunshine studio of Karen Brooks in Sacramento, CA. we had a wonderful time learning how to work with watercolors and creating a foliage-filled compass rose. it was …

all creatures lovely and small-early bird registration is open!

  Ellies, pups and bunnies, oh my! One whole week of online creative goodness! We will start off our week with a good dose of danielle-ish color theory. This isn’t your everyday color-wheel stuff. As a matter of fact, it is kind of the opposite. You’ll learn how to work with color in a whole new way. You’ll find your very own colorful voice with a series of simple exercises that will not only build your creative signature but seriously boost your watercolor confidence. Next we’ll pick up our mechanical pencils and illustrate some quirky and goodness-filled animal friends. You’ll learn how to break down their bits and pieces and then reassemble them in a bunch of different ways. And then we’ll add soft, yummy layers of color and delicate details. We’ll wrap up our week by building a lovely, layered block of patterned paper, snippets of ribbon and a …