My Spirit Animal Is A Unicorn

Hello readers! Hope I have caught you at a wonderful time during your day/night. It has been quite some time (again) since my last post. Things have been running pretty smooth and hectic, but a good hectic, this week. I'm enjoying and adjusting to changes that this new school year has brought. Sometimes you just have to go all in and pray you will not loose site of your goals. And if you have a unicorn as your spirit animal then all will be okay. 

This morning I magically rose from a good nights rest filled with such good energy. It must have been that unicorn in me. Haha! My brain was already filling with things I wanted to do for the day and sadly that included adulting. I watched the birds and embraced the quietness before getting out of bed. It's so darn peaceful! My new habits include getting out to run and eating a healthy breakfast. I've included making time to sit with my art journal and create. 

It sounds so easy to get up, run, eat and make art. In reality, it has taken a lot of change in my lifestyle and how I treat my body. Being able to create with a clearer mind has been something I've noticed immediately. I think also surrounding yourself with positive energy and channeling your thoughts in the right direction is very very helpful. The first hour and half of energizing warm ups prepares me with an hour or so of painting (or doodling, making greeting cards). With no expectations or pressure to even finish a journal spread, I picked up the nearest piece of junk mail. Here is the end result:

Who could resist a unicorn?! Funny story, the day before I had mentioned unicorns. While flipping through a magazine I came across this saying and looking right at me was this unicorn. Perfect!!! I literally laughed out loud! When you speak of it, it will come. 

Be Here Now

Be Here Now

Continue To Take Risks

Fail And Succeed

Laugh And Cry

Embrace And Let Go

It's All You Got

At This Very Moment

Be Here Now

Learning As I Go

The Early Years of Art Journaling

Today I sat and looked through the stacks of art journals and notebooks growing on my little stand. Some of which haven't been opened in 6 months or so. Memories came back looking at some as they hold so much emotions. Each page has a story or theme of their own. I explored a lot in my early journals and made plenty of mistakes. Countless hours were spend on YouTube and art blogs watching and learning. Doodling was something that I did all through high school and never would have thought it would be incorporated or a big part of art journaling.

Rewind to almost 5 years later, May 2011. After a year of exploring and making gawd awful but beautiful pages I decided to upload my first video. Not sure how many times I watched the video before I hit the upload button. This was going to be it, the whole world will watch, they are all getting a glimpse into my life. (Eek!) After some thought, I clicked the button. Here it is for you to watch and hopefully get inspired. 

After last weeks revisit with working with magazine clippings I got to thinking about the early years. At that time my crafting supplies were very limited. Gesso was a foreign word to me as was mod podge. Never knew watercolor crayons were magic and that PITT pens would be my favorite writing tool/marker. Everything was so new and interesting! I wanted every color of paint, tools and stencil that existed. It was crazy. I remember making my first trips to Michael's to buy inexpensive acrylic paint (which I still use), brushes, stencils, gel pens and a sketch book. Magazines were within arms reach and junk mail with fun images were kept for later use. Coffee sleeves were my favorite. I still keep some in my stash to use as a stencil or for added texture.

That moment I discovered and started art journaling was like reaching the top of a hill and on the other side a valley of green trees and blooming flowers beamed back at me. I found what made my heart sing. It was then that I decided art journaling was going to be apart of my life. Years later here I am, started a blog, making greeting cards, and painting big when I crave to throw paint. I hope that this inspires you to pick up a sketchbook and get journaling. Check back soon for the journal flip of my very first art journal!

Learn as you go.

xo-Starlynn

Be Free

Be Free

Create what makes your heart sing.

Last night I decided to go a different route for my journal spread. As you've seen before, I usually only work with paint, watercolor crayons, misc. paper scraps and occasional stamps. When I first started art journaling I used magazines as inspiration and often build collages from them. Over the years my choice of magazines started to decrease and I found myself painting more then anything. 

Both forms of art journaling (mixed media and painting) have been therapeutic during the right times in my life. Mix media was my go to and I remember always cutting out words and patterns. Once I learned that stencils could produce those same patterns I ditched the paper. Painting is pretty powerful. It tugs and pulls at all the emotions and brings awareness to the present moment. I have found it's a great way to express who I am. 

