Looking Deep Within

Hi lovely Readers!

As you know, this month I've been introducing my beautiful new Creative Team - make yourself a cup of tea and take a while to (re)visit these posts with breathtaking projects from:
Kasia, Marta, Sanda, Karolina, Olya, Bipasha, Juliya and Kelly.
Last but certainly not least, today we meet with talented Tanyalee (check out our mini interview!) who completes our November Team introductions with her a.m.a.z.i.n.g. art journal spread!

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Hello there lovely artist friends.

It’s Tanyalee here with my very first Finnabair Creative Team tutorial. I have started off simply as I explore some of the new (to me) products in my art journal.

My go-to technique is to start off with a collage layer and then add some paint to form an interesting background.

For this spread I used Art Alchemy Impasto paints in Chocolate Brown, Bottle Green and Aubergine.

Can I just say that those paints are the smoothest, creamiest paints I have ever used. They blend so beautifully and spread like butter.

Once the background was down I added some texture with 3D Matte Gel through Finnabair 'Bubbles' stencil.

To add some more colour I used Mica Powder in Green Opal Magic and sprayed it with water to create a bit of a spacey effect.

I then added some paint splatters using white acrylic ink. I also used two texture stamps with white ink for some more details. And journaled using the white acrylic ink.

I love journaling in a messy hidden journaling style so that my thoughts can still remain my thoughts.

To add some more sparkle, I added some glitter from 'Luminous' set glued down with Soft Matte Gel. And then I sealed the page with some fixative spray.

Here's my short video tutorial in which you can follow step by step how this spread came about. Enjoy!

 

I hope you enjoyed my first tutorial, I’ll be back again soon with another fun project.

In messiness

Tanyalee

Products used:

Creative Jump Start 2018 - Back on Board! - online classes

Hi again my dear creative friends!
Guess what? I've got great news for you! Some of you may remember that in the past I was participating in a bunch of collaborative creative projects... everything is better if you are surrounded by friends thinking alike, right? I love this concept, and yes, I'm back this year!

I'm excited to announce that I'll be participating as an artist in Creative JumpStart (CJS) 2018, run for the 7th time by Nathalie Kalbach.
If you're not familiar with CJS, it's a one-of-a-kind online event to kick your creativity into high gear in January 2018. 
Don't we all need that after the holidays? I do!
During this month you will learn techniques, discover new materials, and connect with other artists and crafters... there is so much to do and see!

Throughout January participants get access to 31 downloadable videos from 31 featured artists. There are some really BIG names on board this year - and I'm proud to be one of those artists!

You can see all of the “JumpStarters.” in the video below.

Sounds exciting, right? So here is how it works!

If you decide to sign up you will get the access to the creative community, videos and there will be giveaways and prizes too! You can meet new friends and get your creative juices flowing again...

 You get 31 Downloadable videos - over 6 hours of unique content - 

for just 40 USD if you sign up by November 29 11:59 pm EST, 2017. 

Afterwards, it will be 45 USD until December 31st, 2017 

before it goes to its normal sale price of 50 USD. 

More info? Of course! Head on over to Nathalie's site to sign up and for more details.

Please note: by clicking links here, on my blog and signing up, you are supporting me giving me a chance to get a bit of money in my pocket :) Thank you so much for that!

So what are you waiting for? 

Sign up here - n*Studio CJS2018 - Let's Jump!

I hope you will join us this year - see you there!
xxx

Meet the Ambassadors {Part 1}

My dear Friends!

As you know for the last few weeks we've been saying hello to amazing new members of my Creative Team. Today I'd also like you to spend some time with another special group in my art life - my Brand Ambassadors.

This beautiful bunch of super creative Artists kindly agree to represent my brand and share their Art, their know-how and countless possibilities of my products.

I'm so very grateful to be surrounded by these people - I'm sure you know and love them already!

Today we have a very special post for you - instead of another project/tutorial I asked my Ambassadors to share a little glimpse into their artistic worlds.

