Art at the speed of life.

Something pretty major the last year has taught me has been to chuck all major plans and dreams out the window in favor of art at the speed of life.  In return, I have landed among my dreams, ministered through art, and am fueling my creativity like never before.  Hear me out on that because you're probably still back on the words "chuck my dreams out the window." 

When it comes to the inner-workings of my soul and art it's no secret I write from the heart often.  You've heard me describe the ups and downs of trying to get somewhere as an artist, have read my best-laid plans, and have journeyed with me on the map to my wildest dreams.  But I've learned something through a lot of trial and error and that is making a dream plan and living one are two entirely different things.  I find myself between the popular phrases of "More love,  less hustle" and "Your dreams don't work unless you do" more often than not. 

It's ok (even brilliant) to have God-given dreams.  I look around at the leaves that look watercolored, falling from the trees, listen to the chorus of bugs outside the window, and watch the sky fill with heavenly shades of pink and purple and just know God is a dreamer. 

But I wrote this on Instagram this week and I want to share it here: 

"Decorate, read, make, paint, learn, sketch, give….INSTEAD." 

If you're finding yourself in the middle of la-la land with tons of notebooks filled to the brim with the dreamiest of dreams, yet never actually stepping into them, I challenge you to make art (whatever form that looks like for you) at the speed of life.  

If you're buying art supplies and feeling so crafty, tear open those packages with fierce determination to actually make something today. 

If fear is keeping you from even dipping your toe in the creative waters, make something and then put it away where only you can see.  Sit with that for a while until you're comfortable sharing.  Or maybe you're not ever comfortable sharing with the masses, but how about sending a friend a piece of your work?  What an honor that would be. 

If your life is as full as mine (in such a wonderful way) make art at the speed of life.  Leave notebooks in places where you can easily see them in your house.  Sketch here and there, make lists of gratitude, write down ideas and then try a few.  Maybe even just one a month.  

Last, if the nag of a voice comes along that says "What's the point?"  kick it straight to the curb.  Is there a point to me decorating my mantle or filling up art journals or painting?  YES.  A BIG YES.  I need art like I need to breathe like I need God.  It keeps the most important part of my body going and connected to God, my soul.  

Do I still have dreams? Oh yes, an embarrassing amount.  I still wake up with way too many ideas,  buckets of them.  But instead of planning my life away with them, I'm actually doing them.  I'm tucking art in among my day to day stuff and finding out my creative life is full.  

Wondering how to actually heed all that advice? Well, somedays I am tired and the laundry piles high and the girls and I are running about so a good chunk of art time is simply not to be found. 

Even on those days, I find or make at least five minutes to do a tiny creative activity, like styling these items on top of my art journal to create a sort of autumn mood board. 

Another idea are art journals!  Last week I was feeling like I wasn't getting anywhere with my art and immediately rebuked that thought by having Brett take these photos.  I am so proud of myself for these journals.  There are page after page filled with paintings, collages, my thoughts, and sketches.  Occasionally a photograph will make its way on to the page.  Some of the pages I adore, some I don't like at all.  But they are my story.  These journals span the last two years of my journey as an artist.

One of my favorite things to do is sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and simply browse through these.  Often I'll get a new idea for a canvas but sometimes it's just good to see my art in real form in front of me.  It's like stepping into my own thoughts for a minute and seeing the hand of God on my life over the last two years. 

(a special visitor while I was photographing these came along!)

Here's another quick idea for you, which I got from the creative network of Jeanne Oliver, that I mentioned to you yesterday.  It is free to sign up and while she has plenty of paid classes to sign up for, she also offers many free videos! I find that incredibly generous. 

To make this leaf/feather (whichever your eyes see) I simply sketched it first with a Stabilo pencil in black.

 Next, I took a small paintbrush and went over my sketch with gesso.

Within the first brush stroke, I was hooked.  

There is just something about the simplicity and rawness of it I just love.  I also love you only need two supplies to make it happen.  I can see myself quickly making a mini canvas or art journal page with this method on the days where my time is limited.  I'm warning you, many more paintings in this style to come!

Decorating is also a huge part of my creative life as well.  I simply love to make a house a home. 

Like somedays Brett and I kid that I need a whole different house to simply "play" and decorate, just for fun, in addition to my own! (lol) 

Naturally I thought my mantle wasn't quite full enough so in addition to adding the feather painting, these yellow pops of color got to come along too. They are from Hobby Lobby and found for 40% off!  

 There, that's better.  A few little touches (like the pumpkin, feather painting, and yellow balls) were just what I needed to put the finishing touches on my autumn/maybe winter mantle.  Almost all of the pieces on this mantle were free, foraged, or found at the thrift store. 

We'll see how long I leave it like this or I may add a garland underneath the mantle out of book pages or brown paper bags.  #cantstopwontstop

#lol

The greatest reason for creating art at the speed of life? 

So that my little ladies can jump right in with me.  

Anna Ruth's most favorite thing ever to do is come in the craft room while Betsy is taking a nap.  She tells me exactly which art supplies she wants out and goes to town, never planning list after list before even starting or second-guessing herself. 