A Story Captured

This post is a bit different from everything I've posted. I would like to introduce you to an amazing talented and good friend of mine, Jon Ayon. I was asked by Jon if I would be apart of his next film project. The subject: running and art. Of course I wanted to be apart of the awesome crazy idea he had brewing. He is an amazing film artist and a true artist in all that he does. I've seen him showcase his first film Pega (2014) at the CCSF Film Festival. It was one of the most amazing heart touching short films I had seen and everyone agreed. Little did he know he would end the night with winning Best Film. Since then I've seen his work grow and although he's quiet about sharing he does deserve to be seen and heard.
Making the film was something I'll never forget. I got a small (grain size) taste of what it's like to be behind the camera and all the hard work that goes into producing a film. Believe me I was so nervous before we even started. Knowing that this was going to be done in my natural element let me settle the nerves and just be me.
We woke up early on filming day to get the most beautiful shots of the sunrise. The morning was spent doing retakes, laughing, talking about art and all the great things life has to offer. There is something truly magical about seeing a sun rise. It's even more precious viewing it surrounded by mother earth, the trees, birds, crisp air and dirt. This film is a little story about running and how it's been a huge part of my life. Without art I cannot see the beauty in running, without running I cannot see the beauty in art. It is my meditation, it's what grounds me, it's who I am.
I am so grateful to have a friend whom I call my brother in my life. Jon not only inspires me but challenges me to be the artist I want to be. I'm so proud of his work!

Now let me introduce Mr. Jon Ayon's latest film: Nahongvita

Great friends are those that inspire, challenge and motivate you. All are doing what they love (film producer, artist, musician/coder/traveler, personal trainer, small business) and sharing with the world. We may not talk all the time but when we do their learning something new or going new places and reaching new growths. Their excitement and happiness is heard and seen. How can you not be energized by that?! Whether it's in the current field or a whole new subject, they are sitting in the student chair. Having that energy around me is so (let me emphasize, very) important. It has uplifted me in days I didn't want to create. It opened my eyes. 

They got wings, I got wings, we all got wings. So why don't I use them? 

x-Starlynn

Courage

The courage to create a new beginning.

Talk about it one too many times and it looses its power.

Courage.

Discipline.

Do it or don't talk about it.

And yes, these are the words I say to myself. 

The first week is done and that included our first art meet up of the year! Woohoo! It's been a long time since I last mingled with the lovely creative souls. Being around the great group we built and meeting new people is such a great feeling. 

As usual, my plans or ideas don't appear until atleast a layer of paint and gesso are laid down. This first week has been quite a challenge. My daily routine is changing, new habits are trying to be formed and well, life is just different. It was very productive but the time spent laying in complete silence and tuning into me was the most healing. The emotions distracted by being "busy" finally hit the surface and I found myself bawling my eyes out. Talk about healing. It's actually quite refreshing.

So when I started painting I let those emotions revisit. The mismatched paper was my way of expressing that nothing has to be perfect. Things may be scattered everywhere around me but they somehow work together. They all hold a different importance in my life and are defiantly unique. 

The leaves of the newly bloomed flower signifies growth. We all know that saying "Bloom where you are planted." At one point the sand was soft enough for the plant to grow easily. In time the weather changed and came the rain, snow and negative temperatures that harden the dirt. Now I am stuck under this heavy solid slab of dirt called a rock. This rock is my challenge. I know that with the courage and discipline I will bloom where I am planted. 

The stenciled design shows me the sun rises everyday. Today may have not been the best but the next day can be. My daily actions will be the water that will feed and nourish my mind, body and soul.

It takes one day and today I will try again.

"Bloom where you are planted"

xo-Starlynn

A new year, a new word.

Must haves #1: Monthly Planner and Notebook.

Happy New Year! 2015 has come and gone so fast, it felt like the summer sun was beaming down on us just yesterday. A lot has happened within the last year that I'm proud of, questioned and really said, I'm leaving that behind. This year I wasn't so quick to picking my Word Of The Year (WOTY) like I normally would have. 2016 arrived so fast that I wanted to embrace the new and slowly settle into everything. It's actually really nice to just stop, unplug and turn off the high speed craziness. 

Around Day 3, everything eventually came together. Knowing from the past that starting all the new habits and challenges on the first day usually ends up in failure. My plan this year was to let it all come to me naturally and start really slow. I'm prone to quitting if I start everything at once. My brains tends to gets fried, my demands become too high and eventually "next day" becomes next month. 

I have a yearly tradition that was started about 6 years ago. My obsession for notebooks has always been with me since I was young girl. As I grew older then came lists and small notebooks, calendars, and art journals.  That one chilly overcast January day I decided to add a WOTY to my already overwhelming stack of books. At the time (and still to this day), many other art journalist and artist were blogging about it and sharing how powerful it was in their daily lives. I decided, it couldn't be just any word but a strong solid word that would be my rock for that year and years to come. A word that would be a daily reminder and also be there when times got tough.

I toyed around with a list of words and applied them to my every day life. Fearless was one of the words that immediately got my attention. But I kept looking and really then begin to apply discipline to my life. It was not until then that I realized that I lacked discipline in my life. Not that I run wild and don't give a hoot about my life and health but more on a level of finishing what I start. Or even saying no when I always say yes. I wasn't disciplined enough to eat a well balanced diet that I surely need to do to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It's not because I want to be muscular (ok, I do) but because I always struggled to maintain a weight that my imaginary doctor would say, " You are exactly where you need to be. Eating all the right food to get all the vitamins naturally." Crazy thoughts like that. 

Looking at the big picture and my art, healthier me leads to more energy to create. I'm really energized and all hands in to making my dreams come true this year. I've lacked on staying on track with my art and getting things done on a timely matter. Discipline again was not there. I'm not going to blame it all on not being disciplined because surely that's not fair. I may be taking it hard on myself but without guidance and willingness to accept and learn, I will never reach my goals. 

So I welcomed discipline into my life. I opened the door, gave it a big warm hug and said, you are here to stay as long as you want. I'll need you more then anything today and all the days that follow.

I hope you stay for the ride as I take this new adventure through 2016. I have no idea where it will lead me but I am ready. 

All hands in,
xo-Starlynn

Must haves #2: Sketch book for art journaling and favorite notebooks for writing on the go.

{You can find my favorite must haves to keep me organized and create at Dollar Tree (planner and composition book) and Barnes & Nobel (bargin sketch book and Moleskine notebooks). They are an inexpensive way to keep you on track and perfect size to carry in your bag or purse.}

The Latest Card Creation

A birthday card for a special mom. 

Last week I was asked to make a birthday card for a coworkers mother. I knew that this was going to be just what I need to get back in the paper crafting groove. What amazed me most was how fast I was able to get the layout done. It's seems like my creative flow is not lost. Well, it's just been channeled into paints. 

Very happy with the finished card and how simple and beautiful it looks. It does have that shabby chic feel as well. My crafting cart is still set up to create another. And as I type this I'm about to jump off my chair and run home to do just that. I mean, laundry can always wait. Have a fabulous day! 

xo-Starlynn

Watercolor Week 6: The Last Day But Only The Beginning

 The last day of watercolor class has come. This post was meant for the end of summer but somehow was lost in the mess. 

Continuing with the last class meet up, I worked on the tulip and learned how to work in sections. It's important to plan out what areas need to be painted to avoid paints blending together. I loved how everything flowed. 

Each petal testing me and tried to outdo the other. One petal formed so easily while the other makes you want throw paint. Have you ever been in that situation? No one ever want to work together. But that's what I love about art. It always pushes you to the end. 

The stem was by far the hardest. As you can see it was not completed. I had to go back and erase all the paint that ad been laid down. It just wasn't working out. Tell me how you cope with getting through things like this? I had to step away because I feared that the paper would be overworked. Everything else around the stem looked so beautiful. 

Challenges. 

The stem of the tulip was left to dry. I couldn't add another layer with all the frustration built up. 

Like in life, you sometimes need to just breathe. A good 10 minutes of fresh air and deep breathing does wonders.

