THE CREATION OF A BLESSED MANDALA

This video was shared in one of my groups. It is truly inspiring. Not only is the art totally amazing, but the meaning behind the monk ritual in creating this beautiful art is wonderful. Enjoy!!!






FOR A MORE DETAILED VIEW OF THIS AMAZING WORK BY TIBETAN MONKS:

WATERCOLOR PAINT CLASS

I am taking a class called ARTFUL JOURNALING FOUNDATIONS with Laure Ferlita and I am really enjoying it. It is to learn how to use watercolors and since I have never used them I thought I'd take the class. It requires sketching so I"m practicing that as well. Its all done with pencil and watercolors and some sharpie pen work.


Okay, I got the first three assignments done and these are my thoughts:


I'm not crazy about the color of the watermelon but I'm not to disappointed with my first stab at watercolors. I don't think I'm getting the color correct for the shadowing. That seems to be the hardest part for me. The shadowing.





I enjoyed doing the lemons in the bowl. Again, I had problems with the shadowing - taking it from more to less. There is too much orange and too much purple. I need to practice that.






Last but not least is the fortune cookie I did a little while ago. I really enjoyed doing this and I started to get more of a feel for the shadow effects necessary to give the subject depth. This is one area that I really need to focus on. I am more comfortable with watercolors now and see how they can be really wonderful for our journals.




Thank you for taking the time to look and I would love all the constructive criticism I can get. I am really glad I signed up for these classes. Thank you Timaree!!!

FUNKY LADIES DETAILS

To answer the questions I'v been getting on the funky lady.... she is drawn with pencil and colored with the Prisma Color Markers. I am learning to draw these ladies in an online class with ArtMag.

This is the second class I have taken with them (took the Gothic Girls Class previously) and am now signed up for the Funky Goddess class. These classes are fun and although I'm not good at drawing, I find that drawing these ladies is really easy! The classes are very short but full of great info.

COLORFUL FUNKY LADIES

I am taking a class with ArtMag called COLORFUL FUNKY LADIES. I got tired of feeling sorry for myself today and decided to try and do one of them. I hate coloring anything - it never comes out right but I am okay with this colorful lady.





I am going to include her in a journal page I am doing for a round robin group I'm in. I love these funky ladies because they fit right in with my zetti and are so "me".

A LETTER TO MY DAD

Papi,

As father's day approaches, it is inevitable to hurt. To hurt more than I've ever hurt before. I miss you so much. This is my first father's day without you and I feel like I can't even breath.

I know you knew how much we loved you. I know you died proud of your children. But sometimes I wonder if we ever thanked you enough. When we came from Cuba you left everyone - EVERYONE you loved to get us out of there. How much did you suffer papi? How horrible it must have been for you to have lost your father without ever being able to see him again. I can not even imagine that kind of pain.

When we came to this country you were only 31 years old. With 3 small children, without knowing the language and without any hope of turning back. Were you scared? How many nights did you stay up wondering what would happen to us? A few days after arriving you were delivering milk in the early morning hours, working in a gas station all day and then washing dishes in a restaurant at night. And you were only 31 years old. The very first thing you purchased in this country was a black and white TV for my brothers and I. Nothing for you - it was never for you. It was always about us.

You worked three jobs so that I could dance ballet... so that my brothers and I could spend a Sunday at a zoo or at a park. So that we would not be stuck in a country that would oppress and enslave us. You worked like an animal your entire life and never once complained. I remember when I was in my late twenties, I went to see you at work and you were working under the hood of a car; bathed in sweat and grease... and I remember thinking... "have I told you how much I appreciate you"?

We moved to Puerto Rico and you made sure that we went to the best private schools, that we joined a social club to meet good friends, that we always dressed like the others in the club even though they had so much more money than we did! You didn't want us to feel less. We never stopped to thank you for that.

You made sure my brother had a good car when he turned 16. Much better than you ever had. You made sure my first car was a brand new car - even though you never in your entire life drove a new car.

I miss you papi, i told you before you died and I will tell you again and again... nobody will ever love me like you did. Nobody will ever love my brothers and I as passionately and as unconditionally as you did. I know I should be celebrating the fact that you were my father - that I was so lucky to have you. But right now all I want to is crawl under my blankets and cry for the man who I'll never be able to kiss again.

Happy father's day papi.

CATCHING UP!

Had my grand daughters for the past 3 days while their mother worked. Let's just say that God is brilliant. He knows when to stop our biological clock's ticking because He KNOWS that after a certain age we just can't do this!!! Kaitlynn is 3 and Maddie is 1 month old. Up every 3 hours... Kaitlynn wanting to see cartoons at 4:00 am when Maddie wakes her up! Yep! WAAAAAYYYYY too old for this!!! Need to get some updated pictures of Maddie posted. Didn't have my camera this week because my daughter had my car (with the camera in the trunk) so I couldn't take any pictures but will post some soon.

They left about two hours ago and despite the fact that I am always anxious to see them, I wasn't heart broken to see them leave!!! LOL!!! They will be back Friday for my husband's birthday!

I haven't done very much art lately. No time! But I did complete two of the round robin journals I had pending:

This was was for Lee Hyne's Dream Journal:



This one was for Tracy's I Dream In Colors Journal:



Tracy and I talk about our families a lot and when I saw these images I just pictured her and her brother! This little girl has the kind of mischief in her eyes that Tracy still has in hers!