Gorgeous greens as winter creeps in #5daysoflayers

I really enjoyed this week's project.  I still find it so strange that sometimes the commitment to creating another layer can be too much, like I don't want to move forward into this next phase, the next evolution  of the painting. My resistance always shows up at some point, questioning what I'm doing and if it's right to push forward. I find so many analogies to life in this process. I think that's part of why it's so addictive!  Anyway here are the layers for this week!

Layer 1= inky splodges

Layer 2 = doodles and details

Layer 3 = acrylic finger painting

Layer 4 = white gesso brayer

Layer 5 = oil pastel drawn highlights

Experimenting with expressive colour

I love to paint

One of my favourite things it just just let loose and spread loads of acrylic paint all over the page.

I get my hands dirty by using my fingers to spread the paint which really helps me connect and get a really fluid finish.

Even adding some white gesso can help lighten things up and I sometimes create a quick texture at the end by using the wrong end of a paintbrush to draw lines in the wet paint.....why not have a go?! :)

Zoe xx

 

New Project #5daysoflayers

So after a break from painting this summer (Ive been busy on my jewellery stall!) I have felt the pull back to painting and what better way to start than with a new project!

5 days of layers is really a quick daily exercise. By doing 10 minutes of painting each day it's a great daily practice to help get my creative muscles moving!  Each day I work on the same page spread in my journal just adding more depth and detail each day.

This is also a great practice for being brave and taking risks. Covering up bits that you like and seeing what unravels in return. It's also great to experiment   with colour combinations and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.

What not give it a try yourself?  After all, it's just a page of your journal so if you don't like the outcome, it doesn't matter. And I promise you will learn lots along the way!

Happy painting!
Zoe xx

Painted backgrounds with fresh florals

I've been taking a break from painting over the last month or so whilst I focus on my sterling silver jewellery collection. I have recently really felt the urge to paint again. It feels like a nice break after constantly making jewellery, almost like a holiday to be painting again.

I did however have the usual quandary of what subject matter to paint.  I think I over think this sometimes, feeling like I should paint "a thing" when actually I'm just called to spread paint on paper and create colourful abstracts just for the pure Joy and freedom of painting!

This took an unexpected turn when I was suddenly inspired to layer some of the beautiful florals that are blooming in my garden at the moment on top of my paintings.  The final result of these beautiful natural compositions are so striking that I can feel a whole new series of work coming on.

Totem animals

I keep getting the calling to draw owls recently. An inner yearning that didn't make sense to me until I gave in to it and just painted, letting it free.

The outcome? A new phase in my work which uses the essence of animal representation as a reflection of human emotion.

The owl:
Elegant.  Graceful.  Silent.  Wise. An inner stillness that has pinpoint precision.  Time to dig deep and let the wisdom I find flourish, trusting where this intuition will lead me.

The Raven:

Transcend the old and soar to new heights. 

Solar Eclipse!

Very exciting that today we experienced a partial solar eclipse! The line of totality ran through the  sea north of Scotland so we had about an 80% coverage which was still very dramatic. As the moon covered the sun an eery light draw in. I was expecting it to feel like dusk but due to the sun being much higher in the sky it had a strange yet mystical feel.

Here is a (fairly blurry) photo of the eclipse as the moon was moving away yet it still shows the partial eclipse. So beautiful.

I couldn't help but create s quick art journaling page to celebrate this amazing universal phenomenon! 

"Patchwork Mandalas"

I have been loving the meditative practice of drawing zentangle - like mandalas recently. I unexpectedly came across mixing and matching different drawings together to create "patchwork mandalas".

This is really fun and means that I can keep drawing half mandalas and still use my original drawings to combine together in new patchwork images.

It's a great way of playing with composition and of combining different colours so it's nice to experiment.

I also think they look beautiful  with natural crystals sat on top. I think I'm going to have a play with some crystal formations and grids....here comesy spiritual side, yay! :)

100 artworks challenge

I have just come across this blog post which is such an exciting challenge.  I have been loving the abstract paintings with doodled details which I have been creating over the past few weeks so have decided to accept the #100artworkschallenge to refine this exciting new practice.

I will be sticking with the abstract painted backgrounds, finger mark making and doodled details which are all symbols of nature and drawing mandalas.

I am really excited to see where this goes so watch this space!

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Owls

Today I've been experimenting with a new direction for my work. The main influence for my work is nature and I've recently had the urge to paint an owl. I love the beautiful big eyes and somehow delicate frame of the barn owl so here is my interpretation of this amazing creature!

Painting in layers then doodle the details!

I really love this process of painting which I seem to have developed for myself over the last few weeks. 

Watch theentire painting process here; https://youtu.be/wte9uQcPo5s

I start with an expressive painted layer using acrylics with a brayer roller and smudging with my fingers. I then add in patterns using stencils. 

I let this layer dry then go back in again using my fingers and acrylic paints in contrasting colours. I love to add in bold coloured dots too to create added details.

Once this is dry I love to add lots of crazy detail using black fine line and Paint pens. I find this doodling process so meditative and I like to just go with the flow and let the patterns create themselves, although they usually reference nature.

Big, bold and beautiful.  Everything that art should be!!! ♡

Why not have a go yourself? Paint something quick and intuitive, then once it's dry use it as a background for your doodling! 

Zoe Howarth Video; a snippet of my creative world

Zoe Howarth; Mixed media, Art Journaling and Paint: http://youtu.be/VOVbyyJfXD0

The magic of Abstract and Doodles!

During some experimenting in my recent work I have discovered a surprising magic in combining my love of yummy textured abstract painting with fine line doodling!

A couple of my recent posts show these 2 techniques separately;
  "Being brave with layers" and
  "Black and White Doodles - Patterns Everyday"

Combining these 2 very different techniques has been really exciting and has surprised me to find that I can use my doodles to accent certain areas and brush marks of my abstract paintings.

Here's a snippet of some pieces I've been working on over the last few weeks. This is definitely something I want to play with and develop more!

Layer#31 Contrast in Pink!

I have been a bit stuck with the way things have been going in the last few layers. So I decided that it was time for another transformation. What better way to go than to go fresh and bright so as a contrast to the dark blues I have chosen a beautiful bold bright pink.

Sometimes it's nice not to think too much when you're painting so this layer literally took about 2 minutes. Letting the paint and brayer action take centre stage and quickly produce a gorgeous textured paint effect. The stencils from the previous layer peak through in areas which as a rich dimensions to the canvas.

Lush Layer Love!!! ♡

So after being brave and pushing myself with my painted layering process I'm putting this new found love into practice.  By repeating the process I hope that it will make it easier each time and help to grow my creative confidence as I go, striving onward into the unknown!

Here I have started with some intuitive abstract painting.

Then adding a layer of stencilling in contrasting colours.

One of my favourite layers is then to go back in with blocks of paint that I smudge into the paper with my finger. This layer really helps to tie the previous layers together. 

Lastly I love to add in details with fine line pens, adding in doodles and decorative shapes that give a focal point. 

Black and White Doodles- Patterns Everyday