The last assignment of our watercolor adventures. Drew up a toucan and added the first layers of paint. I haven't gone back to complete this painting. I'm excited to get back and finish it though.

This class was so much fun! I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm so happy that I decided to take the class. Our teacher was so patient and helpful with all the questions we asked. My fellow painters were the best!

Our little group stemmed from a bi-weekly art meet up. Slowly we grew into a large fun group of art loving people. Grateful for them all. I don't even want to think of where be without this group. 8 months ago I googled "art groups" in my area. I was lead to a local meet up group and with pushing the fear aside I signed up. I had no idea what would come but I was so excited. 

Have you ever met people or gone to a place and immediately felt at home? Your happy and feel safe? I felt exactly that when I went to the art studio. Everyone understood what I talked about. We could make corny art jokes or be "weird" and no one said a thing. By the time it ended I was filled with energy, positivity, motivation and a comfor of being home. I knew this place was where I was suppose to be.

The months have quickly passed on by and I have continued with the art meet ups. I'm pretty sure I won't be leaving them anytime soon. They motivate me. They inspire. They accept. 

xo-Starlynn

Watercolor Week 4: More Sea Salt and Tulips

Week 4! Returned back to class to see how bright the background looked. I've learned that dry time is so important. You must be patient and let the piece dry before working on another part of your painting. Reason being, the colors will bleed into the first painted layer causing it to be ruined. On the other hand, you must work fast. If your wet brushing, it's important you get the color down before the surface drys. Work fast and slow, balance. 

The last class ended with having had the background finished and the bubbles were unpainted. We used the same wet brushing technique to fill the bubbles. I absolutely love the way the colors instantly blend together. It's like they were given the green light to run free. The first layer was light and so I worked in a few layers before walking away. The last part will be to clean up the edges and blend them into the background. I'm loving this piece so far! 

Second layer of the sunset. The colors are intensified and look a little better in the blending department. I didn't work much on this piece for week 4. 

The 3rd assignment was to draw and paint this beautiful tulip. I chose a light but bright background to balance out the color of the tulip. Decided to stick with the wet brush technique and the blending was a lot more easier with practice. It's so calming to sit and watch paint blend together. I'm always amazed at what paint can do and the direction it decides to flow. 

Once the colors were done mingling salt was added to the wet surface. This is where magic happens! I still can't get over this amazing technique! The photo below is the end result of what magic I'm talking about. It reminded me of a shower curtain or a silk scarve. So feminine and welcoming. I had no idea this was going to be the end result. Leaving class that day was like walking on clouds. So much ideas and motivation installed in me. 

And so the day ended with 3 beautiful unfinished pieces. Looking down at them has really opened a new door in my art world. I've come to understand and respect watercolor a lot more. 

xo-Starlynn

Watercolor Week 3: bubbles, Sea Salt and Sunsets

The class prior to this we learned to wet and dry brush. I was so excited to get started on the new lesson. The top left corner was the one I think we were all excited to start on. In my mind all I kept thinking was how did she (our teacher) make those bubbles? So clean and bright. I had to get in on this technique!

Bubbles! By far the best lesson! As I go through these lessons I have ideas floating in my mind. Potential greeting cards? Using the same technique of dry brushing and sea salt would make for beautiful backgrounds. 

So you ask, sea salt? Yes. Remember how cool it was to watch crayons melt? This is just as exciting! The process went like this: wet brushed the background excluding the bubbles. When the surface is still wet we added paint. Dabs here and there, overlapping, tilting the board so colors can run and so on. Once satisfaction was met we added little grains of sea salt to the wet surface. I let a few drops of water fall onto the paper as it slacked up and spread the colors. 

The start of a sunset. I'm in love with blue! You can see with the bubbles I tried to use blue any chance I got. You have to be fast with watercolor. I find myself starting to think too much that by the time I put paint down the paper is dry. Not good when your working with a wet surface. The paint doesn't move and gaps or rough edges will start to form. Also getting the right thickness of paint is important. You want to colors to be bright. The first go around I had really light colors that it took another layer to bring color to life. So far I think I'm on the right track. Must continue to learn and work watercolor speed. 

xo-Starlynn