and the fun continues….
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A New Direction
As an artist, I’m always stretching myself, exploring new techniques and searching for a new muse or a new direction. Maybe because it’s winter here in Michigan and all of my beautiful flower gardens are covered in snow and I long for bright, bold beautiful blooms but I felt compelled to play with florals. I decided to do a #30daychallenge to keep myself in the moment and keep learning and moving forward with these florals.
Take a look at the first 14 paintings of my 30 day challenge. From here I will be posting daily until the 30 day challenge ends. I hope you enjoy viewing these florals and they bring some joy and color into your day.
Blessings, Teresa
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Ariel Watercolor Speed Painting
If you follow my work, you know I paint angels using acrylic paints. Well, I wanted to try something new so I decided to paint an angel using watercolor paints! I started with a pen and ink drawing then added the watercolors. As I was working, I discovered I didn’t like the ink drawing because it was so permanent and I couldn’t change it. It also gave it a rigid look instead of a soft look like watercolors tend to do.
Having said all of that, I really did enjoy the process! It’s so opposite of acrylics for these reasons:
- With watercolor I work light to dark. I keep in mind the areas that will be the lightest and work around them. With acrylic I work dark to light. Building layers until you reach the lightest highlights.
- I can’t just paint over a mistake like I can with acrylic. There are techniques I can use to minimize a mistake but if it’s a major boo boo, I have to start over or accept it as part of the painting.
- Watercolor dries a shade lighter and acrylic dries a shade darker.
- Once I lay down the watercolor and it dries, I can still manipulate it by adding water to it and “bringing it back to life”…not going to happen with acrylic.
- It’s easy to create a soft, blended look with watercolor but not so much with acrylic.
- Watercolors are transparent when using enough water with the paint so you can see the layer underneath. Acrylic is opaque.
- In order to lighten a watercolor, I simply add more water and to darken or have the color more concentrated, I use less water. With acrylics, you have to add white paint to lighten for highlights and paynes grey, black or another darker color paint to make the paint color darker for shadowing.
It really is night and day when painting with watercolor compared to acrylics but I love them both! I hope you enjoy watching the speed painting of Ariel.
Blessings,
Teresa
“Ariel” is a lesson at Kogut Studio Uncut, go here to learn more.
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She Wears What She Wants
This painting pretty much sums up how I think we should talk to ourselves. How we should talk to our children. How we should look at one another. How we are all unique. How our differences are what makes the world so beautiful. But most of all to be comfortable within our own skin. It starts with what we believe about ourselves. Repeating positive affirmations over an over has a powerful effect on ourselves and those around us. Here is the message I posted on my Facebook business page:
“She Wears What She Wants” acrylic Whimsy Chick art journal page is next week’s Kogut Studio Uncut lesson. My original sketch had this saying in it but the background was just white. As I was creating this painting, I wanted to include words that were positive, powerful and uplifting. All of the sentences in the background start with “I am”- it’s her words. Words that she repeats to herself…. saying all of the things that she believes about herself. The words “she wears what she wants” is what the outside world sees…..her confidence. She’s not afraid to express herself in what she does, in what she creates, and in what she wears.
“I am strong. I am confident. I am loved. I am worthy. I am unique. I am beautiful. I am dynamic. I am loved by God. I am whole. I am a fox. I am harmonious. I am powerful. I am loving. I am a child of God. I am at peace. I am grateful. I am one with nature. I am happy. I am worthy. I love myself. I am me.”
Because she knows who she is and believes in herself and her uniqueness, she is free to wear what she wants. I hope this painting inspires you to wear what you want! God Bless.
Blessings,
Teresa
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Creative Whims Store
The new store “Creative Whims” is now open!! I seriously feel like the past 25 years of my art career has led me to this point! I have built up a library of over 4,000 images that now can be featured on products….and I get to choose which ones! I’m beyond thrilled to be able to offer my art on quality products.
So far, I’ve partnered with 5 companies to create products such as, mugs, notebooks, pencil pouches, phone cases, calendars, journals, notecards, placemats, cutting boards, shirts, totes, prints, gallery-wrapped canvases & coasters! The ultimate goal is home decor. The first home decor product has recently been added and it’s pillows! The color and quality of these pillows will knock your socks off.
Hopefully by spring of 2018, Creative Whims Store will be offering wall tapestries, shower curtain, bathroom mats, dog beds, table cloths, table runners, duvet covers, ottomans and more. It’s a dream come true to have a place where someone can go and purchase everything they need to decorate a room.
Be sure to stop by the store often as products are being added a few times a week! To see the most recently added products, go to www.mycreativewhims.com, click “catalog”, then where is reads sort by, in that drop-down menu, choose “date, new to old”. That way when you come back to the site you can see the newest additions to the store.
