A Focused Journey: Finding a focus on the other side of 50.

I believe everyone’s life has a purpose. We are here to discover that purpose then use whatever gifts were bestowed upon us to make this world a better place. Some of us are fortunate as we know at an early age what that purpose is. Others, well, we go along, often digressing from the road that will take us there. This is me. Now on the other side of 50, I am finding my way back to that road that will lead to my life’s purpose. Welcome to my journey.

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Get up. Get dressed. Paint. Week 5

Watercolor fun with Rae Missigman and her 15MINUTES OF MIXED MEDIA©

Using watercolors is new to me, and a little intimidating. I see those beautiful sketchbooks where the artist paints on the go and, well, it's intimidating! This page helped me push past some of that fear and learn how to paint with them.

Having not worked with watercolors much I realized too late that the palm of my hand was smearing what I just finished painting. To cover the mess, I ended up gessoing over those areas twice.
I felt more comfortable using watercolor pencils to fill in the background rather then painting from the set of paints. I enjoy using the pencils with the H₂O brush.

What I learned this week:

Ø Work from the top of the page down and dry more often with the heat tool.

Ø How to incorporate other paints along with the watercolors such as acrylics and paint pens.

Ø The entire background doesn't need to be filled in. Leaving some white areas is okay.

Paint Party Friday

5 comments:

Rae MissigmanApril 25, 2015 at 3:53 PM
A lovely take on the exercise this week Diane! Good for you for pushing through. Water colors are really hard for me too! eek! xx
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GigglesApril 25, 2015 at 7:43 PM
Very pretty. Have you tried watching a few water colour youtube videos. Tracey Fletcher King just did a watercolour on carrots tutorial earlier this week that was awesome. Check it out , it may help. I found it really informative!! She's on paint party friday too!

Hugs Giggles
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RobinApril 26, 2015 at 2:31 PM
I think you did a GREAT job! I like water colors however I cannot make the water color pencils work for me. Good for you for trying. My theme for my post this week was "what I learned" and I had to smile when I read what you had learned. Have a beautiful week!
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paulineApril 26, 2015 at 6:02 PM
It's hard not to be intimidated sometimes Diane, but it's so important to just keep yourself painting, and do whatever works FOR YOU. If you like the pencils, have fun with the pencils! And i agree with Giggles (above). Tracey did a fabulous job with showing how she paints carrots in that little video. I love that you added the 'what i learned this week' points. I find the trick with watercolors is to start really light, adding the depth as you go along. You're on the right path. xx
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FLOApril 27, 2015 at 3:45 AM
Vous avez bien travaillé!
Flo
http://lartenciel.blogspot.fr/
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Thank you so much for stopping by. Please share your insights.

THE JOURNEY

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do--
determined to save
the only life you could

The Dark Night Of The Soul
By Saint John of the Cross
Translated by A.Z. Foreman

Songs of the soul rejoicing at having achieved the high state of perfection, the Union with God, by way of spiritual negation.

Once in the dark of night,
Inflamed with love and wanting, I arose
(O coming of delight!)
And went, as no one knows,
When all my house lay long in deep repose

All in the dark went right,
Down secret steps, disguised in other clothes,
(O coming of delight!)
In dark when no one knows,
When all my house lay long in deep repose.

And in the luck of night
In secret places where no other spied
I went without my sight
Without a light to guide
Except the heart that lit me from inside.

It guided me and shone
Surer than noonday sunlight over me,
And lead me to the one
Whom only I could see
Deep in a place where only we could be.

O guiding dark of night!
O dark of night more darling than the dawn!
O night that can unite
A lover and loved one,
Lover and loved one moved in unison.

And on my flowering breast
Which I had kept for him and him alone
He slept as I caressed
And loved him for my own,
Breathing an air from redolent cedars blown.

And from the castle wall
The wind came down to winnow through his hair
Bidding his fingers fall,
Searing my throat with air
And all my senses were suspended there.

I stayed there to forget.
There on my lover, face to face, I lay.
All ended, and I let
My cares all fall away
Forgotten in the lilies on that day.

Pages

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Get up. Get dressed. Paint. Week 5

What I learned this week:

5 comments: