Seeking Peace through Wash and Ink

I'm a little stressed out these days. In fact, I am so stressed that I feel like I may have a form of PTSD akin to what I felt on 9/11. Now, I really didn't publish this post to complain about stress. Instead, I'm writing it to let others know they are not alone . . . and to say that I am seeking peace from within.

One of the best stress-busters I know is creating art - in any form. The process itself soothes my mind. In fact, working on something that is loose and non-specific works wonders for me! 

That is one reason I like doodling, or Zentangle-inspired art. (I am NOT a Certified Zentangle Teacher, aka CZT, and what I'm showing here is not true Zentangle. That's why I'm calling it Zentangle-inspired!) I've seen various names for this type of art, but that's what comes to mind right now. 

I have also been taking some art classes at art-classes.com, learning about wash and ink. Technically, that's watercolor wash and a fountain pen. :-)

So, here are some examples of recent work that I did with wash and ink. I simply laid down a watercolor wash in various colors, let it run where it wished, let it dry, then added ink lines where there were color changes. Then I added additional ink lines to make patterns in Zentangle-like fashion. This one is rather growing on me.

I think I may video tape this process soon. It's so freeing - and so good at relieving stress! Hope you like it!  FYI: My husband took a photo and used a portion of it for his cell phone wallpaper. <grin> 

The top left image is the whole-page view. The other three are close-ups of various sections.

Hope you like it! Until next time. . .may God bless. 

New Valentine's Day Cards

Hi, all. Just dropping by for a moment to let you know that I have listed a couple of Valentine's Day cards in my Etsy shop. Both of the current designs are pink, rather than the more traditional red. I may add another design or two this weekend if I have time! I have a limited supply of these, so if you're interested, act quickly.

Design 1 is for a love in your life! Here you can see both the inside and outside:

This card features a white embossed layer with flowers. On top of that is a sunburst, topped with die-cut flowers and leaves. The front says, "Just wanted to say..."  Inside, the message is "I love you. Happy Valentine's Day." Additional hearts are in the bottom right corner. 

This card, and the next, comes with a heart-stamped envelope. Each card can be mailed with a single first-class stamp in the USA. 

Design 2 can be sent to absolutely anyone:

This card has a slightly different pink color, designer series paper strip, ribbon, and die cuts. The outside says, "Just wanted to say. . ." and the inside has a simple "Happy Valentine's Day." As mentioned, you can send this one to anyone - friend, love, co-worker, etc. You decide!

If you'd like to take a look at these and other items in my Etsy shop, follow this link: https://karensblueridgestamp.etsy.com. 

Thanks for stopping by!

A New Year to Create

Hello, dear friends. We've done it! We made it through another year, and we have a brand new one in which to create. 

What better thing can we do this year than try to make our world a better place? Some will invent. Others will persuade, some will fix, and still others will spread lovingkindness. What will you do?

Personally, I will try to create a little something new every single day. I find my stress level goes way down if I find brief moments when I can draw, paint, crochet, or do something creative. Have you told others you are creative? If it's important enough for you to say, then you apparently give creativity an important space in your psyche. But do you act on it? 

This year I will revive my YouTube channel. But instead of mostly stamping, my channel will be filled mostly with art projects. Sometimes, I'll combine the two! I spent tons of time last year ramping up my art skills, and I have received a lot of compliments on the projects I've made. Please consider subscribing to my blog and to my YouTube channel to stay informed when I upload new content. Because my part-time work schedule and family support activities can ebb and flow, I'm not committing to a specific time to post. That means it's even more critical for you to subscribe. That way, you'll be notified that there's something new. I hope to see you in one or both places.

For now, allow me to show you a few art pieces that I gifted to family this Christmas! Yes, we do LOVE our fur babies around here!  (I draw OTHER things, too!) All three drawings are at the top, with their reference photos directly below. Left to right: Shih tzu Belle, Shih tzu Riley, and kitty Sarah.

All three portraits were drawn using an original reference photo (bottom) and the grid method of drawing. All portraits are done with graphite art pencils. 

Moments of Respite from the World through Art

When times get tough, one of the first things you'll hear is that the art budget is about to be cut or eliminated from schools. One of the other things you'll hear is that school programs that don't lead to jobs should be discontinued. WHAT?!!?!? Do we really want to live in a world that has no place for beauty? 

Just ask someone where they plan to go for vacation. Will they tell you they're going to visit a computer chip factory or a steel mill? No! They will most likely be headed somewhere that is either scenic and beautiful - or home to mom and dad, where they expect to find love. These are places that feed the soul, not the bank account! And most of the time, you see photos and videos of these vacations afterwards, because people want to remember those moments of joy for as long as possible. 

Isn't art that way, too? Don't we long for things that offer us respite from everyday stress and toil? 

When I sit down to draw or paint, my mind takes an instant holiday. I am absorbed in what I'm putting on paper or canvas. There are decisions to make about design, color, tools, and more. But these decisions aren't typically stressful. Most of the time, they flow from my desire for beauty and peace. Truly, this is a time to "go with the flow." 

The last 12-14 months have been a time of building my skills as an artist. Now, I find that I am looking at the world with very different eyes. And I long for more of the peace that I find in seeing beauty and love rather than what the world shouts at me to see. I know that I can't withdraw from the world entirely, but I always have a place I can go to refresh my soul. I hope you do, too!

Finally, I have a special guest today. His name around our house is James. I keep waiting for a small child to stop him at the grocery store to rattle off their Christmas list! He's been part of my life for nearly 43 years now. And I love him more every day! 