I can learn so much from that and I am. 

On the flip side, these girls are watching me.  I pray they grow up knowing their Mama was a true artist, first for an audience of One, then for her family.  When I receive a compliment from my girls on my art, it's worth a million sales to me.  There is a way to put your family first and still follow the rhythm and pounding of your creative soul. 

Now it's your turn. 

How will you infuse art at the speed of life in the upcoming week? 

Favorite Art and Nature Supplies!

Although I like to pack light when we camp or step foot outdoors, there are a few items that we like to bring along to enhance our learning time and noticing!  Learning about both ourselves and the world around us is something really important to me.  If my girls hear the call of a beautiful bird I'd love for them to have the opportunity to make a painting in response, rather than hurry their little selves along, never stopping to notice.  Whether that means my trusty Jansport backpack from my high-school days is packed up or this cute picnic basket I thrifted, we seem to always have a vessel to hold a few essential items for play time in the yard or adventures outside the gates of our lovely farm. 

These are the same items I packed up on our big camping adventure with the cousins that I shared about yesterday so they really are quite portable!  I suppose I could pack super light and do without all this but the rewards of having them are worth far more than the extra baggage. 

Check out the list below to see what we love!

These aren't affiliate links, they're simply things we adore. 

1.) Educational Insights Kidnoculars

2.) Crayola Watercolors

We love this set because Crayola brand watercolors are so extremely vibrant! Plus this comes with two rows of paint inside the plastic container, so we simply open it up and each girl gets their own! 

3.) Melissa and Doug Doodle Pad

Ok friends, I have to say something a tad bit negative.  This paper got rave reviews on Amazon but I'm really not impressed. It is super thin and my girls like to use a lot of color in their painting so the paper gets a bit soggy/crinkly pretty fast.  For on the go, the easel in the backyard, or for camping it's just fine.  But I wouldn't use it everyday. 

4.) Water brushes

How many ways do I love a water brush? So many.  Too many to list probably.  A water brush is a paint brush that holds water in the handle, making it extremely portable!  Seriously, we pack our water brushes for outings on the farm, paint time in the yard, camping, the car, etc.  EVERYWHERE.  They are so easy for kiddos to learn to use too! I taught my nieces and nephews how to use them last weekend and they had the hang of it within minutes.  Your kids need a water brush! (and you do too!)

5.) Nature Anatomy

This book is AMAZING.  It is an illustrated guide to all things nature.  We have gazed at this book for hours already.  It answers many questions we have while exploring outside, as well as answering questions we didn't even know we had yet! They also have a book called Farm Anatomy that is next on my wish list.  

I hope this has left you feeling inspired to take your art and learning on the go!  The natural world is just as fascinating as it gets to me.  Having these simple tools handy to join us on our adventures has made the ride really sweet this summer..

F.A.Q.: Art Supplies, Part 1

Friends, let me first start by looking you deep in the eyes and saying "thank-you."  Yesterday's blog post about the scale, my deepest insecurities, and refusal to continue to live as most women do..felt wildly unpopular.  Even after the post was published I found myself with my heart pounding, wondering if I should delete it.  And then the texts, messages, and comments started coming in.  You have spoken and I have listened deeply.  This is not a topic that just touches me.  It silently wounds almost every woman around me.  So, I hear you.  I'm praying for each one of you, for God to wrap you in a suit of armor so strong that nothing the world or Satan throws at you can shake your confidence in your healthy self.  And I pray that you have the strength to get that way…healthy.  It's not always a glamorous journey but it's your journey and you are an incredible human being.  More than worth it.  

I could preach right here ya know.  But let me give you that to think about and move along to one of the greatest tools God is using to set me free from the scale and other struggles as well.  ART!  

I mentioned on IG (I'm "therosylifeblog") that I've had several people ask me questions about my art, Etsy shop process, marketing, etc. lately and it just feels so unreal that I would be the one getting asked the questions!  Although I feel unqualified at times (whatever that means) I'm here and happy to share.  When I first started my journey as an artist I heard other artists say all the time to try out different products and you would figure out what suits you best, which supplies you craved and loved, which ones you didn't.  I was puzzled by that for a long time until one day I found myself thinking "I really don't like" or "I love this product! I could use it all day, everyday."  I realized, I had my own set of unique ideas and toolbox that every artist should have.  It didn't happen on a schedule or in a fancy or perfect way.  It happened from buying an art supply, trying it out time after time, and seeing how my art and eyes and soul responded to it.  

So let's get started! This will be my favorite art supplies, Part 1 because already I can think of about 10 supplies I forgot to add on this list. First are these acrylic paints you can find at just about any craft store.  They are a little over a dollar apiece and I try to buy them when they're on sale.  I love the colors and shades of these paints and find the pigment to be quite satisfying. 

I also use cheap paint brushes from Hobby Lobby because I'm pretty bad about remembering to clean my brushes adequately in-between painting sessions.  I'm usually moving from painting time to chores/the girls/real life in just a matter of seconds.  Even though I don't mind paint on my hands during the process of creating, I've discovered I really don't enjoy painting with my hands or fingers, as many artists do.  It's just not my jam.

