29 faces {february 2015}

faces....i find i really like to people watch. to look at the faces and draw. this tends to happen when i am in meetings. i either draw the person speaking, or someone close by that is interesting- maybe it is the angle, or the lighting that makes this person interesting- but, whatever it is, i find myself doodling.

i have played along with the past 2 seasons of 29 faces and have stretched and grown with each time. i find that some days are easy and other finds me almost completely frustrated wondering why yesterday was easy and today is not......but, whatever the reasons, i have come to understand that you must simply push through this and know, that each day is NOT going to be your best. in fact, some days, you may even question what the heck you are doing; but, in the end, you need to turn the page in that art journal, and start another one.

here are a few of my faces thus far for the 29 faces, February 2015......

                                                          I love this doodled girl's hair :).....

 

 

 

happy Saturday to you!

29 faces {september edition}

i had been waiting for the 29 faces to start again so i could participate. i truly enjoyed this past spring even with my personal struggles in the middle portion....and a bit of an ominous start here....see her skeptical eye? wondering why i gave her green skin? why do i think i can do this? can't she have more hair? and what is with all of those wrinkles- do i have to draw those in too?

i missed day one, but, started on day 2 and did today for day 3. i am hoping to find my mojo again.....as i seem to be a bit lost...too heavy with the pencil and charcoal.

i did truly begin to appreciate the practice everyday thing- and need to stick with it this time. it may seem difficult to get started but, once you get going you have it and it will grow. i have grown a fondness for drawing/ painting faces. now i am not saying that the faces are perfect or beautiful, but, i have had a good time and that should count for something.

here is to 29 faces....so glad you are back.

round 2: favorites {29 faces}

posting a few more of my faces for 29 Faces this month. i must be in a blue mood, because i find myself grabbing that color in my hiflow acrylics. i love how much pigment they have. i like to put down a squirt in my general shape and hit it with a spritz of water and let it do its' thing. i followed up the face below with a new blue pencil. i thought it was a stabilo, but, it is not quite....but worked well for my purpose all the same.

i tried a face with an angle and i like parts of her below....but, her nose was a bit wonky....so in my pic- i just clipped that off for you; but, i again really like her blue hair and her lips and chin. in the photo i used as a reference- the eyes were really dark- like black and you could not discern more detail in the eyes. not completely sure i did the shadows right to portrait that though for you.

i had blotted off left over ink from something else onto this page and decided to doodle at least part of a face on it. i like the eye and lips; and her earring. okay....i may be reaching just a bit on this one....

don't you just love Dina Wakley? i do! almost everything she does. i love her girl on her paint tubes and wanted to use her as inspiration. i love how my hair turned out. i was thinking my face could be a bit stronger, but, i don't normally gesso over any of the faces i have done, so i may have to try this one again- but, i do love this hair.

happy thursday to you!

P.S......i have something big "cooking" for saturday morning so be sure to stop back for the news!

29 faces challenge 2014: day 4 and 5

i felt so outside of my comfort zone for day 4. i was uninspired and found this face very difficult to do. i was frustrated and must have painted over this faces four times before i found some level of happiness. the first three days had come relatively easily.

i wanted to make sure that day 5 was not a struggle and while i was fixing supper i was contemplating faces and inspiration....and then, i remembered Lady Gaga and her "painted" face for her latest album Artpop. i loved the colors.

i loved her inspiration and was much happier with this face. it came much easier than day 4.

29 faces challenge 2014: day 1

i did decide to give 29 faces challenge a try.....faces are something i feel like i struggle with- so this will be the perfect push outside of my comfort zone.

here is my face from yesterday-

i am using an art journal that i had used my gelli plate to print the backgrounds first. i also used stencils and spray ink. my image came from a fashion model i had pinned and knew i wanted to draw. 

she is interesting and i am hoping that as this month progresses, that my abilities will get better......

art journal post

the weekend was busy, but, i managed to sneak away and go play in the studio with my mom....i had taken my art journal along to work in.

i gesso'd the pages and started  in.....i used several stencils and a little bit of everything from ink to watercolors and some acrylic paint for good measure. and topped it all off with my girls face in charcoal.

i have been so intrigued and inspired by all of the drawn faces i have seen lately. i was really hoping to play along with the 29 faces this month, but, with school starting and sports now going in full swing, i will just have to play and draw faces when i get the chance.

i also wanted to say thank you to Connie, Leslie, and Mary for their comments on friday's post. instead of picking between you three....all of you will receive a notecard via snail mail! thanks for following!!

about face and look a"head" to 2015

i am killing myself this morning.....

okay here is the scoop- i had been kicking around the idea of making a calendar from my 29 Faces art journal from this year and decided to take the leap and get the calendars made to sell to friends and family.

i already sold a few at the Holiday Studio Tour this last weekend, so i decided i better get the word out and share this information. i have 2 sizes available- one is a wall sized calendar that is 8.5"x 11" and the other is a desktop version that measures 4.5" x 8.25". each calendar has the same pics- so you simply need to choose which size would work best for you.

the calendar is made from 12 of my favorite faces from my art journal and is available in my etsy store. check back soon as i will also be adding some soft fabric ornaments for sale as well.

the calendar would make a great gift for someone special that features some interesting faces from my art journal.

here is to holidays!

