Inspiration Exists

Today we are having a guest spot by Cheri Carrier from Graphicat, who creates all kinds of different projects but a new mixed media piece today.  If you get a minute check out her website too as she has loads of inspiration!

I am excited to show you a mixed media canvas piece I have created as a Guest for my old friends over at Southern Ridge Trading Co.!! This canvas was super fun to make and the products from SRTC are ALL PERFECT for creating this type of art! Here's how I was inspired and I'll tell you a bit of *HOW* below! Some lucky friends of mine recently posted their gorgeous creations they learned in a *Finnabair* Inspired class and I was GREEN with envy that I was unable to attend (it was at our favorite Clipper Street store which is a 6 hour drive each way drive from my home!)... but I was inspired at least to give it a shot myself and I was actually able to come up with something I LOVED! (I usually take a very different turn sometime after I begin lol) But this time I persevered thru the *Ugly* stages and now I am UBER happy!

I started with a couple of ideas in my head. One, I REALLY wanted to do this black and pink glitter type art piece, TWO, I had a plan to use a smaller canvas on top of a bigger one along with some of my old messed up brushes (I NEVER throw these away!! So many cool new things for them to become after they're done painting for me!), and THREE This Picasso Quote NEEDS to be put in my studio to kick my ass! And so I started!! 

First thing I did was turn to my box of chippy goodness from SRTC and I found this awesome honey comb pattern, then after adding my paint brushes and some Prima goodness I added some random flower shapes and then I added lots of other paper flowers (which SRTC also sells at crops when they are set up!) These shapes and the molding paste and stencils create so much texture and interest in your art even tho it's all painted the same colour! It really is fun. Now... I'd love to tell you how every single thing is done here...but I can't give away ALL the secrets! Watch for a class with me tho on making something just like this..... ;)

The canvas that is the focal point of the piece I wanted to be one of my own drawings and represent me...which, of course, had to include coffee and cats... cause that's what runs in my veins and lives in my heart. It's also the focus of a lot of my art! haha  I also wanted the painting to look *in progress* without looking unfinished... if that makes sense, so instead of painting it with acrylics I used my Staedler Karat Watercolour crayons (AWESOME!!!) to paint my cat and mug.

There's my sideways photos again......grrrr .... I really have to figure out how to fix that!

Now... I didn't know what the theme of the challenge was over at SRTC when I started this project (YES!!! They have started monthly challenges!!! SWEET!) so it's not really eligible for entry.... BUT if you are thinking of trying out some SRTC chipboard.. (and that's not even a REQUIREMENT!!!) make sure you pop over to their blog and join in on the fun!!

SPRING CHALLENGE!!!!

Oh and make sure you are a member of their Facebook Group as well HERE!!!