I'm sure you'll love learning more about the creative process of your favorite Artists - please, enjoy this fabulous presentation and get ready for more coming up next weekend! :)

The task was to pick 5 objects that best represent each of the Ambassadors, things that are meaningful or inspiring in a special way.

Maybe a pair of favorite scissors? A family photo or an inspiring poster over the desk? A cup of tea? A beloved old brush? Here are their answers:

GAYLE

These are the 5 things I gather around me every time I create. In very different ways they soothe, motivate, inspire, excite and relax me.

1. Incense… My favourites are Sandalwood and Pachouli which seem to stimulate and calm at the same time.

2. Music... There is always an eclectic mix coming from my studio.

3. Pattern... It will be included in some way in every thing I do; often with stencils and stamps but also with paper, fabric or hand drawn.

4. Collage and image transfer are my two favourite techniques and Art Basics Soft Matte Gel is perfect for both. It lives on my desk. Art Alchemy Sparks acrylic paint has also become a favourite as a final highlight on projects and also lives on my desk.

5. Journals. What can I say. I love them. Each page is a new opportunity for expression, for exploration, for storytelling, for recording a memory or for just some playful arty fun. Big, small, bought, recycled or handmade, for me, they are the perfect place in which to create.

More images and info on my blog.

LINDA

I have always had one item on my worktable I cannot live without - a pick or an awl.

I own several so I can always be sure to find at least one. They are all worn and decorated with paint.

I use them to apply glue, wrap wire, poke holes, move ephemera around, position stones and flakes, and scrape marks.

The other items I use all the time are Art Alchemy Metallique Paints for color and shine, 3D Matte Gel (best glue ever), old brushes to blend and add texture, and black and white pens to accent. {Linda's blog}

RIIKKA

It was an interesting challenge to think what 5 objects could represent me. And even harder it was to narrow it to just one photo for this post! So I went with a detail of a project that actually tells a couple of things. Sneaky of me, right? :)

It's from an altered painter's palette I did. It's here to show my attraction to bibs and bobs and gathered ephemera.

The big bird is a Christmas decoration, there's a clock face, bottle caps and plastic juice caps... I currently have two drawers full of items I can alter or add to assemblages. I try to go through them once a year so that the amount of stuff doesn't become overwhelming.

The picture also shows a clock face which represents the time. I'm a total night owl and would go to bed around 2 or 3 am and sleep until 10 am if that would be possible. Instead I try to be bed around midnight as I need to get up at 7 am.

If you'd like to see the other four, please come visit my blog as I'll post the whole set then!

KEREN

When I was told I had to pick 5 objects that represent me as an artist I was stumped. How could I pick just 5? It's nearly impossible! :)

One of the things I love about Art is Mixed Media and Mixed Media is actually the combination of many products together so It would be so hard to narrow it down to just 5.

So in the end, I chose 5 elements that represent me as an artist, that I love and often use in my projects.

1. One of my favourite elements is a butterfly. A butterfly speaks right to my heart both visually when flying among the flowers but also when I think about their metamorphosis before they fly.

2. Birds are another element I love using in my art. Their freedom to fly always makes my soul soar.

3. I love trees as they’re so majestic. They are grounded but always reaching for the sky.

4. The fourth picture represents my faith, stars like the star of David and a little boy praying just really speak to my belief in God.

5. Finally, the last picture is a dreamcatcher. I love their shape and meaning. However, my favourite part is the feathers and in this case the flowers. I’m definitely a flower girl.

I’m so honoured to be part of the Finnabair Ambassador team. All the projects below show my love for her products. 

To see more of my work and get to know me as an artist please visit my blog.

JOHN

I’m always working in my studio, just look at my studio table in the background! I thought that my works in progress would be the perfect backdrop to share with you my five "must haves" that are nearby when I’m at work…

1) photo of my son sitting at my studio table;

2) my box of embellishments and found objects;

3) a few of my detail tools that are used on most projects (yes, some of these are dental instruments!);

4) flush cutters – perfect for trimming metal embellishments and well worth the money!