Occasionally I'll even use these sample paints found at Lowe's.  They are cheap (around $3 for this whole tub) but the color is obviously a lot less saturated than the acrylic paints above or the Goldens below.  Still, I've had success with these, especially if tucking the colors in on a background.

For my birthday last year I saved up some $$ and purchased my first Golden Fluid Acrylics.  I like them, but they're not my most favorite paints.  If you know anything at all about Goldens, that would probably knock you off your feet!  Everyone seems to love Goldens.  Although I do too, because the color is so extremely rich and highly saturated, I enjoy using them most in combination with the cheap acrylic paints.  This helps with the cost too, as Goldens are very pricey. But remember, there's a reason for that.  In this case, more money equals better quality (higher saturation) paint. 

OOOOh, now sprays like these I really, really like! A lot.  I am very lucky to have an art and craft supply warehouse located about 10 minutes from my house where I can purchase sprays for $1.  Yep, you read that right!  Normally spray paints like these are very pricey.  If you don't have a place to buy them so cheaply I always, always recommend using a coupon at Hobby Lobby when buying any kind of supply.   These sprays are great for spraying directly on a canvas, using with a stencil, and letting the ink drip slowly down the page or canvas.

I bought these two paints on sale and love them both!  The ink on the left is fabulous for creating big drips and drops on the page.  The paint on the right is a very highly saturated, thick turquoise paint.  Also a fave.  It's much thicker than the cheap acrylic paints and can create great texture when placed thickly on the canvas.

Watercolors! I've discovered I don't like using watercolors when I have a certain picture in mind….like one day I had this image of creating houses all across the page.  When I tried it with watercolors I didn't like the look of the straight lines.  I prefer to just swipe the colors on and let them run and bleed together on the page with watercolors…

If I do want to create a more defined, yet dreamy look with watercolors, I reach for my watercolor pencils.  You sketch with these first and then go over the pencil drawing with a water brush or regular paint brush dipped in water.  It still allows your sketch to have some structure (like this is great when creating faces) but gives everything a soft edge…an almost hazy look.  I love that.

Paint pens (on the right) are my fave for adding tiny details here and there on backgrounds on my canvases.

The Stabilo pencil on the left is at the top of my favorite art supplies.  Ever.  These pencils come in a few different colors but white and black are my favorite.  They write over a finished canvas easily or you can sketch directly on a blank page and then go over your sketch marks with water to create a shaded look.  

Stencils are another great favorite of mine!  Some of these are mine from childhood and a few I've purchased recently.  You can also make your own stencils or use things you find around the house!  I recently spotted the outline left from the girls' stickers and kept it for a stencil instead of throwing it away.

Mark-making tools are a must in my painting.  These may look familiar to you because these are some of the same supplies the girls used in our printmaking session recently.  I found the two red tools in the kitchen aisle at Wal-Mart!  The other is simply an empty spool of thread.  Basically anything can be used for mark making in your art. 

Tape is another favorite when creating backgrounds or special details in my art!  I try not to ever buy packs of expensive tape.  I either browse the Target $1 spot, use a coupon at Hobby Lobby, or buy it on sale.  The peach colored is Scotch brand which is my favorite brand EVER for really sticking.  The other kinds sorta stick ok…but if I'm using them on a canvas I always add ModPodge to the back and actually glue them down. 

Stamps, how many ways do I love thee? 

So many. 

Back in December I got on a kick to carve my own stamps.  It is so fun, so addicting, so easy.  I have a video of me carving my own stamp I need to figure out how to post.  In the mean time, I like to purchase all kinds of alphabet stamps at Hobby Lobby when they have their 40% off sale, or use a coupon for 50% off at JoAnn's.

For sticking things down on canvas, I still prefer ModPodge.  I use Gesso to create a bit of texture on my canvas, as a background, or I water it down to create a sort of film over parts of my background.

As for art journals, they could really use a post all their own!  When I first started painting I didn't keep a journal which blows my mind now.  I most definitely need my art journal now.  Like badly.  It's where I try out all my ideas, some of which end up really bad.  Others-really great.  I prefer a spiral-bound journal but also like working on several pages at once. This is hard to do when the book is already bound.  I've been pondering buying my own book-binding machine…anyone have experience with that? 

Just a little work in progress to wrap up today!  One of the biggest lessons I've learned over the last year is that finding the art supplies you love is part of finding your style.  I'm so much more able to create art that speaks directly of my soul when I know which supplies connect to my soul.  If you're unsure of what you like or don't like, I encourage you to buy what you can here and there, using coupons, discounts and sales if needed and experiment!  Play with different types of paints, pencils, pens, and see how your mind and and hands and fingers and soul react.  

I look forward to posting Parts 2 and maybe 3 or 4 soon! Then these will become their own separate F.A.Q. page on the blog for your convenience! 

Have a question for me?  Ask away in the comments or email me at sunshinebysara@hotmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you!