29 faces 2014 challenge: days 21, 22, & 23

i was about fit to be tied after not being able to go down to my studio for a few days....so when i got there, there was a sigh of relief. i love walking in and seeing my stuff just sitting there waiting for me to go to work. this was the view of my work table.

i was a few days behind on my 29 faces, but, quickly went to work and created my faces. this was from a model post. i used gesso on a portion of the page to see how my new stabilo pencil would work on gesso. my left eye was on gesso and the right is not- which do you like better? i think i like the left one....but, cannot quite decide.

for this face, i used my gelli plate to print the background first layering a few colors with stencils. then, used my stabilo pencil, and black and white india ink.

on my day 23 i had used a number stencil on the gelli plate and simply printed off the stencil onto my paper. i loved the perspective of her in the picture. i may have to try her one more time. the pic was taken looking up so her chin was very pronounced. i used my stabilo pencil, black and white india ink on her.

29 faces {february 2016}

i started the 29 faces for february 2016. a bit behind, but, working on getting caught up. i did several faces yesterday and i could feel the face "dust" being blown out of the corners. my first one was definitely a warm up; and as i worked through the second one....i could feel the muse come to life.

this first one was not maybe one of my favorites- although, part of her i love....like this hair line area.

the second one.......this journal is a favorite because of what it holds, but it has made art journaling a bit complicated because it probably was never meant to be an art journal; so the page are thin and when damp- tend to tear easily. and her lips were one of those areas.....i apparently had worked that area too much- which lead to me collaging in a vintage envelop portion...which i now love.

again....loving portions of her.......these are a few favorites....

happy monday.

29 faces challenge 2014: some from the last few days....

i am still working through my 29 faces challenge. this challenge has been interesting...some days i feel like this is no sweat and other days i can't seem to get my face to work how i want it to. 

like this one below....i painted over this one multiple times; but, i really like how the right eye came out. i am glad i am using one journal for this challenge, so that i can go back and look through the faces.

 this one- i liked the pink wash on the face and the circle pattern on the paper...

 this one has a sly cartoonish look- almost like a knowing mom....

this challenge has been most challenging- but, in a good way. 

29 faces challenge 2014: day 14 a dual painting

i am also participating in 21 secrets at this time and our teacher this week was Julie Fei-Fen Balzer! if you are into art journals and stencils- i am sure you have heard of her.....and she did NOT disappoint!

Julie showed how she worked in her journal and how she painted which was fabulous! she actually starts with the basic primary colors plus white and black, and does her own mixing of paint as she goes because she travels a lot to teach and doesn't want to take more than she needs (lucky girl!).

Julie had some great words of wisdom for the group, but, one of the things i thought was good to hear, that i have heard from some of the best artists i have taken classes from, is that if you are serious about your work and painting, you really need to use good paint.

good paint is not the little bottles of craft paint that you get at the craft stores. 

good paint is always worth its' price! good paint has more pigment and will provide a richer color and more vibrancy to your work. and just a note when looking at acrylic paints- know that student grade will have more filler, and is also a lesser quality of paint.

after being inspired by Julie i created this in my 29 faces journal i am working in. i have been keeping each of these challenges separate, but, this painting is playing dual roles at least for a day anyway.....and was painted into my 29 faces challenge journal.

woodland collection.....{new rubber stamps}

oh my!! this has been soooooo hard to hold all of this in! cannot believe i made it.....pinch me!! there is some super good stuff going on today- you better grab a seat and an extra cup of coffee.... 'cuz have i got stuff to share with you!

stamps. my faces.... on stamps. 

for you. 

eeeek!

yep. for you over at Paperbag Studios.

so here is the whole scoop: 

• Artpop Cards, 
• Mini Circles, 
• Big Circles, 
• Sticker Tape, and 
• INKed Stamps, (these are super amazing!! love the shapes and variety!)
• my own Woodland Fairies Stamps!!

and..... that is not all....no, no, no, no..... i have a give away of all give away's. i am giving away my original handmade 2018 calendar. 

all finger painted, stamped, sticker'd, scribbled and collage'd up just for you.

check this out.... (why yes, that cover does have a little stitching.....)

yes i hand stamped every month....every month. just for you.

if you leave a comment here you are registered to win this original calendar. comments will be taken until tuesday, 11/21/17 at 7pm CST. i will do a randomize drawing tuesday night and announce the winner on wednesday!

and once you commented here....swing over to Roben-Marie's blog post- as she has a super creative give-away that she made to celebrate today as well!!

want to know more about the faces and how i got started? Roben-Marie will be hosting me Saturday morning at 10am CST on her Claim Your Happy FB Group live!! we will be showing off the products and visiting.... so grab your coffee and come and join us!

xo. kristin

PS- besides using all the new stuffs posted here today, i used artpop cards previously made by Roben-Marie. i used the Wait for Me and Lo's Serendipity.