5) long #15 beading needles.

Although I might not use these in all of my projects, these are my essentials for being able to create art in my studio and share with you my finished works of art! Be sure to follow me on Facebook or on Instagram with ArtNewWave to see my latest projects.

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You have to admit that these tiny glimpses above are absolutely inspiring!

How about you play with us and collect your own personal 5 objects that are always near you while you create?

What makes you feel good when you make art? 

Do you always have fresh flowers on your work table because of their color and beauty, because they bring you a sense of calm?

Do you have any go to medium you can’t imagine creating a piece of work without?

Can you only create with some heavy metal music playing in the background? Do you light a candle every time you are about to start a piece of work?

These are just some examples of what artists do, or have as part of their art vibe or always love to include in their work. We'd love to see what your art world rituals like!

Feel most welcome to go right ahead to our Finnabair & Friends Open Studio facebook group where you can share your Take 5 photo and tell us a little about those special little things that help you create.

See you there!

xx

Finn & The Team

Painting Gives Freedom

Hello all!

Let me introduce another wonderful new Artist in my Creative Team - Kelly Mumford who's here to show you the beautiful possibilities of my paint systems and oh my, get ready for tons of painterly inspirations and some really beautiful ennergy!

Go back to our little interview with Kelly and enjoy today's artwork - we hope you'll feel tempted to grab your brushes right away! :)

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Hello!

My first Creative Team project was a fun little piece to create with the emphasis on Finnabair’s amazing acrylic paint colors.

I love using the Art Alchemy Metallique acrylic paints! They are so fluid, shiny, and blend well together. Try blending different colors together to see what new and vibrant colors you can make. It’s so fun and therapeutic to swirl paint on a canvas.

The Impasto paints are dense and rich in pigment. I used them straight out of tube, for heavy texture and also mixed some with water for the outlining and smaller details.

I used the "Don't Forget to Fly" stamp kit, the inspiration for the art came from the text on the stamps. It made me think of how colorful the world is when you are free and open to experiencing new things in your life.

Butterflies symbolize change, hope and new life for me. I love them. The stamps are darling and the type stamp with them is perfect.

I started by using Heavy White Gesso to prime my 12 inch round canvas.

I then chose 4 colors of acrylic paints that I thought would create a sunset type effect, blending paints in a swirling motion with Finnabair square brush.

After the canvas was dry, I used the butterfly stamps and quotes with permanent ink pad. I dried it all with a heat tool.

I then painted the butterflies in with a mix of Impasto paints to create a beautiful light blue.

I also outlined the butterflies and other details with black Impasto paint mixed with a bit of water.

I also painted a “rainbow” of colors with both types of paint under the butterflies to add a big pop of color and movement.

I applied white paint around edges of canvas to create highlights and once dried went over it lightly with the Magical Pond Sparks paint to create a stained glass effect.

Next step was to apply Soft Gel on the butterfly wings and in dots on canvas. I then sprinkled with blue Glitter.

Last step was to apply 3D Gloss Gel on butterfly wings to make them really stand out.

Artist tip 1.  I think whatever colors symbolize a powerful change for you, choose that palette and go for it! Close your eyes, think about “ flying free” what  COLORS do you see?

I chose a bunch of colors that are in a sunset for my background. I had the image of a new day ahead in my mind. I also would advise to not be afraid of using a lot of color. I used many colors in this piece to create a bright and cheerful painting.

Artist tip 2. Don’t be afraid that you will make a “mistake.” You can always let it dry and paint over it, or take a baby wipe or damp paper towel and wipe it off! Paint is very forgiving, and sometimes, an “accident” is where you find your best work! You will discover that playing with paint is how you’ll find your own magical style.

This was a fun and uplifting piece to create. I think anyone will have fun with these stamps and paints.

Happy painting!
xx
Kelly











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