NOTE: If I post only a little this month, that's because I'm drawing furiously behind the scenes for a Christmas gift! Only nine days to go, and this drawing is kicking my behind. It has fur and negative drawing, both of which are pretty tough! Stay tuned to see my drawings after Christmas. 

I hope to see you soon. Stay tuned in 2025, when I plan to have some demonstration videos for you. Art in action! 

Until then, may your holidays be filled with peace and joy! Take care.

"Water" Wonderful World!

Do you have a favorite art medium? For the last several years, I would have had to say that my favorite was alcohol markers. I have quite a few Copic Sketch alcohol markers, and I have produced numerous pieces with them.

But 2024 has been a year of discovery. I have expanded my artistry through graphite pencil sketching, colored pencil, gouache painting, watercolor painting, and wash and ink (watercolor painting combined with pens). I must say, that's so much more than I ever expected.

Here are a couple of recent paintings. Remember, I'm still a beginner, so if these don't seem like anything great, that's because I've only scratched the surface so far! 

This one is a watercolor-only painting of birch trees. It has a lot of dry brush to it. This was one of my very first watercolor paintings, so I was really pleased that it was even recognizable! Yay for a great start!

The wash and ink images below are from a garden (PowellsWood) near Federal Way, Washington. I wonder. Which do you like best? Plain watercolor? Or watercolor combined with ink?

I can't say that I've made a firm decision about that, yet, but I know that I will enjoy my journey of discovery immensely. I am SO BLESSED to be able to pursue art right now. I hope that it will prove to be useful both to me and others. 

I wish you the very best holiday season. Remember to LOVE on those around you! And always remember "water" wonderful world we get to share. (Corny? Yes, but true nonetheless.) Be blessed! 

Honored to be a Featured Artist

One year ago, if anyone had told me that I would finish 2024 as a featured artist in an Artist's Gift Guide, I would have told them they were crazy!! Yet, here I am! 

I started taking online art classes last December from Sandy Allnock at art-classes.com. Many of you may remember Sandy as the founder of the nonprofit Operation Write Home, which sent millions of handmade cards (yes, millions!) to our military troops over several years so that they could write home to their families and friends. Today, Sandy is a full-time professional artist and amazing art instructor! 

I started my art journey with a lot of high expectations for myself, and I am meeting those expectations by creating a little bit of something every day! I have already completed about 10 of Sandy's classes in various mediums, and my art skills have SOARED with Sandy's excellent, step-by-step instructions! 

Here is a small selection of my completed art class projects. (Please forgive my photography. The artwork is much better than the photos.) If I can do this, I think there's a lot of hope for anyone who has a desire to make art!  But you be the judge. Remember, it's my first year as an artist!

From Whimsical Sketching class (pen and ink): 

From 30 Days to More Confident Sketching (graphite pencil) class:

From Drawing 101: Form, Depth, and Volume (graphite and charcoal pencil) class: 

And, finally, a mash-up of classes, (including Bible journaling and Pencil Pups 1), plus my own creations from Inktober 2024 :

So, what's today's take-away? In these uncertain times, I am following my dreams of becoming an artist. I have a few supplies, some great instruction, a great art community where I can share my work and get feedback, and family and friends who are cheering me on! What more could one ask?

If the time seems right for you to get started in art, continue past efforts, or even gift someone else some art supplies for the holidays, I encourage you to follow the links I've offered in this post. 

Did I mention that art is a great stress-buster?!? It is! Come on. What are you waiting for?  Let's make this world an even more beautiful place! 

Going to the Dogs with Graphite Pencils!

Hi! Thanks for stopping in! I'm so glad you're here.

As my title suggests, I've gone to the dogs! With drawing, that is. 😉

I've been a dog lover from way back. I love to look at different breeds and learn more about them. Today, I've drawn a couple of dogs in graphite pencil for your enjoyment.

The first of them is a Jack Russell terrier. Many will recognize this breed as one with high energy and a sharp, terrier bark. I've never personally owned a Jack Russell, but they're very popular on TV. Remember Eddie who belonged to Martin Crane on the TV show Frasier? He was so cute - and so smart. 

Isn't she adorable? I'm assuming she is a female, as her anatomy is not quite right otherwise!

I used several graphite pencils to draw this sweet girl. I used 9B for the darkest values, an HB for the lighter values, and a few things in between.  

My favorite pencil brands are Staedtler Lumograph and Caran d'Ache Grafwood pencils. I get most art supplies from Dick Blick online, but on occasion I also order some from Amazon. Currently, I do NOT receive any commission from these  recommendations. They just happen to be my favorites. 

For those who just love to draw, but don't wish to invest in a set of art pencils, a trusty #2 pencil (USA) will do. A #2 is the American equivalent of a 2B in an art pencil. It produces a midtone with normal pressure. And you can lighten or darken the values by changing your hand pressure. 

My second "pup" today is a Silver Labrador. Just look at that sweet expression! 🤩 Labradors are also a very popular breed. 

I used the same pencils to draw this cutie, too. The photographer for the reference photo made an artistic decision to foreshorten the dog's body. The emphasis on the face gives it center stage - and makes the body seem tiny. I really do love it, though!

While I managed to do this dog justice, I learned a lot about drawing eyes, teeth, and noses. The hardest part was actually the tongue. I found that it needed varying values (amounts of light) to look like a muscle. Then, I had to change some of the surrounding values to give them enough contrast.

Well, that's it for today. I hope you enjoy the dogs, and please stop in again. There's more on the way!