Blessings,
Teresa Kogut
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In Command
“In Commmand” measures 20″ x 16″. It’s an acrylic on stretched gallery-wrapped canvas. I painted it for a lesson in Kogut Studio Uncut where I teach art once a week via videos. The videos are raw, unedited, unscripted….uncut. If you’d like to learn more, go here.
- Psalm 91:11 – “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways”. This is one of my favorite scriptures not only because it shows God’s love for us in such fatherly way but also because it makes me feel safe. Sending his angels down from heaven to guard us is a very real and strong message.
- It’s also important to be “in command” of ourselves….to have the self-control it takes to stay the course; whatever that may mean for you and your life. Being an entrepreneur, I have to be in command of my time. It’s easy to get distracted my “shiny objects”…for example, Facebook, Instagram, spending too much time researching or planning rather than doing.
This angel is very special to me for the reasons written above. The original is spoken for, but she will be available in many products very soon. Watch for them at Creative Whims and my Etsy shop.
May you never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly…..
Blessings,
Teresa
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Teaching Punchneedle
I had the pleasure of teaching 4 ladies how to do punchneedle embroidery last night at Holly Hills Primitives. Thank you, Dawn Rossell, for hosting the class in your new location for Holly Hills Primitives! This was the first class in the new location and it was so comfortable! Lots of room and light for teaching.
As always, I had so much fun teaching punchneedle. This was the smallest group I’ve ever taught but it was nice because I got to spend more time with each person. They really learned quick….which always makes the teacher feel good. Last night’s class was also the first time we had wine at a class! There were a few jokes about needing wine to relax and how we might be there all night so Dawn snuck out without anyone noticing that she left the shop to buy a bottle of wine for us! It was pretty funny when she walked in an set the bottle in the middle of the table.
The bottom photo was staged because Jen kept saying “that one might come up missin” as I was passing around the finished & mounted punchneedle models.
Thank you Karen, Ginny, Sue and Jen for being such fun and sweet students! I hope you keep punching!
Blessings,
Teresa
If you’d like to learn how to do punchneedle but don’t live in an area that has classes, you can take my online tutorial here.
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Creatively Balanced Life Boho
Need more balance in your life?
Even though we get crazy busy at times, we can’t neglect any area of our life for too long or we’ll get all out of whack. Live a more fulfilled and rich life with the principals taught in the Creatively Balanced Life e-course.
Upon completion of this e-course, you’ll have 9 paintings hanging as a collage on your wall as a visual reminder to strive for balance.
Special introductory offer today through May 31, 2017….save $49 by using coupon code “CBLBOHO” at checkout.
To learn more, click here.
To purchase offer, click here.
I hope to see you in class!!
Blessings,
Teresa
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Holly Hills Primitives Grand Opening
Tomorrow, May 6, 2017, Holly Hills Primitives is having their grand opening in their new location in downtown Holly. If you love primitive decor, you’ll love their store. Located at 107 N Saginaw St, Holly Michigan.
Dawn and Dick Rossell, the shop owners, are all too familiar to moving. Their store was originally on main street in downtown Holly but they outgrew that space and moved to the Old Mill just off main street. The Old Mill came with it’s troubles as it was an old uninsulated building and was almost impossible to heat in the frigid Michigan winters. In 2015, they moved their shop “back home” to their historic house a few blocks from the downtown area. As quaint as the shop was in this charming location, it was too far from all the action taking place downtown hence their recent move to the 1858 furniture building on the main drag heading into downtown Holly.
Dawn and Dick are very talented themselves! Dick custom builds furniture and also builds furniture to sell in the shop. You can see some of his work in the video. Dawn sews primitive dolls, creates prim stitchery and hooks rugs. They are two of the nicest people you’d ever want to meet so be sure to stop by if you live in the area or are just passing through.
As if they aren’t busy enough, they also host two large primitive shows at the Karl Richter Center in Holly. Vendors from all across the USA clamor to participate in the “Early Homestead” antique, primitive, and early goods show which is held in the spring and fall. People come from all over the country to shop at this unique show. For more information, you can visit the site for these shows.
This new shop also has a large room for teaching classes. I will be teaching the first punchneedle class June 22, 2017 at 6pm. Join us if you can! It’s always a great time. You can call the shop for details. (248) 634-7040 Dawn’s having teachers come in to teach rug hooking, needle felting, wool applique and more!
Make sure to join their Facebook page for the latest updates. Check out their site as well.
Have you ever visited their shop? If so, what did you purchase? Share you experience with us.
Blessings,
Teresa
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I’ve been busy adding to my whimsical dog series. Here are the last few: Tails, Furbaby & Dance.
“Tails” acrylic on 18×24″ canvas
“Furbaby” acrylic on 18×24 canvas
“Dance” acrylic on 16×20″ canvas
These paintings are for sale….please visit my Etsy Shop. Then click on categories “Acrylic Original Art”.
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